Following the occasional colder snap so far this winter, The Met Office has detected signs that cold winter weather resulting from a sudden stratospheric warming is on the way for the UK.

Here’s your chance to catch up with some of the events in the retail garden sector that you may have missed. It was a turbulent year with the collapse of Gardman; around 60 garden centres changing hands or closing, Wyevale, Bunnings, Snow and drought. This is open to all. Read more - open to all

The RHS and David Austin Roses join new research to fight the emerging threat of the Rose rosette virus, which has been responsible for the destruction of entire collections in the USA and Canada.  Read more - members only

It will come as no surprise to hear that gardeners and wildlife lovers go hand in hand. The latest HTA Market Information special feature on wildlife looks at the crossover in demographics and interests between keen gardeners and those who love wildlife. Read more - open to all

The old ways of doing things won’t open new doors.  Cultivating Retail heard how Millennials’ different lifestyle and technology are disrupting shopping. Read more - members only

According to the latest HTA trend report (Peak Plastic? Changing consumer perspectives of plastic and recycling) 95% of consumers agree that it’s important for businesses to design products that have less plastic in.  Read more - open to all

Each year, Agricultural businesses let tonnes of glass go to waste instead of recycling – but an innovative new service is set to change the landscape of recycling in the area. Read more - open to all

Rolawn, a leading UK turf grower, has warned that prices are set to rise in the coming months, because of the extreme weather and rising costs. Read more - members only

The Met Office says, the warm and dry weather is here to stay until at least the end of June and… we could be looking at similar conditions continuing into the start of July. Read more - members only

National press highlights re-appearance of the oak processionary moth and the Spanish slug. Gardenforum looks into their threat and their spread. Read more - members only

A Met Office study into long term weather changes predicts wetter winters.  In contrast summers could be 50% drier in the North and Scotland with more extreme weather events by 2100. Read more - members only

The National Trust will phase out selling single use plastics by 2022 and is investigating the alternatives for single use plastics in its plant nurseries and plant sales areas. Read more - members only

The Met Office has warned it will get colder at the weekend and there is the potential for some significant snowfall in places, particularly in the South East of England, by Sunday. Read more - members only

2017 started with a flourish but lost momentum and settled to be an OK year. Suppliers worried about Brexit, the living wage, higher costs and Wyevale. Retailers and growers worried about Xylella. Takeover activity reached new peaks among suppliers, but no major garden centres changed hands. The industry said goodbye to some old friends. Read our review – (open to non-subscribers). Read more - open to all

With growing signs that Government is sympathetic to supporting ornamental horticulture, the HTA’s Raoul Curtis-Machin told a Parliamentary committee that growers could reduce plant imports and improve bio-security if given the right backing. Read more - members only

The AIPH has welcomed the UN’s proclamation that 2020 will be the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), made by the UN General Assembly on 20^th December 2018 in Rome. Read more - members only

Defra has announced that the outdoor use of metaldehyde, the active ingredient in many slug pellets, will be phased out over 18 months, with its sale for outdoor use banned from next July. Read more - members only

The UK’s most comprehensive picture yet of how the climate could change over the next century has been launched today by Environment Secretary Michael Gove. Read more - members only

A survey by BBC Gardeners’ World magazine has revealed the overwhelming majority of gardeners think the amount of plastic used in gardening is a problem and believe it is the responsibility of manufacturers and retailers to address the issue. Read more - members only

Grown in Britain is launching a campaign to encourage UK consumers to buy more assured British grown Christmas trees, saying many retailers and consumers may be assuming they are buying fresh British grown trees, when they are not. Read more - open to all

The HTA has urged the UK to remain vigilant after Xylella fastidiosa has been found in Belgium for the first time, on olive trees imported from Spain. Read more - members only

In a move away from single use plastics, Hillier claims to be the first nursery in the UK to grow a commercially potted crop in a recyclable pot. Unlike black pots, Taupe can be detected by infra-red recycling equipment. Read more - members only

Bayer shares fell after a US court orders Monsanto to pay $289m and a Brazilian judge suspends glyphosate, in spite of a scientific consensus that the herbicide is not carcinogenic. Read more - members only

“Once we leave the EU we will have the chance to … take swifter, more targeted action against serious threats like Xylella,” says Gove launching a strategy to protect England’s trees. Read more - members only

The HTA has created a 30-day action plan to raise awareness of the threat of Xylella fastidiosa and the potential devastation it poses to the horticultural industry. Read more - members only

The Plant Health Coordinator at one of the UK’s leading nurseries has contributed to a study published this month (April, 2018) in a leading scientific journal. Read more - open to all

Having warned of a risk of snow for Easter, the Metoffice now says for the majority of the country and for the majority of the time, this is not so. Read more - members only

The Met Office warns there is an increased risk, later this month, of prolonged cold conditions over the UK with an easterly wind and significant snow, having detected Sudden Stratospheric Warming above the North Pole. Read more - members only

The EU has finally lifted the threat to glyphosate by licencing it for a further 5 years. The herbicide is the active ingredient in Roundup and many other systemic weedkillers used in the garden. Read more - members only

MEPs say the EU should draw up plans to phase out glyphosate by 2020, starting with a complete ban on household use. Read more - members only