We are thrilled therefore to announce that with immediate effect we pledge to donate 1% of the annual value of every new Annual Garden Maintenance Contract we win to the brilliant charity Greenfingers. Read more - open to all

A look ahead to another year of FUNdraising. In a year which sees the charity’s biggest fundraising day, Garden Re-Leaf, turns 10 the next 12 months are set to be a busy year for the charity and its supporters. Read more - open to all

Local news reports this weekend include a £5,000 theft from Dobbies and police warnings about traffic queues outside garden centres. Read more - members only

Stewarts garden centres are using humour to help underline the message that everyone will be wearing masks.  Read more - open to all

Dobbies reveals measures in place to open its 68 restaurants across the UK from Friday 3^rd, in Northern Ireland, and England to following day, overseen by a safety champion at each store. Read more - members only

The BBC has reported that a man has died in what has been described as a "tragic accident" at Westland's peat plant in Dungannon, County Tyrone.  Read more - open to all

Cook’s Garden Centre is open as normal after a fire on Friday afternoon destroyed a check out area and glasshouse, including a gold medal winning Chelsea flower show stand. Read more - open to all

Fire broke out at Johnsons Garden Centre near Boston on Sunday, causing smoke to billow above the site. Read more - members only

Garden centre staff across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in Bristol yesterday (Monday, January 27, 2020). Read more - members only

Dobbies says that its underlying sales are around £300m after acquisitions and 5% like for like growth. Chairman Andrew Bracey says it will look to float on the Stock Exchange “in a year or so”. Read more - members only

Garden centres in West Yorkshire, the Midlands and Northumberland have been hit by a series of break ins, where goods are being stolen to order. Read more - members only

A large fire has destroyed a warehouse at Tyseley in the West Midlands belonging to an importer of rattan garden furniture. Read more - members only

Here’s your chance to catch up with some of the events in the retail garden sector that you may have missed. It was a turbulent year with the collapse of Gardman; around 60 garden centres changing hands or closing, Wyevale, Bunnings, Snow and drought. This is open to all. Read more - open to all

Bents and Cowells top the first day’s awards at the 2018 GCA conference. Also prominent were Fairways of Ashbourne, Stratford and Barton Grange Garden Centres. Read more - members only

2017 started with a flourish but lost momentum and settled to be an OK year. Suppliers worried about Brexit, the living wage, higher costs and Wyevale. Retailers and growers worried about Xylella. Takeover activity reached new peaks among suppliers, but no major garden centres changed hands. The industry said goodbye to some old friends. Read our review – (open to non-subscribers). Read more - open to all

The HTA has signed with Planet Mark to give members expert support in achieving the 20% carbon reductions goal in the HTA Sustainability Roadmap.  There's a free workshop in February. Read more - members only

A contemporary link building opened in September 2020 at Garsons Esher to connect its farm shop and garden centre has been hailed an immediate success. Read more - open to all

Webbs of Wychbold will open what it claims is the Midlands' biggest drive-in, set in the garden centre car park. Read more - open to all

Oldrids’ Boston store is to close, the garden centre in Grantham continues to trade. Read more - open to all

The Duchess of Cambridge at Fakenham Garden centre, in Hello feature. Another Norfolk garden centre is for sale, while the Sunday Telegraph warns against buying plants on Amazon. Read more - members only

Marlows Home and Garden Centre in Bury St Edmunds is to close, blaming poor trading conditions caused by Coronavirus. Read more - members only

Webbs, Bransford Webbs and Plant Love UK have joined forces to show their gratitude to the hardworking staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital by donating free plants to brighten their homes and gardens. Read more - open to all

The winners of the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) most prestigious awards including its Garden Centres of Excellence were announced at its annual conference yesterday (Tuesday, January 28, 2020). Read more - members only

Here is a summary of the news stories published on Gardenforum during 2019:  Wyevale disintegration and the expansion of other groups, the environment, supplier consolidation and people in the news.  This review is open to all. Read more - open to all

News from garden centres around the UK includes a father and son locked in at Endsleigh, expansion of two charity garden centres and permission for housing on a popular garden centre. Read more - members only

Plans have been submitted for an 8500 sq m. Blue Diamond garden centre on the Elveden Estate, while further plans have been submitted for the 53 acre outlet village and garden centre near Tewkesbury. Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Association (GCA) revealed the winners of its most prestigious awards at its annual conference including its 10 Garden Centres of Excellence and the Garden Centres of the Year. Read more - members only

Building starts on a new garden centre in Honiton, while work is nearly completed on an additional retail building for Threaplands in Scotland. Read more - members only

Christmas buying is getting earlier and overall sales have dropped in many centres, not helped by snow on the peak live tree weekend, closing some centres. Despite this, overall garden centre sales are up for 2017. Read more - members only

Webbs was ramraided, Father Christmas had to flee a blazing grotto at Notcutts and thieves have been active as garden centres get busy for Christmas. Read more - members only