A family growing plants in East Yorkshire for over 70 years
Coletta & Tyson is a family-run garden centre & wholesale growers rooted in East Yorkshire. Most of the plants you’ll find here are grown by us in our own local nurseries, supplying gardeners across the region with plants raised just a few miles away. From humble beginnings as a family market garden to one of the region’s best-known garden centres, our focus has always been simple: great plants, great service, and a warm Yorkshire welcome.
Rooted in East Yorkshire
The photographs here offer a glimpse into the origins of Coletta & Tyson, from the early days of the family market garden to the garden centre you see today. Over more than seventy years the business has grown from those beginnings, developing into a specialist horticultural wholesale operation supplying plants across the country, before eventually expanding to include the garden centre.
Throughout that growth, the ethos behind the business has remained the same — rooted in the local community, built on decades of horticultural expertise, and dedicated to providing quality plants and exceptional service for every customer who visits us.
From Italy to Hull
The Coletta family emigrated from the village of Cervaro near Monte Cassino in southern Italy to Hull at the beginning of the twentieth century, beginning a family story that would eventually grow into the business you see today.
A Growing Family Business
John Coletta established a family grocery business supplied by fruit, vegetables and plants grown on allotments on Golflinks Road. As demand increased the business expanded to six shops across the local area, with the family cultivating more than forty allotments to supply them.
The Tyson Partnership
Brian Tyson, who grew up in East Hull and played rugby league for Hull Kingston Rovers and Great Britain during the 1960s, married John Coletta’s daughter Barbara in 1962. After retiring from rugby due to injury, Brian joined his father-in-law in the business and together they developed the growing operation further.
The Market Garden
In 1964 the opportunity arose to purchase a market garden at 324 Hull Road, Woodmansey — the site where Coletta & Tyson Garden Centre stands today. This marked a major step forward for the business, allowing the family to focus more heavily on horticulture and plant production.
The New Generation
Brian's sons, John and Paul Tyson, grew up around the market garden before studying commercial horticulture and joining the family business in the 1980s. Under their leadership the growing operation expanded significantly, developing the wholesale nurseries and later establishing the garden centre in 2001.
The Business Today
Today Coletta & Tyson remains a family-run business with more than 400 acres of nurseries supplying plants across the country alongside the garden centre at Woodmansey. While the business has grown over the decades, the same values remain at its heart — horticultural expertise, quality plants and exceptional service.
From Italy to Hull
The Coletta family emigrated from the village of Cervaro near Monte Cassino in southern Italy to Hull at the beginning of the twentieth century, beginning a family story that would eventually grow into the business you see today.
A Growing Family Business
John Coletta established a family grocery business supplied by fruit, vegetables and plants grown on allotments on Golflinks Road. As demand increased the business expanded to six shops across the local area, with the family cultivating more than forty allotments to supply them.
The Tyson Partnership
Brian Tyson, who grew up in East Hull and played rugby league for Hull Kingston Rovers and Great Britain during the 1960s, married John Coletta’s daughter Barbara in 1962. After retiring from rugby due to injury, Brian joined his father-in-law in the business and together they developed the growing operation further.
The Market Garden
In 1964 the opportunity arose to purchase a market garden at 324 Hull Road, Woodmansey — the site where Coletta & Tyson Garden Centre stands today. This marked a major step forward for the business, allowing the family to focus more heavily on horticulture and plant production.
The New Generation
Brian's sons, John and Paul Tyson, grew up around the market garden before studying commercial horticulture and joining the family business in the 1980s. Under their leadership the growing operation expanded significantly, developing the wholesale nurseries and later establishing the garden centre in 2001.
The Business Today
Today Coletta & Tyson remains a family-run business with more than 400 acres of nurseries supplying plants across the country alongside the garden centre at Woodmansey. While the business has grown over the decades, the same values remain at its heart — horticultural expertise, quality plants and exceptional service.
The Garden Centre Today
Today Coletta & Tyson Garden Centre welcomes visitors from across East Yorkshire and beyond. With a wide range of plants, gardening essentials and outdoor living products, the centre offers inspiration and advice for gardeners of all experience levels.
Plants & Gardening: Many of the plants available in the garden centre are grown in our own nurseries, giving customers access to high-quality plants raised by experienced growers. Our knowledgeable team are always on hand to offer expert advice.
The Old Glasshouse Café & Deli: Our café is a welcoming place to relax and enjoy freshly prepared food and drinks, alongside a range of artisan products perfect for treats and gifting.
4Pets: Our specialist pet department offers aquatics, small mammals, birds and reptiles, alongside a wide range of pet supplies and expert advice from our experienced team.
Home, Garden & Lifestyle: We also offer a carefully selected range of garden, home, gift and lifestyle products, helping customers create beautiful spaces both indoors and out.
Growth and Development
While the business has grown significantly over the decades, the focus remains the same — continuing to develop the garden centre while maintaining the standards of quality, expertise and service that customers expect from Coletta & Tyson.
Alongside investing in the garden centre experience, we also continue to develop our nurseries and growing facilities. This includes environmentally conscious infrastructure such as solar energy and renewable heating systems, helping us grow plants responsibly while reducing our environmental impact.
As a family-run business, our aim is to ensure Coletta & Tyson continues to thrive for generations to come.
Working Together
As a business rooted in East Yorkshire, supporting our local community has always been an important part of Coletta & Tyson.
We are proud to work with local organisations and charities, helping to raise awareness and support causes that make a real difference within our community. By building strong local partnerships and supporting the people around us, we aim to continue giving back to the community that has supported our business for generations.
Minimum order £40
