Garden Centre, Albert’s Garden in Ravenscroft has recently opened having been transformed from an abandoned petrol station with the aid of creative agency, Michon.

Owner Paul Lathrope enlisted the help of Michon during the design process, with the agency tasked to create a brand identity for the business as well as the design of the shop layout and interior, signage and marketing collateral.

Michon has also created the shop’s Christmas collateral which includes promotional flyers with money-off coupons, featuring traditional Christmas designs and images to promote the centre’s range of festive gifts and seasonal trees and plants.

Lathrope explained, “The whole project was inspired by my late father, Albert, who was a born gardener. I’m sure he’d be extremely impressed with how it’s turned out.

Michon helped turn what was a lifeless shell into a retail environment that promotes environmentally sound practices and valued natural materials. We wanted to avoid creating a garden centre which has the supplies but not the gardening know-how, so we employed knowledgeable staff whose main purpose is to pass on valuable practical experience.”

Tony Michon, creative director for Michon, added: “It’s not every day that we get tasked with turning a petrol station into a garden centre so we got really stuck into the project and enjoyed every minute. To really capture the essence of what Paul wanted, we decided on a theme of ‘Old ways for nowadays’ which draws on the wealth of knowledge, passed down from generations. The retail space uses reclaimed and recycled materials to give it an environmentally sound and natural feel. The whole centre looks fantastic and we are all delighted with the results.”

Plans are already developing for 2010 including an exterior development where there will be the creation of a fenced off area around the building that’s dedicated to a wide range of outdoor plants.