Slump and sunshine are coming up roses for garden centre business.

Wyevale, which operates eight outlets across the county, says sales have gone up 50 per cent in the past year.

It cites people spending more time in their garden and growing their own as a great way of saving money on the grocery bills.

As more people lose their jobs, they have more time to tend their garden, as well as needing to economise on bills.

Many gardeners also argue that home-grown fruit and veg taste a lot better than varieties bought in supermarkets.

If the sun continues to shine on growers this summer, and it has got off to a good start on the first day of June, garden centres can look forward to further growth.

Nicholas Marshall, Wyvale’s chief executive, told The Financial Times that thrifty gardeners looking to save money by growing their own fruit and vegetables had helped to life sales of vegetable plants by 75 per cent.

"If you buy a tomato plant for 99p you could end up getting £20 worth of tomatoes and the return on an apple tree is mind-blowing," he said. "I’m the biggest greengrocer in the country."

Privately-owned Wyvale started in Hereford in the 1930s and recently launched an online Gardening Club.

It now has more than 120 outlets across the UK, including Chatham (Elm Court, Capstone Road), Chartham, Folkestone, Willesborough, Paddock Wood; Tunbridge Wells and Hamstreet.

Larger retailers such as Homebase and B&Q are also reporting sharp rises in the sales of seeds. Sales across the sector are said to be up eight per cent in the year to April.