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Horticulture Week would like to thank its readers after reaching a record quarter of a million people during April so far. Source: Garden1

Mairi Gougeon, Scottish rural affairs and environment minister, has said Scottish garden centres can sell online after emergency legislation. Source: Garden1

There are more than 650 National Plant Collections across the UK, containing 95,000 garden plants from orchids to oaks. Source: Garden1

The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA)’s latest (now) weekly Covid-19 financial update said forecast growth in DIY and garden expenditure for 2020 had dropped from £11.4bn to £10bn compared to 2019. Source: Garden1

The UK’s second largest nursery for ornamental plants and flowers, Newey Ltd, is finally getting orders from DIY retailers and supermarkets and is lobbying hard for garden centres to follow suit shortly. Source: Garden1

Garden centre trade show is scheduled to go ahead for 15-17 September. Source: Garden1

South Downs MP Andrew Griffith and his near neighbour Nick Gibb MP has backed proposals to support garden centres opening as part of a first wave of measures to loosen the lockdown enforced to help control the spread of COVID-19. Source: Garden1

Garden centres could re-open before mid-May but need to know as soon as possible to plan for safe trading, says HTA chairman James Barnes. Source: Garden1

Source: Garden1

A campaign group has called upon the Government to abolish the current Sunday trading restrictions as part of a broader package of deregulation to help retailers recover from the impact of coronavirus. Source: Garden1

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has attacked the stricken garden industry for a second time in a few weeks, this time criticising garden centres, which have been forced to shut and are facing ruin because of the coronavirus lockdown. Source: Garden1

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has attacked the stricken garden industry for a second time in a few weeks, this time criticising garden centres, which have been forced to shut and are facing ruin because of the coronavirus lockdown. Source: Garden1

NFU president Minette Batters and horticulture and potatoes board chairman Ali Capper said regarding supermarkets “more can be done in the coming weeks to play their part in supporting the ornamentals sector”. Source: Garden1

Jonathan Gardner originally wrote to his MP as his wife has a small nursery employing anywhere up to 50 employees but said he is “staggered” that garden centres can’t re-open while fast food is deemed ‘essential’. Source: Garden1

“Obviously it has been a massive shock to the system,” says Haskins chief executive Julian Winfield, who sees a postive future for garden centres when they are allowed to re-open but predicts issues around Christmas, bedding, bulbs, footfall and Source: Garden1

Domoney asked that the Government support the seasonal bedding industry and garden centres and recognise that plants are an essential for mental and physical wellbeing. Source: Garden1

SmartPlant is asking the public to ‘give old plants new life’ during lockdown to save the gardening industry and help raise money for NHS. Source: Garden1

British Retail Consortium figures show footfall declines. Source: Garden1

Forest Garden has seen sales of raised beds, planters and greenhouses rise up to 50% of their sales year-to-date in a one week. Source: Garden1

Malcolm Scott Consultants’ Chris Primett says garden centres want to carry on with plans. Source: Garden1