17.Jan.2012 

The DIY giant has extended its own-brand gardening, outdoor leisure and garden power ranges for the 2012 season, as well as locking in TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh for another year as an ambassador for the group.

As part of the £12m investment, B&Q will officially launch its horticultural brand Verve this spring, with 4,000 products across plants, garden care and garden equipment. Its outdoor living range Blooma will be expanded to include barbecues, planters, decorative accessories and garden structures, as well as the garden furniture collection that was launched under the brand last year.

Meanwhile, its power tool brand MacAllister has been extended into garden power for 2012 and will include lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws and blow vacs.

The investment will also result in improvements to store environment and equipment, says the company, which has also secured another year's partnership with Alan Titchmarsh. The gardening guru, who will appear in his 'Love Your Garden' TV series again this year, was described by B&Q as "a key part" of its strategy to get Britain gardening.

B&Q category manager Steve Guy explained that the chain plans to capitalise on customers spending more time in their gardens celebrating the Queen's Jubilee or Olympics this year, and predicts a further pick-up in the grow your own trend, as homeowners look to save money.