He was, perhaps, the most green-fingered police officer in history.

Chief constable James Dobbie, protector of the public, was a regular award-winner for his beautiful pansies.

While keeping the streets of Renfrew safe by day, on the side James had been taking home gold at gardening shows across the country for years.

Today, his legacy is emblazoned in the large green Dobbies signs on garden centres spread throughout Scotland.

The emerald empire began 200 years ago with the birth of James and his particular talent for leeks.

It was the industrial revolution, advancement was heralded in on steam clouds, along with the idea that gardening could be enjoyed by more than just the elite.

By the age of 23, James was exhibiting flowers in local fairs, going on to win prizes at the Highland Agricultural Show.

A career move at 38 led him to becoming chief constable in Renfrew but far from curtailing his hobby, James carried on winning prizes with his colourful pansies, phloxes and marigolds, as well as leeks and onions.

Ten years later, a particularly special leek catapulted the police chief into an entire different career orbit.

In 1865, James Dobbie packaged seeds from a leek that yielded an incredible 16oz of seeds - considered a lot for a leek.

They sold out in two days. It was sign enough for James to plant himself on a different path.

He resigned as chief constable and, at the age of 58, devoted himself entirely to J. Dobbie Choice Seeds & Flowers of Renfrew.

The business thrived and in 1887 James Dobbie elected to sell it on to his chief assistant of many years, William Cuthbertson, who took on a partner, Robert Fife, a well-known horticulturalist, though it continued to trade under the name of Dobbie & Co.

In 1894, land was bought at Orpington in Kent for seed growing and the company was granted a royal warrant.

A few years later, Dobbie & Co launched its mail order catalogue, sending seeds out across the country.

By 1905, when the grand old seedsman died, James Dobbie's name was known by gardeners all across Scotland and England.

What began with a few packets of seeds from a prize-winning leek, sold last year £217m.

Tesco had bought Dobbies in 2007 for £150m and it grew to become the UK's second largest gardening retailer before the supermarket giant sold it in 2016.

Dobbies - which has its headquarters in Lasswade, near Edinburgh - operates 35 garden centres in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

Quite a legacy for the humble policeman who initially just wanted to grow a few marigolds.

The team who carry on the business in Dobbie's name have managed to unearth an incredible collection of items to mark the 200 years since his birth.

After a rummage in the company's attic and thanks to the foresight of a young employee many years ago who saw the value in preserving the past, a carefully curated exhibition of Dobbie's history is about to go on tour.

There are perfectly preserved seed packets, catalogues from the 1800s and the official Royal Warrant first bestowed on Dobbie.

Dobbies is now owned by Midlothian Capital Partners and Hattington Capital, which have appointed Nicholas Marshall as chief executive.

Nicholas, a passionate gardener himself, is also the great-great-grandson of Joseph Hooker - a famous botanist and director at Kew Gardens who led the UK's advance into discovering new species of plants and exchanged letters with Charles Darwin on a daily basis.

Both Joseph and James Dobbie were born exactly 200 years ago and both were educated in Scotland.

One would found the oldest gardening business in Britain and the other would become a renowned plant hunter and botanist.

"Joseph was educated at Glasgow University where his father was professor of botany," explains Nicholas.

"I like to think that he bumped into James Dobbie in Glasgow, possibly at a flower show or more likely, at their age, in a bar," he adds jokingly.

Nicholas has spent his entire career in horticulture and believes passionately that James Dobbie's legacy shall continue.

"Dobbies has a long history and is a wonderful brand which attracts great loyalty from both customers and staff," says Nicholas.

"We are ambitious and completely aware of what we have to do and will work tirelessly to achieve it.

"Our ambition is to make Dobbies the leader in everything we do and plants are centre stage to our renaissance."