Hurrah for McBeans, the specialist orchid nursery and a remarkable survival of the craze for orchids that swept stately home hothouses in the late 19th-century. It still occupies the site where it was originally founded in 1879 near Lewes, Sussex. But a year ago its tragic demise was imminent. ‘We had already begun selling off

Arriving at Marchants for the first time is an exhilarating experience. Down a little country lane, the renowned nursery beloved by plantsmen is discreetly hidden away. The eye is immediately captivated by great swathes of strikingly original planting set against the ravishing backdrop of the South Downs. I first visited Marchants (www.marchantsplants.co.uk) well over a decade

plant nurseriesLilies of the Incas, Peruvian Lilies, or alstroemerias are beloved by florists due to their longevity as a cut flower. ‘”The perfect flower”’ is how our team describe them’ says Ben Cross, the fourth generation of his family to grow alstroemerias in a wholesale nursery near Chichester, West Sussex. His parents also work in the

‘You won’t get SAD syndrome if you grow  Hamamelis’ (a.k.a. witch hazel)  says Chris Lane of www.witchhazelnursery.com. I defy anyone to feel sad after meeting nurseryman Chris. He is a remarkable man literally brimming with horticultural knowledge and enthusiasm. It is both a privilege and a joy to spend time with such a consummate plantsman.

Philip Johnson of wwww.johnsonssweetpeas .co.uk has been captivated by sweet peas ever since his childhood. ’I first grew them when I was 9 years old’. A doyen of sweet pea aficionados Philip is extraordinarily knowledgeable about sweet peas and more than happy to share his tips for growing this beguiling flower.  A bunch of sweet peas