Judy Behl, who founded Scenic Blue and sold it to Marshalls in 2006, is now promoting her latest operation, a "one-stop garden-transformation franchise" called Lime Orchard.

The firm, launched three months ago, has recruited a four-strong national direct-sales team to offer design-and-build services.

Unlike Scenic Blue, a garden centre franchise, Lime Orchard targets a broad range of clients requiring outdoor spaces.

"The need for pubs to offer attractive outdoor rooms after the smoking ban makes them another natural priority for new business," said Behl.

"Meanwhile, schools are increasingly being encouraged to appreciate the educational benefits of a school garden."

The sales team is set to use leafleting, telesales and consumer or trade events to pinpoint customers, said Behl, who reckoned that such a hard-hitting promotion was "largely unheard of in the landscaping community".

"We are able to offer access to award-winning design delivered by reputable local landscapers," she added. Lime Orchard design director Ian Dexter, for example, won a silver gilt medal at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

As part of the promotional push, the company has launched a viral marketing campaign in the form of a Lime Orchard community on Facebook.