“In my books Hillier is ‘It’” Carol Klein

The Hillier Awards evening celebrated the passion and hard work of the Hillier Teams plus the outstanding contributions of suppliers.  Horsham and Eastbourne were Garden Centres of the Year. Read more - open to all

Horticultural Supplier of the Year 2024 – Allensmore Nurseries

Garden Centre Group smashes its charity fundraising target

The teams at Yorkshire Garden Centres (YGC) group are celebrating a significant achievement as their six sites have surpassed their Charity of the Year fundraising target ahead of schedule. Read more - open to all

Lucy Whitley and Lynsey Dyson

Blue Diamond to take over Dobbies at Aylesbury

Blue Diamond confirms that it is to lease Dobbies garden centre at Aylesbury, formerly known as World's End. Read more - members only

Dobbies closes 3 more garden centres

Dobbies reveals the closure of 3 more Garden Centres in anticipation of their transfer to a new tenant. Read more - members only

Dobbies at Tewkesbury that will remain in the Dobbies portfolio

British Garden Centres makes it 7 from Dobbies

British Garden Centres has announced the acquisition of Dobbies Rugby and the leasing of the Dobbies Northampton site. Read more - members only

BGC buys Morpeth garden centre

British Garden Centres has acquired the lease of Dobbies centre in Morpeth, increasing its portfolio to 69 sites.  This is the fourth Dobbies garden centre it has taken over. Read more - members only

Plans for new garden centre in Alnwick approved by council

Plans to build the ‘premier garden centre in the North East’ on the outskirts of Alnwick have received the green light. Read more - members only

Gates acquires Dobbies Garden Centre at Stapleton

The lease of Dobbies garden centre at Stapleton, formerly known as Woodlands, has been acquired by Gates Garden Centre. Read more - members only

Pacific Lifestyle acquires TOBS

Yorkshire-based Lighting and Furniture supplier Pacific are delighted to announce the exciting acquisition of TOBS, which takes immediate effect. Read more - members only

Findon transformation facilitated by bank’s clean initiative

Your Local Garden Centre expects Findon to be carbon neutral once the £2m redevelopment is completed with assistance from Lloyds’ Clean Growth Finance Initiative. Read more - members only

Mr Fothergill’s enters £50m supply chain partnership

Mr Fothergill’s Seeds Ltd has entered a multi-year partnership with a leading international logistics and supply chain solutions provider. Read more - members only

Michael Yates

British Garden Centres acquires Dobbies’ former Gosforth site

British Garden Centres’ third acquisition in a week is Dobbies' former Gosforth site at Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5EP. Read more - members only

British Garden Centres acquires Dobbies Gloucester and Reading stores

British Garden Centres has today announced the acquisition of two Dobbies Garden Centres in Gloucester and Reading, making it the UK’s largest garden centre operator by number of sites. Read more - members only

Charles and Amy

Chris Francis to leave Hillier

Hillier Garden Centres' Retail & Wholesale Director, Chris Francis, will be stepping down from his role in the summer of 2025. Read more - open to all

Chris Francis, Hillier Garden Centres' Retail & Wholesale Director

Squire's buys Dobbies Hare Hatch

Squire’s Garden Centres announces the freehold acquisition of Dobbies Hare Hatch Garden Centre, a move that will safeguard jobs and secure the future of the site. Read more - members only

Sarah Squire

BGC shares new garden centres' opening dates

British garden centres has shared the opening dates for six of the seven new garden centres it has leased that were operated by Dobbies. Read more - members only

New Leaf to distribute Zelari Pianti

New Leaf Plants has entered into an agreement to supply garden centres and landscapers with Italian specimen plants from the renowned Italian grower Zelari. Read more - members only

3 generations launch Squire’s loyalty programme

Three generations of the Squire family business have come together this week to celebrate the launch of Friends of Squire’s - the new loyalty programme of Squire’s Garden Centres. Read more - members only

Colin Squire with daughter, Sarah Squire, and granddaughter Felicia Baily

Greenwood Plants trials electric distribution with Volta Trucks

Greenwood Plants has partnered with Volta Trucks to trial an electric vehicle in its national logistics fleet. Read more - members only

Homebase owed Garden creditors over £7m

Homebase administrators list 33 stores that will close this month and publish list of creditors with over £7m owed to suppliers of garden products. Read more - members only

Allensmore invests in expansion and sustainability

Allensmore, a top 10 plant supplier to UK garden centres, has made significant strides in both expansion and its environmental credentials. Read more - members only

Dobbies appoints James Barnes as an advisor

HTA Chairman and chief executive of Dobbies till 2013, James Barnes, has been appointed as an advisor to Dobbies Garden Centres. Read more - open to all

James Barnes

Yarnton is 3rd new Garden Centre for Blue Diamond in 2025

Blue Diamond has acquired Yarnton Garden Centre, it third purchase this month, and plans to create an experience along the lines to Beckworth Emporium. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond takes second Dobbies site

It is confirmed today that Blue Diamond Group has taken on the lease of Huntingdon Garden Centre. Read more - members only

Optimism while everything around us is flashing red

We asked garden centre owners whether they are more or less optimistic about 2025, after a challenging 2024, and what steps they are taking to offset rising costs. Read more - members only

Homebase garden centres are back

The Range has opened its first new concept stores which feature Garden Centres by Homebase. Read more - members only

Stratford Garden Centre takes over Dobbies Stratford upon Avon

Stratford Garden Centre takes over Dobbies, Stratford upon Avon, it’s the 6th of the restructured group's sites to have new operators since Christmas. Read more - members only

Helen Lloyd

"2024 was all about gardening not delivering"

The weather and rising costs contributed to a challenging year for garden centres, but an ‘OK’ Christmas means sales caught up with last year. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond takes over Harlestone Heath

Blue Diamond has revealed that Harlestone Heath garden centre will be the first of the closed Dobbies sites that it will take over. Read more - members only

Disciplined B&M delivers exceptional value

B&M displayed positive LFL growth December and the trend continued into January with strong customer response to newly launched ranges. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive