The Fairweather Family
The Fairweather's team is a friendly group with a shared vision of delivering a great service to our customers.
Fairweather's Garden Centre was established in 1961 by the late Christopher Fairweather and his wife Aline. Patrick Fairweather, the eldest son, caught the horticultural bug from his parents and naturally took over running Fairweather's, where eventually his wife Steff came on-board to manage the cafe, Steff's Kitchen.
It's come a long way since selling plants in baked bean tins in the 60's and the Fairweather family strives to keep it more than just a garden centre, it's a unique place to visit in a historical part of the New Forest.
Plant Team
All our knowledgeable plant team are keen gardeners and know how to look after and nurture plants, which means our plants are healthy and we can provide you with expert advice.
Aline Fairweather the matriarch of the Fairweather family and founder of Fairweather's Garden Centre is still very much involved in sourcing you the best quality plants from local specialist nurseries.
Garden Centre Team
Our team in the shop have been with us a long time! They pride themselves on sourcing products that they know you will love and need. Planning is done in advance and we attend shows to bring you the latest and trending items including furniture.
Steff's Kitchen
The wonderful team in our cafe are passionate about the food that's cooked and served. Our menu is planned using local produce from Patrick's Patch and by supporting our local suppliers. Our chef inspires to cook fresh and seasonal recipes along with traditional family favourites.
Patrick's Patch
Our Head Gardener Rachel is supported by a team of wonderful volunteers. Together they ensure a continuous supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to our cafe, engage with local school children who visit and have fun making crafts with the children who attend our Potting Shed Club.
Tamarin Glinkowski
Role - General Manager/Plant Buyer
What got you into gardening? - My mother was a florist in London, and I enjoyed learning about the flowers she used from a young age. It then progressed into outdoor plants with a keen interest in herbaceous nothing more exciting than waiting for those plants to emerge from the soil in Spring.
What do you do in your spare time? - I walk a lot with my Spaniel Charlie and like to swim when I can. I have a passion for books or maybe an obsession and can’t leave a bookstore empty handed. I also enjoy learning new things and recently finished a course in Psychotropic Plants.
What is your favourite flower and why? - Lily of the Valley is my absolute favourite. As a child we had a whole flower bed full of it and I couldn’t wait for the tiny little white bells to emerge followed by the most captivating scent. I even chose it for the buttonholes for my wedding.
What Seasonal Plant would I add for Summer? – Rudbeckias have starry flowers which are robust, they are long flowering plants that shine in borders, containers and prairie-style plantings. They can also look attractive through winter. The stems and distinctive rounded seed heads persist well, providing food for birds and shelter for wildlife.
If you didn’t work for Fairweather's where would you be? - I would probably have been a doctor or psychologist I enjoyed learning the Latin names which linked with learning the Latin plant names, but I prefer working outside so maybe a job relating to the environment.
Jane DaCosta
Role - Chief Gift Buyer/Assistant Manager
When do you start buying the gifts to sell throughout the year and where do you source them from?- We do most of our buying a year in advance travelling to Europe and London! It can be quite interesting getting our heads round buying Christmas for the following year at the beginning of January!
What inspires you when creating displays, especially for Christmas? - I have always loved Christmas even before I joined Fairweather’s and have had a ‘themed tree’ since I left home, picking up ideas from magazines and the best department stores in London! Our building at Fairweather’s inspires us to bring natural decorations into the displays wherever possible.
What did you do before you joined Fairweather’s? - For 20 years I worked for an independent film company working on a variety of films and videos for television and big corporate companies.
What do you do in your spare time?- I read a lot of home design magazines and books and love to watch television programmes like Grand Designs.
If you didn’t work for Fairweather’s, where would you be or what would you be doing?- If I could choose to do anything it would be interior design, even if I wasn’t very good at it!
Shane Holland
Role - Epos Supervisor
What do you do at Fairweather’s? - I am the Epos Supervisor, and my main job is to maintain our till, pricing, stock, and back-office system. I also the buyer for a lot of the sundries like tools, chemicals, and bird care. My other responsibilities include being the duty manager, making and printing signs and prices and looking after the on-site responsibilities of our reward card loyalty scheme.
What do you do in your spare time? - I like relaxing at home after work, but I do have other interests and hobbies. Photography and video, including editing on PC. I have various cameras and equipment. I’m no expert but I find it fun. I enjoy playing snooker and pool.I used to play in a local pool team but now I tend to only play snooker every few weeks or so. I’m not very good but I enjoy it.
Where would you be if not at Fairweather’s? - I like to think I would have been a network engineer.
What do you enjoy about working at Fairweather’s?- I enjoy that it is a small family run business where you can feel useful and not just be another number. It makes the job very varied.
What do you do to help staff and customers?- Even though I’m not great at plant advice. I like to think I’m good with the other things people buy for their gardens. Like furniture, tools, and parasols …etc
Do you grow anything at home considering you don’t have a garden?-Yes, I have kept cactus for years. Probably because they are easy to look after. I do try to grow chillies most years with various degrees of success, but I always seem to over water them!
Marie Brown
Role - Front of House Manager in Steff's Kitchen
What did you do before you joined Steff's Kitchen?- Before joining Steff's I owned and ran a 10 Bedroom guest house for over 10 years very successfully.
What food do you like to cook? - Anything and everything. I like to try out new recipes and tweak them one of my most favourite is a paella so many flavours in one dish to enjoy and so adaptable
What would you be doing if you didn't work at Fairweather’s? - If I wasn't at Steff's, I'd probably be looking for something similar as I love the buzz of serving and meeting the general public.
What do you do in your spare time?- My hobbies are cycling and walking. I look after Patrick and Steff's dog Chickpea when they are on holiday and we enjoy taking long walks in the New Forest. I really enjoy gardening and oof course cooking!
Have you any exciting plans coming up?- Travelling! Next year I'm off on a long holiday for 11 weeks visiting Dubai, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. I like trying lots of different foods and getting to know the area and cultures. I will be taking something with me from Fairweather's with our Logo on. Just like a bear on a school holiday adventure!
Janet Cotmore
Role - Plantarea Supervisor
What is your favourite summer perennial? - One of my all-time favourites is from the Salvia family and that is Amethyst Lips due to the fact they flower for such a long time and attract lots of pollinators.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? - I enjoy spending time in my own garden which is very full of the many plants I have purchased over the years. I also enjoy willow weaving and challenging myself on new creations.
Where is your favourite walk? - My favourite walk is in Dorset it takes me through woodland with glimpses of farmland and the coastline. There’s an abundance of wildlife and if I’m lucky you often get a glance of deer or birds of prey.
What’s your favourite flower and why? - My favourite flower is the herbaceous hibiscus which has a large exotic flower that you would expect to find in an tropical jungle.
If you weren’t in horticulture, what would you have liked to have done? - I think if I had not chosen horticulture, I would have found myself working with animals in some capacity.
Jason Franklin
Role - Garden Centre Assistant
We know you love Christmas, what’s your favourite part of the festive season? I see myself as Buddy the Elf and would love to have Christmas all year round! I like to put my Christmas up as soon as possible, normally in November. I enjoy the different themed Christmas displays, food, drink and of course family time.
What’s your role at Fairweather’s and what do you enjoy the most? I started off as a Kitchen Porter in Steff’s Kitchen and because I love the outdoors I became a Garden Centre Assistant. I have a very varied role which means no day is the same, from merchandising the shop one day to being in the yard unloading lorries another. There is always something new to learn and I enjoy the interaction I have daily with customers.
Where would you be if you weren’t working at Fairweather’s? This is a good question. When I left school and went to college, I did a course in public services and always wanted to be a policeman, but now I think it would be a role where I could be with animals.
I love animals so I would have liked to work in a Zoo or a Wildlife Park, or maybe a dog walker, then I could spend all day with my own dog Dolly.
Do you grow any plants at home, and do you have a favourite? I only have a small garden so we are restricted to what we can grow. I have enjoyed growing edibles like tomatoes in the past as it gives you a sense of achievement when you have tended to it yourself. I do have quiet a few roses and agapanthus.
Do you have any hobbies you enjoy in your spare time? I’m a big family man so enjoy time with them all. I also spend a lot of time with my dog Dolly and like taking her on different walks. I enjoy going to the theatre to see shows and concerts. I am a huge Daniel O'Donnell fan and have followed him around the country on tour. Most of all I consider myself a Gin Connoisseur and enjoy finding different combinations and flavours.
Aaron Burgess
Role - Goods In/Out Supervisor
What’s your role at Fairweather’s, and what do you enjoy about it? I’m the Goods In/Out Supervisor, so I oversee stock coming into and leaving the Garden Centre. It’s a varied role that requires a good amount of planning, especially during the busy seasons. It can be challenging at times, but it’s always exciting to see the new stock arriving at the centre.
What would you have been doing if you weren’t at Fairweather’s? I would like to have learned a trade, such as plumbing or carpentry. I previously worked in a building merchants, where I gained insight into various aspects of the trade, and I think I’d like to expand into that field in the future.
Do you have a garden, and what plants are your favourite? Unfortunately, I don’t have a garden as I live in a flat. However, I love dahlias, so if I had a garden in the future, I’d love to try growing them. For now, I make the most of my large windowsills, where I grow succulents and alpines that thrive in the abundant sunlight.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I like keeping fit and active and regularly go to the gym. I also take Muay Thai boxing classes, which I really enjoy. When I have some downtime, I like to read and draw.
Have you got anything exciting planned in the future? It’s my 30th birthday this year, and I’m celebrating with friends at Silverstone. I’m also planning to expand my knowledge by taking some training courses in my spare time.