Best year ever for Klondyke

“Trading to September 2021 have been the best year the company has ever had.”  So says the recent accounts published by Klondyke Garden Centre Group. Read more - members only

Polmont Restaurant

We are now Carbon Neutral – Forest Garden

Worcestershire-based Forest Garden has become carbon neutral.  It has ensured that everything from sourcing to sawing, manufacturing to haulage is now carbon neutral. Read more - open to all

Amberol and Leafield Environmental join forces

Leafield Environmental has acquired Amberol which brings together two businesses with eight decades’ worth of experience in manufacturing sustainable plastic products. Read more - members only

Amberol planters

Frosts to sell Millets Farm as well as Brampton UPDATED

News has been broken by Robin Skilling, that the Frosts Garden Centre group is to sell a second of its four garden centres, with both sales completing in Mid-July. Read more - members only

Millets Farm

Cherry Lane celebrates 17 garden centres in 21 years

Value garden centre group Cherry Lane is celebrating its 21st anniversary. The business has grown from three sites to 17 and has planned a month of events, activities and special treats. Read more - members only

Nick Rubins and team at Pulham Market

Blue Diamond to install 300+ EV charging points

Mer has entered into an agreement with Blue Diamond to provide over 300 electric vehicle charge points at its 39 garden centres across the UK. Read more - members only

Tong seeks planning consent for 3rd garden centre

Tong will open Tingley Garden Centre in the autumn and has submitted plans to Leeds City Council for a 3rd site to open in 2024. Read more - members only

Tom Megginson, Sharon McNair and Mark Farnsworth

Sales fall -18% in first quarter at resilient B&Q

B&Q sales fall -18% in Q1 compared to strong, lockdown affected, months last year.  It claims this was a good performance across all categories on a 3-year basis. Read more - members only

St Bridget Nursery destined for housing

St Bridget Nursery, a long established Exeter garden centre and nursery, could be replaced with up to 350 new homes according to Devon Live. Read more - members only

image: Google Maps

MP opens £6m factory expansion for Westland

East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight has opened a £6 million factory expansion by Westland at the Driffield site that produces wild bird feed. Read more - members only

Image of Sir Greg with the Westland team courtesy of Driffield Post

Bloom and Wild pops up in London, Bristol and Edinburgh

Bloom and Wild is opening its first series of pop-up shops in London, Bristol and Edinburgh.    Read more - members only

Dobbies granted planning permission for new store at Reading

Dobbies has been granted planning permission to build a new 60,000 sq ft store in Reading.  It will be built on the land behind its existing garden centre at Hyde End Road, Shinfield. Read more - members only

Labour shadow minister visits Whartons

The HTA invited opposition Minister Daniel Zeichner to Whartons Garden Roses in Norfolk to see their business and highlight several challenges facing the industry Read more - members only

 Daniel Zeichner MP (centre) with Paul Wharton

BHETA networking webinar on new B&Q Marketplace

BHETA is to hold a networking webinar on the new B&Q Marketplace initiative, which is setting out to onboard some 100,000 new products within six months. Read more - members only

Tong prepares for second garden centre

West Yorkshire Garden Centre, Tong, has invested over £280,000 to treble the capacity of an existing warehouse in preparation for opening their second garden centre. Read more - members only

Andy Mears and Chancey Woodrow

Garden furniture sales increased in May, against the trend

If catering is excluded, total garden centre sales fell in May.  However, according to the GCA, garden furniture and clothing sales increased.  Year to date total income is down -9% on 2021. Read more - members only

Dobbies appoints new CFO

Dobbies has appointed Anthony Liam Grace as its new CFO.  An announcement is also expected on the refinancing of Dobbies £225m term loan. Read more - members only

Another acquisition for Duke Street’s Compo

Duke Street has announced the acquisition of another business by Compo, one of Europe's leading suppliers of branded products for the home and garden. Read more - members only

Blaze at Grosvenor Garden Centre

Today at around 3.30am in the morning the warehouse at Blue Diamond's Grosvenor Garden Centre in Chester caught fire damaging a large amount of stock.  The garden centre remains closed. Read more - members only

Fire at Grosvenor Garden Centre

All-In-One garden centre to close

The Stafford family has announced that the All-In-One garden centre in Middleton, Manchester is to close in July after more than 51 years serving the community. Read more - members only

Pandemic made B&M an even better retailer

Despite a -4.1% sales fall in the last 12 months B&M says it has sustained the step up in sales and profit compared to pre-pandemic levels. Read more - members only

Cherry Lane acquires Riverside Nursery & Garden Centre in Hockley

Cherry Lane, the value garden centre group owned by QD Stores, has acquired Riverside Nursery & Garden Centre in Hockley, Essex, bringing its stores number to 17. Read more - members only

Product of the year win for Dobbies at Chelsea

Dobbies new peat free John Innes compost range has been named the sustainable product of the year at the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Read more - members only

Frosts and Notcutts in discussion over Brampton

Frosts have announced that they are in discussions with Notcutts about the potential sale of their garden centre in Brampton. Read more - members only

Pandemic boosts sales and profits at Blue Diamond

2021 accounts from Blue Diamond show sales rose 27% to £255m during the pandemic with profit before tax up to £39.5m and net debt down to only £5.8m.  But the company expects 2022 profits will fall. Read more - members only

Sales growth at Blue Diamond

Studley Grange Garden Centre continues its development

The new owner of the former Wyevale near Swindon, Studley Grange Garden Centre, working with Malcolm Scott Consultants, has planning permission to expand. Read more - members only

Elho opens second distribution facility

Sustainable plant pot manufacturer, elho, has opened the doors of its second distribution centre in Tilburg, Holland. Read more - members only

Elho

Dobbies to recruit senior management for Tewkesbury

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has announced the recruitment for three senior managerial roles, at their brand-new flagship store in Tewkesbury, ahead of the store opening in autumn. Read more - members only

Proposed Dobbies at Tewkesbury

Petface launches the Petzone in Asda

LeisureGrow, the parent company of Petface, have announced a pet partnership to create Petzone in select Asda stores. Read more - members only

STIHL GB remembers Eva Mayr-Stihl

Eva Mayr-Stihl, a businesswoman, philanthropist and dedicated entrepreneur passed away on the 9th April 2022. Mayr-Stihl was instrumental in the success of STIHL. Read more - members only

Eva Mayr-Stihl

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