Home and Garden swoop on Leighton Buzzard

The Home and Garden Group led by chairman Paul Chessum will take control of Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre next Monday (June 13). Read more - members only

Leicestershire centre changes hands

Sharnford Garden Shop and Nursery has been sold for an undisclosed sum by Alexander Mackie Associates. Read more - members only

B&M adds 74 stores and hits £2bn

B&M European Value Retail has continued its rapid growth building its total of UK stores to 500. Read more - members only

HTA move creates opportunity for horticultural hub

The HTA will move to new offices at Chilton in Oxfordshire this autumn having outgrown Theale near Reading. It has also a new website and new domain name. Read more - members only

Contract signed for sale of Bayer Garden as Bayer bids for Monsanto

The deal to sell Bayer Garden to SBM Developpement has been signed and should complete in October. Meanwhile Bayer has launched a bid for Monsanto. Read more - members only

Whitehall wins permission for massive expansion

Wiltshire’s Whitehall Garden Centre has received planning permission to expand to become one of the country’s largest garden centres. Read more - members only

Results just published show 2015 was a record year for Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond sales jumped 18% in 2015, net profits jumped 47%, to £6.6m, due in part to the acquisitions of Trelawney and Newbridge garden centres. Read more - members only

'What ever measurement you use, 2015 delivered,' says MD, Alan Roper

Westfarmers axes Homebase senior personnel

Reports circulating in the media suggest that Westfarmers, the new owners of Homebase, is cutting a swathe through Homebase’s senior personnel as it seeks to transform the business under the Bunnings brand following its purchase from the Home Retail Group earlier this year. Read more - members only

Battery power offers a new opportunity for garden centres

Until now, many garden centres have shied away from selling powered gardening tools, leaving them to the DIY sheds. A visit to the Stihl factories in Europe shows the next generation of battery-powered tools should be perfect for garden centres. Read more - members only

Demonstration of the new Compact Cordless range

Fire silences Speyside Heather Centre

‘We'll be quiet in social media for a while but don't forget us…’ says Speyside Heather Centre, after it was destroyed by fire. Read more - members only

Union threatens strike action at Marshalls

Marshalls says it is disappointed at a threated strike by drivers that would disrupt paving deliveries to builders merchants such as Travis Perkins and Jewson. Read more - members only

Digger blaze at Westland plant

A digger fire temporarily halted all vehicle movements at Westland Horticulture’s Ellsemere plant earlier this week Read more - members only

The bidding process for Dobbies has started

Gardenforum understands that the bidding process for Dobbies has started with the deadline for initial bids tomorrow.

Read more - members only

Blue Diamond will make it 18 with Harlow

The Blue Diamond group is close to completing the purchase of Harlow Garden Centre and says the site has bags of potential. Read more - members only

Stylish new look at Squire’s in Long Ditton

Squire’s Garden Centre in Long Ditton has a stylish new look, following a £700,000 investment to make it bigger and better than before! Read more - members only

Plant area with a new canopy

Scotland makes it 10 for Hillview

Hillview nurseries led by ceo Boyd J Douglas-Davies has acquired its tenth centre with the purchase of Scotland Nurseries in Derbyshire. Read more - members only

Bidding hots up for Dobbies

It has been reported that Philip Day, the millionaire owner of Edinburgh Wollen Mill, has put in a surprise bid for the 35-strong Dobbies garden centre chain. Read more - members only

Phillp Day, owner of Edinburgh Wollen Mill.

Maple Ridge Garden Centre, formerly Aylings, is in administration

Eco Warrior Resorts, trading as Maple Ridge Garden Centre has gone into administration. It will continue to trade while a buyer is sought. Read more - members only

Another Green Belt garden centre gets permission to expand

Tong Garden Centre, another Green Belt garden centre, obtains permission for one of the largest play areas in the country. Read more - members only

Grass Hoppers play area at Tong

Bridgford wins unprecedented approval for Green Belt expansion

Pleydell Smithyman has achieved planning approval to turn Bridgford Garden Centre, which lies in greenbelt near Nottingham, into one of the largest destination garden centres in the country. Read more - members only

Roper promises to make Harlow one of the UK’s finest

Blue Diamond has completed its acquisition of Harlow Garden Centre and promises to turn it into one of the finest destination garden centres in the UK. Read more - members only

Mitchel Montgomery opens first Procook concession in a garden centre

Former Wyevale concession expert, John Siese, has opened a new agency and is introducing new retailers to garden centres Read more - members only

John Siese

Wyevale’s new management team

Wyevale’s management team has a very new look with four new board directors, including CEO Roger Mclaughlan. Read more - members only

Wyevale reshuffle continues as two more directors depart

Dan Zinner and Tim Patten are leaving Wyevale as two former Homebase directors are recruited, bringing more garden sector knowledge to the group.

Read more - members only

Frosts open new furniture showroom at Woburn Sands

This bank holiday Frosts are holding the official opening of their half million pound furniture showroom at their Woburn Sands garden centre. Read more - members only

James Frost in the new showroom

May deadline for Dobbies bidders

It looks as if there are 4 and possibly 6 bidders in the competition for Dobbies Garden Centres, which can be viewed as a must win for Wyevale. Read more - members only

Berkshire based company wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

Dog Rocks Distribution Ltd has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.  Read more - members only

Klondyke to return to the acquisition trail

At the recent GIMA meeting Bob Hewitt, outlined the future for Klondyke and the industry, including suggesting that Wyevale may not be the only suitor for Dobbies. Read more - members only

Wilmslow

Turnaround at T&M with a promise of more for 2016

T&M is crediting better customer service and a shift towards online trading for its improved profits performance in 2014/15 and promises further significant progress. Read more - members only

Bryan Magrath

Dobbies sale speculation mounts - UPDATED

Speculation is spreading that Tesco will hang a ’For Sale’ sign on the doors of Dobbies Garden Centres.  But no mention was made in Wednesday's preliminary results. Read more - members only

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