British Garden Centres names new Group Buying Director

British Garden Centres welcomes Scott McCabe as their Group Buying Director. Scott, with a wealth of industry experience, joins BGC on December 1st.  Read more - open to all

Scott McCabe

Blue Diamond opens new restaurant at Wilton GC

Blue Diamond has opened a new restaurant, Kipling Parlour, at Wilton garden centre in new state of the art building.   Read more - open to all

Optiplan Kitchens Ltd is in administration

Optiplan Kitchens Ltd a national kitchen retailer with concessions on 4 garden centres has entered administration. Read more - members only

MP visits Sustainable Business of the Year, Greenwood Plants

Andrew Griffith MP visited Greenwood Plants in Walberton on 18th November after it was recently named ‘Sustainable Business of the Year’ at the 2022 Central South Business Awards. Read more - open to all

Andrew Griffith MP visited Greenwood Plants nursey

Exceptional windfalls push SGP sales over £100m

Directors of Smart Garden Products recognise that sales up +65% to over £100m in the year to November 2021 are exceptional and due to covid related windfalls.  Read more - members only

Stewarts takes the pain to protect customers and staff

2021 was a good year for Stewarts which has 3 garden centres on the south coast.  But Martin Stewart has told his local newspaper that they will make a loss in 2022.  Read more - members only

Martin Stewart

3rd Generation MBO at Primeur

Primeur Ltd has completed a Management Buy Out (MBO) which will see the third generation of the family, along with one of its long-serving directors, taking the reins. Read more - members only

Edward, Rebecca and James Keighley, Jenny Douthwaite and Ian Brazier of Primeur Ltd

Hillier has acquired Rosebourne - Corrected

Hillier Garden Centres completed the acquisition of the Rosebourne garden centre group on Tuesday 8th November, bringing the number of sites in the group to 22. Read more - open to all

Rosebourne at Weyhill

Jackie Eades to bring Dymak to the UK

Jackie Eades is to bring her years of experience and expertise from the garden industry into her new role as Head of UK at Dymak ltd. Read more - open to all

Jackie Eades

Dobbies CEO discusses supplier relations at opening of Tewkesbury

Gardenforum talked to Dobbies CEO, Graeme Jenkins, about the Tewkesbury store opening and the group’s relations with suppliers. Read more - members only

Sam Field, Daisy Payne, Jo Wylie and Graeme Jenkins

Monmouth’s Millbrook Garden Centre is sold

Christie & Co have announced the sale of Millbrook Garden Centre near Monmouth, South Wales.  It will continue as a garden centre. Read more - members only

Top ten plants that suffered from extreme heat this summer

Results from the RHS’ Extreme Heat Survey conducted in July after the record-breaking heatwave this summer show that plants across the country suffered damage. Read more - members only

Drought affected rhododendron

Westland celebrates with EIGHT GIMA Awards

Sword of Honour in the 2022 GIMA Awards was won by Boost All Purpose Plant Food by Westland, who also scooped 7 other awards. Meadow View Stone retains the Supplier of the Year title. Read more - members only

Westland celebrate receiving the 2022 Sword of Excellence

Changes to leadership team at Evergreen Garden Care

Changes to leadership team at Evergreen Garden Care.  Karl Kahofer, current CEO will transition to Executive Chairman position; Mark Portman, current UK & Ireland GM, will take on the role of CEO. Read more - open to all

Mark Portman and Karl Kahofer at Glee in 2018

Choice celebrates 20 years and names Westland as top supplier

Choice Marketing celebrated its 20th anniversary with a convention for 300 members and suppliers.  Awards were presented to Westland and other top suppliers. Read more - members only

Michelle de Lavis Trafford and Terry Maywood

David Austin Roses becomes the final Key Partner for the YPHA

The Young People in Horticulture Association has revealed David Austin Roses as their final key partner for 2023-2024, joining Floramedia, Boningale, ICL and the RHS. Read more - members only

Tong unveils plans for Otley

Customers will notice a real difference in the gardening offer at Stephen H Smith’s garden centre at Otley following Tong’s £500,000 investment. Read more - members only

YGC Group MD, Mark Farnsworth

Allensmore reaches final for International Grower of the Year

Allensmore reaches the final 10 from growers around the world in the AIPH International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) Awards 2023. Read more - members only

Perrywood pulls plans for £10m Sudbury redevelopment

Spiralling costs and increased borrowing rates have forced Perrywood to re-think the re-development plans for Sudbury. Read more - members only

Hillier Nurseries purchases a 200-acre farm at Liss

Following the acquisition of Rosebourne Hillier continues to invest. Hillier Nurseries has invested £4m in Hampshire land for tree production. Read more - members only

GARDENA Division announces new partnership with leading UK distributor EPE International

Market leaders in the gardening industry, GARDENA and Flymo are delighted to announce a new partnership with the UK’s leading distributer of consumer brands, EPE International Ltd. Read more - open to all

Blue Diamond buys Van Hage garden centres

Blue Diamond has acquired the Van Hage group of 3 garden centres in what Alan Roper says is a landmark acquisition. Read more - members only

Van Hage , Peterborough

New owners for Adrian Hall Garden Centres

Adrian Hall Garden Centre at Feltham is to re-open under the trading name Growing Plants 4 U.  The lease of East Sheen has been taken by Capital Garden Centres. Read more - members only

Feltham Garden Centre

2021 turnover up +25% or more for most garden centres

The latest company results published on Gardenforum show how garden centres prospered during and after the 3rd Covid lockdown. Read more - members only

Sales increased by +43% at Pennells Holdings

Jo Whiley, to open flagship Dobbies in Tewkesbury 

Broadcaster and Dobbies Ambassador, Jo Whiley, will officially open Dobbies’ newest flagship store in Tewkesbury, on Thursday 3 November at 10am, with all members of the public invited.  Read more - members only

Jo Whiley

Great news for students studying horticulture

Smart Garden Products is giving some fantastic support to the recipients of Colegrave Seabrook Foundation scholarships. Read more - open to all

Smart MD Jonathan Stobart with Chair of Trustees Jeff Colegrave

Dobbies to open its new Tewkesbury store on 3 November

Dobbies new 70,000 sq. ft. garden centre near Junction 9 of the M5 at Ashchurch is to open on Nov. 3 at 10am attended by the chief executive, Graeme Jenkins. Read more - members only

Dobbies Garden Centre Tewkesbury

BGC buys Whiteleys Garden Centre, Mirfield

British Garden Centres confirms they have taken over Whiteleys Garden Centre.  It will become the 62nd under the BGC umbrella and their 4th purchase this year. Read more - members only

Kelkay is now ISO 9001 accredited

The company’s Kelkay brand – one of the industry’s most respected suppliers of decorative aggregates – now benefits from an ISO 9001:2015 accreditation in recognition of the brand’s consistency in meeting customer needs. Read more - open to all

Crocus buys the SmartPlant app

Crocus aims for a younger customer with the acquisition of the SmartPlant app and the Mind, Body & Soil wellbeing boxes. Read more - members only

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