Hardy Plant Society

Using Commercial Nurseries

As a nurseryman who specialises in rarer plants I am frequently trying to find photographs and descriptions on the web to ensure that the plants I am selling are true to name. I find other nursery owner's web sites easily the best source of information for this. Although I have a vested interest I strongly believe that the HPS and other garden groups which promote conservation in particular should be championing such growers. A direct comparison can be made by the way the food industry and Radio Four in particular promotes small niche producers of more unusual foods.

Most nurserymen are not out to make huge sums of money (in fact an adequate living would be nice!) but they found their way into the business because of a love of plants and often a desire to disseminate this love and knowledge. Growers have often had excellent paper catalogues which many have now converted to very good websites; supporting such nurseries would help them maintain such a resource and if the HPS or other groups wanted to become involved directly perhaps organising the archiving of such sites would be a useful endeavour. Such nursery websites, because of a possible financial incentive of selling plants via the site, are kept up to date with new introductions and cultivars and have a longevity about them which many amateur sites do not. The upkeep of a web site, as I am sure you are aware from the HPS’s own site, is very time consuming (and therefore, if done commercially, expensive) I spend literally weeks working on mine each year from taking photos in the summer to winter nights uploading information. Like some other sites I hope that people will use it not only to buy from me but as a resource and I include information on plants which is not necessarily commercially advantageous (i.e. saying a plant is lax, runs or requires a sheltered position). With over 1,000 entries most with a photo such a site is a huge resource which would not be accessible using conventional means. This year, for instance, I have added information on many of the plants which I grow that are thought to be more tender. Thus, even though we garden on heavy clay in a frost pocket (-16 degrees Centrigrade is common (in fact we had it on Saturday night and that is uncommon for November!). I have put how they fared through the winter of 2009, with some plants being a surprise; Gaura White Heron for instance surviving well. Other information on which Echinaceas came through all right or what Hostas still look good in late autumn just doesn’t seem to be easily available.

This is not just about my site however, Paul Christian’s Rare plants, Brian Ellis’s Avondale Plants and of course Bob Brown’s Cotswold Garden Plants are other examples of sites which I think our society ought to be promoting our members to use.. I am sure that our members are savvy enough to know that there is a commercial aspect to these sites but that for the depth, range and informed opinion of such information it is easily a price worth paying.

Andrew Ward
Andrew is an HPS member who runs Norwell Nurseries, Woodhouse Rd, Norwell, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 6JX
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His nursery website is at www.norwellnurseries.co.uk