The Gardens Group

Castle Gardens is situated in the grounds of the kitchen gardens of Sherborne Castle. Mike and Louise Burks set up a garden centre on the site in 1987. When they arrived it was badly overgrown and derelict. The business soon developed on the basis of high quality plants and horticultural expertise backed up by excellent customer service.

In 1992 Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil opened within the Fruit Farm alongside the Farm Shop. The site has developed over the years with the inclusion of the Apple Tree Restauarant and Farm Shop with a strong focus on local produce and homemade food.

A third garden centre opened in March 2006. Set in redundant Victorian farm buildings the site is in the centre of Poundbury, Dorchester - the village being created by HRH The Prince of Wales. The buildings have been carefully restored with minor adaptations to create a unique garden centre. Working with the Duchy of Cornwall many eco friendly features are being utilised including the collection of rainwater for irrigation, the use of waste packaging to heat the site and the inclusion of bat roosting boxes. James Foster-Pegg who joined the company in 1993 became a director in 2006 with responsibility for Poundbury Gardens.

Prince Charles has been a regular visitor and has taken a keen interest in the project. A recent scheduled two-minute visit stretched to 20 minutes as the features of the new centre absorbed him.

From a team of 5 in 1987 the business now employs over 130 staff. The original ideals of high quality plants, expertise and customer service still hold true and are the backbone of the business.

The Gardens Group consists of;

Our Garden Centres;
Castle Gardens New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR
Brimsmore Gardens, Tintinhull Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 3NU
Poundbury Gardens, Peverell Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3RT

Our Restaurants;
The Walled Garden Restaurant at Castle Gardens
The Apple Tree Restaurant at Brimsmore Gardens
The Engine Room Restaurant at Poundbury Gardens

Our Farm Shop;
The Apple Tree Farm Shop at Brimsmore Gardens

Our Plant Loan;
Plant Fantasy available at all centres

Our Customer Club;
The Gold Club is available at all sites with the office based at Castle Gardens and has Junior, Individual and Corporate members.