With just six weeks to go until mid-Summer’s day, in a pre-pandemic year with weather as cold as it has been this March, April and May, we would all have been bemoaning the weather and blaming that for poor sales of plants and garden furniture while banking on garden centre restaurants and coffee shops to keep footfall and turnover up...

Clear ‘N’ Collect is capable of much more than the typical garden rake or simply clearing dead leaves. Moss, twigs, prunings, brambles, thorns and more are amassing in areas that will soon need to be ship shape if we’re to make the most of the Summer ahead and Clear ‘N’ Collect can shift the lot of them...

As the world’s number one selling wood-pellet fired grill and with the current short supply of fuel for gas-fired grills, what better time than to consider swapping to a superb Traeger 885 wood fired grill – readily available for delivery nationwide...

Blue Diamond have reported a record year in their 2020 Report and Accounts with profit before tax up 64% to £23.5m on sales up 11% to £201m and they have also announced the Garden Centre Group will be designing an Artisan Garden at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show when it returns in September (20-26th September)...

Dobbies Garden Centres has revealed that its next two little dobbies stores will open in London on Chiswick High Road and Westbourne Grove.

Family run garden centre business Creative Gardens is not just re-opening its three award winning garden centres after the  Covid lockdown in Northern Ireland but has taken the exciting step of adding a new centre to the group. The Logwood Mill centre, located near Ballyclare, will be known to many as it has been an existing garden centre for many years...

To ensure everyone feels safe and secure at Glee in September, organisers Hyve has prepared a list of ‘Safe & Secure’ guidelines. You can find out a lot more about what this means to visitors and exhibitors at the show in two new videos.

Greenfingers Charity is thrilled to once again be working with RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Ann-Marie Powell. The charity’s latest project to deliver a garden design masterplan for The Nook, a children’s hospice in the heart of Norfolk, brings together Ann-Marie’s inspirational, professional expertise and passion for well-being through nature...

Plant sales dropped by 13% last week as the cool summer weather had an impact on gardening activity...

Visitors to the new BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair at Beaulieu in Hampshire, which takes place on 28th to 30th May, will experience a stunning four-part garden display when they make a stop at the all-new Hillier Experience. Details of the exhibit, which takes visitors from dawn to dusk, have now been unveiled...

Horticultural solutions and products specialist, Fargro Limited, is preparing for growth in 2021 following the completion of a successful sponsor-backed management buy-out...

A new Plant Passport e-learning module, developed and funded by Defra, has been launched by the HTA, in conjunction with the Animal & Plant Health Agency. The first 10,000 courses are free and the module is voluntary to use. 

Squire’s Garden Centres has donated £4,230 to Greenfingers. The donation represents the proceeds of the government 5p carrier bag tax which has been raised by Squire’s over the last two years. 

Sarah Squire (Squire’s Garden Centres) presenting the carrier bag cheque to Linda Petrons (Greenfingers).

Throughout National Mental Health Awareness Week, Evergreen Garden Care employees had the opportunity to get hands-on making herb planters, take part in a live ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ session and were encouraged to practice  ‘Shinrin Yoku’ – the Japanese art of Forest Bathing. A highlight of the week was a live session with Miracle-Gro ambassador and horticulturalist David Domoney, who delivered an online talk with 50 employees about the positive impact of plants and gardening on all aspects of mental wellness, and finished off with a horticultural Q&A session...

Haskins Garden Centre in Roundstone has won The Brighton Argus ‘Garden Centre of the Year 2021’ Award after being nominated by readers in the Sussex region...

Tony Blake, founder of St Peters Garden Centre in Norton, Worcester, first dreamt about creating a wildlife area on the site back in 2012 when housing developments were quickly spreading in the local area. Last year, his son Will, now the Managing Director, began to make this a reality, and in May 2021, Poppy’s Farm will open for visitors...

Will Blake's two passions are the environment and his family – hence Poppy’s Farm, named after his daughter, and Oliver’s allotment, named after his son.

Virtually indestructible, sustainable, self-watering and trend-led design – it’s not hard to see why Primeur’s multi-award-winning Tierra Verde planters are proving so popular with garden retailers up and down the country...

Southern Trident has joined hands with Child Rights and You (CRY), India’s most trusted NGO which works directly with and for underprivileged children in India at grassroots level to bring about lasting change...

Namgrass, the UK’s leading artificial grass company, has announced the launch of its new eco-friendly artificial grass products enriched with Pureti. Known for its air quality improvement and sustainable elements, Pureti coated Namgrass is now available across all grasses within the company’s product line...

DJ Turfcare has confirmed it will be attending the return of the in-person garden retail exhibition, Glee, this September (14th-16th September, NEC Birmingham)...

In GTN's April issue of news and information for garden centre professionals:

• Back to the NEC for Glee!
• Life – Norfolk Leisure Style
• 1000 years and growing at Coolings
• Investment is back on the agenda for garden centres
• Pictures of a Record Easter from Aylett Nurseries, Burston Garden Centre and Scotsdales
• Unprecedented demand leads to stock shortages
• Enhancing our understanding of New Gardeners
• GIMA Charity Golf Day returns this summer
• B-bag takes Extreme Lounging to new places
  LOFA Update – Are we over the worst of the shortages?
• HTA Column – Success Brings Stress

Dobbies is marking World Bee Day  (May 20) with a virtual event hosted by natural and organic health and beauty company, Neal’s Yard Remedies...

National Children’s Gardening Week is teaming up with Peppa Pig, Regatta Great Outdoors, and Save the Children to inspire children and families to get outside and enjoy gardening...