The Garden Centre Association will welcome double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (Mil) to its stage during its annual conference in January (January 26 until 29, 2020). Read more - open to all

Fallen Fruits celebrates Liz Warren working for the company for 15 years. Michael Hall says she is a key member of the team with an in-depth knowledge of the company. Read more - open to all

Whartons Roses welcomes Jo Davey to the new role of marketing manager. Jo joins Norfolk based rose grower Whartons with over 25 years of horticultural experience in marketing and sales. Read more - open to all

One of the UK’s leading nurseries based in Hereford has expanded its sales support team and taken on two new administrators this month (December, 2019). Read more - open to all

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 - open to all

Top industry awards, a BBC TV series and expansion of its client portfolio leads to celebrations at Hornby Whitefoot PR. The team at Hornby Whitefoot PR is celebrating after expanding its client portfolio and winning a top garden media industry award. Read more - open to all

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 - members only

Andrew Baker, Finance Director at Zest 4 Leisure, has completed his 12 ^th and final competitive running event for 2019 to raise funds for Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith children’s hospices. Read more - open to all

Steve Morgan, Managing Director of Zest 4 Leisure, was presented with the Lord Barry Jones Legacy Award at the Flintshire Business Awards. Read more - open to all

Apprentice George Goodier has passed his course with the highest honours and has accepted a permanent contract with Green-tech as a Sales Advisor. Read more - open to all

It was a case of “something borrowed, something green” for Deco-Pak’s Craig Hall at his recent wedding as he and his new wife, Debbie, raised over £1,200 for Greenfingers Charity thanks to generous donations from guests and families. Read more - open to all

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 - members only

Greenfingers Charity is delighted to announce that Sue Allen, founder of Millbrook Garden Centres has joined the charity’s Board of Trustees. Read more - open to all

A Production Manager at one of the UK’s leading nurseries based in Hereford has successfully completed a competency exam to become an Associate on the Plant Health Professional Register. Read more - open to all

Due to their continued growth, Landmann have appointed Luke Hopkins as their new Key Account Manager to manage key retailers within the Midlands / North of the UK. Read more - open to all

Writer and broadcaster Paul Mason will be talking about the economy and the political landscape during his guest speech at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) 2020 annual conference in January (January 26 until 29). Read more - open to all

Notcutts Group Ltd has today announced the appointment of Bridget McIntyre as Non- Executive Director and Chair Designate with effect from 1st January 2020. Bridget will replace outgoing Chairman, Nicky Dulieu, with effect from 1st March 2020. Read more - open to all

The winner of the Katie Blake Luxury Holiday Prize draw ran at Solex where by visiting the stand you would automatically be entered into the holiday competition was Phil Stevenson of Carlton Park Garden Centre. Read more - open to all

Zest 4 Leisure has announced changes at Board level as it continues to forge ahead with its programme of continuous improvement. The new organisational structure reflects Zest’s mission to put quality and customer service at the heart of everything it does. Read more - open to all

Attendees at this year’s Garden Centre Association (GCA) annual conference in January (January 26 until 29, 2020) will hear from co-founder and Executive Vice Chair of the award-winning Eden Project Sir Tim Smit KBE. Read more - open to all

Environmentalist Trewin Restorick has been announced (November, 2019) as the first speaker booked for the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in Bristol in January (January 26 until 29, 2020). Read more - open to all

Eliminating plastics from our gardens, the social prescribing of gardening and the leafy love affair of millennials and their houseplants, were just some of the varied subjects being championed by gardening’s greatest influencers, at this year’s horticultural ‘Oscars’, the Garden Media Guild Awards. Read more - open to all

This year the HTA has awarded the Pearson Memorial Medal to industry pioneer John Ravenscroft in recognition of his outstanding services to horticulture. Read more - open to all

Harry Downes has this month (November, 2019) started his two-year Management Trainee Scheme at one of the UK’s leading nurseries based in Hereford. Read more - open to all

The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced it will be supporting the nomination of Keith Weed for election as RHS President in 2020. Read more - open to all

James Mitchell, head of key accounts at Westland Horticulture for the last 6 years, looks set to leave and become an independent agent for the South West.  Read more - open to all

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

George Truss, a student of BALI Training Provider college Writtle University College, has been awarded the BALI Chalk Fund's National Landscape Student of the Year Award 2019. Read more - open to all

Rebecca Pow MP, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Environment, will address the garden industry at the Cultivating Retail conference on 19 November. Read more - open to all

Paolo Arrigo - pictured with his mother Theresa - of Seeds of Italy and Franchi Seeds who has been voted Slow Food Person of the Year Read more - open to all