William Sinclair’s new chief executive, Peter Rush, says the exceptionally cold weather over the last month has resulted in a delay to the start of the important spring selling season. See more… Read more - members only

La Hacienda is to introduce a direct dispatch service so that garden centres can sell the company’s full range without increasing stock levels. See more… Read more - members only

Westland has negotiated a garden industry first in TV advertising by delaying the start of its lawn campaign due to the prolonged wintry weather. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies Garden Centres has been fined £75,000 having admitted polluting a river with poorly treated sewage from its new garden centre in Carlisle. See more… Read more - members only

Millbrook, the family-run, independent company that owns two garden centres in Crowborough, Sussex and Gravesend in Kent, has acquired Highgrove Garden Centre. See more… Read more - members only

Whiteleys Garden Centre has been sold having been placed in the hands of administrators in December. See more... Read more - members only

Bell Brothers Nurseries has expanded the range of products it sells with the purchase of the bulb supplier Alex Euro Trading. It is also changing its name. See more… Read more - members only

Waitrose has opened a test garden centre in Newbury and hired the services of Alan Titchmarsh. Gardenforum believes more garden centres will pop-up this season. See more… Read more - members only

The trend towards ambient food is especially attractive to the younger consumer. People want to know where food comes from, that it is good for them and the environment. You can make money out of restaurants but... For some notable quotes from Catering 2013, see more... Read more - members only

Bayer Garden says it regrets the European Commission’s draconian proposals re neonicotinoid products. A number of retailers have withdrawn products that contain forms of the chemical that are suspected of being harmful to bees. See more… Read more - members only

An external investor has joined Marco Abbiati and Richard Bence to buy Tenax UK out from its Italian parent in what is known as a Bimbo. See more... Read more - members only

Quinton Edwards reports that the Welsh chrysanthemum grower, Springfield Nursery has been sold. See more... Read more - members only

GfK reports that wild bird care products have achieved a 1.5% value growth vs. the previous year. However it has not recovered to 2010 levels. See more...
Read more - members only

Proctor Brothers have sold their Pest-Stop division to P+L Systems. This is likely to lead to the brand taking a more prominent position in the garden market. See more... Read more - members only

A new trial ground will provide Suttons Seeds with more space for new variety and growing technique trialling as well as opportunities for putting on events for the public and the press. See more... Read more - members only

Gardman has announced that UK managing director, Tim Stainton, has left the business. The news follows the recent departure of group chief executive, Mark Pearson. See more… Read more - members only

Latest field research from Defra on use of neonicotinoids says risk to bees is low. Despite this, Friends of the Earth today continues to urge gardeners to avoid chemicals linked to bee decline. See more... Read more - members only

Stagecraft Display Ltd is continuing in business following a fire that gutted their factory. See more... Read more - members only

Waitrose has unveiled plans to significantly increase its 6% share of the garden market. Waitrose Flower Garden will feature in every store, backed by Waitrosegarden.com, facilitated by Crocus. See more… Read more - members only

Steve Harper assures customers that Bord na Móna will meet customer requirements for peat, both for quality and quantity, despite the harvest being less than half the target. See more... Read more - members only

Highfield Garden World has started its expansion that will cost £2.2m and should build turnover to £6.5m. See more... Read more - members only

OATA says the EU regulation due this autumn that will ban the sale of barley straw for controlling algae in ponds is ‘frankly bonkers’. It is urging garden centres to write to their MP. See more... Read more - members only

Alan Roper promises something not seen before when Blue Diamond opens the new eating facilities at Redfields garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

The sale of Highway Garden & Leisure should be completed next week. It is to be bought by Roys of Wroxham. See more Read more - members only

Barton Grange has announced that it will sell its garden centre at Bolton to facilitate further development at its main site at Brock. see more... Read more - members only

La Hacienda Ltd, the outdoor heating specialists, has taken on the exclusive rights to sell Heatmaster products in the UK and Ireland. See more... Read more - members only

What will the consumer gardening press be talking about after visiting the Garden Press Day last week? Here are some of the highlights. See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Centre Group has named the GCA chairman Peter Burks as regional manager of the year and Woodlands as its best large garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

A new garden product website shows how distribution channels are changing. Like many gardening websites, Britishgardener.co.uk relies on manufacturers to drop ship products, but this one also sells a unique range of products that could be made available to garden centres. See more... Read more - members only

Kingfisher has put its loss-making Irish division of B&Q into Examinership in an attempt to save some of the stores. See more... Read more - members only