We’ve Grown Over The Last 100 Years
The 4th Generation Of Plant Growers.
We’ve been honing our craft as a family for over 100 years so that we can bring the finest quality plants and flowers to you.
From Here
To Here
It All Began
1920's
Our earliest records tell us that Fred Harnett Snr left London in the early 1920’s and bought the land where the nursery is today.
Fred’s wife Sarah Jane Harnett remained in London with their children Albert, Fred, Lillian and Cathy and ran the families’ flower shop in Leyton.
Albert Comes Of Age
1930's
When Albert was old enough he began to come down to help look after the animals. He built two small greenhouses to grow plants and sold them at market stalls in Walthamstow and Chatsworth Rd.
Fred Snr began to sell plants at Columbia Road flower market.
Albert & Win Create Their Empire
1930's - 1940's
One day whilst working on his market stall at Chatsworth road, Albert met Winifred Tucker. The pair struck up a romance and the rest as they say is history. Win began making trips down to Stock on a Sunday to cook a roast for the hard working Harnett men and she fell not only for Albert but the beautiful countryside.
Win and Albert were married and moved a permanently to Stock in 1937. With no farmhouse to live in they shared a caravan until the farmhouse was completed. Their first child Brian Harnett was born in 1939 and closely followed by a daughter Jeanie Harnett in 1943.
Fred Harnett Senior died in 1944
Jeanie Harnett died in 1945
The Family & The Nursery Grows
1940's - 1950's
Win and Albert’s third child Fred Harnett Jnr was born in 1946. With Win and Albert’s family growing so was the nursery. Many of the animals still remained but lots more flowers were now also being grown. Most of the flowers were grown out in the in the fields, cut flowers, roses and hardy perennials.
Moving into the fifties Win and Albert's fourth child Virginia was born. The nursery had really expanded with a lot more glass taking over what used to be the pasture land for the animals. The sheep had all gone now and the poultry kept as pets. The pigs were still a full time part of the business.
The Kids Make Their Own Mark
1960's - 1970's
During the sixties and Seventies Win and Albert’s children married. Brian to Diane Campbell, Fred to Jacqueline Wheston and
Virginia to Bruce Henderson. All the partners became involved in the business. Albert was very pleased as this doubled his
workforce.
The first Grandchildren were born Katherine,Peter and Shane. A very sad day in the early 1970’s saw the last of the pigs to leave the nursery. Gone but not forgotten with our nursery still named in their honour.
Sarah Jane Harnett died in 1977.
The next round of grandchildren also came with the seventies when Kerry, Arran, Andrew and Stuart were born.
Modernise & Mechanise
1980's - 1990's
As the eighties came around vegetables were stopped as a main crop and plants became the main priority. A shop was leased in Walthamstow that Brian ran up until the turn of the century. Fred Jnr was now running the market stall in Walthamstow. Pretty much all the family once you came of age were bundled into a lorry for Columbia road flower market on a Sunday.
Albert Harnett died in 1991.
The nineties brought a lot of modernization to the nursery. Jackie and Diane began to open the nursery to the public on the weekends starting from a big barn at the front of the property. Three old style greenhouses and plastic tunnel were pulled
down to make way for a larger greenhouse and new transplanting area. Shane began running a stall at North Weald Market.
Diane Harnett died in 1995.
The Grandchildren Modernise
2000 - Present
As we entered the new millennium the final set of old wooden greenhouses were pulled down and replaced by more modern and
equipped versions. A lemon tree that was grown from a seed planted by Sarah Jane some fifty years before was also lost in the
development.
Winifred Harnett died in 2002.
Retail from the nursery has really grown over the last ten years as local demand for plants increases. The shop has relocated three times on the property now to cope with growing stock and to make sure we can offer our customers the best experience.
We are still running our market stalls in Columbia Road and North Weald but have now added to the list Kempton Park and Bourne.
With most of Win and Albert’s grandchildren now married and with children of their own, including Shane's wife Yvonne who runs the shop at the Nursery. Now everyone is starting to get involved in the family business. The 5th generation have just started to work, with Ellie-J working at the business during weekends.
The 1st Generation In Stock
Our earliest records tell us that Fred Harnett Snr left London in the early 1920’s and bought the land where the nursery is today.
The business was originally working as a small farm with several animals, pigs, sheep, chickens and geese among them.
Sarah Jane Harnett
Fred’s wife Sarah Jane Harnett remained in London with their children Albert, Fred, Lillian and Cathy and ran the families’ flower shop in Leyton.
When Albert was old enough he began to come down to help look after the animals. He built two small greenhouses to grow plants and sold them at market stalls in Walthamstow and Chatsworth Rd.
Fred Snr began to sell plants at Columbia Road flower market.
Family Tree
Fred Harnett Snr
Sarah Jane Harnett
Albert Harnett
Winifred Harnett
Fred Harnett
Son Of Albert | Senior Partner
Brian Harnett
Son Of Albert | Senior Partner
Shane Harnett
Son Of Fred | Partner
Peter Harnett
Son Of Brian | Partner
