Increased costs and restrictions on the UK horticulture industry to export to the EU have seen a marked drop in the value of trade in the first six months of the year, demonstrating a missed opportunity for the sector to grow its contribution to UK ‘green trade’.  Read more - open to all

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics medalists are awarded with a victory bouquet and Interflora reveal the deeper meaning behind the chosen flowers. Read more - open to all

We ask garden centres if they will be more cautious about ordering for the autumn and next spring now that all shops are trading.  It seems not... Read more - members only

The Exclusively exhibition (24^th to 25^th August) will unveil the next three / five year trends.  One of the biggest is Reset, which is all about ‘preserve, conserve, protect’. Read more - open to all

Headlines around the country include a sale and lease back by Dobbies, controversy about breast feeding in a garden centre and thefts of catalytic converters at Bents. Read more - members only

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

The HTA market update covering July shows garden centre sales remain significantly ahead of pre-pandemic levels and that consumers remain cautious. Read more - members only

An increasing number of garden centres are seeking warehouse space to take stock control into their own hands following recent supply chain availability issues, says Malcolm Scott. Read more - members only

With Government ending mandatory distancing measures and mask wearing in stores on 19^th July, Freedom Day, we do a straw poll of garden centres on masks and restaurants.  Read more - members only

The latest GCA Barometer of Sales shows garden centre revenues were up +9% over May 2019 and +17% up if restaurant catering is excluded. Read more - members only

The HTA’s Market Update shows garden centre sales were up 30% in May but decreased in the second half of the month as Covid restrictions eased. Read more - members only

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