Leaf Creative Garden Centre, located in Huntley just off the A40, recently went into administration after eight years of operation. However, the garden centre’s future has been secured just days later, as Blue Diamond Garden Centres stepped in to acquire the business.
Since opening in 2018, Leaf Creative has built a strong reputation for its high-quality plants, creative displays, and innovative horticultural practices. With Blue Diamond’s takeover, the new owners plan to not only preserve these qualities but enhance them further.
Blue Diamond Garden Centres is one of the UK’s largest garden centre groups, operating 52 sites across the country and employing approximately 4,700 staff. Within Gloucestershire, Blue Diamond already manages 3 Shires Garden Centre in Newent and Nailsworth Garden Centre.
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Alan Roper, Managing Director of Blue Diamond, commented on the acquisition: “We have purchased the business from the administrators. It’s a smaller centre than we typically acquire, so under normal circumstances, I would have passed on the opportunity. However, having developed a positive relationship with Peter Dowle, the owner, we worked together with the administrators to reach a satisfactory outcome for all.”
Peter Dowle, founder and lead designer at Leaf Creative Garden Centre, expressed optimism about the future: “Joining the Blue Diamond family means continuing all the things our customers love, supported by our fantastic team, but with even more exciting developments ahead. A revamp of the plant area is already underway as part of the new-look Leaf, while our original DNA remains firmly intact.”
Despite the change in ownership, the Leaf Creative Gardens design team remains busy, preparing for a major new exhibit at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Their creation will feature an immersive journey through drought-resistant landscapes, tropical greenhouses showcasing UK-grown tropical plants and dramatic waterfalls, mist-filled groves of Japanese maples and flowering dogwoods, scented jasmine arches, vertical herb allotments, and a contemporary twist on a traditional cottage garden framed by climbing roses.
Last year, Leaf Creative Gardens played a key role in helping Blue Diamond earn its first-ever Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. This collaboration underscores the ongoing partnership and shared vision between the two businesses.