Garden gets top tractors

John Deere, the UK's leading tractor business, has strengthened its partnership with The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, where the company's green and yellow pedal tractors are equally popular with young visitors.

John Deere has agreed to donate 20 of its robust ride-on pedal tractors each year for the next three years, to support the garden and the enjoyment of its younger visitors. The pedal tractors, which are freely available for children to play with in front of the Grand Cascade fountains, get just as much daily use as their real-life counterparts.

"Our miniature fleet has always been a great hit with younger visitors," says The Duchess of Northumberland. "With visitor numbers currently averaging around 600,000 a year, the pedal tractors certainly get their fair share of wear and tear, so we're delighted that John Deere has offered to support us in this way."

Through its local groundscare dealer Greenlay of Cramlington, John Deere has been supplying professional grounds maintenance equipment to the gardening team since The Alnwick Garden first opened to the public in September 2001. The fleet has regularly included compact tractors with front loaders, cylinder and rotary mowers and electric Gator utility vehicles, for everyday use in the gardens and surrounding woodland. The Alnwick estate is also supplied with larger tractors by John Deere's local agricultural dealership Thomas Sherriff & Co of Alnwick.

The Duchess is pictured at The Alnwick Garden with John Deere Limited managing director Richard Johnson, visiting children and members of the garden staff. "The company and the dealership are very proud of our association with Alnwick over the last seven years," says Richard Johnson. "We are very happy to make a contribution to the public's continuing enjoyment of this magnificent garden."

Website: www.johndeere.co.uk

John Deere Toy tractors are for sale on Pitchcare Website