Whenever I go plant shopping, lingering time is built in. The notebook, pencil and camera tag along. There is nothing quite like a good nursery to give ideas for planting combinations. Or to offer up a completely new herbaceous ingredient. Experimental candidates in pots make it into the car boot to take home and trial. Compulsive plant buying, kept at bay for a decade, is on the upsurge. But now as a designer, it becomes duty.
There are nurseries out there that I could waste days in and so now starts an occasional posting on such places. To me, they are the delicatessens of the horticultural world. A twist of sumach, a sliver of chorizio or however that translates into roots and shoots.
My number one favourite is Woottens of Wenhaston, in the far-flung Suffolk, not far off the road to Southwold. Woottens operates out of a sleek black shack, clock-topped by a sythe wielding mannikin. I think he sends down a hoseful of water on the hour. That might be a dream though. And there is a busy packing station right there in the back for their on-line business. Copious quantities of starch potato chips are used.
The owner, Mike Loftus, will give you snippets of wisdom – what goes with what. These are tasting menu suggestions that are worth savouring.
Parking up, visitors find themselves in a nursery jam brimful of pots – there is pretty much always a rainbow display in staging, colours chosen to be set off by the black background. The grass collection and variety of hardy geraniums are good – Mike has fields of daylilies and bearded irises which are wonderful for a visit in season. There is a polytunnel of pelargoniums (geraniums of the pot type to you and me). The rest of the site is laid out for shade and sun. A handy piece of guidance this.
Never an empty-handed visit, Scuttelaria incana made it away with me last week, Mikes words “it looks good with Echinacea purpurea Ruby Giant’ echoing in my ears.
I am beginning to seek out nursery more other than garden centres. Discovered that Bob Brown’s isnt far from me which was an expensive discovery
ah, yes, time seems to stand still when you enter a good nursery…and what joy to natter to someone who is keen to share their favourite plant combinations…
When i commented on your most recent post, i then realised that it was No3 and i hadn’t seen the other two! When the season gets going a bit I will look at some of our local plant providers…