Tony Hewitt, founder and executive chairman of Parkwood Holdings which owns Glendale Horticulture, passed away on New Year's Eve after being admitted to hospital. He was 68.

Leading Indoor Pot supplier Ivyline are pleased to announce their Midlands Sales agent, David Welling, as their Agent of the Year for 2017! Read more - open to all

The UK’s largest non-food wholesaler, Stax Trade Centres have recently announced the hiring of Anthony Whitehead to the position DIY Sales Executive at their Bristol Branch. Read more - open to all

Paul Dye, operations manager at Grovewell Garden Centre since 2014, has died at the age of 55 after a battle with cancer. Read more - open to all

Radio and TV comedian Jo Caulfield will be compering the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) conference awards’ dinner this month (January, 2018). Read more - open to all

Ten-year-old Aidan Parmar saw the realisation of his glove design when he received a surprise presentation of the finished article in front of his classmates and parents at Brocks Hill Primary School’s morning assembly in Leicestershire. Read more - open to all

Squire’s Garden Centres have announced the winners of their annual garden centre awards. With 15 centres across the South East competition was tough, but Squire’s in Long Ditton came out top and won the double – best Garden Centre and best Café Bar of the year! Read more - open to all

James Hollingworth has joined The Tildenet Group as Product Development Manager working across all their brands. Read more - open to all

It is with great sadness to inform you that Mark Taylor passed away on Boxing Day following his diagnosis with advanced prostate cancer in 2012. Read more - open to all

Evergreen Horticulture is delighted to welcome Stephen Simmons (formerly Regional Sales Manager, The Scott’s Co. Ltd.), who joins us on 3 January 2018 as UK National Sales Manager. Read more - open to all

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

Riffelmacher have the pleasure to announce that The Denholm Agency formerly the agents of O. Widmann and Co are taking the helm and their representatives will be at the forthcoming Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair. The Denholm team will be joining existing sales executive Kevin Sheehan. Read more - open to all

The dapper-suited entrepreneur made famous for his role as a judge on BBC’s ‘The Great British Sewing Bee’ is speaking at the Garden Centre Association’s 2018 conference. Read more - open to all

The HTA has named Chris Pateman as the new chair of the Association.  In this new role Chris will assist the HTA Board in coordinating the activities of the HTA Executive and their teams at Horticulture House. In addition, he will represent the HTA at a senior level to Government and other stakeholders. Read more - members only

It is with great sadness and dismay we had to learn that Uffe Kloster, Commercial Director for Playmobil and Lechuza in the United Kingdom and Ireland, passed away over the weekend. We are deeply saddened by his sudden death. Read more - open to all

The team behind Glee – the UK’s leading annual trade exhibition for the garden retail industry – has recently been expanded with the recruitment of Daniel McAlpin. Read more - open to all

Provender Nurseries are pleased to welcome the newest members of their team.  Two new members of staff have been taken on at Provender Nurseries adding to a record of great customer service and knowledge. Read more - open to all

Woodlodge turnover has grown from £11.5m to over £20m in the 4 years since Michael Wooldridge took control of the business. Plus, last January, the company won the coveted cup for GCA Supplier of the Year.  Gardenforum paid him a visit. Read more - members only

A tireless woman has completed 53 runs in one year to raise funds for the Greenfingers Charity, who have opened 53 magical gardens in the grounds of children’s hospices since the charity was established in 1999. Read more - open to all

Hillier has recruited Charles Carr to oversee all areas of Hillier Nurseries including technical developments in growing, crop protection and implementing new systems. Read more - open to all

We are pleased to announce that Martin Shields has joined the business as Manufacturing Manager from the start of January. Martin has extensive experience in plastics processing and his depth of experience will strengthen the Mundon manufacturing operation. Read more - open to all

Panarama Agencies Ltd strengthen their sales team with the appointment of Alan Wood.  Read more - open to all

Glendale Horticulture has appointed Neil Dudley as manager for its Lathom Nursery, in Lancashire with effect from 02 January 2018. Read more - open to all

The New Year's Honours list 2018 awarded OBE’s to garden centre owner, Colin Squire, and to the founder and owner of Premier Decorations, John Athwal. Read more - open to all

Former England rugby player Matt Dawson MBE will share his team building and personal commitment expertise with delegates at Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) 52^nd annual conference in Warwickshire in January (January 21 until 24, 2018). Read more - open to all

Following the BBC’s successful Blue Planet II series the Garden Centre Association (GCA) has secured a guest speaker passionate about shark conservation for its annual conference in January (2018). Read more - open to all

Mr Fothergill’s Seeds is delighted to welcome Ken Ross to the company. He has joined Mr Fothergill’s as territory manager responsible for looking after garden retailers in an area running from Cambridgeshire to the west midlands. Read more - open to all

World renowned economist Roger Martin-Fagg will be speaking at the Garden Centre Association's (GCA) 52nd annual conference in Warwickshire this January (January 21 until 24, 2018). Read more - open to all

This year, staff at Mr Fothergill's were challenged to take their best pictures from our trial grounds and they certainly rose to the challenge! Read more - open to all

Members of the AIPH elected Mike Rimland from Costa Farms in Florida, USA as representative of North and Central America to the Board in September. Mike Rimland takes over from Bill Stensson from Sheridan Nurseries, Canada after his term was completed.  Read more - open to all