Wyevale Garden Centres has been put up for sale by Terra Firma, the private equity fund set up by Guy Hands, with AIM-listed business services firm Christie Group PLC (LON:CTG) to advise on the disposal.

In a statement, Christie Group said the high-quality portfolio of 145 garden centres, located across the UK but with a weighting towards the South East of England, ranges from horticultural centres to major leisure destination venues.

Chris Day, global managing director at the group’s advisory business, Christie & Co commented: "The garden centre market is vibrant and on an upwards trajectory.”

He added: "The sale of Wyevale Garden Centres presents a unique opportunity for a wide range of buyers from financial institutions, existing garden centre operators, independent business people and entrepreneurs to buy well invested local garden centres within the price range of £200k to £35m.”

Terra Firma bought the business – then known as The Garden Centre Group - in March 2012 from Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LON:LLOY) in a deal that valued Britain’s then largest garden centres operator by revenue at £276mln.

Publicly listed in 1987, Wyevale was taken private in 2006 in a £445mln buyout by a group headed by Scottish entrepreneur, Sir Tom Hunter but collapsed under its debt burden in 2008 when lenders took control through a debt-for-equity swap.