Results show profits normalising post Covid

Post Covid-19, results are still pretty healthy for most but not all garden companies, as the likes of Westland, Squire’s, Klondyke, Scotsdale and Allensmore show. Read more - members only

Barton Grange, Cowells and Tong join Prosper

UPDATE: Barton Grange, Cowells and Tong Garden Centres have signed up to the Prosper Buying Group.  So has St Peter’s Garden Centre saying time is right for a change. Read more - members only

“The latest spring I have ever known”

Garden centres talk of the latest spring ever, record May plant sales, cost inflation, online price cutting on garden furniture, staff shortages. Read more - members only

Latest spring ever in the cold and wet

B&Q launches MamaTerra by Verve

B&Q is looking to revolutionise the UK garden landscape with a range of feeds and plant protection sourced from nature, that are free from synthetic chemicals. Read more - members only

Gates joins the Tillington Group

Gates Garden Centre near Oakham in Leicestershire, has joined The Tillington Group,  a buying and marketing group for top independent garden centres. Read more - members only

Recruitment of 120 jobs begins at Dobbies’ flagship NI store

Dobbies has begun its recruitment of 120 full and part-time team members for its new store at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park, Antrim, ahead of store opening October 2023. Read more - open to all

Inverness Garden Centre Goes Green

Inverness based garden centre, Simpsons transformed its roof space this spring, taking a big step forward in its sustainability journey to reduce energy costs. Read more - open to all

ParcelHero says Wilko must not go the way of Woolies

Retail roulette: ParcelHero says Wilko must not go the way of Woolies, and fears ‘pureplays’ are in peril.  It believes Britain’s retailers are facing a post-Covid reckoning. Read more - members only

Fallen Fruits UK announce new Company Sales Director

Leading UK garden sundries supplier Fallen Fruits UK has announced the arrival of James Brindle as the company’s new sales director. Read more - open to all

James Brindle, sales director of Fallen Fruits

New steps in Squire's sustainability journey

Squire’s Garden Centres has announced a number of significant changes in its bid to reduce its carbon footprint and the group's drive to be increasingly more sustainable. Read more - members only

Carrier bag

RocketGro agrees partnership with River Cottage

RocketGro is now the exclusive provider of compost to River Cottage HQ, supplying Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s famous smallholding with its organic, peat-free growing media. Read more - members only

Toby Thomas and Jonny Callis

Blue Diamond buys second garden centre in a month

Blue Diamond has acquired Fosseway Garden Centre in Gloucestershire.  This deal is the second in a month after the purchase of Beckworth Emporium. Read more - members only

Tim Godwin

The restoration of Bridgemere Show Gardens gathers steam

Blue Diamond appoints TV gardener, author & chartered horticulturalist, David Domoney, as ambassador to Bridgemere Show Gardens. Read more - members only

David Domoney at Bridgemere Show Gardens

The Times features Blue Diamond’s Newton apple auction

Blue Diamond’s upcoming auction of a limited number of Isaac Newton's Apple Trees have recently been featured in The Times newspaper, (Wednesday 19th April edition). Read more - open to all

Developer hands over The Junction to Dobbies for fitout

The landlord of Northern Ireland’s The Junction retail and leisure park has handed over a 110,000sq ft garden centre to Dobbies to begin fitout work. Read more - members only

Chris Flynn The Junction Centre Director, Lotus Property MD Alastair Coulson with Graeme Jenkins

Sarah Raven crowd funds for growth

Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden seeks to borrow £1.25m through crowd funding from the public, to complete purchase of Rookery Farm.  Minimum investment is set at £50. Read more - members only

Sarah Raven

Greenwood Plants wins contract to grow 3m native trees

Greenwood Plants has been awarded £2.7 million of funding by National Highways to grow three million native trees from seed, over five years. Read more - open to all

Malcolm Dare with Melanie Asker

Wilko said to be exploring CVA to cut rents

Wilko is reported to have hired property agent CBRE to negotiate with landlords over cutting store rents. Read more - members only

Most successful year yet for Cotton Traders

With concessions on 51 garden centres 2022 was Cotton Traders' most successful financial year to date, with a 10.6% increase in turnover to £111m. Read more - members only

Receiver appointed for Mr Fothergill’s parent company

The appointment of a receiver for the ultimate holding company for Mr Fothergill’s Seeds does not impact Mr Fothergill’s in any way says CEO David Carey. Read more - members only

David Cartey

RHS Launches New ‘RHS Grow App'

The launch of the RHS Grow App will bring 200 years of gardening experience and horticultural expertise, from RHS botanists, scientists, fruit and veg experts to gardeners’ fingertips. Read more - members only

Barrus and RocketGro have joined forces

Barrus and RocketGro, have joined forces to sell & distribute RocketGro’s growing range of peat-free sustainable compost & plant. Read more - members only

Toby Thomas, Andy Abraham of RocketGro with Mark Hewett and Ian Seager - Marketing Manager

Southern Trident receives prestigious award for Garden Care Product of the Year

Southern Trident is thrilled to announce that it has been honoured with the highly esteemed Best Garden Care Product award for its new Coco & Coir Houseplant Compost range at the prestigious DIY Week Awards ceremony. Read more - open to all

Senior RHS role for Dobbies' senior houseplant buyer

Claire Bishop, Senior Houseplant Buyer at Dobbies, has been appointed as one of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chairs of Assessors. Read more - open to all

Claire Bishop at RHS Chelsea

Party for Perennial 2023

Industry supporters celebrated at the Party for Perennial in London last week, held at Core Bar, near St Paul's Cathedral. Read more - open to all

 Mona Abboud and Jeremy Storey-Walker

British Garden Centres revamps online e-commerce store

British Garden Centres is targeting the next generation of gardeners through their revamped e-commerce store. The 24/7 online store is accessible from the main British Garden Centres’ website. Read more - members only

Rosebourne gets the Hillier look

The Rosebourne garden centres that Hillier acquired last autumn have been refurbished with changes to bring them in line with the Hillier family. Read more - members only

Hillier Aldermaston

little dobbies shops are getting bigger

At 2,500 square feet the little dobbies newly opened on The Parade in Cheltenham is the biggest yet and over twice the size of the garden shop at Chiswick.  Read more - members only

Nick Anderson with Graeme Jenkins outside Cheltenham little dobbies

Leon Boots in marathon World Record

Last weekend, Becky Lafford broke the women’s world record for a marathon run in wellies, using the same lightweight Leon Boots that claimed the men’s record in 2021. Read more - open to all

Becky Lafford, before setting her World Record

New concessions at Yorkshire garden centre group

Yorkshire Garden Centres welcomes Edinburgh Woollen Mill to Tong Garden Centre and Pavers and Julian Charles to Tingley Garden Centre. Read more - open to all

Elaine Furness from EWM and Sharon McNair from Yorkshire Garden Centres

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