Read what was said last weekend in the Press. Heinz targets garden centres with BBQ sauces, Dobbies to offer allotments and shoppers flinch at Smith & Hawken closing down sale. See more... Read more - members only

Aberdeen City Council has granted planning permission for a new Dobbies Garden World at New Park in Lang Stracht, Aberdeen. See more... Read more - members only

A good gardening autumn and an expected increase in the price of Christmas trees should give garden centres a good start to the new gardening year. Sales since last July have increased by over 5% according to the GCA, with smaller garden centres improving the most. See more... Read more - members only

The latest updates in Company Results show sales grew in 2008 at Johnsons of Whixley, Thompson & Morgan and Woodlodge Products, but their profits declined. Park Garden Centre became a £10m+ garden centre for the first time and Klondyke sales grow by 19%. For further results, see more... (This article is open to all readers)... Read more - open to all

Scotts Miracle-Gro is to close Smith & Hawken, the American retail chain bought in 2004, having failed to find a buyer. See more... Read more - members only

After four years Dobbies has won planning permission for a new garden centre at Lisburn, just south of Belfast. See more... Read more - members only

The former Tesco store at Fosse Way, Shepton Mallet officially opened as the latest Dobbies Garden Centre last Sunday. It is the UK's first centre to be converted from a supermarket. See more... Read more - members only

Despite requests from the Stratford Garden Centre, an independent, family run business, the Wyevale group has refused to reconsider the new name for its Stratford outlet. See more... Read more - members only

Greenacres Nurseries in Stapleton, Leics, has been sold for an undisclosed sum. The deal was arranged by Alexander Mackie Associates. See more... Read more - members only

A strong end to May means garden centres have held on to most of the gains they made in the first 4 months of the year. Smaller centres actually increased sales in the month. See more... Read more - members only

Suppliers have expressed concern over new trading terms, issued last week by Wyevale. One supplier told Gardenforum, "I don't think our bank would allow us to trade under these terms, we would have to walk away." See more... Read more - members only

Garden centres have complimented suppliers on how well they managed an exciting and frustrating spring. Garden centres report that 2009 sales are 6% – 17% ahead of last year but are cautious about Christmas. See more... Read more - members only

Andrew Sells, merchant banker and chairman of Linden Homes for 16 years has been named as the new independent chairman of Wyevale. See more... Read more - members only

Details have emerged in Bradford of the labrador dog that died having eaten Homebase own brand slug pellets, despite them containing animal repellent. See more… Read more - members only

A big jump in sales of outdoor products and cost savings have doubled B&Q profits for the three months to the end of April. See more... Read more - members only

Diners substituted their 4-wheel drives for bicycles, the bus and boat to win a four-year planning battle for Petersham Nurseries, more famous for its restaurant than its plants. See more...
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MD of Agralan Alan Frost, has issued a statement to avoid confusion between his product, Citrox, and the product called Citroxx, named in a recent BBC exposé, 'What's really in our food'. See more... Read more - members only

Double success for Howard Nurseries and GPS-controlled planting in Holland are covered in this month's nursery column. See more... Read more - members only

Hammond Phillips have just received instructions to secure an occupier for Andover Garden Park, a 40,000sq ft garden centre development to the west of Andover. Read more - members only

30% have bought garden furniture in the last two years, but only 8% in the last year. With ageing furniture in gardens and the willingness of the marginal gardener to respond to promotions, HTA research highlights the opportunities this summer. See more... Read more - members only

Gardman has reported a buoyant start to 2009 despite the current economic climate. In the last 12 months sales have increased by around 20%. See more... Read more - members only

Among the topics covered by Peter Dawson in his monthly nursery column are the HTA's opposition to the new AWB settlement for England and Wales. See more.... Read more - members only

From being a one-year wonder, GYO is set to expand according to speakers at last weeks GIMA business meeting who presented thought-provoking ideas to develop the concept. See more... Read more - members only

Judges said that the Glatz Alu Twist Parasol beat a very strong field to win the coveted GIMA Sword of Excellence at last night’s Industry award. By one point, Gardman retained the Supplier of the Year Award for an astonishing 8th successive year. For all the winners, see more... Read more - members only

GCA member, Keydell Nurseries could become a housing estate according to the Portsmouth News. See more... Read more - members only

Revised plans for Wyevale’s Sanders Garden World have been approved by the district council in Somerset despite local objections. Work on the 35,000 ft.² extension is expected to start later this year. See more... Read more - members only

The 2008 accounts now lodged at Companies House show what has really happened to Wyevale and the scale of its losses. They also show that Britain’s largest garden centre group is now the largest shareholder of rival, Country Homes and Gardens. See more... Read more - members only

Sales in the final week of May, which were 20% up on the previous week, meant that the month's volumes ended 8.5% down on 2009, but still well up for the year. See more... Read more - members only

The June issue of Gardening Which? Magazine starts a regular feature that will review new gardening products, providing an opportunity for garden suppliers. See more... Read more - members only

Bents Garden Centre will be the first of up to 100 garden centres to sell Smart Solar’s panels that generate solar electricity, saving householders a possible 20% off electricity bills. See more... Read more - members only