PwC reports that the retail and consumer industry is facing increasing pressure. 952 shops closed in the first half of 2012 compared to 174 in the whole of 2011. See more... Read more - members only

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

The HTA is seeking to raise awareness of Ash Dieback (Chalara fraxinea), after the discovery of the disease at a number of UK sites over recent weeks. See more... Read more - members only

Here are the plants and products featured in the final episode of Love Your Garden. Alan Titchmarsh, David Domoney and the team created a garden at Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice in South Yorkshire. See more... (open to all) Read more - open to all

Winners from the Midlands and the North in the judging for GCA best garden centre have a familiar look to them – with one exception. See more... Read more - members only

The GCA has announced the first regional awards in the judging to find the country’s best garden centres. Winners from Wales & West, North and South Thames will be subject to a second assessment before the overall winner is revealed in January. See more... Read more - members only

Gardens are 4 weeks behind a normal year. The soil still holds plenty of moisture, so garden centres should encourage customers that it is not too late to plant, say leading nurseries. See more... Read more - members only

The HTA calls on Defra to publish the consultation on the future abolition of the AWB after nursery workers are awarded a 2.6% increase despite such a tough season. See more... Read more - members only

May finished with a frenetic 10 days, but the buoyant sales did not continue through the Jubilee weekend. Overall, garden centre figures look to be down on 2011 and this could affect industry cashflow in coming months. See more... Read more - members only

The UK garden industry will take centre stage as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee barge leads a pageant of 1000 boats down the Thames on Sunday. Watch Countrywise at 8pm on ITV1 tonight, for a preview. See more... Read more - members only

It’s a 67th Chelsea Gold for Hillier and Silver Gilt for Dairmuid Gavin’s crowd pleasing Westland Magical Garden. There was Gold also for Taylors Bulbs and Thompson & Morgan wins Plant of the Year. See more... Read more - members only

Malcolm Scott suggests HTA should react to supermarkets move into gardening. He is offering to help by encouraging Local Planning Authorities to respond to breaches of planning where they exist. See more... Read more - members only

Superscrimpers, the Channel 4 series about how to live life for half the money, returns in June with a programme on Gardening. They are asking garden centres to identify a family of big spending gardeners who want an amazing garden but can no longer afford it. See more... Read more - members only

7 million viewers of Countryfile last night, saw the UK’s major peat harvester call for a ban on peat. The programme reminded gardeners that they have a choice whether to use peat on their gardens. See more... Read more - members only

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

After a 2 year delay Defra has launched its consultation over its proposals to abolish the AWB, which imposed a 2.6% wage increase on growers in June. See more... Read more - members only

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

Two garden centres were forced to close temporarily, one because of bees, the other due to a legal dispute. 3 Others are expanding and see how Tesco portrays Dobbies. See more… Read more - members only

Here’s a pick of what newspapers have been reporting about garden centres in the last few days. Stories cover Dobbies, Carpenders Park, Frosts at Woburn Sands, Hayes Garden World and Swindon Garden Centre. See more… Read more - members only

Kent online reports that two men have been jailed for growing cannabis that would sell for more than £500,000, at a garden centre in Broadstairs. See more... Read more - members only

The National Trust has opened a secret plant propagation facility to ensure the survival of threatened plants at NT properties. It will also assist private plant collections. See more... Read more - members only

On Tuesday the garden media watched excited school children tip out their potato bags, plunge into the dirt and shout with excitement as they mined their spuds. But more garden centres should be involved said Peter Seabrook of The Sun. See more... Read more - members only

B&Q and independent gardening and DIY stores outscored Dobbies and The Garden Centre Group in the top 100 shops rated by Which? But in a confusing report, Dobbies was placed equal first for gardening and DIY with Argos. See more... Read more - members only

Monty Don, presenter of BBC Gardeners’ World, reaffirms, “I will not be promoting non-organic products of any kind whatsoever.” His irritation is a reaction to BBC’s promise of a more balanced programme in the future. See more… Read more - members only

The RHS has responded to the report of a man contracting Legionnaires’ Disease from compost with advice not to store potting media in hot greenhouses as these will heat up and may encourage Legionella. See more… Read more - members only

Figures from the GCA and HTA confirm that April sales were sharply down. Early trading in May shows signs of improvement but the season has still not really started at the time when it came to an abrupt end last year. Some retailers have warned of an unholy scramble if or when warmer weather comes. See more... Read more - members only

Westland is backing Diarmuid Gavin at this year's Chelsea Flower Show as he seeks to build the largest ever garden. You can watch the progress by clicking regularly on the website link below. See more... Read more - members only

A dire April should be kept in perspective after 3 years of strong growth. But there is a worry about bedding supplies for later in May. See more... Read more - members only

Alan Titchmarsh urged the different branches of horticulture to break out of their comfortable little boxes and to work together to show the rewards that a career in horticulture has to offer everyone from the academic to manually dextrous craftsmen and women. See more.... Read more - members only

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