Blue Diamond accelerates expansion plans

With Wyevale expected to announce further acquisitions, Blue Diamond’s Alan Roper tells potential sellers why ‘Blue Diamond would be a good home for your business,’ as profits jump 34%. Read more - members only

Alan Roper

Wyevale reveals new look Cadbury Garden Centre

Wyevale has unveiled its redeveloped Cadbury garden centre near Bristol, designed to be a community, retail and leisure hub for all ages. Read more - members only

Cadbury's Botanico Kitchen

How Bents responds to customers using social media instore

Bents have two people monitoring social media at the weekends. When a restaurant customer used Facebook to video a piece of plastic that they found in a quiche, the garden centre reacted quickly. Read more - members only

Two independent garden centres change hands

Garden centre agent, Alexander Mackie has sold two independent garden centres.  The first in Lincolnshire has been bought by the British Garden Centre Group; the second in Essex goes to an industry newcomer. Read more - members only

Chapel Garden Centre

Bronze Age problem for Westland

Westland Horticulture has run into trouble with conservationists over the continuing extraction of peat at an archaeological site at Mayne Bog in Coole, Co Westmeath after a Bronze Age oak road was discovered in 2005. Read more - members only

Two Welsh garden centres join The Great Western Partnership

Two Welsh garden centres join The Great Western Partnership as the buying and marketing group seeks to expand its membership. Read more - members only

Steve Searle, Store Manager at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre

Glee is back with a vengeance!

For many exhibitors it was the best Glee for several years, although not everyone was as pleased. Read our news from the aisles of Glee. Read more - members only

Bayer replaces Thiacloprid

Bayer is replacing Thiacloprid in its insecticides, although it is not one of the banned neonicotinoid class. Read more - members only

BlackRock buys 8 UK garden centres for £112.5m

BlackRock has acquired the freehold of 8 garden centres from La Salle Investment Management, whose tenants are Wyevale, Notcutts or Squire’s. Read more - members only

Bicester

Westland explains what Sinclair brings to the group

Westland’s Edward Conroy has outlined his plans for Sinclair, saying there is a lot to do at Ellesmere Port.  The company is suspending the use of green waste. Read more - members only

Edward Conroy (L) with Dermuid Gavin at the opening of new plant at Dungannon

Delamore buys Botany Bay Nurseries young Plant Business

Delamore have purchased the Young Plant business of Botany Bay Nurseries in a deal that centres around the needs of Botany Bay’s customers. Read more - members only

Fiskars appoint Richard Carr as new Commercial Director for UK

Richard Carr joins brand leader Fiskars to lead the company's growth plans as Commercial Director of the UK business. Read more - open to all

Richard Carr, Fiskars new Commercial Director

Vitax appoints new Irish distributor

Vitax - one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of garden and horticulture products - has appointed a new Irish distributor as part of its strategy to grow its presence across Ireland. Read more - members only

Tesco accused of confusion by Which?

A Which? Member has drawn attention to Tesco’s packaging of plant feed and weedkiller which look remarkably alike. Read more - members only

B&Q responds to Which? Gardening’s campaign to date compost

B&Q is to test the lifespan of different formulations of compost in response to Which? Gardening’s campaign to date bags. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond has a new Chairman

Simon Burke, ex Chairman of Hobbycraft and former CX of Virgin Entertainment is the new chairman of Blue Diamond Group of garden centres.  Read more - members only

Simon Burke

Latest company results show healthy growth

Figures updated this month in Company Results show big sales increases for Boningale, Stewarts Plastics and Weber-Stephen Products (UK). Blue Diamond UK and Haskins also grew. Profits recovered at The Scotts Company UK. Read more - members only

Award for Wyevale’s Coffee Grounds

Coffee Grounds, the new coffeeshop concept at Wyevale Garden Centres has won the best Restaurant or Bar in another space, UK category, at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards. Read more - members only

Coffee Ground at Percy Thrower's

Floralands makes it nine for H&G

Floralands Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire has joined the Homes & Garden Group stable. The sale was a leasehold deal handled by Quinton Edwards. The purchase price was not revealed. Read more - members only

Which independent garden centres are expanding?

With the likelihood that further independents will announce they are selling to Wyevale, Gardenforum examines what new garden centres are being built and which sites are getting bigger. And is 'an independent' still a useful term? Read more - members only

Restaurant at Groves, Bridport

Klondyke secures HSBC backing to renovate five sites

Klondyke has renegotiated its facilities with HSBC that secures a multi-million pound investment as the garden centre group evolves from traditional garden centres. Read more - members only

Weavervale Garden centre

Two garden centres sign for new extensions at Glee

There was double success for Smiemans at Glee as two garden centres signed contracts for new buildings. Read more - members only

Charlie Groves signs for a new Smiemans building

Bradshaw predicts strong growth in the sale of online garden products

WGC’s Kevin Bradshaw predicts extremely strong growth in online sales of gardening products and plants as the group prepares its own Multichannel solution. Read more - members only

Wyevale CEO says consolidation is no big deal

WGC has a stronger pipeline of potential acquisitions than at any time since Kevin Bradshaw became Wyevale CEO. However he is concerned about the negative attitude within the industry towards consolidation. Read more - members only

Westland promises stronger partnerships with growers

On the eve of Four Oaks Trade Show, Westland promises that Sinclair is committed to forging stronger partnerships with the growers. Read more - members only

AMA identifies trends that will benefit sales of landscape materials

AMA Research suggests that sales of landscaping materials will grow more modestly after a volatile period but says trends like artificial grass will benefit the market. Read more - members only

Good first half for Marshalls

Landscaping products specialists Marshalls saw its first half revenue grow 11 per cent. Read more - members only

T&M owners weighing up sale options

Primary Capital, the private equity owner of Thompson & Morgan, is considering its options for the sale of the Ipswich-based business. Read more - members only

Brian Magrath, ceo

Steve Harper has left Gardman

Sales director Steve Harper has left Gardman but a suggestion that this is linked to an acquisition of Solus brands seems not to be true. Read more - members only

Steve Harper

WGC to automate supply chain

Wyevale has appointed Europe’s fastest growing provider of supply chain solutions to ‘ensure we have the right product, at the right place, at the right time’. Read more - members only

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