After 20 years in business, first as a plant nursery in King’s Sutton and then as an award-winning garden centre in Middle Cheney, Purely Plants has now become Country Secrets with new ideas and new products but with the same friendly staff and high level of customer service.

Said founder Sally Stephens, “Over the years we have heard customers asking for an increasing range of items in addition to the usual plants and related products.  Today’s customer wants value for money but also wants unusual, high quality plants and gifts for their homes and gardens. We have met this challenge and have seen these sales develop very well.  Pet products and point-of-lay hens have also proved to be very popular with our customers and we have improved and developed our range with great success.

But we also decided to diversify into the pet training world after an extensive survey of regular customers.  We saw a scarcity of covered all-weather pet training facilities in the area and we are ideally placed close to the M40 between London and Birmingham.  After lengthy consultation with and great support from business experts, Middleton Cheney Parish Council and South Northants Council, we decided to build a large indoor training arena which will open in May in our field at Middleton Cheney.

The Dog Training Barn has a special cushioned floor and covers an area of 60’ x 120’ to accommodate individual dogs or large groups.  Classes available will include puppy training, basic and advanced obedience work and agility training at all levels up to national competition standards.”

At a time of austerity many businesses are cutting back but Sally and the team at Country Secrets are looking to the future and believe that it is worth the large investment in this new venture.