April’s BoT shows ‘positive’ sales Our Barometer of Trade (BoT) for April has revealed members had another ‘wonderful’ month – with the year-to-date increase now at +12.28% (2025). Data from our garden centres show all 13 categories logged saw a positive increase, when compared to April 2024, with plant sales and core gardening categories in…
Call for applications for Dick Allen Scholarship Award We’re urging members to put forward their staff for the GCA Trust’s Dick Allen Scholarship Award Scheme. Open to GCA garden centre staff The scheme is open to staff within our member garden centres and the recipients of the award will be invited to attend the International…
Grow your own veggies for beginners You don’t have to have a large garden, veg beds or plots, or an allotment to grow vegetables. The best starting point is having a go in containers on your patio or balcony. If you are a newcomer to veggie growing, we recommend you start this year with a…
Grow your own strawberries Enjoy the taste of freshly picked strawberries by growing your own, they’re easy to look after and you don’t need much space, you can even plant them in hanging baskets or containers on a patio. Summer fruiting strawberries produce one large crop of fruit each year between late May and late…
Free peat-free leaflet It’s important for garden centres to help their customers understand that ‘peat-free works differently.’ We have been involved in several projects to assist garden centre staff in this area and to enable them to help customers with this change too. We have produced three short videos in partnership with the Royal Horticultural…
May gardening tips Sometimes it can be a bit bewildering to know what to do in the garden each month, so here are our top eight pointers that should help you: It is very important to keep weeds down this month. Check all wood and fence panels for wear and protect with paint or preservative.…
March BoT reveals furniture & BBQs top garden centre sales Our members recorded a ‘wonderful’ March according to figures posted in our Barometer of Trade (BoT) for the month – with furniture & BBQs up at +57.7% (2025). Statistics from member garden centres show 12 of the 13 sales areas recorded did well, when likened…
Flowers to attract butterflies and moths Butterflies are among the most beautiful wild creatures you can attract to your garden, but they are becoming rarer. You can help reverse this decline by creating a butterfly garden. Plant nectar-rich plants and you will never be without butterflies or moths. Grow a garden with lots of herbs…
Grow your own chillies These colourful fruits can be grown on windowsills and terraces in pots for the enjoyment of both gardeners and cooks. Even if you have just a small outdoor space or a window box, chilli peppers are fun to grow. They can be many colours of the rainbow including green, purple, yellow,…
Tomato growing – our 10 top tips Growing from seed If you are starting tomatoes from seed, be sure to give the seedlings room. Close conditions inhibit their growth, so transplant them as soon as they get their first true leaves and move them into suitable pots about two weeks after that. Tomato seedlings need…