Sleaford area garden retailer partners with organisation to support young talent in horticulture

Attendees came from across the industry, from plant growers and business owners to garden designers, site managers, sales teams and social media experts, for a full day of networking, education and collaboration.

Hosted at the company’s state-of-the-art production facilities in Anwick, the event provided attendees with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the largest gardening wholesale facilities in the UK, followed by a line-up of four insightful and inspiring talks from leaders across the industry.

The day kicked off with an introduction to J. Parker’s from Chief Operating Officer Alex Woollard, who shared insights into the business' heritage and future direction.

Helen Waddington from Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people in the horticulture industry and their families, gave a powerful talk on health and wellbeing in the industry, while Wayne Eady from Volmary offered practical cultivation insights drawn from the company’s 100 years of growing experience.

The day closed with Sarah Want from MorePeople, who explored recruitment challenges and solutions across horticulture.

The event is part of J. Parker’s growing commitment to supporting young people in horticulture, following its announcement earlier this year that it has become an official sponsor of the YPHA. With over 900 active members, the YPHA was formed in 2020 to unite under-35s in the industry, helping to facilitate collaboration, education and innovation.

This latest event is a continuation of J. Parker’s ongoing support over the past few years, helping younger people to enter the business, including its work with multiple award-winning garden designers, all under 35, at key RHS garden shows.

Edward Doherty, Offline Marketing Manager for J. Parker’s, said: “This exciting event, the first of its kind that the business has hosted, was all about bringing people together. It gave YPHA members the chance to share ideas, build connections and talk about the role horticulture needs to play moving forward. We’re proud to support the future of the industry in this way.”

Founded in 1933, J. Parker’s is one of the UK’s leading gardening and bulb providers.