The Gardens Group consists of three garden centres, the most recent opened in March 2006. As specialist retailers of garden plants and premium products, talk us through who your customers are and what they can expect to find on a typical visit to one of these stores?

Customers are varied and although in the main they are mature and experienced gardeners we do have plenty of younger, less experienced gardeners too. We work a lot with schools to encourage children to take up gardening.

You were formed in 1984 as a software and computer supplier with the principle objective of providing complete business solutions. In the early years, what did this involve and how did you expand?

From Aspin’s beginning and until the late 90’s our main product focus was on our AMSolve Accounting and Distribution software developed for the specific processing and reporting requirements of the larger Giftware Trade. Additionally, starting in 1989 we created a specialist application AMSolve module to comprehensively address the stock control and supply-chain replenishment requirements of the Greeting Card Industry.