Granary Group to re-launch Ladd’s next spring

The Granary Group are delighted with the acquisition of Ladds Garden Village as it continues to expand its garden centre portfolio.  Read more - members only

Positive covid-19 test at Dobbies Ayr

Dobbies garden centre at Ayr has asked visitors to its restaurant last Friday to be vigilant after a visitor tested positive for Covid-19. Read more - open to all

Beckworth Emporium to start £2m upgrade

Beckworth Emporium, between Northampton and Wellingborough, is about to start work on a major upgrade that will lift its sales of plants and gardening. Read more - members only

Fosters of Thrybergh is to close

Fosters Garden Centre in Thrybergh, Rotheram is to close at the end of October after 40 years trading.  Read more - members only

Tong adds second restaurant

Tong garden centre is to open a second 180 seat restaurant this autumn on the mezzanine of a recent extension at the Bradford site. Read more - members only

John Lewis looks at garden centres

Part of Dame Sharon White’s transformation review for John Lewis includes building a new gardening business, potentially with new partnerships and acquisitions.  Read more - members only

Dame Sharon White

Kingfisher upgrades profit forecast

Kingfisher, the group that operates B&Q and Screwfix in the UK, increased sales by 26% in June.  Half year profits will be ahead of last year. Read more - members only

B&Q New Malden

Dobbies partners with Sainsbury’s to sell groceries

Dobbies has partnered with Sainsbury’s to sell a range of the supermarket’s food and groceries at its garden centres. Read more - members only

Northern Irish growers to share £1.5m support package

The HTA reports a £1.5m COVID-19 support package is being offered to Northern Ireland horticultural businesses and calls again for a grant aid scheme for British growers. Read more - open to all

Image from Papervale Trees

Garden centres are cautious about restaurant reopening

While Dobbies are reopening their restaurants as soon as permitted, others are adopting a more cautious approach.  Some are not opening this month. Read more - open to all

Blue Diamond at East Bridgford, before the lockdown

SBM restructures its European marketing team

SBM has restructured its European marketing team adding four including James Ramnought in the UK as head of marketing for North West Europe (United  Kingdom / Benelux). Read more - members only

Tragic accident at Westland’s Dungannon factory

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

Homebase restructures SSO and closes Wallington office

News has been published by Insight DIY of a significant restructuring of the Homebase business which took place earlier this week.  Read more - open to all

Record sales for Klondyke since lockdown

2019 Results show steady sales and profit growth for Klondyke.  Subsequently, the company weathered the Covid-19 lockdown without needing extra funds and has had 3 weeks of record sales. Read more - members only

Houghton Hall Garden Centre

Merger creates Europe’s largest hydroponics distributor

UK based HydroGarden has merged with leading German hydroponics wholesaler, Grow In, based in Berlin, creating the largest hydroponics wholesaler in the European market. Read more - members only

BGC acquires vacant Thatcham GC

British Garden Centres has acquired the former Wyevale garden centre at Thatcham, which has been closed for several months.  Re-opening is planned for October. Read more - members only

Which plant varieties will be hot for 2021?

Which plant varieties will be hot for 2021?... the industry has voted at the Ball Colegrave Trial Grounds at West Adderbury. Read more - open to all

Overhaul of Hay Lane Garden Centre

Landlord Tony Miller has given Wyevale’s Swindon Hay Lane a complete overhaul and renamed it Studley Grange Garden Centre. Read more - members only

Greenfingers Trading is in liquidation UPDATED

Greenfingers Trading Ltd that ran Greenfingers.com was put into liquidation on 4th August. The website however continues to trade. MD 0f M8 Group, Scott Torrens, explains what happened. Read more - members only

Handy Garden Machinery to close retail outlet

Handy completes its transformation to wholesaler as it closes its retail outlet in Swindon. Read more - members only

Pictures of first Sainsbury's/Dobbies partnership

Dobbies Garden Centres celebrates introducing a range of Sainsbury’s food and grocery products to its flagship store in Edinburgh. Read more - members only

Sainsbury's in Dobbies

Woodlodge buys Adobe Wholesale and The Garden Foundry

Leading pot supplier, Woodlodge, is extending its garden decoration offer with the acquisition of Adobe Wholesale and The Garden Foundry. Read more - members only

Fresh @ Burcot Garden Centre is closing later this month

Fresh @ Burcot Garden Centre at Bromsgrove is closing later this month. The garden centre is being sold by Nicci and Neil Gow. Read more - members only

Two acquisitions for Eliza Tinsley

Eliza Tinsley has bought Reedy Tools and Greenman Garden Tools. Read more - members only

Wyevale Garden Centres has been wound up

On 28th May Wyevale Garden Centres Ltd, one of garden centres’ biggest names disappeared into history, when it was wound up after trading for 58 years.  We look back through the years. Read more - members only

Immediate action saved Blue Diamond from a very serious financial problem

2019 results show Blue Diamond had a strong year.  What followed with Covid-19 threatened up to 3 months with no sales.  “This would have been a tragedy as well as a major financial loss.” Read more - members only

Queues at Redfields on Saturday afternoon

done is better than perfect’ replaces One Kingfisher

Along with its annual results, the new CEO of Kingfisher, Thierry Garnier, reveals a new strategy for Kingfisher. “It needs to be simpler, leaner, more agile, open to partnerships, and even more customer-focused.” Read more - members only

Garden Centre in Bury St Edmunds to close

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

Positive Covid-19 test closes B&Q store - UPDATED

UPDATED B&Q reacted quickly to a positive Coronavirus test of a staff member, asking customers to immediately leave its store in Wallasey.  Now a second store, in Wales, has been closed. Read more - open to all

Parasene set to return to the market

The Parasene brand has been bought by a former employee, John Cartwright, the owner of Fireside Products Ltd. Read more - members only

John Cartwright, MD of Fireside Products

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