Arboretum, Ireland’s leading garden centre, has two reasons to celebrate.  It has been named National Store of the Year and has signed up to buy the National Garden Exhibition Centre. Read more - members only

The owner of Pyle Garden Centre is reported to have been let off a 6 month driving ban to keep his business afloat. Read more - members only

Having installed a biomass boiler in the autumn, Cobbins Nursery will shortly start construction of a new glass house ready for the poinsettia crop later in the year. Read more - members only

Sunshine Garden Centre and Van Hage are the best GCA outdoor living retailers.  Cowell’s and Bents are the best for plants. Read more - members only

A trading update from Notcutts reveals a strong Christmas performance, a new chairman and a new deputy.  The garden centre group is also looking for a new CEO. Read more - members only

Li-Lo Leisure has bought Westwoods Global.  The companies will continue as independent entities, but the sales agents will sell both brands. Read more - members only

Plans to develop a joint Tesco/Dobbies store at East Kilbride have been abandoned.  There are now no Dobbies stores being developed and there is no indication that the shop within shop concept will be repeated. Read more - members only

News has emerged that the Group CEO of Stewart Plastics left in October.  This was followed by two more departures in December, including sales director Nigel Thompson, who becomes a consultant to the company.  There is a new role for Gavin Wray. Read more - members only

William Sinclair is to sell the site where Gem was manufactured till 2008. Read more - members only

The Government is proposing legislation that would force Britain’s biggest companies to reveal their payment terms and performance, quarterly.  GIMA welcomes greater transparency saying the garden industry is particularly bad when it comes to paying bills. Read more - members only

Wyevale Garden Centres has completed its 2014 acquisition campaign with the purchase of the four Golden Acres garden centres in the south of England. Read more - members only

Steve Harper is set to leave Bord na Mona and join Gardman at the beginning of February.  Terry Murphy will also be moving to the company. Read more - members only

In face of local opposition Van Hage has withdrawn a planning application to add a Waitrose store at Great Amwell.  A modified plan will be submitted after Christmas. Read more - members only

Wyevale Garden Centres today announced it has acquired Podington Garden Centre, which the Read family founded in 1976 and built into a leading independent garden centre. Read more - members only

Next is to open its latest Home & Garden superstore at Meadowhall, Sheffield tomorrow, although the garden part will be delayed till January. Read more - members only

The country’s gardening press converge on the Barbican on Thursday to get fresh ideas to write about this spring.  What will catch their interest at the Garden Press Event? Read more - members only

Blue Diamond has acquired Newbridge Nurseries, near Horsham bringing the number of garden centres in the group to 17.  With this latest addition Blue Diamond sales are forecast to top £85m this year. Read more - members only

The GCA conference ended with the presentation of top awards to Cedar Associates, Cowell’s and Barton Grange.  10 garden centres won the coveted garden centre of excellence plaque. Read more - members only

Martin Breddy, who headed Scotts Miracle-Gro in the UK, has been axed as Jim Hagedorn continues to streamline his senior management team. Read more - members only

Tough trading conditions and teething troubles led to static sales and a trading loss for William Sinclair.  It now claims the industry’s most advanced production capabilities, but can it win back customers? Read more - members only

Fiskars, who recently celebrated its 365 year legacy, has chosen Birmingham as the new UK office location. Read more - open to all

Local newspapers have interpreted a statement from the local council as a planning reprieve for Hare Hatch Sheeplands.  But this is not the case says the owner. Read more - members only

Barbecue supplier, Swiss Grill Limited (07465749) was put into liquidation on 30th of December. Read more - members only

Vitax has bought the shares of Organico Ltd, the manufacturer of 6x and Groworganic.  The deal was announced today.  See more… Read more - members only

2014 has been dominated by the repositioning of the major gardening goods distributors following the demise of Solus.  The weather for once provided a good news story and towards the end of the year there was a flurry of activity from Wyevale as it picked up eight long established independent garden centres.  See the full review – which is open to all… Read more - open to all

The COO of Scotts Miracle-Gro is to leave as Hagedorn continues to streamline the business.  This follows the departure of the CFO earlier in the year. Read more - members only

There’s further evidence that online garden retailers and garden centres are converging. Garden4Less is offering a platform where retailers can sell product online, with no set up fee. Read more - members only

A staff member at Wyevale’s Hastings Garden Centre caused a furore when he posted a job advert on Facebook that was branded ‘derogatory’ and ‘insulting’.  Read more - members only

Fitzgerald Nurseries, the only plant production company to enter the prestigious Irish Laboratory Awards, are hoping that their state of the art micro propagation unit will be awarded the accolade of Laboratory of the Year. Read more - members only

David Robinson and Rufus Roberts have completed a management buy out of Suttons Seeds with the backing of its former owners.  Read more - members only