IN THE BEGINNING
The Dutch Nursery was founded by Hans and Anna Henn over 60 years ago. Anna Van Hage came to England from Holland in 1952 to work as an au-pair. Hans arrived from his native Germany in 1953 and came to work in the nursery division of the Cheshunt based nursery, Rochfords. They were introduced at church in Waltham Cross and got married in 1956. In 1957 they started their own “Dutch Nursery” from a rented site adjacent to what is now the “Cock o’ the North” pub. They sold and grew dutch bulbs and potted up a variety of outdoor plants to sell. This was revolutionary at the time because most plants were sold bare rooted. The nursery was thriving and they soon realised that they needed a larger site to keep up with the demands of their loyal customers. Their small three roomed bungalow was also getting too small for their growing family, so they searched for a larger, more suitable site.
MOVING SITE
The appalling winter storms of 1963 destroyed the cucumber nursery 300 yards up the road. This was the opportunity Hans and Anna had been looking for and they were able to buy the site later that year. They rebuilt the nursery to provide the bones of today’s garden centre, and gradually moved the whole operation there over the next 18 months. The business grew, adding a greater range of outdoor and then indoor plants, more sundries were bought in, a florist and finally a gift shop. In the nineties their only daughter, José, realised one thing was still missing, a café. Bob Wilson officially opened “café dutch” and then it was ready to provide customers with tea, coffee, cakes and light lunches. It started life as a fairly homemade affair set up in a new greenhouse (which was too cold in winter and too hot in summer!) but did prove very popular with the customers. In 2007 we undertook a major refurbishment. This extension provided “café dutch” with a warm dining space and a lovely terrace to overlook the Plant Area.
TODAY
Over the years the business continued to grow and diversify. In today’s Dutch Marketplace a large range of products and services are available. On one site you will find everything you need to create your ideal garden and home. Although the business has evolved since its humble beginnings, the core values remain. Our committed management team and staff ensure that we provide great quality plants and products with excellent customer service. Everyone who walks through the doors can be assured of a welcoming and enjoyable experience.
