In 1931, Jack Munson married George's daughter Hilda Smith, bringing the two family names together. A champion grower renowned for his begonias (with a variety named after him), Jack built the farm's first wooden glasshouses in the mid-1930s to grow flowers, tomatoes, and winter daffodils.

Jack believed strongly in doing things properly, investing in quality, building well, and choosing things to last. That approach has been passed down through the generations and shapes the decisions we make on the farm today.

[Wedding day photo] [First aerial photo] [Jack and his begonias]

Before the Second World War, the family were already growing daffodils under glass through the winter and in the fields. 

During the war, those bulbs had to be removed and thrown away as the farm was made to turn its attention towards food production. 

After the war, the bulb stock was rebuilt, daffodil production returned, and tulip growing began. In 1949, Smith & Munson Ltd was officially formed as a limited company by Jack and Hilda.

[Tomatoes in glasshouse] [Daffodils cropping in glasshouse] [Limited company original certificate]

In 1957, Neville joined his father Jack back on the farm. In 1963, Neville, Jack and Hilda's son, married Betty, the start of 60 years together. By spring, acres of tulips and daffodils could be seen across the fields. 

Neville and Betty were a vital part of the farm, with Neville working on the farm for over those 60 years. 

In the late 1970s, Betty encouraged the family to begin growing lilies, a crop that would later become one of our most important crops for Smith & Munson.

[Tulip field photo] [Wedding photo][Early lily photo]

[Tulip field photo] [Wedding photo] [Neville and Betty in glasshouse cropping] [Early lily photo]

Together, Neville and Betty carried the farm into its next chapter, combining flower growing and packing with the arable side of the business.

In the early 1980s, the old wooden glasshouses were replaced with a newer block we still use today. In 1986, their son Stephen, the fourth generation, returned from studying Commercial Horticulture at Writtle College.

Stephen began transforming Smith & Munson into a specialist cut flower business, developing our growing facilities, modern glasshouses, coldstores, and packhouse that support us today.

[Aerial photo with newer glasshouses] [Newer aerial photo] [Early Stephen photo]

In 1990, our first polytunnels were built on the farm, enabling us to grow more lilies in the summer months. In 1992, Stephen and Jo got married and Jo became increasingly involved on the farm whilst bringing up their three children. 

By 2000, our first modern glasshouse was built, with the other three glasshouses in this block built over the following five years. In 2001, a reservoir was built to collect rainwater and irrigate our flowers. 

By the mid-2000s, outdoor daffodil and cereal production came to an end, as the farm concentrated fully on specialist cut flowers. 

Alongside him throughout that journey has been his wife, Jo. She has managed the accounts, supported the business through years of growth and change, and brought her own creativity, ideas, and judgement to the farm. Together, they have played a huge part in shaping the business that the next generation is now building on.

At this point, all tulips are now grown hydroponically indoors, our packhouse has been built to process all our cut flowers, and our newest glasshouse block was built, with the first half completed and the second half finished a year later. Two wood pellet biomass boilers were installed to heat our main tulip glasshouse block.

Stephen's bulb-growing knowledge and commitment to quality have shaped the farm for decades, and his passion for exceptional flowers remains at the heart of Smith & Munson. Handing over to his son Edward, the fifth generation of the family. 

Ed has built on the knowledge passed down to him while bringing a more modern and commercial approach to Smith & Munson. He has introduced new technology and efficiencies across the farm, developed and maintained our relationships with major UK retailers, and created and driven our direct-to-consumer business.

He oversees every aspect of the company, from growing and production through to sales, marketing, and the future direction of the farm, with a strong focus on understanding changing trends and finding new opportunities for British-grown flowers.