The Underground

• Soil Health, Plant Food & Profit: The Future of Plant Nutrition with Grass Gains & Empathy - Glee 2025

  The science of plant nutrition is moving fast, and it is reshaping everything from peat-free compost to profit margins on the shop floor. In this Glee 2025 special, Phil and Kate sit down with Steve Harper, MD of Grass Gains and Chair of the Responsible Sourcing Scheme, and then with Simon Taylor and Helen Thomas from Empathy, Plantworks, to explore what comes next for lawn care, plant feeds and bio-fertilisers in garden retail. Steve explains how Grass Gains is bringing professional-grade lawn products and a new peat-free specific plant food, Bloom, into the consumer market, why excess potassium is sabotaging plant performance in peat-free, and how challenger brands can use social media and TikTok lives to build demand and push back against “blocked out” categories on the shelves. Simon and Helen then lift the lid on Empathy’s latest bio-fertilisers and plant-specific feeds, from RootGrow to the new Green Room houseplant range, all designed with soil biology and peat-free compost in mind. They share how mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria are moving from agriculture into home gardening, how their virtual advice assistant Emily uses AI to support staff and consumers, and why clever attachment selling on the till can meaningfully lift basket spend without cannibalising other lines. In this episode, we cover:Why soil health, not just NPK, is the real foundation of resilient plants in a peat-free worldHow Grass Gains is positioning as a challenger brand through product quality, format and social media, rather than big-budget advertisingThe peat-free transition: where the Responsible Sourcing Scheme is now, and what a new quality mark could mean for retailers and consumersThe rise of bio-fertilisers: mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial bacteria and what they can do for garden centre customersEmpathy’s new product development, packaging and in-store attachment strategies that increase average basket valueHow AI advice tools like Emily can support, not replace, expert staff on the shop floor If you work in the garden sector and want to understand where plant nutrition, soil health and attachment selling are heading next, this episode is for you. Subscribe to The Underground and visit theunderground.fm to get new episodes and sector insights straight to your inbox.

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• Loyalty, Ads & Footfall: Modern Marketing for Garden Centres - Glee 2025

  Marketing for garden centres is changing fast. In this Glee 2025 episode of The Underground, Phil Wright and Kate Turner sit down with two specialists to explore how loyalty data and paid media can work together to drive footfall, sales and long-term customer value in the home and garden sector.First up, Vanessa Cranford from Spring Marketing explains why garden centre loyalty schemes should be treated as profit engines, not cost centres. Drawing on two decades of experience and data from over 100 UK sites, she shows how EPOS-linked loyalty programmes can lift average transaction value by around 50%, increase visit frequency and turn your best customers into brand advocates, all while giving you clearer visibility of churn and customer lifetime value.Then, Aaron Rudman-Hawkins from The Evergreen Agency joins Phil to demystify paid search and paid social for home and garden brands. He breaks down when ads work (and when they don’t), why average order value and lifetime value matter so much, and how to think about budgets by working backwards from revenue goals . He also shares how localised search and smart retargeting can help garden centres “win the postcode and win the weekend”.In this episode you’ll learn:Why loyalty should sit at the heart of your marketing communications, not off to one sideHow EPOS-integrated loyalty schemes reveal who your high-value “protect at all cost” customers really arePractical examples of using purchase data to upsell, cross-sell and drive repeat visits (from roses to hot drink cards)Common myths about older customers and apps, and how to get teams excited about scanning cards and using dataThe difference between search and social, and how to use both to capture intent and nudge customers back in-storeWhy lower-ticket products can struggle with ads, and how repeat purchase or premium ranges can change the equationWhether you’re running a single site or a multi-centre group, this episode is packed with practical, data-driven ideas to modernise your marketing, make better use of the customers you already have, and turn “just another loyalty card” into a real competitive advantage.Spring Marketing: http://springmarketing.co.uk/The Evergreen Agency: http://theevergreenagency.co.uk/

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• Tony Kersey, GIMA & Belle Richardson, Seal Stop: Live from Glee 2025

  Recorded live on the show floor at Glee 2025, this episode of The Underground discovers how the garden sector is nurturing innovation, supporting newcomers and helping customers navigate a changing retail landscape.Phil and Kate first sit down with Tony Kersey, Membership Ambassador at GIMA, to explore why the trade association is seeing record growth, how it is supporting over 200 members, and what smaller suppliers really need to know to make the most of a show like Glee. Tony shares how the supplier–retailer relationship is evolving, the rise of marketplace and e-commerce teams, and why collaboration is now critical for bringing “newness” and sustainability to market.On the Evergreen Garden Care stand, Jude and Nick talk about the buzz at this year’s show, the 2026 relaunch of Miracle-Gro on TV, and why garden brands must do more to educate consumers, simplify complex categories like controls and weedkillers, and help garden centres bring new gardeners into the category with confidence.Finally, Phil and Kate are joined by Belle Richardson, radiographer-turned-inventor and founder of Seal Stop, winner of the GIMA Seed Corn Fund 2025. Belle shares the story behind her water-saving valve, why British manufacturing and durability matter, and how she is working with water companies and the leisure sector to tackle water waste without greenwashing.Perfect listening for garden brands, suppliers and retailers planning their next season, and their next big idea.Tony Kersey: http://gima.org.ukBelle Richardson: http://sealstop.co.uk

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• Make It Memorable with Paul Pleydell & Barry Knight - Glee 2025 Live

  Garden centres aren’t just about plants anymore. Recorded live at Glee 2025, Phil & Kate sit down with Paul Pleydell of Pleydell Smithyman and Barry Knight of The Full Range to unpack how experience, smart design and a considered food offer can lift margins, smooth seasonality and win younger families. From “make it better before you make it bigger” to being famous for something (yes, even a lemon meringue pie a foot high), this episode is packed full of ideas for teams who want their site to be talked about for the right reasons.GuestsPaul Pleydell — Director, Pleydell Smithyman, design & business consultants for the garden and rural sector.Barry Knight — Director, The Full Range, food procurement & consultancy serving 50+ independent garden centres.What you’ll learn:Experience first: If a customer can’t finish the sentence, “I went to your garden centre and guess what…”, you’ve not created a memorable visit. Make signature moments people want to share.Food as a profit engine: Why cafés and food halls boost dwell time, attract younger families, and should lead your site’s highest margins, when the offer is right.Be famous for something: From giant scones to a stand-out “signature dish,” create a hook that earns word-of-mouth.Data over guesswork: Use EPOS and management accounts to prune the tail, reset ranges and protect profit - low CapEx, high impact.Weather-proofing revenue: To flatten peaks and troughs.Independent edge: How local agility, attention to detail and service can outclass chain buying power on value felt by customers.Perfect forOwners, directors and managers in independent garden centres; teams planning refurbishments; anyone growing hospitality, food hall or café performance.Enjoy the episode, and if it sparks an idea, share it with your team and tag us.

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• Lee Connelly & Sipcam’s Nigel Thompson on Schools, Greener Gardening, and Innovation

  Recorded at Glee 2025, Phil Wright and Kate Turner sit down with Lee Connelly, the Children’s Gardening Coach (formerly Skinny Jean Gardener), and Nigel Thompson, Sales & Marketing Director at Sipcam Home & Garden, to explore how the trade can engage families, support schools, and modernise product ranges for today’s consumer. Expect practical ideas for garden centres, insight on brand-building as a challenger, and new product thinking across outdoor and houseplant care. What you’ll hearSchool gardening at scale: Lee’s 2025 tour reached 10,000 children in a single week across 30 schools, sparking classroom-to-home participation and long-term follow-up with teachers. He argues for sustained brand investment in primary as well as secondary to seed future gardeners and employees. Making garden centres true family destinations: low-cost activities that create reasons to dwell, learn and buy—without feeling like a “kids’ corner” bolt-on. Greener gardening in practice: Nigel outlines Sipcam’s focus on ecofective®, simplifying purchase and sell-through for retailers while keeping efficacy front and centre.Challenger brand mindset: why being smaller enables creative risk-taking, sharper points of difference, and faster iteration. From activation to legacy: how Sipcam partnered with Lee (30 schools supported in total, with the team volunteering locally) to prioritise impact over quick-win influencer content. GuestsLee Connelly — The Children’s Gardening Coach. Campaigning to get gardening into the curriculum and designing joyful, memorable experiences that stick with kids and teachers. https://www.childrensgardeningcoach.co.ukNigel Thompson — Sales & Marketing Director, Sipcam Home & Garden. Steering ecofective®, Fito and Get Off with a “greener gardening” strategy and a challenger’s eye for distinctive propositions. https://www.sipcamhg.co.uk

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