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

Cranswick Pet Products and Tropical Marine Centre have been sold by Cranswick plc to a management buyout. The new company will be called Cranswick Pet and Aquatics Ltd. See more... Read more - members only

The GCA Barometer of Trade shows that March trading was even better than first thought for independent garden centres. Sales of outdoor plants, garden sundries and seeds and bulbs showed massive increases. See more... Read more - members only

BRC-KPMG figures for the first 3 months of 2009 show retail sales grew 1.2%. Provisional figures from the HTA show garden centre sales grew 7% over the same period. The difference is most dramatic in March. See more... Read more - members only

Grovewell Garden Centres opened their second Garden Centre at Herne Common near Canterbury just in time for Easter. See more... Read more - members only

Lancashire based Whiterigg Alpines Limited are the latest casualty in this recession. They have appointed KPMG Restructuring as administrators. See more... Read more - members only

The garden industry is buzzing, not just because March sales were 20% to 35% up on last year, but because of what customers have been buying. Already there are shortages. See more... Read more - members only

Cautious optimism about the state of the liner market; news that Wyevale plans plant production at 13 locations; results from the second British Plant Fair and an update from Hillier Nurseries all feature in the latest round-up of UK growers from Peter Dawson. See more... Read more - members only

Revealing more details of Wyevale’s refinancing, Nicholas Marshall says the position for suppliers has improved dramatically and that some credit insurers are providing cover for them again already. See more... Read more - members only

Despite recession, snow and frozen ground, members of the Garden Centre Association will be pleased that sales were only 11% behind last year, which had been 21% up on 2007. Smaller centres were, however, more heavily affected. See more... Read more - members only

Homebase says sales in garden maintenance and horticulture saw particularly difficult trading conditions in January and February. Home Retail is to reduce store staff by 1000, mainly at Homebase. See more... Read more - members only

William Sinclair has expressed disappointment at the level of compensation proposed by Natural England for Bolton Fell, which is due to become a Special Area of Conservation. 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

The latest updates in Company Results include the long delayed 2007 results for West Coast Capital and Wyevale. There are also trading figures for David Austin, Premier, Swan Hattersley, Vatre Terrracotta, Frosts Garden Centre and many more. For a summary, see more... (This article is open to all readers)... Read more - open to all

Hillier Garden Centres have taken control of Hurrans’ leased garden centre at Banbury. The fate of the remaining 3 centres should be confirmed very soon. See more... Read more - members only

The Owner of Rutland garden centre blames police for the unnecessary £25,000 loss of revenue when caught in the security cordon surrounding Ashwell jail. See more... Read more - members only

The mixed weather across the country this Easter weekend appears not to have deterred gardeners as many garden centres report strong trading – particularly with regard to grow your own, plants and core gardening products. See more - This story is open to all... Read more - open to all

Treborth Garden Centre that closed last month after going into administration has reopened under new ownership. See more… Read more - members only

EU legislation passed 18 months ago and adopted by the UK government means that it will be illegal to sell mercury filled thermometers after April 3rd 2009. See more... Read more - members only

It is 18 months since Tesco bought 65% of Dobbies and 8 months since it became the outright owner. Gardenforum asks Chief Executive James Barnes what influence the supermarket has had and about his expansion plans. See more... Read more - members only

Whitehall Garden Centre has won planning permission, after many postponements, to double the size of its garden centre at Lacock in Wiltshire. See more... Read more - members only

Former Blooms of Bressingham chief executive, Jon Kitching, is to launch the Beckworth Emporium with his new partner, David Brown. It will be neither a garden centre nor a farm shop, but the best of both. See more... Read more - members only

Despite seeing a shift to ‘Don't Move, Improve’, Marshalls is closing seven landscape design centres. It will decide on continuing sponsorship of Chelsea, after this year’s flower show. See more… Read more - members only

Webbs Garden Centres has taken control of West Hagley, one of the Hurrans Garden Centres that are in administration. See more... Read more - members only