Leighton Buzzard market is losing Turner's Nurseries as it closes after more than 50 years in business

The popular family-run plant and flower stall that has been a fixture of Leighton Buzzard market for more than 50 years has closed down.

After Christmas, owners Mark and Karen Turner made the tough decision to retire and move on – but they wanted to say a big thank you to all their loyal customers who’ve become more like family and friends over the years.

Karen – who gave up her career in hotel management to help Mark after they met on a blind date – says: “Without their support, the business would never have been as successful as it was.

"But the time was right. We’re usually shut in January anyway and Mark was keen to start restoring an old motorbike and tractor.

"We’ve also got an acre of land that needs attention.”

She will ensure her green fingers stay nimble – and her brain active – with a part-time job at a garden centre. And the pair intend to keep in shape with gym membership.

They’re also thinking about planning a holiday for the first time in their lives. As Karen notes: “When you’re self-employed, if you don’t work, you don’t earn.”

Their friend and colleague Joan Evans is also retiring. She was the stall’s florist for many years, making everything from bridal bouquets to funeral tributes.

The business was started more than a century ago by Mark’s grandad. His uncle Phil and dad Ted also played an active role in carrying on the Turner trade name and when Mark, 71, took over in 1979 after the compulsory purchase of the family market garden, he worked seven days a week with stalls at Bletchley, Milton Keynes and Wolverton in addition to Leighton Buzzard on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Karen recalls how hard it was, loading the van until 9 or 10pm at night and never having a weekend off.

They’ve watched landscape fashion change over the decades with gardens becoming smaller. “The bedding side has decreased because of lack of space,” she says. “People still want instant colour but perennials are becoming popular, particularly with older gardeners because they’re less labour intensive.”

Climate change is also making its mark – hotter summers and fewer frosts mean some summer bedding goes right through the year.

Karen, 56, doesn’t have a favourite flower but enjoys annual colour in her garden. And Mark is renowned for his delicious tomatoes.

Karen admits she’s going to miss watching seeds grow into healthy plants: “It makes you proud and gives you a sense of achievement.

"I’m also really going to miss our customers. We’ve made lots of friends and we had a regular clientele who were really supportive.

“Mark, Joan and I would like to thank everyone for all their custom, friendship, laughs and loyalty. We would not have traded as long as we did without them. And I know in my heart that many of them will miss us too.”

Karen concludes: "It’s sad seeing the end of Turner’s Nurseries after so many generations but it’s right for us to have some quality time together.”