The Big Big News - March 2025

After much local speculation about its future, we are delighted to announce that Hare Hatch Sheeplands, est. 1993 as Hare Hatch Nursery, will remain as a garden centre into the future.  Our business has become a part of The Gardening Club, based in Crews Hill, Enfield, and will become known as The Gardening Club at Hare Hatch.  This means that this part of the famous Floral Mile will remain as a centre of horticultural excellence into the future.

Rob says "I am over the moon to have been able to find someone with a vision so close to mine for this site.   They have the resources to invest in and implement the planning consent that we spent so long fighting for with the help of all our customers, colleagues and suppliers.  It is truly fitting that it is The Gardening Club that is taking on this challenge as they are growers themselves.  They grow a huge range of plants including bedding, herbaceous perennials, alpines climbers, herbs, shrubs, and even Christmas trees with nurseries in London, Essex, Suffolk, Devon and Scotland.”

Rob and the team will remain familiar faces helping TGC as they get established and return the site to its former glory.  We all welcome Tom Cook, who is MD of The Gardening Club.  

Tom says, "With new stock arriving and exciting changes on the horizon, I am confident that we will create a vibrant and thriving environment that both our team and customers will love.   We are concentrating on getting the plant area and garden shop ready for Spring followed by a revamp of the farm shop.  In turn each part of the site will be enhanced and improved to make it fit for the next 30 years."

Since receiving planning permission for a new garden centre development in April 2022 (click here), we’ve been actively exploring investment, partnerships, and potential buyers to bring these exciting plans to life — all while continuing to operate our existing buildings. Unfortunately, without the necessary external financial support and after an extensive, decade-long planning process, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to hand over the reins of the business to new owners.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported us along the way. Your patience, support, and unwavering loyalty—whether through letter writing, petition signing, standing by us during tough times, or simply shopping here—have meant the world to us. We are incredibly grateful to so many people; we extend our gratitude to our local business groups, our ‘superfriends,’ former business partners, our families & friends, concession owners, contractors, stall holders, Thames Valley Orchid Society, Ottershaw Cacti, The Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh, local councillors, Alyson Jones and of course, our valued colleagues. We’d also like to remember those who are no longer with us, such as Liz, Nick, Chris, Doreen, Edwin, Margaret and Brian.  Thank you all for being a part of our journey and we're sorry if we have missed anyone.

The team, including Rob, are all here as usual to welcome you this Spring!  Thank you for everything. We couldn’t have made it this far without you!

Kindest regards,
Rob and the team

For more old site photos please see our HHHistory Gallery…