There has been a 51% increase in the number of visits to garden centre cafes over the last three years according to the latest Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) report. 

The nation's favourite summer bedding plant has been uprooted from the beds of the country's biggest garden centres due to an outbreak of an airborne and fungicide-resistant mildew. 

The government has released figures suggesting that the number of loft insulations being carried out in UK homes will significantly drop once the new Green Deal comes into effect in October. 

The DIY giant has extended its own-brand gardening, outdoor leisure and garden power ranges for the 2012 season, as well as locking in TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh for another year as an ambassador for the group. 

The plumbing and heating business, which deals exclusively online, says an increase in customer demand for new boilers, radiators, and kitchen and bathroom makeovers means it is on track to record sales of £16million by the end of June 2012. 

High-value power tools and fires stolen from Wolverhampton DIY store in early hours of Monday, January 16. 

The BRC's Retail Crime Survey has today revealed that the overall cost of retail crime has soared to £1.4bn, as the sector is increasingly targeted by "serious, organised criminals". 

"They knew exactly what they were looking for," said Steve Mole, the owner of Manor Garden Centre in Leasowe, Merseyside. 

The Horticultural Trades Association has joined forces with Hortipak to provide a new range of point of sale materials for each plant featured in the 2012 Plant of the Month calendar.
 

Manufacturer of plastic household products, What More UK has won big for its outstanding growth in export sales. 

Paint brand Johnstone's has renewed its longstanding sponsorship of The Johnstone's Paint Trophy for a further three seasons. 

Home improvement retailer posts 2.6% like-for-like sales decline for 18 weeks from August 28 to December 31 but still manages to grow gross margin during "volatile" trading period. 

Homebase parent reveals plans to call time on its UK homewares trial format, closing all four HomeStore & More stores by the end of February. 

Strong pre-Christmas sales of National Garden gift vouchers and the new gift card will coax more customers into garden centres and nurseries in coming months, says the HTA. 

The British homewares retailer reported sales reaching £299.9m in the 26 week period to December 2011, which its attributes to the group's continued development programme. 

Following on from the 36% drop in revenue reported at the end of its last financial year, Topps Tiles' latest interim management statement has revealed that its financial position is unchanged after what it describes as a "tough" first quarter. 

Brushware supplier is listed in The Telegraph's rundown of 1,000 mid-sized firms that it feels have "weathered the recession and are set to be the foundation of the UK's recovery". 

PPG Architectural Coatings - the second largest supplier of Paint and sundry products - has signed up for the Rainy Day Trust's Partnership scheme. 

A record year of new store openings has helped fuel Pets at Home's sales growth for the first half ended September 2011. 

According to Gazette listings the number of retailers who have fallen into administration over the past year has gone from 165 to 183 - and financial experts predict worse to come in Q1 2012.