Chris and Mary Leslie, from Busy Bee, Ryde, are hanging up their gardening gloves and retiring from the business.
Formed in 1987, the garden centre started out with just a greenhouse and a polytunnel, eventually growing into an Island attraction, famed for its Christmas World.
Mary and Chris said: “In particular, we have always enjoyed setting up our Christmas displays which we have tried to make more magical each year!
“We have very much welcomed your custom over the years, and the friendly faces that have regularly visited our centre. We will miss you all.”
As previously reported by the County Press, Busy Bee has been sold to the Blue Diamond group.
On the sale, Mary and Chris said: “We have wanted to ensure that Busy Bee remains as a garden centre, as we view our staff as our wider family.
“We are excited that Busy Bee will now join the Blue Diamond group, which has a fantastic collection of garden centres across the country.
“They have exciting plans for Busy Bee, which we look forward to being implemented over the coming months and years.”
Plans include a “complete revamp” of the centre due to start after the festive period, with the aim of finishing in March.
Mary and Chris Leslie from Busy Bee Garden Centre(Image: Busy Bee)
How the garden centre looked when it started out(Image: Busy Bee)
“There will also be a new food department, new home department, new plant department, new gardening department – new everything”, Alan Roper, managing director of Blue Diamond, told the CP.
Before departing for good, Chris and Mary will be at Busy Bee tonight for an exclusive preview event of Christmas World, for reward members.
The couple said: “To all of our staff (current and past) and of course to our customers we would like to say a very big THANK YOU – it’s been an incredible journey, one which we are immensely proud of.”
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