Gardens Monthly January 2007

by Julie Hollobone

For a gardener, a visit to a nursery is full of anticipation of finding not only the plants that you want, but also ones that are of good quality - and just maybe a tempting 'find' that needs to be added to your list. Alongside the plants, another benefit is the opportunity to talk to the nursery manager or knowledgeable staff, so that any doubts and queries can be answered immediately.

The plant specialist company Architectural Plants of Sussex was recently announced as winner of the Horticulture Week and HTA Retail Outlet of the Year 2006. We went to visit them to find out why they deserved the title...

The nursery specialises in large hardy plants, exotics, bananas, bamboos, palms, ferns and evergreen trees... At the entrance, visitors are greeted by an array of exotic looking evergreens that have been selected for their structural or highly textured foliage, alongside trees and shrubs trained and clipped into architectural shapes. Some of the plants are garden regulars, chosen for their strong foliage, while others are more unusual, exotic-looking but hardy, as well as a few that are borderline hardy in many areas of the country. For those who are new to such plants, details of ensuring their survival are clearly explained by a 'traffic-light' code of hardiness.

The displays are laid out in neat lines and plants tended regularly, with weeds and any brown foliage removed promptly. 'We don't do brown' says nursery manager Chris Shaw, who has been with the company for 15 years.

Chris puts the nursery's recent award down to the quality of the plants that they grow and the high standard of customer service - coffee and advice are always on offer. 'When a customer makes an enquiry about the suitability of a plant, we will ask them where they live and what they intend to do with the plant in the winter' says Chris. 'If we think the plant won't survive, then we will try to talk them out of it - which must be pretty unusual'. The nursery also provides care notes on each of the plants, giving details of cultivation, pruning requirements, provenance and propagation.

Where customers have plants delivered, Chris makes a point of checking up on the condition of the plants a couple of days later. She has also instigated a plan to make contact with customers from the past 10 years to check on how their plants are performing. Chris is there to offer advice, but also to find out how exotic plants perform in British gardens over the long term, building up the nursery's information resources.

The team members have come to the nursery from mixed backgrounds, with varying amounts of horticultural training. Chris sees this as one of their strengths, as they can deal with a more unusual range of plants without the prejudices of traditional gardening practices....

Chris also tries to update customers' views; many believe the best time to plant trees is in the autumn, and although this is true for bare-rooted stock, large containerised trees can be planted at any time of year, if conditions are favourable. Another issue is that some people think keeping their trees in pots is a low-maintenance option. Chris is adamant that they should be dissuaded from this ... plants are happier, hardier and easier to grow for the long term if they are in the ground.