OBE for garden centre supremo Colin

Colin Squire, chairmanowner of Squire’s garden centres received an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list for his services to the horticultural industry and to charity.

After training in architecture and landscape design, Colin designed many gardens in the Twickenham area when working in the landscaping business founded by his father D J Squire in 1936. It subsequently developed into one of the first garden centre businesses in the UK, opening its first centre in Twickenham in 1964. It was also one of the first to introduce the production of plants in containers and the concept of the centre coffee shop in the 1970s.

Colin was one of the founder members of the Garden Centre Association (GCA) in 1966.

The 15-centre company, located in Berkshire, Middlesex, north and west London, Surrey and Sussex is also active in the local community and schools.

Lifelong rose enthusiast Colin, now 81, is also president of The Rose Society, founded last year, after the demise of the Royal National Rose Society. Colin was profiled in ‘My Life in Plants’ in Garden News in September.

Colin said: “I was so surprised and delighted to learn of this award. I feel immensely honoured. I’ve been very fortunate to work in this wonderful industry and to have enjoyed the support and friendship of so many inspirational people in our business and the wider horticultural family.”