Tag Archives: gardening

Scholastic UK celebrates RHS children’s books launch with kids’ gardening competition

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Scholastic UK and the Royal Horticultural Society have launched a new series of illustrated activity books for children. Aimed at encouraging readers to explore and enjoy nature outdoors, the books have been inspired by RHS gardens across the country.

The first three titles in the series were launched in the spring and include The Outdoor Adventure Handbook, which looks at discovering plants and wildlife and getting closer to nature, with activities for all weathers. Further books in the series will follow in autumn 2021 and beyond.

To celebrate the release of the first titles, Scholastic UK has also launched a nationwide gardening competition, encouraging children to create their own unique garden designs. The competition kicked off in June and will run for four months, welcoming all sizes of garden design, ranging from miniature gardens in a tray or a garden pot, to a space in a back garden, community garden, or allotment. 

The competition runs until September 30th 2021 and is open to all children aged seven to 12. The judges will include gardeners from the RHS.

The prize for first place will include a VIP guided tour of RHS Garden Wisley, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science. RHS Hilltop is the UK’s first dedicated centre of excellence for horticultural research, which helps to protect the future of plants, people and the planet.

The prize winner will also receive a full set of RHS/ Scholastic publishing and a selection of RHS licensed products to encourage their future gardening efforts. 

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “The RHS is extremely excited to be involved with the judging of this competition and to provide a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of RHS Garden Wisley as part of the prize. We hope as many young people as possible will take on this design challenge and think creatively about designing a garden to suit their space at home – no matter the size of the space they have or whether it is indoors or outside.”

The Scholastic UK partnership has been curated at a time in which social restrictions have seen parents and families spending more time outside in gardens and parks. According to a survey carried out by the RHS last year, time spent gardening has increased 149 per cent, while 60 per cent of people with an outdoor space felt that having a garden helped their physical health during lockdown.

Matthew Pottage, Curator, RHS Garden Wisley, added: “My passion for gardening and growing plants started at an early age in my parents’ garden and developed into an amazing horticultural career with the RHS. I’d love this competition to inspire young people to get involved and share in my love of gardening. I’d encourage them to enter the competition – no matter what their ability or space – to be creative and to marvel at the wonder of the natural world around them.” 

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher non-fiction, brands and licensing, Scholastic UK, concluded: “Gardens and gardening have been more important than ever to our wellbeing in recent months and few gardens are as well-loved as the five RHS gardens that are among this country’s greatest horticultural achievements. They have been an ideal inspiration both for our new range of books and for this competition, which will, we believe, attract and delight children all over the UK.”

Horticultured | The Royal Horticultural Society on bringing 200 years’ of gardening history to new audiences

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From garden tools to wine, and chocolates to canvas shoes, all via the mulch aisle, when the Royal Horticultural Society puts its name to something, it carries with it the weight of over 200 years’ of rich heritage and authority on the subject of the country’s unerring love affair with the garden and the produce of the natural world it inhabits.

At a time in which heritage licensing is witnessing a stark upwards curve in demand from consumers today, while gardening is seeing an equal surge in consumer interest from across the age ranges, spanning children an families, to young adults and of course the core audience within which the RHS brands sits, it’s understandable that the organisation’s licensing division has become a hive of activity, abuzz with excitement over its latest developments in the space.

Here, Licensing.biz catches up with Cathy Snow, licensing manager at the RHS to find out how the firm brings its 200 years of history to the contemporary licensing space, what audiences are demanding from the heritage licensing sector today, and how the Royal Horticultural Society is embracing and encouraging new audiences to explore Britain’s own back gardens.

Hello Cathy, thank you for chatting with us today. To kick us off, could you give us an overview of the RHS brand and the values that it brings to the licensing space? How does the brand’s licensing efforts work to promote the ethos of the RHS, from wildlife and conservation to health and wellbeing?

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS: “Inspiring everyone to grow” is our brand message and gardening has been our focus for over 200 years. But we turn this messaging into action. The Royal Horticultural Society is a charity, yes, but it’s also a campaigning institution, an educational powerhouse, and the owner of some of the most popular visitor centres and gardening shows in the country, regularly attracting millions of people. We also support everyday gardening and its proven physical and mental benefits, many of which became more apparent than ever last year.

Of course our licensing work helps us to fund these efforts and raise awareness of them. But licensing itself has to fit in with the brand and its ideals. Sustainability and good ethical and environmental practices are important in our campaigning work but also important in terms of choosing partners and supporting their manufacturing processes. 

The RHS brand is a hugely reputable and deeply respected name. How do you leverage the rich heritage of the brand itself to build on the licensing portfolio? Where do you begin with building out a programme for such a revered name as RHS?

The overall RHS licensing campaign, quite reasonably, references the brand’s rich British history. But it does a lot more than that. Our products succeed in the marketplace because we look at our core strengths and assets and focus on products centered around those. This approach is especially notable in the gardening category, where high-quality tools and stylish garden furniture are promoted alongside peat-free gardening products, and an extensive range of core gardening essentials suited to every level of gardening ability.

“More heritage organisations than ever are entering the licensing arena and developing licensed products – but the best of them are not solely focused on commercial gain.”

However, this approach also influences other categories, which aim to raise awareness of our work and ideals. Many designs – including those used on a growing selection of adult apparel – are inspired by imagery from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s largest collection of botanical art. Scholastic UK has launched a programme of entertaining, informative and beautifully illustrated activity books for children aged seven to 12, encouraging readers to explore and enjoy nature outdoors. Information on tags and packaging helps to promote our work. Our children’s clothing promotes gardening in a fun way with veg and plant imagery and witty slogans. And of course many of our products are made by craftspeople and sourced in the UK.

Whatever the category the licensing team work with licensees and retailers not only to provide the best possible products but also to educate consumers about gardening and share our own love of horticulture with everyone no matter their age, ability or gardening space. 

How has ‘heritage licensing’ changed over recent years, what do consumers expect in terms of brand narrative and story-telling in ‘heritage licensing’ today, and how is this reflected in your approach to licensing RHS?

More heritage organisations than ever are entering the licensing arena and developing licensed products – but the best of them are not solely focused on commercial gain. RHS licensed products must be relevant, appropriate and the best quality possible. If we don’t think a product is right for the RHS, we won’t approve it.

Consumers expect RHS licensed products to outperform other similarly available items; if a customer buys a pot with a 10-year frost-proof guarantee they expect it to last for more than 10 years. This is why we carefully approve every product and check its performance and quality. 

And of course, the brand narrative – inspiring everyone to grow – influences all our partnerships, from garden tools to wine and chocolates, and from mulch to canvas shoes.

The licensing and story-telling potential that RHS boasts must be incredibly exciting. What level of creativity does the depth of the portfolio afford you with your licensing plans? How are you applying innovation in licensing to new and varied audiences?

The RHS style guides are an obvious starting point. They make use of the RHS Lindley Collections – the world’s largest collection of botanical art, including some 25,000 works. This is the perfect combination of exciting and original but also highly appropriate material.

However, the RHS encourages licensees to use the Collections as they see fit – the art is an inspiration rather than a rulebook. For example, the recent Hotter range of canvas shoes created two exclusive repeat pattern designs from Lindley Collections illustrations to deliver something unique and evocative, while the Oasis design team re-sketched its chosen images by hand for a series of prints to be used in a new fashion collection.

“Gardening came into its own in pandemic-hit 2020 when RHS gardening product licensees saw a surge in sales, and the health benefits (physical and mental) of gardening were not just interesting insights but news headlines.”

Regularly refreshed style guides add to the choice. One such was the very successful RHS Licensing Geometric Style Guide 2018; this uses Parterre and knot garden styles dating from the 1600s and 1700s to reflect the trend for geometric designs. Another was a style guide for children’s products – building on the charity’s success in outreach for children, families and schools, and in child-friendly events at its gardens and shows.

And yes, there are new audiences, and we constantly monitor home and garden trends. For instance, our supporter base is changing. A younger audience is discovering the benefits of outdoor spaces and gardening. We’ve therefore expanded our product portfolio into products for children, families and younger adults, and children’s products will be a major focus for the RHS in the post-pandemic world. A recent success was an association with the award-winning George brand that produced a fabulous collection of children’s clothing and accessories aimed at one to seven year olds. There’s also been an RHS-inspired series of children’s books from Scholastic UK. 

How can licensing unlock the values of gardening, the outdoors, nature, wellbeing and all that RHS stands for with new generations?

For our gardening products – a major part of our licensed offering – there’s a clear link. And of course, gardening came into its own in pandemic-hit 2020 when RHS gardening product licensees saw a surge in sales, and the health benefits (physical and mental) of gardening were not just interesting insights but news headlines.

But even with homeware, apparel, confectionery and other non-gardening categories we aim to use packaging and POS to inform and educate where we can. We have thousands of botanical artworks available to licensees, many of which inspire product designs. These help to raise awareness of our gardens, flower shows, research, education and the excellent advice and information we can offer on all horticultural matters.

We always try to innovate and lead; this is reflected in our licensed products.

As for new generations, the move into children’s products – which actually started before Covid and lockdown – reflects the changing age of our supporters and, of course, the many initiatives the RHS as a whole has in place for children and schools.

How has the consumer’s relationship with ‘heritage licensing’ changed in the last 12 months? Has lockdown and the pandemic changed the way in which people want to experience art and culture? How does this influence your licensing strategy?

Consumers seem to be looking for products made by hand and closer to home, which we encourage, where feasible, through relationships with craft groups and UK-based partners. The growing public appeal of craft suppliers and companies based in the UK, as well as sustainability – in particular with the younger audience – fits in well with the brand values of the RHS.

Recyclable packaging, less plastic, low-impact manufacturing – these have always been aims of ours, but consumer awareness of environmental issues is now growing, and manufacturers are responding to this.

Another trend has been a huge increase in royalties for products for the home and especially the garden, not to mention more distribution channels opening up as retailers who might not normally look at gardening products or licensed products adjust to meet demand. 

“We won’t ever be complacent, but we do think we are now well positioned to grow the brand even more without compromising its values.”

What categories or licensing partners will be key to you as you build on the RHS portfolio? What will the lifestyle, home, and garden licensing spaces span, and how will you look to tell the story of RHS through these?

We’ve enjoyed enormous success in the ongoing expansion of our category portfolio and this expansion will continue. However, we also hope to strengthen existing product categories and in particular are looking to expand in homeware, children’s products and apparel. Partners with strong ethical and environmental credentials and those that highlight UK craftsmanship will remain a major part of our programme too.

Gardening will always be our core category and we aim to continue to target keen gardeners and would-be gardeners who are looking for quality and inspiring products to support their interest. But gardening too has branched out: luxury garden sheds, premium boots, trellises, indoor pot covers and the very successful RHS Gifts for Gardeners range are all indicators that the RHS is continuing to seize opportunities in both established and new categories.

The programme overall is well established and balanced: it’s making more money for the charity than ever while still reflecting our values and insisting on carefully chosen licensing partners. We won’t ever be complacent, but we do think we are now well positioned to grow the brand even more without compromising its values. 

What can we expect from the RHS in the licensing space in the coming year and beyond, what’s the next step for you guys in the sector?

We’ve announced several new partnerships so far this year (including hand-iced biscuits from Biscuiteers and children’s clothing from George) and more are to come. Some projects that were delayed last year are launching over the next few months. It has been – and still is – a really busy period. We’re expanding our small team and looking for a new Senior Licensing Development Executive and Licensing Development Executive to help generate new business and develop existing licensing partnerships.

The RHS gardens and shows are ready for a strong post-lockdown visitor response. This is an exciting time for us as a licensing team and for the RHS as a leading Heritage organisation.

Frida Kahlo renews partners with Sass & Belle across gifts, kitchen, gardening and more

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The licensing programme surrounding the iconic Mexican artist and icon, Frida Kahlo is continuing to grow, thanks to the renewal of a partnership with Sass & Belle and its range of officially licensed gift products for the UK and global markets.

An extension of the partnership brokered by Art Ask Agency, the Barcelona-based licensing agency for the Frida Kahlo consumer products programme, the new Sass & Belle collection now features some 30 new SKUs across gifts, kitchen items, gardening, ceramics, and accessories.

“Sass & Belle’s products are delightful. They have even launched a Frida Kahlo plant mister,” said Beatriz Alvarado, head of international affairs, Frida Kahlo Corporation.

“Since we began transporting our customers to the heart of Mexico around two years ago, our hugely successful Frida Kahlo collection has grown from a handful of products to around 30 skus, with many more ceramics launching in the coming months.”

Daisy Coombes, marketing manager, at Sass & Belle, said: “Here at Sass & Belle we are known for our characterful designs. But Frida has fast become one of our bestselling collections, making her our most-loved character design.”

https://www.sassandbelle.co.uk/gifts/theme/frida-gifts/

RHS celebrates opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater with limited edition Moorcroft pottery

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The Royal Horticultural Society is celebrating the opening of its fifth Garden – RHS Garden Bridgewater – with the launch of two new collections of limited edition art pottery from its licensing partner and renowned producer of heritage art pottery, Moorcroft.

One collection is inspired by the new garden itself, while the second collection – the RHS Fiori Bottan Collection – is inspired by 45 extraordinary 17th century Italian watercolours that are part of the 25,000 superb images in the RHS Lindley Collections of botanical art.

Two vases have been made to mark the opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater. The first, called Bridgewater’s Bounty, celebrates the strong link that the newest RHS garden has with the former residence on the site, Worsley New Hall, which had a rich history of growing fruit – in particular pears – and a wide variety of flowers.

The vase fittingly depicts pears in varying shades of green and yellow, ripe for the picking, surrounded by delicate white pear blossom, with soft golden centres.

The rich brilliance of a joyous flower coming from the warmth of Southern Africa, ranging in colour from pure white to purple, is the inspiration for the name and design of the second vase, called Nerines. This is marked as another appropriate design for RHS Garden Bridgewater where the RHS holds a national collection of nerines within its Walled Garden. 

Both vases were designed by Emma Bossons, a member of the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts, who has been responsible for many successful Moorcroft limited editions over the years.

The RHS Fiori Bottan Collection is based on 17th century watercolours depicting cultivated plants including daffodils, anemones, irises, tulips and lilies. Preserved in the RHS Lindley Collections of botanical art, the watercolours have inspired three vases (called Forsaken Love, Potter’s Garden and Italian Iris), a jug (Spring Squill), a plaque (Turk’s Cap Lily) and a coaster (Blue Mist).

These artworks, all based on the extraordinary work of an anonymous watercolourist, are by designer Nicola Slaney, whose creations range from affordable pieces to highly priced, rare collectable limited editions.

Both collections are available to order at the Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre, online at www.moorcroft.com and also at the RHS shows that Moorcroft will be attending, including RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival (5–11 July), RHS Flower Show Tatton Park (21-25 July), RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21-26 September) and Malvern Autumn Show (24 – 26 September). 

Moorcroft and the RHS have collaborated a number of times in recent years, notably through the RHS Rose Bouquet Collection, the RHS Beatrix Stanley Collection, Chelsea’s Choice, (a vase celebrating the extraordinary snow-white hydrangea that was awarded RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2018) and the 2019 RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year collection of four vases, a jug, a plaque, a coaster and a limited edition ginger jar that encompassed many of the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year flowers all in one piece. 

Situated near Salford, RHS Garden Bridgewater is the fifth RHS garden and the largest gardening project undertaken in Europe in recent years. The transformation of this 154-acre green space has already begun to enhance the lives of local communities and their environment for the future.

Moorcroft managing director, Elise Adams, said: “Moorcroft’s RHS collaborations are always special but helping the RHS to celebrate the opening of its wonderful new garden has been a real honour. The RHS can always offer strong artistic inspiration and RHS Garden Bridgewater and the treasures of the RHS Lindley Collections have certainly inspired two truly memorable collections.

“At a time when so many of us have been affected by the global pandemic, to enjoy nature in all its forms, whether by gardening or with art pottery in our homes, is more important than ever before.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “These collections again highlight the skill of the Moorcroft design team through a synthesis of nature and craft in perfect harmony. We are delighted to be continuing this association with Moorcroft, which continues to surprise and delight.”

The RHS endorses new range from Original Muck Boot Company as it targets the 18 to 35 year old market

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The Royal Horticultural Society has thrown its weight behind a new range of footwear from the premium boots maker and long-standing RHS partner, The Original Muck Boot Company.

The new RHS-endorsed range, called Outscape, is a new concept in footwear that offers a modern look with the performance of a trainer, but with the waterproof and durable protection found in all Muck ranges.

Available in two different heights – ankle boots and low shoes – for all genders, Outscape shoes and short boots are billed as ‘ideal for active outdoor work and exploration.’ The range features a Dual Density footbed, as well as a ‘shovel-ready nylon shank for under-foot stability when using garden tools.’

The target market for the range is 18 to 35 year old aspirational, motivated men and women who love animals, travel, and the land. However, the appeal of the shoes and boots is expected to extend to anyone who appreciates durable, comfortable outdoor footwear.

The Original Muck Boot Company was formed in 1999 to provide 100 per cent waterproof boots and footwear that withstand the muckiest situations in every season. Its ranges include a wide selection of multi-purpose gardening boots and shoes endorsed by the RHS since 2016.

Eleanor Cornwell, EMEA marketing lead, The Original Muck Boot Company, said: “Performance and versatility are key when on-the-go and we believe our Outscape ranges perfectly meet the needs of many gardeners and walkers for a waterproof boot with the comfort of a lightweight trainer. We’re delighted that the RHS agrees with us and thrilled to have the endorsement of Britain’s favourite gardening charity.”

Shereen Llewellin, licensing executive, RHS, added: “There are many makers of outdoor footwear but few that meet the exacting standards demanded by RHS supporters for gardening, dog walking and rambling that have become especially popular in the past year.

“The Original Muck Boot Company understands this market better than almost anyone – and we are delighted to endorse the comfortable and durable Outscape range.”

The RHS celebrates spring and summer gardening with Biscuiteers’ famous hand-iced biscuits

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The Royal Horticultural Society has licensed Biscuiteers to produce the RHS and Biscuiteers collection – two special biscuit tins, a letterbox gift, and two gingerbread men called Jolly Gingers, all containing Biscuiteers’ hand-iced biscuits.

The new range will take its inspiration from the nation’s love of gardens and gardening.

Now on sale online at biscuiteers.com, and Biscuiteers’ Boutique shops in Battersea and Notting Hill, and soon available at leading retailers including the RHS Garden Wisley Garden Centre, the collection is designed to conjure up the joys of British gardens in the spring and summer.

The Bouquet Luxe biscuit tin brings together a selection of colourful biscuit ‘blooms’ – spring flowers using a bright colour palette. A number of icing techniques have been used to capture the textures of the petals of the different flowers including roses and pansies.

Biscuiteers’ unique recipe is based upon a traditional twice baked English style biscuits, with a texture ‘somewhere between the snap of a gingerbread and the crumble of a shortbread’. The 16 designs in the Bouquet Luxe tin are a subtle lemon flavour, which gives fresh citrus notes to balance the sweetness of the biscuit. 

The RHS Veg Box biscuit tin contains colourful biscuits all using Biscuiteers’ hand-icing techniques to look like carrots, tomatoes, aubergines and other popular vegetables. For lovers of grow-your-own veg, the nine biscuit designs come in Biscuiteers’ classic gingerbread flavour, which uses a mix of spices to give flavour. 

The Biscuiteers Garden Tools letterbox collection of chocolate biscuits, using a lilac and rose design inspired by the branding for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, will fit through a letterbox. As are the two RHS Jolly Gingers, new additions to the Biscuiteers line of gingerbread characters depicting happy gardeners. 

For the keepsake tins Biscuiteers has created a co-branded design, bringing together Biscuiteers’ famous illustrations with detailed botanical illustrations from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art. RHS branding is featured on the tin decals. 

The target market for the RHS collections encompass anyone with a love of gardening – or, of course, high-quality biscuits. The tins, box and Jolly Gingers have been designed to suit a variety of horticultural interests and budgets.

Biscuiteers has been selling iced biscuits since 2007 and is known for its design-led collections and personalised gifting offerings, which are today delivered to 117 countries. The company is uniquely positioned as an artisan business working at scale; each biscuit is intricately hand-iced by artists. The company’s purpose-built head office and bakery ices over 2.5 million biscuits each year. 

Harriet Hastings, founder and managing director of Biscuiteers, said: “Over the years our Spring collections have become a real Biscuiteers classic – so the RHS was an ideal partner for us. We’re both British brands and this collection, like the work of the RHS, has been inspired by the beauty of the British garden.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “The RHS & Biscuiteers collection of British craft-company-produced biscuits is a wonderful addition to our licensing programme: a tribute to British gardens that is colourful, beautifully packaged and superbly designed – not to mention delicious!

“And what could be better than enjoying sitting in your garden on a sunny day with some RHS & Biscuiteers biscuits and a nice cup of tea – or your favourite tipple?”

The RHS partners UK gardening experts Woodlodge Products for outdoor pots

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The Royal Horticultural Society has named Woodlodge Products its UK licensing partner for a range of outdoor pots, one of the gardening brand’s key categories.

Under the new deal, Woodlodge Products – a UK supplier of garden pots and gardenware – will launch its first products to retailers for pre-order in September this year. They will be distributed to retail outlets from January 2020.

While the partnership is still in its early stages, Woodlodge is already making preliminary plans for the first range and will include both classic and modern designs and a full selection of sizes to accomodate any outdoor space. The final version of the first range will incorporate standard terracotta, glazed, and fibre clay pots.

For the design process, Woodlodge will have access to the whole range of RHS design assets, including its style guides and artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art.

All product will either be embossed or debossed with the RHS logo, creating consumer confidence at point of purchase.

 Woodlodge boasts more than 1,500 garden centre accounts located throughout the UK and Ireland, all of which will be the primary focus for the new range. The firm also has a history of creating innovative products and eye-catching in-store merchandising so the launch of the new RHS-endorsed range is eagerly anticipated by both retailers and customers.

2020 saw a steep upswing in the gardening sector, with the pandemic introducing a new range of customers to the hobby from across the age spectrum and social demographic. A number of these are discovering not only the benefits of being outside, but the benefits of gardening to physical and mental health at a particularly demanding and stressful time.

The RHS ranges will therefore target all members of this fast-expanding group of budding gardeners, who have embraced nature during the lockdowns.

Michael Wooldridge, managing director, Woodlodge Products, said: “As the market-leading supplier of garden pottery in the UK, it’s important for us to work with brands and partners that have a strong resonance for gardeners. To be associated with the RHS, a charity that aims to inspire a passion for gardening and growing plants and promotes the physical and mental advantages of gardening, is, for Woodlodge, a natural fit.

“The RHS is a highly regarded and recognisable brand and will offer consumers both peace of mind and confidence when buying our range of products.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, added: “Our members and supporters are, not surprisingly, keen to have the highest-quality products in their gardens and outdoor pots are a very important category for the RHS.

“We are therefore delighted to be working with Woodlodge, which has always maintained high levels of quality and service while providing continual innovation and style to all its ranges.”

The RHS and Dexam ready to launch Home Grown Children’s Collection

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The Royal Horticultural Society has given the specialist supplier of kitchen cookware, bakeware, and accessories, Dexam, license to produce a range of children’s backpacks and meal accessories using environmentally friendly or recycled material.

Called the Home Grown Children’s Collection, the range includes backpacks, lunch bags with matching drinks bottles, lunchboxes, children’s aprons, toddler messy play aprons and children’s eating gift sets.

The items in the range are all illustrated with engaging illustrations featuring bright and very colourful images of carrots and apples with captions like “I am growing every day”, “Home harvest” and “Locally grown”. 

The range has also been designed with the environment in mind. The lunch bags, backpacks and aprons are made from recycled plastic bottles via a process which turns the plastic into a durable and practical fabric. The bags are wipe clean and the aprons are 40°C machine washable.

Meanwhile, the lunch boxes and kids’ eating sets are made from bamboo fibre. Bamboo is renewable, biodegradable and grows quickly without fertilisers. It is also naturally antibacterial.

The range is expected to launch in spring 2021. It will be available at high street stores, garden centres, RHS shops and online, including the official RHS online store, shop.rhs.org.uk.

These are the first non-publishing-related products to use the children’s style guide, which will see its licensing debut in a range of books from Scholastic. The first Scholastic titles will launch in February 2021.

Dexam was founded in 1957 selling kitchen gadgets and cookware. Its range today has everything you need from peeling to chopping and mixing to baking. Ethical production is fundamental to the integrity of its products.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “Bringing our children’s style guide artwork to homeware for the first time requires a partner that understands our aims and that has a reputation for quality – and that is a perfect description of Dexam.

“These children’s backpacks and meal accessories are practical and stylish, as well as environmentally friendly. They’re also a lot of fun.”

Helen Boardman, product manager, Dexam, added: “The RHS children’s style guide and our own 60 years of experience in kitchenware and lunch accessories have combined to produce this very child and environmentally friendly range.

“We’ve greatly enjoyed partnering with the RHS on the Home Grown Children’s Collection, which we are sure will delight both children and parents.”

The Royal Horticultural Society launches new gardening range with Burgon & Ball

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The Royal Horticultural Society has launched a portfolio of new designs for the popular RHS Gifts for Gardeners range from Burgon & Ball, the UK’s longest-established manufacturer of garden tools.

The RHS-endorsed collection brings together top-selling lines from previous RHS Gifts for Gardeners design collections, including a flower and fruit snip, a pruner with holster, a trowel and fork set, a seed packet storage tin, twine in a tin, gardening gloves, an indoor watering can, and a super-comfortable Kneelo kneeler.

All of these gifts will be presented in a new design collection called British Meadow and will all be available from RHS shops, garden centres, and Burgon & Ball’s online platform from November.

All the new RHS-endorsed products were introduced in September at the Glee Gathering, a virtual version of Glee, the UK’s biggest and most valuable garden and outdoor living trade show, where they received an enthusiastic response.

The new British Meadow design has been created by Burgon & Ball incorporating illustrations dating back to 1815, specially selected from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art.

The design showcases delicate meadow flowers and butterflies, tapping into the trend for more informal gardens where nature can find a home, and the rekindling of our love for native British wildflowers and wildlife. A classic navy blue background lets the jewel colours of the blooms and butterflies shine out, bringing this lovely design to life.

The British Meadow design collection also introduces a new gifting option, with gift-boxed gardening snips to update and refresh the range. The packaging employs inventive solutions to dramatically reduce the use of plastic, reflecting the emphasis on environmental responsibility that drives much of the work of Burgon & Ball and the RHS and that is, of course, a strong concern of the target market.

The flower and fruit snip and the pruner with holster are both presented in innovative gift boxes less than 3cm in height, ideal for sending by post and offering an attractive gift option for today’s lifestyles. Engineered cardboard keeps the tools firmly in place inside their sturdy, beautifully printed card box. Blue soft-grip handles match the design.

The tools that make up the trowel and fork set have painted blue handles bearing the RHS logo; the trowel carries an engraved quote from the legendary horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer and artist Gertrude Jekyll.

Founded in Sheffield in 1730, Burgon & Ball is the UK’s oldest manufacturer of garden tools and accessories, with hundreds of years of expertise in steel manufacturing and an enviable reputation for quality and innovation.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “Our partnership with Burgon & Ball and its RHS Gifts for Gardeners range has been a long and valuable one, combining the highest-quality tools with exciting and attractive design ideas. The British Meadow collection is no exception – it’s a marvellous evocation of native British wildflowers and wildlife.”

Rainer Schubert, managing director, Burgon & Ball, added: “We are always looking to bring exciting new ideas to the RHS Gifts for Gardeners range while adhering to the very highest standards of manufacture. The creative and almost entirely plastic-free packaging, the new gifting option and, above all, RHS endorsement and artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections have combined to make British Meadow what we feel will be one of our most successful collections.”

The RHS and Scholastic to launch their first children’s activity books in February 2021

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The Royal Horticultural Society has detailed the first titles in a new range of illustrated activity books for children in partnership with its publishing licensee Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.

Aimed at children aged six to ten, the first titles in the series are scheduled to launch in February 2021. My Dinosaur Garden and My Unicorn Garden will look to inspire children to explore gardens and the outdoors with crafts, activities, gardening tips and nature facts.

The initial launch will be followed in March with the Outdoor Adventure Handbook, an activity book that will look at discovering plants, wildlife and getting closer to nature with activities for all weathers.

In May, to complement the new range, My Unicorn Garden Cards and Notelets will be launched. This is a creative make-and-do set with stickers that children can use to create unique messages to share with friends and family. Further books will follow in autumn 2021 and beyond.

The books will be available from bookshops, RHS shops, garden centres, through major online retailers and at shop.rhs.org.uk. Their publication will be marked with a collaborative marketing campaign to reach the extensive family and school audiences of both Scholastic and the RHS.

These are the first RHS-licensed publications from Scholastic following the announcement of a major RHS partnership with the respected children’s book publisher in August 2019. The partnership encompasses a wide range of children’s publications, including sticker and activity books, handbooks, illustrated non-fiction, board and colouring books, annuals, e-books and journals.

All the publications will make use of the range of expertise available to the UK’s favourite gardening charity as well as drawing on its work with families, schools and children.

This announcement also coincides with the continuing development of the RHS range of children’s products supported by a special style guide, both of which were announced at BLE 2019. The charity is addressing this growing young audience through a strong focus on children’s products in the coming months. This is especially relevant given the growth in family visits to gardens and parks – along with the much greater time devoted to gardening – during this year’s travel restrictions.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager, RHS, said: “One of our most important missions as Britain’s leading gardening charity is to encourage children to develop an interest in gardens and gardening. This is underlined by our development of a licensing programme for children’s products – and who better to help us communicate our message than one of the most admired names in children’s publishing?

“These activity books, which both inform and entertain, are a marvellous introduction to the wonders of wildlife and the joys of gardening.”

Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher, non-fiction, licensing and brands for Scholastic UK, added: “It is a privilege to be working with the RHS, the UK’s most-loved gardening charity. 2020 has made everyone really appreciate opportunities to be outdoors and to explore nature on our doorsteps.

“We look forward to publishing books that inspire children and families to discover the wonders of plants, wildlife and the outdoors using the expertise and passion of the RHS.”