Two more Homebase stores to be converted as Bunnings pilots, bringing the total to 10. The latest include Weston-super-mare and Harlow. Read more

Mr Fothergill’s Seeds has acquired Darlac, the garden tools supplier based in Slough, to expand its offer to garden retailers. Read more

It will be business as usual for La Hacienda, the global manufacturer, importer and distributor of outdoor heating and outdoor living products, after it became part of Griffon Corporation. Read more

The Daily Telegraph listed Wyevale Garden Centres as one of the ten worst companies to work for, based on scores from the jobs website Glassdoor.co.uk. Gardenforum finds other garden retailers scored much better. Read more

“It’s been an interesting ride” says the BUKI chief as he opened the fifth Bunnings pilot store in a former B&Q at Folkestone. Read more

Vitax is to expand its production facility in Skelmersdale and warehouse in Coalville after faster than expected growth this year. Read more

Frosts has sold its landscape maintenance division to Nurture to focus on its core construction and garden centre operations, where profits fell last year. Read more

Excellent sales in seasonal categories, particularly garden and outdoor living, and strong grocery sales contribute to strong like-for-like growth for B&M as it presses ahead with store openings. Read more

It has now been confirmed that Gardening Express owner, Chris Bonnett, has acquired his first bricks and mortar garden centre and called it Bonnetts Garden Village. Read more

Early success encourages Bunnings to double to 20 the number of Homebase stores converted to the new format, but still says the success of the pilots remains a precursor to additional investment. Read more

Steve Pitcher started work with Homebase / Bunnings last week, a year after leaving B&Q. Read more

Leading heather producer Kingfisher Nurseries is to close at the end of this month, the owners are retiring and have sold the site to YouGarden. Read more

A highlight of the first day of the HTA Catering Conference was Costas Constantinou explaining to Matthew Appleby, how he would improve the Dobbies restaurants. Read more

It has been reported that Bunnings was disappointed with the Homebase performance in May, but that the two pilots are trading well. Read more

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

As well as the acquisition of Darlac, Mr Fothergill’s revealed other innovations, including a new RHS AGM range, a starter range endorsed by David Domoney and the introduction Seasol and Optigrow. Read more

It has been reported that Terra Firma is negotiating a re-financing deal for Wyevale as the garden centre group has not met its trading targets. Read more

EP Barrus has bought the gardening glove and footwear manufacturer, Town & Country.  Its founder and chairman Barry Page is to retire. Read more

The owners of a regional DIY chain await sentence after an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease that ‘probably’ come from a hot tub display in its garden centre led to two deaths. Read more

Hare Hatch Sheeplands has finally complied with the council’s enforcement notice. The garden centre operation has been shut down, yet Rob Scott says the business has a bright future as a specialist nursery building on the heritage of the Floral Mile. Read more

Blue Diamond has replaced the front of house manager and head chef after Fryer’s garden centre received a ‘0’ rating, the lowest possible, for food hygiene in May. Read more

Local news report a fire at 11.15 last (Tuesday) night at Stephen H Smith garden centre at Otley, attended by 50 firefighters.  A number of pets are reported to have died in the fire. Read more

The HTA is to complete its restructuring by recruiting a part-time chairman to be the figurehead that speaks for the industry.  Read more

It is 7 months since SBM completed its purchase of Bayer garden and established SBM Life Science. So far it has kept a low profile. At Glee the industry will see how culturally different the ambitious, family owned group will be. Read more

Ron and Matthew Bent celebrate an 80-year history in which it has evolved from rose grower to a £20m garden centre and look 10 years ahead. Read more

A new garden centre has started trading at Bonnetts Garden Village, managed by a former Dobbies general manager. Read more

Squire’s has closed Woking Garden Centre for redevelopment, it will re-open in the spring – 50% larger. Read more

Marshall challenged UK growers to grab the opportunity presented by Brexit. About Ocado he said online gardening sales are ‘piffling’ and now is the time for this to change. Read more

British Garden Centres have been given permission for a massive re-development of their East Durham garden centre that will create 250+ new jobs. Read more

Westland Horticulture increase sales to £127.7m and made a pre-tax profit of £4.1m after charges for integrating William Sinclair, bad debt write-offs and foreign currency losses. Read more