Wesfarmers’ CEO is really excited about Homebase

As sales lift 7.5% Wesfarmers, CEO, Richard Goyder says a pilot will start early in 2017 to rebrand some Homebase stores as Bunnings. Read more - members only

Seasonal sales grow 10% at B&Q

Like-for-like sales at B&Q continue to grow, helped by the store closure programme. Parent company, Kingfisher, remains cautious but can detect no Brexit impact. Read more - members only

Fishkeeper Scotland to open in 6 Dobbies stores

Fishkeeper Scotland is soon to open at Dobbies Edinburgh HQ at Melville as part of a major store roll-out plan. Read more - members only

Next wins planning for new Plymouth store

Plans for a new Next Home and Garden store in Plymouth have been approved despite planning officers recommending rejection. Read more - members only

The Proposed Plymouth store

Fire Brigade called to Wyevale’s Windlesham garden centre

The fire and rescue service was called to Wyevale’s Windlesham garden centre last week to rescue a man who was trapped upside down between two containers. Read more - members only

Maryanne Stokes buys Luca’s Garden

Maryanne Stokes has bought Luca’s Garden that sells garden furniture and giftware online and at shows. Read more - members only

Latest results include Klondyke, Westland, Vitax, Grange & Kelkay

2014/15 results published this month show profits fell at retailers such as Klondyke, Clifton Nurseries and Thompson Bros (Esher). Several suppliers, such as  Kelkay, Keter (UK) MPB Garden Buildings and Vitax grew strongly. Read more - members only

Wyevale shows 2016 Christmas range

Wyevale refused to be drawn on the launch date for its ‘Best in Class’ website at yesterday’s Christmas launch. Read more - members only

Former Golden Acres boss starts a new chain

With the help of Tim Mason, Paul Richards opens Mappleborough Green Garden Centre, near Redditch and is keen to find more sites. Read more - members only

2015 was a challenging year for Wyevale

Wyevale strengthened its balance sheet in 2015 with the sale and lease back of 8 garden centres as margins fell in a challenging year for profitability. Read more - members only

Bybrook Barn owner answers local news reports

Owner, Terry Burch has squashed local news stories in Ashford which raised fears of closure at Bybrook Barn garden centre, but says he is in talks about its future. Read more - members only

New Gardman CEO believes in getting the basics right

New Gardman CEO, Peter Utting, explains his vision for Gardman and how he will push turnover over £100m. Read more - members only

Peter Utting

Grange to open new DC to link with new Polish factory

Grange is to increase capacity with a new distribution centre in the South East to link with a new factory being built in Poland by its parent company, Stelmet. Read more - members only

Neil Taylor

Sale means Dobbies will stay Scottish and independent

Tesco has sold Dobbies Garden Centres to a group of investors led by Midlothian Capital Partners and Hattington Capital. Read more - members only

Fallen Fruits aims to double turnover with new showroom

Fallen Fruits has opened a permanent demonstration showroom and introduces the ‘Potting Shed’ shop within shop display. Read more - members only

Michael Hall in the Potting Shed

Taylors’ £1m expansion was a ‘big pill to swallow’

Taylors Bulbs new warehouse increases loading capacity in their peak seasons and will improve efficiency. Read more - members only

Mr Fothergill names new sweet pea for Chelsea Pensioners

Having raised over £50,000 for the Royal Hospital chelsea, Mr Fothergill has named two new sweet peas. One for the Chelsea Pensioners and a second for Greenfingers. Read more - members only

John Fothergill and Sarah Ruggeri

All-In-One closes Knutsford Garden Centre

All-In-One has closed Knutsford, the garden centre it bought 5 years ago. It had become financially unviable due to a drop in footfall. Read more - members only

Planteria manager at Highfield Garden World reveals how plant retailing has changed

Gone are the A-Z beds... Does anybody make their own hanging baskets these days? Where sales of shrubs, perennials and annuals may have shrunk, sales of plants like an £800 potted acer have soared.   Read more - members only

Jon Mason

Scotts buys into Dutch maker of hydroponics gardening lights for $136m

Scotts continues to diversify into hydroponics and indoor gardening as sales in Europe fall. Read more - members only

Sales and operating profits grow at Notcutts

Notcutts' results for the year ending February 2016 show how the company is transforming into a focussed garden retail group. It has been investing in garden centres and selling non-core assets Read more - members only

Council offers talks to Hare Hatch Sheeplands

There may be progress in the long running battle over enforcement action taken by Wokingham Borough Council against Hare Hatch Sheeplands.  Read more - members only

Rob Scott with Andrea Burlingham

Plant areas are scary places to visit

The HTA Plant Retail conference was held at the spectacular Ball Colegrave Grounds in Oxfordshire. Trends for the future included urban gardening and why the smart phone is at the heart of change. Read more - members only

New chief executive for Dobbies UPDATED

Dobbies’ new owners have appointed a former commercial director of B&Q as its new chief executive. More recently John Cleland was CEO of Maplin. Read more - members only

John Cleland

Domestic sales strong at Marshalls

Domestic order books remain strong and the public sector has picked up for Marshalls, which says despite Brexit underlying indicators are positive. Read more - members only

Brexit pushes glyphosate decision off the agenda

The EU has until Thursday to decide whether or not to re-licence glyphosate. But discussions on Brexit has pushed it off the EU Commissioners’ agenda. Read more - members only

Garden centres push ahead of last year after record May

Sales of plants and garden furniture soared as May sales made up for earlier months.  Gift sales, however, fell. Read more - members only

Castle Gardens, Sherborne

Notcutts’ £45m redevelopment plan should silence sale rumours

The New CEO of Notcutts has unveiled a £45m strategy to re-establish Notcutts as a pre-eminent name in garden centre retail. Read more - open to all

Nick Burrows, Notcutts CEO

Klondyke falters in poor 2015 spring weather

Latest results show profits halved at Klondyke in 2015 despite a positive trading performance from its restaurants. Read more - members only

Marshalls drivers stage 24 hour strike

Marshalls’ delivery drivers are holding a 24-hour strike today in their long-running dispute over overtime pay. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive