The Garden Centre Group has teamed up with Westminster Kingsway College to develop a new apprenticeship programme focussing on professional cookery in garden centre restarants. 

More than 300 delegates attended the three-day Garden Centre Association annual conference, which took place at the Crowne Plaza Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, this week. 

DIY and hardware independents' sales slipped in the last quarter of 2012 when compared to 2011 - but they were among the better performers in a generally gloomy picture. 

Grosvenor Garden Centre saw sales decline by 4% from £6.53m to £6.24m in the year to April 1 2012, according to new accounts filed at Companies House. But the company also achieved a rise in gross margin in the period - its final year of trading as an independent business before being bought by Blue Diamond. 

Panto horse costumes, welly tossing and dancing to the Black Eyed Peas were the order of the day for participants in the GCA Olympics - the traditional opening event of the annual GCA conference. 

Topps Tiles grew its sales and profits in the year to September 29 2012. But DIY Week analysis of the accounts filed recently at Companies House shows that stockturn declined, and operating margin is still well below the level achieved two years ago. 

An internal 40 ft wall crushed two men at the Connacht Gold DIY and Garden Centre in Longford, Co. Galway on Tuesday. 

QD Stores has further expanded its Cherry Lane Garden Centre portfolio with the acquisition of Bradmore Garden Centre in Nottinghamshire. 

Kingfisher-owned B&Q Ireland is seeking examinership after filing a petition with the High Court in Dublin today (January 31). 

Dimplex has successfully defended four statements in a leaflet about its electric storage heaters after someone complained to the advertising watchdog that they were misleading. 

Members of the Garden Centre Association (GCA) are celebrating this week after a large number received prizes at the organisation's annual conference. 

Sales at Haskins' four garden centres in southern England fell by 11% to £21.8m in the year to February 26 2012, according to new accounts filed at Companies House. 

People eating hot food out of melamine tableware have been found to have raised levels of the toxic chemical in their bodies. 

DIY Week and diyweek.net are giving almost £600 to charity, thanks to suppliers who entered the 2012 DIY Week Awards. 

Dragon's Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, who took over DIY chain Robert Dyas last year, is reportedly in the running to purchase failed retailers HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster. 

Garden centre chain Squires achieved substantial growth in the 12 months to July 31 2012, according to accounts filed at Companies House recently. 

Carpet and flooring retailer Carpetright has released results for the 13 weeks to January 26, 2013, revealing sales up 1.6%, a LfL boost of 3.2%. 

Poppyfield Garden Centre in Snettisham, Norfolk, fell victim to fish thieves last week - 46 valuable koi carp were snatched from a covered pond. 

Providing "warmth, reassurance and comfort", Indigo Night has been chosen as 2013's Colour of the Year by Dulux. 

Independent electrical specialist Hughes Electrical has expanded its presence in Cambridge by relocating its store in the city.