Spring is here and with it comes a host of new brands to surprise and delight you. I've spent many months researching, trialling and testing new products until I'm confident they'll meet your expectations as well as mine.
Joining the Dan Cooper Garden fold are Donkey Gloves, Jakoti hand shears, Yard Etc. skincare, Kent Wildflower Seeds, Creamore Mill wood turning, Wool Pots and insulated drinkware from Klean Kanteen - I'm excited to share more about each of them below.
I'm proud to be supporting more and more fabulous British businesses as time goes on, some of them local to me here in Kent. If there's one you think I'm missing, let me know!
Donkey Gloves
Donkey Gloves were designed by horticulturist and former Blue Peter Gardener Clare Cooke in 2018. I've been wearing them since then! They've earned a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine 'Best Buy' in 2022 and are The Telegraph's 'Best Gardening Gloves' in 2024. Profits support Clare's farm, a private animal sanctuary on Dartmoor, Devon.
SHOP DONKEY GLOVES
Klean Kanteen
Klean Kanteen went on a mission to introduce the first stainless steel water bottle as a non-toxic solution to single-use rubbish. Being family- and employee-owned enables them to work as a force for good. A certified B Corp, Klean Kanteen is one of over 3,000 companies deemed to meet the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility.
SHOP KLEAN KANTEEN
YARD ETC
Skincare for gardeners, carefully crafted by garden enthusiasts in Sweden. YARD ETCs products are formulated to keep the most hard-working hands free of grime, ensuring they're soft, supple, protected and ready to get stuck in again. Every product contains natural ingredients of the highest quality, and organic components are chosen wherever possible.
SHOP YARD ETC
Creamore Mill
Creamore Mill is a small design and woodturning workshop deep in the heart of rural Shropshire. Established by John Buckland in 1981, operations began in a tiny former wash house at the family's home before moving to Creamore Mill. John's sons continue the family tradition of turning beautiful items from oak and beech for use in the house and garden.
SHOP CREAMORE MILL
Kent Wildflower Seeds
The Denne family has been farming in the beautiful Kent countryside near Ashford for almost 150 years. Their wildflower seeds, harvested from established mixed meadows across the North Downs and Weald of Kent, will fill your garden with colour and act as a magnet for pollinating insects. Look out for their exhibit at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
SHOP KENT WILDFLOWER SEEDS
Jakoti Hand Shears
Adored by keen gardeners and sheep farmers alike, each pair of Jakoti hand shears is crafted from high-quality carbon steel; the blades are sharp and cut cleanly with minimal effort. Better still, they're self-sharpening. Ergonomically designed handles make the shears comfortable to use for long periods, and the low-tension spring makes them easy to operate.
SHOP JAKOTI SHEARS
Wool Pots
Wool Pots are the brainchild of friends Graham and Tom who were horrified to discover that over 500 million plastic plant pots were being sent to landfill in the UK every year. Meanwhile, British farmers, in despair, are burning their wool because they have no viable market for their fleeces.
With these two challenges in mind Graham and Tom created Wool Pots as an alternative to plastic pots and to provide a new market for their farming friends' wool. They're biodegradable, water retentive and provide excellent aeration for plant roots.
