A NURSERY team is celebrating multi-million pound sales during the past year as it reveals next year’s ambitions.

North Yorkshire-based Johnsons Garden Centre Sales, which supplies plants to independent garden centres across the country, has put its plans in place for 2019 following a successful 12 months.

The centre, part of the Johnsons of Whixley Group and based at the nursery’s site between York and Harrogate, has achieved a 10 per cent increase in sales for 2018, despite battling through an unpredictable year of weather.

Highlights include selling 599,111 plants to 226 customers, 30 of which were new or returning clients, to help achieve more than £2.1 million in sales.

The year also included releasing a 2019 catalogue featuring its largest ever range as well as adding three new garden centres to its books for supply – Lancasters Home and Garden in Walthamstow, Fields Garden Centre in Sherburn in Elmet and Lincoln’s Whisby Garden Centre.

Johnsons Garden Centre Sales team, led by Mark Reynard and Paul Lamb, now have their sights set on a projected turnover similar to 2018.

Mark, Johnson of Whixley’s Garden Centre Sales manager, said: “With a longer summer and very unpredictable weather changes, we had a bit of a battle on our hands.

“But that’s been a real highlight for me this year as we managed to overcome any of the obstacles thrown at us and by the end of June, we were in fact ahead of budget. Turning things around in such a short space of time has been a big highlight for 2018. Further investment into systems is a 2019 priority and these will be installed next year to improve efficiency and the sales order processes.”