Sometimes, the best ideas don’t come from a boardroom… they come from the animal kingdom.
This week, the Dandy’s Garden Supplies team swapped spreadsheets for stripes and headed to Chester Zoo for a brainstorming session with a difference. And let’s just say - it was un-fur-gettable!
Inside the grounds of the zoo - The Square welcomes us with breakfast. The Tack room is a sustainably renovated, Grade II listed building that serves as a unique, intimate meeting and event space.
Surrounded by some of the planet’s most intelligent problem-solvers, we took inspiration from animals that overcome challenges every single day. From clever crows to strategic chimpanzees, nature reminded us that great ideas don’t need to be complicated - they just need the right environment to grow.
🧠 What We Learned from the Animal Kingdom
🐘 Elephants - Memory Masters
Elephants are famous for their incredible memories, remembering water sources across huge distances and recognising individuals years later.
👉 At Dandy’s, this reminded us how important experience and long-term thinking are - especially when helping customers plan gardens that last for years, not seasons.
🐦 Crows - Tool Experts
Crows can create and use tools to solve complex problems, such as bending wires to retrieve food.
👉 Proof that sometimes, it’s not about reinventing the wheel - it’s about using the right tools (and materials!) in smarter ways.
🦧 Chimpanzees - Strategic Thinkers
Chimpanzees plan ahead, work together, and even teach others new skills.
👉 A great reminder that collaboration - whether in our yard or in our community - is where the strongest ideas are born.
Inside the Chimpanzee house - on a rainy day they have the right idea!
🦦 Otters - Resourceful Innovators
Otters use stones to crack open shellfish and keep their favourite tools safe for later.
👉 Sustainability and resourcefulness are always at the heart of what we do - waste less, grow more, and make materials work harder.
🐜 Ants - Masters of Teamwork
Ant colonies solve complex problems together, from building structures to finding the shortest routes to food.
👉 Just like our team (and our customers!), the best results come from working together.
🌱 From Conservation to Cultivation
Being at Chester Zoo also reminded us how closely gardening, landscaping, and conservation are connected. Healthy soil, sustainable materials, and thoughtful growing all play a part in protecting the wider environment - for animals and people.
We left feeling inspired, energised, and full of fresh ideas (plus a few animal puns we absolutely couldn’t resist). Watch this space - there are some exciting things coming, and they’re already gaining momentum.
Some of Dandy's (braver) employees take a turn on the "Wild Explorer" VR experience, and come face to face with sharks, gorillas and lions.
