Gardman appoint James Brindle as Business Development Director

Experienced sales executive James Brindle has re-joined Gardman as the company’s Business Development Director. Read more - open to all

James Brindle

Dan Williams joins Hillier as Head of Restaurants

Dan Williams joins the Hillier team in Ampfield in February to head up the restaurant division of the garden centre business. Read more - open to all

Dan Williams

Past chairmen return to honour GCA’s 50th anniversary

GCA chairmen from as early as 1967 returned to celebrate the GCA’s 50th anniversary. Read more - members only

Bayer Garden appoints Christina Bouzala to drive brand strategy 

Consumer specialist Christina Bouzala has joined Bayer Garden as Group Brand Manager with the remit of driving a consumer led brand strategy across the company’s garden care portfolio.   Read more - open to all

Future of garden centres in the hands of a new shopper

Leading consumer and shopper behaviouralist Ken Hughes is speaking at the 2016 Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference next week (January 24 until 27, 2016) to talk about the customer of the future. Read more - open to all

Leading consumer and shopper behaviouralist Ken Hughes.

Jekka McVicar and Jamie Butterworth announced as new RHS ambassadors

Jekka McVicar of Jekka’s Herb Farm, and Jamie Butterworth of Young-Hort, were today announced as new Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Ambassadors at the annual RHS Chelsea Flower Show press conference in London. Read more - open to all

Jekka McVicar of Jekka’s Herb Farm

Vitax appoints new south-east area sales manager

In preparation for a bumper 2016, Vitax Limited is set to welcome a new south-east area manager this January. Read more - open to all

AIPH sadness at loss of Doeke Faber

Members of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) have expressed their sadness at the news that their former President, Dr. Doeke Faber, has passed away this week. Read more - open to all

AIPH sadness at loss of Doeke Faber

Forest Garden welcomes new team members

As Forest Garden ramps up activity to meet the early spring demand, it has been confirmed that it has added several new team members to the mix, strengthening both its sales force presence and approach to new product development. Read more - open to all

Guy Jackson - Group Product Manager

Review of 2015 in the Garden Industry

2015 was an eventful year in the garden sector. Here is a round-up of some of the most important stories on Gardenforum throughout the year. This article is open to non-members. Read more - open to all

Bicester, one of the 8 garden centres bought by Black Rock for £112.5m

Big Business entrepreneur and Joy of Plants join HTA Technology Conference Programme

Naomi Langford-Wood, out of industry author, entrepreneur and businesswoman and Terri Jones from Joy of Plants have been unveiled as the latest speakers to join the programme for the HTA Technology Conference – Using technology to grow. Read more - open to all

Terri Jones from Joy of Plants.

New campaign co-ordinator for Love the Plot You’ve Got

The Garden Industry Marketing Board (GIMB) has contracted Holly Garland and the team at garlandpr to co-ordinate the industry wide Love the Plot You’ve Got campaign. Read more - open to all

Holly Garland

Allensmore Nurseries announce new general manager

Allensmore Nurseries is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Henry who has joined the company in the newly created role of General Manager. Read more - open to all

New Marketing Executive for Town & Country

Town & Country, leading supplier of gardening gloves and footwear to the UK garden retail market, has appointed Andrea Litchfield to the position of marketing executive. Read more - open to all

Andrea Litchfield, marketing executive

Green-fingered great gives back

An Evening with Alan Titchmarsh in aid of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Read more - open to all

L-R Richard East, Sue Hardy and Richard Cumming, Alan Titchmarsh and Louise and Mike Burks.

And the Rising Stars winner is……….

Sophie Liebthal has been revealed as the winner of the Westland/GCA Rising Star of 2015. Read more - open to all

(L-R): Julian Winfield, Keith Nicholson, Sophie Liebthal and Hal Cruttenden (photo GTN)

Chris Ramsden and Lolly Lee are moving to new jobs

Chris Ramsden is leaving Suttons for Hozelock at the end of February and Lolly Lee is leaving Gardman for Petface. Read more - members only

Chris Ramsden

HTA Technology Conference – Using technology to grow

The exciting line-up continues to grow for the HTA Technology Conference on 24 February at Cranmore Park, Solihull. Read more - open to all

Jo Hailey

New area sales manager for Town & Country

The UK’s leading gardening gloves and footwear supplier, Town & Country, has appointed a new area sales manager for the South East region. Read more - open to all

Town & Country appoints Vicky Shine.

La Hacienda meet Trade & Investment Minister at the Foreign Office to boost exports

La Hacienda Directors, John & Simon Goodwin and Export Manager, Mike Darlington, attended a private meeting at the Foreign Office. Read more - open to all

La Hacienda Ministeria meeting

Hortus Loci young gun Jamie Butterworth made an RHS Ambassador

21 year old Jamie Butterworth becomes a Royal Horticultural Society Ambassador and join luminaries such Alan Titchmarsh and Mary Berry who were respectively the 1st and most recently appointed RHS Ambassadors. Read more - open to all

 Jamie Butterworth officially becomes a Royal Horticultural Society Ambassador

John B Edmonds dies aged 85

John B Edmonds, a leading light in the agricultural and horticultural world, died after a long illness on Friday 8th January. Read more - open to all

An image from Container Plant Manual, written by John B Edmonds

Alison returns as Tracy retires

Suffolk seedsman Mr Fothergill's has announced the appointment of Alison Mulvaney as its technical manager; she replaces about-to-retire Tracy Collacott. The move from Bayer Garden, where she has been consumer brand manager, marks a return for Mulvaney, who worked in the seed company's marketing department in 2004-5. Read more - open to all

Alison Mulvaney

Louise Hammer-Brown to join Hillier as Head of Marketing

Hillier has announced the appointment of Louise Hammer-Brown as Head of Marketing at Hillier from the 4th January. Read more - open to all

Alyson takes on GCA inspector’s role

Alyson Haywood has been named as the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) new inspector this week (December 21, 2015). Read more - open to all

Alyson Haywood

Chris Beytes to MC at AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2016

Chris Beytes, Editor of GrowerTalks and Green Profit magazine, is to be the master of ceremonies at the AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards 2016.  Read more - open to all

Chris Beytes, Editor of GrowerTalks and Green Profit magazine

Comedian Hal Cruttenden to compere GCA dinner

Radio and TV comedian, writer and actor Hal Cruttenden will be compering the awards dinner at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) conference next month (January 26, 2016). Read more - open to all

Radio and TV comedian, writer and actor Hal Cruttenden, to compere the GCA Conference awards dinner.

Princess Royal receives garden seeds at Capel Manor renaming ceremony

When HRH The Princess Royal visited Capel Manor College in Enfield, John Fothergill was on hand to present her with a range of garden seeds from the eponymous company, which has a show garden at the site. Read more - open to all

HRH The Princess Royal and John Fothergill

Mr Fothergill's marks Peter's 80th with painting of Seabrook's Lavender

Suffolk seedsman Mr Fothergill's marked leading garden writer Peter Seabrook's 80th birthday in early November with the gift of a painting of Verbena Seabrook's Lavender by botanical artist Isobel Bartholomew. Read more - open to all

L - r John Fothergill, Peter Seabrook and David Carey

Gardman appoints new CEO

The Gardman Group has announced the appointment of Pete Utting as Chief Executive. Read more - open to all

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive