Forty years ago the term Garden Centre was virtually unknown in the UK when Warren Haskins, who had just taken over the family retail nursery business after his father’s death, decided to open a small garden centre shop at Tricketts Cross in Ferndown. Read more - open to all

It is with tremendous sadness that we have to pass on the very difficult news that Alan Goddard passed away on Friday the 11th of January.   I'm sure many of you know he'd faced a long and very difficult battle, and there's no doubt he'd fought on as much as anyone could. Read more - open to all

Pennells Garden Centres recently marked the long service of a member of staff at their Lincoln centre with a presentation.

Nicola Beet has recently been appointed Category Manager for Pet Care at Gardman. Nicola takes up this new role following the Pet Care category launch in June last year. Read more - open to all

Neil Fishlock has been appointed as Supplier Relations Manager at Decco, the UK’s largest wholesaler of DIY, Garden and Household products. Read more - open to all

William Sinclair Horticulture Limited, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of growing media, has further strengthened its Retail Sales team with the recruitment of Nick Poole as an additional National Account Manager. Read more - open to all

RHS judge and award-winning garden designer Andrew Wilson becomes Seed Developments' resident garden expert giving his reflections on 2012 and trends for 2013. Read more - open to all

The Director of Conservation, Living Collections and Estates at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, will be coming to Writtle College in January. Read more - open to all

Steve Harper is leaving his role as managing director of Vital Earth after five years in the post. Read more - open to all

Brintex, organisers of the Totally DIY & Totally Tools shows, has appointed a new show director to run the shows in their new home at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Read more - open to all

Chris Harrop, group marketing director, responsible for sustainability, at Marshalls plc. has been appointed Chair of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) UK Network. Read more - open to all

Downing Street is sparkling with festive cheer, following the presentation of this year’s Christmas tree by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA). Read more - open to all

Malcolm Scott Consultants have secured an important planning permission for major development proposals at Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire. Read more - open to all

Plants For Europe is delighted to announce that Helen Spencer has joined the company. Read more - open to all

Somerset based compost manufacturer, Durston Garden Products Ltd, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ruth Green as National Sales Manager. Read more - open to all

An employee at one of the UK’s largest horticultural design and print companies is celebrating this month (January, 2013) after clocking up 25 years of dedicated service to the business.  Sylvia Cooper, office and operations manager at Floramedia, is the longest serving team member at the Colchester-based company. Read more - open to all

The industry will have its first opportunity to hear the new CEO of The Garden Centre Group when he speaks at the GCA conference later this month. See more... Read more - members only

Smart Solar, the solar garden product specialist, is celebrating its 10^th anniversary in 2013. Smart Solar manufactures and distributes solar powered lighting and water features to garden centres, retailers and mail order companies across the UK, Europe and the USA. Read more - open to all

Dr Beverley Glover has been named as the new Director of Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Dr Glover will take up the post, and the associated Professorship of Plant Systematics and Evolution to which she has been elected, in July 2013. Read more - open to all

Suttons Seeds of Paignton will be heralding in 2013 with a new Managing Director.  The current MD, Cecile Cuzenic, has been promoted to become Deputy CEO for Limagrain Field Seeds Division and will move to the headquarters in Clermont Ferrand in France, and will be leaving Suttons at the end of January. Read more - open to all

An acquisition by Decco's parent has lead to a new job for Charlie Lacey. His role has been taken by Neil Fishlock, whose previous job will be filled by Steve Guy. See more... Read more - members only

Here’s a summary of the news that has filled the Gardenforum pages in 2012. It is dominated by the impact of the weather and perhaps the economy. The story is open to all our readers. See more... Read more - open to all

Bord na Móna UK has appointed Claire Ball as Business Development Manager to cover the South West area.   Read more - open to all

Jo Davey from Suffolk has this month (December, 2012) been appointed as a new Account Manager for Floramedia. Read more - open to all

Peter Rush is to be the new chief executive of William Sinclair. He was the group managing director of Hozelock for almost 5 years. See more... Read more - members only

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) awarded Eve Tigwell, the well known garden centre consultant, its Jubilee Medal in honour of her committed devotion to the Trust at its annual conference on 8th December 2012 in Swanwick, Derbyshire.  Read more - open to all

Members of the horticultural industry gathered in London recently (November 2012) to officially bid farewell to the previous Garden Centre Association (GCA) Chief Executive. Read more - open to all

Scotsdales Garden Centre, near Cambridge was awarded the accolade of UK Garden Centre of the Year at the 27th “Graines d’Or ceremony, which took place in Paris on 5th December. Read more - open to all

A gardening writer and the owner of the Dillon Garden in Ireland will be delivering a talk at Writtle College this week as part of the James Hearsum Lecture Series. Read more - open to all

Delamore are delighted to announce the appointment of their new Sales Director Chris Finlay. He brings over 30 years of horticultural knowledge and experience, beginning as a student at Merrist Wood then moving on to sales management in the landscape industry. Read more - open to all