Specialties
Specialist plant nursery next to the A22 at Newchapel with wide ranging collections of Hostas, Wisterias, Heucheras and Rhodohypoxis (an alpine plant having an exceptionally long flowering period). With the proximity of the nationally well known Heron's Bonsai nursery; a broad spectrum of dwarf conifers are stocked with an emphasis on Pines, Spruces and Ginkgos to tempt customers looking to try their hand at creating Bonsai trees. On a more general theme, a wide range of perennials, Japanese Acers, shrubs - both rare and common, are produced. The nursery also stocks a selection of terracotta and glazed pots from very large sizes, the modern cylinders and cubes, to the more economically priced pots from 99pence each. Visitors can look around the display gardens which stock a number of the 50+ Heucheras grown at the nursery while some of the 100+ varieties of Hosta are also on show. The collection of 30+ wisterias come into flower in the wisteria orchard in April and May.
History
Established in 1993.
Plants 'N' Gardens was first established at a site in Turners Hill approximately six miles away. From this small rented site, the opportunity to re-establish came in late 2002 when the present site of 6.5 acres came up for sale. The large greenhouse and growing tunnels offered an ideal opportunity to expand the business tenfold. With the help of lots of friends and relatives, the whole stock from the original site was moved in a single day. It took rather longer with the benches and stands arriving over the following two weeks. With the site having lain derelict for many months, the first year was spent replacing broken glass in the greenhouse, clearing weeds, expanding the car park and laying out the new display garden. Over the years, gradual expansion has filled the existing plant area to capacity. Building the collections of Hostas, Wisterias, Rhodohypoxis and Heucheras has taken many years, with additions to the collections constantly taking place.
Meet the Business Owner: Paul G.
To say that this is an ideal career would not be far from the truth, but horticulture has always been my passion from early days at school when running the school greenhouse, then working at a large nursery for a year, before studying a B.Sc in Horticulture at Wye College, Ashford. A role at a large garden centre paved the way for starting my own business and from the early days of running a small rented nursery to owning a 6.5 acre site along the A22 has enabled this dream to come true. This is not all a bed of roses, with a real low point coming in the winter one year when a tunnel had just been covered and returning after Christmas I found the wind had pulled a corner out of the ground and ripped it. To say that re-digging the sodden ground and replacing the cover all over again was not my idea of fun. However during the warm weather, when I can chat to customers and the plants are looking spectacular, it makes it all worthwhile.
