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

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

Here’s your chance to catch up with some of the events in the retail garden sector that you may have missed. It was a turbulent year with the collapse of Gardman; around 60 garden centres changing hands or closing, Wyevale, Bunnings, Snow and drought. This is open to all. Read more

A court case in 2015 opened up a potential loophole in the law which would bring nurseries into line with paying business rates. The Government has decided this week that this will not happen. Read more

Newspan has started construction to create one of the biggest destination garden centres in the country at Bridgford garden centre. Read more

Secretary of State has shown a green light to the building of a £60m garden centre and factory outlet at Ashchurch that will create 1,000 jobs. Read more

Wyevale Holdings is appealing a planning refusal to develop 73 houses next to Kings Acre Halt in Hereford. Read more

This is one of the questions discussed in the latest fact sheet issued by Malcolm Scott Consultants. It also gives the example of Fairways GC which has permission to be built in Green Belt near Coventry. Read more

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

Floralands Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire has joined the Homes & Garden Group stable. The sale was a leasehold deal handled by Quinton Edwards. The purchase price was not revealed. Read more

Oak Garden Centre in Chatteris which closed almost two years ago has a new owner. Read more

Will Osborne’s planning proposals generate extra sales for garden centres? Or will owners be selling up for housing? Gardenforum asks the experts Malcolm Scott and Paul Pleydell. Read more

Two garden centres in the Royal Borough of Windsor will be zoned for housing if the local plan covering the next 15 years is accepted. Read more

Plans for a new out-of-town shopping centre at Newnham Court in Maidstone that would have included a new garden centre for Notcutts have been rejected. But other plans go ahead. See more… Read more

Yarnton Nurseries has had plans to build 14 houses on surplus land turned down due to Green Belt restrictions. See more... Read more

The Valuation Office Agency has contacted garden centres across the country to request rental and account information to support the 2023 Revaluation of business rates in England and Wales.   Read more

Garden centres in West Yorkshire, the Midlands and Northumberland have been hit by a series of break ins, where goods are being stolen to order. Read more

Malcolm Scott Consultants has secured planning consent for site development at Cambridgeshire-based Oakington Garden Centre. Read more

Fearing a conflict of interest Honiton Town Council’s planning committee have refused to discuss plans for a new garden centre submitted by the former manager of Sidmouth GC. Read more

2016 saw second tier garden centre chains and independents invest as Wyevale consolidated. Homebase and Argos are sold. The HTA moved offices and moved to become the lead association for all gardening related businesses. Glyphosate, Xylella and the weather made frequent headlines. Scotts and Bayer looked for a way out of distributing consumer garden chemicals. Read our review – open to all. Read more

Richard Harding has started the process of selling Four Oaks Trade Show and Nursery.  He is looking for the right buyer to ensure continuity of the event. Read more

Tewkesbury council has backed plans to build a £60m garden centre and outlet shopping development, but final approval rests with the Government. Read more

Wyevale Garden centres has sold eight garden centres to Orchard Street Investment Management in a sale and leaseback deal. Read more

Recently closed Woolmans garden centre in Shirley is to be auctioned with a guide price of £2m. Read more

BlackRock has acquired the freehold of 8 garden centres from La Salle Investment Management, whose tenants are Wyevale, Notcutts or Squire’s. Read more

Blue Diamond’s long held plan to replicate the octagonal Le Friquet garden centre at Leeds has taken a step forward. Read more

Malcolm Scott wins permission for a new garden centre just outside Coventry.  It will, they believe, be the first new build garden centre on a new site in the last 10 years. Read more

2014 has been dominated by the repositioning of the major gardening goods distributors following the demise of Solus.  The weather for once provided a good news story and towards the end of the year there was a flurry of activity from Wyevale as it picked up eight long established independent garden centres.  See the full review – which is open to all… Read more

Last week saw the official opening of the £2.5m extension at Highfield Garden World that has doubled sales and makes it one of the largest garden centres in the country. See more... Read more

Work looks set to start on the first phase of a destination garden centre, restaurant and display gardens at Probus near Truro in Cornwall this spring. See more... Read more