Finding independant proper nurseries.

lostinrates

Short of driving down every road within eight miles is there anyway of finding good, local independent nurseries? A directory of some sort? An online list?

Davesnave

For you, one of the nearest would probably be:

http://themeadnursery.co.uk/

Nice owners too, and not above recommending other places you could visit. Just say Dave from Devon sent you.

There again, if you want a whole heap of nurseries in one place you could go to:

Action Research Plant Fair at Great Chalfield Sunday 2nd May 10.30 to 4pm, (but all the best stuff goes in the first two hours.)

Wish we were going, as we used to make a packet at that one! You will be able to suss out who sells the sort of thing you like there.

The above show is mentioned on Derry Watkins' site. She is a very approachable lady with a well-worth-viewing garden, not that far from you:

http://www.specialplants.net/index.html

She's got a link to the Bath Uni Gardening Club there too. We used to be members, but I think you can just turn up. They have some very good speakers.

That should be enough to get you started.

lostinrates

Great! In fact I was just looking at the special plants site and making a list . I'm away 2nd of May I think I found the mead website early and thought..''How many others must I be missing in this area...which made me post!

I might head over there. It looks good I'll tell 'em you sent me.

TonyMMM

Try the RHS list ...

Here

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm away 2nd of May I think

The other big plant gig in your area is at Lady Farm, about 7 miles from Bath, but it's not until August. Here is the link:

http://rareplantfair.co.uk/fairs/lady-farm,-nr-bath.aspx

Lady Farm is worth a visit too:-

http://www.ladyfarm.com/

The RHS Plant Finder Nursery Finder is good, but it won't find you everyone. Another source is the Hardy Plant Society Local Group Nursery Lists, like the Wilts one here:

http://www.wiltsavonhps.org/Nursery.htm

You can find similar lists for Somerset, Dorset & so on...Happy hunting.

lostinrates

TonyMMM wrote: »

Try the RHS list ...

Here

Thank you! Just what I was after!


Dave, I went to mead today. what a lovely place and nice people..

.''dave from Devon...the one who likes music festivals'' they asked I said''hmm, maybe. He likes music. I know him as liking ferrets''. ''Yeah they said that's the Dave we thought you meant''.

They do a scheme where you get a stamp for each time you buy stuff and get a free plant when you have filled your card! Hurrah!

Sally_A

This is a good local one

Old Milestone Nursery Ltd


01225 783226 The Old Milestone Nursery, Melksham Road, Holt, TROWBRIDGE, Wiltshire, BA14 6QT

It's on the road between Bradford on Avon and Melksham - just after you drive through Holt and on the left going towards Melksham.

Not been there for a few years but they always had a good selection of plants and flowers, especially Geraniums (Pelargoniums) and Fuschias from what I remember.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

what a lovely place and nice people..

Most real nurserymen/women are lovely, mainly because they do it for love more than money. If someone is into the beauty of plants, they're unlikely to be hard-hearted and dour.

It's worth pointing out to others that this thread can cover other areas, and thus give a plug to nurseries where the owners propagate large numbers of the plants they sell, rather than buying everything in.

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Most real nurserymen/women are lovely, mainly because they do it for love more than money. If someone is into the beauty of plants, they're unlikely to be hard-hearted and dour.

It's worth pointing out to others that this thread can cover other areas, and thus give a plug to nurseries where the owners propagate large numbers of the plants they sell, rather than buying everything in.

What is more on topic than MSE greenfingered and selling lovingly tended plants from your own garden/smallholding?

This might be a nice place to collate details of the kind of guys that never advertise but have seriously good value for money or unusual plants grown on well.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

This might be a nice place to collate details of the kind of guys that never advertise but have seriously good value for money or unusual plants grown on well.

There's not many who don't advertise somewhere, but here's another one to check out for our Dorset, Wilts and Somerset people:

http://www.hilltopgarden.co.uk/

Horace

There is one that I know of in Worcestershire - Pershore Horticultural College, I know they have commercial nurseries that sell to the trade and supermarkets plus they have a plant centre that is open to the general public.

E: plantscentre @ warkscol.ac.uk (remove spacing between centre and the @ sign and after the @ before warks. T: 01386 551149

All plants are grown at the college and the Plant Centre is open on weekdayds from 9am-5pm, Sundays from 10.30am to 16.30pm (and during the winter they close at 16.00pm)

If memory serves me correctly they tend to have an open weekend over the first Spring Bank Holiday