Busy Bee Garden Centre at Ryde on the Isle of WIght is to become Blue Diamond's 52nd garden centre at the start of September.

Staff were informed last week that Blue Diamond were buying the award winning centre from Chris and Mary Leslie who started the business in 1987.

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond MD, told GTN Xtra: "They first approached me 7 years ago and my thoughts were not another island! 

"I went to see them in April this year on the IOW after they approached me again. They are a lovely couple who have invested years of passion into the business including rebuilding the centre 12 years ago. These discoveries and finding it's only 10 minutes on a hovercraft to get to the IOW! I decided to proceed. We are aiming to takeover on 1st September.

"It's a much loved garden centre by the community and I believe we can enhance this business particularly in plants.

"News of the acquisition has been met with positivity by the Busy Bee team."

Busy Bee's customers voted in their thousands for them to become winners in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2023.