Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster yesterday cut the ribbon on a £3m plant that will manufacture Westland’s improved alternative to peat, which will be unveiled next week at Glee. See more... Read more - members only

DKB, owner of Outdoorchef and Gloster, has acquired the HEAT brand of high end barbecues. See more... Read more - members only

Hillier has told their staff at Redditch that it is likely that they will be sold to become the first garden centre in the new group promised by Boyd Douglas-Davies and Hillview Capital. See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Group has completed the acquisition of the shares it did not already own in Country Homes & Gardens. This should simplify the proposed sale of the whole group. See more... Read more - members only

Planters have started the redevelopment of its garden centre at Bretby, with the installation of a £400,000 retractable roof. See more... Read more - members only

According to the MD of Rolawn, the country's largest turf grower, prices are set for double-digit increases. See more... Read more - members only

Christmas tree prices look set to remain close to last year’s levels says the BCTGA as it reveals that the winner of its national Christmas tree competition wins the right to provide the specimen outside the door of 10 Downing Street. See more... Read more - members only

The Glee Garden Angels, hosted by Gardenforum are set to be the centrepiece for the Hothouse at Glee again this year. How have the 6 companies who faced the panel of entrepreneurs last year fared? See more… Read more - open to all

Next is to open its first garden centre on Wednesday in Shoreham. Chief executive Simon Wolfson said this is the logical next step for its homewares business. See more... Read more - members only

Flying Brands blames difficult times and mistakes for first half losses. It has been forced to renegotiate banking terms and will not pay an interim dividend. See more... Read more - members only

Van Hage is to close its floristry departments at Peterborough and Great Amwell.  The company is also consulting about redundancies at Peterborough.  See more... Read more - members only

Despite strong local resistance, Barnet Council has granted planning permission for a Jewish free school to take over The Garden Centre Group’s Wyevale Garden Centre at Mill Hill. See more... Read more - members only

A sharp drop in the sales of garden furniture, plants and garden sundries in June means that revenues for most garden centres have fallen below last year. See more... Read more - members only

Fiskar’s Weed Puller won the GIMA Sword of Excellence for the best product in the 2011 GIMA awards last night, plus the Marketing Award of Excellence. Solus was named Supplier of the Year for the second year. It was also a good night for the Hozelock Auto reel. See more… Read more - members only

With sales and margins up, The Garden Centre Group has decided that ‘now it is time for the company to look at the various options going forward.’ See more... Read more - members only

A report from GfK suggests that sales of garden hardware and furniture in Germany have grown strongly in the first 6 months of 2011. See more... Read more - members only

The proposed relocation of Toad Hall Garden Centre to the former Wyevale site at Shiplake, south of Henley, appears to have fallen through. See more... Read more - members only

Marshalls plc is a good indicator for the state of the hard landscaping sector. In the first 6 months of this year determined marketing has increased revenue 9% to £177.2 million in a market that, they say, has been flat. See more… Read more - members only

Dobbies blames the winter weather for a drop in like-for-like sales last year. New openings pushed turnover up to £112m. The group remains positive despite continuing testing times. See more... Read more - members only

GIMA’s support for ITV’s Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh is leading to further opportunities to place product on daytime TV. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies’ new store at Peterborough, which opened on Friday, includes a 1500 sq ft, green hub to test the consumer appetite for environmentally sustainable products. See more... Read more - members only

The weak house building sector has forced the closure of Johnsons of Whixley's southern operations at Chobham, Surrey. See more … Read more - members only

Dobbies garden centre at Livingstone, which opened this spring, has been accused of breaching planning regulations for selling more goods that are unrelated to garden centre retail than is allowed. See more… Read more - members only

Speculation about the future of Keydell Nurseries looks likely to be ended later today if, as expected, East Hampshire District Council grants permission for a new garden centre a mile and a half away. See more... Read more - members only

A display of black golly dolls has provoked a threat of a mass boycott of Bybrook Barn Garden Centre in Ashford, Kent. See more... Read more - members only

B&Q sales fell 6.7% in the last 3 months thanks to the weather and the closing down sale at Focus. But shares rose on the news. See more... Read more - members only

Latest: Carlisle has opened on time after Council approves last minute works... Dobbies had said it was confident that a new roundabout would be ready for Council approval on Thursday night, hours before the official opening today. See more... Read more - members only

A new restaurant for Brigemere, Adrian Hall to close Hampstead GC, M&S to open on Trent Valley Garden Centre, B&Q cleared to buy 30 Focus Stores. See more... Read more - members only

Choice Marketing puts a hold on the addition of further garden centres after Johnsons of Boston joins the group. See more… Read more - members only

Solus has announced the closure today of its small Newcastle depot. In future customers will receive deliveries from Edinburgh or Birmingham. See more... Read more - members only