By the bye
Festive lawn competition
The Lawn Association has launched a festive competition to celebrate the lawn in December and January.
Charity
Botanical gardens amongst the £16.7 million grant recipients of the Julia Rausing Trust
Charitable fund, the Julia Rausing Trust has awarded £16.7 million in heritage grants to UK cathedrals, botanic gardens, and museums and galleries
Charity
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum granted £190,000 for community project
The Julia Rausing Trust has awarded the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum a £190,000 grant to invest in a community-led tree planting project
Events
Hever Castle & Gardens to host Plant Fairs Roadshow in 2025
Childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle & Gardens will host their first Plant Fairs Roadshow in March 2025
Exhibitions
STONE at Falconhurst
In the summer of 2025, Nicola Talbot, custodian of Falconhurst in Kent, will once again host STONE, the exhibition that celebrates some of the very best of British sculpture.
Business
STIGA Autonomous robot mower on show at ‘L’Italia dei Brevetti’
As an example of innovation in green maintenance, the STIGA Autonomous Robot Lawn Mower is on display at ‘L’Italia dei Brevetti: Invenzioni e Innovazioni di Successo’ organised by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.
Design
Finalists for Society of Garden Designers 2025 Student Awards announced
The Society of Garden Designers has announced the finalists for the 2025 SGD Student Awards.
Business
Melcourt Industries appoints Nikki Burton as Managing Director
The supplier of mulches and peat-free growing media, Melcourt Industries has appointed, Operations Director Nikki Burton as Managing Director.
Media
Kimberley Hornby George appointed Garden Media Guild Co-Chair
Kimberley Hornby George has been appointed Co-Chair of the Garden Media Guild, sharing the role with Alexandra Campbell
People
Tom Stuart-Smith awarded ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ title
The Royal Society of Arts has awarded landscape architect, Tom Stuart-Smith the title of Royal Designer for Industry for sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society.
Gardens
Fifteen new gardens become RHS Partner Gardens
With gardens across the UK, France and Italy, fifteen unique gardens become Royal Horticultural Society Partner Gardens in 2025.
Charity
New additions to the YPHA operations team
The Young People in Horticulture Association has formed a new operations team to work alongside the committee to streamline communications, boost event planning, and enhance member wellbeing.
Charity
Record National Garden Scheme donations in 2024
2024 proved to be another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme with the charity donating a record £3,501,227 to nursing and health beneficiaries from this year’s garden opening season.
Environment
Fungi translocation to restore woodlands
A nature restoration experiment, Forestry England is moving soil rich in vital fungi from an ancient woodland to a newly planted site in North Yorkshire.
Exhibitions
John Morley exhibition: the artist gardener
Rare opportunity to see John Morley’s paintings and pastels of flowers, fruits and plants, in his first solo exhibition in over 30 years.
Media
Garden Press Event 2025 visitor booking opens
Registration for the one-day exhibition for the gardening media, hosted by the HTA and GIMA, is now open.
Charity
Festive fashion challenge for Greenfingers
Chris Moncrieff and Kimberley Hornby will be undertaking the 2024 challenge of wearing different Christmas jumpers over the course of December to raise funds for the Greenfingers charity.
Research
Phytophthora ramorum sniffer dogs
Innovative project by Forest Research, successfully trains detection dogs to specifically identify the tree pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum
Gardens
New culinary venture, the Cordia Collective to open at Borde Hill in 2025
Green Michelin star chef, Chantelle Nicholson will be opening the Cordia Collective within the Grade II listed country estate, Borde Hill.
Collaboration
Alitex & Claverton Cloches
Alitex have announced a commercial collaboration with Claverton Cloches, combining the craftsmanship of both brands into a special edition, garden cloche.