Harwood takes control of Mr Fothergill’s

At yesterday’s open day it was revealed that Harwood now controls Mr Fothergill’s Seeds.  There was also news of a new compost for seed and device for listening to the health of your soil. Read more - members only

Georgia Carrano with prototype compressed compost

New Blue Diamond garden centre planned for the North East

Northumberland Estates has revealed plans to build a new high quality garden centre on land at Cawledge to the East of the A1 in Alnwick.  Read more - members only

Front elevation of proposed Alnwick Garden Centre

JDA have teamed up with Jonart

JDA have teamed up with Jonart to help run their national sales. Read more - open to all

Dobbies replaces Graeme Jenkins as CEO

Dobbies Garden Centres has announced the appointment of David Robinson as Chief Executive Officer, who starts today.  He replaces Graeme Jenkins.  Gardenforum comments on the implications for the future of the group. Read more - members only

David Robinson, the new Dobbies CEO

Longacres hits six

Longacres Garden Centres have just acquired their sixth centre – Bourne Valley Garden Centre in Addlestone, Surrey. Read more - members only

Nigel Long and Paul Elding

Sale of NGGV Paper Vouchers to end

The sale of paper National Garden Gift Vouchers, which have been a staple of the garden centre industry since the early 1960’s will be ending at the end of the year. Read more - members only

Johnsons Lawn Seed improves site facilities with £3.5m investment

Johnsons Lawn Seed has invested £3.5m in new equipment to significantly improve its overall product offering efficiency. Read more - members only

Results show profits normalising post Covid

Post Covid-19, results are still pretty healthy for most but not all garden companies, as the likes of Westland, Squire’s, Klondyke, Scotsdale and Allensmore show. Read more - members only

Barton Grange, Cowells and Tong join Prosper

UPDATE: Barton Grange, Cowells and Tong Garden Centres have signed up to the Prosper Buying Group.  So has St Peter’s Garden Centre saying time is right for a change. Read more - members only

“The latest spring I have ever known”

Garden centres talk of the latest spring ever, record May plant sales, cost inflation, online price cutting on garden furniture, staff shortages. Read more - members only

Latest spring ever in the cold and wet

B&Q launches MamaTerra by Verve

B&Q is looking to revolutionise the UK garden landscape with a range of feeds and plant protection sourced from nature, that are free from synthetic chemicals. Read more - members only

Gates joins the Tillington Group

Gates Garden Centre near Oakham in Leicestershire, has joined The Tillington Group,  a buying and marketing group for top independent garden centres. Read more - members only

Recruitment of 120 jobs begins at Dobbies’ flagship NI store

Dobbies has begun its recruitment of 120 full and part-time team members for its new store at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park, Antrim, ahead of store opening October 2023. Read more - open to all

Inverness Garden Centre Goes Green

Inverness based garden centre, Simpsons transformed its roof space this spring, taking a big step forward in its sustainability journey to reduce energy costs. Read more - open to all

ParcelHero says Wilko must not go the way of Woolies

Retail roulette: ParcelHero says Wilko must not go the way of Woolies, and fears ‘pureplays’ are in peril.  It believes Britain’s retailers are facing a post-Covid reckoning. Read more - members only

Blue Diamond secures future plant supplies with Glendale purchase

Blue Diamond yesterday completed the purchase of Glendale Horticulture, the former Meredith Nurseries, from Glendale Leisure as it seeks to secure its supply chain. Read more - members only

Growers are in a really positive mood

Growers have had a good year says Ball UK at the 2023 Summer Showcase. It has noticed also that retailers and growers are working more together when planning for next year. Read more - members only

Garden centres catch up with 2022

June was catch-up time for garden centres.  After a very slow spring, a hot and relatively dry June kept gardeners busy so that at the half year revenues are ahead of last year. Read more - members only

Wilko reported to be considering a sale

Sky News has reported that the family owners of Wilko are considering selling a controlling stake in the business to ensure a future for the chain. Read more - members only

Cave Gates Nursery has been sold

Quinton Edwards are delighted to announce the sale of Cave Gates Nursery in Ellerker, East Yorkshire. Read more - open to all

Ames to be retained by parent, Griffon

The Griffon board removes the threat of a sale and is 100% committed to the future of Ames and its subsidiaries: Kelkay, La Hacienda, Apta and Woodshaw. Read more - members only

Paul North (L) with commercial director Nick Jones

Hozelock group buys French tool company

EXEL Industries has acquired an 81% majority stake in Devaux, a French family-owned group specializing in the manufacture and sale of gardening tools. Read more - members only

Sarah Raven crowd funds for growth

Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden seeks to borrow £1.25m through crowd funding from the public, to complete purchase of Rookery Farm.  Minimum investment is set at £50. Read more - members only

Sarah Raven

Greenwood Plants wins contract to grow 3m native trees

Greenwood Plants has been awarded £2.7 million of funding by National Highways to grow three million native trees from seed, over five years. Read more - open to all

Malcolm Dare with Melanie Asker

Wilko said to be exploring CVA to cut rents

Wilko is reported to have hired property agent CBRE to negotiate with landlords over cutting store rents. Read more - members only

Most successful year yet for Cotton Traders

With concessions on 51 garden centres 2022 was Cotton Traders' most successful financial year to date, with a 10.6% increase in turnover to £111m. Read more - members only

Receiver appointed for Mr Fothergill’s parent company

The appointment of a receiver for the ultimate holding company for Mr Fothergill’s Seeds does not impact Mr Fothergill’s in any way says CEO David Carey. Read more - members only

David Cartey

RHS Launches New ‘RHS Grow App'

The launch of the RHS Grow App will bring 200 years of gardening experience and horticultural expertise, from RHS botanists, scientists, fruit and veg experts to gardeners’ fingertips. Read more - members only

Barrus and RocketGro have joined forces

Barrus and RocketGro, have joined forces to sell & distribute RocketGro’s growing range of peat-free sustainable compost & plant. Read more - members only

Toby Thomas, Andy Abraham of RocketGro with Mark Hewett and Ian Seager - Marketing Manager

Southern Trident receives prestigious award for Garden Care Product of the Year

Southern Trident is thrilled to announce that it has been honoured with the highly esteemed Best Garden Care Product award for its new Coco & Coir Houseplant Compost range at the prestigious DIY Week Awards ceremony. Read more - open to all

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive