The history of Haws

For so many gardeners, Haws is the name in watering cans. It is a brand that suggests quality and longevity, the world’s oldest watering can company. Haws provides a link to the golden age of horticulture, when our cans watered so many plants introduced by Victorian and Edwardian plant collectors and breeders. The Haws story is a tale of innovation and determination, and a dedication to quality that has proved as enduring as our reputation.

The Haws name celebrates founder John Haws. He was the inventor of the watering can design we still produce today (having remained virtually unchanged), giving testament to how effective and well-considered it has proved to be over the decades. 

Originally from Clapton in London, John was by his own account an unsuccessful gardener. During British colonial service in Mauritius from 1862 to 1886 (he was a customs officer), he struggled to raise vanilla plants – at the time an important crop on the island. He felt that the clumsy French-style watering cans (known as ‘pots’) then popularly in use were part of the problem so on his return to the UK, John decided to produce his own watering can – one that would allow greater dexterity and precision when watering delicate plants.

His key innovation was in the design of the handle. Traditional French-style cans featured a single looped handle, used to both lift and tilt, running over the top of the can. John’s new design featured a lifting handle and separate tilting handle at the rear which made the cans simpler and more comfortable to use. He described the (then) unique design: "This new invention forms a watering pot that is much easier to carry and tip, and at the same time being much cleaner, and more adapted for use than any other put before the public." In 1886, he secured the patent and established the Haws company.

 

John's skills as an inventor swiftly eclipsed his efforts as a horticulturist. Further refinements to his cans followed and eventually they became popular with leading gardeners, winning awards and establishing our company's reputation for the highest quality. In 1911 he received a coveted Royal Horticultural Society medal and the following year was invited to exhibit at the first RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but sadly in 1913, John Haws died.  

Stepping in to continue his uncle's work, Arthur Haws moved the factory from Clapton to Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire in 1925, where he employed around 40 craftsmen who made by hand 200–250 cans per week. A stickler for quality, each can would be inspected either by Arthur or the works manager before despatch. Arthur was obsessed with perfecting the brass roses, two of which were sold with a can, and employed a worker for the painstaking task of individually punching every hole into each rose, each one spaced and tapered to perfection. This attention to detail helped fight off competition from cheap imported replicas and maintain Haws’ reputation at the pinnacle of the world of watering cans. By this stage the cans were available in a range of capacities, from one pint to three gallons. 

Then World War II intervened, with part of the factory used towards the war effort. These years left Haws depleted of both labour and materials. Arthur Haws sold his watering can company in 1950, just before his death, to Taylor Law Co Limited. Introducing modern manufacturing methods at a new factory in Stourbridge, West Midlands, they developed the first galvanised cans and later new watering cans made from plastic, which proved very popular. 

In 1976 the business was sold to Elliott Limited of Walsall. Despite working hard to maintain the trademark superior quality, they lacked the expertise to reignite the Haws brand, and during the late 1970s recession, the company went under and the Haws workshop went quiet once again. During this time, we are thankful that historian and horticultural writer, the late Percy Cross, began looking into the history of Haws, interviewing former employees and gathering together important information.

Haws as it is known today began in 1982, when the company was bought by Eclipse Sprayers, run by father and son team, John and David Pennock and based in Smethwick, West Midlands. Along with John Massey, Steve Riley and Graham Blocksidge, they began the long and ultimately successful journey towards re-establishing the high-quality build of Haws watering cans, and rekindling the brand’s peerless reputation.

Today Haws is run by David Pennock’s son Andy, and has regained its former reputation for making the very finest watering cans. Metal or recyclable plastic, with long-reach or traditional spouts in a range of colours and sizes – many fitted with roses – each can is made with purpose and precision to suit every watering style and requirement. From houseplants and greenhouse plants to outdoor containers and borders, there’s a Haws can for every type of gardening.

As more people than ever rely on efficiently watering by can for their indoor or outdoor plants, the importance of accuracy and quality have never been so vital. So as we look proudly back along our long lineage, we know that there really is nothing else like a Haws watering can.