Wyevale
Encyclopedia
The Garden Centre Group is a chain of 130 garden centre
s in the United Kingdom. Prior to 2009, it was known as Wyevale Garden Centres.
It was voted 'Best Garden Centre 2009' in an online poll by Gardeners' World
Magazine.
This change reflects the fact that the Group owns a large number of historic and important garden centre brands, which the company wishes to preserve and enhance in the future.
The Group encompasses Blooms, Country Gardens, Bridgemere, Heighley Gate, Jack's Patch, Old Barn, Sanders, Woodlands and Wyevale, as well as many smaller centres like Syon Park
, one of the very first 'gardening centres'.
Wyevale is a very important brand, which was originally a nursery started by the Williamson family in the 1930s in Hereford and later became a garden centre in 1967. It is not the intention to diminish the brand in any way but rather work to re-establish it as a great name in horticulture.
The Group is in the process of changing the external signage on all the garden centres. This is intended to give all centres their own unique identity and enable them to work more closely with their local community.
where a local nursery had been selling plants by mail-order since the 1930s.
In 1987, it became a PLC
and was listed on the London Stock Exchange
.
In February 2009,following the collapse of the Icelandic investment company Baugur Group
who had a large stake in the firm, the Bank of Scotland became the majority owner of the firm in a debt-for-equity deal.
Garden centre
A garden centre is a retail firm that sells plants and products related to gardens as its primary business. It is open to the public, with facilities to care for and display plants.- UK :...
s in the United Kingdom. Prior to 2009, it was known as Wyevale Garden Centres.
It was voted 'Best Garden Centre 2009' in an online poll by Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
Magazine.
Name change
In 2009, the decision was made to change the company name to The Garden Centre Group.This change reflects the fact that the Group owns a large number of historic and important garden centre brands, which the company wishes to preserve and enhance in the future.
The Group encompasses Blooms, Country Gardens, Bridgemere, Heighley Gate, Jack's Patch, Old Barn, Sanders, Woodlands and Wyevale, as well as many smaller centres like Syon Park
Syon House
Syon House, with its 200-acre park, is situated in west London, England. It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is now his family's London residence...
, one of the very first 'gardening centres'.
Wyevale is a very important brand, which was originally a nursery started by the Williamson family in the 1930s in Hereford and later became a garden centre in 1967. It is not the intention to diminish the brand in any way but rather work to re-establish it as a great name in horticulture.
The Group is in the process of changing the external signage on all the garden centres. This is intended to give all centres their own unique identity and enable them to work more closely with their local community.
History
The first Wyevale Garden Centre was opened in the 1960s on Kings Acre Road in HerefordHereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
where a local nursery had been selling plants by mail-order since the 1930s.
In 1987, it became a PLC
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
and was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
In February 2009,following the collapse of the Icelandic investment company Baugur Group
Baugur Group
Baugur Group was an Icelandic investment company. The group applied for bankruptcy protection in February 2009, after placing its UK arm in administration.- History :...
who had a large stake in the firm, the Bank of Scotland became the majority owner of the firm in a debt-for-equity deal.