Smart Garden Products buys Outside-In Designs®

Paris Natar’s Smart Garden Products has acquired Outside-in Designs and will introduce a new range of clocks. Read more - members only

Scotts calls time on Yeoman, Joseph Bentley and other Solus brands

Reports are circulating the trade, as yet unconfirmed, that Scotts Miracle-Gro has told its staff that all but one of the Solus brands are to be withdrawn from the market. Read more - members only

Expanding G Plants looks for sales personnel

G Plants has moved into new offices and warehousing covering 50,000 ft.² in Blackburn as part of a £600,000 expansion plan.  It is looking to recruit new sales personnel. Read more - members only

G Plants directors in the warehouse

Council explains why it must enforce against Hare Hatch Sheeplands

The latest twist in the enforcement battle between Wokingham Borough Council and Hare Hatch Sheeplands takes the form of a letter from the council’s chief executive to the many customers who have written to support their garden centre. Read more - members only

Kelkay completes its new plant and head office

Kelkay completes its new plant and head office with an investment of £1 million in machinery to secure its market leading position, says its managing director. Read more - members only

New owners re-launch Cranborne Garden Centre

Cranborne garden centre, well-known for its old fashioned roses, was re-launched over the weekend with the aim of being different to the chain garden centres. Read more - members only

Sinclair shares drop on stock exchange statement

William Sinclair says preparation of its turnaround plan is progressing well but warns of further exceptional losses reflecting difficulties at Ellesmere Port. Read more - members only

New chief executive of Sinclair, Stuart Burgin

Shoot raises £200,000 in less than a week

Nicola Gammon’s Shoot is seeking to raise £350,000 from a crowdfunding website. She has raised over 50% in less than a week. Read more - members only

B&M opens garden centres across the country

Each week, discounter B&M is opening new home & garden stores across the country as it aims to double number of sites to 850. Many are in sites vacated by Homebase. Read more - members only

Tesco knocks £83 million off the value of Dobbies

The £6.4 billion loss announced by Tesco included a £116 million write-down in goodwill and other impairments of UK businesses.  £83m related to Dobbies. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond boss tells suppliers to ‘Knock our door down’

Alan Roper, managing director of Blue Diamond, told suppliers to “knock our door down if you have products that are right for us” as he outlined his vision for the future to GIMA members.  This includes arranging the funding for a major acquisition. Read more - members only

Glee to introduce a Retail Power List

Glee should be at capacity this year with increased bookings and well-known names returning. New features will include the Retail Power List and the PetQuip Village. Read more - members only

Worldpay predicts record-breaking April sales for garden centres

With weather forecasters predicting a scorching Easter weekend, says Worldpay, Britain’s garden centres could see record-breaking trade in the next four weeks. Landscapers are also having a good time. Read more - members only

White Stores opens garden furniture showroom in Oxford garden centre

Online garden furniture retailer White Stores has opened its first concession at Yarnton Nurseries Garden Centre in Oxfordshire as a pilot. Read more - members only

Wyevale opens the new Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre

See pictures of the new Percy Thrower’s, the first garden centre designed by the current Wyevale management.  Week one sales shot it into the group’s top five. Read more - members only

Note the illuminated signs and the lampshades

Top Chelsea Awards for Agralan, Hillier and Taylors Bulbs

Agralan wins garden product of the year at RHS Chelsea, Burncoose Nurseries wins plant of the year. There were golds for Hillier, Vital Earth, Taylors Bulbs. Read more - members only

Agralan's Mike Abel and Alan Frost with the Potato Pot

Sinclair FD steps down

Peter Williams steps down after 10 years as finance director at William Sinclair.  The company has appointed turnaround specialist, Sheryl Tye, as interim CFO. Read more - members only

Peter Williams

Westland to hold Twitter Q&A with Charlie Dimmock

Westland are experimenting with a twitter Q&A with Charlie Dimmock next Thursday – 21 May from 7-9pm - #GardenSecrets. Read more - members only

New owners promise dramatic growth for Tong Garden Centre

Tong, one of the country’s largest garden centres has been sold. The new owners have substantial redevelopment plans. Read more - members only

The new owners of Tong with Jonathan Holmes

Stax to open new, multi-channel trade centre

Stax called together over 200 suppliers to hear about a new multi-Channel trade centre, a new website and an autumn marketing campaign. Read more - members only

L-R Stax Directors: Simon Wright, Eddie Brady (Chairman), David Hibbert (MD), Nigel Wright

Garden companies show big sales increases

The latest updates to Company Results show big turnover increases for Scotsdales, Alexander Rose and J Parker Dutch Bulbs. Read more - members only

Homebase to draw on Argos’ digital investment

The Homebase Productivity Plan will mean closer interaction with Argos and the closure of about 80 stores as the retailer seeks to become a multichannel leader in home improvement. Read more - members only

Morpeth traders oppose Wyevale’s clothing expansion UPDATED

Wyevale faces massive opposition from local traders as the group seeks to amend its planning permission at Heighley Gate garden centre. UPDATE - Permission has been granted Read more - members only

The NT re-opens Morden Hall as a peat-free garden centre

Having ousted its tenant, Capital Gardens, the National Trust will officially reopen Morden Hall Park next month as a peat free garden centre. It claims to be the UK’s first but is it? Read more - members only

Ed Ikin (Centre) with Terry O'Brien and Dan Cooke

Haskins CEO challenges popular industry practices

Haskins CEO, Julian Winfield, challenged the industry focus on engaging young people. He also said he does not believe e-commerce is necessary for a business to be successful. Read more - members only

Toolbank digs into the garden market

Toolbank’s distribution agreement with Crest Garden has given it a platform to dig into the garden market. Garden centre buyers are being invited to register for the distributor’s spring trade shows. Read more - members only

Kent & Stowe tools from Crest Garden

Kingfisher to standardise garden products across Europe

“One” Kingfisher is the goal for the new CEO as she seeks to bring its businesses together to create a Europe wide offer. Gardening and bathrooms are first on the list. Also, B&Q is to close 60 stores. Read more - members only

Véronique Laury

Scotts’ USA lawn app could come to the UK

Scotts has launched a free mobile app in the USA that gives users their own lawn care plan.  It could be adpated for the UK. Read more - members only

New Leaf Plants changes hands and plans relocation

Sales director David Higginson has purchased the entire share capital of Evesham-based New Leaf following Peter Hoddinott’s retirement and plans are underway to resite the company at Hill View Nurseries in nearby Sedgeberrow. Read more - members only

Clematis Snow Queen

One of the UK’s biggest garden centres starts a nationwide online service

Hayes pilots a nationwide delivery service for online sales having nearly completed a £5m re-development project. Last season it sold over £500,000 Christmas trees online. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive