Garden retailers have less than 1 month to comply with SUD

The CPA reminds retailers they have one month to comply with the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD) regulations. To comply, staff should be certificated using a simple online training course. Read more - members only

New President promises HTA will give change a great big ‘Bear-Hug’

Introducing the Garden Futures Conference, new president, Adam Wigglesworth said “The entrepreneur spirit is as alive as ever. The HTA is giving change a great big bear hug.” Read more - members only

HTA President, Adam Wigglesworth

Garden centres prosper in July despite the rain

Whether it is cooler and wetter or hot and dry, garden centres can prosper in the summer months and so it proved with the GCA statistics for July showing strong growth. Read more - members only

Coletta & Tyson

Line-up for new format HTA Garden Futures conference

The theme for this year’s HTA Garden Futures Conference is Embracing Change. Headline speakers from outside gardening include Will Butler-Adams and Simon Jack. Insiders are led by the new MD of Homebase. Read more - members only

Will Butler-Adams OBE

Horticultural Scholarship Season Opens

The David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) Scholarship Season opens next month, giving young horticulturists five months to apply for a scholarship. Read more - open to all

3 more garden centres join the GCA

Three garden centres have joined the Garden Centre Association, swelling the association membership to 180. Read more - members only

Summer at Orchard Park

QVC suppliers make record donation to Garden Re-Leaf Day

Suppliers, such as Plants2Gardens who backed QVC’s Garden Re-Leaf Day 2015 activities, have helped raise in excess of £50,000 for this year's Greenfingers campaign. Read more - members only

GCA reveals this year's conference venue for their 50th anniversary

The GCA has announced the location of the body's grand golden jubilee year conference to be held January 24 until 27, 2016. Read more - members only

The Grand Hotel, Brighton

GIMA’s £5000 Seed Corn Fund is open for entries

Small businesses, designers, students, inventors and start-ups are invited to bid for the second annual grant from the GIMA seed corn fund with the offer of help from last year’s winner. Read more - members only

GIMA's Steve Millington (3rd Left) and Vicky Nuttall (R) with last years winners.

New look for AIPH and Grower of the Year Awards

Any grower can nominate themselves for the International Grower of the Year Awards as they get a new look along with rebranding for the AIPH. Read more - members only

‘Best garden’ at the Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition 2014

Closer links are vital says new GIMA president

Colin Wetherley Mein, new president of GIMA, hopes to add services such as a buying group and barometer of trade for GIMA members. He also wants to continue building links with the rest of the industry. Read more - members only

Colin Wetherley Mein, new president of GIMA

Strong early sales of core gardening - a sign for optimism?

The GCA figures for February shows a good start for sales of seeds, bulbs and plants but the association cautions, “We have no idea what the year ahead is going to hold for us but it looks as if gardeners… are eager to get back into their gardens.” Read more - members only

Online garden sales forecast to grow 30 per cent  by 2019

Online sales of garden products will exceed £3 billion by 2019 according to MTW Research’s new 120-page report published this month, with sales of garden products online having risen by 45 per cent between 2009 and 2015. Read more - members only

North / South split for the weather in March

Wiseweather suggests that there will be a North / South split in the weather for March.  The South could experience some warm, sunny days, mid month. Read more - members only

Two garden events to change formats

The HTA has announced a new out of London venue and shape for its strategic Garden Futures conference.  There will also be changes for the next Totally Shows. Read more - members only

HTA Garden Futures 2014

Latest company results show healthy growth

Figures updated this month in Company Results show big sales increases for Boningale, Stewarts Plastics and Weber-Stephen Products (UK). Blue Diamond UK and Haskins also grew. Profits recovered at The Scotts Company UK. Read more - members only

Long range weather forecast for September

Periods of high pressure during September will mean below average rainfall and above average sunshine. Read more - members only

B&Q responds to Which? Gardening’s campaign to date compost

B&Q is to test the lifespan of different formulations of compost in response to Which? Gardening’s campaign to date bags. Read more - members only

New ideas from the Glee Seminar Theatres

Watch how a consumer’s eyes track your displays; learn about the next bakery products from New York or get a beginner’s guide to exporting. Just some of the business improvement ideas to be presented in the Glee Seminar Theatres. Read more - members only

A new buying group for garden centres is being launched

IBC, an established buying group for builders merchants, is looking to repeat the formula for garden centres with the IBC Garden Group. Read more - members only

July looks like being a month for garden furniture and hoses

Wiseweather believes July will be drier and warmer than average with a second hot spell possible in week three. Read more - members only

Vote now to recognise Gardening’s best buyers

Believing that good buyers have not been given the recognition they deserve, Glee is asking you to nominate people or teams that might qualify as the country’s best buyers for awards being introduced at the show. Read more - members only

GIMA Buying Group gets the go-ahead

The new GIMA Buying Group, mooted at their recent conference, is to go ahead with the aim of supplying a one-stop shop for members. Read more - members only

New members swell GIMA membership by 25%

Companies that have joined GIMA this year are a mix of established names and newcomers to the retail garden sector in the UK. Read more - members only

Long-range forecast looks good for May

After an unsettled start, the Wiseweather suggests there will be long settled periods during May with high pressure, much like April. However, that means frosts are possible, even late in the month. Read more - members only

High pressure looks set to dominate the first 3 weeks of April

Wiseweather predicts April will be sunnier and drier than normal, with warm days and colder nights. However the SE may have more cloud at times. Read more - members only

Bank bureaucracy thwarts garden centre deals

Although 2 banks have recently backed garden centre developments it seems that a number of deals are falling through because buyers cannot get bank funding because of their inexperienced advisers. Read more - members only

New legislation affecting sale of garden chemicals

From 26th November most garden retailers will be required by law to have a trained and certificated member of staff available when they sell garden chemicals.  The HTA and Crop Protection Association have a solution. Read more - members only

Darren Mogg is to leave Wyevale

Darren Mogg is to leave Wyevale Garden Centres at the end of March having managed the development of the company websites for the last two years. Read more - members only

What will the scribblers be viewing at Thursday’s Garden Press Event?

The country’s gardening press converge on the Barbican on Thursday to get fresh ideas to write about this spring.  What will catch their interest at the Garden Press Event? Read more - members only

Van Meuwen's Gigantomo

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive