Family-run business Millbrook plans to take on extra staff and start a careful programme of investment after buying a garden centre at Marden, near Staplehurst.

The award-winning independent garden centre company said the new centre, to be known as Millbrook at Highgrove, on the A229 just north of Staplehurst, would fit well with the existing two centres, at Gravesend and Crowborough.

The centre was previously known as the Highgrove Garden Centre.

Tammy Woodhouse, managing director of the Millbrook Garden Company (pictured right), said: "Highgrove is in a great location for Millbrook, linking our existing centres in Crowborough and Gravesend and expanding our customer base.

"The site is in a great position and has an existing customer base who value their local garden centre.

"We only took over on Saturday, March 23, but in the last two weeks we have introduced some new plants – our Millbrook grown plants and colour.

"We have also started to add some more giftware and clothing. We are gradually working on introducing our Millbrook branding and our display and visual flair for which we are well known. We plan to get the centre tidy and ready for spring (hopefully some warm gardening weather) before investing any money into major projects.

"We will be keeping all of the existing staff and have a couple of vacancies in the cafe and plant area – maintaining over 28 jobs and creating another two or three."

Millbrook, which has held Investor in People status for six years, now employs a total of 150 people across the three sites.

Millbrook Gravesend, at Station Road, Southfleet, recently won a prestigious retail award from the Garden Centre Association. Tammy's parents first set up the business in the late 1970s.