Planters have bought Brookfields Garden Centre, Nottinghams Premier Independent Garden Centre, to grow their business to 4 garden centres across the Midlands plus 4 high street Every Occasion Card Shops.

Company Director, Gerald Ingram told GTN Xtra: "The negotiations have taken over a year but we got there today. The Clower family have owned and run the centre for over 60 years. They have taken the centre forwards with a great restaurant, Arthurs, a wonderful pet and Aquatic centre, great gifts and some fantastic plant care.

"One of the big attractions of the centre was the management team who will be staying in place to take the centre forward under our ownership. We plan on keeping the Brookfields name although eventually branding it Planters Brookfields.

"We eventually hope to develop a covered plant area as we have at Bretby and Tamworth, increase the covered heated area and expand the restaurant including separate Coffee shop.  Our plan is to increase the turnover by 50% in a relatively short time span and get Brookfields into the Top 20 GCA audit results.

"Its great news that the centre remains an independent and we have the opportunity to build on its previous successes."

Planters existing garden centres are: Planters Tamworth, Planters Bretby, Garden King at Swadlincote, Derbyshire.