Gardena is piloting an Ambassador store to showcase its product range at Gordale Garden Centre in the Wirral. Read more

248 Blue Diamond staff celebrated at the group’s annual awards and were told by MD Alan Roper that the group is fast becoming a titan of its industry. Read more

Forest has unveiled a noise reducing Decibel Panel that it believes is the most significant development in fence panels in years. Read more

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

Bunnings opens its second pilot store today. It is also in St Albans, but trials a smaller format than the first. Read more

Sources within Scotts Miracle-Gro say that an announcement about the sale of the UK and European businesses is expected within weeks or at most months. Read more

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

Hillier Nurseries announces a new sales team, following a recent restructure, part of an on-going development programme across Hillier Wholesale Nurseries. Read more

After acquiring the garden centre last month, Whitehall re-opened Woodborough on the 23^rd March after total re-furbishment. It is offering free PYO daffodils for Mother’s Day. Read more

Keter Group has acquired Stewart Plastics. The deal will propel Stewart forward on a different scale says MD Andy Burns. Read more

Suppliers reveal the impact of Brexit so far and look ahead. Imports costs have risen by up to 25%. Fears include the uncertainty, being outside the single market and customs bureaucracy. Read more

Allensmore and Wyevale Nurseries step up the promotions on plants and have noticed increased demand for British grown stock. Read more

Ipswich seedsman Thompson & Morgan has been bought by BVG, the multichannel retailer which owns brands including Walton Garden Buildings and the clothes retailer Clifford James. Read more

Klondyke introduces the ‘From Garden to Kitchen’ brand to replace the Grow your Own concept. Also unveiled is new store branding, plus a GROW Rewards loyalty club. Read more

Mr Fothergill’s has announced a change in ownership with the majority shareholdings moving from fathers to sons. Read more

Dobbies is to launch an online store early next year serving the whole of the UK following an agreement with the Ocado Group’s Speciality Stores. Read more

Hillier has recruited from within and attracts a buyer from Dobbies to fill the vacancies left after last month’s departures to Dobbies. Read more

Planters at Bretby has submitted an application to redevelop and extend its garden centre at Bretby in South Derbyshire. Read more

Yarnton Nurseries, the garden centre and shopping village near Oxford, has been sold to a property investment fund for £10.3m. Read more

Westland is spending £4m on TV advertising starting next week, with sales of the Westland SafeLawn ‘going well’ following an unprecedented sell-in to retailers.  See the new TV advert. Read more

Increasing losses have lead Countrywide Farmers to announce that it is putting its Country Stores business up for sale. Read more

Nicholas Marshall lays out his vision for Dobbies and reveals a treasure chest to buy new sites in the South. Read more

Brantano, the shoe retailer with concessions in over 20 garden centres, has gone into administration a year after it was bought out of a previous administration. Read more

St John’s garden centre in Barnstaple is reported to be submitting revised plans for its new site that will include an Aldi and a pub as well as a new garden centre. Read more

Trafford Borough Council has rejected an application by Wyevale GC to build houses on land near Altrincham garden centre whose site was sold last year. Read more

Bunnings UK & Ireland’s PJ Davies has briefed investors on how the Bunnings model differs from Homebase and what will govern the rate of change to Bunnings. Read more

One theme that came out of the recent Plant Fest at Allensmore and Wyevale Nurseries is how the growers are investing in technology, but not necessarily with the same goals. Read more

Nicholas Marshall has replaced John Cleland as CEO of Dobbies Garden Centres and is investing in the business. Read more

Quinton Edwards is offering www.crowders.co.uk for sale. It would suit a garden centre looking to develop its multi-channel capability without the risk of building its own website.  Read more

Grange Fencing, the fencing and garden structures distributor, has opened its new distribution site at Harwich. Read more