Fargro to offer a finance service for growers

Fargro, the growers’ wholesaler, has formed a new division to help growers access flexible finance that reflects the seasonal fluctuations of their businesses. It can be put to a number of uses including investment in new technologies. Read more - members only

New Homebase chairman is former CEO of HMV

Hilco has named Ian Topping as non-exec chairman of Homebase. It hopes he can repeat his successful turnaround of HMV, also controlled by the private equity group. Read more - members only

Ian Topping

Desch Plantpak has acquired SKY-LIGHT's horticulture activities

Desch Plantpak has agreed to acquire the assets of Danish SKY-LIGHT that are used for the production of horticultural trays and reminds people about the enormous added value of recycled plastic. Read more - members only

Thermoflor awaits outcome of sale negotiations

Thermoflor has ceased trading following the bankruptcy of its parent The Grimbergen Group declared at Maastrict last week. Another of the group’s companies is Bright building. Read more - members only

Rosebourne under construction

The Choice Marketing awards go to …

At the Choice Marketing  Annual Conference and Dinner, Westland was named supplier of the year, Farplants was grower of the year and Widdop was awarded gift supplier of the year. Read more - members only

Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, Sue Grant, Andrew Illingworth, Mike Cook from Choice

B&Q to scrap overnight replenishment

200 management roles are likely to be lost as B&Q plans to abandon overnight replenishment of shelves in store. Read more - members only

Gardman has been put up for sale

Gardman has appointed PwC to sell the business as a consequence of financial pressures following the warehouse fire in March 2018. Directors hope a new buyer will be found in the next 2 weeks. Read more - members only

Hillier claims to be the first to grow in Taupe pots

In a move away from single use plastics, Hillier claims to be the first nursery in the UK to grow a commercially potted crop in a recyclable pot. Unlike black pots, Taupe can be detected by infra-red recycling equipment. Read more - members only

Burford dispels rumours of closure

Nigel Johnson, founder of the Burford Garden Company, has quashed rumours that the garden centre is to be closed and sold for housing saying they intend to continue for the next 5 decades. Read more - members only

Largest online garden centre, Primrose has been sold

Europe's largest online garden centre, Primrose, has been sold to Rockpool and has a new management team lead by Mark Pearson, former CEO of Gardman and Solus. Read more - members only

£107,000 fine for Perrywood is a warning for others

Perrywood garden centre has been fined for not updating or following its health and safety procedures following an incident where a worker developed breathing difficulties after clearing up some spilt garden chemical. Read more - members only

Wyevale buying team optimistic for the future

The Wyevale buying team introducing the 2018 Christmas range in London said a siege mentality had brought them all together and creating real optimism for the future. Read more - members only

Tim  Evans and Richard Bruce

Capital Gardens buys Studley Green from Hillview

Capital Gardens has bought Hillview’s Studley Green garden centre becoming the fourth in the group. Hillview had decided it no longer fitted their refined model. Read more - members only

olin Campbell-Preston (L) greets Boyd J Douglas-Davies

Evergreen unveils its brands for 2019

The new team from Evergreen, the successor to Scots Miracle-Gro in the UK, has unveiled its brands and strategy for 2019 and beyond.  Read more - members only

Karl Kahofer, CEO flanked by Mark Portman (L) UK MD and Ted Linehan CCO

Flopro in huge £2m consumer giveaway to create a ‘must stock’ brand

Crest will give away 30,000 Flopro hose reels through garden centres, absolutely free, next spring in a deal with a national newspaper.  The move aims to establish Flopro as a ‘must stock’ brand for all garden centres. Read more - members only

Westland paid £4m for Gardman

PwC, the Gardman administrator has circulated details of the Gardman sale to creditors. Unsecured creditors may get a partial payment. Read more - members only

Gardman agents draw confidence from Westland meeting

Westland releases Gardman containers held at the docks and meets the agents, while creditors await news from administrators. Read more - members only

Westland acquires Gardman Group

Westland Horticulture has acquired Gardman Group and has immediately taken them out of administration. The purchase includes all trading assets, stock, infrastructure and Gardman brands. Read more - open to all

Gardman outcome will be confirmed next week

Gardman tells staff that it remains optimistic that a sale can be achieved next week to avoid administration. Read more - members only

Kelkay team to head Ames expansion into new product categories

Ames has placed senior managers from Kelkay at the core of its new executive management team for the UK and Ireland promising to take the group into a number of new categories. Read more - members only

Richard Slade, Antony Harker, Richard Pyrah & Sarah Winn

Wyevale sells 5 large garden centres to Dobbies

Wyevale has announced the sale of 5 of its largest garden centres to Dobbies, bringing the Dobbies total to 39 sites. Read more - members only

Gloucester, bought  by Wyevale from Blooms

Change of ownership but business as usual for Bransford Webbs

The Bransford Webbs Plant Company has today announced a change in the ownership of the company in order to ensure the security of the business for the future. Read more - open to all

L to R, Ed Webb, Christine Chalmers, Richard Colbourne, Adrian Marskell, Will Tooby

St John’s Nurseries buys Wyevale’s Ashford Barnstaple garden centre

St John's garden centre, an independent in Barnstaple, has bought Wyevale’s Ashford Barnstaple, taking control at the end of last week. Read more - members only

Rosebourne opens No. 2 at Aldermaston

The second Rosebourne has opened today at Aldermaston, days after the EIS backed group exchanged contracts with Wyevale for its third at Hampton-in-Arden. Read more - members only

Double digit increases in turf prices

Rolawn, a leading UK turf grower, has warned that prices are set to rise in the coming months, because of the extreme weather and rising costs. Read more - members only

Wyevale disposes of 4 more ‘non-core’ garden centres

Wyevale has announced the sale of 4 more garden centres. Rosebourne and Kings Garden and Leisure have bought two, while 2 will ultimately be redeveloped. Read more - members only

B&Q stumbles as Kingfisher profits crash

Kingfisher emphasises halfway point in transformation plan as like for like sales fall at B&Q “within the context of a continuing weak consumer backdrop”. Read more - members only

New Wyevale likely to retain 100+ garden centres

The latest position on the sale of Wyevale Garden centres that emerged from the aisles of Glee is one of last minute negotiations that will determine how many are sold out of the group.  However, there will be problems for the new owners to resolve. Read more - members only

Wyevale at Chilton

Rosebourne to open at Aldermaston on Sept 28

Rosebourne is to open its second food and plant centre at Aldermaston, near Newbury on Sept 28. Its design follows the template developed at their first site at Andover. Read more - members only

Weyhill

5th generation joins the Hillier board

George Hillier and Martin Hillier, respectively sons of Robert and John Hillier, have been appointed to the Hillier Nurseries board, becoming the 5th generation at the grower and garden centre group. Read more - open to all

The new Hillier Nurseries board

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive