Nine new garden products have been named as the winners of the Glee New Product Awards 2014.
Selected from more than 270 entries on the afternoon before this week's Glee opened at Birmingham's NEC, the winning products were chosen by a panel of judges representing independent and multiple retailers, the media and international suppliers.
The winners, and judges' comments on the winners, are:
Catering & Speciality Foods
Bon Bon's (Wholesale) - Retro Collection
"Fabulous gift idea for everyone! Brings back childhood memories."
Garden Care - Accessories
Haxnicks - EasyPath
Highly Commended: Garland Products - Jumbo kneeling pad
"This is a truly innovative product, which can be easily packed away, and with a good price point."
Garden Care - Chemicals, Fertilisers & Composts
Westland - Gro-Sure Tomato
Highly Commended: Bord-Na-Mona - Chelsea Mix compost
"A great, innovative product for the new gardener."
Garden Leisure
La Hacienda - Bakerstone Pizza Box pizza ovn
Highly Commended: Nest for Nature - Birch candles (indoor and outdoor)
"Can't wait to buy this one! It is a great product that is well priced."
Home, Gift & Clothing
Briers - Historic Palaces garden accessory range of wellies and gloves
Highly Commended: Burgon & Ball - Sophie Conran Raspberry Collection
"This is a really nice product, well-designed and good quality. It would certainly tell a story on the shopfloor. It's also got great gift potential."
Landscaping & Construction
Apta - Glazelite planters
Highly Commended: Woodlodge - National Trust range of pots
"Apta Glazelite might be lightweight but will be a heavyweight garden centre best seller - provided it is merchandised in a way that accentuates its lightweight design. Customers will love that they look just like ceramic."
Machinery & Tools
Burgon & Ball - RHS cutting tools
Highly Commended: Burgon & Ball - Weed Slice
"This is a really comprehensive range, which features good packaging, and is offered at a good price point too."
Pet & Wildlife Products
Wildlife World - Bee & Bug Biome
Highly Commended: Wildlife World - Bee Mug
"This is an on-trend product, that is well-priced and has great gift potential."
Plants, Seeds & Bulbs
Garden On a Roll - Garden On a Roll gift box
Highly Commended: Channel Island Plants (UK) - Petunia Happy Magic black charcoal
"This would make a great border or basket plant, a real 'thriller'."
Best of British
Apta - Glazelite planters
Highly Commended: Burgon & Ball - RHS cutting tools
"A brilliant British design and functionality. At last we have a lightweight pot that really looks and feels like a glazed terracotta pot. Top of the pots for sure."
Green Award
Nest for Nature - Birch candles (indoor and outdoor)
Highly Commended: Funky Laundry - Funky laundry bags:
"I love these natural-looking candles. A great product."
The Glee Award 2014
This award is given to the product that stood out from all the others - the best of the best.
Briers - Historic Palaces garden accessory range
One further award - the Retailers Choice Award - will be announced tomorrow, the last day of Glee. Retailers visiting the Glee New Product display are invited to vote for their favourite product after viewing the entries on display.
Judges considered each entry on a range of criteria, including innovation, design, quality, environmental credentials, pricing and retail potential.
On the judging panel were: Allan Wilson, group sundries buyer at Klondyke Group; Sharon McNair, group buyer at Armitage Garden Centre; Moira Peterson, commercial manager for Greenfingers.com; Rachel Doyle, from Arboretum Garden Centres and president of the IGCA; Carlos Bisbe from Digebis, Barcelona; Trevor Pfeiffer, managing director of The Garden Communication and Media Company; Simon McDaniel, garden sundries buyer at The Range; and Roger Wale, general manager at Palmers Garden Centre.
Buyers visiting Glee can see all of the winning and highly commended products, as well as the hundreds of other entries, in the Visitor Hub area of the show.