Gardman to start TV advertising

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 - members only

New owner for Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre

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 - members only

Syngenta launches mildew resistant Busy Lizzie through B&Q

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 - members only

Tim Clapp with Imara Bizzie Lizzie

Steve Millington leaves Tildenet

Tildenet is looking for a sales and marketing director to look after its portfolio of brands and companies after it announced that Steve Millington is to leave the business. Read more - members only

Steve Millington

B&Q hints at move onto the high street

Kingfisher CEO, Veronique Laury, has hinted that the future for B&Q would be to focus on smaller convenience stores, drawing on the success of Screwfix. Read more - members only

Veronique Laury

Start-up challenges larger manufacturers on plastic

Dan Robson, MD of recent start-up Green Digit, has laid down a challenge to larger manufacturers: If a young start-up company can successfully sell products – across Europe - made from sustainable, biodegradable materials, then surely others can too. Read more - members only

Fewer independents will sell their garden centres

Fewer independent garden centres will sell in future, said the owner of St Peter’s, Worcester. He also invited suppliers to consider running their gardening shops as a franchise. Read more - members only

Tony Blake

Bunnings opens 24th Store as PE buyers circle

Bunnings has opened its 24th store in Somerset amid reports that private equity firms are eyeing a potential bid. The Aussie chairman is also visiting UK stores. Read more - members only

Fire destroys Klondyke Strikes at Stokesley

Klondykes’s Strikes Garden Centre at Stokesley in North Yorkshire was destroyed by fire on Friday night. Read more - members only

There was a tie for Notcutts' best garden centre

It was a tie in the judging for Notcutts’ best garden centre, while the pet and wild bird team won the best category prize at its recent annual awards evening. Read more - members only

‘Best Category’ - the Pet & Wild Bird team, flanked by Chairman Nicky Dulieu (L) & Nick Burrows

Christmas department at Haskins Garden Centres has re-opened due to high demand

Haskins Garden Centre group has re-opened its Christmas department across all centres, due to high demand from customers. Read more - open to all

Which? names Lidl's Multi-purpose as best buy

Which? says Lidl's Multi-purpose compost is the best compost for pots and hanging baskets, beating others that cost 12 times as much. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond opens East Bridgford with more sites in the pipeline

Blue Diamond opened East Bridgford yesterday, its 20th store. The purchase of number 21 is close to completion and there are further sites in the pipeline, subject to planning.   Read more - members only

Statement from The Garden Centre Association regarding Gardman

“The GCA extends its heart-felt thoughts and sympathies to all the company’s (Gardman) directors and staff and further offers its support and best wishes to the company in restoring its full business activity as soon as is practically possible.” Read more - open to all

Mike Lind, Chairman of the GCA

JP Morgan says a UK exit is the least bad option for Bunnings

Wesfarmers is reviewing its options for Bunnings/Homebase in the UK after announcing massive write downs and losses last month. Now an analyst at JP Morgan suggests that the least cost option would be to leave the UK. Read more - members only

David’s Nurseries is a major purchase for Cherry Lane Garden Centres

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 - members only

Carol Paris to head Somerton, a new garden centre company

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

Carol Paris

Beast from the East hampers progress at BUKI

Third quarter results from Wesfarmers show a more resilient performance from BUKI (Bunnings UK and Ireland) as reports persist that it is prepared to offer ‘a dowry’ to potential purchasers of the former Homebase group. Read more - members only

Scotts Miracle-Gro invests further in hydroponics

Scotts Miracle-Gro is to purchase Sunlight Supply the largest US distributor of indoor-growing equipment strengthening its position in the medical marijuana market and indoor vegetable cultivation. Read more - members only

Chessum Plants appoints administrators and is for sale

The rose grower Chessum Plants, a sister company to Home and Garden that appointed administrators last month, is for sale having also entered administration. Read more - members only

Gardman availability up to 1200 SKUs

Gardman says Kings Lynn is fully operational again with over 1200 SKUs in stock and increasing as some lines are being flown in from the Far East. Read more - members only

Millais Nurseries has been granted a Royal Warrant

David Millais of Millais Nurseries has been granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales as supplier of Rhododendrons and Magnolias.  Read more - open to all

David Millais and his team

Jonathan Halford to run the London Marathon

Jonathan Halford, chairman of both Forest Garden and Gardman, is raising funds for CLIC Sargent by running in the London Marathon. Read more - open to all

Jonathan Halford

Fryer's wins garden centre of the year for the second year running

Fryer's Garden Centre in Knutsford near Manchester wins garden centre of the year at the annual Blue Diamond Awards for the year of 2017 held at Coombe Abbey. Read more - open to all

Best Garden Centre for the year - Fryer's

Wesfarmers appoints Lazards to find a buyer for Homebase

It has been reported that Wesfarmers has appointed Lazard to find a buyer for Homebase. Articles also speculate that a CVA is a possible outcome. Read more - members only

Home & Garden Group appoints administrators

It has been confirmed that the 9 garden centre Home & Garden Group has appointed the accountants Mazars as administrators on 27th March. Read more - members only

Former employees return as Gardman restarts operations at Kings Lynn

Gardman have decided to reactivate operations at Kings Lynn as demolition starts on Daventry. Reps will be calling on customers from Monday to advise on availability and ordering. Read more - members only

Demolition starts on the destroyed Gardman warehouse at Daventry

Unification reduces Kingfisher SKUs by 80%

B&Q sales fall 5.3% due to store closure programme and disruption from Kingfisher’s unification programme, which after 2 years has made good progress. Read more - members only

Gardman works on recovery plan

Gardman hopes to be in the position next week to tell customers what they will be able to supply and in what time frame. Read more - members only

Capi Europe opens innovative new factory

Capi Europe, the manufacturer behind Cadix in the UK, unveiled an innovative new factory with unique rotational moulding robots, that will see turnover double in the next couple of years. Read more - members only

Cadix's Kate Ebbens and Rob Montano  show the orange insulation

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