Next month’s HTA Autumn Conference will be opened by its new Chief Executive, Fran Barnes.  Who is she?  We interview the former BBC editor and Director of NFU communications. Read more - open to all

The Garden Centre Association has released some resilient July figures despite a big drop in garden furniture sales and a lot of rain. Read more - members only

Westland Horticulture has joined BHETA.   The Association is also holding a networking webinar with the online arm of US multinational retail corporation, Walmart. Read more - members only

The HTA has resorted to legal action to try and clarify when the Government intends to ban peat as a medium for professional growing. Read more - members only

The ever-popular GIMA trend report is set to return this September with three webinars confirmed, each providing delegates informative and interactive insight into those trends that are set to shape consumer desires, attitudes and aesthetics in 2025. Read more - open to all

During the first half of 2023, Perennial assisted 1,184 people, compared to 897 in the first half of 2022, a 31% increase.  This highlights the urgent need for increased support. Read more - open to all

Christie & Co, has launched its Retail & Leisure: 2023 Mid-Year Insight, which reflects on activity, trends and challenges across the UK’s convenience retail, forecourt, garden centre and leisure markets in the first half of 2023 and provides an outlook for the rest of the year. Read more - open to all

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform has introduced five new compliance-based e-Learning courses covering food safety and health & safety (July 2023). Read more - open to all

Post Covid-19, results are still pretty healthy for most but not all garden companies, as the likes of Westland, Squire’s, Klondyke, Scotsdale and Allensmore show. Read more - members only

UPDATE: Barton Grange, Cowells and Tong Garden Centres have signed up to the Prosper Buying Group.  So has St Peter’s Garden Centre saying time is right for a change. Read more - members only

The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation is benefiting from a substantial donation from Westland Horticulture to assist the Foundation with their work supporting students studying horticulture. Read more - open to all

The Garden Media Guild (GMG) is pleased to announce that it has confirmed the appointment of its officer roles, with Mike Palmer returning as Chair, supported by Alexandra Campbell, Stephanie Hafferty and Lexi Gee as Vice-Chairs. Read more - open to all

Today’s House of Lords launch of the New Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) shows the sector’s importance to achieving national environmental goals. Read more - members only

Predominantly unsettled weather in April, with little in the way of consistent warmth and a colder spell later on, failed to help garden centres recover lost sales. Read more - members only

HTA lobbying secures Government agreement that UK plant passports can be attached to ready for sale plants within the EU for another two years, while electronic passporting is developed. Read more - members only

TV and radio broadcaster, Gethin Jones has been confirmed as the host of the 2023 GIMA Awards on Thursday 19^th October at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, Read more - open to all

The Garden Centre Association (GCA) has just introduced another new module to its Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform – this time on Sustainable Disease Control (August 2023). Read more - open to all

HTA is inviting growers to make voluntary contributions to Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd to enable off label use of plant protection products to continue. Read more - members only

After a record number of entries, the PetQuip trade association has revealed the list of finalists for the PetQuip Awards dinner on 1 October at Telford International Centre. Read more - open to all

Buying and marketing group Choice Marketing has announced 5 new members expanding its nationwide network of independent garden centres to 52. Read more - members only

Join us 3 Aug 2pm BST to find out how technology can seamlessly manage HR, payroll and scheduling across Garden Centres retail and restaurant operations. Read more - open to all

The HTA HUB is a purpose-built Learning Management System to host e-learning, links to training, development information and downloadable resources. Read more - members only

Wyevale Nurseries is this month offering a free downloadable peat free PDF advisory leaflet to trade customers seeking assistance with the changes to the law around peat usage (July 2023). Read more - open to all

Plants sales increased massively in the May sunshine making up for transactions lost earlier in the year.  Garden sundries also improved but by less and are still down for the year.  Read more - members only

A NatWest study has revealed that the gardening sector has blossomed across the UK, with a +267% uptick in gardening-related shops opening since 2017.   Read more - members only

Gardenex, PetQuip and CHA member companies will be able to utilise a valuable new service on renewal of their annual membership subscriptions with unlimited usefor all member companies. Read more - open to all

Gates Garden Centre near Oakham in Leicestershire, has joined The Tillington Group,  a buying and marketing group for top independent garden centres. Read more - members only

The team from the Garden Centre Association (GCA) have a stand at Glee this month (June 2023) where existing members and those interested in finding out more about the organisation can drop by. Read more - open to all

Blue Diamond has cut the ribbon on a rejuvenated Van Hage at Ware which Alan Roper reveals was the site that gave him inspiration when he was starting his career. Read more - members only

AGM hears that GIMA had strong results as Simon Davison of Zest Outdoor Living is voted on to the GIMA Council and Jenny Douthwaite is re-elected President. Read more - members only