227 McBryde Terrace was introduced into the Higgins family as a dry cleaning business in 1960. Fast forward 20 years and founder Vincent Higgins, orchid breeder, had opened up a garden section on site and in 1980 the Whyalla Orchid Nursery began trading.

 

The dry cleaners closed in 1986, enabling the Higgins family to develop new business ventures. In 1983, the Whyalla Garden Centre joined the South Australian Get Growing group, which achieved better buying power and access to company catalogues.

 

In March 1996, when the Victorian-based group Plant Plus moved to SA, the Whyalla Garden Centre joined the movement for a national group, giving the business national buying power.

 

In 2016, with Plants Plus no longer operational in SA, the Whyalla Garden Centre, along with 11 other South Australian nurseries, formed the Garden Centres of SA group, specialising in local gardening knowledge.