Despite temperamental weather, sales performed well at GCA garden centres during the month of May, up 15% compared with last year according to the group's Barometer of Trade results.
Seeds and bulbs saw a particularly bumper month, up 39% since last year. Outdoor plants were up 18% and hard landscaping improved to the tune of 33%.

"May was a good month all round for our member garden centres," said GCA chairman Peter Burks, "with all areas performing well. It was apparent from sales lots of people were out in their gardens planting both hardy nursery stock and bedding plants, as well as seeds."

Garden sundries were up 20%, furniture and barbecues up 7%, food hall and farm shop up 15% and catering up 16%.

Mr Burks added: "We are thrilled to have had a good May, following a strong April, but unfortunately this still hasn't allowed our members to recoup losses they saw during the first few months of the year."

The overall year to date figure for May stands at 2.39% down.

Individual member centres were keen to share their positive results. Director of Langlands, which owns Leeds and Shiptonthorpe Garden Centres, James Ducker, enthused: "May was a fantastic month for our garden centres, with Leeds finishing the month 47% up and Shiptonthorpe 16% up.

"We saw increased footfall in both centres and people were definitely buying in volume and spending more. At our Leeds store seeds and bulbs were up 147% and outdoor plants up 62% while garden furniture and barbecues were up 38% at our centre in Shiptonthorpe."