I am a farmer’s son from the village of Sibson in Warwickshire.  I became a farmer myself until in 1969 when I founded my own landscaping business, that is still running today.  My Son, Tony, and myself decided that a change in direction was necessary to help carry the business forward.  With my vast experience and knowledge of horticulture, we formed Four Winds Nurseries and with ongoing effort it goes form strength to strength.

My duties include the day-to-day running of the Nursery, advising staff and giving stability to the running of Four Winds.

I have been attached to horticulture since a very young age, growing up in a small market garden environment, pricking plants out and watering.  When I left school in the early 80s, I joined my Father’s landscaping business and went on to train at Brooksby College for 4 years.

I continued in the family business until 1992 when a change of direction was needed to help us expand into other areas of horticulture.  I started to wholesale plants; raising them from seeds and cutting and selling to local shops, garden centres and I even stood on the market in Coalville.  In 1996 I purchased the site on which Four Winds stands today and where my valuable 26 years of experience can be passed on to others.

I am the Wife of Dave and the Mother of Tony – I am the one who has supported both in their dreams and hard times.  I have quite a wealth of knowledge and use it where I can to help customers as they come into the Shop.  I enjoy meeting and welcoming people to Four Winds and get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing people happy with their plants.

In my spare time I like to read a good book.

I am probably one of the youngest members of staff here at Four Winds but probably have the most experience, as I have been with the company since August 1995, when it was still in its infancy as a wholesale business at its Elmsthorpe location.

When the business moved to its location here at Sharnford, I was very much involved in getting it up and running as a retail nursery. With the knowledge I have developed through the years I am now able to take responsibility for any propagation that is done on site, giving input on what plants we should be looking at growing each year, caring for these plants so they will be of the correct standard to sell and keeping an eye on what stock is available on the nursery so we can supply any orders that may come in.

You will also see me around the shop area, especially during the summer months, as I am responsible for the making up of hanging baskets and containers, and giving instruction to other members of staff and customers on the correct way to carry out this process.

Prior to joining Four Winds in March 2004 I worked in other garden centres, which provided me with a good grounding in being able to answer people’s horticultural problems and give advice on which plants to use where. Since I have been at Four Winds this knowledge has developed even more as I spend my time not only in and around the shop area but also out on the nursery. Therefore, I know what stock is looking its best at a particular time of year which enables me to provide the best displays and gives me an insight into how each type of plant grows at its best and what conditions it likes.

Along with this, I hope to give monthly advice via this website to both young and old alike as I will be very much involved in keeping this website up to date. My special passion is trying to get more children involved in this subject in a fun and practical way and so I hope to provide information and activities that can be used in conjunction with the national curriculum.

My name is Wendy and I have been working here at Four Winds for just over Twelve months. As a child my only recollection of any type of gardening was when my dad sent my sisters and I out into the back garden to weed amongst the vegetables that he grew. What made this worse was the fact that we could see our friends out playing. Although this wasn’t a very good introduction to horticulture, as I became older and got married I was able to have my own garden (without vegetables) and have grown to love it.

Since starting here at Four Winds I have developed a great sense of pride knowing that I have been part of the process of the plants coming in as seedlings and tending to them until they become lovely healthy plants, ready to be sold.

Outside of work I enjoy football, horse riding and water sports with my husband and 12-year-old son.

Hi there, let me introduce myself. My name is Irene and I am one of the more mature members of staff here at Four Winds. I have always been enthusiastic about plants of all types and believe each one has its part to play in our gardens, whether they are small or large. The beautiful thing about working here at the nursery is being able to see the plants in their infancy grow into healthy, strong specimens.

Each season throughout the year has its own importance, whether it be spring for Primroses, Violas, daffs etc; summer for basket plants, which includes my favourite, the trailing begonia which seems to go on forever; autumn for Pansies, Violas and Bellis; and winter, when we make up our own holly wreaths and basket arrangements, which provides us with the opportunity at a special time of year to give that personal touch and makes work so rewarding.

In this busy world, it’s nice to chill out and spend time in your garden and a plant enjoys this too; just give it what it requires by way of water, light and feed, and it will reward you with weeks of pleasure.

Hi, I’m Emily but everyone knows me as Em for short. I am one of three sisters working here at Four Winds, the other two being Wendy and Irene. I started work at Four Winds about 8 years ago after many years working in various factories until the birth of my daughter Kayleigh. Working in the factories was ok but it is much more enjoyable being outdoors in the fresh air, even when your fingers are frozen in the winter or your arms are burning in the summer.

I carry out many different jobs in the nursery including cutting back and cleaning plants, weeding and re-potting and then there’s the Holly Wreaths at Christmas. My main job, however, is pricking out the young plants from early spring through to late summer. My favourite plant is the Lobelia. They are so small, bright and versatile as they can be used upright in tubs or trailing in baskets.

When I’m not at work I enjoy riding and looking after my horses and my daughters pony along with supporting my favourite football team (Liverpool) and if I get a moment to myself I enjoy reading a good book.