Alan Roper, CEO of Blue Diamond Garden Centres, used his Glee 2026 keynote to deliver one of the clearest assessments yet of the pressures reshaping the UK garden centre sector. Read more - members only

Bell Plantation Garden Centre, on Watling Street near Towcester, has joined the Prosper Garden Centre Buying Group, increasing its membership to ten independent, family-owned businesses. Read more - members only

Tickets are now on sale for the British Poinsettia Growers Group Conference, taking place on Thursday 19 November 2026 at its new venue, Volmary, Wisbech St Mary. Read more - open to all

Steep & Sprout™, an innovative Shropshire-made plant tea from LOHAS Fertiliser Ltd, has been named the winner of the 2026 GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund, securing a package of funding and industry support designed to accelerate the product’s journey into the garden retail market. Read more - open to all

Pleydell Smithyman has strengthened its planning team with the appointment of Ethan Giles as Planning Consultant, increasing its capacity to support clients. Read more - open to all

Autumn Fair opened at NEC Birmingham with 800+ exhibitors, new brands, product launches, expert insight and a campaign supporting 90 minutes’ free town-centre parking.

British Garden Centres (BGC) is marking the fifth anniversary of its Family Card with a group‑wide upgrade, with new perks, digital improvements and a coordinated in‑store rollout this weekend. Read more - members only

Professor Nicola Spence CBE and Jacob James to join Plant Heritage Board of Trustees as Jim Marshall and Emma Crawforth step down. Read more - open to all

Sam Morgan has joined Zest Outdoor Living and parent company P & A Group, becoming the third generation of the Morgan family to commit to the business. Read more - open to all

Autumn Fair and Glee brought home, gift, fashion, garden and outdoor categories together at the NEC, creating new crossover opportunities for retailers and suppliers.

PATS 2026 will showcase more than 400 new pet products, with 12 New Product Award categories judged by independent retailers at the NEC Birmingham.

Accounts for the year to February 2026 show that Dobbies remained loss-making, despite reporting “strong progress” since its restructuring. Read more - members only