Our History
1979
It All Begins With The Purchase Of Sandylands In 1979
A typical market gardening site with a mixture of indoor and outdoor crops.
1985
Construction of Glasshouses ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’
Aerial photo of ‘Tom and Dick’ glasshouses.
1999
Construction of Glasshouse ‘Fred’
Chris Rose – manager at Springhill Nurseries on trolley (left) and Leigh Tustin – manager at Sandylands on trolley (right).
2005
Hornsfield Nurseries
First planted in 2005 this glasshouse has always grown the popular variety ‘piccolo’. The NFT hanging gutter was first installed here and the confidence and experience gained helped to develop it further.
Design of the NFT ‘Hanging Gutter’
The design of the NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) ‘Hanging Gutter’. The plants are suspended on hanging gutters and managed vertically in what is called a high wire crop. A system even to this day we continue to improve and find it works well with our way of growing.
2006
Side Shoots FC – Growers United FC
Side Shoots FC is our football team that we run across the sites since 2006 and we are involved/and play with Growers United.
2009
Springhill Nurseries
Built in 2009 after a number of years trying to get planning permission and a lengthy archaeological dig! 125m row lengths created a new challenge with NFT. This site has everything ranging from a steam biomass boiler, an Anaeobic Digester, PV, CHP and on site Carbon dioxide.
2014
Sandylands Nurseries – Lit block, CHP and PV
Rebuilt the site with a modern block suitable for all year round growing. A CHP plant provides power to LED lighting.
Hornsfield Biomass and PV – AD pure Co2 Used on Both Sites
A biomass boiler heats the glasshouse and a solar panel array provides power to the site. Pure Co2 is supplied via local AD Plants.
2017
Springhill Biomass CHP
A steam biomass boiler produces electricity and provides heat to the site.
2019
‘La Serra’ – EVG Investment for Lit Production
The ‘Holts’ provided their knowledge and experience to help run this flagship site.
2020
Springhill Annex – Solar Edge PV
The PV array is helping to power the pumps that irrigate the crops and motors help to create the ideal growing environment.
2021
Hornsfield CHP
Generating power onsite to avoid importing.
