Les’s great-grandparents began market gardening in the 1880’s. They had nine children, all involved in horticulture. Fred and Emma Halman, Les’s grandparents, started the business in 1914 in Wythenshawe, Manchester, originally growing a wide range of flower and general market garden crops. The aim was to have crops to sell every week of the year. These would include rhubarb to sell both forced and from the field, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, spring onions and beetroot.

Following the Second World War, Les’s father took over the business and moved to the present nursery at Lower Peover in 1950; at that time a green field site. After some years of struggle he turned poor heavy soil into a successful market garden. Produce was still predominantly sold off our own stall at Manchester Wholesale Market.

Having gained the N.D.H. (now Master of Horticulture R.H.S.), Les, with his wife Mavis, took over the business in 1972. At this time change was occurring throughout the horticultural industry, with a great deal more specialisation. Les & Mavis decided to specialise in garden plants and cut flower chrysanthemums. Eventually the growing of chrysanthemums was dropped and the nursery specialised in garden plant production. In the Summer of 1995 Les and Mavis’s son Stuart completed a B.T.E.C. National Diploma in Glasshouse Production and Management at the Welsh College of Horticulture and came to work full-time on the nursery. At this time investment in transplant machinery was made. Further changes in the sales of horticultural products meant that we no longer sold crops through the wholesale market. In 2006 Stuart & Gill were married and Gill then joined the company, taking on a full time role in sales and marketing.

The family run nursery continues to flourish to this day and we continue to expand and develop our range of product and the technologies that sit behind them.