Following another incredible year of inspirational new product development, the 200 plus entries to the 2022 GIMA Awards provided this year’s judging panel with plenty of food for thought. Now, with the judging day complete, we must wait until October 20th to find out who will be crowned winners this year. Read more - open to all

Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester has donated 30 plant pots, peat-free soil, fertiliser, bamboo sticks and two watering cans to Dorset County Hospital’s Kingfisher Ward, which is growing its own sunflowers to tie in with this year’s Dorset Sunflower Trail at Maiden Castle Farm. Read more - open to all

After the first day of GLEE in Birmingham, Garden Connect celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Genting Hotel. Adam Frost, BBC Gardeners World presenter and 7-time winner of the gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show, joined the dinner to talk about his life in gardening. Read more - open to all

Squire’s Garden Centre has donated £3,700 to Greenfingers, a charity which aims to give children in hospices across the country magical gardens, in the most difficult of circumstances.  Read more - open to all

The discovery of the rockrose prickly leaf beetle (Dicladispa testacea) is the first time the species has been recorded in Britain. It was identified from adult beetles on its name-sake plant - the rockrose (Cistus) - in a garden in Surrey. Read more - open to all

Castle Gardens in Sherborne, Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil and Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester have collectively raised £3,676 for the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal since April. Read more - open to all

Fiskars, one of the UK’s leading gardening tool suppliers, has teamed up with several green fingered influencers to support the vital bee population as part of its Urban Gardening project. Read more - open to all

Hillier has proudly announced that it has become a Government accredited training provider, helping to further its mission to inspire the future of horticulture. Read more - open to all

Today East Anglian based charity, Green Light Trust (GLT), and Notcutts, the UK’s leading family-owned garden and horticulture business, are delighted to announce an on-going corporate partnership. Read more - open to all

The 62nd Greenfingers Charity garden at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice – one of the UK’s leading paediatric palliative care charities, offering care to children with life-limiting conditions and their families throughout Wales – has been officially opened by BBC Radio 2’s resident gardener, Terry Walton. Read more - open to all

Moray Chamber of Commerce voted Mackenzie & Cruickshank best SME business 2022. “This is a lovely award to get as it is voted on by our fellow businesses,” says Peter Wilson. Read more - open to all

GCA figures show a fall in March sales, but comparisons can be misleading.  Garden Centres are in a good place says chief executive, Iain Wylie. Read more - members only

A fire at Fletcher’s, a debut book by Perrywood’s HR director and planning approval for Trowell are among recent local news items about garden centres. Read more - members only

A blogger at The Frustrated Gardener and former senior buyer at John Lewis launches Dan Cooper Garden on April 5th to partner the best products and with sound, expert advice. Read more - members only

North Hill Nurseries in Chobham hosted their local MP and Secretary of State for Levelling Up and Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, this week for a visit that brought to life a range of current issues being faced by horticultural businesses across the country.  Read more - open to all

Wind, rain, blisters and UK holiday traffic all attempted to thwart Deco-Pak’s Three Peaks Challenge this past weekend but the team were victorious in their efforts. Read more - open to all

The Garden Centre Association, representing 200 garden centres, has revealed the first regional Garden Centres of the Year from their annual inspections. Read more - members only

Squire’s Garden Centres raise over £1,000 for 16 local charities with Sunflower Seed Initiative. Read more - open to all

Earlier this month 88 golfers enjoyed a fun filled day of golf, networking and fundraising at the 12th annual GIMA Golf Day, with the Graf UK team walking away as course victors! Read more - open to all

British Garden Centre became a Platinum Partner of the Greenfingers Charity in January 2022, pledging to raise at least £25,000 before the charity's 25th anniversary in 2024. Read more - open to all

Willowbrook garden centre in Bromsgrove has had a planning application for a proposed development for the erection of a canopy with a retractable roof and the retention of an ancillary cafe terrace seating area approved by the Bromsgrove District County Council. Read more - open to all

The new owner of the former Wyevale near Swindon, Studley Grange Garden Centre, working with Malcolm Scott Consultants, has planning permission to expand. Read more - members only

Landscape supplier Green-tech is a keen supporter of recognising Mental Health and has embraced Mental Health Awareness Week with a series of planned down-time events. Read more - open to all

Recent local headlines include a garden centre worker 'sacked in row over pink hair', the fight to save Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre, Frosts staff walking 26m in their bras for cancer and a new garden centre. Read more - open to all

The HTA invited opposition Minister Daniel Zeichner to Whartons Garden Roses in Norfolk to see their business and highlight several challenges facing the industry Read more - members only

News from around the country includes a garden centre targeted as part of £45,000 fraud, Bloom & Wild’s sustainable scheme to sell tired plants and a garden centre protest by Extinction Rebellion. Read more - members only

One of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries recently played host to 60 landscape architect students from the University of Gloucestershire. Read more - open to all

Maze, the outdoor furniture creator, has opened a new distribution centre in Peterlee. The 90,000 sq. ft space is the brand’s third distribution hub, and will act as a superb support to local communities and infrastructure. Read more - open to all

British Garden Centres have had such a successful couple of months that Heavy Plant Crossing signs have been added in front of all centres, as people are leaving with truckloads of plants. Read more - open to all

After a successful return in 2021, GIMA has confirmed that its annual awards evening will be returning later this year, bringing with it a host of leading award categories, a celebrity host and a glittering night of networking. Entry to this year’s awards is now open at www.gima.org.uk. Read more - open to all