Jump to content Home About Us menu src No items in shopping cart Our Aim Our aim is to help our community enjoy their garden, home and workplace. Gardening is good for the body and soul; whether it's the scent of fresh cut grass, the full flavour of a home-grown tomato, the pleasure of home cooked food with friends or the health benefits to be gained by having plants in the office, it's more than just a hobby. Stewarts is a family-run business offering quality products and services and friendly, down to earth advice to ensure our customers leave us feeling happy and part of the family. Stewarts and the Environment Our Community Our History We are rightly proud of our history. It’s amazing, not only for the fact that the business has remained within the same family for over 275 years, but also for the amount of historical material that has been saved during that time. However, we remain a business, and the fact remains that in commerce a ‘nice’ history counts for nothing (just consider Barings Bank). A history will always remain a ‘nice to have’, it does not guarantee us a future. We need to understand that. We hope you enjoy reading about it. Martin Stewart From 1742 Charles Stewart, the Great, Great, Great Grandfather of the Company’s present Managing Director, was a plantsman of renown in the era of the great Scottish nurseries of the 18th century. Records show that his family were growing forestry trees as far back as 1742. His knowledge and professional skills were later to re-emerge in his eldest son John who, in 1835, transferred his father’s nurseries to Broughty Ferry on Scotland’s East Coast and continued their extensive seed business from premises in Dundee. John Stewart From Around 1835 John traded under the name of John Stewart of Dundee while also acquiring the century old business of William Urquhart and Sons. Many documents survive which relate to his period of management to tell of his vast range of stock; of the thousands of millions of forest trees he grew and how he threw open his nursery grounds and plant houses for public enjoyment. “The grounds were beautiful in the extreme and afforded unalloyed delight to the crowds of visitors who were attracted to them” reported one Scottish paper at the time. David Milne Stewart From the Mid 1850s John’s two sons, David and William, followed in the tradition of their ancestors. William continued to manage the Scottish establishments whilst his younger brother travelled south in 1859 and started a branch nursery at Ferndown in Dorset. Here he was able to take advantage of the milder climate for the growing of less hardy stock. Together, the brothers traded widely throughout Britain, the Continent and the USA. William & David corresponded almost daily with the letters received 'down south’ safely in the family archives. William Stewart The Early 1900s Of David’s four sons who followed in his footsteps, it was left to A F Martin Stewart to overcome the depressing period of the early 1900s. But overcome it he did and the firm continued as one of the largest producers of nursery stock in the country. They undertook major landscaping projects, massive tree moving, the laying of golf courses and tennis courts. Ferndown Golf Course was constructed by D. Stewart & Son, with all the construction records still in existence. Over the years they established branch nurseries at Deans Park and Strouden in Bournemouth, another at Milford-on-Sea, at Glastonbury in Somerset, Bosham in Sussex and nearer to their head office at Uddens, Parley, Longham and West Moors. AF Martin Stewart The 1950s D Stewart & Son remained at Ferndown for a full century before vacating the site in favour of fresh farmland at Broomhill during the 1950’s. It was at this time, perhaps the most dramatic phase in the firm’s long history, that container grown stock was introduced into Britain. An article in the Sunday Times (28th May 1972) acknowledges that it was Edward Stewart (only son of AF Martin Stewart) who should be credited with this initiative. He changed in one action, the whole horticultural industry. By leaving their root system untouched, plants could be transplanted 12 months a year. Prior to this innovation, nurseries, (including Stewarts) only had income from October to March each year. At the same time Edward took full advantage of the experience he had gathered, flying ‘Mosquitoes’ in Burma during the second world war, by flying to America after hostilities ceased to keep in touch with horticultural developments overseas. He wrote to his sisters from the Ford Hotel, Toronto in 1953 that he had seen the future and that it was called ‘Garden Centres’. His first garden centre was created within adapted sheds at Ferndown in 1955 and was the forerunner of the first purpose-built centre in this country opened in October 1961: Garden-Lands at Christchurch as we see it today (now Stewarts Christchurch Garden Centre) which was opened by TV personality Percy Thrower. Garden-Lands was quite possibly the first ‘Out of Town’ retail ‘anything’! Garden-Lands opening day crowd (the arrow points to Percy Thrower) Ted (left) with a Mosquito bomber The 1970s During the 1970s a Garden Shop was opened on the site of the Nursery at Broomhill, later to become the Country Garden Centre. In 1972 the Company also started Interior Landscaping following a visit to Stewarts by the PA to the Managing Director of Frizzell Insurance. Now there are over 500 commercial premises in the south of England using the Stewarts Interior Landscaping's services. The 1980s Onwards Sadly Ted Stewart died suddenly in April 1982 leaving behind an industry changed out of all recognition due to his foresight, innovation and courage. His son and current owner of the business Martin Stewart took over the helm. The company has thrived and in late 2016 Stewarts aquired Abbey Garden Centre in Titchfield, a centre with a similar passion for plants as the existing Garden Centres. More recently, with the help of Dorset LEP Stewarts have recently completed the building of a new Agritech Glasshouse, which is a state-of-the-art horticultural facility designed to increase Nursery growing capacity as well as the education of local schools and colleges like Kingston Mauward College. The Stewarts Nursery Find out more about our Nursery Our Environment Stewarts Garden Centres and Landscaping aim to be at the forefront of green issues in the way we operate, in the products we supply to our customers and the ethos behind how we run our business. We have identified areas where our business can make a contribution to the environment and our surrounding area, this is our small contribution to making the world a better place. We are delighted that our efforts at Stewarts Christchurch Garden Centre have been recognised by the Garden Centre Association and are now pushing even harder to make environmental changes for the better. We constantly review our green accreditation and look for any opportunity to improve how Stewarts can help the environment, and we’re always happy to hear your suggestions on how we can do more! Recycling We are actively trying to reduce our general waste collections by recycling as much as we can in our Garden Centres. We currently recycle the following "standard" materials generated by the business through our trusted waste partners: We also "recycle" rainwater on site by collecting it in water butts and using it to water our plants (most plants prefer rainwater to tap water anyway, so it’s a win-win!). Used coffee grounds from our Coffee Shops are bagged up and given away free to our customers. Studies have shown these grounds can be effective against slugs, in home made compost, as mulch and as a fertiliser. The batteries we use on site are collected and recycled through a nationwide battery recycling scheme. You can drop your used household batteries in to the collection tubes near the tills. We have an area for customers to leave and take empty plant pots in our car parks; those left behind are sent for recycling. We accept plastic plant pots marked with PS (6) and PP (5) but are unable to take pots marked with PETE (1), HDPE (2), V (3), LDPE (4) or Other (7). Plants that don’t make it to customers’ homes that are in good condition are given another chance at our Thrifty Thursday plant sale at the Stewarts Nursery on Thursdays from 9am-12pm from March to October. Those that are past their best are ploughed back into our fields near Stewarts Broomhill Garden Centre, where our herd of cattle live. We are pleased to offer our customers the chance to recycle their old electrical items when purchasing a new item from us. Please speak to a member of staff for details on how to dispose of your WEEE item in store. For further information on recycling your old electrical devices with Stewarts, please see the following document: WEEE Recycling – Customer Info. Green Operations Some of the ways we are trying to make our business even more environmentally friendly We sell durable Stewarts jute bags, for use time and time again, as well as a range of handbag-friendly folding bags in our Home & Lifestyle departments. We are proud to be members of Refill Dorset, so you can refill your reusable water bottle for free in any of our Coffee Shops. The 10p plastic bag charge goes entirely to our Charity of the Year, or we have empty used cardboard boxes available by our tills. Once our existing supplies are gone we will no longer stock single use plastic bags. We only offer paper straws in our Coffee Shops and our takeaway food containers are cardboard or cane pulp Every effort is made to reduce vehicle movements by efficient planning of rotas and deliveries and we use electric vehicles on our Nursery. In a bid to reduce our organisation’s carbon footprint, we have installed roof solar and LED lighting at our 2 centres in Dorset, plus a Ground Source Heat Pump and thermal screens in our new nursery glasshouse. This project has been part funded by Low Carbon Dorset as part of the European Regional Development Fund and will save over 440 tonnes of CO2 each year. Environmentally Friendly Products We're always on the lookout for environmentally friendly alternative products to help our customers make eco conscious choices. It's impossible to be perfect but by making a few swaps here and there it's possible to reduce your environmental impact and give something back. We sell plants and trees, possibly the most environmentally friendly thing you can buy! We grow and source as many plants as possible from local suppliers to reduce plant miles, including growing at least 10% ourselves on our own Nursery We promote plants that are good for attracting bees and other insects into the garden We sell honey collected from bees kept on site at Stewarts Christchurch and on God’s Blessing Lane What plants we can’t source locally, we try to source from elsewhere in the UK, keeping transportation to a minimum Most of the ingredients used by our Coffee Shops are sourced locally We sell reduced-peat products in line with current government guidelines, as well as eco-friendly alternatives We sell a wide range of locally-sourced products, including many from New Forest Marque registered businesses We endeavour to source furniture with FSC accreditation or from sources with environmental accreditations We look for new eco-friendly products to stock, such as recycled products, organic alternatives or plastic-free options Our Community As a family business, we know how important it is to look after one other, and that doesn't end with the uniform. We believe that support for our community is vital, and as such have been supporting various projects for many years. We encourage links with local schools and groups to encourage and highlight the wonder of gardening among the younger generation We host local wildlife charities such as the RSPB and Dorset and Hampshire Wildlife Trusts so they can discuss the importance of protecting nature and the environment with customers We sponsor the children’s classes at the Ferndown & District Horticultural Association’s Spring and Summer Shows Our Charity of the Year Each year we (with the help of our staff and Privilege Customers) choose a local charity to support for the year. Throughout the year proceeds from special events, the carrier bag charge and funds raised from collection pots in our Garden Centres are raised for the chosen charity. Martin Stewart also gives talks throughout the year on the history of Stewarts, with all funds raised going to our Charity of the Year. Charity of the Year at Stewarts Christchurch & Broomhill Garden Centres Dorset Mind are a pioneering local charity that has been supporting local people with mental health challenges since 1946. They educate, challenge mental health stigma and inequality, and promote recovery by empowering individuals to develop resilience. Dorset Mind’s support groups, counselling and accredited befriending service help people regain social skills. They also deliver educational wellbeing programmes for schools and workplaces and provide volunteer opportunities across all areas of their organisation. Charity of the Year at Stewarts Abbey Garden Centre Abby’s Heroes help and support children and their families, including bereaved families, who come under the care of the Piam Brown and the Teenagers and Young Adults (TYA) wards at Southampton General Hospital. The catchment for these wards covers the south of England as it is a centre of excellence for children’s oncology. As a family that has passed through this ward, we are acutely aware of what a traumatic and frightening journey it can be for both the child and their families. The child’s life is completely taken over by the diagnosis of childhood cancer and their family’s worlds are thrown into utter chaos and panic as they watch their child go through the rigours of treatment. Abby’s Heroes offer financial and practical help as well as the opportunity to make lasting memories for the children and their families. Bereaved families may be given grants to help give parents time to grieve. Days out and fun memory-making grants will also be given, which will allow the families a chance to do something together. Contact Stewarts Christchurch Garden Centre Lyndhurtst Road Christchurch Dorset BH23 4SA Tel: (01425) 272244 Opening hours Stewarts Broomhill Garden Centre Gods Blessing Lane Broomhill Dorset BH21 7DF Tel: (01202) 882462 Opening hours Stewarts Abbey Garden Centre Mill Lane Titchfield Hampshire PO15 5RB Tel: (01329) 842225 Opening hours VISIT OUR LOCATIONS Plant growers since 1742 Family run Garden Centres, Nursery and Landscapers Locally Sourced Home cooked seasonal food Stay in the loop with our latest special offers Sign up to our monthly newlsetter We store your data securely according to our Privacy Policy Stewarts Social media Copyright 2021 Stewarts Registered address: D Stewart & Son Ltd, 8 Christchurch Business Park, Radar Way, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4FL Registered number: 142895 VAT number: 186 1847 31 Tel: 01425 272244 Email: info@stewarts.co.uk Garden Connect Privacy Policy Cookie Policy