AN AWARD-WINNING landscaping and garden design firm has a new owner.

Scenic Blue (UK), the Faversham-based Chelsea Flower Show gold medal-winning company, has been sold to Marshalls Plc for an undisclosed sum.

Scenic Blue is the UK’s first and only garden design and landscaping franchise business. It was formed in 1997 and now has more than 30 franchisees across the country.

Its sale brings to an end a long involvement with the business for Desmond High, Maidstone-based director of EMC Corporate Finance.

Mr High has been the company’s part-time finance director since 1998 and advised his fellow directors throughout the take-over negotiations.

He said: "The signing of the deal was a bittersweet day for me personally as it marked the end of an era. However, the directors feel that both the company and its franchisees will benefit hugely from Marshalls’ formidable marketing machine and financial resource.

"The company’s development and sale represents a classic case of how a part-time skilled resource can be used effectively to assist with business growth.

"My role has varied from simple business planning and overseeing of the finance function through to chairing board meetings and presenting workshops on financial matters to budding and actual franchise owners."

Judy Behl, the driving force behind Scenic Blue, becomes group franchise director for Huddersfield-based Marshalls, a company well-known for it paving and other garden products.

She said: "Desmond and EMC have been part of our team for most of our business life, and made a huge contribution to the company’s development. We’ve had our moments along the way, with him trying to curb my wilder entrepreneurial zeal on occasions, but as with the best teams it is important to have that balance."

She said she would continue to use a sales programme developed by Mr High’s colleague Martin Stanton to help new franchisees.

Scenic Blue won a gold medal at the 2006 RHS Chelsea Flower Show with a garden design inspired by growing public concern for safety in the sun and the mounting environmental issues associated with climate control and diminishing water supplies.

Marshalls supplied materials for the award-winning garden and is sponsoring the Chelsea Flower Show for the next three years.