Following a recent IPPS Europe Committee meeting, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Annual Conference, due to have been held this October in Edinburgh, Scotland. Read more - open to all

Figures just published by the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade, show just how good April sales were, with the challenges of frosts, restaurant closures and stock shortages. Read more - members only

‘April hugely up… but it felt like we could have done more’.  ‘Rationing has started to become the norm and we are forward booking stock for the Autumn already.’ Read more - members only

As lockdown restrictions ease and golf clubs reopen, there was no better time to confirm that the annual GIMA Golf Charity Day will be making its return on Wednesday June 9th at the Belton Woods Hotel & Golf Course in Grantham. Read more - open to all

Scotland’s timetable for easing lockdown will permit garden centres to re-open on Monday 5^th April, with cafes, pubs and restaurants following on 26^th April.  English restaurants must wait till 17^th May. Read more - open to all

The First Minister for Wales has announced that while non-essential shops must remain closed until 12 April, garden centres can reopen from 22 March. Read more - open to all

Having been cancelled in 2020 the GIMA Awards, the main industry social event of the year, is to celebrate its 40th anniversary on November 11^th. Read more - open to all

Bitter disappointment follows the First Minister’s statement as Scottish garden centres remain unclear when they can re-open.  Director of Cardwell calls for return to essential status. Read more - members only

The Northern Ireland lockdown is extended until the 1st of April. This is very bad news for horticultural businesses, says the HTA, with Mother’s Day a write off. Read more - members only

Richard Jackson, the QVC gardening guru, who also sells his own Flower Power product range, has created the Couch to Five a Day Challenge to encourage more people to grow their own. Read more - open to all

Just when garden centres expect a buoyant spring from locked down gardeners, suppliers warn of shortages as imports are hampered by a perfect storm. Read more - members only

Growers say garden centres are right to fear plant shortages this spring and explain what buyers should do to get the plants they want. Read more - members only

Members of the Garden Centre Association (GCA) will still be able to get together for their regional meetings in a virtual capacity this year (2021). Read more - open to all

The HTA confirms that garden centres in Scotland can continue operation of click and collect, and seeks a date for a review their closed status.

2020 was a challenging year for everyone, so 2021 is the perfect time to invest in personal development and look at developing skills for the future. Read more - open to all

Suppliers wanting to gain unrivalled market-wide recognition for their latest product innovation, marketing support or approach to sustainability will want to take centre stage at the forthcoming GIMA Awards. Time is running out, as the deadline for entering the 2021 event – Friday May 28th.   Read more - open to all

Perennial asks people working in horticulture about the health and wellbeing challenges they face. Read more - open to all

A ground-breaking study reveals the more ‘doses’ of gardening you get, the better your wellbeing, says the RHS.  Daily gardening has the same impact on wellbeing as regular vigorous exercise such as cycling or running. Read more - open to all

UPDATED - There were already shortages of garden products before Suez became blocked.  Despite it looking as if canal traffic will resume shortly delivery delays are likely to get worse. Read more - members only

Gardening and plant enthusiasts are being invited to sponsor the National Plant Collections, helping to save garden plants today, for people to enjoy in the future. Read more - open to all

Action taken by the Government, without prior EU agreement, gives temporary permission to ship from GB to Northern Ireland plants that have been grown in soil. Read more - members only

The first regional meetings of 2021 for Garden Centre Association (GCA) members were held online and were hailed a great success by attendees recently (February 2021). Read more - open to all

The Financial Times interviews with Alex Newey and Adam Taylor warns that millions of daffodil blooms will go unharvested because of the lack of Eastern European seasonal workers.  Read more - members only

Welsh growers and garden retailers say they need a miracle if they are to weather a second Springtime lockdown says the HTA.   Read more - members only

The risk to Scottish horticulture is growing as garden centres remain closed.  With Mother’s Day approaching, HTA calls for Scottish government to take action soon. Read more - open to all

Why can’t Northern Ireland garden centres get deliveries of many plants and seeds from the rest of the United Kingdom following Brexit? Read more - open to all

Garden centre sales failed to recover the 8 lost spring weeks with catering revenues and plant sales hit worst according to the latest GCA Barometer of Trade. Read more - members only

The HTA is first out with statistics for 2020.  The Market update shows the impact of Covid-19.  Overall sales fell 10% but there was strong growth in Gardening. Read more - members only

There’s little sign of the casual browser as customer numbers dry up in Lockdown #3. Garden centres say January will be quieter than normal but confidence remains for a buoyant spring. Read more - members only

With 2020 seeing a gardening boom and many forced to consider their career options, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is giving 40 green-fingered applicants the chance to train at one of the charity’s five gardens from 2021. Read more - open to all