The UK retail arm of Bord na Mona will change its name to The Greener Gardening Company, effective 1st February 2020. Read more

As announced in the autumn Wyevale’s head office has moved out of Syon Park to nearby Brentford, while the business is wound up. Read more

Here is a summary of the news stories published on Gardenforum during 2019:  Wyevale disintegration and the expansion of other groups, the environment, supplier consolidation and people in the news.  This review is open to all. Read more

Seaward Properties has leased half the space at the Chichester garden centre to Campingworld.  The site, a Wyevale Garden Centre until August, has undergone an extensive refurbishment in the last 5 months. Read more

2018-19 accounts just filed for Dobbies reveal a strategic plan to lead the future of garden centre retailing, a loss before tax of £14m and that it paid £70m for six garden centres. Read more

After a devasting fire in April 2018, Klondyke has announced the opening of a brand new Strikes Garden Centre and restaurant at Stokesley. Read more

Dobbies says that its underlying sales are around £300m after acquisitions and 5% like for like growth. Chairman Andrew Bracey says it will look to float on the Stock Exchange “in a year or so”. Read more

Sales have risen 24% at RHS Wisley since the opening of its new Welcome building in June, attracting the younger shopper. Houseplant sales are up 62%. Read more

Among the winners at Hillier’s Awards Dinner were: Botley, Hillier’s garden centre of the year; Meon Valley, Horticultural Supplier of the year; and Decco Mills. Read more

Sir Terry Leahy former CEO of Tesco and current investor in Dobbies explained how retailing has changed.  Garden centres are well placed, gardening spend could double because of today’s issues. Read more

Environmental Factors have appointed DECCO Ltd as their exclusive distributor for NemaKnights. Read more

John Lewis opens a concept store experience at Southampton where specialists will advise on everything from wine and gardening to interiors and technology. Read more

With 645 B&M store in the UK. B&M says it is becoming the destination store for important product categories from toys and Christmas decorations to gardening and DIY. Read more

The Internet Gardener has ceased trading and issued a notice of intent to enter liquidation. Read more

Notcutts is to start the search for a new chairman, following the announcement that Nicky Dulieu is stepping down.  Read more

Dobbies is to close Dalgety Day garden centre, near Dunfermline, its smallest garden centre. Read more

Notcutts' Garden Pride Garden Centre in Ditchling, East Sussex has opened a new restaurant with dining for 300 as part of a centre-wide refurbishment. Read more

Results for the year ending 31 July 2019 show it was another record year for Squire’s with sales up 15% to £57m and profits up despite increased wages costs. Read more

Hillview Garden Centres has been trading as part of British Garden Centres since September, but only today has the deal been completed for BGC to buy them from the Hillview Group. Read more

The Solar Centre has moved into a new warehouse, 5 times the size of its previous site to accommodate its rapid growth of 40% per annum. Read more

Two appointments at Westland Horticulture: Simon McArdle becomes marketing and category director at Gardman Crest and Mark Sage joins from Wyevale to become head of commercial horticulture. Read more

Griffon Corporation has announced that its subsidiary AMES has bought Apta, to add to its purchases of Kelkay, Anchorfast and La Hacienda. Read more

If you do nothing else, do Crazy Golf, said Guy Topping at the HTA Conference, explaining his development of the Flower Bowl, a leisure experience at Barton Grange Garden Centre. Read more

Administrators have been appointed at National Polytunnels (01656315). The phones are not being answered and the website has been suspended. Read more

What are the industry plans for environment? The HTA will create a Sustainability roadmap that it hopes the different voices in horticulture will unite behind. Read more

There is much to do to improve our performance says Thierry Garnier, reporting his first quarterly results for Kingfisher. They show a like for like drop in sales at B&Q of -3.4%. Read more

Plans have been submitted to build a garden centre that would be operated by Blue Diamond in the walled garden of the Elveden Estate. Read more

Brand new £2m market-leading distribution centre takes centre stage at Kettler HQ. The extra high facility, which is centrally located adjacent to its current warehouse, will treble the company’s current onsite capacity. Read more

A free Insight report by Salience shows the top online plant retailers and how some well-known names have lost search engine visibility… Download the report and get advice. Read more

Monkton Elm’s Mike Lind gets ready to hand over the chairmanship of the GCA and warns that the proposed increase in minimum wage could be a significant threat for the garden centre sector. Read more