Our latest company results show the impact of the first Covid lockdown on Frosts, Gordon Rigg, Highfield, Scotsdale and Van Hage. Suppliers such as Allensmore, Tom Chambers and Vitax grew sales. Read more - open to all

YouGarden the multi-channel retailer of horticultural products has acquired Gardening Direct the mail order young plant supplier from Jersey. Read more - members only

Discount retail group QD has introduced food bank collection points in 24 of its stores including nine Cherry Lane Garden Centres. Read more - open to all

A team from Blue Diamond including MD Alan Roper outlined the key qualifications for potential product listing in its garden centres at BHETA’s retailer networking forum. Read more - members only

Headlines around the country include a sale and lease back by Dobbies, controversy about breast feeding in a garden centre and thefts of catalytic converters at Bents. Read more - members only

With container costs approaching $20,000, LOFA warns that freight problems are escalating and asks if this is due to the greed of shipping lines and if they are colluding to increase prices. Read more - members only

Planning permission has been granted for Perrywood’s £8-10m plans to build an inspirational new garden centre at the former Wyevale store at Sudbury.  Read more - members only

The team at a Bradford garden centre have secured planning approval for a second site as part of their ambitious growth plans. Read more - members only

ThinCats, the leading alternative finance provider to mid-sized SME, has provided £3m in funding to support two acquisitions for professional horticultural services to businesses and buildings provider, Urban Planters. Read more - open to all

Longacres at Bagshot has revealed that some staff have tested positive for Covid-19.  The store remains open and staff are self-isolating. Read more - members only

Results just published by Westland Horticulture Ltd show sales up 14% and operating profit up 42%.  At 30/8/2020, after the first lockdown, Westland had a strong cash balance. Read more - members only

Compo, the market leading garden media supplier across continental Europe, has been sold to a Duke Street Capital backed management buy-out. Read more - members only

Dobbies has announced the online relaunch of its Little Seedlings Club, to support and celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week (29 May – 6 June). Read more - open to all

Tony Blake first dreamt about creating a wildlife area on St Peter's Garden Centre back in 2012... Last year, his son Will, now the MD, began to make this a reality. Read more - open to all

Dobbies has announced plans for a second store in Northern Ireland, at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park.  A public consultation will commence in the coming weeks. Read more - members only

Councillors have given the green light to the proposed 10,700 sq ft. garden centre to be let to Blue Diamond at a designer outlet to be built at Scotch Corner.  Now Government must give final approval. Read more - members only

Squire’s Garden Centres has appointed two new non-executive Directors.  Rob Collins recently retired as MD of Waitrose. Tony Perkins was Audit Lead Partner at BDO. Read more - open to all

Dobbies has announced that it will be peat-free in six months, in relation to bagged compost, bringing forward the original target of 2022. Read more - open to all

Waste-aware gardeners will now be able to recycle compost packaging thanks to a trial scheme from Dobbies Garden Centres and Evergreen Garden Care. Read more - members only

Results just published by Hillier Nurseries for the year ending August 2020 show the significant impact Covid-19 had on the second half of the year.  Read more - members only

Mr Fothergill’s Seeds announces a new partnership with Italian seed brand, Franchi Sementi and UK based Italian goods supplier, Seeds of Italy for the coming 2022 gardening season Read more - members only

Norfolk Leisure says retailer demand at their trade show was 3X normal levels.  They introduced a range of UK designed barbecues and warned of possible delays in Christmas deliveries. Read more - members only

CEO, Graeme Jenkins, outlines Dobbies’ progress, including acquisitions, its migration away from Ocado, little dobbies, a new app and a new apprenticeship scheme. Read more - members only

The British Garden Centres Group have officially opened their 58^th garden centre this week, located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.  Read more - members only

With sales up 30% at B&M UK, Simon Arora, chief executive said the last year has been an exceptional one but warned of a decline in revenues this year.  Read more - members only

It was a steep learning curve for Ian Hepburn who joined Evergreen Garden Care a few months ago as marketing director,  having worked previously for Mars.  Read more - members only

Carbon Gold, which has recently been added to all Dobbies stores as part of its sustainability strategy, is launching a new range of products for home-growers and gardeners. Read more - members only

Wildflowers feature in the carpark of the first new store in 6 years for Homebase, which has just opened in Cheltenham. Read more - members only

The doubling of weather-related sales in the last quarter and growth of ecommerce has powered B&Q to record sales.  However, Kingfisher is planning for lower sales this autumn. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond results for 2020, a year dominated by Covid, show sales up 11% to £210m and a 64% jump in profit before tax to £23.5m. Read more - members only