Battery power drives Stihl’s sponsorship of Hillier at Chelsea

Stihl’s sponsorship of Hillier’s Chelsea exhibit underlines their drive to involve garden centres with the new era cordless garden tools, which will shortly be on sale at Hillier’s garden centres. Read more - members only

Gardenforum reports from spoga + gafa

We report on highlights from spoga + gafa, with some hints of what we might see at Glee, plus news of the Westland brand moving into Europe. Read more - members only

Crest's indoor gardening kit with 3 colour light

Glee reveals the short list of top garden industry buyers

Glee has opened the vote to find the UK's best garden buyers. They have revealed a shortlist of 25 buyers across 5 categories: independent garden centres, multiples, DIY / Builder Merchants, online and other. Read more - members only

BBC Gardeners’ World 50th anniversary will be buzzing with celebrities

There will be a buzz of gardening celebrities at the BBC Gardeners’ World Live event in Birmingham (15-18 June, NEC) to celebrate the programme’s 50th anniversary. Read more - members only

Lots for the Garden Press to write about

There was plenty to see and hear at the Garden Press Event including a snail fence, outdoor fragrances, a new urban compost from Scotts and news of some enhanced summer events. Read more - members only

Woodlodge's Dorset rocking chair.

Chairman speaks out to settle Town & Country rumours

Town & Country chairman, Barry Page, has said that rumours of an imminent sale are false and that the company is ready for the season with increased stock levels. Read more - members only

Barry Page

The Four Oaks Show and nursery is for sale

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 - members only

Review of 2015 in the Garden Industry

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 - open to all

Bicester, one of the 8 garden centres bought by Black Rock for £112.5m

Glee is back with a vengeance!

For many exhibitors it was the best Glee for several years, although not everyone was as pleased. Read our news from the aisles of Glee. Read more - members only

Glee new product winners announced

Vivid Arts, Wyevale Nurseries, Fallen fruits and Melcourt Industries were among the winners of the Glee new product awards. Read more - members only

Paul Newbitt with Vivid Arts' Miniature World

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.

Glee to introduce a Retail Power List

Glee should be at capacity this year with increased bookings and well-known names returning. New features will include the Retail Power List and the PetQuip Village. Read more - members only

Chelsea Fringe goes worldwide

If it's on-topic, legal and interesting, then the chances are it can go in the Fringe.  Get involved say organisers of the 3 week Chelsea Fringe Festival. Read more - members only

Advice on edible window boxes at Chelsea Fringe Cake Sunday (Photo from Chelsea Fringe)

Flurry to grab the best spaces as Glee relocates

There was a flurry of activity on tuesday night and Wednesday as exhibitors rushed to book the best spaces in the new Glee layout for 2018. Read more - members only

Scoop for the Green Heart of Glee as leading growers return

Hillier and Farplants are returning to Glee after an absence of some years.  They join other top growers at the exhibition’s Green Heart, which will have more exhibitors than ever. Read more - members only

Images and tales from Hampton Court

Eye catching models from Perennial, a cuddly display from Easigrass and literal interpretations on Franchi Seeds' autistic kitchen garden entertained visitors at Hampton Court. Read more - members only

Rachel de Thame with models on the perennial garden

New Halls for Glee 2017 and 2018

Glee 17 extends to an extra hall as it introduces the Retail Lab @Glee and the first Flemish growers pavilion. Ascential Events has also announced a complete new layout for the UK’s biggest gardening trade show in 2018. Read more - members only

Glee to open a spring show in 2018

Glee has announced today that it is to open a concession within the Spring Fair in 2018, focussing on 3 garden categories.  Read more - members only

2016 - a year of change

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 - open to all

Bunnings buys Homebase

Why visit or exhibit at spoga+gafa

Spoga+gafa is Europe’s biggest garden trade fair.  With the resurgence of Glee, why should UK suppliers and retailers also consider crossing the channel? Read more - members only

National Children’s Gardening Week – Year 2

Initiated last year, the second National Children’s Gardening Week will take place over the spring half term at the end of May. Read more - members only

Glee recognition for the garden retail’s best buyers

Teams from Blue Diamond, Haskins and Homebase were among the five category winners in the first Glee Buyers Power List. Read more - members only

The Homebase buying team led by Heidi Towse (2nd from left)

Top Chelsea Awards for Agralan, Hillier and Taylors Bulbs

Agralan wins garden product of the year at RHS Chelsea, Burncoose Nurseries wins plant of the year. There were golds for Hillier, Vital Earth, Taylors Bulbs. Read more - members only

Agralan's Mike Abel and Alan Frost with the Potato Pot

Toolbank digs into the garden market

Toolbank’s distribution agreement with Crest Garden has given it a platform to dig into the garden market. Garden centre buyers are being invited to register for the distributor’s spring trade shows. Read more - members only

Kent & Stowe tools from Crest Garden

Review of 2014 in the Garden Industry

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 - open to all

Glee gets new advisory board and changes 2015 dates

Glee is to be a Monday to Wednesday show in 2015.  Stand bookings are 3 months ahead of last year and a new Glee Advisory Board gets weighty backing from the industry. Read more - members only

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive