Online auction to be held of John Woods’ assets

John Woods Nurseries, a buyout from Notcutts Nurseries has been placed in administration. There’s £500,000 of plants and machinery to be cleared with an online auction starting tomorrow. Read more - members only

Notcutt family remains committed to growth strategy UPDATED

Notcutts announce improved profits for 2014/15 and Caroline Notcutt says the family remains committed as the company plans to invest £30m. Read more - members only

Wheatcroft catering

Paula Parker leaves as Scotts reorganises

UK marketing director, Paula Parker, has left as Scotts Miracle-Gro cuts out a layer of management in the UK. Read more - members only

Paula Parker

Work starts on Rosebourne’s first food and plant centre

Work has started on Rosebourne’s first food and plant centre at Weyhill, building on the model developed at Beckworth Emporium. Read more - members only

Shoot Scoops £50,000 MassChallenge award

Months after raising £500,000 through a crowdfunding initiative, Shoot Gardening has won £50,000 from MassChallenge UK that rewards entrepreneurial start-ups. Read more - members only

Nicola Gammon

Vivid Arts settles dispute with Tom Chambers

The legal battle between Vivid Arts and Tom Chambers regarding allegations of design right infringement, copyright infringement and passing off has been resolved. Read more - members only

Vivid's range

St Mellons reopens as Cardiff, a Wyevale Garden centre

2 years ago In November, Blooms at St Mellons in Cardiff was destroyed by fire. It has been rebuilt and reopened under its former manager. Read more - members only

Mental health enterprise buys Grimsby Garden Centre

Grimsby garden centre, has been bought by a not for profit social enterprise, NAViGO, which runs all local mental health and associated services in North East Lincolnshire. Read more - members only

Wyevale buys Sidmouth Garden Centre

Wyevale has bought Sidmouth Garden Centre on the South coast of Devon, bringing their store total back to 150. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond has a new Chairman

Simon Burke, ex Chairman of Hobbycraft and former CX of Virgin Entertainment is the new chairman of Blue Diamond Group of garden centres.  Read more - members only

Simon Burke

Latest company results show healthy growth

Figures updated this month in Company Results show big sales increases for Boningale, Stewarts Plastics and Weber-Stephen Products (UK). Blue Diamond UK and Haskins also grew. Profits recovered at The Scotts Company UK. Read more - members only

Award for Wyevale’s Coffee Grounds

Coffee Grounds, the new coffeeshop concept at Wyevale Garden Centres has won the best Restaurant or Bar in another space, UK category, at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. Read more - members only

Coffee Ground at Percy Thrower's

Floralands makes it nine for H&G

Floralands Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire has joined the Homes & Garden Group stable. The sale was a leasehold deal handled by Quinton Edwards. The purchase price was not revealed. Read more - members only

Which independent garden centres are expanding?

With the likelihood that further independents will announce they are selling to Wyevale, Gardenforum examines what new garden centres are being built and which sites are getting bigger. And is 'an independent' still a useful term? Read more - members only

Restaurant at Groves, Bridport

Klondyke secures HSBC backing to renovate five sites

Klondyke has renegotiated its facilities with HSBC that secures a multi-million pound investment as the garden centre group evolves from traditional garden centres. Read more - members only

Weavervale Garden centre

Soft Play Barn solves a remote problem for Hillview

When Hillview Group bought Witney Garden Centre they were faced with a challenge. Although surrounded by people, how would they find the centre down a country lane in the middle of the Cotswolds? Read more - members only

Witney Soft Play Barn

Dennis Espley is to retire next spring

Dennis Espley has picked next April as the time to step down as MD of Squire’s, 30 years after joining the business. The group has started the search for his replacement. Read more - members only

Dennis Espley

How Bonnington Plastics beat substitute sellers on Amazon

Bonnington Plastics offers to share with other manufacturers the tactics it used to beat the substitute sellers who were costing the company £50,000 a year. Read more - members only

Customers responding to this advert wrongly believed they were buying the genuine product

Growth takes Kapiteyn to larger offices

Following Tim Woodland’s arrival at Kapiteyn, sales have grown rapidly. As a result the Dutch bulb supplier is moving its UK offices. Read more - members only

Kapiteyn's site at Breezand in Holland

Wyevale buys Wych Cross garden centre

Wyevale has completed the purchase of Wych Cross Garden Centre at Forest Row in E Sussex, recognised nationally for its rose collection. Read more - members only

Black Friday worries lead to profit warning from Home Retail

Home Retail warns Black Friday promotions might hit Christmas trading as pundits suggest it could be the biggest ever with more than £1bn spent in a day. Read more - members only

Ex-Notcutts trio unite to make Skylark Nurseries fly

“Being a nurseryman can be a lonely occupation.” So says Paul Masters, owner of fledgling nursery Skylark, who has enlisted the help of two former Notcutts colleagues. Read more - members only

L-R Paul Masters, Neville Stein and Andrew Staff

Wyevale unveils new look Heighley Gate GC

Wyevale has unveiled the first phase of a new look Heighley Gate Garden Centre in Northumberland following an 11-week redevelopment. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond accelerates expansion plans

With Wyevale expected to announce further acquisitions, Blue Diamond’s Alan Roper tells potential sellers why ‘Blue Diamond would be a good home for your business,’ as profits jump 34%. Read more - members only

Alan Roper

Wyevale reveals new look Cadbury Garden Centre

Wyevale has unveiled its redeveloped Cadbury garden centre near Bristol, designed to be a community, retail and leisure hub for all ages. Read more - members only

Cadbury's Botanico Kitchen

How Bents responds to customers using social media instore

Bents have two people monitoring social media at the weekends. When a restaurant customer used Facebook to video a piece of plastic that they found in a quiche, the garden centre reacted quickly. Read more - members only

Two independent garden centres change hands

Garden centre agent, Alexander Mackie has sold two independent garden centres.  The first in Lincolnshire has been bought by the British Garden Centre Group; the second in Essex goes to an industry newcomer. Read more - members only

Chapel Garden Centre

Bronze Age problem for Westland

Westland Horticulture has run into trouble with conservationists over the continuing extraction of peat at an archaeological site at Mayne Bog in Coole, Co Westmeath after a Bronze Age oak road was discovered in 2005. Read more - members only

Two Welsh garden centres join The Great Western Partnership

Two Welsh garden centres join The Great Western Partnership as the buying and marketing group seeks to expand its membership. Read more - members only

Steve Searle, Store Manager at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre

Glee is back with a vengeance!

For many exhibitors it was the best Glee for several years, although not everyone was as pleased. Read our news from the aisles of Glee. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive