About us

About Us

A Potted History

Henry Street — Florist and Nurseryman shop front, Woking — *Henry Street's florist and nurseryman shop just outside Woking train station*

The nursery was founded by Mr Henry Street around 1890 at West End, near Woking, growing a range of nursery stock with a particular focus on roses, rhododendrons and azaleas. Henry came from nursery stock himself — his father Frederick oversaw the grounds at the Heatherside Estate in Camberley during the 1800s and was commissioned to plant the famous redwood avenues there and along Wellingtonia Avenue in Finchampstead.

*Wellingtonia Avenue, Finchampstead — the famous redwood avenue planted by Frederick Street in the 1800s*

*Frederick Street among the rhododendrons at Heatherside Estate, Camberley*

*The Street family in the garden, c.1890s*

*Henry Street at an early rose show, Surrey*

Original Henry Street order form, early 1900s — *Original order form — plants despatched by rail, passenger or goods service*

Handwritten sales ledger, 1940s — *Handwritten sales ledger recording deliveries to customers including Marks & Spencer in Guildford and Aldershot, 1940s*

The original West End nursery house, near Woking — *The original nursery house at West End, near Woking*

Henry had three daughters, the eldest of whom, Molly, married Reginald Goold. Together they continued the rose-growing tradition at West End, and the nursery eventually passed to their son Henry in the 1970s. At this time, a wide range of nursery stock was being grown, with all plants sold in winter either bare root or rootballed. The nursery retained its strong focus on roses and shipped plants around the country, loading wagons with straw and carefully wrapped bare root plants via the local train station.

The Arborfield site in the early 1980s, before development — *The Arborfield site in the early 1980s — open fields and the original glasshouses*

Henry Street Swallowfield Road Nurseries sign at Arborfield — *The new Henry Street sign on Swallowfield Road, Arborfield, shortly after the move in 1985*

In 1985, the business moved to its current home in Arborfield, where cleaner soil and larger premises allowed for significant expansion. Henry's four sons — Mark, Alan, Peter and Tim — joined the family firm, which they went on to run together. Mark, the grower of the family, took on the production of bedding plants in the numerous glasshouses on site, supplying the garden centre and other local businesses. Rose production followed the move to Arborfield in 1986.

*Planting rose rootstocks in the Arborfield fields, 1980s*

Tractor and hand planting in the rose fields — *Every rose individually planted by hand*

Over the years the garden centre expanded rapidly, and the glasshouses were converted one by one into what is now the garden centre shop, restaurant and franchise shopping area. Through all of this change, rose production at our Arborfield site continued to grow as we focused ever more closely on the heart of the business.

*Henry Street's award-winning display at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show*

Henry Street display stand at a major RHS show — *A Henry Street display stand — the nursery has exhibited at major RHS shows for decades*

Henry Goold at a rose show — *Henry Goold proudly representing the nursery at a rose show*

Henry Street Rose Catalogue 1997–1998 — *The Henry Street Rose Catalogue, 1997–1998*

Henry Street Rose Specialist catalogue, Autumn 1988 – Spring 1989 — *Henry Street: Rose Specialist catalogue, Autumn 1988 – Spring 1989*

Today, the nursery is proudly in the hands of Oliver, the sixth generation of nurseryman in the family, carrying forward a legacy of over 130 years of growing exceptional roses. We still grow approximately 100,000 roses per year and supply more than 30 garden centres across the south of England. Growing roses has always been at the heart of what we do — and it will remain so for many years to come.

We look forward to seeing you at the nursery.

A picture of the current rose nurser — *A Picture of the current rose nursery*

A picture of Oliver and Mark Goold, the current rose growers at Henry Street — *A picture of Mark and Oliver Goold, the current members of the family who oversee rose production at Henry Street*

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About us

About Us

A Potted History