About Us

The Highway Garden and Leisure story - Joe and Janet.

Joe High - the heart of it all - began his horticultural career in 1951 when he left school to work for his father Sam, growing and selling fruit, flower and vegetable crops.

In 1959 he started a six-year partnership with brother Allan and then in 1965 Joe decided to ‘go it alone’ - growing and selling horticultural crops from his own rented smallholding.

His first glasshouse was set up in 1970 - which enabled him to start selling bedding plants on site - and in 1981 he bought the first 11 acres of arable land on a new site nearby; gradually moving the existing glasshouses from the smallholding and also building a barn and a new home for the family.

In 1991 Joe was able to turn the site into a nursery and garden centre and he doubled the size of the retail area in 1999. An additional acre of glasshouse followed - to be used to cope with the high level of demand for own-grown plants - the site is now some 19 acres in total!

The Autumn of 2005 saw the biggest new building development so far with the opening of a brand new retail store and improved facilities and 2007 saw the complete refurbishment of the Restaurant and the development of a separate Coffee Shop.