September saw a second month's rise in garden centre and nursery sales, according to the Horticultural Trades Association's garden retail monitor.
Sales were 3% higher compared with the same month last year, following a similar increase in August. The September results bring the year to date figure to 8% behind the first nine months of last year, an improvement on the 10% deficit reported last month.

"It is very encouraging to see two successive months of growth being reported by members", said HTA director of marketing and communications Andrew Maxted. "While it remains early days, there are increasing signs that the squeeze on consumer spending may be beginning to ease and this, coupled with a rediscovery of the benefits of autumn gardening, are reflected in members' sales.

"Reports of members giving a renewed emphasis to bulbs, shrubs, lawn and other garden care products, many making great use of the HTA's Plan it, Plant it this Autumn campaign materials and in a number of cases choosing to delay bringing in Christmas displays, appear to have caught the consumer mood this autumn. Clearly UK consumers have not lost the gardening habit and this augurs well for the industry for next year."

The HTA garden retail monitor reports sales data supplied by HTA member garden centres and retail nurseries.