Nursery blossoms as people’s passion for plants keeps growing | City & Business | Finance

Thirty thousand of its perennials fringed with trees and hedging are captivating crowds at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year, a spectacular contribution from UK nursery Hortus Loci that reveals what a well-tended business with a passion for plants can achieve. Founded from scratch by Mark Straver and Robin Wallis 15 years ago, their 17-acre operation in Hampshire has repeatedly flowered commercially and now has a £7million turnover.

Run by a team of 38 plus a network of sub-contractors, Hortus grows roses, shrubs, and larger perennials on site while its retail Plant Centre offers many of the varieties featured in shows so gardeners can easily display “the look”. Larger bushes and trees – some 30 years old – are also acquired from specialists across Europe. “We’re a one-stop shop offering sourcing, contract growing, delivery and professional planting – a complete garden supply service to both wholesale customers and consumers,” explain the horticultural heavyweights.

As one of the largest suppliers to RHS shows they work with leading designers and landscape architects, including Adam Frost and Joe Swift, to deliver medal winning gardens. For this year’s Chelsea it is supplying plants for gardens showcasing the Eden Project, the South Australian and Western Australia Tourism boards, The Children’s Society and The Woodland Trust. Months of exacting work goes into each show and they’ve learned to thrive on big event pressure. “Chelsea very quickly teaches you that there’s no such thing as no can do,” they observe.

Spotting an opportunity for a specialist nursery they teamed up making their focus high quality plants for the design-led landscaping sector. First supported by £125,000 of private backing and then a £480,000 bank loan that enabled the game changing move of buying their site’s freehold and greater freedom for their ambitious talents.

The post-lockdown trend to get outside in nature has also reinforced the joys of gardening and as a consequence the enduring value and importance of nurseries. Wallis is “the rock” for domestic business while Straver handles the international side where trade with The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Spain is flourishing and Hortus is a partner in a Barcelona nursery.

During those travels Straver gains insights into one of the biggest challenges facing the sector – climate change and extreme weather. “Seeing what is growing well, what is struggling and availability all help our decision making,” he explains. “Tree nurseries in particular who plan decades ahead are at the forefront of this environmental dilemma and are adapting to more resilient trees and shrubs.”

Expansion plans now include developing a containerised nursery on the spare five acres of land, an online shop and more concessions such as “glam cabins and stylish pots” alongside their furniture and stone materials ones. “Few nurseries in the UK combine the same scale, specialist knowledge and show garden experience like us,” say the pair who suggest to boost a garden’s wow factor a deep burgundy Night Owl rose, a pink lemonade Baptisia plus some delicate lupins and delphiniums to evoke waves of nostalgia. www.hortusloci.co.uk