Loughborough College and SMB Group
English Sweet Peas and Roger Parsons
Garden centres under new ownership this year:
Daisy Nook Garden Centre in Manchester has new owners, J Parkers, who took over on March 17.
Dobbies takeovers have led business ownership changes so far in 2025.
- Pennine Garden Centre: Yorkshire Garden Centres
- Gloucester, Gosforth, Morpeth (Heighley Gate), Northampton. Rugby, Havant and Reading (Shinfield): British Garden Centres
- Harlestone Heath, Aylesbury and Huntingdon: Blue Diamond
- Hare Hatch: Squire’s
- Stratford (Warwick): Stratford Garden Centre
- Six “Little Dobbies”: various retail/cafés, including Gail’s Bakery
- Stapleton Woodlands: Gates
- Rowena: APAC
Carnon Downs Garden Centre in Cornwall is the fourth site for Homeleigh.
Chelston Nurseries, located near Wellington in Somerset, has been sold to local garden centre operator Devon and Cornwall in Launceston, Bude and Crediton. Richard King, who owns sites in Sidmouth and Exmouth, trading as Kings Garden and Leisure.
Ansell Garden Centre has been leased by Mayank Shukla. Chard Garden Centre is going to a local buyer.
Colin Roberts' The Gardening Club has taken over the running of Hare Hatch Sheeplands Garden Centre in Berkshire.
Berry breeder Planasa has acquired ABZ Seeds, the breeder of seed-propagated F1 hybrid strawberry varieties.
Pro-Force has acquired Driven Recruitment, a recruitment specialist based in Birmingham since 2002 run by Thomas Blewett and Neal Morris.
TOBS, formerly known as The Old Basket Supply, has been acquited by Pacific Lifestyle.
Cibus Capital, an investment advisory firm specialising in sustainable food and agriculture, has announced the completion of the merger of two companies: ISO Horti (ISO), a leader in horticultural robotics and automation, and TTA, specialists in robotic transplanting and sorting solutions. The combined company will operate under the name TTA-ISO.
