History

 

Meadow Croft was acquired by W.D. Smith & Son in 1999 from the Snellings who had founded Meadow Croft Nurseries (as it was then called) shortly after the end of the Second World War. They first specialised in growing rose bushes. 

The Meadow Croft you see today is quite different from the original footprint. Most of the original buildings have made way for the greenhouse, restaurant, car park and plant area.

 

 

With 4 generations of horticultural growing experience behind it, Meadow Croft continues to grow from strength to strength. 

 

A Family Business

 

Meadow Croft Garden Centre is owned byW.D. Smith & Son, a local family of nurserymen who have been growing plants for gardeners for nearly ninety years.

The ‘Smiths’ arrived in South Woodham Ferrers as market gardeners before 1900, but soon began to specialise in growing garden plants from seed.  Fast forward almost 90 years and they have expanded to supply plants to retail nurseries and garden centres all over south east England. As industry leading bedding plant growers they have been at the forefront of change both technically and culturally, striving constantly to improve the range and quality of their plants. Every year searching out the new, the biggest and the best, to keep the range of plants on sale at Meadow Croft Garden Centre the very best selection available.

By the beginning of the 1900’s Henry Smith was market gardening in South Woodham Ferrers from a nursery on a plot near the train station, where he was already growing tomatoes in greenhouses and selling into London markets.

In 1915, Henry’s son William Henry Smith, then aged 25, was described as a ‘Market Gardener of Hullbridge Road, Woodham Ferrers’ on his marriage certificate.  By the 1930’s he had moved his growing operation to what was the former ‘Plant Home’ site on Woodham Road. 

William went on to have 11 children, many of whom grew up to create several well-known local horticultural businesses which are still around today. One of his sons; William Henry Deavin Smith, married in 1939, aged 23 and left his father’s business to start his own horticultural business at Grange Nurseries on Woodham Road.  The name Deavin was his mother’s maiden name, and so to distinguish his own business from his father’s (which was still active at the Plant Home site), William Henry Deavin Smith named his business W.D. Smith & Son.  The business is still situated on the very same site today and continues to provide plants to garden centres across the South East of England.

 

 

 


We're pleased to announce our Music Line-up for this weekends Viola & Pansy Festival!
When visiting our Viola & Pansy Festival this week, check out our Meadow Croft Gardeners' Choice board. ⁠

A few members of staff have chosen their festival favourites! Why not take a look and see if you pick the same? ⁠

#festivalfavourites #meadowcroftgardencentre #violaandpansyfestival #meadowcroftgc
Here are our stallholders for our final Viola & Pansy Festival weekend! ⁠

Come along for:⁠
Check out our stallholders for this weekends Viola & Pansy Festival!

We’re super excited to show you all the new & evolving varieties.

Come along for:
Would you like to win a trolley full of garden goods worth £75? ⁠

Take part in our Viola & Pansy Competition. Visit our Viola & Pansy Festival this week and simply post a photo on social media of you, friends or family using our photo opportunity boards. Make sure you add the hashtag #meadowcroftgc or #violaandpansyfestival. ⁠

Winner will be announced on Monday 18th March. ⁠
Trolley of goods must be collected from the garden centre. ⁠

#competition #meadowcroftgardencentre⁠
⭐️ We're recruiting ⭐️⁠

We are approaching our busiest time of year on our nursery and are looking to fill the following roles: ⁠

SEASONAL VAN DELIVERY DRIVER / NURSERY WORK⁠
£12/hr + O/T⁠

SEASONAL HGV CLASS 2 DELIVERY DRIVER⁠
£14/hr + O/T⁠

To apply please email your contact details along with detail of any previous work experience to: transport@wdsmith.com or phone on 07548 101045 / 01245 320220 ⁠

W.D. Smith & Son is one of the leading growers of container bedding and vegetable plants in the UK. We are a family-run business and have been growing plants for over 80 years. We grow and deliver thousands of plants every year to Garden Centres & horticultural businesses around the South East of England.
Wondering how you can get a FREE hot drink at Meadow Croft Kitchen? ⁠

Take part in our Viola & Pansy Festival voting this week. ⁠
Anyone can take part! ⁠

Simply pick your top 3 varieties by looking at the batch number on each label. ⁠

⭐️ Why is voting important? ⭐️⁠
Each year new and experimental varieties are displayed for the first time. Visitors to the festival play an important part, by voting for their favourite varieties from amongst those displayed. Voting for your favourites will give the plant breeders an idea on what varieties our customers like and dislike. ⁠

So... this means your votes can influence what varieties are sold in garden centres across the UK! ⁠

#violaandpansyfestival #meadowcroftgardencentre
Our Music Line-up for our final weekend of the Viola & Pansy Festival!
Our plants team have chosen Photinia as their Meadow Croft Gardeners' Choice for March.
A refreshing Violet Lemonade especially for our Viola & Pansy Festival

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