HTA encourage all to celebrate 2012 with red, white and blue bedding plants

The HTA Bedding Plant Group has announced a list of red, white and blue (and gold) bedding plants that they are recommending for planting in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. The plants, which are all grown in volume by the trade, will be readily accessible to garden retailers and customers.

The [...]

Beat the Cold

With weather forecasters warning that the UK may suffer from the coldest Winter in decades the Royal Horticultural Society is advising gardeners to get prepared.

“Admittedly it is difficult to predict the long term weather forecast but when it comes to gardening there’s no harm in preparing for the worst and now is the [...]

Embrace new technology and reach younger gardeners

The latest HTA Market Update reports Garden Retail Monitor data showing that garden centre sales were up 6% to the end of August on 2010 with improved sales in August (+7%) following a disappointing June (-12%) and July (+2%). The update also highlights that despite rising inflation and a stuttering economic recovery the outlook [...]

Outbreak of Phytophthora lateralis in Devon

An outbreak of Phytophthora lateralis has been confirmed on Lawson’s cypress at an industrial site in southwest England. This is the first confirmed finding of P. lateralis in England though there have been outbreaks in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as in

Figure 1. Single infected mature Lawson’s cypress tree Photo courtesy of Forestry Commission

the [...]

‘It’s time for change,’ John Stanley tells garden retailers

Global garden retail guru John Stanley of John Stanley Associates has told garden centres ‘it’s time for change’ if they want to survive and thrive into the future.

Launching his new White Paper ‘Vision 2020: The Independent Garden Centre Industry, The Challenges and Opportunities in the Next Decade’ to an audience of around 150 [...]

Citrus longhorn beetle finding in Greater Manchester

A Citrus longhorn beetle, Anoplophora chinensis, was found recently by a member of the public in a private garden in Greater Manchester.  This beetle is a non-native, quarantine pest which is extremely damaging to a wide range of broadleaved trees and shrubs.

The beetle emerged from a Japanese maple (Acer sp.), leaving a characteristic exit hole [...]

Thinking of buying daffodils?

The cheerful sight of blooming daffodils has long signalled the beginning of spring, but now is the time gardeners will be thinking of which bulbs to buy.

With this in mind, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is advising people to look for bulbs with an Award of Garden Merit (AGM). The RHS has awarded [...]

Outbreak of Potato spindle tuber viroid in a tomato production nursery

An outbreak of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) has been confirmed at a tomato production nursery in the north of England. This is the second outbreak of this viroid in the UK. The first was in Kent in 2003, also on a tomato crop. The viroid is listed as a quarantine organism in EU and UK [...]

Keeping pets healthy during hot weather

Important information for all pet owners as the temperatures rise this summer

Extra care should be taken to protect pets in the current hot weather, Defra’s Chief Vet Nigel Gibbens said today. In a statement issued jointly with the RSPCA and British Veterinary Association, Mr Gibbens urged the public to think about the effects [...]

Gardeners Urged To Fix Their Leaks

Gardeners who use poorly maintained hose systems could be wasting millions of litres of water needlessly this summer, according to Hozelock, the leading manufacturer of garden irrigation equipment.

Most drips and leaks are caused by worn out rubber seals in the connectors which join a hose to the tap or to a watering tool [...]