Investment pays off for Creative Gardens
Creative Gardens beats the GCA averages following improvement works. Overall, almost as many centres were down in July as up. Read more - members only
Investment pays off for Creative Gardens
Creative Gardens beats the GCA averages following improvement works. Overall, almost as many centres were down in July as up. Read more - members only
Garden centres making the headlines around the country
Garden centres have made headlines in their areas for reasons as different as a fire, planning permission for housing, giving a facelift to a hospital garden and pleading not guilty to breaching planning laws. Read more - members only
Petersham Nurseries to open in Covent Garden
Petersham Nurseries is to bring its passion for organic gardening, culinary excellence, ethical and sustainable sourcing to the heart of London in a new Floral Court luxury retail and residential development. Read more - members only
GCA names best Garden Centres for Plants
The GCA has named the regional winners in the competition to find the best plant retailers. The garden centres will face a second inspection before the national winners are declared in January. Read more - members only
GCA names its top UK Garden Centres
The Garden Centre Association names its best garden centres by region. The overall winners will be revealed at its January conference at St. Andrews from January 22 until 25. Read more - members only
Stylish new look at Squire’s in Long Ditton
Squire’s Garden Centre in Long Ditton has a stylish new look, following a £700,000 investment to make it bigger and better than before! Read more - members only
Council threatens Hare Hatch Sheeplands with an injunction
Wokingham Borough Council has threatened Hare Hatch Sheeplands with court action despite a planning appeal being scheduled for September and a local petition signed by 8500 supporters. Read more - members only
Grovewell buys MacFarlanes, near Folkestone
Grovewell Garden Centre has added a third garden centre to its group with the acquisition of MacFarlanes at Hawkinge. Read more - members only
Ingatestone garden centre ceases trading
Ingatestone Garden Centre in Billericay, Essex has been closed by its owner saying the business was no longer financially viable. Read more - members only
Wyevale switches to Bord na Mona for its own brand compost
Bord na Mona emerges as the main growing media supplier to Wyevale Garden Centres, replacing Westland's William Sinclair. The range will be marketed as Wyevale’s own compost. Read more - members only
Lovania has ambitious plans for Seoint
Lovania Nurseries acquires Seoint Nurseries and Neil Alcock is made managing director. Read more - members only
Garden centres escape damage from the floods
Northern garden centres seem to have escaped damage from the floods, but congestion from the Forth Road Bridge closure has affected sales in Scotland. Read more - members only
Soft Play Barn solves a remote problem for Hillview
When Hillview Group bought Witney Garden Centre they were faced with a challenge. Although surrounded by people, how would they find the centre down a country lane in the middle of the Cotswolds? Read more - members only
The HTA Needs You!
The HTA is looking for three new Council members to be the regional voice of the membership. “It is a great opportunity to see what is going on and influence it,” says President, Adam Wigglesworth. Read more - members only
St Mellons reopens as Cardiff, a Wyevale Garden centre
2 years ago In November, Blooms at St Mellons in Cardiff was destroyed by fire. It has been rebuilt and reopened under its former manager. Read more - members only
The new Bridgford Garden Centre rises from the ground
We have been sent a picture of the new Bridgford Garden Centre, near Nottingham as the steel is erected. It looks massive. Read more - members only
Caution after a buoyant Easter
Garden centres report an excellent Easter and April with sales up 40% on last year and storm Katie. But chief executives tell us, “We must keep our feet on the ground,” and it will get tougher, with increased competition and inflation. Read more - members only
2016 - a year of change
2016 saw second tier garden centre chains and independents invest as Wyevale consolidated. Homebase and Argos are sold. The HTA moved offices and moved to become the lead association for all gardening related businesses. Glyphosate, Xylella and the weather made frequent headlines. Scotts and Bayer looked for a way out of distributing consumer garden chemicals. Read our review – open to all. Read more - open to all
Garden Centres in the News
An example of when an event can backfire and two more garden centres look set to disappear into housing projects. Read more - members only
Fire Brigade called to Wyevale’s Windlesham garden centre
The fire and rescue service was called to Wyevale’s Windlesham garden centre last week to rescue a man who was trapped upside down between two containers. Read more - members only
Customers praise Trentham’s £1m new look
Blue Diamond completed a £1m refurbishment of Trentham Garden Centre at the end of March, winning the approval of its Staffordshire customers. Read more - members only
Garden centres hitting the local headlines
A new garden centre opens near Braintree this week. A man is arrested for assaulting a woman at Fermoys and British Garden Centres buy a small garden centre in East Durham. Read more - members only
Customers hit by sickness at Old Railway Line GC on Mothers’ Day
40 people became unwell after visiting Old Railway Line Garden Centre on Mothers’ Day. The source of the outbreak is not yet known, but Norovirus could be the cause. Read more - members only
Consent for potential new Blue Diamond GC at Leeds
Consent has been granted for a Le Friquet style garden centre at Leeds, making it potentially the 18th garden centre for Blue Diamond. Read more - members only
Director of Bristol garden centre must repay £125,000 after fraud conviction
Local newspapers report that the former finance director of Riverside Garden Centre in Bristol has been ordered to repay £125,000 stolen from a workers co-operative. Read more - members only
Review of 2015 in the Garden Industry
2015 was an eventful year in the garden sector. Here is a round-up of some of the most important stories on Gardenforum throughout the year. This article is open to non-members. Read more - open to all
GCA names its best garden centres for Christmas
The GCA has named fifteen garden centres around the UK with the best overall Christmas displays. Read more - members only
A deal has been reached to save London’s Garden Bridge project
“We are delighted the Garden Bridge can now progress,” says the chairman as a deal is agreed that will limit what London taxpayers will pay. Read more - members only
Wyevale buys Wych Cross garden centre
Wyevale has completed the purchase of Wych Cross Garden Centre at Forest Row in E Sussex, recognised nationally for its rose collection. Read more - members only
Sunny September did little for garden centre sales
Gardening sales fell in a sunny but cool September, while restaurants and food halls prospered. There is now clear evidence that the North has outperformed the rest in 2015 so far. Read more - members only