While many of us spent our valentine’s weekend frantically trawling the shops for a suitable romantic gift others were to be found negotiating the multitude of stands on display at this years Irish Housewares and Garden Trade Fair held on the 13^th and 14^th of February in the RDS Ballsbridge. The fair, organised by Business Exhibitions on behalf of the Irish Hardware and Building Materials Association, is the premier showcase for Irelands hardware sector. This year’s event, the 9^th and biggest to date, accommodated more than 400 companies from home and abroad and promoting products as diverse as lawn mowers to Christmas lights.

While the show is geared primarily towards the hardware market, a few representatives from the landscape industry could be found tucked amongst the power tools and carpet cleaners. Among the landscape representatives were the familiar brands of Bord Na Mona, Growmore Horticulture and Emerson Stone. While the big players were active in promoting gift packs and specialist ranges, a few new faces were busy striving to open new markets and establish niches. One of the new faces, Richard Berney, of Graf Rainwater Harvesting Systems, was delighted to receive the new product award for his range of adaptable water conservation systems. Also carving a niche in our growing market was John Sinclair of Low-E LED Lighting. John’s web based company offers a wide range of quality LED lighting and accessories at extremely competitive prices and should be the first port of call for all those tired of paying over the odds.

While the show succeeded in attracting a number of Irish landscape based companies, it achieved a small coo this years by drawing in UK based Gardenex. Founded in 1961, Gardenex is the leading export representative for manufacturers involved in the garden and leisure industry. Charles parker, Gardenex Commercial Manager, was on hand to outline the federation’s objectives and introduce a number of UK exhibitors who had travelled over to attempt to crack the Irish market. Among the UK exhibitors were Julian Jeffery and David Oakes, whose company, Hoblins, specialises in the production of a range of mischievous bronze sculptures. Also representing the UK was Garden Innovations Ltd who are currently the countries leading supplier and manufacturer of affordable environmentally friendly water saving devices. Fresh from completing construction on a controlled environment room for Cork University were two representatives from The Cambridge Glass House Company. Based in Newport the company boasts a broad product portfolio ranging from retail structures through to domestic glasshouses.

While romantic duties may well have kept many from attending the fair, exhibitors were united in their positive feedback. Connections were made, markets opened and order books filled, all were returning home with positive outlooks for the year ahead.

Web based information on companies feature in this article are listed below. Cambridge Glass House Company www.cambridgeglasshouse.co.uk

Watering systems www.garden-innovations.co.uk

Bronze sculptures www.hoblins.com

Gardenex www.gardenex.com

Graf Water Harvesting Systems www.hiberniaeth.com/

LED lighting www.loweleds.com

Bord na Mona www.bnm.ie