Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre will become the Home and Garden Group’s tenth centre next week.

Home & Garden’s owner and chairman Paul Chessum also owns Chessum Plants, one of Europe’s largest rose growers. The garden centre business is run by his daughter, Karen Gill, and son, David White.

Leighton Buzzard GC, started in 1994 by brothers Stuart and Martin Hammond, will be run by Home & Garden on a 15-year lease.

David White said the new operators wanted to maintain the centre’s family atmosphere and planned to invest in new stock, polytunnels and other developments to improve the shopping experience.

Among the enhancements will be a new Blossom Café coffee shop.