Internship of a lifetime for young horts

Every year the David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) and the American Floral Endowment (AFE), jointly award an internship of a lifetime - The Markham-Colegrave International Scholarship. Read more - open to all

Markham-Colegrave winner James crawford at Rakers

MBE for Kew’s Tony Kirkham

Tony Kirkham has been awarded an MBE for services to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and to arboriculture in the New Year's Honours. Read more - open to all

Tony Kirkham MBE

Panarama Agencies Ltd announce new appointment

Panarama Agencies - one of the North's leading sales & merchandising operations has further strengthened it's sales team with the appointment of Dan Hind as Area Sales Manager. Read more - open to all

Dan Hind joins Panarama Agencies Ltd as Area Sales Manager

West Dean Gardens welcomes two new garden trainees

Award-winning West Dean Gardens near Chichester, West Sussex is very pleased to welcome two new Garden Trainees – Chantal Rich whose traineeship is funded by Perennial and Laura Mellor, who is the first recipient of the Jim Buckland & Sarah Wain Scholarship. Read more - open to all

Chantal Rich and Laura Mellor with Tom Brown

Green-tech challenges the industry to a Christmas karaoke sing off for the BALI Chalk Fund

The Green-tech team are famed for their annual Christmas production which they publish for the industry’s entertainment. They have unveiled their 2019 offering - a Christmas karaoke sing-off which shows several of their teams pitted against one another. Read more - open to all

Green-tech in their Christmas Jumpers

Paul to talk about economy and political landscape at GCA conference

Writer and broadcaster Paul Mason will be talking about the economy and the political landscape during his guest speech at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) 2020 annual conference in January (January 26 until 29). Read more - open to all

Writer and broadcaster Paul Mason.

Notcutts announces Non-Executive Director and Chair for 2020

Notcutts Group Ltd has today announced the appointment of Bridget McIntyre as Non- Executive Director and Chair Designate with effect from 1st January 2020. Bridget will replace outgoing Chairman, Nicky Dulieu, with effect from 1st March 2020. Read more - open to all

Bridget McIntyre joins Notcutts Group as Non-Executive Director & Chair Designate.

Winner of the Katie Blake Luxury Holiday Prize draw

The winner of the Katie Blake Luxury Holiday Prize draw ran at Solex where by visiting the stand you would automatically be entered into the holiday competition was Phil Stevenson of Carlton Park Garden Centre. Read more - open to all

Zest 4 Leisure announces new senior organisational structure

Zest 4 Leisure has announced changes at Board level as it continues to forge ahead with its programme of continuous improvement. The new organisational structure reflects Zest’s mission to put quality and customer service at the heart of everything it does. Read more - open to all

Paul Booth

GCA conference attendees to hear from Eden Project co-founder

Attendees at this year’s Garden Centre Association (GCA) annual conference in January (January 26 until 29, 2020) will hear from co-founder and Executive Vice Chair of the award-winning Eden Project Sir Tim Smit KBE. Read more - open to all

Sir Tim Smit

Environmentalist to speak at 2020 GCA conference

Environmentalist Trewin Restorick has been announced (November, 2019) as the first speaker booked for the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in Bristol in January (January 26 until 29, 2020). Read more - open to all

Trewin Restorick

The horticultural ‘Oscars’ highlight gardening as a force for good!

Eliminating plastics from our gardens, the social prescribing of gardening and the leafy love affair of millennials and their houseplants, were just some of the varied subjects being championed by gardening’s greatest influencers, at this year’s horticultural ‘Oscars’, the Garden Media Guild Awards. Read more - open to all

 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Carol Klein with Roy Lancaster (photo credit Jayne Lloyd)

HTA Pearson Medal awarded to John Ravenscroft

This year the HTA has awarded the Pearson Memorial Medal to industry pioneer John Ravenscroft in recognition of his outstanding services to horticulture. Read more - open to all

Boyd Douglas Davies and John Ravenscroft

Harry starts Management Trainee Scheme

Harry Downes has this month (November, 2019) started his two-year Management Trainee Scheme at one of the UK’s leading nurseries based in Hereford. Read more - open to all

Harry Downes who has started his two-year Management Trainee Scheme at Wyevale Nurseries.

Keith Weed to be proposed to RHS Members as the next President of the RHS

The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced it will be supporting the nomination of Keith Weed for election as RHS President in 2020. Read more - open to all

Keith Weed

GARDENA UK sales team goes from strength to strength with new senior appointment

Leading global gardening specialist GARDENA, recently appointed a new field sales manager to strengthen its growing sales team. Read more - open to all

Edward Cantle Field Sales Manager (left) and Key Account Manager Gary Fisher (right).

Review of 2019

Here is a summary of the news stories published on Gardenforum during 2019:  Wyevale disintegration and the expansion of other groups, the environment, supplier consolidation and people in the news.  This review is open to all. Read more - open to all

Mark Pitman joins Wildlife World

Wildlife World, Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of wildlife products have appointed Mark Pitman to their Management team, who joins the business in January 2020 to lead their Marketing function, alongside a progressive development plan for future growth. Read more - open to all

Mark Pitman

A change of profession for Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin, a former director and owner of La Hacienda with his brother John, has a new career as a professional photographer. Read more - open to all

GCA conference to welcome double Olympic gold medallist

The Garden Centre Association will welcome double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (Mil) to its stage during its annual conference in January (January 26 until 29, 2020). Read more - open to all

Kelly Holmes

Fallen Fruits celebrates Liz Warren's 15 years

Fallen Fruits celebrates Liz Warren working for the company for 15 years. Michael Hall says she is a key member of the team with an in-depth knowledge of the company. Read more - open to all

Liz Warren

Whartons invests in marketing with new management position

Whartons Roses welcomes Jo Davey to the new role of marketing manager. Jo joins Norfolk based rose grower Whartons with over 25 years of horticultural experience in marketing and sales. Read more - open to all

Jo Davey, Whartons Nursery

Wyevale Nurseries expands its sales support team

One of the UK’s leading nurseries based in Hereford has expanded its sales support team and taken on two new administrators this month (December, 2019). Read more - open to all

Helen Hoskins Sales Support Administrator at Wyevale Nurseries.

Westland announces two key appointments

Two appointments at Westland Horticulture: Simon McArdle becomes marketing and category director at Gardman Crest and Mark Sage joins from Wyevale to become head of commercial horticulture. Read more - open to all

Mark Sage

Award wins for Hornby Whitefoot PR

Top industry awards, a BBC TV series and expansion of its client portfolio leads to celebrations at Hornby Whitefoot PR. The team at Hornby Whitefoot PR is celebrating after expanding its client portfolio and winning a top garden media industry award. Read more - open to all

Award wins for HWPR

Decco Mills is Hillier’s garden shop supplier of the year

Among the winners at Hillier’s Awards Dinner were: Botley, Hillier’s garden centre of the year; Meon Valley, Horticultural Supplier of the year; and Decco Mills. Read more - members only

Garden Shop Supplier of the Year 2019 – Keith Willey of Decco Mill

Zest 4 Leisure's finance director sprints towards the finishing line of charity challenge

Andrew Baker, Finance Director at Zest 4 Leisure, has completed his 12 th and final competitive running event for 2019 to raise funds for Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith children’s hospices. Read more - open to all

Andrew Baker

Zest 4 Leisure's managing director honoured at business awards

Steve Morgan, Managing Director of Zest 4 Leisure, was presented with the Lord Barry Jones Legacy Award at the Flintshire Business Awards. Read more - open to all

 Lord Barry Jones and Steve Morgan

Distinction for Green-tech apprentice

Apprentice George Goodier has passed his course with the highest honours and has accepted a permanent contract with Green-tech as a Sales Advisor. Read more - open to all

Rachel Kay with George Goodier apprentice pass with distincton

Deco-Pak’s Craig Hall remembers Greenfingers on his wedding day

It was a case of “something borrowed, something green” for Deco-Pak’s Craig Hall at his recent wedding as he and his new wife, Debbie, raised over £1,200 for Greenfingers Charity thanks to generous donations from guests and families. Read more - open to all

Deco-Pak’s Craig Hall and his new wife, Debbie at his recent wedding.

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive