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

Evidence of the localisation of Wyevale comes with news in the local press that the Henley garden centre has changed its name to Shiplake Nursery and Garden Centre. See more... Read more - members only

Nicholas Marshall has consolidated his control of Wyevale with four new directors at West Coast Capital (Hortis). The search for a new chairman with a real affinity for the garden industry is well advanced. See more... Read more - members only

The addition of Sandyholm and Southport garden centres helped Dobbies increase sales to £97 million in the 12 months to February, despite like-for-like sales being flat. April and May sales have been "very, very good". See more... Read more - members only

The Garden Store Ltd has acquired the lease of the Pavilion Garden Centre, near Wolverhampton, which closed at Christmas. The store reopened on Saturday. See more... Read more - members only

Only hours after the month end, the GTN Weekly Newsletter reports that garden centre sales volumes were 31% up on 2008 for the 4 weeks ending on April 26. This beats the 23% increase enjoyed during March. See more... Read more - members only

For UK growers, April plant sales are back to the heady days of 2007. But it has not been so buoyant for continental stock importers. See more... Read more - members only

A massive fire broke out at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre yesterday afternoon, closing part of the A20 Sidcup bypass, Kent. See more... Read more - members only

Garden Park Investment's retail development at Peterborough is intent on being Britain's premier garden centre when it opens next spring with Van Hage as the anchor tenant. Already 80% of the space has been let. 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

William Sinclair, whose brands include J Arthur Bower's, Silvaperl and New Horizon, dispatched record volumes in March helping half year sales reach £22.3 million. See more… Read more - members only

Masked raiders armed with handguns and a crowbar attacked a security guard and tied him up outside a Wyevale garden centre on bank holiday Monday. See more... Read more - members only

Marshalls Plc, the driveway and paving company that is the main sponsor of Chelsea, is raising £34 million from shareholders in the form of a rights issue. See more… Read more - members only

Ball & Florensis are combining operations throughout Europe. In the UK, Florensis becomes a joint venture between Ball and Florensis. See more... Read more - members only

Former GCA chairman, Steve Myatt, has today announced the sale of his Southport garden centre to Richard Allison, whose parents owned Lady Green Garden Centre. See more... Read more - members only

Initial nursery trials on the use of fungus Metarhizium anisopliae for vine weevil control in container grown hardy nursery stock have proved very successful, Bill Godfrey told a meeting of Woking growers last week. Read more - members only

Diarmuid Gavin will cut the ribbon at a new Trago Mills garden centre that opens this Saturday at Newton Abbot. See more... Read more - members only

Forest Lodge Garden Centre has re-submitted a planning application that will double the size of the garden centre and integrate it with the adjacent Bird World. See more... Read more - members only

Ram raiders smashed into Moss End Garden Centre yesterday morning, making off with £4500 worth of garden machinery. See more... Read more - members only