Garden centres outperformed the retail average at Christmas with big increases in food and restaurants.  Average spends also jumped as annual sales grew. Read more - members only

LOFA warns of surcharges and delays in outdoor living products due to the actions of Yemen Houthis, who have forced shipping to detour around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope Read more - members only

As 2024 unfolds a new name for all things PR has launched with one of the sector’s longest-serving PR professionals at its helm. Hornby George PR marks an exciting new chapter for the team that previously led the way with Hornby Whitefoot PR. Read more - open to all

Nine garden centres and 22 associate members have increased the GCA membership this year, with more awaiting approval. Read more - members only

Westland Horticulture has launched the New Horizon Fund to support community gardening projects across the UK and Ireland in 2024. Read more - members only

A new report by Savills suggests that there is still strong investment potential in garden centres.  Acquisition activity is increasing as individual sites are “snapped up”. Read more - members only

Winners of the Garden Centre Caterer of the Year awards include best independent and group garden centres and Afternoon Tea of the Year. Read more - members only

Boyd Douglas-Davies, industry stalwart and the founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day, was officially appointed as the newest Trustee and Chairman-Elect of the Greenfingers Charity. Read more - members only

Restaurants powered garden centre growth in September with farm shop and early Christmas sales showing promise. Read more - members only

A MorePeople salary survey of garden centres and horticulture shows most had a pay increase of 5% or less and career progression is biggest reason for changing jobs. Read more - members only

MorePeople are delighted to have won Large Business of the Year 2023 at the Stamford Mercury Business Awards 2023 last Friday 15^th September. Read more - open to all

On September 15^th, 90 members of the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) descended on Haws Watering Cans and David Austin Roses for one of their bi-annual special visits. Read more - members only

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

As the application closing date for Colegrave Seabrook Foundation scholarships approaches see how last year's winners used their awards. Read more - open to all

8th – 14th January is National Houseplant Week and Westland has launched an online educational hub for consumers to find their houseplant advice. Read more - members only

We highlight the main events of 2023 including the collapse of Wilko, juggling of the trade shows calendar and the deaths of some notable pioneers in the industry. Read more - open to all

The Young People in Horticulture Association, backed by Perennial, has announced the addition of three new Mental Health First Aiders to its member wellbeing provisions.  Read more - open to all

Smart Garden Products sponsoring five Student Scholarships for 2024. Horticultural students are encouraged to apply for a range of bursaries and scholarships in 2024. Read more - open to all

Garden centre staff can now gain knowledge to help customers to deter and combat pests in a more natural, sustainable way via the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) GROW (Garden Retail Online Workshops) e-Learning platform. Read more - open to all

The Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) GROW (Garden Retail Online Workshops) e-Learning platform In-Store Security course has now been launched just in time for the busy Christmas sales period. Read more - open to all

Blue Diamond Garden Centres continue their work supporting students studying horticulture.  Since 2021, 14 students have benefited. Read more - open to all

12 Category winners announced for the 2023 RHS Britain in Bloom competition.  Newcastle-under-Lyme has been awarded RHS gold and the accolade of Overall Winner Read more - members only

Smart Garden was named Supplier of the Year by Choice members at the post conference dinner celebrating the groups 21^st year. Read more - members only

Gardenex is recruiting for its UK pavilion at the March 2024 Las Vegas show for the lawn and garden, hardware and DIY industries. Read more - members only

Haymarket Media Group, parent of Horticulture Week, and Green Solutions have acquired Garden Connect, creating a cloud software solution for businesses in horticulture. 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