A Barnsley-based plant grower is marking 40 years in business by striving to win gold for his family legacy with a return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Steven Hickman, 68, runs Hoyland Plant Centre with his wife and children, which specialises in Agapanthus, Clivia (Natal Lily) and Tulbaghia (Wild Garlic), and holds National Collections of each.
Steve’s son, Colin, said he was proud of the legacy being built: “It’s not just a business – it’s our family’s story.”
This a milestone year for the family, marking both his nursery’s 40th anniversary and Mr and Mrs Hickman’s 40th wedding anniversary.
Over the years, the family-run business has won multiple medals at Chelsea, including four consecutive double golds.
The Chelsea Flower Show is being held from the 20th-24th May and pays tribute to the Hickmans’ love for music. Flowers will bloom from the bells of brass instruments once played in the Elsecar Main Colliery band, which Steve and his father were members of.
He said: “It’s special to bring that history into the display, we started with nothing but a field. Now we’re here.”
Steve began growing plants as a child after being given cacti to look after during school holidays. When asked what happened to the cacti that started it all, Steve said: “They never went back to school – I kept them.”
He said the turning point came when a friend gave him Agapanthus plants: “They sold quicker than anything else. We stopped growing other varieties and focused on them.”
He said King Charles has shown continued interest in the displays, often speaking with Steve during visits: “He remembers exactly what we talked about the year before.”
Hoyland Plant Centre now produces over 50 Agapanthus cultivars (brilliant blue).