Confusion over Canterbury garden centres

Canterbury Garden Centre has become the second independent to challenge The Garden Centre Group (TGCG, formally Wyevale) over its decision to rename its outlets with local names. There was confusion when one of the group's staff appeared at the wrong garden centre for training. See more... Read more - members only

B&Q recovery boosts Kingfisher

Half year profits are up 66% at B&Q and working capital has improved by £163 million thanks in part to lower stocks and taking longer to pay suppliers. See more... Read more - members only

M&M Timber to distribute Hillhout in the UK

M&M Timber Limited has assumed the UK distribution for the Dutch-owned Outdoor Life Group. It will now offer the garden and leisure industry a complete one-stop shop for all their timber, garden and leisure requirements. See more... Read more - members only

Woodcote Green celebrates 50 years

Woodcote Green and its owner, Lawrence Newton, celebrated 50 years of growing and retailing by holding a week of open days. Councillors, schools and allotments societies were invited for a look behind-the-scenes. See more... Read more - members only

Grange adds Metpost to portfolio

Grange Fencing has completed the acquisition of Metpost. It believes this will complement its existing range of products, which include Post Anchor. See more... Read more - members only

Bayer Garden to replace salesforce with agents

Bayer Garden is to replace its network of territory managers with agents by June 2010. It believes this will improve its service to garden retailers. See more… Read more - members only

Creditors accept CVA terms from Focus DIY

Focus DIY has reached an agreement with leading creditors that should remove the threat of insolvency. See more... Read more - members only

Allotments go-ahead for Dobbies

Dobbies' plans to add 20 allotments to its garden centre in Southport looks set for approval by the planners tonight. See more… Read more - members only

Hozelock forms network of excellence

Hozelock Cyprio are to invite the UK’s top aquatics retailers to form a nationwide network of Centres of Excellence. See more... Read more - members only

Evergreen brings life back to Hurrans, Churchdown

Hurrans’ flagship garden centre at Churchdown, Gloucester is to reopen eight months after the group was put into administration. See more... Read more - members only

Ex-garden centre owner becomes a supplier

Former GCA chairman Steve Myatt, who sold his garden centre in April, has started a new business as an importer of barbecues. See more... Read more - members only

Focus offers CVA to landlords

Focus DIY, which has been trying to renew its £50 million bank loan, has offered its landlords a deal under the terms of a CVA. If they don't accept it, the company is likely to fall into administration. See more... Read more - members only

Rowlinson restructures

Rowlinson Garden Products has notified customers that it will be restructuring, moving its manufacturing to Eastern Europe and the Far East and focusing sales in the UK on home delivery. See more... Read more - members only

Founders regain control of Briers

Nigel and Jackie Eades have regained control of Briers, the brand they formed in 2000 and sold to the Monro Group in 2007. See more... Read more - members only

Does anyone remember Wyevale?

Forget the name Wyevale. We will now have to get used to a new name, The Garden Centre Group. From July the country’s biggest garden centre chain will escape its history with a change of name. See more... Read more - members only

Redwood Stone ends dispute with Garden Dreams

The dispute between Redwood Stone and Garden Dreams, which came to a head last year at Glee, has been resolved, with Redwood Stone owning the business and intellectual property rights of Garden Dreams. See more... Read more - members only

E.P.Barrus becomes sole distributor for Wolf Garden

E.P.Barrus Ltd the importer of domestic and professional garden machinery, has been appointed the exclusive distributor of Wolf Garden products in the UK and Republic of Ireland, replacing Solus. See more... Read more - members only

Avoncrop up for sale

Bristol-based Avoncrop has been placed on the market. The company is in administration following a failed diversification into a related venture. See more… Read more - members only

Wyevale CEOs past and present address GIMA

The next GIMA meeting, which is open to all, will bring together the current CEO of Wyevale (The Garden Centre Group) with one of his predecessors, now the CEO of Klondyke. See more... Read more - members only

Blue Diamond opens Le Friquet

This Friday, Blue Diamond will open one of the most innovative garden centre designs yet seen. It is the shape of an octagonal doughnut, with the plant area filling the middle. See more... Read more - members only

£500,000 no problem for Middle Eastern brides wanting perfect wedding flowers

The Flowers & Plants Association recently took an enquiry from the media that amazed them somewhat. Staff are used to handling unusual calls from journalists and editors, but this one was rather surprising. See more... Read more - members only

Second wholesale cash-and-carry for Wyevale Nurseries

Wyevale Nurseries are to open a second wholesale cash-and-carry centre at Earlswood Nurseries in the West Midlands. See more... Read more - members only

We are riding the crest of a wave, say Fothergill’s

Mr Fothergill's say they are riding the crest of a wave. At a press day on the nursery grounds last week, they revealed how they will continue to engage gardeners in 2010. See more... Read more - members only

UPDATED - Robbers hold garden centre manager at knifepoint

Armed robbers ambushed the manager of Barton Grange Garden Centre and his assistant forcing them to open the safe. See more... Read more - members only

Langlands Arrives in Leeds

The famous Langlands Garden Centre in Shiptonthorpe near York is reaping the benefits of the current ‘Grow Your Own’ phenomenon and is expanding its empire by acquiring the old Hayes Garden Centre site in Leeds. See more... Read more - members only

Vilmorin has removed the ‘For Sale’ signs from Suttons

Suttons Consumer Products has been fully reintegrated into Vilmorin, who have announced that the UK seed and bulb producer is no longer for sale. See more... Read more - members only

Sales up 6% at Wyevale

Nicholas Marshall looks at what has been achieved at The Garden Centre Group (Wyevale) in the first 6 months of 2009 as he releases news that sales have increased 6%. See more... Read more - members only

It has been a good nine months for Scotts Miracle-Gro

Strong consumer demand has increased sales at Scotts MiracleGro by 9% during the last nine months. Profits have increased by 21%. See more...

Read more - members only

Dobbies changes tack at York

Dobbies has withdrawn its planning appeal at York and has submitted an application to develop a Garden World at Livingston, the new town between Edinburgh and Glasgow. See more... Read more - members only

Whiteleys GC files for CVA

Woldelve Ltd, the company that trades as Whiteleys Garden Centre has filed a notice of its intention to enter a CVA to seek protection from its creditors. See more... Read more - members only

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