Garden Re-Leaf tops £25,000 and still counting

It’s a month since Garden Re-Leaf and the charity Greenfingers has already received donations of over £25,000 and the money is still rolling in. See more... Read more - members only

Don’t let GYO peak says Pippa Greenwood

Has GYO peaked asks GIMA? “I have no intention of letting it peak,” says Pippa Greenwood. She told garden suppliers they need to do more to help the novice gardener succeed and warned that some products were not fit even for landfill. See more… Read more - members only

Half the country faces a hosepipe ban this spring

Many gardeners are likely to face a hosepipe ban by Easter says the HTA’s Tim Briercliffe. He attended Defra's drought summit where the Environment Secretary announced a drought order for the South East. See more... Read more - members only

HTA seeks to soften impact of Hosepipe bans

There is a real possibility of hosepipe bans this spring, especially in the East and South East. HTA talks with government seek to soften their impact on gardeners. See more… Read more - members only

Call for citizen science to record invasive species

The Observer reports an EA technical advisor for invasive species saying that he holds his head in his hands when he walks around garden centres. The paper calls for citizen science to record the advance of non-native invasive species. See more… Read more - members only

UK retail sales up 2.2% in December, but...

Figures for the December sales were the best since last January. There was a like-for-like increase of 2.2%. But don’t get too encouraged says BRC, 2012 is expected to be an equally challenging year. See more... Read more - members only

Gardenforum's Review of 2011

Gardenforum's Review of 2011 tracks the year's trading and events. It also shows the high number of garden centres and nurseries that are investing despite the difficult economy. This review is open for all to read, see more... Read more - open to all

Portas review - a threat to garden centres?

Mary Portas has suggested 28 ways to put the heart back into UK High Streets. Some could affect garden centres. The HTA has welcomed parts but warns that garden centres also have an important role as community hubs. See more... Read more - members only

£20 million fund available to support greener working

Defra has announced a new £20 million fund to help farmers, foresters and horticulturists to invest in green projects and new machinery so that their businesses can continue to grow in an environmentally friendly way. Read more - members only

Chelsea to get a Fringe in 2012

There will be a Fresh look to Chelsea 2012, reflecting the more informal approach of the new director general. There is to be a Fringe and, a little earlier, a National Gardening Week. See more… Read more - members only

Warning: The Bogus Order Scam is back

GIMA is warning suppliers to double check orders if delivery is requested to an "off site" store. The order could be a scam. See more... Read more - members only

Growers say retailers must sell Impatiens at their own risk

After the worst outbreak of Downy Mildew on Impatiens yet, it appears that it has become resistant to the key fungicide and can overwinter in soil. Growers are saying they will continue production as long as retailers accept there can be no guarantee against infection. See more... Read more - members only

Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction

The Key Message from the platform of the HTA Garden Futures conference was that big changes are looming but they are yet to have much impact on the garden industry. See more... Read more - members only

Midlands garden centres hit by a sophisticated series of break-ins

At least 8 garden centres have been hit by a sophisticated wave of break-ins across the Midlands. 3 were hit last weekend. See more for comments from other garden centres affected... Read more - members only

Tough times for non-food retail sales

Retail is under pressure as August figures from KPMG/BRC show like-for-like sales down 0.6% in August despite inflation and the VAT increase. See more... Read more - members only

Latest update on water restrictions

From tomorrow over 20m people face a £1000 fine if they water a garden using a hosepipe. They will be able to continue to use drip irrigation but there are conditions. The terms of the water restrictions vary between the seven water companies. So where should garden centres go for advice? See more... Read more - members only

La Hacienda takes action to stop IP infringement

La Hacienda used its membership of ACID to enforce its IP rights against White Stores after discovering the company selling inferior quality chimeneas under the La Hacienda brand name. See more... Read more - members only

Gardening is very eco unfriendly says the Independent

“Gardening: surely few things could be more eco-friendly? Not so,” says the Independent. It reports research by scientists saying, “Far from doing their bit to save the planet, Britain's green-fingered army may be damaging it.” See more... Read more - members only

Pets rescued from blazing garden centre

Despite a massive fire at Booths Garden & Pet Centre on Friday – click website to see the You Tube videos – scores of pets initially thought to have perished, were saved. See more... Read more - members only

Devastating Fuchsia gall mite enters RHS top ten pest list

The RHS says that the devastating fuchsia gall mite is a new entry in the top ten list of pests most enquired about and it is likely to spread to the whole of Britain. See more... Read more - members only

Nursery fined after worker fell through glasshouse roof

An Evesham nursery has been fined £12,000 after a worker was injured when he fell through the roof of a glasshouse while cleaning gutters. HSE said companies must take suitable measures to prevent workers falling. See more... Read more - members only

Death in Garden Centre Car Park

The Press Association reports that a woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a garden centre car park in Kilmarnock. See more… Read more - members only

More evidence of pressure on retailers

Three reports from the BRC show the pressure on retailers. Sales were the worst for 6 months in November, down 1.6%. Business rates will increase by 5.6% next year. Yet, price inflation is the lowest for 2 years. See more... Read more - members only

Now is the time to fly the flag for Made in UK

Following the lead given by John Lewis to highlight products made in Britain, Gardenex is challenging UK companies to capitalise on the organisation, tradition and pageantry of the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics to tap into pro-British sentiment abroad. See more... Read more - members only

Minister rips up prepared speech

Lord Taylor ripped up his prepared speech at the House of Commons last night and promised he would not let the interests of ‘our industry’ go by default. He backed the Localism Bill and the need for ‘near-market research’. See more... Read more - members only

VAT ruling to hit mail order young plant suppliers - UPDATED

The closure of the sales tax loophole on goods imported from the Channel Islands announced by the Treasury this week will hit young plant retailers. Early payment may not avoid the VAT. See more… Read more - members only

2010 profits fall for many garden retailers

2010 seemed to be a good year for some nurseries but a significant proportion of garden centres showed a small reduction in sales accompanied by a larger fall in profits. There were losses for The Garden & Leisure Group and Webbs Garden Centres. Solus and Decco both performed strongly. To see summaries for over 50 garden companies, See more... (This article is open to all readers) Read more - open to all

Garden Re-leaf Day gathers momentum

With 6 months before the inaugural Garden Re-leaf Day, it is already set to make a big impact with over 500 outlets, The Sun and major suppliers backing the event. See more... Read more - members only

Other news in brief...

Other news last week includes a new operations director for Dobbies, a Restaurant of the Year award for Beckworth Emporium and news that the DIY chains are in regular talks with HMG to cash in on the Coalition’s ‘Green Deal’ being launched next year. See more... Read more - members only

Garden Re-Leaf Day to kick-start the 2012 gardening season

Garden Re-Leaf day is planned as the gardening version of Comic Relief, a fun way to get people to start gardening in 2012. Already 120 companies and a number of celebrities are backing the idea. See more... Read more - members only

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