So Who Are We?
We are a small nursery stock supply/grower business based in Ivy Hatch, Kent. Our plants are predominantly home grown or UK sourced, and range from tender succulents to hardy shrubs.
From our beginnings over 20 years ago growing herbs and aromatics for local sales and open gardens we have evolved alongside Tom Hart Dyke’s World Garden at Lullingstone Castle in Kent. We are now the sole supplier of the World Garden Nursery with shrubs, herbaceous, alpines and succulents, carefully chosen to mirror the garden’s planting for visitors to purchase.
Our present site in Ivy Hatch is also a base for supply to landscape and garden designers, private gardens and prestigious estates. We can source full planting schemes and offer advice on hardiness relevant to the specific planting areas and suggest suitable replacements should a particular item be out of stock or unsuitable. We can will grow plants to order. We have also grown over 900 Eucalyptus trees of different varieties, all from seed, for exhibition at Hampton Court Flower Show in association with Tom Hart Dyke (National Collection Holder of Eucalyptus).
We really want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and try to reuse pots, trays and compost sacks where possible to limit our waste production. With the latest publicity about plastic we can state that we are constantly researching new recycling/reusing options and recently identified a batch of pots that are at least 15 years old and still in use- the only time I throw them away is if they crack or have virus/ root diseased plants. With regard to chemical use, we have had good success with biological controls- as we have a dog and resident wildlife on site we try to limit any chemicals present. Slug pellets are banished so we apologise for any holes you may see nibbled in leaves- at risk plants are kept in set areas of the nursery which are more difficult for the slugs and snails to get to and the plants are regularly checked but the odd slimer sneaks past us!
Growing media: we began our growing business organically, but found it increasingly difficult to make sure that everything was properly certified. I have had extensive experience of peat free and reduced peat composts, and have yet to find an acceptable alternative. More research needs to be done, and more regulations put in place over the percentages of green waste, coir, bark etc put into domestically available potting composts. Soil based mixes perform slightly better, but are unfortunately not an option for us as the weight makes it impossible to cope with on a large scale. 2018's Peat Free trial was a total write off due to a bad batch of potting media. Extensive losses and reduced growth rates/stunted growth means I have taken the decision to remain a peat-based (reduced peat) grower for now. There are many competent growers who use peat free and have good results but if I cannot replicate the growth that I get with my usual mixes without having to use different composts for all the different stock I grow I'm afraid I will have to stick to my usual methods. Horticulture uses a minimal percentage of the world's peat consumption, and I believe there are bigger battles to fight, such as plastics.
Mail order packaging is another area that I am very strict about. I don't make any charge for packaging, and repurpose cardboard and newspaper that I already have- my parcels may not look as 'shiny' as some other companies, but I would far rather reuse what is already in existence. Please excuse any teeth marks on packages, I have to fight the dog for the cardboard!!!
Our long association in the horticulture trade means that we have contacts in many differing areas of expertise and can source a far wider selection of plants than others, at a highly competitive rate. We fully understand the frustration of trying to track down a particular plant with no luck! Let our obsession with plants work for you!