The death of Charles Notcutt this week – peacefully at home at the age of 81 – has deprived the garden industry of one of its most influential and colourful characters.

Charles was a pioneer of the garden centre movement, joining the family nursery firm in 1958 – the year Notcutts opened its first garden centre at Woodbridge in Suffolk. He became managing director in 1964, a post he held until 1999, overseeing the development of a strong and successful retail chain that today numbers 17 stores, the fourth largest group. He later became chairman, finally retiring from the board in 2008 after 50 years with the firm, taking the role of non-executive president.

Charles served on the council of the HTA from 1959 to 1971 and in 1966 became the first chairman of its Garden Centre Group, forerunner of the Garden Centre Association.

Charles was an enthusiastic plantsman and was proud of the fact that the annual Notcutts catalogue was once second only to the Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs as the nursery stock industry’s ‘bible’. His particular interest was dendrology. He was awarded the OBE for services to horticulture in 1993.

He oversaw the difficult decision to sell the nursery side of the family business in a management buy-out in 2007 in order to concentrate on garden centre interests.

At various times he served on the governing bodies of the John Innes Research Institute, East Malling Research Station and Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Writtle College in Essex and Otley College, Suffolk.

Charles was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1997, Notcutts' centenary year, towards the end of an 11-year spell on the RHS Council. He was vice chairman of Perennial (formerly the Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society) and the first treasurer of the Institute of Horticulture, of which he was president in 1988.

He was involved with both the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and The Farmers’ Club and was Mayor of Woodbridge (his birthplace) in 2012-13. He was a founder member of the town’s rugby club.

A statement from Notcutts this week said: "Over the past few weeks Charles and the family have derived enormous pleasure and comfort from the many cards, letters and measures of support from so many of his friends and colleagues.

"The family will be holding a private burial followed by a memorial service at a later date. Thank you for your support at this sad time."

Above: Charles Notcutt during his mayoral year at Woodbridge.