Bitter Sweet reaction from Sinclair to Chat Moss rejection

William Sinclair says the Government’s refusal to allow peat extraction at Chat Moss is incoherent. But with SuperFyba, it is in an ideal position to take advantage of the move toward non-peat growing media. See more... Read more - members only

Orders books remain strong for landscapers

Marshalls’ sales to the domestic market fall 13%. But this is largely weather related as order books for domestic landscapers remain strong and customer confidence is stable. See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Group gets new CEO and finance director

The Garden Centre Group has announced the appointment of Kevin Bradshaw as chief executive officer and Nils Steinmeyer as chief financial officer. See more... Read more - members only

Argos to be repositioned while Homebase closes 5 stores

Bad weather hampers Home Retail, the parent company of Argos and Homebase. Sales were down 1%, due to a 6.2% fall at Homebase. Argos is investing £100m pa to become a digital retailer rather than a catalogue-led business. Garden centre refits have continued at Homebase. See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Group rocked by the resignation of two more directors

It has been announced internally that Antonia Jenkinson and Lorrie Robertson have resigned from The Garden Centre Group following the departure of their CEO, Nicholas Marshall. See more... Read more - members only

Capital Gardens sells Highgate Garden Centre

Capital Gardens has sold Highgate Garden Centre for development but will continue trading from the site until planning permission is given. See more... Read more - members only

Gardenforum interviews Stephen Murphy, TGCG chairman

TGCG chairman expresses admiration for Nicholas Marshall but explains why a new CEO is needed to fulfil a radical transformation of the group. The strategy is to grow revenues from the existing centres and there is the finance to acquire more. See more... Read more - members only

Nicholas Marshall leaves The Garden Centre Group

It has been announced that Nicholas Marshall stepped down as CEO of The Garden Centre Group earlier today. The company will be run by its new chairman, while a new CEO is recruited. See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Group publishes 2011 results

The Garden Centre Group has filed results for 2011. Sales increased by 9.3%, including the acquisition of Country Homes & Gardens. There was a reduced loss before tax of £5.5m. See more... Read more - members only

Irish Garden Centre in liquidation after 32 years of operation

Hortitrends reports that one of West Cork's best-known businesses, Hosford's Garden Centre, has closed down. See more... Read more - members only

Lowaters Nursery Win UK Water Efficiency Award

Lowaters Nursery have won the farming and horticulture category at this year’s UK Water Efficiency Awards for their new rainwater harvesting system.
Read more - members only

Smart Solar to distribute Haxnicks products

Day one of Glee was marked by the announcement that Smart Solar is to become the sole distributor of Haxnicks products in the UK. See more… Read more - members only

Dobbies extends North to Inverness

Dobbies plans to extend its estate north to Inverness, where it is seeking permission to open a garden centre next to Tesco. See more…
Read more - members only

Ex Virgin Chief to chair The Garden Centre Group

Stephen Murphy, who succeeded Richard Branson as group chief executive of Virgin becomes the new chairman of The Garden Centre Group. See more… Read more - members only

Dobbies given thumbs-up for King’s Lynn

Dobbies’ first joint store with Tesco has been approved by planners at Kings Lynn. Work should start next spring. See more... Read more - members only

Norfolk grower charged over death of employee

A tulip grower, Belmont Nursery at Terrington St Clement, near King’s Lynn has been charged with corporate manslaughter following the death of an employee 2 years ago. See more... Read more - members only

Willowbrook Garden Centre reopens 6 weeks after devastating flood

Willowbrook Nursery & Garden Centre, near Wellington, reopens on Saturday, 6 weeks after a month’s rain fell in 24 hours, flooding the entire site. See more... Read more - members only

Mountain Warehouse opens third concession on TGCG centre

Mountain Warehouse has opened its third specialist camping store on a site belonging to The Garden Centre Group, as it continues to roll out new store openings within garden centres. See more… Read more - members only

Klondyke re-opens Wilmslow

Klondyke has completed a year of upgrading its centres with the opening of the rebuilt garden centre at Wilmslow, 16 months after fire destroyed the old one.  See more... Read more - members only

CVC Capital has agreed to sell Hozelock to Exel Industries

Hozelock is to be sold to Exel Industries. The acquisition will extend coverage of the consumer market for the world leader in agriculture spraying, especially in the UK, Benelux and Scandanavia. See more... Read more - members only

Head office cuts and store downsizing are part move to omni-channel retailing at B&Q

In the past weeks B&Q has announced 200 job losses at head office and a change of priorities away from store expansion to omnichannel retailing. The changes, it says, will put Kingfisher in good shape for the future. See more... Read more - members only

Future Marketing moves North of the border

Simpsons of Inverness are the latest independent business to join Future Marketing. There is also news that Millbrook Garden Centre have decided to bring their second centre into the marketing group for independent garden centres. See more... Read more - members only

Alfords in Grimsby is for sale - Updated

Alfords Garden Centre in Grimsby has been put up for sale as the owners plan to retire. They wish to sell as a going concern but there is also the potential for development. See more… Read more - members only

Sinclair says peat shortages will hit professional growers

Sinclair issues profit warning, cuts its dividend and predicts that peat shortage will hit the professional growing sector in 2013. It has also been announced that Bernard Burns will step down as CX. See more... Read more - members only

Talking points from Glee

Here are some of the talking points from Glee including the prospect of a peat shortage, the absence of the new chief executive of the GCA and unrest among sales agents. See more... Read more - members only

QD Stores buys Roman Way Garden Centre

Gilbert Evans has announced the recent sale of Roman Way Garden Centre to QD Stores. This is the third acquisition this year for the rapidly expanding group. See more... Read more - members only

Stewart aims for expansion as it moves to Banbury

A year after ECI took a majority stake in Stewart Plastics, the company has opened a modern factory at Banbury, which will double capacity and streamline operations both in the UK and for export. See more... Read more - members only

B&Q suffers from short term set of headwinds

Kingfisher, owner of B&Q and Screwfix in the UK, says profits fell 15% thanks to adverse weather and adverse currency movements. It is stimulating demand with YouTube videos and multichannel retailing. See more... Read more - members only

Scotts Miracle-Gro faces $12.5m in fines and penalties for breaching US pesticide laws

Scotts Miracle-Gro has agreed to pay $12.5m for illegally applying insecticides to wild bird food products and for falsifying pesticide registration documents. Both offences happened in 2008 in the United States. See more... Read more - members only

Gloomy Marshalls cuts capacity at cost of £18.5m

Marshalls has acted to cut capacity as profits tumble due to the weather and a deteriorating outlook for hard landscaping. See more... Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive