Caulders buys 2 garden centres from Dobbies

Caulders has purchased Cumbernauld and Kinross garden centres from Dobbies. This will increase Caulders portfolio to 7 garden centres – all in Central Scotland. Read more - members only

Wyevale Garden Centres sells a further six garden centres

Wyevale is selling five garden centres to British Garden Centres and gets ready for the season with a vast majority of its remaining centres. Read more - members only

Bold Heath Garden Centre

Customers flock back to the Wyevale centres bought by Blue Diamond

December sales leapt 50% at the centres that Blue Diamond bought from Wyevale. Bicester is getting the full East Bridgford treatment at a cost of £3m to be ready for April. Read more - members only

Court lifts jail threat for Hare Hatch Sheeplands boss

A court has thrown out an appeal by Wokingham Borough Council which, if successful, would have landed the owner of the retail nursery at Hare Hatch Sheeplands with a suspended jail sentence and a fine. Read more - members only

Rob Scott

Top awards for garden centres at GCA conference

Staff at garden centres across the country are celebrating after receiving awards at the Garden Centre Association's (GCA) annual conference in Luton yesterday (Monday, January 21, 2019). Read more - members only

Barton Grange Trophy for Commercial Creativity and Innovation – Bents Garden & Home

Notcutts reveals upgrade plans for Ditchling

A 300 seat restaurant is central to Notcutts’ plans to upgrade Garden Pride at Ditchling, one of 5 garden centres with planning permission to redevelop. Read more - members only

Artists impression

Expansion continues at B&M despite difficult November

A pleasing December fails to make up for a difficult November for B&M. Like-for-like sales for the last quarter fell -1.6% against the prior year.  The group is on track to open 56 new stores in year. Read more - members only

Haskins to open a temporary garden centre at Snowhill

Haskins Garden Centres will trade from a temporary garden centre at Snowhill from March 1st, while a new modern structure is built as part of a £15m redevelopment. Read more - members only

Artists impression of Snowhill development

Wyevale agrees the sale of Chichester GC

Wyevale has agreed the sale of Chichester Garden Centre, but will continue to run the site until 31 August 2019. Read more - members only

James Barnes is to be HTA Chairman

James Barnes, the former CEO of Dobbies, is to become the chairman of the HTA and will speak on behalf of the association with members and outside the industry. Read more - open to all

James Barnes

Dobbies loses £12.5m in 2017/18

Dobbies says range changes implemented during the second half 2017 led to lower footfall and conversion, particularly during the Christmas trading period. Finance charges of £15.3m contributed to a loss of £-12.5m. Read more - members only

Further extension at Tong recommended for approval UPDATED

Yorkshire’s Tong Garden Centre looks set to add to its 2016 extension after planning officers recommend approval. UPDATED Read more - members only

Wyevale confirms sale of Enfield garden centre

Wyevale has agreed the sale of Enfield garden centre, the 36th to be sold. It will continue to trade for 12 months. There is no imminent sale expected of the main body of the garden centres. Read more - members only

Hillier recognises outstanding achievement after another record year

Yesterday's Hillier Garden Centre Awards were buoyant after another record year. Prizes included garden centre and employee of the year and a standing ovation for the achievement of the year, plus awards for the top suppliers. Read more - open to all

Employee of the year - Nigel Fifield

Q3 sales down -2.8% at B&Q

One Kingfisher remains on track says Kingfisher despite a sales drop at B&Q and Castorama in France in Q3 (Aug – October). Screwfix grows +11%. Read more - members only

Recent sales mitigate Wyevale’s cashflow risks

2017 Accounts for Wyevale Garden Centres Capital show a loss of £-105.3m and warn of material uncertainty concerning the ability of the group to meet its liabilities. Today the Wyevale CEO says the recent sales mitigate this risk. Read more - members only

Andover - oe of the garden centres still for sale

Smart Garden buys Briers

Smart Garden Products has announced the purchase of Briers, the leading glove supplier, from administrators. Read more - open to all

Hillview Group is for sale

Hillview Group is to announce the sale of 2 short lease garden centres shortly. 6 other centres have been advertised for sale as investors explore the best options for the group. Read more - members only

GCA reveals its ‘Garden Centres of Excellence’ winners

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

Destination Garden Centre of the Year - Bents Garden and Home

Mclaughlan and Emslie to leave Wyevale Garden Centres

Roger Mclaughlan, CEO of Wyevale will leave the business at the end of January as will Paul Emslie, trading & marketing Director.  Anthony Jones, chief financial officer is to take over and becomes chief operating officer. Justin King, becomes executive chairman.  Read more - members only

Roger McLaughlan leaves at the end of January

SmartPlant links with T&M

SmartPlants adds T&M to its growing list of commercial partners.  Customer receipts by the mail-order supplier will soon be accompanied by the newly developed SmartPlant 'button' to provide post sale advice. Read more - members only

Dobbies bounces back over Christmas

Dobbies’ Christmas sales bounced back from the poor figures last year that led to the departure of the previous senior management team. Chairman, Andrew Bracey praises Graeme Jenkins and the new team. Read more - members only

CEO Graeme Jenkins, who heads the new management team at Dobbies

Gardenforum reviews a turbulent year for garden retail

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

Gardman's fire started a turbulent year

Baytree Nurseries to buy Dents Farm Hilgay

Baytree Nurseries is to buy Dents Farm Hilgay at Downham Market in Norfolk. The deal is with solicitors and should complete in January. Read more - members only

Dents Farm restaurant

Wyevale sells Ham Street to Grovewell

Wyevale has sold Ham Street Garden Centre near Ashford in Kent to Grovewell Garden Centres. Read more - members only

Two more Wyevale sales make it 37 sold

Wyevale has sold Wellingborough and Wolds View, both will continue as garden centres.  This sale takes the list of those sold to 37 with 108 remaining in the group.  Read more to download the list of garden centres sold. Read more - members only

Wolds View

Blue Diamond falls victim to ransomware attack

Blue Diamond has written to suppliers warning of a delay in payments following a ransomware attack that has encrypted all the files and systems on its network, including the finance system. Read more - members only

Peckish to sponsor C4 Weather in spring

Westland Horticulture’s Peckish wild bird food brand will be sponsoring the Channel 4 Weather bulletins from 1st January 2019 until the end of February. Read more - members only

Wyevale sells 5 non-core garden centres

Wyevale has announced the sale of 4 garden centres in the south plus Hereford Wellington to new owners who will continue to operate them as garden centres.  Read more - members only

West Parley

Garden centre falls foul of the law for a second time this year

The owner of Plants Galore in S. Devon has been fined almost £13,000 after a massive fire of illegally stored waste. Earlier the company was caught charging for accepting credit and debit cards. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive