Dobbies - Inspiring Gardeners Since 1865

James Dobbie and the Early Years

James Dobbie started our company in 1865 - the same year that Abraham Lincoln's assassination signalled the end of the American Civil War.

In Britain the Industrial Revolution was putting gardening within the reach of ordinary people. For the first time glasshouses made it possible for gardeners to experiment with exotic palms and plants.

Against this backdrop James packeted and sold the incredible 16oz harvest of seeds from a prize-winning leek. The stock sold in less than 2 days and a new market was created!

A Royal Warrant - and 50,000 customers

In 1894 James' exacting standards and horticultural prowess were recognised when Dobbies proudly gained a Royal Warrant - the first of many acknowledgements of Dobbies' horticultural pedigree.

Dobbies' vision and popularity kept pace with the country's burgeoning interest in gardening and by the turn of the century Dobbies' seed catalogue was mailed to over 50,000 customers, in UK and Europe.

In 1969 Dobbies merged with Waterers - another distinguished horticultural business - and from our new Surrey base we were able to increase sales in Scotland and England too.

Dobbies remained in private ownership for nearly thirty years until we successfully floted on AIM, the Alternative Investment Market, in 1997. This raised funds which allowed us to undertake our ambitious expansion plans and capitalise on the UK's love of gardening.

Since then Dobbies has built on its credentials. We have a broader range of products than ever before - along with an even broader customer base. In fact our 25 retail sites throughout the UK welcome some 10 million shoppers every year.

In 2008 Dobbies delisted from the Alternative Investment Market and was purchased by Tesco plc in August 2008. We continue operating from our Edinburgh base and with new investment from our parent company, we look forward to delighting more and more customers with our special brand of quality gardening heaven.

For more inspiration, visit our Garden Inspiration section.