Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston.
He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials.
“It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can,” Hartley says.
“They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day.
“It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times.
“If my on-field wasn’t going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me.”
The garden centre – Hartley’s Nurseries to give it its proper name – is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business.
Hartley’s father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day.
“My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet,” he says.
“It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade.
“It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit.
“If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world.”
