Blue Diamond has bought family garden centre Van Hage, which has a flagship outlet at Great Amwell, Ware; Chenies, near Rickmansworth, and a third Van Hage garden centre at Peterborough, part of the PE1 retail park.
Alongside plants, gifts, home fragrancing, clothing, jewellery, fashion accessories, greeting cards, cookshop/dining products, children’s books and toys, all feature strongly at the flagship centre.
The sale has been confirmed by the Van Hage family, with all colleagues and centres becoming part of Blue Diamond with immediate effect, with the three centres expected to continue to trade under the family name.
Three sites are also involved in a recent Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centresdeal. The company has grown from 12 garden centres in 2019 to 22, along with an online shop, after taking on Rosebourne’s sites at Weyhill, Aldermaston and Hampton-In-Arden.
In addition, British Garden Centres has recently added Whiteleys to its portfolio, renaming it Mirfield to recognise its location. It is the fourth to join the family run operator this year, cementing its position as the second largest garden centre group in the UK, behind Dobbies, which now has 62 outlets throughout England and Wales.
Top: Part of the gift offer at Van Hage’s flagship outlet at Great Amwell, Ware.
