The Hort Report: 24th October 2025
A David Beckham rose, a guide to compost, and more!
Here’s your weekly Hort Report - the round-up of industry news, retail insights, home gardener gossip, influencer spotlights, social media news, and so much more.
Grab a warm drink, and catch up on the latest below…
NEWS FLASH
David Austin announces new rose for Sir David Beckham
A new English Rose named Sir David Beckham (Ausa34b16) has been created in honour of the newly knighted former footballer, inspired by a birthday gesture from his daughter Harper.
The rose features white petals with soft pink and yellow tones, a honeyed scent, and pollinator-friendly blooms. Each sale will donate £2.50 to The King’s Foundation, supporting its work in education, heritage, and environmental care. Over a decade in development, the rose will be unveiled at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2026.
INFLUENCER SPOTLIGHT
Álvaro Pedrera
Álvaro Pedrera began as a frustrated plant owner who struggled to keep plants alive. After studying, taking courses, and running a successful online plant shop, he realised his true passion lay in teaching others. Now, he helps plant owners learn practical, effective ways to care for their plants, saving time, money, and effort so their plants can thrive for life.
Follow Álvaro on Instagram.
SOCIAL NEWS
Your guide to compost
Confused about compost? I’ve put together a guide on the most common types in collaboration with Cherry Lane Garden Centres - including when and how to use them. You’ll be a pro by the end of it!!
Watch it here.
PRODUCT
Bio Sync
Bio Sync is a high-performance grow lighting system by Het Groenlab, designed to support both plant health and human wellbeing within interior spaces. Seamlessly blending into architectural lighting plans, it offers tailored light spectrums and energy-efficient solutions for different planting schemes.
Keep an eye out for this one!
BOOK
A Garden Eden. Masterpieces of Botanical Illustration. 45th Ed.
This new edition of the TASCHEN classic celebrates the art and science of botanical illustration, showcasing exquisite works from the National Library of Vienna. Spanning from Byzantine manuscripts to 19th-century masterpieces, the collection highlights the precision, beauty and historical depth of botanical art. Written by H. Walter Lack, a leading historian of botany, the book explores humanity’s enduring fascination with plants and their cultural significance.
Buy it here.
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Cyclamen Koumy®
KOUMY® Dark Pink Green Leaf (Cyclamen coum KOUMY®) is a hardy, low-maintenance perennial prized for its resilience and striking winter display. Flowering from November to April, it produces carpets of small dark pink blooms and rounded, patterned leaves that last through late spring. Ideal for woodland and shaded gardens, under trees, or public spaces, KOUMY® naturally spreads and self-seeds, making it a cost-effective, long-lasting ground cover that thrives even in harsh winter conditions.
Interested in the differences between autumn and spring-flowering cyclamen? Find out here.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Grow Careers North 2025
Grow Careers North 2025, organised by the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, returns on 19 November at Askham Bryan College in Yorkshire. The event connects horticulture students, early-career professionals, and career changers with industry leaders, employers, and trade partners.
This year’s programme highlights technological innovation in horticulture, with workshops on robotics, drones, AI, and sustainable tools. Headline speakers include myself, and designer Jason Williams!
Register for tickets here.
AWARD
Plants2Gardens Cercis Merlot 4ltr
Add a bit of style to your garden with the Cercis Merlot from Plants2Gardens. In spring, it bursts into life with bright pink flowers that appear on bare stems before the rich, dark red leaves emerge. As the seasons change, the foliage softens to deep green, then glows with shades of orange, bronze and red in autumn. Beautiful and resilient, Merlot offers year-round interest and is more heat and drought tolerant than many other varieties – a real standout for any garden.
Buy it here.
HORTICULTURAL TRADE ASSOCIATION
HTA on the BBC Breakfast Sofa
HTA Chief Executive Fran Barnes appeared live on BBC Breakfast to mark 70 years of the modern British garden centre, following a feature filmed at Stewarts Garden Centre in Dorset. Speaking with presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt, Fran celebrated the success of the £3bn industry, which now includes over 1,500 centres and attracts 30 million UK gardeners.