Garden centre with family roots

A show garden is just one part of the developments at the nurseries

Four generations of the same family are celebrating 140 years of trading as horticulturalists in Chelmsford.

The site was acquired in 1869 by Henry Harris, who planted a quarter of the plot as an orchard, and built a greenhouse where he grew grapes.

Sheila Hinton has been running the Writtle Road Nursery since 1977 having taken over from her mother Kathleen.

The business has expanded over the years and now includes a florists and coffee shop.

Sheila who has been running the business for more than 30 years said the nursery looked very different in her great grandfather's day.

"The family lived in what used to be a tea hut for the men who worked on the brickfields next door, which is now the borough cemetery.

"He had his three children there. Later the landlord built the brick house for them which would have been a really luxury," said Sheila.

Henry planted a variety of fruit trees; apples, pears, plums and cherries with gooseberry bushes and some raspberries and rhubarb underneath.

Sheila has been in-charge of the family business for over 30 years

A large plot land was also used for growing plants for sale.

"Where now you would come into the garden centre and buy a strip of cabbage or a box of this or a box of that, people would come in and ask 'Mr Harris can I have a score of cabbage plants or a score of sprout plants,'" said Sheila.

Most of the plants were sold directly out of the ground. The plants were watered every day, and being small plants would be ready for pulling.

Henry also grew all of his own cut flowers. Imported flowers were very rare.

"We did have carnations from London - that was quite posh," said Sheila.

In 1918 Cecil Perry Harris, Sheila's grandfather bought the nursery from the landlord. With his wife Caroline they started a florist shop making wreaths and bouquets.

"We've got a strong floristry commission. My grandmother was a florist, my mother was a florist.

"My mother taught me and I taught my daughter," she added.