Awards
Plot to podium: Dobbies to host National Vegetable Society Championships
Dobbies Garden Centre in Dunfermline opens its doors to the National Vegetable Society to host the Scottish Branch Championships for 2025.
Regulation
Extra border checks cancelled ahead of UK-EU deal
The government announced the suspension of extra border checks on plant goods from Ireland ahead of the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) deal with the EU.
Collaboration
Collective bloom: Five visions in tulips
Arit Anderson, Anna Potter, Shane Connolly, Arthur Parkinson, and Kim Murray have collaborated with Sarah Raven to create tulip collections for autumn planting.
Trees & Shrubs
Newton Nursery to boost timber and woodland creation across Scotland
The £26m facility was created to meet woodland targets will help support the sustainable management of national forests and land.
Wildlife
Seeds of concern: How the drought threatens nature’s pantry
With the drought impacting blooms density and endurance, is the heat stress affecting seed and berry yields, posing a danger for food resources for birds?
Exhibitions
Giuseppe Penone: Thoughts in the Roots
Unfolding in and outside of the Serpentine Gallery in London, the exhibition by Italian artist Giuseppe Penone, showcases the relationship between humans and the natural world.
Business
Thrive Street 2025: Mary Portas calls on small businesses to shape the future of UK retail
Retail expert, Mary Portas is seeking innovative small businesses to take part in an initiative championing the vitality and diversity of Britain’s independent retail sector.
Exhibitions
Beyond Botanical: The Modern Vision of Rory McEwen
The Garden Museum will showcase a collection of Rory McEwen’s remarkable paintings of flowers, drying leaves, and decaying vegetables, celebrating one of the 20th century’s greatest botanical painters.
Business
July heat sparks growth in garden centre sales
With the warm July temperatures, averaging 16.8°C, garden centres experienced steady growth with overall revenues up +4% compared to July 2024 and July 2023.
Business
Water Matters: HTA pushes for long term resilience plan
The prolonged hot and dry weather has severely affected the horticultural industry, underscoring the urgent need for long-term water resilience measures, beyond short-term crisis interventions like flood and drought relief.
Events
SGLD tours of Sheffield’s urban greening projects
Part of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers (SGLD) symposium in Sheffield, delegates can explore the City’s most ambitious urban greening and regeneration projects on guided tours.
Wildlife
Hedgehogs struggle as heatwaves continue
Heatwaves in the UK are proving deadly for hedgehogs, with experts sharing urgent warnings as beloved species struggles to survive in the extreme weather.
Tourism
Bath celebrates 250 Years of Jane Austen through flowers
Inspired by Jane Austen’s life and letters, Bath has filled its streets with literary-themed flower displays and installations.
Media
Google versus gardening: Will big tech clip the roots of original content?
Never, has ‘read the small print’ been more appropriate in today’s exponential whirlwind of algorithms and implementation of artificial intelligence functionalities used by Big Tech.
Dids Macdonald OBE, FRSA
Wildlife
London Wildlife Trust: In search of Dragonfly Detectives
To understand more about their distribution, the London Wildlife Trust is looking for ‘Dragonfly Detectives’ to ascertain London’s population of hawkers, chasers, skimmers and damsels
Business
Hestercombe estate goes into administration
The historic, 50 acre Somerset based, Grade I listed Hestercombe House & Garden has fallen into administration.
Trees & Shrubs
Battersea grapefruit tree protected
Tropical tree, brought from Grenada in the 1980’s and growing in Battersea, London has been protected by a Tree Preservation Order.
Gardens
Create, captivate, cultivate: 2026 RHS Flower Shows applications now open
Garden designers are invited to submit their applications to design a show garden for the 2026 RHS Flower Shows at Malvern, Badminton, and Sandringham.
