New Inn Lane Nurseries was established by Cliff and Kathleen Blake, with daughter Karen and her husband Nigel. And believe it or not, there was not a flower in sight (to start with)!
The nursery in its early days was all about home grown produce, including aubergines which were seen as a novelty vegetable. // Cliff with home grown aubergines.
As well as selling direct from the nursery, produce was predominantly grown to supply Birmingham Wholesale Market. // Nigel boxing up for market.
One of the largest greenhouses on site at the time was used to grow thousands of lettuce.
Grown to perfection, these lettuce were cut, boxed and sent to market sometimes twice a day.
Once one crop was harvested, the soil was prepared again to grow the next crop.
In one of the harshest winters over the last 50 years, incredible icicles we’re hanging from the greenhouses!
Cliff planted a cactus in the greenhouse which soon settled in… so well it requires a trim every couple of years!
We’re even treated to stunning flowers from the cactus every 5 years or so.
Plants were proving a big success, and more and more were being grown at the nursery along with produce. // Kath and sister Enid
Hanging basket orders started to be taken, along with a vast choice of summer bedding plants. // Karen and son Gary (on quality control!)
Rich (Karen & Nigel’s eldest son) followed in his parents and grandparents footsteps with his own patch of land on the nursery, winning numerous awards for his produce.
Poly tunnels were replaced with greenhouses to be able to grow more produce, including different varieties of tomatoes.
Our home grown strawberries were second to none!
Punnets and punnets of strawberries were sold from the nursery, at times not ripening quick enough to keep up with demand!
In 1999 we attended the first Farmers’ Market in Stratford upon Avon, proving to be a huge success and a new way to sell in different locations.
Running on monthly cycles, Farmers’ Market locations included Stratford upon Avon, Kenilworth, Southam, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Solihull, Tewkesbury and Worcester. // Karen at a Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ Market rules stated that all produce has to be grown locally, within a certain mile radius of the market location, and sold by the grower or an employee.
Proudly supplying Marks and Spencer in Stratford upon Avon with their summer window boxes for many years.
As well as fresh produce, our selection of summer plants and perennials were all grown and sold at the nursery.
Made to order, award winning, hanging baskets for customers locally and further afield - as far as Cornwall!
As for so many businesses, Covid-19 was one of the biggest events in our history to adapt to. As a result we have transitioned to become an online nursery.
We're delighted we can now offer a local delivery service, something that wasn't possible before, and having our full range of plants online means you can shop whenever is convenient for you, as well as seeing our complete selection in one place.
Our reputation and the quality of our plants is still at the heart of what we do, and it still is 50 years on - being online makes no difference to this. // Gary, Rachel & Charlotte at the Royal Three Counties Show in 2022, winning a Bronze Award for our trade stand display!
