The story of the British Garden Centres begins in the sleepy Lincolnshire village of Woodthorpe, the home of our company founders, Charles and Robert Stubbs. Charles started the business whilst still at school – he sold seedlings and Leylandii to neighbours and passers-by from a stall at the end of their drive.
Through hard work, determination and drive, the business grew with Woodthorpe Garden Centre, being their first, opening in 1987. The business flourished under the ownership of Charles and brother Robert, becoming famous for, amongst other things, huge sales of compost to keen gardeners from all over the region. Over the years, the brothers’ reputation grew far and wide. They were featured on the local news program Calendar for their entrepreneurial skills.