Gardens
Green light for Manchester Digital Campus and city centre park
Planning consent has been granted for the new government office complex in Ancoats, Manchester alongside a new urban park.
Business
elemental: Green design tool launching March 2025
Developed by Nicholsons, the web-based green design tool, ‘elemental’ will be available to garden and landscape designers from March 2025.
Business
HTA and retail crime experts discuss combatting acute garden centre thefts
As concern grows over the growing impact of garden centre theft, the Horticultural Trades Association and business crime experts discuss ways to combat the growing problems of retail crime.
Awards
APL and WorldSkills UK launch 2025 National Landscaping Competition
The 2025 national landscaping competition aims to provide a platform for the industry’s brightest apprentices and learners to showcase their skills on a national stage.
Regulation
HTA Response to Environment Secretary’s Plan for Change Announcement
Designed to ease tension with farmers, the Environment Secretary, Rt Hon Steve Reed MP announced a series of policy announcements at the National Farmers’ Union conference.
Business
Iford Manor Estate to acquire two historic pubs
With their bid accepted, the owners of Iford Manor are poised to take over Cross Guns pub in Avoncliff & The Inn at Freshford.
Business
Garden Centre Association reports January garden centre sales uplift
The Garden Centre Association Barometer of Trade figures for January 2025 revealed a garden centre sales uplift of 3.82% (YOY), paired with disappointing decline of -10.69% on outdoor plant sales.
Business
British Garden Centres opened first of newly acquired stores in Gosforth
British Garden Centres acquired seven Dobbies stores, of which the first in Gosforth was refurbished and opened last weekend for the local community.
Gardens
Greenfingers Charity garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2025
To mark their 25th anniversary, Greenfingers Charity has announced its presence at BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2025 with a specially designed anniversary show garden.
Careers
Sponsorship support for the YPHA
The Young People in Horticulture Association has revealed their first set of confirmed sponsors for 2025-2026 period.
People
Wallace, Gromit & Alan Titchmarsh…
The nation’s favourite gardener makes small ‘appearance’ in the Bafta winning film ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’
Business
Coffee and cocoa prices doubled due to extreme weather
Garden centre cafés and restaurants advised to adapt their strategies to volatile food prices and minimise the impact of crop failures caused by extreme weather.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
First display of funeral floristry at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
A historic first for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Farewell Flowers Directory will be staging an exhibit of funeral floristry in the heart of the Great Pavilion.
Environment
New carbon calculator to assess impact peatland restoration methods
New innovative carbon calculating tool has been developed to assess the most sustainable methods to restore damaged peat bogs across the UK
Products
Gardening innovations seen at the 2025 Garden Press Event
With an eye on ingenuity, creativity and sustainability, herewith a selection of some of the products, innovations and solutions spotted at the 2025 Garden Press Event.
Environment
Peat-free education collaboration
Growing media producers, horticultural retailers, manufacturers, NGOs and trade bodies are working together to provide consistent guidance and messaging on peat-free usage.
Charity
Alzheimer’s Research UK appointed as Dobbies National Charity Partner
In celebration of its 160th anniversary, Dobbies Garden Centres appoints Alzheimer’s Research UK as its national charity partner.
Gardens
Blakedown Landscapes contracted for Horniman Museum and Gardens Nature + Love project
Appointed as the principal contractor, Blakedown Landscapes will be delivering the landscaping works for the Horniman Museum and Gardens Nature + Love redevelopment project.
Business
January garden centre sales down 2%
The latest Market Update by the Horticultural Trades Association shows that overall UK garden centres sales in January declined by 2% compared to January 2024.
RHS
RHS and BBC One The One Show 2025 Pocket Garden Makeover Competition
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and BBC One’s The One Show have announced the return of the Pocket Garden Makeover Prize.
