Around 50 firefighters and 12 appliances were called to a major fire yesterday at Shire the garden buildings manufacturer at Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. Read more

Scheurich in co-operation with Baikap is to buy Deroma by the end of 2018. This is the first of several new growth stages for the Scheurich company. Read more

Cowell’s garden centre, winner of the GCA’s best plant area, has in the last 3 weeks been saved from closure. Read more

The first major phase in the resurrection of Klondyke’s Strikes Stokesley centre is getting underway. Read more

Highly-flammable cushions found at Coletta & Tyson’s garden centre led to a £30,000 fine for manufacturers Rosewood Pet Products. Read more

A disappointing spring has held back like for like growth to 4.7% for y/e March 2018 after a good 2017 Spring/Summer garden and outdoor leisure season.  Read more

ITE has agreed to buy 7 exhibitions from Ascential, formerly EMAP, that include Glee, Spring and Autumn Fair. Read more

Stansted Park Garden Centre becomes the second to be branded ‘Your Local Garden Centre’, having been bought from administrators by Paul Richards and Tim Mason. Read more

Terra Firma has appointed Christie & Co to sell Wyevale Garden Centres as a whole or garden centre by garden centre.  Read more

Family owned Groves Nurseries in Bridport welcomed visitors for the first time last week to the Ivy House Kitchen, their new restaurant designed by Malcolm Scott Consultants.

The FT has listed Smart Garden Products in Europe’s 1000 most rapidly growing companies. Further growth seems certain as stock levels have been raised by 50% at its new warehouse. Read more

Valagro, has announced that its subsidiary Maxicrop (UK) Ltd, has changed name to Valagro UK Ltd, selling to the professional market. Last year SBM took on sales to the domestic garden market. Read more

Gardman is to run a TV advertising campaign leading up to the next bank holiday weekend. Catalogues with new ranges will appear during the summer. Read more

Leighton Buzzard garden centre is the latest from the Home & Garden Group to be sold. This follows confirmation that QD Stores has acquired David’s Nurseries. One other is under new management. Read more

A new, downy mildew resistant Busy Lizzie bred by Syngenta is to be unveiled by B&Q. The Busy Lizzie is back, said Tim Clapp, “This is the biggest thing I have been involved in over my 20 years in horticulture.” Read more

After a terrible start to the year, garden centres prospered in the warm May weather and all but recovered the sales lost in the earlier months. Read more

Till queues were reported to be over 100 yards long at the ‘invitation only’ closing down sale at Reigate Garden Centre. Read more

Court victory lifts the threat of jail hanging over Rob Scott after action taken by Wokingham Borough Council against Hare Hatch Sheeplands was ruled unfair and unjust. Read more

Wesfarmers has confirmed 30^th June as the likely completion date for the Homebase sale to Hilco. The industry now waits to see what steps the turnaround specialist will take to return Homebase to health.  Read more

Christie & Co says there is interest in almost every one of the 145 Wyevale Garden Centres put up for sale last month and explains how the sale is likely to progress. Read more

Following the announcement last month that its loss-making non-food on-line business is closing next month, Tesco has launched a series of clearance offers on some of its garden products. Read more

Christies & Co have unveiled a list of the 145 Wyevale garden centres for sale and their valuations, with Woodcote Green topping the list. But what if the group is broken up? Read more

Hilco, the turnaround specialist behind HMV has bought Bunnings UK and Ireland. Job losses are likely to follow. Also a CVA? Read more

Multiple reports suggest that a decision on the buyer for Homebase could come within days. Two turnaround investors appear to be leading the race. Store closures would be likely. Read more

2017 growth for Blue Diamond, but “With a weakening economy over the coming years almost a certainty, pressures on margin are likely to mount as the marketplace becomes more fiercely competitive,” says MD Alan Roper. Read more

A year of rapid growth following the purchase of William Sinclair, has been followed by 12 months to April 2017 when Westland Horticulture sales have grown little. Pre-tax profits have improved despite the impact of a large bad debt. Read more

A new mobile friendly trade portal unveiled by Farplants will mean plant buyers can check availability and order stock while standing by their display benches. Read more

Blue Diamond has bought, Orchard Park, a North Dorset garden centre with planning consent to expand. Read more

QD Group has confirmed Cherry Lane’s purchase of David’s Nurseries in Martin Hussingtree, Worcester from the administrators of the Home & Garden Group. Read more

Former HTA chief, Carol Paris has set up Somerton, a new garden centre company that will trade as a franchise of Rosebourne.  Read more