1)Length of service: Well ! …..it turns out it’s 4 decades 😁 just under 41 and a half years to be precise.
2)Tell us about your career at Johnsons, which departments have you worked in? I started at Whixley on the 1st June 1983, after an interview with John Richardson on the 26th May. (the day after I left school ) Initially, I was destined for the field gang but the Whixley Propogation Unit were short staffed, so, I went there for 2 weeks to help out ……..10 years later (!) I moved down to Newlands to look after the potting – did that for a couple of years , then went on to Dispatch for a stint, followed by a move to Stock Control . After that,I was lucky enough to be asked to manage Roecliffe . I eventually came full circle and moved back to run The Propagation Unit. Finally moving to the office to work in retail sales.
3) What was the most rewarding part of your career? Meeting and getting to know people, not so much in my current job but earlier when propagating and potting and doing cultural work , I would be teaching people new skills all the time which in turn is rewarding when you then see them passing those skills on to others.
4)What will you miss most about working at Johnsons? The people and the banter , both with colleagues and customers . Some folks, I have worked with all my working life, you share a lot of special times with them through the years.
5) Tell us about an unforgettable memory of your time at Johnsons: There have been so many over the years, the nursery was a different place 40 years ago. No forklifts, so we had to empty the peat wagon by hand , this was in the days when peat came in 300L bags. I also remember spending the whole day collecting conkers at Myton for next years crop. We also used to go to the power stations like Drax to collect material for cuttings.
6)Who are some of the most memorable colleagues you have worked with?
A lot of people over years, when I first started work with some of the old guys, they used to come to work in waistcoats and tweed jackets ! They could tell some great tales and they used to appear really old , but now, frighteningly, I’m older than they were at the time.
7)Who influenced you most during your career? Everyone, from the top to the bottom, I try to learn something every day. I have worked under managers who are steeped in horticultural knowledge, but equally , I have spent a day with new starters who have really left an impression on me.
8) Any big plans to celebrate your retirement? Well , in the short-term, we are going out for a family meal on the 20th, but as it is Christmas ,meaning that both people and places are so busy; I will arrange something in the New Year.
9)Will you be spending lots more time on the golf course? Yes, there will be more golf, hopefully, but also more time to do other things as well, all the usual suspects; read more , gardening, DIY 😐 , Box sets and generally just being in my pyjamas all day if I feel like it. 🤣
10)If you had chosen a different career, what would it have been?
That’s easy ! An Architect – what a job, to be able to design something that improves people’s lives and will (hopefully) still be there in a hundred years.
Posted 19th Dec 9:16am
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After 25 years with Johnsons, Claire has been an integral part of our success. Their dedication, expertise, and hard work have made a lasting impact, and we are grateful for their continued contributions. Here’s to celebrating this impressive milestone and many more years ahead!
1) What inspired you to pursue a career in horticulture, and what has kept you passionate about it over the past 25 years?
I never intended to pursue a career in horticulture—it happened by accident. I studied forestry and worked at a nursery propagating trees from cuttings and seeds. An opportunity arose to work at Johnsons, and since I wanted to work with plants and be outdoors, it seemed like the right move. Over the years, seeing new varieties emerge and witnessing how plant fashions evolve has kept me passionate.
2) What has made you stay at Johnsons for all of these years?
I stayed at Johnsons because I felt it was time to settle down. Before joining, I had moved around Ireland and England for short-term work contracts. Johnsons provided the stability I was looking for.
3) What was your first role at the nursery, and how has your role evolved over time?
My first role was at Ryther near Tadcaster, where we grafted and grew trees. During the winter, I worked at Newlands with bare-root trees. Over time, my role evolved to focus more on customer interactions, particularly in the cash and carry section. It’s a much cleaner job now and more customer-facing compared to my early days.
4) What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the horticultural industry over the years?
The biggest change has been the growing acceptance of health and safety measures. It’s great to see safer work practices being implemented across the industry, as they help protect people rather than hinder progress.
5) Favourite plant variety and why?
My favorite plants are Viburnums due to their diversity. I have two in my garden: Viburnum tinus, a large evergreen that flowers early in the year and serves as a screen for my neighbor’s garage, and Viburnum Mariesii, which grows in beautiful, flattened tiers with lace cap flowers in summer. Its autumn leaves turn a stunning red before falling.
6) Share a memorable moment from your time at Johnsons:
One memorable moment was when the BBC filmed a garden design competition at the cash and carry. Staff members teamed up with contestants to help gather plants for their designs. It was fascinating to see how the filming was done, and after the program aired, two of the contestants became loyal customers of Johnsons.
7) What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding aspect is when customers return with photos of their finished gardens, showing our plants thriving. It’s fulfilling to see how an idea on paper transforms into a living, growing space that brings joy to the end client.
8) What’s the strangest plant-related question a customer has asked you?
While discussing hedging with a customer, they asked, “Which size do I have to get so I don’t have to water it?” That was definitely one of the strangest questions I’ve heard!
9) If plants could talk, which one do you think would have the most interesting story?
The large Sycamore on the nursery boundary near the F-beds would likely have the most interesting story. It’s like the guardian of the nursery, having witnessed the development of Johnsons and the entire surrounding landscape over the years.
Posted 19th Dec 11:53am
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We are delighted to announce the successful completion of our plant health training course. This initiative underscores our commitment to upholding the highest standards in plant health and biosecurity, ensuring our plants are of the best quality for our customers while safeguarding against pests and diseases.
The training, delivered for the first time by Technical Manager, Tom Watkins, proved to be a rewarding experience. Reflecting on the course, Tom shared:
“It was a pleasure to conduct a plant health training course this year. This was the first time for me conducting a course like this, and it went as well as I could have expected. It was rewarding to see the knowledge of attendees developing as the course went on, even those more experienced in this area. Contributions from attendees were always valuable and productive for the sessions. By the end of the course, everyone was able to identify and discuss pest and disease issues confidently, and I was really pleased with the progress demonstrated by everyone. I have already seen instances of attendees flagging up P+D issues on sites. Having people who can confidently identify plant health issues promotes good Biosecurity within the company, and the more staff we have involved, the better! I look forward to conducting the course again next year and welcome any staff who wanted to get on the course this year and weren’t able.”
We would like to extend our congratulations and a big well done to the following employees who successfully completed the course:
The group celebrated their achievement with certificates handed out by Group Managing Director Graham Richardson, accompanied by hot drinks and biscuits—a well-deserved treat for their hard work and dedication!
This course not only enhanced attendees’ knowledge of pest and disease management but also fostered valuable discussions and contributions, which added depth and practical value to the sessions.
The training aligns with Johnsons’ broader mission of sustainability and excellence, as we continue to take proactive measures to address challenges in plant health. By equipping our team with the tools to identify and manage risks, we’re ensuring a healthier, more resilient future for our plants and the environment.
Johnsons Group Managing Director Graham Richardson added: “By investing in such training, Johnsons reinforces its dedication to producing healthy plants and maintaining its reputation for quality, care, and leadership within the horticultural industry. This effort is vital not only for our business but also for supporting the broader industry in safeguarding against plant health threats.”
We look forward to running this training again next year and welcoming even more staff members to participate in this essential learning opportunity. Together, we’re raising the bar for biosecurity in the horticultural industry!
Posted 10th Dec 10:57am
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This festive season, we’re excited to host a competition for local primary schools! To celebrate the joy of winter and creativity, we invite students to draw a winter scene. The winning school will receive £250 worth of plants to enhance their school garden, bringing the spirit of the season to life in their outdoor spaces.
What do you have to do?
What will I win?
Those in 2nd and 3rd place will win a plant for their own garden.
Terms and Conditions
For further information or any questions please email marketing@johnsonsnurseries.co.uk
Posted 29th Nov 10:09am
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Unlock the ecological and financial potential of your land with Countryside Stewardship Hedging Mix, supported by UK Government Countryside Stewardship incentives. Designed to meet the requirements for both BN7 and BN11 grants, our carefully curated hedging mixes are perfect for creating sustainable, biodiverse habitats.
Our native hedging solutions are tailored to meet the Countryside Stewardship mid-tier, higher-tier, and capital grant criteria. For the BN7 and BN11 grants.
With over 100 years of experience supplying plants nationwide, you can trust the experts.
Our standard hedging mix will feature a base of 60% Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and a minimum of four additional native species, such as:
Varieties are subject to availability and will be supplied in bundles of 25.
Need a custom mix? Contact our sales team for a bespoke quote tailored to your landscape needs.
Our hedging mix is designed for optimal density, with six plants per metre, arranged in a staggered double row to ensure a dense and healthy hedge. Below is a guide to help you estimate the number of plants needed for different hedge lengths:
Use this guide to plan your hedging projects effectively.
We offer hedging mixes with or without tree protection. For areas without rabbit fencing, we recommend adding tree guards and canes for optimal growth. Biodegradable options are also available upon request.
As our hedging plants are bare root, delivery depends on seasonal conditions. Shipping begins in mid to late November, with prior notification provided.
To qualify for Countryside Stewardship grants, hedging must adhere to specific planting and maintenance guidelines:
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the schemes below:
Countryside Stewardship grants – BN11
Countryside Stewardship grants – BN7
Please note that we do not handle grant applications.
Contact us today to help with your requirements
Posted 7th Nov 4:16pm
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At Johnsons, we are proud to be Plant Healthy Certified, a status that reflects our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of plant health and biosecurity. To further enhance our efforts, we have introduced a series of Plant Health Training Sessions running from September to December. These sessions are designed to equip our team with the knowledge and skills to identify, report, and manage any potential plant health issues, ensuring that we continue to grow and trade plants of the highest quality.
As a leading horticultural business, we recognize the critical role we play in protecting not only our stock but also the broader industry from the threat of destructive pests and diseases. By investing in plant health training, we are actively reducing the risk of introducing or spreading harmful pests and ensuring our plants thrive in a safe and healthy environment.
Why These Training Sessions Matter
Our Plant Health Training Sessions are tailored to employees who work directly with our plants, providing them with the tools to recognize early signs of plant health concerns. The training covers everything from pest identification and disease prevention to the best practices for reporting issues promptly. This hands-on knowledge is vital in maintaining the quality of our plants and protecting the biosecurity of our entire operation.
Maintaining Our Commitment to Plant Healthy Certification
Being Plant Healthy Certified isn’t just about recognition – it’s about responsibility. At Johnsons, we take this responsibility seriously. These training sessions are a key part of our ongoing commitment to upholding the standards required by our certification. By empowering our staff to act as plant health guardians, we are not only protecting our reputation but also contributing to the long-term health and sustainability of the horticultural industry.
Looking Ahead
With these training sessions, Johnsons is taking another proactive step towards ensuring that our plants remain healthy and that we continue to lead the way in biosecurity. We believe that by investing in the skills and knowledge of our team, we can create a safer, more sustainable future for our business and the industry as a whole.
Posted 8th Oct 9:00am
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As Steve Strachan steps into retirement, we want to express our sincere appreciation for his incredible 47 years of service.
Your unwavering dedication and the contributions you’ve made will leave a lasting legacy, and you will be truly missed by everyone at Johnsons. Below we asked him about his time at Johnsons.
1) What inspired you to pursue a career in horticulture? I wanted to work outside and after trying pig farming for a while I saw an advert in the job centre for an apprentice nurseryman and thought I would give it a go for a few weeks, 2444 weeks later (17108 days) I am still here, must have enjoyed it.
2) Most memorable day at Johnsons?
So many but I guess one that sticks out is when I was the put in charge of the Whixley propagation site at 23 in 1984.
3)Which mentors/colleagues had the greatest influence on your career?
john Richardson and Danny Elliott, John made it fairly clear from day one what he expected of you, Danny and others helped you along the way.
4)What has been the most rewarding aspect of your job?A difficult one as the propagation unit is now defunct but I would say helping others get up to the speed and standards we expect.
5) What are you most proud of? I have been lucky enough to have a fairly exemplary sickness record but did drag myself in a few times when probably I shouldn’t have.
6)What has been the most challenging?
There have been many downturns and recessions over the years not to mention Covid and helping the company navigate these in any small way I could was a challenge. On a day-to-day basis the weather.
7)If you had to choose a favourite plant from growing over the years, what would it be?
Favourite Shrub would probably be Viburnum burkwoodii I have one near my back door and just love the scent in springtime, favourite herbaceous would be crocosmia, such vivid colours and favourite tree would be Betula Ernanii I just like the form and bark in particular.
8)What changes have you seen in the industry over the years?
So many changes, from the length of the working week to the mix of staff from so many nations. Our first Artic and first Forklift truck seemed like big changes but not really, moving forward more mechanisation must come to the fore as it already has done in other sectors of horticulture.
9)What advice would you give to someone just starting out in horticulture?
Get stuck in and do your best and be patient if things don’t always work out.
10) How will you stay connected to the industry? I only have a small garden and would hope that I can give it more attention than I did in the past.
11) What are you most grateful for as you look back on 47 years of service? In my private life the support and understanding from my wife, Deb and at work the continuity of work through thick and thin at Johnsons and the opportunities I have been given.
12) What are your plans or hobbies for retirement? I hope to play lots more golf and do more walking i.e.. The Coast-to-Coast walk, Cleveland Way etc. Maybe even take up fishing again.
Posted 1st Oct 11:35am
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We are pleased to warmly welcome Harry Bradley to our sales team as our Home Area Sales Executive. With his extensive experience in the horticulture industry, Harry is well-equipped to make a significant impact. We look forward to the expertise and fresh perspectives he will bring to our team.
1) Welcome to the team Harry! Can you tell us a bit about your background in horticulture? My horticultural journey started in 2014, when I left school and started as one of the first apprentices at RHS Harlow Carr – this was a beautiful setting to learn and kick off my career in horticulture. Following this I have worked in landscaping across a variety of projects, from garden maintenance to hotel planting schemes.
2)What will your new role include? I will be servicing the home area of our sales department, covering areas such as the North-West, Yorkshire, and Wales.
3) What are you looking forward to most? I’d have to say I am looking forward to meeting all our customers across the regions. I always enjoy getting to know people in the industry and learning about all the different work that is going on!
4) What are you enjoying most about being back in horticulture? The plants! Whether it is walking into the office and taking in the displays in Cash & Carry or going to the yard to check on my customers orders, it is always nice to be surrounded by wonderful blooms and greenery .
5) Tell us something you’ve learnt since being here: That Rosmary is now under the name Salvia rosmarinus – not Rosmarinus officinalis.
6) What’s your favourite plant and why? I would have to go with a fern, I love the wide variety of species available and the structure they can bring to a garden.
7) What famous garden in the visit would you love to visit and why? Tresco Abbey Garden – I have a couple of friends work at the garden and it looks incredible. Due to the climate, they are able to grow a really interesting range of plants.
8) What do you like to get up to outside of work? Anything outdoors such as hiking, climbing, paddle boarding
9) Favourite travel destination? The Lake District or Ibiza
10) Go to takeaway? Chinese (anything salt and pepper!)
Vicky Newell, Amenity Sales Manager, shared her enthusiasm: “I’m thrilled to welcome Harry to our sales team. His extensive background in horticulture and industry knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our service and drive growth. I’m confident that his knowledge and passion will greatly benefit our team and our customers.”
Posted 21st Aug 10:38am
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We are excited to extend a warm welcome to Richard Knowles, who joins the sales team as our Southern Area Sales Executive. We are confident that his contributions will drive continued success for our team. We look forward to working closely with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on our southern region. Please join us in welcoming Richard to the team!
1. Welcome to the team! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you here? A 47-year-old Leeds United fan loves a good concert or comedy event. I needed a career change/challenge, and since moving to the countryside, I have a new appreciation for plants and wildlife.
2. What excites you most about starting this new journey in horticulture? Everything! Learning about various plants which would suit our cottage garden at home is a bonus.
3. What will your new role involve? Building new relationships with existing and new customers in the South of England, learning what projects they are working on and trying my hardest to help them win their quotes with competitive prices, quality plants/trees, with reliable delivery.
4. What do you think will be most challenging? Learning Latin
5. How have your first few weeks at Johnsons been? What have you enjoyed most? Meeting everyone who have all been very friendly and welcoming, and also the Ice Cream day was an amazing and generous treat, thank you!
6. Tell us something you’ve learnt that you didn’t know before: Latin name for Holly – Ilex aquifolium! But so much more.
7. What’s your favourite way to spend a day off? Dog walks in the countryside, or a concert!
8. Tell us a fun fact about yourself: I raised over £800 for Martins House Hospice – dressed as Tina Turner and joined “Totally Tina” (tribute act) in York on stage in front of hundreds, for “Hot Legs” song.
9. Favourite cuisine? Fish and Chips or a good Sunday Roast
10. Favourite holiday destination? Tenerife or Whitley Bay
Vicky Newell, Amenity Sales Manager, expressed her excitement, stating, “I’m thrilled to have Richard join our sales team. Along with his extensive sales experience, he has a deep understanding of the importance of placing our customers at the heart of everything we do.”
Posted 21st Aug 9:56am
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Aberdeen’s historic Union Terrace Gardens has been revitalized through a partnership between ourselves and Ashlea Ltd, one of the UK’s leading commercial landscape providers. This remarkable project recently won a Gold Award at the 2024 Scottish Design Awards for Public Building and another Gold Award for Lighting. Additionally, it secured the prestigious Project of the Year and Public Realm Project accolades at the ASA Design Awards 2024, following its 2023 CECA Scotland Place Making Award.
LDA Design led a project team comprising Balfour Beatty, Ashlea Ltd, Arup, Stallan Brand, Ryden, McLeod and Aitken. Balfour Beatty awarded Ashlea with the soft landscaping contract.
Our supply included over £215k worth of plants for the gardens. This included a custom hand-grown city crest made from gold and green Ilex crenata, and 130 different varieties of plants. Our supply portfolio includes the Athletes Village for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the luxury hotel Grantley Hall, and various Royal Parks.
Originally opened in 1879 by architect James Matthews, Union Terrace Gardens has undergone a £28.3m rejuvenation. The gardens now feature new wheelchair-friendly routes, a children’s play area, and three new pavilions for cafes, restaurants, and cultural spaces.
The Gardens also feature extensive seating, new lighting elements, refurbished historic arches and Victorian toilets and specially commissioned artworks. Additionally, there is a new water feature, and the statues of William Wallace, Rabbie Burns, and Edward VII have been cleaned alongside, the ‘grand staircase’ leading down to the lower Gardens.
Over 20,000 plants were supplied to increase biodiversity within the Victorian park, including 1,252 Primula vulgaris, 1,853 Ophiopogon plan ‘Nigrescens’, 1,400 Brunnera, 1,270 Ajuga reptans ‘Atropurpurea’, 1,008 Anemone Honorine Jobert 2L, and thousands of Ilex crenata gold and green which made up the city crest.
Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We were thrilled when the opportunity arose to work on such an iconic garden project, and it was great to work with the fantastic team at Ashlea once again.
“The project has breathed new life into the gardens, and we hope that our plants can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Stuart Simpson, Director at Ashlea Ltd, said: “We were delighted to work with the Johnsons team once again on this project, transforming Union Terrace Gardens into a fresh, revitalized space. Johnsons’ top-quality plants, trees, and shrubs really enhanced the gardens and made this a truly tranquil location.”
Johnsons Nurseries and Ashlea Ltd have collaborated on numerous projects before, including The NCL2 Fulfilment Centre, Stockton, Sighthill, Glasgow, Pennine 5 Campus, Sheffield and various Center Parcs locations across the UK.
Photo credit: Chris Swan Photography
Posted 5th Aug 4:34pm
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Just like people, plants need to have the right balance of nutrients to thrive. The growing medium your plants are in is their source of nutrients and this is especially so where the plant is in a container. It is recommended that the compost is replaced and refreshed regularly to maintain the soil fertility.
Some of the feeds on offer are to correct an imbalance in the soil. Tree start is high in lime, so it is not suitable to be planted directly; however, when mixed into an existing bed, it can give the soil structure and reduce its acidity. More commonly, people have to add an ericaceous growing medium or a liquid feed to keep their acid-loving plants looking their best. A compost which is peat free can still be used for growing Rhododendrons and similar plants so long as a feed is used to correct the imbalance.
Feeds are classed as organic or inorganic. Granular feed such as Growmore, which is synthetically made of chemicals and minerals, is inorganic; Bonemeal is an animal extract, so it is classed as organic.
Inorganic fertilisers are quickly absorbed by the plants as they are more soluble. The downside is that this also makes them more susceptible to being leached away in wet environments. Organic fertilisers are more complex. It will take longer for the plant to extract the nutrients it requires, however the long term implications are that the general soil fertility will increase and the plant will be more robust. An organic fertiliser is better for the environment, uses less energy to produce and is generally the more economic option.
Granular feeds include the chemicals Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium in equal measure, often know as N P K. Which is what a plant needs for root growth, better foliage and fruit production. Bonemeal contains Nitrogen and Phospherous naturally and this makes it good for establishing trees, shrubs and fruit bushes. All feeds can be used either at the time of planting or worked into the soil as an after plant feed.
Did You Know?
The Dig For Victory campaign was a government initiative set up to combat food shortages during world war two. It was launched in 1940 and was so successful that by 1945, Britain was producing 75% of its own food. Allotments and small holdings were planted up in public spaces and in many domestic gardens. To support this, a fertiliser was needed, which would work quickly and be easy to apply. This is how Growmore started. The fertiliser contained the three basic chemicals a plant needs in equal measure: 7 % Nitrogen (N), 7% Phosphorus (P), and 7% Potassium (K). This is the same mix used today.
Posted 31st Jul 1:13pm
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Over 30 employees have recently completed two conservation days at a local nature reserve, Make it Wild. The initiative brought team members together to engage in hands-on environmental conservation activities and support local conservation efforts.
The team removed 180,000 invasive Himalayan Balsam plants, a non-native plant threatening local ecosystems, to protect native flora and promote biodiversity. The Johnsons team completed the design and construction of new scrapes, which will provide essential habitats for amphibians and insects, support local wildlife, and enhance ecological balance.
Make It Wild is a family-run business passionate about nature and conservation. Its mission is to restore and protect natural habitats, offering a sanctuary for wildlife and a place for people to connect with nature. Its team manages several sites, including woodland, meadow, and wetland areas, ensuring these ecosystems can thrive. Through their conservation work, educational programmes, and community involvement, the Make It Wild team aims to promote biodiversity and environmental awareness.
Christopher Neave, co-founder and director of Make It Wild, said: “With the support of local businesses, we are able to do so much more for nature, and the Johnsons teams achieved a huge amount in just two days. We are thrilled by and very appreciative of this ongoing partnership.”
Johnsons Nurseries group managing director, Graham Richardson, added: “We are delighted with the outcome of our team-building days. Our employees’ enthusiasm and hard work made a significant impact at our local nature reserve. The events also fostered a strong sense of teamwork and unity among our staff.”
Johnsons Nurseries Ltd supplies five to six million plants annually across the nation, contributing to national greening efforts and carbon capture since 1921. Its plants are extensively used in landscaping and gardening projects throughout the UK, establishing it as a significant environmental contributor. They are accredited with the international environmental standard ISO 14001:2015.
Posted 24th Jul 1:46pm
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We have partnered with Askham Bryan College for a second year to deliver a bespoke training course following a successful launch in 2023.
Developed exclusively for Johnsons Nurseries’ staff, the 12-week ‘Introduction to Horticulture’ course will be held between July and September this year, exploring topics including the lifecycles of plants, impacts of plant choices, and an introduction to plant science.
Those who successfully completed the course last year praised the expertise and passion of the tutors, saying the course increased their confidence and gave them new knowledge useful to their role at Johnsons.
With the sites located just 12 miles apart from each other, Johnsons Nurseries and Askham Bryan have been working together since the 1970s, with Johnsons providing work placements for students and the college providing horticultural courses for its staff.
Johnsons first contacted Askham Bryan in early spring 2023 regarding a training partnership to ensure its employees stay at the forefront of horticultural knowledge through specialised training.
Chris Edgar, management trainee, who took the course last year and has now gone on to study the internationally recognised RHS Level 3 qualification said: “The Introduction to Horticulture course was a great way of gaining a good deal of insight into our industry – from learning about plant taxonomy to how to plant a tree, it was all incredibly useful in providing context to what we do day to day.
“All the tutors were very engaging and enthusiastic, and the course as a whole is an invaluable tool to expand horticultural knowledge.”
Ellie Richardson, marketing and office manager at Johnsons, added: “With lots of our employees not having a background in horticulture, this course allows them to gain the vital insight they need to further their careers at Johnsons.
“We’re pleased to invest in our staff, giving them the training they need, whilst also sparking new interests in the world of horticulture. It’s exciting to be able to run the course for a second year, to give even more of our employees the opportunity to advance their knowledge.”
Steve Bassford, curriculum area manager for horticulture at Askham Bryan, said: “We are thrilled to announce the commencement of our second cohort for the Introduction to Horticulture course here at Askham Bryan College.
“We will be building on the success of our inaugural programme which promises to offer an enriched and immersive experience in horticulture. Alongside Johnsons Nurseries we are committed to helping foster a community of passionate plants people dedicated to cultivating their knowledge and skills.”
Posted 10th Jul 10:59am
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Self-Care Competition Terms and Conditions
To celebrate International Self-Care Day on 24th July 2024, we are giving away a ‘self-care’ hamper worth £75.
What do I have to do?
Follow @JohnsonsNurseries on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin)
Send us your best ‘Self Care Tip’ to marketing@johnsonsnurseries.co.uk or share it on social media with us.
You will be entered into a draw to win the following:
1x Dove bath salts
1x silk eye mask
12x reusable bamboo make up remover pads
4x Anatomicals face mask sachets
1x self care journal
1x Burts Bees lip balm set
1x Feather & Down Sleep set
1x Twinings sleep tea bags
2x Aromatherapy sleep candles
1x O’Keefes Hand Cream
Terms and Conditions:
The promotor is Johnsons Nurseries Ltd
The competition is open to UK residents only
Only one hamper is available for the winner
To be eligible to win the hamper, entrants must follow Johnsons Nurseries on social media and send us their best self-care tip by 31 July 2024.
The winner will be announced W/C 5th August 2024.
The promotor will contact the winner directly by email, telephone or social media, depending on the submission.
The entrant must be a follower of Johnsons Nurseries Ltd on social media
Entrants must be 18 and over
The prize is as stated; no cash or alternative prize is available
The hamper will be posted at a time convenient to Johnsons Nurseries Ltd
The winner will be asked for their details for delivery
Entrants who did not win will not be contacted
No purchase is necessary to enter.
If you win, your self-care tip will be shared on social media, our website and Emarketing.
Any entrants must be happy for their tip to be shared on social media, E marketing and on our website.
The promoter reserves the right to withdraw this offer or amend these terms and conditions at any time, without notice.
In the event of any dispute regarding the Terms and Conditions, the conduct, results and any other matters relating to this prize draw, the promoter’s decision shall be final, and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.
By entering, applicants agree to the above terms and conditions.
Posted 10th Jul 9:58am
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There is more to Hydrangeas than just the familiar blue and pink mopheads. There are over 70 species. Most are shrubs and small trees which originate in eastern Asia. They range includes evergreens, but these are seldom seen in Europe’s temperate climate, here the deciduous ones are most popular.
The name Hydrangea comes from the Greek for water vessel, which is due to the shape of the seed pods. Their common name, Hortensia, was made to recognise the work of French mathematician and astronomer Nicole-Reine Hortense.
Although Hydrangea can be climbers, shrubs, small, trees and half standards, the shrub is the most common form. The most popular being the maculate. These can be mop head or lace-cap. A mop head is a plant where the flowers form a dense dome of brightly coloured flowers, mainly consisting of the sepals. The Lace-cap is much more delicate with a circle of sepals surrounding smaller flowers in many ways resembling a viburnum flower.
The next popular type of hydrangeas is the paniculate. The flowers form showy cones and are mostly cream with a tint of pink or pale green fading to white. These plants can get quite large, up to 2.5m tall. They are an easy to maintain plant; water well and prune in the spring after the frosts to produce large flowers in the summer. Unlike the maculate they prefer to be in a sunny position so long as the soil is kept moist.
Other types of Hydrangeas include petoilaris which is a climber and produces ariel roots to cling on to surfaces, Quercifolia which has leaf similar to an oak tree and attractive cinnamon stick like bark.
One of the things Hydrangea are renowned for is their tendency to change flower colour. A white hydrangea will always be white; however, a pink can change to blue and vice versa depending on soil pH. An alkaline soil will produce pink flower and an acidic soil blue. If you don’t want your plant to change colour, check the soil type before you buy or you may need to be adding chemicals to it to maintain the flower colour.
Did you know, the roots of hydrangea are used in herbal medicine to treat bladder infections and gall stones. There is no scientific proof to back this up and if anything, you should avoid ingesting the plant as it contains cyanide.
Posted 4th Jul 3:38pm
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We recently joined forces with Palmer Landscapes to enhance the grounds of the newly established £9 million Highfield Care Home on the outskirts of Tadcaster.
We supplied a diverse selection of plants chosen to complement the landscaping to the value of £30,000. This included 800 Euonymus Greenspire, over 1,000 bare root hedging transplants, 260 Santolina ‘Nana’, 100 Salvia ‘Caradonna’, 275 Pachysandra terminalis, 200 Hebe’s, and 32 trees.
Meanwhile, Palmer Landscapes, headquartered in Pudsey, Leeds, took charge of soft landscaping for the project. Their contributions included supplying and installing over 450m³ of topsoil and 1,478m² of compost and wood bark for shrub beds. They also implemented irrigation systems, tree anchors, and root barriers for all the trees. In addition, Palmer Landscapes seeded and turfed over 6,000m² of land and carried out planting to enhance the project’s green spaces.
The grounds of Highfield Care Home have been turned into a vibrant oasis, where residents can enjoy a new home amongst beautiful grounds.
Set amidst serene and picturesque open parkland, Highfield Care Home offers a tranquil retreat with captivating views overlooking a serene lake. It is nestled in close proximity to the historic Roman Catholic church of Scarthingwell Park.
Highfield Care Home boasts 65 bedrooms, each designed to provide comfort and privacy for residents. The newly constructed two-story facilities feature spacious lounge areas, elegant dining spaces, and inviting communal areas, meticulously crafted to foster a sense of community and warmth along with recently transformed grounds.
Dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of its residents, Highfield Care Home offers round-the-clock residential care alongside specialised support for individuals living with dementia.
Johnsons Nurseries key accounts manager, Jack Witham, said: “It has been great to work with Palmers Landscapes again, this time to enhance the grounds of Highfield Care Home. Seeing our plants flourish in a beautiful setting has been hugely rewarding knowing that we’ve contributed to creating a peaceful environment for residents, staff and visitors to enjoy for many years to come.”
Liza Murphy, General Manager of Barchester’s Highfield Care Home, commented: “We are so grateful to the teams from Johnsons Nurseries and Palmers Landscapes for all of their hard work and generosity in helping us to create such a beautiful environment for our residents to enjoy. Our gardens look and smell wonderful with all the gorgeous planting. We are over the moon with how the gardens have turned out and we know how much joy the plants will bring to our residents not just in the summer months but throughout the year.”
Sam Isles, Contracts Manager at Palmer Landscapes, added, ” It was a Great all-around effort, starting from the office team, the suppliers, and finishing with the installation team. Hats off to Jack Tordoff and his team for creating such an impressive quality finish in a stunning and peaceful location. It’s lovely to see these spaces created for the residents to enjoy.
Posted 19th Jun 2:21pm
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What a delightful buzz we had at our onsite apiary in honour of World Bee Day on the 20th of May! Some of our team gathered for a lunchtime celebration amidst the hum of our hardworking bees, immersing ourselves in the fascinating world of these essential pollinators. Led by our expert beekeeper, Keith, from the Harrogate Beekeepers Association, we soaked in intriguing facts about bees and savoured the taste of our locally produced honey. 🍯🌻
Our talented staff put their culinary skills to work, creating mouthwatering honey-infused treats. Proceeds from the cake sale will directly support bee conservation efforts abroad and contribute to bees for development projects – a total of £150 was raised, and £75 will go to each charity.
Our World Bee Day celebration not only raised funds for important causes but also raised awareness about the plight of bees and the steps we can take to protect them. By promoting bee-friendly practices and supporting conservation efforts, we hope to make a positive impact on the environment.
We extend a huge thank you to Keith and the Harrogate Beekeepers Association for their invaluable insights and to everyone who contributed to making the day a buzzing success. Let’s continue to support our bee populations and enjoy the sweet rewards of our efforts!
Posted 30th May 9:49am
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As June the 5th is World Environment Day, this month’s article is about the importance of native plants. Why non-native can have implications beyond the garden fence and the consequences to our native wildlife need to be considered.
A plant which is native to the UK is one which is indigenous to an area in a geological era. What we tend to say is that this is anything here at the time of the last ice age. Therefore, anything after this era is seen as being introduced either deliberately or accidentally into the UK.
The advantages of including native plants within a garden include things such as the less of a need for use of fertiliser or pesticides. The plants are better suited to our weather; they will be used to our damp winters and short summers. They will provide essential shelter and food for our native birds, insects and wildlife. The relationship between our insects and plants is an intricate one which has evolved over thousands of years. For example, the length of the tongue of a moth needs to be long enough that when it approaches a flower it can reach the nectar which they feed off.
Integrating native plants into the garden should not be difficult; there are plants that will grow in various aspects of the garden. Convallaria majalis, known as Lily of the Valley, looks like a really delicate plant; they produce dainty white bell-shaped flowers however, don’t be deceived, they will thrive in poor soil and in the wild and can be found growing on top of Limestone Pavements.
There are garden plants which we are all familiar with which are descendants from wild varieties. Such as Geums which grow along hedgerows, known as wood avens, or herb bennet. Dianthus has many cultivated varieties, but there is a plant which is native to the Cheddar Gorge, where it grows in scrub clearance making it ideal in a garden rockery.
Native plants are great for hedging. Taxus and Buxus make fine formal evergreen hedges. Fagus, Carpinus, and Acer campestre are not only great stand-alone trees, but they can also be used in hedging. Fill your garden with native flowers and watch the natural world make its home there. If you have an area of shade, use ferns such as Dryopteris affinis. For a splash of colour, look for Primula vulgaris, Pulsatilla vulgaris, or Centaurea. Native bulbs are also great in a garden or managed landscape, as well as Fritillaria meleagris and Hyacinthoides non-scripta, the native Bluebell.
The Bluebell is a casing point as to why we should choose native over exotic. The decline of the Bluebell population is linked not only to the decrease in our woodlands but also to the introduction of the Spanish Bluebell. English Bluebells are quite dainty, with flowers along one side of the stem; they come mostly in a strong blue colour. Spanish Bluebells have escaped from the confines of gardens and estates and are colonising our woodlands. In our fertile soils, they are easily reproducing and are in direct competition with our native plants. In this situation, the invader becomes a pest, has a detrimental effect on the ecosystem of the woodland, and is now classed as an invasive species.
Being an island, we must ensure our native plants are cared for, and that plant health is seen as a priority at our ports. Plants have their own passports for traceability, and all appropriate checks must be performed before we accept them into the UK.
So to help the local wildlife you can do your bit. They might not always be as showy as exotic varieties, but having native plants in your garden will help our wildlife and slow down the number of diseases we bring into the country too.
Posted 30th May 8:26am
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In June, we celebrate an incredible milestone and bid a heartfelt farewell to Tony Coles, who has been an invaluable member of our team for almost 30 years.
As Tony embarks on this new adventure, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for their 30 years of service. Your dedication and contributions have made a lasting impact, and you will be greatly missed by everyone here at Johnsons.
Below we asked Tony some questions, ahead of retirement.
1) Start date at Johnsons: 6th March 1995
2) What has motivated you to stay at Johnsons all this time?
The Industry is a great industry, and I have enjoyed working alongside the people at Johnson and the customers. you learn something new almost every day.
3) What has changed most during your time at Johnsons? Blimey, so much has changed, the turnover of people has increased over the years, the change in plants that we produce has evolved enormously, marketing and promoting our business has improved massively with technology, it’s a totally different business to when I arrived, but I would say the company values have remained as it has grown, (from just about a £1M business to where we are now), which is key to running a good business and keeping good people in the business to progress. I don’t think you keep people for as long as some have served if the values and culture are not right.
4) What is your proudest accomplishment during your time at Johnsons? I’m not sure about proudest, but I’m proud of getting one of our Key Accounts to a million T/O in a financial year.
5) What are you going to miss the most? Speaking to the customers who I have known for many years, some are not just customers now but friends, so I am sure I will keep in touch with some anyway.
6) What are your plans for retirement? I will take a good holiday abroad in September but also look after the grandchildren. I have plenty to do; I don’t think filling the days will be an issue; I will be down our allotment almost every day in the summer (when it doesn’t rain!), and plenty of looking after grandchildren, which is a privilege, they definitely keep me fit, and lots of walking and generally being able to do what we want to do when we want! Don’t worry, the boss (Sandra) will keep me busy!!!!!
7) Tell us about a memorable day at Johnsons: The trips abroad with customers were always memorable, I don’t think there was one trip where something didn’t go wrong, or was quite comical, particularly the segways in Budapest!!
8) Favourite trip abroad? Have had a couple of good trips, Porto was a good trip with Customers, as was Budapest. These trips, although deemed a luxury, are very important to cement customer relationships and for customers to engage and listen to other landscapers and learn from each other. I don’t think these trips can be underestimated.
9) How will you celebrate your final day? I will probably still try and get in that last sale/order! I do have a very nice Whiskey to sample that I was given and told to save until my retirement so I may just have nip!
10) Any advice for colleagues as you leave? On the dry wipe board in my office, I have the following and I think it’s true, ‘Never assume – always ascertain’ – ‘if it isn’t written down – it didn’t happen’ and finally ‘Get rid of ambiguity’ and try not to hide behind e-mails – speak to people!
Posted 29th May 3:37pm
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A flowering shrub can be as much a part of the planting scheme as a tree or herbaceous border. Many have long flowering times, and with so many available, there is bound to be something to fit into your design. A shrub can add structure to the garden; it can be the main feature, such as a specimen of a Magnolia, or it can provide a framework for your herbaceous planting. Well-chosen shrubs should not dominate the garden but should become an integral part that pulls everything together. Flowering shrubs can add all year-round interest, offer shelter and food for wildlife and be form an attractive screen where needed.
There is so much to choose from, too. There are evergreens that flower in winter, such as Viburnum tinus and Skimmia rubella. There are Viburnums and Cercis, which flower early in Spring before the leaf starts to appear, and such an abundance of summer flowering shrubs; they can’t possibly all be listed here. If you want a shrub which flowers for a long duration, then the Hydrangea will undoubtedly offer you colour. The hypericum is also a great shrub that provides flowers for a number of weeks. They have varieties which are prostrate, dwarf and as small shrubs, they can be evergreen, deciduous and variegated. Often, they are grown for their berries. The only thing they are not varied in in their flower colour, they are all yellow.
The flowers of the shrubs are in all shapes and colours as varied as any herbaceous border. Small shrubs like Cistus provide bright pink and white simple flowers. However some displays of flowers are much more complex such as Calycanthus and Euonymus Red Cascade. Some shrubs have delicate individual flowers and others like the Viburnums have great clusters of flowers.
After the flowers have finished blooming, a lot of these shrubs bear berries. Many are ornamental, such as Viburnum davidii, which has bright blue dupes. Other shrubs which have attractive berries are Skimmia nymens, Pyracanthas and Mahonias.
Not all berries are edible; however, the ones on Amelanchier are, which leads to how it got one of its common names, June Berry. The Amelanchier is a fantastic early flowering shrub, which can also be grown as a small tree. In the spring, it is covered with pale pink and white blossoms, which gives it the common name of Snowy Mespilus. If you want to try the berries of the Amelanchier, the best variety to grow for eating is the Saskatoon, which is originally from Canada but grows well in the UK.
Many flowering shrubs are cultivated for their scent. The syringa, which bears blooms in hues of purple and white, has a very strong scent that can be enjoyed from early May to late June. Hamamelis have a distinct scent that fills the garden when there is not much else in the flower.
These flowers attract pollinators to the garden, so it is important to have a selection of flowering shrubs to provide all-year-round attraction. Early flowering shrubs such as Mahonia provide a chance for bees that emerge early to have feed when not much else is available. Providing something for all-year interest will lead to wildlife, making your garden a haven for life and enhancing the garden for anyone to enjoy.
Posted 29th Apr 10:51am
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We have supplied 29,000 woodland trees and whips to the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate in Masham, North Yorkshire, to create new woodlands in the north of England.
Over 30 varieties of trees were supplied to the Estate, via The DTMS Group, which has been contracted to deliver the landscaping for the project. The varieties included Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus robur, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre.
Trees were specifically selected and sited for water and biodiversity improvements and for their many climate benefits, from providing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide to providing resources and habitats for wildlife.
Funding for this project has come from the White Rose Forest via their Trees for Climate programme, part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund. The White Rose Forest is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire and works with landowners, businesses and communities across the region to provide support and funding for woodland creation projects that will benefit communities and the environment.
We have vast experience in contract growing for hotel developments on a large scale, having provided both Seaham Hall, in Durham, Grantley Hall in Ripon, Another Place in Ullswater and The Torridon, a 5-star luxury Scottish Highland Hotel, with substantial amounts of plants.
Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We were excited to work on this project in collaboration with the Swinton Estate, The DTMS Group, and the White Rose Forest,”
“Johnsons has over 100 years of experience in sourcing and supplying the highest quality plants, finding the best species suited to our clients’ needs.
“The trees that we supplied included a range of native species, from pines to oaks, enhancing the natural beauty of the estate and contributing to improving biodiversity and water quality.”
Will Richardson, Forestry Advisor to the Swinton Estate said: “’The Swinton Estate have a long-term ambition to increase tree cover by 50% over the next 20 years, creating around 350ha of new mixed woodland and wood pasture. This is driven by a desire to improve sustainability and nature conservation across the estate, sequester carbon and to produce sustainable crops of timber in years to come. This has been the first phase of this programme, and we are delighted with the contributions made by the White Rose Forest, DTMS as contractors and Johnsons as tree suppliers in helping us to deliver this. We very much look forward to seeing the new woodland thrive and mature over the years”
DTMS Group’s Managing Director, Dan Lazenby, added: “We at DTMS were excited to be given the challenge of planting such a substantial quantity of trees with a deadline fast approaching.
The team achieved this despite some very challenging conditions and received positive feedback in the process from our client, Swinton Estate. It was a great scheme to be part of and provided us with opportunities to develop all staff members, including our Horticulture apprentice.
We welcome any opportunities to work alongside fellow local businesses, especially when we are enhancing the environment in the process.”
Posted 27th Mar 12:45pm
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Not many species can claim to have outlived the dinosaurs, but trees can. There are some trees shown in the fossil records, Magnolia, Sequoidendron, Ginkgo and some varieties of pine. There are living examples which can be aged to 2000-3000 years old. So next time you think about how old this tree will get, be careful of the variety you choose.
Magnolia is a large genus with up to 210 species. They can be evergreen or deciduous. They have flowers that range from white to dark pink and occasionally yellow. The flowers appear on bare stems as star and bowl shapes and attract beetles for their pollination. This is because the magnolia evolved long before the bees did. Magnolias will grow in heavy, clay soils; they are tolerant of atmospheric pollution, but they should be sheltered from cold winds and frosts.
The Sequoiadendron giganteum can live over 3000 years. It is a coniferous tree found in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and there are fewer than 80000 remaining trees. The largest of these trees measures to 85m tall with a trunk 8m diameter, which is big enough to drive a car through. There are approximately 11,000 cones on a large tree, which produce between 300 and 400 thousand seeds annually. In the UK, the tree is commonly known as Wellingonia, whereas everywhere else, it is known as Giant Red Wood. The largest known example in the UK can be found in the New Forest and stands at 52.73m tall. There are currently 500,000 trees in the UK, whereas in California, there are only 80,000 trees remaining. The Sequoiadendron is important for the storage of carbon; a 45m tall tree can store up to 15 tonnes of carbon. The most giant trees in California can store a callosal 250 tonnes of carbon.
Without a doubt, the grandest of our ancient trees is the Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as the Maiden Hair tree. The common name derives from the fan shape of the leaf, which radiates veins through it. The leaves, which can be 12cm wide, are green through summer, turning a magnificent golden yellow in autumn. Despite being a conifer, the Ginkgo is deciduous; it is also dioecious, meaning the trees are either male or female. It will grow in well-drained soil and generally achieves 12m in the first 20-50 years. Eventually, it will reach 25m tall, though there are some who can get to 50m and live over 2000 years old. Evidence of their existence can be found going back 290 million years ago, as shown in fossil records.
The most outstanding Ginkgo we know about are the ones which survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb dropped near them on 6th August 1945. There are six specimens which are within a mile of the bomb site, seeds from which have been distributed around the globe to encourage world peace. Some of these seeds are grown in the UK at Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Posted 22nd Mar 3:11pm
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Wednesday 3rd, March is World Wildlife Day, and to celebrate, we are giving away a wildlife hamper worth £75.
What do I have to do?
What will I win?
You will be entered into a draw to win the following:
A wildlife hamper worth £75 with the following items:
Terms and conditions
by Friday 15th March 2024
Posted 27th Feb 12:45pm
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The Camellia is an evergreen flowering shrub. It originates in areas of Japan, Korea and China where it grows in woodland sites on peaty soils. It was introduced to the UK in 1739 as Camellia japonica. Camellia is from the Theaceae family; there are 220 known species and over 26,000 cultivars.
The main Camellia that you will find in the UK gardens is the Williamsii Hybrids. These were first introduced in Cornwall by John Charles Williams in 1923. They are now accepted to be the hardest and most reliable of the Camellia to grow in the UK. They are a hybrid of japonica and salvensis, which has led to a lot of hybridisations to rival that of the rose. This has given us a range of colours and flower types to be available to the gardener. The colour ranges from cream/ white through to dark pink and red. The flower size can be between 5 and 12cm in various forms, including semi-double, anemone form, formal double and single.
Other types of Camellias include Sasanqua which produces fragrant flowers during autumn and wintertime. Sinensis, which is a white flowering Camellia, the leaf, stem and bud when dried and fermented, are used for tea production. The Oleriferra, which produces seeds which are used in the manufacture of cooking oil and in cosmetics. Salvensis is a large evergreen variety found mainly in China. It produces a single white flower from October to November, mainly known for being a hybrid with japonica.
When establishing Camellia in a garden, choose a spot which is away from any cold winds and where it will be protected from morning frosts. It prefers acid soil but will grow in neutral. It is also an ideal plant for going into a container or growing in a conservatory. A Camellia needs very little pruning. Branches can be trimmed out if damaged, but leave this job until May. Any propagation can be done in summer from hardwood cuttings or layering. The best time to feed a Camellia is late spring into summer after flowering has finished. A feed which is suitable for ericaceous plants would be suitable. One which contains sequestered iron will also help feed the plant. Camellia is not susceptible to many issues; however, if the flowers start to go past their best and discolour on the plant, its best to remove them as there can be a risk of Camellia petal blight. This is not so much an issue with Camellia japonica, which will drop the flowers intact and Sasanqua, which will drop individual petals across the ground beneath them.
Some interesting Camellia facts.
Posted 26th Feb 3:43pm
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Eleven employees at Johnsons reached 290 years of combined service in 2023, with extended services ranging from 10 years to 45 years.
Congratulations and thanks to the employees below for their hard work, commitment, and loyalty to Johnsons during their time with us.
45 years – Steve Strachan, Unit Manager (Container)
40 years – Paul Lamb, Assistant Retail Sales Manager
40 years – Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director
35 years – Lee Cooper, Unit Manager (Amenity Operations)
25 years – Paul Bartram, Senior Nursery Worker
25 years – Steve Morton, Operations Manager
25 years – Tracey Richardson, Administrator
25 years – Rich Shepherdson, Unit Manager (Thornville)
10 years – Ellie Richardson, Marketing and Office Manager
10 years – Eric Buckby, Deputy Unit Manager (Container)
10 years – Robert Richardson, Production Director
To celebrate and highlight their long service at Johnsons, each employee received a certificate and vouchers valued between £450 and £100.
Retail Sales Assistant, Paul Lamb, who joined us after leaving school, said: “Early on, it was a great job, it was active, outside, and I was working with great people, and without sounding cheesy, you turn around and 40 years have gone, and the people you have worked with have had children and Grandchildren!!! It does feel like a big family, and I couldn’t imagine having done anything else” when questioned about his length of service as Johnsons.
Steven Morton, Operations Manager, commented: “I have enjoyed working in different areas of the company and learning new skills to help me progress through my career at Johnsons. ”
Steve Strachan, Container Unit Manager, said: ” Job security/ continuity and working with lots of great people has made me stay at Johnsons all these years.”
While Eleanor Richardson added: ” No two days are alike; I could be out taking photos and creating content one morning, and the next I could be creating email campaigns, writing press releases, or working on the re-brand. That’s what I love most about my job, but also, seeing my family so regularly; who else can say they see their direct family members most days at this age…
Posted 26th Jan 3:12pm
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Following on from the recent interest in the aphid mummy found on the nursery, here is some more information about predatory bugs and how they can be used in the nursery or a garden setting.
Biological controls such as parasitic wasps and nematodes are used by nurseries to control insect pests such as aphids and spider mites. In the garden, these beneficial bugs are less under our control, but that does not mean they are not effective. On the nursery, these predators are used in controlled areas such as in the glasshouse where the atmosphere can be controlled and all exits sealed. In these conditions, nematodes can be used to control sciarid flies, thrips and vine weevils. These microscopic worm-like creatures are supplied in a gel-like carrier and then applied to the crop in water as a drench. The nematode then seeks out a host, enters the body and releases a bacterium, which will kill the pest. Parasitic wasps can be released into a controlled environment. They are applied to the crop as aphid mummies. The adult wasp, when it emerges, looks for an aphid to lay their eggs into and repeats the process. Different species of wasps attack different aphids, so correct identification is important.
We all do our best to attract pollinator insects into our gardens by providing insect hotels and planting areas that suit how they feed; unfortunately, this also attracts the bugs we don’t want to see, such as aphids and midges. So, before you reach for the chemicals, think about your first line of defence being the beneficial bugs found naturally in your garden. Don’t underestimate a Ladybird; think of these as the bouncers to your flowerbeds. They are voracious beetles that can eat 5000 aphids in a lifetime. This is due to the larvae and the adult being predators, which will also munch their way through midge larvae and small caterpillars.
Other beneficial bugs that you will come across are lacewing, the larvae, and the adults will predate on aphids. They will even go to great lengths to camouflage themselves with the carcass of dead aphids so they can sneak closer to their prey without being detected. Hoverflies, as well as being good pollinators they will predate on aphids and small prey. Another bug which will be familiar to those who work in gardens are the Flower bug (also known as the Pirate bug due to its markings) because as well as all the good work they do in the garden to feed off aphids, caterpillars and midge larvae, they do bite us too.
This use of beneficial bugs as a line of attack against pests is a good way to reduce our reliance on chemical controls. It encourages the food chain to develop in the garden as the beneficial bugs will themselves become lunch for birds and small mammals. It is also a less discriminatory method of dealing with insect pests than just blanket spraying the whole crop or garden with chemicals.
Posted 26th Jan 11:16am
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On the 7th of November 2023, the company ‘Johnsons of Whixley Ltd’ changed its name to ‘Johnsons Nurseries Ltd.’
Founded in 1921 by war veteran Eric Johnson before being purchased by John Richardson in 1964, the now third-generation family business achieved a record sales turnover of £18.8m in its last financial year and has big plans for growth, with the rebrand defining its intention for moving forward.
Graham Richardson, group managing director at Johnsons Nurseries, said: “We have used the generic term ‘Nurserymen’ as part of our branding for years, and it has been an accepted historical collective term that describes the profession and not a deliberate specific reflection on gender within the workforce.
“We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and the contributions that all of our employees make.”
“However, we are acutely aware of this being perceived as outdated and intend to phase out the term over time as we introduce our new brand. This is also an opportunity for us to solidify our place in the market and ensure that the quality and reputation of Johnsons products are maintained for future generations of our workforce, customers and stakeholders.
“Our values remain the same as we aim to continue the legacy of professionalism and reputation that Mr Johnson and the Richardson family have built.”
Other than the name change to our documentation, domains, all other details for the company, and the basis on which we work together, remain the same. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Posted 29th Nov 11:38am
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At Johnsons, we are committed to helping our team develop, so we are thrilled to announce that the first cohort of Johnsons employees have completed the bespoke horticultural training course we have created in conjunction with Askham Bryan College.
Fourteen team members were awarded with their certificates at a small celebration with plenty of cake!
Completing the course were Adam Davis, Matt Campey, Gary Hardwicke, Ashley Robinson, Tomasz Kedra, Gergo Kontos, Chris Edgar, Chris Pearce, Matthew Goodwin, Elliot Green, Katie Burlingham, Dmytro Orlov, Filippo Pellizon and Louise Roberts.
Commenting on the course, Gary Hardwicke, said: “Attending the tailored Asakham Bryan Collage Course was a great experience. The tutor’s knowledge and passion for plants shone through and they made learning easy and enjoyable.
I have gained knowledge useful to my role here at Johnsons, I have much more understanding of plants now.Thank you to Johnsons for setting this up, the course also increased my confidence in choosing plants for my own garden at home too.”
Steve Bassford, Curriculum Area Manager , said: “Overall the tutors who delivered the course were very impressed with the prior knowledge of the employees that attended the course. They were fully engaged throughout and have shown the eye for quality and professionalism that any business should be proud of. Overall the course met and exceeded some expectations and the feedback was very positive from the students.
On our part, this was a big move from a departmental at the college taking on a course that was tailored to suit and also over the summer period. The course ran smoothly and any issues were dealt with promptly.”
Having worked with Askham Bryan, our local agricultural and horticultural college, since the 1970s, we knew they would be the perfect training partner for us.
As well as having a longstanding history with Johnsons, Askham Bryan is an Ofsted outstanding college that recently launched a new £2.7million training facility at its York site and won a prestigious Educate North Award for its innovation in digital learning and skills.
Earlier this year, we reached out to the Askham Bryan team about working together in partnership to ensure our team can stay at the forefront of horticultural knowledge, benefiting from its specialist training and facilities.
And so ‘An Introduction to Horticulture’, our bespoke 12-week course, was created! The course covers all key areas from plant identification and planting locations to the impact of plant choices, helping our team to boost their skills, knowledge and confidence within their horticultural careers.
To find out more about becoming part of the Johnsons of Whixley family, head to our careers page.
Posted 27th Oct 3:36pm
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We are pleased to have received Plant Healthy accreditation for the third year running.
The Plant Healthy certification shows that Johnsons is a business that trades and grows plants to a high plant health and biosecurity standard whilst reducing the risk of introducing or spreading destructive plant pests, as well as protecting the horticultural industry, other cultivated plants and natural habitats.
Plant Health is important to Johnsons for many reasons such as protecting our woodlands from pests and diseases such as ash-dieback and oak processionary moth and safeguarding native flora and fauna from non-native pests and diseases.
Healthy plants are fundamental for the creation of beautiful gardens and landscapes and are essential for life, making the oxygen we breathe and absorbing carbon dioxide, they are also essential for the food we eat and without them, we wouldn’t be here.
Johnsons’ Commercial and Business Manager, Jonathan Whittemore, said: “You can help with Plant Health by buying responsibly from reputable nurseries and suppliers and avoiding buying plants that have been sourced from areas with high-risk pests and diseases, keeping your boots clean to avoid spreading diseases, looking after your plants and knowing pests when you see them.
Want to find out more about the Plant Healthy scheme? click here https://planthealthy.org.uk/
Posted 2nd Nov 8:50am
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Earlier this year, we teamed up with York-based landscapers, Wild Landscapes, to support the firm’s landscaping project at a new restaurant in York, the York Minster Refectory.
Our supply to the project included plants and soft landscaping for the new restaurant grounds, which were officially opened by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort on 6 April 2023.
The King and Queen Consort visited York for the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster and revealed a plaque at the restaurant to celebrate their visit and the opening of the new brasserie.
The York Minster Refectory is based in the Grade II-listed former York Minster school and provides unique views of York Minster. The new brasserie will offer evening restaurant dining, an easy-to-use kiosk for takeaway drinks and snacks as well as private dining.
The restaurant is a joint venture between GEM Construction and The Star Group Restaurants, headed by the owner of the Starr Inn at Harome, Andrew Pern, who appointed Wild Landscapes to provide the soft landscaping for the project. Wild approached us in turn to supply the plants for the grounds in time for the royal reveal.
Plants used in the garden design included hundreds of shrubs, herbaceous, hedging and trees. Over 170 Ilex crenata plants were used to create neat edging for shrub and herbaceous borders, while cherry tree Prunus ‘The Bride’ were used as feature trees with outstanding displays of pink flowers.
Tom Davis, Director of Wild Landscapes said: “This was a really exciting project for us, made even more special by the official opening by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort.
“We chose Johnsons to support on this project as we knew they could deliver top quality plants that would enhance the Refectory’s classic style against the backdrop of the stunning Minster building.”
Johnsons’ Marketing Manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “It’s an honour to have been involved in such a prestigious project located on our doorstep. We have worked with Wild Landscapes for a number of years and were pleased to help add the finishing touches to their project in time for the royal visit. I look forward to watching the plants grow and mature and hope they are enjoyed by visitors to York for many years to come.”
Our plants have been used in a number of royal-worthy grounds over the years, including Holyrood Palace, Blenheim Palace, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Seaham Hall. Get in touch with the team today if you’d like to enquire about how we can support your next project.
Posted 18th Oct 9:17am
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32 Employees recently visited The Mount St John Estate at Felixkirk, Thirsk, over two dates during the summer.
It was great to see the plants and trees we have supplied in situ with the partnership going back fifteen years.
On arrival, the estate provided Johnsons staff with tea, coffee and cake and gave a tremendous behind-the-scenes tour of their kitchen garden, contemporary terrace and valley garden.
Mount St John is a private garden, and the owners commissioned Tom Stuart Smith in 2004 to create a design. He drew inspiration from the field patterns visible from the house and the main garden was completed in 2006, the valley garden commenced is still ongoing. The monastic foundations of the preceptory belonging to the Knights Hospitaller of the order of St John of Jerusalem lie in the field below the Georgian property of 1720. The Victorian kitchen garden and cut flower garden supply local restaurants with produce.
All in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the tours and were amazed by the size and beauty of the gardens and were grateful for the opportunity to see the plants we supply in a different setting.
Posted 14th Aug 11:49am
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We have teamed up with ATM Ltd to to supply and beautify the 12.5-acre botanical garden at York Museum Gardens.
The gardens are located just 11 miles from our head office and were planted by Boroughbridge-based landscaping contractor ATM Ltd.
The plants were used to refresh and update some of the beds within the Gardens as part of the recent Environment Agency flood defence improvements project. The planting design was developed by Steve Williams, Garden Manager at York Museum Trust; and consultants AECOM.
York Museum Gardens are located along the north bank of the River Ouse and are a listed botanical garden, containing many varieties of trees, deciduous and evergreen, native and exotic.
The Gardens were first established in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and The Yorkshire Museum, situated onsite, was one of the first purpose-built museums in the country. The gardens and museum were given in trust to the City of York Council in 1960 and have been managed by the York Museums Trust since 2002.
ATM Ltd, one of the UK’s leading landscaping, highway and maintenance contractors is located 18 miles down the road from the Gardens and was tasked with providing the soft landscaping for the project, following engineering works to raise an existing flood bank. Some planting had to be removed, whilst other areas along a woodland path were in need of rejuvenation.
Johnsons plants used in the project include Astilbe, Astrantia, Bergenia, Brunnera, Carex, Digitalis, Euonymus, Helleborus, Hosta, Hydrangea, Pulmonaria, Viburnum, Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ and Clerodendrum trichotomum. They were carefully selected to ensure there would be a range of flowering plants through the year to help pollinators thrive.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said: “It’s an honour to join forces with ATM, one of our long-standing customers, to supply and beautify these local botanic gardens.
“York Museum Gardens is on our doorstep, so it has been great to visit the site and see the hard work ATM have completed and see the plants thriving. We hope the new planting will be enjoyed by visitors to York for many years to come.”
Daniel McClaren, Contracts Manager at ATM Ltd, said: “ ATM has been proud to complete the soft landscaping of this project. It was a pleasure to work with York Museum Gardens, AECOM and Johnsons of Whixley to refresh and update some of the beds within the gardens as part of the recent flood defence improvements. The plants were carefully selected with wildlife and seasons in mind. The gardens will be enjoyed all year round. ”
York Museum Trust Garden Manager, Steve Williams said: “We are committed to improving the biodiversity of our city-centre gardens which welcomes over 1.3 million visitors a year. The plants have helped us to implement a new biodiverse scheme for our Riverside walk in an area which has recently undergone flood scheme alleviation. We selected plants that would flower at different times of the year, including pollinator and butterfly friendly flowers which will help insects to thrive and also support the lifecycles of wider wildlife in the area.”
Posted 11th Aug 2:46pm
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Welcome back to Matt Reid, a familiar face who re-joins our amenity sector, having previously run our wholesale cash & carry. See what he says about his new role below and what it’s like to be back below:
1)How does it feel to be back?
Great! Really good, which has only been enhanced with the lovely reception people have given me.
2)Has much changed at Johnsons while you’ve been away?
Whilst it’s clear the main drivers of the business come from the same and similar sectors I can only see and sense positive changes. Improvements in the systems show better organisation, plus the business has clearly increased its turnover significantly since my previous employment allowing the sales team to size up. So only positive changes.
3)What will your new role involve?
Being a part of the sales team in Amenity, more specially taking and looking after a chunk of some whom are currently Adams customers, covering some of the South and Wales. Which will enable us to apply ourselves to the area better as we look to increase our sales percentage.
4) What has been a challenge so far?
Honestly? Not much at all! Probably just trying to keep my cool in the gap between being offered the position and start work with you all.
5) What are you most looking forward to?
Getting back to a trade-based working environment within a sector I am passionate about working in. Working alongside some familiar faces whilst I get to know some new people will be another bonus.
6) Something we don’t know about you?
In the three years leading up to the pandemic lockdown I went to over 150 live music gigs.
7) Do you have any hobbies?
As the last answer might suggest I am a bit obsessed with music and spend as much time as I can in between whatever I’m doing listening to music. I love listening to podcasts. These days I make a point of keeping up with friends and family. Try to remain reasonably active so like to get on my bike or for a walk, and if I’m not on my feet, I like to create art, sometimes by drawing or sometimes digitally.
8) Name one thing on your bucket list?
To go on a trip to Mongolia!
9) Favourite cuisine?
Mostly something with an Asian and/or Indian type of flavour
10) Biggest pet peeve?
Life at the moment is a pretty good place to be; as such, I am really not sure on the spot!
Amenity sales manager, Vicky Newell said: ” It is great to work with Matt again, he has settled in really well, like he never left! He adds another dimension to our Amenity team and has great horticultural knowledge which really helps.”
Posted 7th Aug 9:04am
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We have recently provided over five thousand plants to a five-star luxury spa hotel in County Durham, as part of the venue’s £8.5million expansion plans.
We were chosen to supply a range of plants and trees to Seaham Hall Hotel’s grounds, including its bungalow lodges, 44,000sq ft spa area and hotel terrace, as a project to develop a series of new luxury suites for the hotel also gets underway.
Johnsons worked with Richard Porter of Garden Vision Ltd, supplied the plants for the project, providing a diverse range of plants and trees, ensuring a considered approach in keeping with the property’s Georgian heritage. The supply included Allium hollandicum plants, Allium nigrum, Betula jacquemontii trees, Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, Lavandula ‘Hidcote’, Magnolia ‘Susan’ and Nepeta faassenii. Garden Vision completed the designs for the outside spa area, terrace and lodges as well as providing the soft and hard landscaping for the projects.
Our three-generation family business has an excellent reputation for supplying the hotel trade. Previous projects include Grantley Hall in Ripon, The Torridon in Scotland and The Springs Resort & Golf Club in Oxfordshire.
Seaham Hall Hotel, which was built in 1791 in Seaham, 25 miles northeast of Durham, was converted into a luxury hotel in 2012, with its owners committed to ensuring the future of the property as the finest five-star hotel in the region. From a WWI military hospital to a secret whisky bottling facility in the Prohibition era, the Hall has a rich history which is kept alive through the character and charm of the modern-day hotel.
Today the hotel boasts 21 guest suites, an on-site spa and two restaurant concepts for guests to enjoy and has scooped a string of prestigious awards, the most recent being gold at the VisitEngland Awards 2022, the 2022 AA Inspectors’ Choice Hotel Awards and Good Hotel Guide Editor’s Choice Spa Awards in 2021. The hotel has also been named in The Times and The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay list 2023.
Johnsons of Whixley marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We are thrilled to work with the Seaham Hall Hotel team as their ambitious development plans get underway, in collaboration with our customer Richard from Garden Vision Durham, who delivered the hard and soft landscaping of the project.
“This was a really exciting project that required incredible attention to detail to ensure that the plants and trees enhanced the property’s heritage and features, while maintaining the luxury coastal feel that guests enjoy, being so close to the beautiful Durham Heritage Coastline.
Richard Porter Director at Garden Vision Ltd said: “Garden Vision have been proud to complete the design, landscaping & planting for Seaham Hall, a client that we have a great working relationship with. Throughout the design process, I was able to call on the knowledge from Johnson’s, when needed, to ensure the planting design and implementation delivered the quality required for this historic venue.”
Ross Grieve, Managing Director from Seaham Hall Hotel, said: “The grounds around the hotel are as stunning at the hotel itself, and it’s something which our guests really enjoy – especially being out in the coastal air . Therefore it was important for us to work alongside a business who not only understand this, but have built its reputation landscaping in County Durham and the surrounding counties.”
Posted 26th Jul 12:00pm
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Keep control of soft, fast-growing weeds such as thistles; they harbour aphids and other problems.
Now is the time to make yourself a good big compost bin, just before you really need it! Ideally, use four stakes as corners 1 metre apart in a square and staple wire netting (1 metre deep) around the square. This affords easy entry when you wish to empty it, or it can be made bigger or smaller at will. If you would like a really permanent one, use pressure-treated plywood or boards instead of netting.
Treat shrubs which were cut back in the spring with a high Sulphate of Potash feed to encourage the production of flower buds for next year. Prune shrubs grown on walls and pergolas to remove some of the top growth and further stimulate growth from the base of the plant.
Evergreen hedges can be clipped this month (and some deciduous ones), but ensure there are no nesting birds in the hedge or bush. Cut laurel, and Eleagnus hedges with secateurs to prevent cut leaves. In hot weather, spray newly planted container-grown hedge plant foliage with water as well as ensuring that the root zone continues to be kept moist.
Lift tulip bulbs after they have fully died down and store them in paper bags in a dry and airy place over the summer.
Keep hydrangeas well-watered, particularly those growing in containers, as they quickly show signs of drought, and it can be difficult to get them to fully recover.
Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning, and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble or liquid feed once per week and remove flower heads which are going over.
Divide established clumps of bearded iris immediately after blooming and plant in the ground or in containers and keep moist. Discard the older exhausted rhizomes, and cut back the foliage of the new plants to approximately 12-15cm.
Lawns may have turned brown in the very dry weather we had in June, but if it rains significantly in the near future, the lawn will quickly green up again. If it remains dry, leave grass mowings on the lawn to act as a mulch. Remove significant weeds, as these will quickly outgrow the surrounding grass.
Roses will appreciate a good soak in the dry weather, remove spent flowerheads and ensure that greenflies are not becoming established on the younger shoots. Apply a summer rose feed in mid-month.
Before hose watering during the summer, ensure that your region has not had watering restrictions imposed, as water resources appear to have become under stress much earlier in the summer than usual.
In dry weather, an effective way of reducing moisture loss on bare ground between plants is to hoe the ground lightly to maintain a loose tilth, but don’t hoe too deeply. Another good aid in very dry conditions is to apply a 2-3cm mulch of garden compost to the soil surface.
Prune or tie in shrubs growing on walls or pergolas to secure some of the heavy top growth and further stimulate additional growth from the lower regions of the plant.
Give the root balls of newly purchased container-grown shrubs and trees a really good soaking before planting and again 5 or 6 days later after planting. Ensure that stakes remain secure after the wind.
July is a good month to take Heather cuttings, choose strong, young, half-ripe, non-flowering shoots, and dip the bottom 5cm in rooting hormone. Insert around the edge of a 9cm pot. Keep in a closed-shaded area, and don’t allow it to dry out, but don’t allow drips from covering glass to fall on them!
Posted 11th Jul 10:59am
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As a proud Yorkshire business, we were delighted to get involved with the York Cares Big Community Challenge, a remarkable initiative aimed at transforming public areas in York.
The Big Community Challenge (BCC) is an annual event that brings together businesses, volunteers and local organisations to create lasting improvements within the city. The challenge acts as a catalyst for positive change, uniting individuals with a shared vision of enhancing York’s green spaces for the benefit of all.
Our aim was to help with the rejuvenation of three sites across the city – Foss Walkway, Hull Road Park and Rowntree Park.
The three sites were chosen due to their links with the city’s river heritage, with the BCC team focusing on the maintenance and restoration of the river and wetland areas in the city, as well as preserving and improving biodiversity in York.
Our wonderful team donated a selection of plants with a total value of £1,500 to the projects, resulting in the transformation of neglected beds into vibrant, pollinator-friendly havens. Check it out below!
Hull Road Park was in need of some TLC, with the site being overrun by invasive weeds such as bindweed, marestail and ground elder. Recognising the park’s potential, we joined forces with the York Cares Big Community Challenge to restore these neglected areas.
First, the existing beds were dug out to remove the invasive weeds from their root. To prevent the return of these harmful weeds, a weed membrane was installed and backfilled with fresh topsoil.
The roses that were in the park have been replaced with new planting that will tolerate tougher conditions, such as drought, and are not as maintenance-heavy as roses.
The planting also offers increased benefits for pollinators, helping to support the biodiversity in the area. As the plants took root and flourished, the rejuvenated beds breathed new life into the parks, adding some much-needed greenery to the area. The formal entrance to Hull Road Park is greatly improved – we are so happy with the result!
Holly Hennell, manager of York Cares, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Johnson’s for their very generous donation of plants for the Big Community Challenge. The plants have helped to transform three public spaces in York and will be enjoyed by many for years to come. These donations enable us to make a really visible impact.”
If you’d like to learn more about how our plants can support your projects, please get in touch with our team today.
Posted 11th Jul 9:54am
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Congratulations to Ed Greaves, who was recently promoted to Plant Centre Sales Assistant here’s what he had to say about his new role below:
1) What will your new role involve?
Quoting customer orders, responding to customer queries via both emails or over the phone, putting orders through the till and taking payment along with general front-of-house duties.
2) What was your previous role at Johnsons?
I was primarily an amenity lifter but spent a bit of time in the cultural and potting departments.
3) Have you worked anywhere previously that will help you within this role?
Working at a pub as it helped me to develop how to engage with customers both face to face and on the phone. Also working at Johnsons as it has helped to develop my plant knowledge.
4) What do you think the challenges will be?
Initially, it will be just getting used to the processes of completing an order from start to finish, but after that, it would be dealing with any problems that come from customers and how to deal with their problems efficiently and in a timely manner.
5) What are you most looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to working with new people in a new environment. Along with this, I’m looking forward to learning more about sales, from sourcing plants from suppliers to prices and margins etc. but most of all I’m most looking forward to enjoying a cup of tea while I work.
6) Tell us something we don’t know about you:
In 2018 I was invited to Buckingham Palace twice to steward tea parties on behalf of The Boys’ Brigade. One was the Royal Garden Party and the other was for HRH King Charles’ 70th birthday celebration.
7) Where would we find you at the weekend?
Either playing/coaching football or cricket or in the pub.
8)Dream travel destination?
New Zealand or Norway.
9) Favourite food?
Mexican food – I Love fajitas, enchiladas, and burritos.
10) An Item you couldn’t live without:
As much as I hate to say it, it would probably be my phone.
Posted 10th Jul 4:47pm
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We have teamed up with York Agricultural and Horticultural College, Askham Bryan to create a new bespoke 12-week horticultural training course.
We first contacted Askham in the early spring of ’23 regarding a training partnership to ensure our employees stay at the forefront of horticultural knowledge through specialised training.
We have worked with the college since the 1970s and have provided work placements for students and the college has provided horticultural courses for its staff. Johnsons chairman, John Richardson was also a governor at Askham for twenty years.
The course, ‘An Introduction to Horticulture’, will offer employees from Johnsons the chance to broaden their knowledge in various aspects of horticulture, from plant identification to planting locations and the impacts of plant choices, with a mixture of practical and theoretical tests.
The weekly sessions will be held from July – September at the college, which recently celebrated 75 years of providing specialist education. The course will be repeated for future cohorts of Johnsons employees.
Attendees put their own names forward to attend the inaugural course and were selected by their line managers. Course attendees include Adam Davis, Matt Campey, Gary Hardwicke, Ashley Robinson, Tomasz Kedra, Gergo Kontos, Chris Edgar, Chris Pearce, Matthew Goodwin, Elliot Green, Katie Burlingham, Dmytro Orlov, Filippo Pellizon and Louise Roberts.
Askham Bryan Curriculum area manager, Steve Bassford, said: “The college is looking forward to having the opportunity to deliver the bespoke course and building on already formed relationships. Having a positive impact on a local business such as Johnsons of Whixley enables a commercial education partnership which will be mutually beneficial to all.”
Johnsons of Whixley marketing and office manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “It’s important to invest in our employee’s futures, to broaden and enhance their existing knowledge. This comprehensive learning experience will equip them with essential skills in the field of horticulture and is a good opportunity to get different departments working together in collaboration with our local college again.
Posted 6th Jul 12:03pm
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Johnsons has provided £100k worth of plants for a luxury holiday park development by Darwin Escapes, at the new self-catering retreat which is due to open on the Blenheim Palace Estate during summer 2023.
We were chosen as the primary supplier of plants for the project, which will see a collection of one, two and three-bedroom lodges constructed in the grounds of the historic Blenheim Palace Estate. The retreat will be the first venue of its kind on the grounds of a historic British palace.
With a supply worth £100,000, Johnsons of Whixley has provided a diverse range of plants to enhance the outdoor areas of the Lodge Retreat, which is a blend of contemporary and traditional design in keeping with the Palace and its grounds. From Lavender, Euonymus and Hebe shrubs to vibrant Perennial plants including Rudbeckia, Geraniums, Iris and Salvia, the selection encompasses a rich variety of species, each carefully chosen to create a harmonious and captivating ambience.
The plants are now in situ and are enhancing Darwin’s newest luxury lodge retreat.
Johnsons of Whixley has a long-standing relationship with Darwin Escapes and has previously supplied plants for several of its notable projects, including Sandymouth, Woodside Beach, Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat, Canterbury Fields, Stratford Armouries, Norfolk Woods, and The Springs.
Lindsey Esse, Managing Director of Darwin Escapes, added: “ Johnsons of Whixley has once again supplied us with a beautiful range of plants which perfectly enhance the landscape of our two newest luxury lodge retreats”.
Posted 22nd Jun 4:53pm
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We are pleased to have joined several horticultural businesses to sponsor, support and provide materials for a charity garden at BBC Gardeners World Live. The garden will support the horticultural charity Perennial and is designed to highlight nature’s seasonal influence on mental well-being.
Other businesses sponsoring the project include Hedges Direct, Marshalls and Rolawn. The garden will be open to the public for viewing from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th of June at the NEC, Birmingham.
The garden, named “Escaping the Seasons of the Mind”, has been conceived by Lilidh Matthews, founder of the MicroGarden subscription Finding Roots and John Tallis, owner of landscaping and garden design specialists, Outdoor Living Gardens who will be building the garden in collaboration with Tisserand English Gardens and Utopia Landscapes.
The garden is an artistic representation of the journey of the mind and the home into the solace of nature and aims to portray the range of emotions experienced throughout the seasons. At its core, the design encapsulates two crucial aspects: the prevalence of suicides during the autumn season and the sad reality that humans spend a staggering 90% of their lives indoors.
The garden also features 11 Corten Steel Pillars to represent the overbearing nature of the seasons with a bench representing the 12th month of the year and the passing of time.
The project aims to raise awareness/fundraise for the horticultural mental health charity, Perennial which supports people in the horticultural industry, including the businesses sponsoring, with health and well-being, housing and financial support and debt advice.
For Johnsons, which recently became a Platinum Partner for the charity, mental health is a top priority. Marketing and office manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We are honoured to announce our contribution to this significant project, providing an array of plants that will enhance the garden’s visual impact and underscore its emotional narrative.
“We firmly believe in the power of nature to heal, inspire, and provide solace, and this partnership with Lilidh Matthews, John Tallis, Outdoor Living Gardens, and Perennial aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting causes that make a positive difference.”
Victoria McIver, Brand and Communications Manager at Hedges Direct added: “Hedges Direct are proud to be sponsoring Gardeners’ World Live 2023, supplying our hedge plants, trees and shrubs for the wide array of show gardens. We are especially thrilled to be able to showcase our plants in the ‘Escaping the seasons of the mind’ garden for Perennial, in raising awareness of how our well-being can be impacted by spending time outdoors.
We love hearing our customers tell us what joy they find in their gardens, so it’s wonderful to be able to encourage more people to take time out to notice and nurture our green spaces during each season, and in doing so nurture our mental health.”
Posted 22nd May 11:36am
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Forty employees have achieved over 16 million steps during April as part of a company challenge for Move More April to raise money for Perennial, the UK’s leading horticultural charity.
Move More is an annual celebration that encourages individuals to move more and sit less in their daily lives. Johnsons of Whixley employees involved in the challenge raised over £550 for Perennial and achieved 16.3 million steps in 30 days.
The winning team, ‘Hydrangea’, achieved over 2.2 million steps and included Katie Short, Simon Harrison, Tracey Richardson and Martyn Osbourne. Martyn achieved a whopping 927,841 steps alone.
Other employees involved in the challenge included Jack Witham, Vicky Newell, Hannah Reilly, Freya Lamacq-Wigham, Rob Forrester, Hannah Holland, Katie Burlingham, Dmytro Orlov, Adrian Price, Eleanor Richardson, Katie Rothwell, Sarah Perry, Adam Davis, Matt Campey, Lynda Pearson, Kirsten Morgan, Marcin Czajkowski, Paul Richardson, Tony Green, Sarah Greenwood, Tony Coles, Jo Goodyear, Tom Watkins, Rachael Richardson, Terry Cooper, Karl Connors, Cassie Hasslegrove, Louise Roberts, Isaac Onions, Jonathan Richardson, Anna Sibley, Mark Weatherill, Claire Horner, Catherine Cowling, Chris Edgar and Phil Georgiou.
All staff participating in the challenge received a Johnsons water bottle and certificate, with the winning team members receiving a gift voucher each.
Challenge organiser and marketing manager at Johnsons of Whixley, Eleanor Richardson, said: “I was overwhelmed with the number of Johnsons employees who signed up for this year’s step challenge to raise money for Perennial, it shows how keen we all are to support the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping those in our industry. Benefits from the challenge include team building and improved mental and physical well-being. Walking 10,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of illnesses such as stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer in particular, not to mention the obvious weight loss benefits. Well done to all involved.”
Phil Swainston, corporate partnership manager for Perennial, added: “Many thanks to all the staff at our new Perennial partner, Johnsons of Whixley, for undertaking their fantastic steps challenge throughout April. It is a great example of how the industry can support the charity, not only through partnership, but also through individual fundraising initiatives to spread our message that Perennial is here for all those working in horticulture that may need our help.“
Posted 22nd May 10:53am
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A garden border designed by Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design for the recent Harrogate Flower Show will find a new home as it is to be donated to the charity Leeds Mind.
The plants will be moved to the Leeds Mind Garden at Clarence House in Horsforth.
Plants used in the urban boost border will be donated by Johnsons and are worth over £1,500 with plant varieties including Taxus, Prunus lusitanica, Malus Evereste, Viburnum tinus, Hebe ‘Green Globe’, Heathers, Choisya ‘Sundance’, Heuchera, Tiarella and more.
Jo’s 3.6m x 1.2m design features Johnsons plants, a red willow-weaved fox and a wired hedgehog by renowned sculptor Emma Stothard. The garden design highlights that we can all do our bit to reduce pollution and feed insects in urban areas along with the mental health benefits a garden can have.
Leeds Mind promotes positive mental health and well-being and provides help and support to anyone who needs it in and around Leeds. Services they offer include counselling, employment support, suicide bereavement, mental health training and more.
Gemma Community Fundraiser at Leeds Mind said: “We are so grateful for the donation of plants to give some TLC to our office garden. It makes such a difference to be able to offer clients and partners a welcoming space, as the connection between green spaces and well-being is well-evidenced. A huge thank you from us to Jo and Johnsons of Whixley.”
Jo Manfredi-Hamer said: “It’s been a tough few years for the garden at Leeds Mind because the pandemic meant the staff and volunteers couldn’t get in to give it the attention it needed. So, it’s great to be donating the gorgeous plants from Johnsons to them. I know they are delighted with the donation. To be able to highlight ways in which plants can help environmental issues at the same time is the icing on the cake.”
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons of Whixley said: “We are pleased to have sponsored Jo’s latest design at the Harrogate Flower Show and that we are able to donate the plants after the show to Leeds Mind.
Johnsons have recently invested time in mental health training for all staff and now has two mental health first aiders. As a local company, we are acutely aware of the work done by the charity Mind, and the network of local Minds, so it’s great to offer our support to Leeds Mind via a plant donation which will have a positive impact on the office grounds for staff and visitors to enjoy.”
Posted 28th Apr 11:24am
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Our Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson, Commercial and Business Manager, Jonathan Whittemore and our Production Director, Robert Richardson, recently met with MP Nigel Adams and Trudy Harrison MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Defra) to discuss a number of challenges in the horticultural industry including the retreat from peat. We ask that the government work with growing media manufacturers to focus on developing alternatives to the peat removed from growing media and to help the industry avoid the exposure to price inflation.
The retreat from peat is a political ‘hot potato’ with recent announcements suggesting an accelerated timescale. It is estimated that between 1.7 and 2.0 million cubic metres of peat will have to be replaced with sustainable alternatives in the industry.
The industry has been hit by several challenges in recent years, including Brexit, Plant Health constraints, the pandemic and now the peat ban, which have all come at significant cost to those in the industry.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said, “It was an honour to host the minister and other key individuals to discuss the key Horticultural Challenges facing our sector, the importance of our sector was acknowledged, and the challenges that the ‘retreat from peat’ brings in terms of a practical growing media alternative (in sufficient volume) and the associated timings are better understood”.
All parties who attended the meeting agreed on further dates for future discussions and consultation regarding the ‘retreat from peat’ and other challenges within the sector.
Posted 24th Mar 9:33am
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Johnsons has launched a 15 million step challenge as part of Move More Month in April to raise vital funds for the horticultural mental health charity, Perennial.
Perennial supports people in the horticultural industry, including those who work at Johnsons, with health and wellbeing advice, housing and financial support and debt advice.
We recently became a Platinum Partner for the charity, and mental health is a top priority. We have successfully delivered mental health training to our whole workforce, with 34 managers and deputies receiving additional mental health first aid training from MHFA England qualified team members.
Marketing and office manager, Eleanor Richardson, and amenity operations unit manager, Dave Barrett, was the first to complete the mental health first aid course via MHFA England and since qualifying in October, they have been training other members of staff on how to support each other’s mental wellbeing alongside health and safety advisors.
Speaking of the challenge, Eleanor Richardson, marketing and office manager and qualified mental health first aider at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “At Johnsons, we believe that taking care of our employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical health, so that’s why this challenge is such an important one for us.
“Not only will we be supporting Perennial, which has helped a number of our team members in the past, but we will be getting together as a team and building bonds across departments, getting some exercise and supporting one another towards a shared goal.
“We have seen first-hand the impact mental health issues can have, and we want to do everything we can to support our employees.”
Li Crane, the fundraising administrator at Perennial, added: “I would like to thank the whole team at Johnson’s of Whixley for undertaking this fantastic Steps Challenge throughout the month of April. It is a great example of how our industry can support Perennial through fundraising initiatives and by finding ways of spreading our message that Perennial is here for all those working in horticulture that need our help.”
In addition to the investment in training, Johnsons of Whixley has created a number of resources to support its staff. This includes monthly updates to notice boards and a brochure for staff on how to spot and manage negative mental health triggers. The brochure also contains information on how to support positive mental health both at work and at home, advice on how to open up about issues, and details on various support networks and helplines.
We plan to continue our efforts to spread awareness of mental health issues and provide support throughout 2023, with support services readily available, creating a positive and supportive work environment for all employees.
You can sponsor staff via the JustGiving page below
https://www.justgiving.com/page/johnsons-of-whixley
Posted 21st Apr 9:31am
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With spring on the horizon and frequent sunny days increasing, theirs plenty of tasks to complete in the garden during March, from pruning to giving the lawn its first cut and removing spring bulb flowerheads when they have finished flowering.
Prune strong growing Buddleias down to about 45cm. for a good show in the summer. Prune down to 60-80cm for denser but weaker overall growth.
Apply a moss killer to the lawn and lightly rake over to remove debris as the moss dies off. Cut the lawn on a dry day when conditions allow, the almost certainly second half of March, with the mower blades set high. Trim the lawn edges with a half-moon or a spade.
Cut back to 30-40cm., willows and dogwoods which are being grown as a bush for their bright spring and summer growth. Use some of the prunings as hardwood cuttings and root them in pots or borders.
Don’t plant out tender plants yet, the wind can be extremely cold, and temperatures can get low enough to cause a significant depth of snow with 5-8cm of frozen soil. On average, the Yorkshire region can expect 90 to 100 hours of sunshine in the month, and significant winds in coastal areas.
In view of the apparent increase in the number of dry spells in recent years, it could well be to advantage to provide a 5cm. a mulch of compost or leaf mould to plants such as hydrangeas and newly planted trees and shrubs which may suffer from a lack of moisture.
By the middle of the month, the water pumps for deep ponds could go back into the water, and begin to feed any fish you may have in the pond.
Re-seed bare patches in the lawn. It is a good time to propagate shrubs by layering low-growing branches of choice shrubs to produce a significant young plant. A very satisfying exercise!
Arrange to plant summer flowering bulbs when planting conditions are good.
After late heavy snowfalls, knock snow off the conifers before the branches get bent over and broken. Most plants are better under snow in a hard frost as they are well insulated.
When daffodils have faded, remove the flowerheads, but not the flower stalk, in order to prevent the plant from wasting energy on bringing seed heads to maturity.
Propagate heathers by layering or heel cuttings, and remove perennial weeds before planting at 30-40cm. Spacing, incorporating peat and bone meal for acid-loving varieties.
Hard prune shrubby Eucalyptus to 15cm. This helps to retain the good blue foliage colour and keep the shrub compact.
In bad weather, finalise plans for garden improvements and order plants and sundries to enable you to start work as soon as possible.
Hard prune climbers down to 30 cm. that have got out of hand include rambling roses, ivies, honeysuckle and jasmine.
Finish pruning perennials which have not yet been cut back, don’t remove new green shoots. There is still time to lift and divide large herbaceous clumps. Replant or give away outer sections of the clump and destroy the older centre of the plant.
Kill weeds on paths and drives with an approved weedkiller, and keep them clean with a total weedkiller. Remove moss from paths and driveways with an approved moss killer.
Lift overcrowded snowdrop clumps out of the ground with a fork when the leaf tips are turning yellow, and replants immediately in a new site at the same depth.
Posted 2nd Mar 11:09am
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We recently opened our doors to The Yorkshire School of Garden Design (YSGD) for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.
Fifteen students and two lecturers from the accredited Society of Garden Designers (SGD) school visited our nursery on 22 February to gain an operational insight into a horticultural nursery, including its production and despatch functions.
The students were given a full guided tour of two of the nursery’s sites, incorporating the potting shed, despatch yard and nursery beds. They were also given demonstrations and advice on how to shop with the trade nursery once they have completed their course.
The visit culminated with a presentation on the history of Johnsons, which celebrated its centenary in 2021. Johnsons also provided gift bags, lunch, tea, and coffee for its guests.
The Yorkshire School of Garden, based at Harewood House and 16 miles from our nursery, opened its doors to students in September 2022. Earlier this month it was granted ‘Educator Status’ by The Society of Garden Designers (SGD) in recognition of its high standards of garden design education and ‘best practice’ teaching. It is one of only two educational providers in the north of England to hold SGD accreditation.
The School offers a Diploma in Garden Design, a Diploma in Planting Design from January 2024 and numerous short courses. Students at the School have access to over 100 acres of gardens filled with trees and plants from around the world.
The School’s Founder and Principal Tutor Alistair Baldwin has lectured internationally, delivering courses in China, North America and throughout the UK. He has over 25 years of experience and an international reputation as a garden designer and educator. Alistair has worked with Johnsons throughout his career and has used their plants in numerous designs.
Liz Rawlinson, principal tutor and garden designer at The Yorkshire School of Garden Design said: “What an amazing visitor experience the Johnsons team curated for the YSGD students! We cannot thank them enough.
“Everything was supremely efficient, organised and professional, from our initial communication to the programming and the smooth running of the day itself. It really did feel like a tailor-made visit for the YSGD and we could tell just how much effort went into the logistics of our large group ‘interrupting’ a normal working day at an incredibly busy time of year.
“The hospitality was very much appreciated, and we thank them for the personalised lunch boxes and gift bags. We especially loved the opportunity to pot up Pachysandra for the Peat Free Compost trial with Tom, it was a really lovely touch.
“The students commented on the overwhelming sense of the scale of the operations at Johnsons and what a valuable and insightful visit it had been. They left feeling reassured they could approach Johnsons for potential future projects and more informed on how to go about doing so. “
Eleanor Richardson, marketing and office manager at Johnsons, said: “It was a pleasure to host students and lecturers from The Yorkshire School of Garden Design. We gave them behind-the-scenes access to the nursery, and a better understanding of production, operations and despatch as well as knowledge of the company’s history.
“It gave us the opportunity to sell our products and service to fifteen potential new customers. We wish them every success with their course and welcome their trade applications on completion.”
Posted 2nd Mar 10:20am
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We have invested in upskilling 12 team members through a bespoke management and leadership training programme in partnership with BHP Consulting.
The programme, designed specifically to meet the commercial nursery’s needs, is part of Johnsons’ long-term commitment to providing opportunities for growth and progression within the horticulture industry.
Luke Richardson, Sales Director at Johnsons of Whixley said: “As the business continues to grow and transitions to the third generation of family ownership, we believe that investing in and developing our management team is more important than ever, and we are committed to providing long-term opportunities for people in the horticulture industry.
“As a company, we have worked closely with BHP board advisor and training provider, Mark Roberts, for four years. Mark is well-versed in our entire operation and perfectly positioned to deliver the training. “
Johnsons also run a rising stars programme which aims to develop the skill set of existing staff members to enable them to one day take on more of a senior role within the business.
Vicky Newell, Amenity Sales Manager at Johnsons of Whixley and leadership training delegate, said: “I have enjoyed the leadership programme, which has helped me tackle some issues within my department. I have also found a better way to manage my time to get the important tasks done when I am most effective. I have also enjoyed listening to others on the course and discussing common work issues within our breakout sessions. It has also enabled me to approach other managers within the business to solve problems which will ultimately improve the service we offer our customers.”
Mark Roberts, training provider and board advisor at BHP Consulting, added: “We developed the programme to specifically help support the managers in their current roles. It included practical hints and tips that can be used in their daily business activities, we also had the opportunity to discuss some of the current challenges and develop some new ideas and potential solutions.
Throughout the sessions, there has been a very high level of engagement from all participants, and it shows the business has a management team in place to support its future growth.”
Congratulations to the following employees who completed the leadership training programme – Darren Smith, David Barrett, Eleanor Richardson, Hannah Smith, Katalin Dacre, Lee Cooper, Matt Campey, Simon Harrison, Steven Morton, Tom Watkins, Tomasz Kedra and Vicky Newell.
Posted 27th Feb 12:02pm
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Back in November, we loaned almost £20,000 worth of our stock to the Yorkshire Children’s Charity to support their landmark ‘A Night Under the Stars’ celebration event.
Held at the prestigious Grantley Hall, our trees, topiary and shrubs were used to dress the marquee at the event, which hosted guests from Europe, including H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Our supply contained over 35 varieties including Betula jacquemontii, Acer plat. ‘Cleveland’, Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’ and Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’.
The Yorkshire Children’s Charity, which was established in 2022, has a focus on helping disadvantaged children in Yorkshire living in poverty or living with a disability. With the charity raising over £500,000 in the last year to support families and children living at a disadvantage, we are proud to have supported the star-studded event to celebrate their successful year, whilst toasting to the future plans of the regional charity.
Supported by Grantley Hall and Berry’s, the event was held on 4 November 2022 in a beautiful orangery and dressed by florist to the stars, Fulford Flowers. The plants we loaned were incorporated into the event design by the esteemed Party Architect and legendary Royal party planner, Johnny Roxburgh.
The exclusive, invite-only event raised over £800,000 for the charity and featured a champagne reception, an exceptional four-course banquet, a fireworks display and entertainment including the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. The event successfully brought together some incredible highlights to achieve the charity’s goal of raising over £1,000,000 in its first year.
Some other events the charity undertook to raise this money include the Yorkshires Residential Real Estate Awards 2022, which raised over £151,693 for children across Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Ladies Lunch, as well as other beneficiary events and fundraising events by supporting businesses.
Johnsons has worked with Grantley Hall previously, when it was first opening up as a new five-star luxury hotel and spa in the Yorkshire Dales and was looking for our expert touch in the grounds. We were asked to provide thousands of plants to restore the grounds to their original splendour, in keeping with the hall’s rich history.
This project saw great success, with a number of large topiaries, including Fagus (Beech) domes and Buxus (Box) balls, as well as thousands of herbaceous, shrubs and grasses for decorational borders. To complete the project there were several large hedging elements, including Hedera Hibernica (Ivy) screens that will be used to create partitions in the Hall’s gardens.
Posted 15th Feb 4:09pm
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February is a great month for gardening as spring is in sight, with bulbs starting to emerge, lighter evenings and birds starting to chirp. Be sure to prune, tidy and look after plants that struggle in the cold this month.
Divide and replant snowdrops as the flowers go over.
Pot up or transplant last year’s hardwood cuttings.
Brush snow off conifers and heathers if there is heavy snowfall in order to prevent branches and stems from being broken.
Plant some lilies in deep pots and keep them in the greenhouse, ready for transfer to the flower border when the flowers develop.
Prune shrub roses in late February to encourage growth from the base. Remove some old shoots, but don’t reduce height too much as they tend to flower on older wood.
Don’t apply heavy fertiliser applications to naturalized bulbs as this will only encourage the surrounding grass.
Make sure the hellebores have been tidied up with the removal of all the old leaves to make way for the new flowers and leaves, which will arise very shortly.
Plant roses as soil conditions permit, and prune stems of new HT and Floribunda roses down to an outward-facing bud, 75 to 150cm above the graft. Firm the soil around the roots.
When the weather is too cold to do much else, turn the compost heap upside down and inside out to ensure that all the outside materials will be rotted down as soon as possible.
Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Vitticella groups to about 30cm. Pyracanthas should be pruned to within two buds of the main framework except for required extensions, if not already completed last autumn.
Continue to plant new fruit trees and bushes when conditions allow and apply a 12cm thick mulch of well-rotted compost to the root zone, allowing a 10cm space between compost and the trunk or stem to prevent future stem rot.
Prune-established fruit trees other than damsons and cherries. Prune newly planted fruit trees to shape and reduce leading shoots by half.
Check that house drains and other run-off areas from the garden are not choked by rotting leaves. Also applies to the lawn!
Check stored fruits for signs of rot, and throw out partially damaged fruit for the birds.
Check fruit trees for mummified fruits still retained in the branches, and remove and destroy them to help prevent further disease in the coming summer.
Prune out old fruiting canes on autumn fruiting raspberries down to soil level. Remove a quarter of the old branches to the base to encourage strong new growth.
Before you start clearing leaves or forking over bare areas, check for bulbs which have started growing and are just below the surface.
Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly, privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries etc.
Invest in a soil thermometer. When the soil temperature exceeds 5 deg. C, start sowings of hardy crops such as carrots, lettuce, and radish direct into the ground.
Clean out bird boxes again and sterilize them with a kettle full of boiling water before new nesting materials are introduced.
Apply a mulch of garden compost, mushroom compost or similar, to all trees and shrubs in potentially dry sites. No need to incorporate it into the soil; worms will be pleased to do it for you!
Don’t apply mushroom compost, which has a high lime content, to acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas.
Posted 6th Feb 10:28am
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Congratulations and a huge thank you to Tony for his hard work and commitment to the company for the past 40 years, we asked him about his time at Johnsons, here’s what he had to say below:
1) What have you enjoyed most about your 40 years at JOW?
I played in the Johnsons cricket team and scored my one and only goal in the 5-a-side team. It was scorcher from just inside the halfway line. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.
2) Did you work anywhere else prior to JOW?
I had six months on a youth opportunity scheme working on a farm. Previous to that I worked at Johnsons and other local farms during my school holidays.
3)What roles have you had within the business?
When I started, you did a bit of everything. I had some time doing most of the spraying on the container unit. Along with the irrigation, we had a lot of large aluminium pipes, which we moved about the beds. Then I took responsibility for lifting orders, which was probably the job I enjoyed most, the challenge of getting everything lifted for the end of the day. After that 2 – 3 years on the potting side before becoming manager of the incoming goods and getting my first experience of the bare root and root balls. That’s where I have stayed for the last 22 years.
4) Tell us something you remember from your first ever day:
My first day was spent lifting orders with Mandy Woolly. We had an electric milk float which we took around the beds collecting plants for orders
5) What has your greatest achievement been at JOW?
Still being here after 40 years.
6) Tell us a funny story from your time at JOW:
There have been many. Before the days of Dave and Terry and health and safety. I thought I was the Stirling Moss of tractor driving, when coming back from the compost heap late afternoon foot to the floor on the fastest Massey Ferguson 135 we had. The trailer is attached with a wood box and a terrified passenger holding on for dear life. I took the corner just past tunnel 15, heading down to the potting shed (cash and carry office).When I got there, the c.u. manager did not look impressed. I retraced my steps and couldn’t find the trailer or passenger, only the trailer pin. On my way back to the yard, I saw my passenger, who told me what happened. As I took the corner at tunnel 15, the trailer pin jumped out, and the trailer box and passenger came to a halt by what is now H1. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and nothing was damaged. Although the passenger was probably scarred for life and never rode on the back of a trailer again when I was driving. He has gone on to be one of the directors. Should I do an incident report Terry?
7) If you hadn’t chosen a career at Johnsons, what would you think you would have done?
Formula one tractor driver on some farm or another.
8) What has made you stay at Johnsons for all of these years?
I got married and bought a house in the year I started, so back then, it was the money and security. I have had different jobs within the business to keep me on my toes. And, of course, it goes without saying all the many interesting friends, colleagues and characters I have worked with over the years.
Posted 11th Jan 4:06pm
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January is the perfect month for planning out your garden activities and planning ahead for 2023; it is also an excellent month to do your winter pruning and planting while roots remain dormant.
Prepare the ground for planting roses; if the ground is wet or sticky, delay planting until conditions improve. ‘Heel in’ newly purchased bare root roses until conditions are suitable.
Check stored dahlia tubers, and place them in a bucket of tepid water overnight if they have shrivelled. Cut out rotten areas of the tuber and treat wounds with a dusting of flowers of sulphur.
Thin out dead and diseased branches from established trees and shrubs. Winter prune wisterias by cutting back young shoots to within 7.5cm of old wood.
Continue to plant new fruit trees and bushes when conditions allow and apply a 12cm thick mulch of well-rotted compost to the root zone, allowing a 10cm space between compost and the trunk or stems to prevent future stem rot.
Do not let ice form on the surface of concrete pools, as it may expand when thick and could damage the pool sides.
Take root cuttings of a wide range of plant species by lifting the root system and selecting a few roots the thickness of a little finger and 8-10cm long. Cut the top horizontally and the base diagonally to prevent confusion. Plant in the compost a couple of cms below the surface and cover with approx 2 cm of sharp sand—place in a cold frame or frost-free glasshouse for the rest of the winter. New shoots should begin to appear in early spring.
Mid-winter is the best time to take chrysanthemum cuttings as they root easily.
Prune-established fruit trees other than damsons and cherries. Prune newly planted fruit trees to shape and reduce leading shoot leaves by half.
Dead-head winter flowering pansies to ensure they continue to flower freely.
If you need to move a shrub which has outgrown its space, dig around the plant with a vertical spade to a depth of 45-60cm and then use the spade to cut under the roots from all sides until the rootball is free. Ease a piece of thick polythene under the root system and drag it out of the hole to its new location. Once firmly in place, fill back the space around the rootball, firm the soil by treading it in, and water thoroughly to eliminate air pockets.
Spray fruit trees and bushes with a tar-oil winter wash to kill overwintered aphid eggs. This also kills moss and lichen. Do not spray in frosty or windy weather, and protect evergreens or lawns in the area with ground sheets as they are subject to being burned by the spray.
Prune out old fruiting canes on autumn fruiting raspberries down to soil level. Remove a quarter of the old branches to the base to encourage strong new growth.
Before clearing leaves or forking over bare areas, check for bulbs that have started growing and are just below the surface.
Check the plant labels on plants around the garden; many will have faded or broken.
Now the garden is bare, take an objective look around from all angles and consider if an ornament, seating or a structure of some sort would add interest.
If hard weather is forecast, wrap up tender plants such as Agapanthus in bracken or straw for added protection.
Mark areas where bulbs come into flower with twigs so that future cultivations can be made safely. They will be easier to find if you wish to move them at a later date.
Posted 11th Jan 3:45pm
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In December 2022, we asked staff to vote for their colleagues for our end-of-year Employee Awards’. The winners and runners-up were announced at the Christmas party at the end of last month with ten award categories, including ‘Always In a Meeting’, ‘The Team Player’ and ‘The Bright Beginner award’.
Each employee received a certificate and prize. below are this year’s winners.
Winner: Tony Green
Runner-up: Simon Harrison
A huge thank you and congratulations to Tony, our Incoming Goods Manager, who was our 2022 employee of the year in his 40th year at Johnsons.
Winner: Frances Whyte
Runner-up: Chris Edgar, Darren Smith
Frances joined us in February 2022 as our HR Administrator and has been an asset to the company with a bright future ahead of her.
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Winner: Martyn Osbourne
Runner-up: Fillipo Pellizon, Vicky Newell, Kirsten Morgan, Jason Dacre
Martyn always goes above and beyond, whether that be by starting early before the working day, staying later or completing tasks he has been asked to do with a smile.
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Winner: Simon Harrison
Runner-up: Katie Burlingham, Steven Morton
Simon is very selfless and is always on hand to help other departments, putting himself forward for tasks and overtime – he is a true team player.
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Winner: Adrian Price, Tony Green, Fillippo Pellizon
Runners up: Steven Morton
Three winners with equal votes, all contributing significantly to the company in 2022 and beyond.
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Winner: Marcin Czajkowski, Peter King
Runner-up: Katalin Dacre, Terry Cooper
You can always rely on Marcin and Peter to get the task done.
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Winner: Steven Green
Runner-up: Jonathan Whittemore
We asked Steve to comment on this, but he was in a meeting…
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Winner: Matt Campey
Runner-up: Dmytro Orlov, Simon Harrison
Johnsons very own grazer…
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Winner: Katalin Dacre, Tom Watkins
Runner-up: Sarah Greenwood, Tony Green
Kata juggles multiple roles and still finds time to help where needed.
Tom does a great job of managing our Cattal site alongside Mark and will bounce from task to task.
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Winner: Dave Nicholls
Runner-up: Isaac Onions, Sarah Greenwood
Come rain or shine; Dave is rarely without a smile on the nursery.
Posted 5th Jan 10:22am
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A warm welcome to Catherine Cowling who joins our cash & carry team – see what she had to say about her new role below:
1) What will your new role involve?
Caring for the plants and their environment within the cash & carry team.
2) Where have you worked previously to Johnsons?
I have owned my own business for the last 22 years. Time for a change and new adventures.
3) What makes the horticultural industry attractive to you?
As a keen amateur gardener, I am as happy talking to the plants as I am to my colleagues, customers and inquisitive robins alike.
4) Tell us something that you have learnt during your time at JOW that you didn’t know before?
The plants around me have more up-to-date passports than I do.
5) What would we find you doing at the weekend?
Rebuilding, restoring and renovating an old cottage in the Yorkshire Dales using heritage materials and methods. A labour of love and a thief of time.
I am also writing a novel.
6) Favourite cuisine?
Keralan (South Indian).
7) Have any hidden talents?
Many hidden talents I harbour well, but am reluctant to share, show or tell. Concealed for a reason, I’m sorry to say. You’ll have to wait for another day.
8) Name an item you couldn’t live without:
A camera.
Posted 5th Dec 1:16pm
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Congratulations to Elliot Green, who has been promoted to deputy amenity operations manager from Cattal senior nursery worker. Find out what he had to say about his new role below:
1)What is your new role, and what does it involve?
Deputy Amenity Operations manager.
I cover for the Amenity Operations manager when he is not present. Day to day, I help train new lifters and am involved with progressing the department.
2)How will this differ from the last role?
At first, I thought it would be very similar to my last role deputising to Ned at Cattal, where we would organise the daily lifting of orders. Here at Newlands, the role is involved with other departments, and the role itself covers a much larger scale and a bigger team that changes regularly.
3)What have you enjoyed from your role so far?
The opportunity to work with two different Managers in a short time has been interesting. As the scale and complexity are much larger, I have enjoyed learning and gaining knowledge of new plants and processes.
4)What do you think the challenges will be?
Gaining enough knowledge to add and develop a well-run department.
5)Do you have hobbies outside of work?
I enjoy Gaming, music and sport.
6)What is your favourite food?
I like Enchiladas, Steak or Salmon.
7)Tell us something your colleagues don’t know about you?
Jack Witham my cousin knocked me out, I was taken to Hospital by Ambulance and had to stay overnight, I suffered concussion for a fortnight.
8) If you could live in another country, where would it be and why?
Australia for the outdoor lifestyle.
Posted 5th Dec 1:10pm
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Welcome to the team, Adrian Smith, who recently joined the team as a management trainee. Adrian, like Charlotte, will work at different sites within the business and learn about how each site runs.
1) Have you had any previous experience in horticulture?
I have spent the last 20 years in various nurseries/garden centres starting as a nursery assistant, then as assistant manager and finally as a nursery manager involved in the production of plant stock to sell within the nursery.
2) Did you study anywhere?
I haven’t studied horticulture other than gaining an HTA Diploma in Garden Retail which allowed me to utilise what I learnt within the retail environment of horticulture I have come from. But carrying out the job I have for the time I have done it within different places has enabled me to learn so much.
3) Where did you previously work?
I started my career in horticulture after being made redundant from the Post Office. My first placement in horticulture was a year in a garden centre as a plant area assistant. Then came an opportunity to work within a retail nursery where I spent ten years and learnt a lot about growing, not just selling plants, and widened my plant knowledge considerably. During that time, I also set up my own garden design business along with a friend and would carry this out on my days off. After ten years, the company I worked for had to be sold, so I moved on to be an assistant manager in a garden centre for a couple of years, then had the opportunity to become a growing manager back at the nursery I started at after being taken over. I was then given the opportunity to become a nursery manager at a garden centre near Rutland Water, where I was able to grow many varieties of plants to sell within the shop.
4) What will your training at Johnsons involve?
While carrying out the management course, I will have to spend so many weeks within each department of Johnsons to enable me to understand a little of how the whole business works. This will go on for a period of 2 years, and some departments will go back for a second time. During this time, I have to complete sections of a file of work. I have to show what I have learnt about each particular job every few weeks.
I will have meetings with my mentor Rob along with the particular manager of each department to discuss how I am getting on and any concerns I may have.
5) What have you enjoyed so far?
Having just spent five weeks at Roecliffe, I have been allowed to learn a variety of things that are done within the company, which has made it enjoyable. I also spent a day at Newlands with my partner Charlotte, learning Tractor and Dumper Truck driving. We had a great day with Martin teaching us despite him constantly getting my name wrong. Ha ha. Plus, it fell on the same day that we had ‘Burger Day’, so it was a good day all around.
6. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I am hoping to gradually gain more confidence in my own abilities as I struggle to have self-belief in what I can do. Also, as both my partner and I are very interested in the propagation and growing plants, we hope that in time we will be able to use what experience we have in this field to get the business to look into more of this if the opportunity arose.
7. What do you think the challenges will be?
Having come from a smaller retail growing environment, I think for me the challenges will be working for such a large wholesale company with many different departments and separate locations that work in a completely different way than I am used to. Along with this, getting to know so many different people each time I move onto a new department and hope that they will be able to work with me. It’s always a big challenge moving to a new job, but also moving to a new area and working in a field I am not used to can sometimes become a little overwhelming.
8. Tell us a random fact about yourself?
In between my roles within horticulture, I took on a role within the Ambulance Service as an Emergency Care Assistant for a short time. This was quite a challenging job but one which I am glad I had a go at despite the stresses. In the end, Horticulture came calling again, and I went back to looking after plants rather than people.
9. Do you have any hobbies?
I haven’t done any since moving to Yorkshire, but I have done various half and full marathons and find running a great activity for clearing the mind. I also like to do quite a bit of hill walking and, in the past, have done the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Posted 5th Dec 1:02pm
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A warm welcome to Charlotte Smith, who recently joined the team as a management trainee. Charlotte will be working at different sites within the business and will learn about how each site runs.
1) Tell us about your past roles in horticulture:
I worked as a nursery assistant and then progressed to a deputy manager at a retail nursery. I also spent time propagating at a specialist conifer nursery, learning from conifer expert Derek Spicer.
2) What will your role as a management trainee include?
Learning all aspects of the business and how each site runs.
3) What have you enjoyed most about your time at Johnsons so far?
The day spent tractor & dumper training and my time spent at Roecliffe, especially when I was put in charge of the lifting.
4) What are you most looking forward to in your role?
The potential to expand on my propagation trail of Mahonias and to perhaps propagate more plant varieties on site.
5) What do you think the challenges will be?
Understanding departments well enough to be able to assist in managing them.
6) Favourite plant variety?
We have quite a collection of trees at home, all currently in pots; however, my favourite would have to be Cercis ‘Ruby Falls’.
7) What do you like to get up to outside of work?
Going for long walks in the Yorkshire dales and along the coast. I enjoy visiting small independent nurseries to expand our plant collection. Also, spending time working on our new allotment.
8) Tell us something your colleagues won’t know about you:
I have just had a new tattoo, meaning I now have seven.
Posted 5th Dec 11:53am
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We are delighted to have been crowned as the region’s 40th top business.
We have now appeared in the York Top 100 Businesses report for five consecutive editions.
The list is compiled jointly by York Business School at the city’s St John University, Make it York and The Press newspaper.
Placings are calculated using an algorithm devised by York Business School that includes critical performance factors such as turnover, profit, growth and staff numbers.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said: ” We are extremely proud to have been crowned York’s 40th leading business, alongside so many elite businesses in our region.”
Posted 5th Dec 11:41am
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Twenty-four staff members recently came together for a wreath workshop hosted by Johnsons employee Rachael Richardson on the 30th of November.
The wreath workshop was organised by Rachael and Ellie Richardson and paid for by the company.
Rachael owns Folium Floral Design outside of work and provided the wreath workshop, where staff enjoyed making their own Christmas wreaths to take home.
The evening was a huge success and got everyone into the Christmas spirit; the staff enjoyed mulled wine, hot chocolates and mince pies while making their wreaths.
Posted 5th Dec 11:35am
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Want to keep busy in the garden during December? There’s plenty to do, from clearing leaves, cutting back overgrown hedges, pruning Acers and Betulas, planting new fruit trees and bushes and more… check out our full hints and tips by our chairman and horticulturist, John Richardson below.
After the heavy November rain, fallen leaves are becoming a congealed mass in many gardens Try and clear them to the compost heap before they begin to rot and affect many of the plants, such as herbaceous, alpines, low-growing shrubs and plants in containers.
Ensure that outside taps and taps in unheated buildings are well insulated, and turn off the stop taps to prevent the possibility of them freezing.
Clear leaves off the lawn and replace any damaged areas of turf with new turfs from a less obvious location on the lawn.
Take the opportunity to cut back overgrown hedges, either mechanically on deciduous plants by the use of a saw or secateurs on large-leafed evergreens such as laurel or rhododendrons. Wait until growth starts again in the spring before pruning conifer hedges.
Clean moss and lichen from paths and walls. There are several brands of commercial cleaners available, but bleach is equally as good. A power washer will make light work of the job, which is impressive when completed!
If you intend to get on with early winter digging, cover a suitable area with polythene so that the ground is not waterlogged when you wish to dig.
Lower temperatures and snow are forecast; make sure your bird feeding stations are clean and regularly refilled. The same applies to an accessible water supply. Remember, cooked food for birds instead of bird seed may attract vermin.
If heavy snow falls, try and make some time to brush or shake it off trees and shrubs where it is likely to cause breakage to branches due to the weight of the snow.
If rabbits are a problem in your area, protect newly planted shrubs with rabbit guards or wire netting to prevent them from damaging the stems.
Prune Acers and Betula species before mid-December to prevent wounds from bleeding. Do not prune Hamemellis, Chimonanthus, Forsythia etc., until after flowering.
Plant new fruit trees and bushes in clean fertile soil and stake as appropriate for the plant and subsequent growth intention.
Take hardwood cuttings of a range of woody trees and shrubs as recommended.
Thoroughly clean and oil all garden tools, and sharpen those with cutting edges. Change the oil in the lawnmower to be ready for next season.
Check stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds.
Any plants which are now too big for their location or ‘in the wrong place’ can be safely moved. The soil in December is usually warm enough to stimulate the production of new roots. Stake tall new plants to prevent wind rock until well-rooted, and reduce their size if appropriate.
Move permanent container plants such as Camellias into the shelter in the lee of walls.
Posted 5th Dec 9:45am
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A warm welcome to Hannah Reilly, who joins the sales team as a Sales Estimator. Hannah will be responsible for the completion of plant tenders for our existing and prospective customers.
1) Tell us one thing that has made your JOW experience enjoyable so far?
Everyone has been so lovely and welcoming to me and helped me whenever I have needed it!
2) Where have you previously worked?
Before this, I was a Team Support Manager at M&S Food, so it’s been a big change for me, but I can’t say I’m missing the 3 am starts I used to do at M&S!!
3) How did you celebrate getting your new job?
I had an M&S Dine In for two and a bottle of prosecco to celebrate!
4) What have the biggest challenges been so far?
Learning all the plant names and different tree sizes! I feel like I’m getting there slowly but surely, though!
5) What would we find you doing on an evening after work?
You’d find me in the gym after work, it’s my fave way to switch off after a busy day and have time for myself. And then catching up on some rubbish reality tv!
6) What is an item you couldn’t live without?
Hmm id probably say my phone; I’m a bit addicted to it, which is bad!
7) If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Whitsunday Islands in Australia- I went in 2020 while I was away travelling, and it’s my favourite place in the world!
8) Name one thing on your bucket list:
To see the Northern Lights in Iceland at Christmas.
Amenity Sales Manager Vicky Newell said: “Hannah is a great addition to the team and is fitting in well into her new role. She is a great addition to the sales team, and we wish her every success.”
Posted 25th Nov 10:37am
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What do I have to do?
What will I win?
You will be entered into a draw to win the following:
Please read the full terms and conditions listed below before applying:
Terms and conditions
Posted 9th Nov 3:59pm
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Congratulations to Tom Chilton, Ned Antonov and Kieron Pattison for completing our rising stars programme earlier this year. The trio were awarded certificates, a star trophy and cake earlier this month.
Tom, Ned and Kieron embarked on our rising stars programme back in 2020 when they were selected to participate.
Rising stars was first introduced by the company seven years ago with the aim of developing the skillset of existing staff members to enable them to one day take on a more senior role within the business. We have made a significant financial investment in the programme to ensure its success.
The programme focuses on horticultural sessions, operational nursery activities, technical modules and training experiences which leads to a formal qualification in team leading.
Group managing director and Kieron Pattison.
Rising stars was open to staff from all parts of the business and an interview process was undertaken to choose candidates.
The programme was delivered in conjunction with external training providers and included a mixture of on-site training and external training providers.
Group managing director and Tom Chilton.
Ex-employee Ian Nelson mentored the growing stars and guided the delegates through the various challenges to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they will need as managers of the future.
Group managing director and Ned Antonov.
Group managing director Graham Richardson said: “We are delighted that Kieron, Tom and Nat have recently passed our Rising Stars programme with flying colours”. “Our aim is to identify tomorrow’s senior managers and equip them with the skills to succeed.”
“Thanks for persevering, guys; congratulations on your success and best wishes for the future”.
Rising star Tom Chilton said: “The rising stars was not an easy task to complete, however now it is over, I can see the reward. It helped me to grow my skills in Leadership and Management. To any people thinking of applying in the future, I would recommend it; however, it is good to consider that it isn’t an easy course to complete. COVID did make it even harder due to having to cancel tuition etc., which makes the reward even more worthwhile.”
Posted 22nd Oct 9:16am
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We were delighted to donate a large number of plants and trees to Leeds charity Getaway Girls, who featured on the BBC One series ‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’.
Our products were used as part of a life-changing transformation of the charity’s new headquarters for BBC Children in Need 2022.
Each year, the DIY SOS team take on a big build for Children in Need, with this year’s recipient being Leeds-based Getaway Girls.
Getaway Girls, which was established in 1987, is a fantastic organisation which has been supporting and empowering young women in Leeds for more than 30 years. The charity’s mission is to ensure that all young women and girls in the city region can lead a safe, healthy and fulfilled life.
Their team focuses on six key areas: empowerment, collaboration, compassion, equality and inclusion, creativity and innovation, and voice and influence.
The ambitious project saw a piece of land in Seacroft transformed into a new headquarters for the charity. Fully equipped with a multi-purpose activity space, creche, music and media studio, counselling rooms, office space, a full kitchen, parking space and a garden area.
That’s where we came in!
Outdoor space is key to leading a healthy life, so we were delighted to donate 148 individual pieces across seven varieties of plants and trees to the project.
Our supply included:
Johnsons of Whixley is a three-generation family business located in North Yorkshire, equidistant between York and Harrogate, with over 100 years’ experience in growing and supplying trees, shrubs and plants to UK-wide planting schemes. Being at the heart of Yorkshire ourselves, this project was close to our hearts.
This opportunity to support such an incredible local organisation was incredibly rewarding and we hope that the outdoor spaces created in this project will be enjoyed for years to come.
If you have a project that you’d like us to get involved with, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today.
Posted 18th Oct 3:35pm
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We have recently welcomed two new employees to the Johnsons maintenance team. Darren Smith joins us as Assistant Maintenance Manager, and Owen Chappell joins us as a Maintenance Assistant. See what they had to say about their new roles below.
1.How did you celebrate getting your new role?
I went out and had a beer with some friends.
2. Where did you previously work, and how will it compare to your new role?
I worked on gas as a civil engineer, i was also previously a mechanic.
3. Tell us about your role at JOW; what does it involve
I am Assistant manager to John price, my role involves fixing anything that breaks, servicing vehicles, and maintaining sites, including buildings, structures, roads, car parks, drainage, production beds and windbreaks.
4. What are looking forward to most about your new role?
I look forward to new challenges every day, as no day is the same.
5. What do you think the challenges will be?
Learning my way around all of the different sites, as they are pretty big.
6. Tell us something you have learnt since joining the team:
I have learnt many things, but I’d probably say learning about irrigation with Wayne as its not something I’ve been involved with before.
7. What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I enjoy watching and playing sports and spending time with my family.
8. Favourite football team?
Newcastle
9. Have any hobbies?
Football and golf.
10. Favourite cuisine?
Has to be Italian
———————————————————————————————————
1.Your role at Johnsons:
Maintenance Assistant
2. What will your role involve?
It will involve assisting the maintenance team and fixing everything that I can.
3. Where did you previously work?
I worked in retail.
4. What has been your favourite day at JOW since starting?
Incinerator duty
5. What would we find you doing on a weekend?
Chilling
6. What’s one item you couldnt live without?
music
7. Favourite holiday destination?
Canada
8. Favourite TV series?
How I met your mother
9. Your go-to takeaway?
Thai
Posted 11th Oct 11:33am
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Johnsons employees Dave Barrett and Eleanor Richardson recently completed a two-day mental health course and became mental health first aiders.
Johnsons consider mental health and employee well-being in the workplace a priority, the first aiders will be the go-to contacts for anyone who is going through some form of crisis or mental health issue at work.
All 140 Employees at Johnsons will be encouraged to speak to the mental health first aiders who will then offer a listening ear and assist in informing them of the various agencies and helping advise on the available channels.
Dave and Eleanor are also in talks with the senior management team within the company and hope to make improvements to support their newfound course qualifications they have already implemented a specific email address where employees can contact the mental health first aiders direct.
Just as we all have physical health, we also have mental health. Like physical health, mental health can fluctuate from good to poor. Mental health can affect any of us irrespective of age, personality or background and can be an effect of experiences in our personal and working lives, or there might not even be a reason for it. Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
Johnsons retail unit manager and newly trained mental health first aider, Dave Barrett said: “ I think it’s more important than ever to make sure that everyone’s mental health is taken as seriously as their physical health. It became apparent more than ever during lockdown the fragility of everyone’s mental health and the impact this can play on our everyday lives.
I wanted to educate myself, so I can understand not only how to care for myself but also for others around me, both at work and at home.
The fact that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health issue in any given year shows that people’s need to understand and offer help is so important.”
Johnsons office and marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson added: “Mental health is not one-size-fits-all, it can affect every walk of life at different points in someone’s life, and people shouldn’t feel ashamed of struggling with their mental health.
I hope people will feel comfortable coming forward and talking should they want to; Dave and I now have the tools, training and knowledge to actively listen to their situations and to help them.
It also made me think about ways in which we can make improvements in the workplace and what else we can do to support our employees – watch this space!”
Posted 10th Oct 8:55am
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Congratulations to Jack Witham, who has been appointed Key Accounts Manager. Jack will be looking after several key Accounts nationally. Find out about Jack and his new role below:
1)Congratulations on your new role Jack; how will you be celebrating?
I am moving house so I will do a joint celebration when I move in there to celebrate, probably just get a takeaway and a few beers.
2) How will your new role differ from your previous one?
There are a lot fewer customers to look after now, but the amount of work won’t decrease. Some of the customers have a wide range of offices throughout the UK.
3) What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
It is always nice getting to meet and dealing with different people. I am looking forward to getting out on the road more and seeing customers.
4) Any challenges so far?
Not many at the moment, I suppose one of the challenges has been getting everyone informed that Andrew has left and I am looking after them. There is a lot of customers whom I have had to tell.
5)How will your experience on the wider nursery help in your new role?
Having good knowledge of the nursery helps massively when working in the office, you learn about plants and also about the timings it takes things to be done. This can help when deciding how late to put orders on.
6) Tell us something we don’t know about you: Nothing interesting really but I have a degree in Sports Journalism. I probably said that in my last Q and A.
7) What would we find in your packed lunch?
There is always a yoghurt and an orange. The rest varies. My main course often depends on what is still in the fridge. I don’t have the most glamorous lunches ever.
8) What do you like to get up to on a weekend?
Throughout summer, I play cricket for Whixley. I’m not really sure what I do in winter; I will find out. Probably take the dog for lots of walks and explore new places around Thirsk.
9) One item you couldn’t live without?
Tomato Ketchup
10) What is your dream holiday?
Barbados has to be up there, definitely. Or I wouldn’t mind watching the Ashes in Australia.
Posted 16th Sep 2:45pm
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The bees at our onsite apiary had a good start to the year, with the early spring bringing plenty of nectar which increased bee numbers significantly and helped produce a good amount of honey.
The apiary is managed by Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association. , located at the top of our Newlands site, houses up to 800,000 bees during the summer months, with the insects pollinating flowering plants from all of our local sites.
The heatwave meant that many flowering plants flowered early and for a shorter period than usual; the bees also used a lot of energy to keep the hives cool they do this by fanning their wings and collecting water to help prevent brood drying out. When honeybees are exposed to temperatures over 42 C for more than a few hours they are likely to suffer from heat stress which can result in death.
The high temperatures weren’t the only threat to the hives this summer, as wasps benefitted from the warmer weather, causing some of our hives a problem in defending themselves. Wasps typically attack honeybee hives to steal nectar stores or even take larvae to feed their own young.
Keith Simmonds, vice president of Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association said: “Despite our bees’ challenges this summer, they have come through with their usual determination to survive and are preparing well for a long winter ahead.”
The autumn worker bees are different to those in the summer as their fat-producing gene is switched on, so they put on as much weight as possible to stay warm. In comparison, overwintering bees can live for up to six months, while their siblings born during spring and summer survive for no more than six weeks as they work so hard collecting nectar and pollen for the colony.
Tips on how to help bees
Posted 15th Sep 12:58pm
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We recently teamed up with award-winning garden designer Luke Arend to donate and supply plants to a Dementia care home in York.
St Catherine’s in Shipton by Beningbrough is a dementia specialist care home run by Wellburn Care Homes, which has recently gone through a complete transformation after months of research, development, planning and design.
The transformation sees innovative dementia-friendly interiors, gardens and exteriors added, all of which were installed with the needs of patients with dementia in mind.
Garden designer Luke Arend worked to a brief to tempt residents outside and enjoy the garden with family members. It included functional requirements such as wheelchair access, safe paths with no anxiety-inducing dead-ends and clear edges, safe sensory plants (no poisonous, spiky, or thorny), plants which mark seasonal change, a safe water feature, dappled shade, clear views from the building and raised beds for interaction with the planting.
Luke created concept plans and mood boards and spoke to residents and family members about the design and considered garden features, materials, furniture, lighting and safe plants to invoke a positive, beautiful environment and memories.
Speaking about the benefits of the garden, garden designer Luke Arend said: “ there is now a strong body of evidence of the enormous physical and mental benefits of just being in a garden and nature for patients with dementia, including evoking memories, increasing confidence and socialisation, and importantly decreasing agitation.”
The garden is now complete and includes wet-poor rubber flexible non-slip paths, a beautiful Victorian-style central Gazebo, raised beds, a water feature, furniture, sculptures and memory-invoking plants.
The plant donation from Johnsons of Whixley was worth over £500 and included Hydrangeas, Skimmias, Echinaceas, Geraniums, Geums, Helleborus, Hostas, Lavenders, Lupins, Nepeta, Paeonia, Roses, Pulmonaria, Salvias, Vincas, Clematis, Buddleia and fatsia.
The aim was to include plants that residents are familiar with to help invoke positive memories, including lavenders, tulips, geraniums and roses.
Garden designer Luke Arend said: “It’s so rewarding to see residents and family members enjoying the garden and savouring being outdoors. A huge thank you to Johnsons of Whixley for supporting this project and making it a reality.”
Discussing the donation, Johnsons marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “It’s great to give something back to our local community; there are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK so it’s great to support our local Dementia care home. We hope our plants bring joy to residents, staff and visitors of the care home for many years to come.”
Posted 8th Sep 2:27pm
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Congratulations to Kieron Pattison, who was recently promoted to Deputy Despatch Unit Manager from Deputy Amenity Operations Manager, the shift in roles will see him working with the Despatch department, ensuring that stock is checked and entered into the correct bays ready for delivery. Find out what he had to say about his new role below:
1. Any planned celebrations for the new role?
I might take the family out over the weekend and enjoy what is left of the summer with a few cocktails, depending on the weather.
2. How will it differ from your previous deputy amenity operations position?
I will now be contributing towards despatching orders, ensuring orders are all in the correct bays and up to our quality standards. As well as dealing with customers who come and collect
3. You recently passed the rising stars programme, how will this help you in your new position?
The rising star programme will help with managing the team most efficiently and adapting to change, which is definitely required in my new role.
4. What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
Learning and facing new challenges, I am the type of person who thrives off new challenges and learning new skills, as it gives me that sense of achievement when I learn new skills and put them into practice. Also, this new role will give me a wider view of how the company operates from our yard to the main offices
5. What do you think the challenges will be?
I would say understanding how to load wagons (especially mixed loads) in the most safe and secure way, as this is an area where I have little to no experience, but I am looking forward to it
6. Tell us something we don’t know about you:
I enjoy binge-watching true crime documentaries on Netflix late at night when everyone is in bed
7. What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I sometimes go to the gym to keep myself active but mainly spend time with family and watch football.
8. Favourite cuisine?
Has to be Chinese; Singapore chow mein every time
9. What is your favourite season?
I would say spring as it’s not too hot or too cold. It is also a good feeling when you start seeing all plants start flowering.
10. Are you a morning or night person?
If I would have to choose, I would say night as I enjoy the peace and quiet when everyone in bed and I can breathe and relax.
Posted 5th Sep 2:20pm
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We recently supplied plants to the value of over £135,000 for a multi-million-pound renovation at the 133-acre The Springs Resort & Golf Club near Wallingford in Oxfordshire.
The renovation works started in the autumn of 2020 at the resort that boasts a beautifully restored 19th-century manor house with hotel rooms, an 18-hole, par-72 golf course, a clubhouse with restaurant and bar, a Hydrotherapy pool and spa and a collection of luxury lodges all located just 30 minutes from Oxford City Centre.
Johnsons were appointed by Darwin Escapes which operates the resort to supply thousands of quality plants as part of the renovation of the multi-million-pound resort and golf club.
The nursery has been Darwin Escapes’ principal plant supplier for almost ten years supplying their holiday resorts including Sandymouth Holiday Resort, Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat, Canterbury Reach Lodge Retreat, Cheddar Woods Resort & Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon Lodge Retreat.
The plants supplied by Johnsons have been used to enhance the grounds of the Tudor-style hotel building, clubhouse, golf course and spa grounds and most recently used to landscape the modern lodges which include private outdoor areas with hot tubs and landscaped decking, some of which have stunning views across the millpond.
Plants Johnsons supplied to the project include a large number of hedging, shrubs, herbaceous, trees and grasses with varieties including mixed native hedging elements, Choisya, Geraniums, Heleniums, Hebes, Hydrangeas, Heucheras, Ilex, Lavender, Magnolia, Prunus, Stipa, Taxus, Viburnum and more.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said: “We are pleased to be working with Darwin Escapes once again, and are honoured to be their principal plant supplier. It’s great to see our plants adding the finishing touches to this ambitious project, the grounds look fantastic and will certainly entice people to stay.
We hope the plants are enjoyed by resort guests, golfers, staff and of course wildlife for many years to come. “
Posted 24th Aug 10:58am
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Summer isn’t over yet… August is usually a hot one, and there’s plenty to be doing in the garden this month, from watering to trimming lavenders and deadheading flowering plants to encourage new flowers. Read our full list of reminders below put together by our chairman and horticulturist John Richardson:
Trim Lavenders after flowers go over, but don’t cut into last season’s wood as this may prevent future re-growth.
Maintain the water level in ponds in order to prevent stress to fish, plants, and other pond life.
Collect and dispose of fallen apples showing signs of Brown Rot, do not compost them.
Keep dead-heading the best flowering plants to encourage new flowers and stop them from setting seeds. Apply a liquid feed as plants will require added nutrition to counter the dry weather and heavy watering.
Always use really sharp secateurs when cutting roses or pruning any plant. Weed between alpines and top up the surface with grit or gravel. Take cuttings of Aubretia, dwarf Helianthemums etc., and root them in a warm propagator.
Do not cut back paeonies which have flowered, just remove dead flower heads, as they need to die back naturally as a part of the ripening process.
Towards the end of the month, cut down the fruited canes of raspberries to ground level, and tie in the young canes which will carry the fruits of next year’s harvest.
Watch out for pests and diseases, warm, dry weather encourages mildew, and aphids can rapidly increase in numbers. Treat with specific garden chemicals.
Damp down greenhouse floors to maintain humidity, and don’t forget to open the vents to improve air circulation. Best to water early morning or late evening, and not in the heat of the sun. Close doors at night by the end of the month as conditions become cooler but be sure to open up again the following morning!
Collect the seed of plants you wish to regenerate again next year. Place a brown paper bag over the seed head and shake out contents as they become free; save the seed in the fridge and sow next spring.
Take cuttings of shrubs, heathers, hydrangeas, and fuchsias.
Container watering will still be a high priority, placing the container in a saucer-shaped dish will be a great help in ensuring that the majority of water you apply remains available to the plant.
Give a final trim to fast growing hedges, and don’t forget to remove the weeds from under hedges.
Finish pruning stone fruits such as cherries and plums by mid-month. Choose a dry day in order to prevent disease entry through the wound. If you have peaches or apricots under protection, prune them now to prevent silver leaf disease.
Best to leave laying or sowing a new lawn until September when the weather is cooler and there is probably more moisture in the ground.
Propagate Rhododendrons by layering a low growing shoot into some prepared compost beneath the bush. The shoot should be non-flowering, de-leafed in the wound area, and either twisted or nicked with a knife to produce a tongue and pinned down into the prepared mound of soil. Cover the whole area with an inch of compost and water thoroughly. Rhodo layers can take 2 years to produce a good new plant.
Remove rose blooms as they fade. Cut roses for display as short as possible. Do not feed in the autumn as soft growth would be encouraged, which could not mature before winter.
Posted 4th Aug 10:34am
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Congratulations to Steve Morton, our previous Despatch Manager, who has been promoted to Operations Manager and will be leaving the outside despatch environment for the office.
1. What will your new job role include?
My new role will involve looking after the operations team in the top yard. In the office, I will be processing and allocating orders. I will also be helping with recruitment for operation’s needs and a lot of problem-solving.
2. How will this differ from your previous role?
My last job in despatch was very hands-on and physical. This job is more office based.
3. What do you think the challenges will be?
Recruitment and interviewing as these are new challenges for me.
4. What are you most looking forward to?
All the new challenges ahead and staying dry and warm in the winter.
5. Tell us a funny story from your time at JOW:
I have a lot of funny stories at JOW but nothing PG rating.
6. Where would we find you on a weekend?
Spending days out with my wife and four children they all keep me busy.
7. If you had to be stuck in a lift with a star character, who would it be and why?
I would love to be stuck in a lift with George Lucas so I could talk Star Wars with him.
8. Proudest moment in life?
Having all 4 of my children with my wife, Natasha.
9. Drink of choice:
Apple Jack Daniels & Coke
10. Any Hidden Talents?
I would say very good at building Lego, but my wife will tell you it’s being a terrible snorer.
Posted 28th Jul 8:36am
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Congratulations to Matt Campey who has been promoted to Despatch Unit Manager from his previous deputy position. Matt joined Johnsons in 2016 and has worked his way up with various roles along the way. See what he had to say about being promoted below:
1) How will you be celebrating your new position at JOW?
Plenty of beer and enjoying the great weather we are currently having.
2) How will it differ from your previous position?
More responsibility in terms of managing the Despatch team, Internal Transport, Stock checking and ensuring all stock enters the correct delivery bays.
3) What are you most looking forward to within your new role?
I’m looking forward to the new tasks and challenges that the job role brings. Improving my overall plant knowledge and being a department manager for the first time.
4) What do you think the challenges will be?
The biggest challenge for me will be co-ordinating stock from all other sites (UK & Abroad) and getting the stock back to our Newlands site and into our delivery bays for loading.
5) A most memorable day at Johnsons:
That has to be the 20:30 finish that I had with Steve Morton and Chris Pickard. The longest and most tiring day I’ve had at JOW.
6) What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy sports, especially football and watching Leeds United. I like going for walks and getting out and about. I’m not one for keeping still, and I’ve always enjoyed exploring new places.
7) Tell us a random fact about yourself:
I have played football for both Leeds United and Middlesborough Academies.
8) If you were deserted on an island, what’s the one luxury item you would take with you?
A swiss army knife or an axe.
Posted 27th Jul 10:54am
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In recognition of The Big Butterfly Count, a UK-wide citizen science survey that runs for three weeks each summer, we have put together a list of plants for butterflies to help encourage them into your next planting plan.
Echinacea varieties such as Magnus
Commonly known as coneflowers, Echinaceas are a firm favourite of butterflies and bees. Butterfly species, including Monarchs and Red admirals, particularly love Echinaceas.
Echinaceas have daisy-like flowers with prominent orange centres and generally flower from mid-late summer and are available in a range of colours from pink, white and even yellow.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: July – September
Height: Up to 75cm
Soil: Most soil types, except dry or boggy conditions
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Red Admiral butterflies and Peacock Butterflies
Buddleia varieties such as ‘Pink Delight.’
Commonly known as the ‘Butterfly Bush’ and colonising railway sidings, Buddleias make a great addition to a sunny border with attractive bright foliage that will attract butterflies and other insects.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: July – September
Height: 30cm-280cm depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Red Admiral butterflies and Peacock Butterflies
Verbena varieties such as bonariensis
Tight clusters of lilac-purple flowers appear on tall flower stems from June to September. This plant will help encourage bees and butterflies into your project right through to autumn. A great addition to any area of a border due to its transparent shape.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: June – September
Height: Up to 150+cm
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Red Admiral Butterflies, Painted Lady Butterflies
Helenium varieties such as ”Moerheim Beauty’
Blooms are available in shades of yellows, oranges and reds from mid-late summer. They look great in a mixed border and look great amongst grasses and other perennials, and are loved by bees and butterflies.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: June – August
Height: 60cm +
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Red Admiral Butterflies, Peacock Butterflies
Scabiosa varieties such as ‘Butterfly Blue’
Are full of nectar-rich flowers from June – August and looks great in cottage gardens or in a wildflower mix. Plant in a sunny position to encourage butterflies and other pollinators to feast.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: June – August
Height: 0.5m +
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained, alkaline soil
Lavender varieties such as ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’
Lavender will add fragrance and colour to your garden projects and will draw in the pollinators. A great addition to a path, or border. Place in a sunny, well-drained position for best results.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Dependent on variety
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Cabbage white butterflies
Escallonia varieties such as ‘pink elle’
A beautiful flowering evergreen shrub that bloom for months throughout the summer. Flower heads are available in shades of red, pink and even white and contrast beautifully with oval glossy green leaves.
Flowers: June – July and then again in September
Position: Full sun
Height: Dependent on variety
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Butterflies that particularly love this plant variety: Monarch butterflies
Other popular butterfly-friendly plant varieties include: Sedum, Echinops, Aster, Monarda, Rudbeckia, Nepeta and Salvia.
Click here for our blog post on pollinator-friendly plants throughout the season
Posted 1st Aug 11:15am
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Earlier this summer, we welcomed Sarah Milana to our growing team. Sarah joined the Procurement team as an Administrative Assistant; find out what she had to say about her time at Johnsons so far below:
1. Tell us about your role at JOW; what does a normal day look like?
So, working in the purchasing department, means you are working with a lot of numbers/prices from many different suppliers. Whilst still learning many of the plants, becoming accustomed to the various names too comes in handy. You work closely with the transport team; this ensures that the product that you buy will come in on time when we are going for collections. When it comes to collection abroad. From putting orders through to go and collect from abroad to doing stock transfers from our cash and carry, you’re also working closely with the outdoor staff as well. This means you are also not always inside.
Additionally, I help with our non-conformities, so any product that hasn’t arrived or needs sending back I will work on the paperwork for, which then we can again, in the purchasing department, work with our sales team and get the correct product for the correct time for the customer.
2. What did you do before working at Johnsons?
Before coming to Johnsons, I worked two separate jobs: a bartender in the evening, and during the day, I worked for a broker firm, which dealt with trade waste.
3. What has been your favourite day at Johnsons since starting?
I would have to say when I worked outside for the first time, understanding how the product that we buy comes in from abroad and how you unload the plants and put them on the correct beds would probably be one of my favourite days since being here. Was nice and sunny too so was nice to help out the outdoor staff and have a feel of what they do too.
4. What do you like most about working in horticulture?
The fact that you are working with plants alone is most of the fun part, I love plants as it is, so learning all the different types of plants, herbs and trees that there are and having them imported in still from another country as well is what I would say is most thrilling.
5. What do you like to get up to on a weekend?
I usually tend to stay in if it’s a bit gloomy and just sit and draw/paint. Otherwise, I will spend time with either my other half or go see friends and contemplate which tattoo to get next.
And if I don’t go get a tattoo, then going out with my friends in town is always the next best thing.
6. Name one item you couldn’t live without?
Headphones for my music
7. Favourite holiday destination:
I would love to go to New Orleans. However, I would also like to visit Greece as well and go to Athens.
Posted 15th Jul 1:40pm
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A warm welcome to Hannah Holland, who joined our transport team as a Logistics Administrator earlier this summer. Find out what she had to say about her new role below:
1) Tell us about your role and what it involves:
I assist both Hannah and Katie in their roles. Planning, confirming EU paperwork, managing ferry bookings and communicating with drivers daily.
2) What have you enjoyed most about working at JOW?
The friendly, nice and kind people, alongside the week’s variety! No day is the same.
3) Where have you worked previously?
I have a degree in fashion buying and merchandising. I worked as an assistant merchandiser for the Baird group. And really disliked I. It was like the real-life The Devil Wears Prada. Throughout university, I worked at mint velvet and was regularly given free clothes/ shoes and accessories.
4) Tell us something you have learnt since joining the team:
I could now look at a postcode and, without google, have a rough idea of its location.
5) Night in or night out?
During summer, nights out during winter nights in watching films.
6) What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I spend a lot of time in the gym. I LOVE a spin class. Sometimes I knit and get my sewing machine out too!
7) Savoury or sweet food?
Mostly savoury, Indian, Italian and Thai. But sweets are good too, Coco Joe’s in York and Pateley Bridge have the best hot chocolate you’ll have ever tasted.
8) City break or a beach holiday?
Definitely, beach, when I go on holiday I want nothing other than sitting on a sun lounger worshipping the sunshine reading a book, listening to music and people watching!
Posted 14th Jul 4:16pm
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July often brings more sunshine, which in turn requires more watering and weeding, among many other jobs in the garden, from dead-heading roses to clipping evergreen hedging and quickthorn. Check out our full hints and tips below.
Water as soon as slowing growth rate shows that soil is drying out. Sandy soil requires half the water compared to clay soil.
Continue tying dahlias to their stakes and spraying aphids and insects as necessary.
Trim quickthorn hedges and continue hoeing and weeding hedge bottoms.
Dead-head roses, trim to appropriate bud in the axil of a leaf shoot with five leaflets when the blooms have gone over. This will have a strong bud growing in the leaf axil, which should point in an outward direction.
Always use sharp secateurs when cutting roses or pruning anything.
Feed both established and newly planted roses with a rose fertilizer at the rate of about a handful per square metre, other than for a 15cm dia. clear circle around the stem of each plant. Hoe the fertilizer into the soil surface.
Do not cut back paeonies which have flowered; just remove dead flower heads, as they need to die back naturally as a part of the ripening process.
Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble liquid once per week and remove flower heads that are going over.
Clear foliage from ponds and remove weeds from around the edges and excess vegetation on water lilies.
Cut Delphiniums down to 12-15cm after flowering and keep moist. They should produce another flush of flowers in the autumn.
Evergreen hedges can be clipped this month (and some deciduous ones) but ensure no nesting birds are in the hedge. Cut laurel and Eleagnus hedges with secateurs to prevent cut leaves.
July is a good month to take heather cuttings. Choose young, vigorous, half-ripe, non-flowering shoots. Treat the bottom 5cm of the cuttings with rooting hormone and insert the bottom around the edge of a 9cm pot. Keep in a closed, shaded frame, ensuring that water does not drip onto the cuttings from the underside of the glass. Do not allow the cutting to dry out.
Prune pyracanthas by cutting back side-shoots to 2-3 leaves from their base for a good show next year. Wear gloves!! When the first flush of hardy geraniums and Alchemilla is over, cut them hard back for a spectacular second flush of flowers.
Once per week, go around the garden and remove all dead-heads from flowers and clear away all vegetables that have finished cropping.
The first week of the month is the best time to cut lavender for drying. Cut the whole flower stalk when it begins to show colour. Tie in loose bundles and hang in a greenhouse or warm shed to dry.
Posted 7th Jul 10:44am
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We have recently supplied over £25,000 worth of plants for the historic Yorkshire-based Aldwark Manor Estate.
Johnsons were appointed by the new owners, who purchased the historic Estate in 2019, to supply hundreds of high-quality plants as the venue undergoes a significant renovation and expansion program. The hotel is located less than 10 miles from Johnsons HQ making it an ideal partnership.
The plants will be used across the wedding garden, fountain bed and entrance to the estate.
Johnsons supply has included Trees, hedging, herbaceous, shrub and topiary plants so far including varieties such as Buxus balls, Lavender, Hydrangeas, Tulips, Nepeta, Astilbes, Fagus, Acers and more.
Since the acquisition, Aldwark Manor Estate has been undergoing an ambitious multi-million pounds extension and refurbishment project, with over £8m invested into phase one of the project which includes the total refurbishment of all the bedrooms, public areas and function suites. Phase two will see the opening of Bunkers in September 2022 with 11 bedrooms, a sports bar and restaurant, a golf shop and private room.
The overall program is set to be completed by the end of 2024 with plans for a new spa and leisure complex to include a mezzanine pool overlooking the estate’s 185 acres in the Vale of York, beauty treatment areas, a leisure pool and gym, a conference centre and 40 new bedrooms, exclusive rooms with balconies and hot tubs. The Manor’s facilities also include an 18-hole golf course that will be fully redeveloped by the end of May 2023 with the addition of a boat house, and boat and water sports activities.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said: “The team at Aldwark Manor Estate are currently in the process of implementing huge renovations to the historic estate and are creating a luxury experience for guests and visitors.
“The whole Johnsons team are excited to be involved in the project and helping them create a tranquil space in the grounds of the estate and we are looking forward to continuing to work with them as the renovations continue.”
Posted 7th Jul 9:31am
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We recently sponsored and donated plants to a show garden at BBC Gardeners World Live via Harrogate-based Grant Horticulture and The Northern School of Gardening.
Charlotte Jones from Grant Horticulture and The Northern School of Gardening won a Silver Merit at last week’s BBC Gardener’s World Live at the NEC in Birmingham.
The award-winning beautiful border which included 300 plants to the value of almost £2,000 will now be donated to Harrogate Hospital, Johnsons and Grant Horticulture’s local hospital.
21-year-old Charlotte Jones designed the Border under the theme ‘Wildlife’, which the designer interpreted as a reflection of someone who has lived a ‘wild life’, full of frivolity, fun and joie de vivre.
Charlotte is currently studying for her master’s in Landscape Architecture at Sheffield University and is in her working year with Grant Horticulture and The Northern School of Gardening.
The 300 plants donated will now be used to enhance Harrogate Hospital’s grounds and include varieties such as Achillea, Aquilegia, Astrantia, Digitalis, Geranium, Nepeta, Salvia, Iris, Lavender, Miscanthus, Erigeron and herbs including Mint, Thyme and Rosemary.
Dean Bolton-Grant, Managing Director of Grant Horticulture and founder of The Northern School of Gardening said: “ Garden design is at the very heart of our business. With the pandemic behind us what better way to showcase our talents, in particular, our young designer Charlotte Jones, than with a show garden at BBC Gardener’s World Live.
“We worked closely with Johnsons of Whixley who kindly donated the plants for our Beautiful Border Garden, affording us the opportunity to support Harrogate Hospital with the gift of the plants which we hope will bring patients and staff a little joie de vivre during their day.”
Yvonne Campbell, Head of Charity and Business Development Project Manager at Harrogate hospital said: “On behalf of Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity I would like to say thank you to Johnsons of Whixley for this amazing donation and the opportunity to enhance our hospital grounds. The donated plants have been distributed across the hospital to fill our staff and visitor areas with a touch of colour.
“I would also like to congratulate Charlotte Jones and the team at The Northern School of Gardening and Grant Horticulture for winning a Silver Merit for their border design, a huge well done and thank you to everyone involved.”
Marketing Manager at Johnsons of Whixley, Eleanor Richardson said: “ Congratulations to The Northern School of Gardening and Grant Horticulture on their Silver Merit award at BBC Gardeners World Live. We were delighted to sponsor the garden with plants to the value of almost £2,000 and are glad to be donating the plants to our local hospital, Harrogate. We look forward to seeing the plants in the ground and hope they bring joy to staff, patients and visitors at the hospital for many years to come,”
Posted 23rd Jun 10:56am
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We recently held a garden design competition for local primary schools in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Competition.
Children from primary schools within a 15-mile radius of the nursery were invited to design a ‘Platinum Jubilee Garden’. They were asked to design a colourful garden and include details of the plants they would use, with prizes on offer for some of the best.
Over 100 children within the area entered the competition with the winning child, eleven-year-old Theo Copley of Green Hammerton Primary School, receiving over £250 worth of plants for his school, along with several more for his own garden.
The winning design featured a Land Rover, in recognition of the Royal Family’s loyalty and love for the iconic vehicle.
Celebrating his achievement, Theo said: “I chose to design a Land Rover themed garden because the Queen drove and repaired Land Rovers in the second world war. They are very important to the Royal Family, so much so that Prince Philips’s coffin was carried in a specially-adapted Land Rover at his funeral.”
Children in second and third place also received a collection of plants for their home gardens, and their respective schools were gifted a small assortment to add to their outdoor areas. Johnsons overall donation to schools within the area came to over £600.
Marketing Manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “It’s great to inspire the garden designers of the future with our competition. We were amazed by all of the fantastic entries, which made judging very difficult. We look forward to seeing the plants thrive in the grounds of the winning schools and hope it will remind them of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee for many years to come.”
Posted 13th Jun 10:57am
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June brings with it extra sunlight, warmer temperatures, flowers in abundance and those pesky weeds. There’s plenty to keep you busy within the garden this month, from clipping topiary to cutting back Clematis. Check out our full hints and tips below.
Continue to stake or support fast-growing plants with appropriate materials such as pea sticks, nets and canes.
Lightly clip box edging and topiary to remove wandering shoots. Remember to provide feed and water, mainly if they have been growing in containers for some time.
Trim back the flowering growth of Erica carnea varieties and top-dress with peat-free compost.
Bulb foliage will be dying down this month, do not remove it until it has gone dry and yellow. Daffodil bulbs will be fine left in situ, but tulip bulbs need lifting carefully, cleaning, and drying off in shallow boxes. Keep well ventilated until ready for re-planting.
June is the worst month for weed growth. Water with a contact weedkiller under hedges, shrubs, and on paths or crazy paving. Alternatively, use a sharp hoe to keep stirring the soil to prevent the growth of seedlings.
Sow winter pansies, primulas, violas and Brompton stocks under glass. Foxgloves and wallflowers can be sown outside in a weed-free area of the border to flower next year.
Do not use lawn mowings as a mulch for trees and shrubs if the lawn has been treated with a weedkiller.
Plant out young dahlias by the middle of the month. Two or three weeks after planting, pinch out the tip of each leading shoot. This will encourage the production of further side shoots. Tie into stakes when about 18” tall with loose loops of raffia or string.
During warm, settled weather, syringe sweet peas with a mist of clean, soft water in the early morning or after sunset. If ground watering is essential, give the soil a good soaking of about 3 gallons. Buds which turn yellow and fall off before opening is not a disease but may indicate too much moisture at the roots.
To increase the number of strawberry plants, select strong runners or young established plants and dig a hole under the leaves. Fill the pot with compost and plant into it the rosette of leaves of the new plant. Peg it down firmly with a forked twig or wire staple and water in.
Remove self-sown trees such as sycamore and ash from around the garden, and ensure they are removed from near house and wall foundations. Weedkillers effectively dispose of plants challenging to dig out.
Clematis montana varieties have now finished flowering and will benefit from being cut back before the growth becomes a jungle!
Posted 7th Jun 1:10pm
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Add colour to your garden projects this month with May flowering herbaceous plants from varieties such as Allium to Tiarella there’s something for every spot.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – May (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.45m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – June, August (depends on the variety
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, humus, rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Tiny blue forget-me-not flowers appear against heart-shaped silver dusted leaves in spring. A beautiful groundcover plant for a shaded border.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability and the variety)
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Heart-shaped flowers appear in spring above fern-like green leaves. Great in a shady border or as part of a cottage garden planting plan.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline
Pot size: Available in 2L and 3L pots subject to availability.
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Flowers: May – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well drained soil
Pot size: 2L
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A long-flowering semi-evergreen with narrow, grey-green leaves. This perennial produces spikes of purple flowers from late February to July and will make a great addition to a long flowering sunny border.
Flowers: February – July
Position: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, well-drained, neutral soil
Pot size: Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
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Is filled with huge heads of yellow-green flowers with ‘bronze eyes’ from late March-May that tower above its bluish-green foliage. Great at the back of a sunny border.
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
Flowers: Late March-May
Position: Full sun
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Flowers: May – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: May- October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
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Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile, neutral to slightly acidic soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
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Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
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Flowers: May – July
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m (depending on variety)
Soil: Cool, moist, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – July
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Please note the above plants listed are subject to availability and is not an exhaustive list of what is available, please contact your sales rep direct for specific requests.
Posted 18th May 3:01pm
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A warm welcome to Adam Davis, who joins the sales team as our southern sales rep; find out about Adam’s hobbies and new role below:
1. What will your new job role include?
Developing the sales and profitability of our Amenity sector, through the management of existing accounts and by seeking out, and developing, relationships with new customers.
2. What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
Getting to know the customers and identifying new business opportunities available.
3. What do you think the challenges will be?
Continuing to exceed our customer’s expectations around lead time, whilst working within the ever-increasing legislation and environmental uncertainties.
4. Where did you previously work, and what was your role?
As an estimator for a kitchen manufacturer – supplying kitchens, on a large scale, to new build developments and refurbishments.
5. Anything you have learnt so far that you didn’t know before?
I have already learnt too much to list! Particularly lots of (Latin) plant names!
6. What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I enjoy most sports, mainly playing football and road cycling. I am also part of a running club. I enjoy growing veg and cooking with less commonly used ingredients. But of course, my favourite past-time must be wrestling with my two young boys!
7. Favourite meal?
I’ll happily eat most things. As a true Yorkshireman, put gravy on it, and I’m there!
8. What football team do you support?
York City FC
9. You have an allotment; what do you like to grow?
I love growing chillies, however, I’m trying to grow more alternative veg’, such as fennel.
10. Skiing or a beach holiday?
I’d have to say skiing, although I have been skiing indoors in Dubai, so maybe you can have both!
Vicky Newell, Amenity Sales Manager said: “We are thrilled to have Adam Davis join our Amenity sales team; he will primarily be looking after our customers in the South of England. We wish him well as he settles into his new role”.
Posted 26th Apr 1:49pm
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Johnsons staff have achieved over 11 million steps during March as part of the Cancer Researches Walk All Over Cancer Challenge.
The staff involved in the challenge raised a combined amount of £736.50 for the Cancer Research Charity and achieved a combined step count of 11.4 million steps.
28 members of staff at the nursery pledged to walk 10,000 steps each day during March and an internal challenge was organized where staff members merged into teams of four. The team with the most steps during March won a prize from the company.
The winning team ‘Retatch’ included Steven Morton, Matt Campey, Katalin Dacre and Martyn Osbourne who achieved a whopping 2.3 million steps combined.
The team were able to rack up their steps during the working day on the nursery with the average outside worker clocking up 10,000-15,000 steps per day, they would then go for additional walks on an evening and weekend.
Staff taking part in the challenge also included Hannah Holland, Hannah Smith, Katie Short, Frances Whyte, Sarah Greenwood, Hannah Smith(2), Vicky Newell, Tony Coles, Andrew Barker, Adrian Price, Rob Forrester, Terry Cooper, Eleanor Richardson, Rachael McPherson, Chris Davis, Tracey Richardson, Tom Chilton, Mick Huby, Russ Berkley, Alex Harmon, Isaac Onions, Claire Horner, Jonathan Richardson and Dmytro Orlov.
Walks completed in the challenge include nursery walks, Mam Tor to Kinder Scout, Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, Duncansby Stacks, Brimham Rocks, Whitby, The Stray, Harrogate and Wentworth Castle Gardens.
All staff taking part received a cancer-research t-shirt, Johnson’s water bottle and a certificate for completing the month’s challenge.
Marketing Manager and challenge organizer, Eleanor Richardson said: “ The walking challenge has had many benefits, from team building to improved mental health. Staff have been walking together on a lunchtime, purposely going further afield for walks on evenings and weekends and have all felt the benefits mentally and physically.
Not to mention the positive impact the fundraising has provided too knowing we have raised vital funds for the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. We are over the moon with the funds raised which is what this challenge was all about.”
Cancer Research is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information. The funding supports anything from a new research centre to glass slides that are used to analyse cancer cells. Globally cancer research invests 400 million dollars each year across prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Over the last 40 years, cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled. In the 1970s just 1 in 4 people survived their disease for 10 years or more. Today 2 in 4 survive. cancer researchers’ ambition is to accelerate progress and see 3 in 4 patients survive the disease by 2034.
Posted 11th Apr 11:37am
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To celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee and gardening, we have created a competition for local Primary Schools to design a Platinum Jubilee Garden and win £250 worth of plants for their school.
What do you have to do?
What will I win?
Those in 2nd and 3rd place will win a plant for their own garden.
Terms and Conditions
For further information or any questions please email marketing@nurserymen.co.uk
Posted 7th Apr 3:26pm
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We have all been devastated by the recent news in Ukraine and have started a collection of items needed. Staff, customers and suppliers can donate items which we will then organise going to the Yorkshire to Ukraine group.
Yorkshire to Ukraine is run by local people and businesses who have joined forces to start collecting donations and transporting them to Ukraine. So far they have organised and transported 13 vans/trailers, and 5 Artics full to the brim of donations.
More information on the charity can be found below:
If you wish to add to our collection, please leave goods in our reception area or contact marketing@nurserymen.co.uk.
Items needed include:
– Food (Dried food (something they can cook easily), Canned foods, Children’s juices in plastic bottles, baby bottles, baby formula, protein bars)
– Hygiene products (Nappies, wet wipes, sanitary items, toilet paper, disinfection products, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste and toothbrushes)
– Linen (Camp beds, sleeping mats/yoga mats, sleeping bags, bedding, towels, blankets, duvets and pillows)
– First Aid (Bags, dressings, gloves, bandages, painkillers, cough and cold medicine, children’s medicines)
– Clothing (Brand new. Winter gloves and hats for children and adults, socks, thermals, socks and shoes)
– Electronics (Power banks, torches, batteries)
Once we have a large number of items, we will deliver them to the Yorkshire to Ukraine group direct.
Posted 7th Apr 8:52am
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Spring is finally here, with trees starting to bloom, daffodils and tulips starting to emerge and bees making an appearance for their first nectar collections. There’s plenty to be doing in the garden this month from deadheading flowering bulbs to applying lawn fertilizer. Check out our latest reminders, put together by our Chairman and Horticulturist John Richardson.
Prune early flowering shrubs such as Forsythia & Hamamellis after flowering is over.
Mulch shrubs and fruit bushes when the weather begins to warm up, but not deeply into the centre of the shrub.
Soak rootballs of new evergreen shrubs before planting and water in after planting.
Propagate perennials such as Rudbeckias, Heleniums and Monardas by dividing older plant stools, ensuring that you choose a healthy outer section.
Divide and replant primroses when they have finished flowering.
In mild weather slugs and snails may well begin to eat the shoots of newly growing perennials. Use environmentally approved slug pellets as a control.
Continue to dead-head spent daffodils, tulips and other late wintering flowering shrubs.
Towards the end of the month collect woody twigs to use as supports for perennials before they get too long and straggly.
Apply residual weedkillers to gravelled driveways and footpaths. Be careful to ensure that the application is confined to the treated area and not the surroundings.
Begin mowing the lawn weekly, but with the blades set quite high until the rate of weeds that suddenly appear, give the lawn a top-dressing of high Nitrogen fertilizer.
Make sure old leaves of Helleborus have been removed.
Tie in the young growth of climbing plants and trained plants. Pinch out some of the young growths if new shoots are too prolific.
For more hints and tips head to our solution page here
Posted 7th Apr 9:23am
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May has arrived as bulbs start to fade in borders and are replaced by vibrant flowering herbaceous and shrubs as summer is on its way. Now is the perfect time to prepare your garden for summer. Check out our latest reminders, put together by our Chairman and Horticulturist John Richardson.
Prune early flowering shrubs such as Forsythia after flowering is over. Remove deadwood and thin shoots to keep older bushes in shape.
Pick off dead flower heads of Rhododendrons and Azaleas to allow new growths to develop, and mulch with leaf mould.
Dahlias may begin to sprout in mild conditions under glass, but don’t plant out until frost is past. Consider taking cuttings of the first shoots.
Some plants like Forget-me-Nots can spread very rapidly from seed. To contain them, pull up the plants as soon as they finish flowering to prevent them from seeding everywhere.
Trim lawn edges frequently to develop a firm edge which will not sink when walked upon.
In dry spells, continue to water those trees and shrubs planted since Christmas.
If you have not used weedkiller to treat the lawn this Spring, use the grass mowings to mulch trees and hedge plants.
Propagate greenhouse plants, mainly foliage and climbing plants. Increase shading as necessary, and watch out for those odd late frosts.
Pick off the flower heads from spent daffodils, tulips, and other spring-flowering bulbs which have gone over, and give a top-dressing of general fertiliser.
In mild weather, slugs and snails may well begin to eat the shoots of newly growing perennials. Use environmentally approved slug pellets as a control.
Start spraying roses regularly against greenflies using a systemic insecticide. Remove rolled-up leaves containing Tortrix caterpillar or sawfly grubs and destroy.
Continue to stake tall herbaceous plants such as Delphiniums. Pinch out the tips of other tall-growing plants. Thin out the older weak shoots from the centre of plants more than three years old.
Apply residual weedkillers to gravelled driveways and footpaths. Be very careful to ensure that the application is confined to the treated area and not surroundings.
Begin mowing the lawn weekly, but with the blades set quite high until the rate of growth increases. Dig out those perennial weeds that suddenly appear.
Continue to support glasshouse grown tomato stems and remove side shoots regularly. Feed every week or 10 days after the fruits begin to swell. Stop laterals growing from the main stems of cucumbers and remove all male flowers and tendrils.
Remove raspberry suckers coming up away from the bed row. Thin new canes to 15cm. apart on the support wires.
For more hints and tips head to our solution page here
Posted 29th Apr 10:46am
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We have recently donated a number of plants to help create a Baby Memorial Garden in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.
The Baby Memorial Garden was thought of by parents Andrew and Donna Clifford who tragically lost their baby son, Rory when he was just nine days old in 2019 from sudden infant death syndrome.
The garden is located in Scunthorpe’s Central Park and will be planted with as much colour as possible to celebrate Rory’s life. Plants donated to the project have included shrubs, trees, hedging, herbaceous and bulbs.
The rainbow garden will provide a space for parents and families to remember, reflect and commemorate Rory’s and other children’s lives that have been lost before, during or after pregnancy in a beautiful, quiet but colourful space.
Rory’s father Andrew Clifford said: “Rainbows have been incredibly significant to us since Rory’s passing. It rained for many days after he died and we included lots of rainbows at his funeral because we wanted to celebrate his short life with lots of colours. If a rainbow ever comes out, we tell our children that Rory is here with us and in our hearts, and we think that is true for every family who has lost a baby.
“Rainbows have continued to play a significant part in our own grieving process, and that is why they have such a profound meaning in this project.”
Johnsons are just one of the 16 supporters of the Memorial Garden with Hedges Direct, Silica Lodge Garden Centre, SC4, EC Surfacing Ltd, Direct Plants, North Lindsey College, North Lincolnshire Council, Trees Direct, Decorative aggregates and Axholme Turf & Topsoil all offering support and donations.
Discussing the donation, Johnsons of Whixley’s Marketing Manager, Eleanor Richardson added: “We look forward to seeing the garden come together in the following months ahead and hope the garden can provide an area where Rory’s parents and other families can reflect and remember the lives of babies tragically taken from us too soon.”
If you would like to donate, volunteer or fundraise for the memorial garden visit the Baby Rainbow Memorial Gardens website for more information.
Posted 25th Mar 11:29am
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Important notice: order delays possible
On Thursday, 17th March, P&O ferries announced that they were making up to 800 seafarers redundant and have suspended all upcoming sailings, as you may have already seen in the news.
The leading ferry firm between Dover and Calais is one that Johnsons of Whixley use on a weekly basis. We don’t currently know when these services will resume, and our transport department is working tirelessly to resolve and rebook other ferries. However, millions of businesses are in the same boat meaning substantial delays are imminent.
If you have an upcoming order that is likely to be affected, your sales rep will be in touch regarding possible implications for your consignment.
If you have any immediate concerns, please get in touch with your sales representative directly, or call the mainline on 01423 330234.
Posted 18th Mar 8:54am
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Staff at our nursery and in our office have pledged to walk 10,000 steps each during March as they take part in Cancer Researches, Walk All Over Cancer Challenge.
Throughout March 28 staff members at Johnsons from different departments will walk a total of 280,000 steps combined which equates to approximately 140 miles per day, 980 miles per week and an overall estimate of 5,000 miles for the month.
The company’s marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson has organised the internal challenge, where staff members will aim to do 10,000+ steps each day during March. The staff will be divided into teams of four and the team with the most steps during March will win a prize from the company.
Staff at the horticultural nursery taking part have received a Johnsons water bottle and a cancer research t-shirt. They will record their steps on their smartphones and pedometers for the month and will share photos of their weekly walks on their social media platforms.
Staff at Johnsons involved with the team challenge include Andrew Barker, Adrian Price, Rob Forrester, Terry Cooper, Sarah Greenwood, Hannah Smith (Sales), Vicky Newell, Tony Coles, Hannah Holland, Hannah Smith (Transport), Katie Short, Frances Whyte, Ellie Richardson, Rachael McPherson, Chris Davis, Tracey Richardson, Katalin Dacre, Martyn Osbourne, Steven Morton, Matt Campey, Isaac Onions, Claire Horner, Jonathan Richardson, Dmytro Orlov, Tom Chilton, Mick Huby, Russ Berkley and Alex Harmon.
Cancer Research is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information. The funding supports anything from a new research centre to glass slides that are used to analyse cancer cells.
Globally cancer research invests £400 million each year across prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Over the last 40 years, cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled. In the 1970s just 1 in 4 people survived their disease for 10 years or more. Today 2 in 4 survive. Cancer Researchers’ ambition is to accelerate progress and see 3 in 4 patients survive the disease by 2034.
Discussing the fundraising, Johnsons of Whixley marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson said: “Statistics show that 1 in 2 UK people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
“Sadly, we all know someone we have lost to cancer or know someone who has survived it. Without the cancer research carried out, we wouldn’t have the treatments and have the information we do today to treat and survive cancer. The steps challenge is a great way to fundraise for the charity and a great activity for team building and general fitness there are many benefits to walking 10,000 steps per day.”
If you would like to support Johnsons walking challenge, you can visit their fundraiser and donate here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/johnsonsofwhixley all money raised will go directly to Cancer Research.
Posted 2nd Mar 4:04pm
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Congratulations to Rachael Mcpherson on her new role as Stock Assistant, Rachael is a great addition to the team, and her experience in the retail department has put her in good stead for this new role where she will be making sure stock levels and locations are correct. See what she had to say about her new role below:
1) Where did you work previously?
I worked in retail on the line prepping all the plants for the garden centres.
2) Where did you work before Johnsons?
I worked for Jigsaw, a clothing brand.
3)What does your new role involve?
My new role involves counting and checking all the stock making sure everything is where it should be as well as putting all production orders onto to the system and making stock saleable as quickly as we can.
4) What have the challenges been so far?
Definitely getting my head around the computer side of the role anyone who knows me knows I’m the least tech-savvy person going.
5) What do you like most about your career in horticulture?
I love that I have the option to work outside amongst the plants, its such a nice environment to work in.
6) What do you like to get up to outside of work?
Hiking, camping, travelling anything outdoorsy really.
7) Tell us something we don’t know about you?
I am a florist and run my own business alongside my full-time job.
8) Favourite holiday destination?
To date, Iceland.
Posted 2nd Mar 11:32am
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A warm welcome to Frances Whyte, who joins the team as our HR Administrator as Chris Davis retires after 22 years of service at the end of March; Frances is already proving to be a great addition to the team and has a great career ahead of her, see what she had to say about her new role below:
1. What will your new role include?
My new role will involve being responsible for all of the different elements of HR administration at Johnsons of Whixley.
2. Where have you worked previously?
Previously, I worked as a primary school teacher in York for several years, teaching children in Year 5 and 6.
3. What skills do you think you will transfer from your old career to your new career?
Managing a varied workload and juggling lots of different tasks!
4. What are you looking forward to most?
I’m really looking forward to starting my career in HR and learning lots of new skills.
5. What do you think the biggest challenge will be?
Remembering everybody’s names and where they all work!
6. Tell us something you have learnt since being here:
I’ve learnt a lot already – how to use the time and attendance systems, how to issue contracts of employment, how to create and maintain personal files and so much more!
7. What have you enjoyed the most since starting?
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone that I’ve met so far, and also working in an office environment.
8. Tell us something you enjoy getting up to outside of work:
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, photography and spending time with my friends and family.
9. What is your favourite dish?
Definitely pizza!
10. Favourite TV show?
My favourite TV shows are Brooklyn 99, The Office and Schitt’s Creek.
Marketing Manager Eleanor Richardson said: “Frances is a bright and bubbly character, who is a great asset to the business; its been great to have her join our team; I look forward to working with her going forward and wish her all the best with her HR career.”
Posted 25th Feb 11:11am
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A warm welcome to Paul Whellans, who joins our sales team as an estimator. He is a great addition to the team and is settling in well with the sales team and wider office. See what he had to say about his role and joining Johnsons below:
1)How have you found your first few weeks at Johnsons and what have you enjoyed most?
Enjoyed the outdoor work after 20+ years in an office, In all honesty, had a bit of wobble when I joined the estimating team so soon as it’s so in-depth however I’ve given myself some credit and now I’m really enjoying the work.
2)Tell us something you’ve learnt that you didn’t know before:
Probably navigating SAP, I used it many years ago in utilities and it wasn’t user friendly for that industry but for stock control and pricing its been spot on.
3)What do you think the biggest challenge will be?
Getting to grips with the millions of varieties we offer.
4)What was your previous job role?
Customer Mortgage Expert for Barclays.
5)You recently moved from the North East, what will you miss the most?
Running with the pooch along the beach.
6)What do you like most about Yorkshire (Gods County)?
So far the quiet, small village life isn’t too bad.
7)Favourite season and why:
Has to be summer, love the heat. Actually don’t mind the winter (lived in Nova Scotia, Canada) for 6 years and experienced -31 most winters although not a fan of rain.
8)What do you enjoy getting up to outside of work?
Walk’s with the dog, coffee in front of the log burner, travel and anything fitness related, attended a few bodybuilding expo’s in Vegas and Ohio.
General Amenity Sales Manager Vicky Newell said: “Paul has been a great asset to our team, he has settled into estimating really well, it feels like he has been here for years even though he has only been with us a few weeks.”
Posted 25th Feb 10:34am
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Farewell to Chris Davis our HR Administrator who retires after 22 years at Johnsons of Whixley at the end of March, Chris has provided support to all business areas for many years and has developed an unrivalled ‘plate spinning’ capability as she dashes from one task to the next in the office and beyond; we thank you for your hard work, loyalty and commitment, you will be greatly missed.
1) Where did you work prior to Johnsons?
2) What roles have you had while working at Johnsons?
Order processor, General Admin Manager, Customer Service Manager, HR coordinator / Admin Manager.
3) What was your happiest experience at this company?
There have been a few, attending company functions etc but receiving an email of thanks from one of our advisors was lovely and meant a lot.
4) What will you miss the most?
Chatting with colleagues
5) Tell us a funny story from your time at Johnsons: Ian Nelson as he passed me, would sometimes push me around the office on my chair, he did not do it all the time so it was a surprise when he did.
6)What advice would you give to the person taking on your role?
Expect the unexpected every day and you will have a busy timetable.
7)If you could have worked anywhere else, where would it have been?
Can’t think of anywhere otherwise I would have gone
8)What changes have you seen in the company over the years?
The number of the office staff has doubled and there have been massive technology and system changes, therefore some of the intimacy we had has unfortunately been lost.
9)What is the first thing you will do when you retire?
Hopefully get a full night’s sleep, not waking up thinking of stuff. I will enjoy and make good use of my free time.
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson said: ” Even in our long 101–year history, few staff members could boast such a significant and influential impact on our business. Chris’s can-do attitude and unshakeable reliability are simply unique, she will be greatly missed.”
Posted 21st Feb 3:27pm
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We bid a fond farewell to Ian Nelson at the end of this month as he retires after 36 years + of service with us at Johnsons. Ian has been involved with many different positions across the nursery, from general nursery work to spraying and production manager from 2003 until recently. See what he had to say about his time at Johnsons below:
1) How long have you worked at JOW for? If you exclude my Student middle year, then it’s 36.5 years.
2) Did you work anywhere else prior to Johnsons? Yep, loads of places. I left school (their decision) in 1971, aged 15. I started out dairy farming, which I liked as a job, but had to live in a weird family!! I did a heap of jobs over the next couple of years (you could leave a job in the morning & line up another one in the day) – my shortest job was 45 minutes in the Ansaphone factory, which definitely wasn’t for me. I was scaffolding for some time before making a career choice of nursing which was good for 3 years or so. Ultimately, I started with the plants for Darlington Borough Council in 1979 and realised this was what I wanted to do, so I studied at night school for A Levels & went to Askham Bryan to do an HND (& I have never looked at those files since!!). Although it wasn’t a conventional early career, and I wasn’t the most reliable of employees, all those jobs I did gave me something.
3) What roles have you been involved in on the nursery? I can rightly claim it is from the bottom up. I Did my shift of tying-up roses. The first promotion was taking charge of the spraying. That grew into being Technical Manager. Things got bolted on to that remit as the nursery grew. I moved over to being Production Manager at the very start of 2003.
4) What have you enjoyed the most about your time at JOW? a bit corny but it is mostly about the people. There’s been a good team spirit. The culture of the company has suited me. Quite possibly would have been sacked years ago in a wholly conventional workplace. I am a plants-person, so the new introductions and range changes kept me interested, and you can’t escape the fact that you do get satisfaction from successes that you’ve been an integral part of.
5) Funniest memory from working here? Well, Terry & Dave wouldn’t be too impressed, and I am probably going back 25+years, but Cyril Burnham driving the Land Rover in the fields at Endfield had us laughing. He was 65 & had never driven a vehicle before. You missed a character for those of you who don’t remember him, Tweedy. Perhaps now there aren’t as many characters as there were – Yapper, Jim Illingworth would brighten up your day even when you were working in a muddy field.
6) If you could have done any other career, what would it have been? In a perfect world, I’d have liked to have been an architect – and designed something that was still admired years later.
7) What has changed most over the years? That depends on how long you look back. Going right back to when I started was an extremely seasonal job. At times it was a struggle to keep looking busy in the summer, but in the ‘season’, you’d find yourself lifting trees in the pitch black and then bagging & loading until 9.00 in the evening. Over the last 20 years, change has been more gradual, we’ve got bigger and probably better, but radical change is less evident.
8) Any exciting plans for retirement? I’m going to have a little business, but I want to work only part-time. I’m a Director at the golf club and have responsibilities there. Now that travel is becoming more feasible; we’ll be travelling again, still many countries to experience. I expect we’ll spend more time up at the cottage in Scotland. So plenty to look forward to. But I’m sure it will, certainly initially, feel strange not coming to the place you’ve been arriving at before 7.30 for the last 35+ years.
Robert Richardson took over from Ian Nelson in 2020; you can find out more about him and production at Johnsons 100 years on by clicking here
Posted 8th Feb 11:45am
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Congratulations to Sarah Greenwood who has recently taken on a duo role as Sales Estimator/Administration Assistant, see what she had to say about the new role below:
1)What will your duo role involve?
A combination of assisting with quotes for Estimating and general Sales Operations admin for example altering orders and Seed Certificates.
2)What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
Expanding my knowledge on plants and learning about another area of Johnsons.
3)What have the challenges been so far?
Learning and remembering all the new information on how to do quotes.
4)What did you do prior to working at Johnsons?
I was at University studying Geography and then I worked at Beningbrough Hall in the café.
5)What do you like most about working at Johnsons?
The people, the variety of things you can do and of course the food days.
6)Favourite TV series?
Top Gear.
7)Favourite food?
Spaghetti Bolognese.
8)Tell us something we don’t know about you:
I worked as a stable groom when I was a teenager.
General Amenity Sales Manager, Vicky Newell said: “ Sarah has joined our team and has fit in seamlessly. She has been a real asset to our team and has been able to impart her vast knowledge of SAP to the rest of the sales team too. “
Posted 2nd Feb 12:51pm
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At the start of every new year, we often reflect on the previous year, this is no different for us as the company reflects on the impact that Brexit has had on business and many others in the horticultural industry.
Supplying 5-6 million plants to the commercial sector, garden centres and landscape affiliated trades each year it is estimated that we have supplied 230 million plants throughout the UK.
2021 brought to us many challenges, trials and tribulations, the bureaucratic burden has come at a price with reduced revenue, increased cost and a slower supply chain. Brexit has impacted every element of the business and continues to do so with transport, compliance, incoming goods, accounts, recruitment and even our IT function working hard to mitigate the impact.
Post-Brexit, UK horticulture, which contributes over £24 billion to the economy, has become one of the most regulated industries in the UK. Johnsons brought in 462 loads from the EU in 2021 and it cost the company £210,000 more than it did in 2020 due to Brexit-related bureaucracy.
The inevitable consequence of the imposition of the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate accompanying every consignment was highlighted well before the UK left the EU. Post-Brexit, Johnsons are dealing with fewer suppliers and more product is coming to them through traders, therefore exposing them to an increased biosecurity risk.
One of the opportunities to come out of the EU exit is the UK’s ability to control biosecurity and look after the health of our plants with nurseries and garden centres playing a key role in policing what is coming in and from whom.
Jonathan Whittemore, head of production and procurement at Johnsons of Whixley commented: “
Of the costs mentioned above, £150,000 relates to EU plant health – this is money Johnsons is spending in the EU, with EU companies and authorities, on inspections and Phytosanitary certificates. The EU Phytosanitary certificate is a perfect example of the costly bureaucracy that doesn’t achieve its aim.
Whilst requiring a Phytosanitary certificate to accompany plants coming from the EU, APHA doesn’t give the Phytosanitary certificate any authority. To give but one example, plants due to be collected by Johnsons in Belgium, which were exhibiting symptoms of a suspected disease, were held in Belgium until the plants could be tested. The plants were passed as fit to travel and issued a Phytosanitary certificate. On arrival in the UK, the plants were inspected by UK plant health, seen to be exhibiting symptoms for the suspected disease, but despite having a certificate confirming a negative result AND a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Belgium plant health authorities APHA sent the plants for testing. The plants were quarantined until the negative result came back.
What is the point of the time taken and the cost borne (by UK businesses) of testing and issuing a Phytosanitary certificate in the EU?”
Jonathan continues: “ A robust stance is critical in disease control matters, and UK Horticulture should be pleased that this is the approach APHA is taking. But if we are not going to put any credence on the inspections and testing done in the EU then let’s not ask for it to be done, and let’s not pay for it. It is the single biggest barrier to the industry in terms of both timescale and cost, and as already stated, this is money being spent in the EU, not the UK – this is a double hit – expense to UK businesses that could be reinvested in production to help the UK meet its environmental goals, and less money coming into UK authorities that could be spent on things like the NHS.
We should continue with the inspections and testing by APHA in the UK but instead of insisting on the issuing of a phytosanitary certificate in the EU, recognising the EU processes and Plant Passporting regimes, the same ones we ourselves were part of in 2020, would be a massive move in terms of mitigating UK businesses’ exposure to cost. The cash freed up would allow a focus on investing in our businesses and helping to achieve the Government’s aims of a stronger, more UK- sufficient horticultural supply chain.”
Posted 12th Jan 9:38am
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Winter is on the way out this month as the first signs of spring start to appear, with bulbs such as snowdrops starting to emerge. There’s plenty to be doing this month in the garden, from planting to final winter pruning and cleaning out the bird boxes for #BirdFeedingMonth. Check out our hints and tips put together by our chairman and Horticulturist, John Richardson below.
Plant container-grown perennials for an early start to the spring. If large plants, consider carefully dividing them before planting; we all enjoy getting a bit extra at no cost !!
Be sure to water root-balls before planting. If there is a dry spring, it may significantly slow growth.
Apply a mulch of garden compost, mushroom compost etc., to all trees and shrubs in potentially dry sites. No need to incorporate it into the soil; worms will do it for you! Don’t apply mushroom compost, which has a high lime content, to acid-loving plants such as Azaleas & Rhododendrons.
Finish winter pruning this month. First-principles are to remove dead and diseased stems, then cross branches, followed by a reduction in the height of the main stems in the case of roses.
Cut bushy Eucalyptus back to within 2-3″ of the main stem to stimulate a flush of bushy growth.
Examine stored Dahlia tubers and place them in a tub of tepid water overnight if they have shrivelled. Cutaway diseased areas of the tubers that have rotted and dust the cuts with flowers of sulphur.
Do not apply heavy dressings of fertilizer to areas of naturalized bulbs as this will only encourage the growth of the surrounding grass.
Prune shrub roses in late February to encourage growth from the base. Remove some of the old weedy shoots but don’t reduce height too much as they tend to flower on older wood.
Divide and replant Snowdrops ‘in the green’ as the flowers go over.
Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly, privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries, blackcurrants etc. and heel-in, in a protected area.
When the ground is firm, repair any uneven areas of the lawn or where the grass has died out.
Pot up or transplant last year’s rooted hardwood cuttings.
If the weather warms up, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half-hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for cold nights.
Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Viticella groups to about 12″. Pyracantha should be pruned to within 2 buds of the mainframe except for extensions, if not done last autumn.
Put a suitable number of chitted potatoes into a good-sized plastic pot and cover with 20cm of compost. Water as appropriate and continue to add compost as foliage growth continues. Leave to mature and water frequently. Harvest the potatoes when foliage begins to die back.
Clean out and sterilize existing bird nesting boxes and erect new ones. Feed the birds!
Propagate a wide range of woody shrubs by layering, towards the end of the month. Peg down a young shoot into the soil under the shrub/tree without detaching it from the tree, but make a cut in the underneath of the stem, or twist it at the point where it will turn it upwards. Pin this down with a suitable forked twig into a couple of handfuls of compost water, and hold firm with a suitable stone. Tie the growing shoot to a small cane to keep it upright and trim to prevent moving in the wind.
Posted 2nd Feb 11:59am
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Winter is on the way out this month as the first signs of spring start to appear, with bulbs such as snowdrops starting to emerge. There’s plenty to be doing this month in the garden, from planting to final winter pruning and cleaning out the bird boxes for #BirdFeedingMonth. Check out our hints and tips put together by our chairman and Horticulturist, John Richardson below.
Make sure the roses are pruned by the end of the month, hard pruning promotes growth, and will benefit any weaker growing plants or varieties. Ensure that you cut back to white healthy wood.
Sow seed of bedding dahlias at a temp. of 64 deg.F and prick off seedlings into boxes or pots. Take cuttings from tubers started into growth in February when rooted (3-4 weeks) pot them individually into 8-9 cm pots.
By the end of the month ensure that pruning of all woody trees and shrubs has been completed, remembering that plants that flower early, such as forsythia and weigela, should not be pruned until after flowering. Prune Buddleia and Perovskia late in the month to prevent frost damage.
For trees and shrubs being purchased late in the planting season, it may well be more successful to purchase root balled or container-grown plants to prevent drying out in a dry and windy month, alternatively, establish a watering system that can water the root systems morning and evening.
Complete the planting of new hedges, remembering that plants will require watering whenever conditions are getting dry. Hedge plants are often sold ‘bare root’ which can dry out quickly.
If you did not take heather cuttings last year, you can produce extra plants by layering in late March when the weather is suitable. In a shallow trench beneath the plant, refill the hollow with a compost and grit mixture and peg down the shoot with a suitable stone or peg. Leave shoot tips visible. It may be up to a year before transplanting is possible, but plants should be strong and well-rooted by then.
Late March is the best time to move snowdrops in spite of the foliage remaining green as well as the odd flower. They should soon recover when watered.
When indoor flower bulbs are finished, do not remove the leaves as photosynthesis continues to provide nutrition until leaves turn yellow. This helps build up the bulb for the following year.
Give increased ventilation and more frequent watering to alpine plants in sunny conditions. Leave glasshouse doors open on mild days.
Read a manual on the annual pruning and care of fruit trees as their requirements relating to tree age and species vary considerably.
For most fruits, the danger of damage to young shoots occurs in early April to mid-May. We have had a few cold spells this winter and spring, and growth may be advanced compared with most years. In the event of severe frost warnings, cover strawberries and other early fruiting plants overnight with hessian or thick polythene, but ensure it is removed during the day. Wall trained fruit trees may require to be protected from early March as buds break early under the protection of the wall.
Mow the lawn for the first time this season with the blades set higher than normal to prevent hitting worm casts. Choose a day for the first cut when the grass is dry and the weather is mild. If worm casts are very numerous it may be necessary to spray the lawn with worm killer such as Chlordane. Brushing the lawn horizontally with a besom brush will make a good job and prevent the need for chemicals.
Posted 3rd Mar 3:11pm
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Why not start your New Year in the garden? January is a great month to plan what needs to be done during the month and beyond, be sure to remember the birds this month as the temperatures drop and have your shears at the ready for pruning and tidying. Below are some January hints and tips put together by our Chairman and Horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Bring inside bowls of bulbs as they show signs of growth.
2) Store shrubs arriving from nurseries in a frost-free shed with straw around the roots. Complete the planting as soon as conditions improve.
3) Keep house plant warm (45-55deg.) with plenty of light. Do not feed until the plants start growing strongly.
4) Annual surface growing weeds on light soils should be removed or buried at whatever stage of growth.
5) Order new Gladioli corms. Unpack them on arrival into shallow boxes and check for disease. Young, high-necked corms with a small root base are better than old corms with a larger flatter root zone.
6) Remove any recently fallen foliage from around alpines and lightly break up the soil.
7) Continue pruning fruit trees and bushes; collect and burn the wastage once done.
8) Treat wooden objects such as tree stakes, wooden wheelbarrows, benching supports etc., but do not use creosote as the chemical and even the fumes can cause harm if in close contact with plants.
9) Place a couple of forks of well-rotted manure on top of a mature rhubarb crown to produce an early crop of stems. Or do even better place an upturned dustbin or similar over the whole crown to produce those beautiful red and yellow stems we see in the greengrocers during the Spring.
10) If the grass needs to be cut due to very mild weather, remove the grass mowings, as it is will be too cold for decomposition.
11) If you want to make an early start to the gardening year, cover some areas with polythene or cloches to protect the soil from the hardest frost and the heavy spring rain. This can increase soil temperatures by up to 6 degrees.
12) Have a walk around the garden with some paper and a pencil to identify those spots which need other plants, or just a change of species. Have a look from the house window, identify the gaps, and plan for the year what you wish to change.
13) If very hard frosts are anticipated, wrap tender plants such Agapanthus with straw or bubble-wrap and tie securely.
14) Do you have enough winter colour? Plant willow and Cornus etc., together with coloured conifers and winter aconites for a brighter winter garden.
15) Clean out all rainwater gutters from garden-related spouts and down-pipes to prevent blockages in Spring.
16) Keep bird baths topped up and make sure they are not iced over. Also, keep food stores topped up for them.
In need of more hints and tips? head to our solution page here
Posted 21st Dec 2:24pm
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We typically think of Holly varieties when we think of December, but there are plenty of interesting plants, including Skimmias, Cornus and Helleborus. Check out some of our favourite December varieties below:
Cornus are known for their coloured stems that are revealed when their leaves fall. Shades of red, yellow and orange stems are available.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Position: Partial – deep shade
Flowers: December – March
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Flowers: April – May (depending on variety) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Are the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering.
Flowers: November – March (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Hellebores are compact, clump-forming perennials with dark green, leathery leaves and stunning flowers.
A tremendous shade-loving border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering from December – March.
Flowers: December – March (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 45cn (depending on the variety)
Soil: Heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
It would help if you planted in partial to full shade for best results and cut back old leaves in January – February to show off new flowers.
———————————————————————————————
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 20m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
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Posted 20th Dec 1:26pm
Read more >
Theirs plenty of interest in the plant world in February as the first signs of spring start to emerge with snowdrops popping up and plants in bud, here are some of our favourite February varieties below:
Some of our Camellia plants are in full bud right now (start of February) this plant makes a great addition to a partially shaded border or large pot with luscious green foliage and flowers available in shades of pink, red and white.
Flowers: February – April (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade (not east-facing)
Height: Up to4m + (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L + ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Cornus are known for their coloured stems that are revealed when their leaves fall. Shades of red, yellow and orange stems are available.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Highly scented white flowers sit above large glossy, rich green leaves come late winter – early spring. It is a great addition to a shady border or a shaded patio spot where you can smell it every day.
Position: Partial – deep shade
Flowers: December – March
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Fuzzy pink catkins appear on varieties such as ‘Mount Aso’ during late winter – early spring, a wonderful eye-catching addition to the garden.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: April – May
Height: Up to 4m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Are you in need of some autumn/winter colour? Skimmia Rubella are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
Flowers: April – May (depending on variety) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Evergreen Viburnums such as tinus are a great shrub for winter interest with dark green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers from December to April.
A great low maintenance, easy to grow shrub that can brighten a part shaded area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Another sign that spring is on its way… Magnolias in bud, these varieties generally flower from March-April onwards but some may appear towards the end of February.
Flowers: March – April onwards
Position: Full sun or partial shade (depending on the variety)
Height: Up to 10m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acidic soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Are the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering.
Flowers: November – March (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Hamamelis plants are covered in branches of distinctive, spider-like, fragrant flowers in red, yellow, and orange shades from January to early spring.
Whilst slow growing this plant variety can become a large spreading shrub or small tree. A fantastic specimen plant that will make a great addition to the middle or back of a border.
Plant in well-drained, neutral acid soil in full sun to partial shade for best results.
????Flowers: January – February
☀️ Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Pot size: 5L, 10L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Hellebores are compact, clump-forming perennials with dark green, leathery leaves and stunning flowers.
A tremendous shade-loving border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering from December – March.
Flowers: December – March (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 45cn (depending on the variety)
Soil: Heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
It would help if you planted in partial to full shade for best results and cut back old leaves in January – February to show off new flowers.
———————————————————————————————
A deciduous climber with bright yellow flowers that appear on bare stems in winter and early spring helping to brighten up a dark winter’s day. This attractive climber will grow well against a trellis or low wall once trained as it is not self-clinging.
Flowers: January – March
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2LD, 3LD ( subject to availability)
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Nandinas provide autumn- winter interest when leaves turn shades of fiery red and copper.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: July (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L, 10L, 20L, 25L +
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Pieris plants generally flower from March-May but buds start to appear as pictured in February. Ideal for a partially shaded shrub border with flowers resembling lily-of-the-valley and available in shades of pink, red and white.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: March-May (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained acid soil or ericaceous compost
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L (depending on the variety and availability)
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Posted 3rd Feb 10:46am
Read more >
March sees us cross over from winter to spring, with spring bringing with it many more flowering varieties from Bergenia to Vincas providing exciting spring colour as we see bees starting to emerge and birds making a return from migration. Check out some of our favourite March flowering varieties below
Bergenia’s large leathery leaves make attractive ground cover, while its flowers provide an early source of pollen for bees and other pollinating insects.
Flowers: March – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m depending on the variety
Soil: Any soil type
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability and the variety)
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A great addition to a wall or fence in the sun or partial shade-providing colour in early spring when little else is flowering. Flowers are available in pink, red and white.
Flowers: March – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 3LD, 5L (subject to availability and the variety)
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Some of our Camellia plants are in full bud right now (start of February) this plant makes a great addition to a partially shaded border or large pot with luscious green foliage and flowers available in shades of pink, red and white.
Flowers: February – April (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade (not east-facing)
Height: Up to4m + (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L + ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Cornus are known for their coloured stems that are revealed when their leaves fall. Shades of red, yellow and orange stems are available.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Sweetly scented yellow flowers appear on bare stems during March and April gollowed by bronzed, hazel like leaves which mature to bright green.
Flowers: March – April
Position: Ppartial shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well drained ,acid soil
Pot size: 10L, 20L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
A long-flowering semi-evergreen with narrow, grey-green leaves. This perennial produces spikes of purple flowers from late February to July and will make a great addition to a long flowering sunny border.
Flowers: February – July
Position: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, well-drained, neutral soil
Pot size: Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
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Is filled with huge heads of yellow-green flowers with ‘bronze eyes’ from late March-May that tower above its bluish-green foliage. Great at the back of a sunny border.
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
Flowers: Late March-May
Position: Full sun
———————————————————————————————
Yellow flowers smother branches from March – April providing a notable cheery sight to the start of spring. Try planting at the back of a dull border or even as a hedge with its full height reaching 2 meters.
Flowers: February to April
Position: Full sun or light shade
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained, neutral soil
Pot size: Available in 2L and 3L pots subject to availability.
———————————————————————————————
Hellebores are compact, clump-forming perennials with dark green, leathery leaves and stunning flowers.
A tremendous shade-loving border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering from December – March.
Flowers: December – March (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 45cn (depending on the variety)
Soil: Heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
2L, 3L
It would help if you planted in partial to full shade for best results and cut back old leaves in January – February to show off new flowers.
———————————————————————————————
A deciduous climber with bright yellow flowers that appear on bare stems in winter and early spring helping to brighten up a dark winter’s day. This attractive climber will grow well against a trellis or low wall once trained as it is not self-clinging.
Flowers: January – March
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2LD, 3LD ( subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
A great addition to the garden, brighting up a dark corner, with double yellow flowers that burst from mid-late spring.
Flowers: March-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
A pretty deciduous shrub with zig-zag branches and crimson buds that open to display white flowers with pink centres in early spring. Its luscious green leaves appear after the summer months and are then followed by bright reddish/orange leaves before falling in the Autumn. A perfect small compact tree for a smaller garden or patio pot.
Flowers: March-April
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Another sign that spring is on its way… Magnolias in bud, these varieties generally flower from March-April onwards but some may appear towards the end of February.
Flowers: March – April onwards
Position: Full sun or partial shade (depending on the variety)
Height: Up to 10m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acidic soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Are the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering.
Flowers: November – March (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Pieris plants generally flower from March-May but buds start to appear in February. Ideal for a partially shaded shrub border with flowers resembling lily-of-the-valley and available in shades of pink, red and white.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: March-May (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained acid soil or ericaceous compost
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L (depending on the variety and availability)
———————————————————————————————
Highly scented white flowers sit above large glossy, rich green leaves come late winter – early spring. It is a great addition to a shady border or a shaded patio spot where you can smell it every day.
Position: Partial – deep shade
Flowers: December – March
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Fuzzy pink catkins appear on varieties such as ‘Mount Aso’ during late winter – early spring, a wonderful eye-catching addition to the garden.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: April – May
Height: Up to 4m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Are you in need of some autumn/winter colour? Skimmia Rubella are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
Flowers: End of March – May (depending on variety and whether its a male or female cultivar) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Evergreen Viburnums such as tinus are a great shrub for winter interest with dark green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers from December to April.
A great low maintenance, easy to grow shrub that can brighten a part shaded area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
A great low growing ground cover plant with pale blue flowers and lance-shaped dark green leaves. It is excellent at suppressing weeds and would make a great addition to the front of a border. It generally flowers from April – September.
Flowers: End of March- April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.45m depending on the variety
Soil: any but very dry soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Posted 22nd Feb 9:40am
Read more >
April sees the garden starting to wake up, as more shrubs and herbaceous plants start to bloom including some Clematis. Pieris, Spirea and Brunnera varieties. Check out some of our favourite April flowering varieties below
Delicate star-shaped flowers appear in spring against bronze leaves that mature to dark green with great autumn interest.
Flowers: March – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 10m depending on the variety
Soil: fertile, moist but well-drained neutral to acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L,12L + (subject to availability and the variety)
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Bergenia’s large leathery leaves make attractive ground cover, while its flowers provide an early source of pollen for bees and other pollinating insects.
Flowers: March – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m depending on the variety
Soil: Any soil type
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability and the variety)
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Tiny blue forget-me-not flowers appear against heart-shaped silver dusted leaves in spring. A beautiful groundcover plant for a shaded border.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability and the variety)
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A great addition to a wall or fence in the sun or partial shade-providing colour in early spring when little else is flowering. Flowers are available in pink, red and white.
Flowers: March – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 3LD, 5L (subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Some of our Camellia plants are in full bud right now (start of February) this plant makes a great addition to a partially shaded border or large pot with luscious green foliage and flowers available in shades of pink, red and white.
Flowers: February – April (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade (not east-facing)
Height: Up to4m + (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L + ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: March – April
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well drained soil
Pot size: 10L, 20L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Sweetly scented yellow flowers appear on bare stems during March and April gollowed by bronzed, hazel like leaves which mature to bright green.
Flowers: March – April
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 1,5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well drained ,acid soil
Pot size: 10L, 20L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April – May (often have a second flush in summer)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Moderately fertile,well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Heart-shaped flowers appear in spring above fern-like green leaves. Great in a shady border or as part of a cottage garden planting plan.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, preferably neutral to slightly alkaline
Pot size: Available in 2L and 3L pots subject to availability.
———————————————————————————————
A long-flowering semi-evergreen with narrow, grey-green leaves. This perennial produces spikes of purple flowers from late February to July and will make a great addition to a long flowering sunny border.
Flowers: February – July
Position: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, well-drained, neutral soil
Pot size: Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
———————————————————————————————
Is filled with huge heads of yellow-green flowers with ‘bronze eyes’ from late March-May that tower above its bluish-green foliage. Great at the back of a sunny border.
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
Flowers: Late March-May
Position: Full sun
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Yellow flowers smother branches from March – April providing a notable cheery sight to the start of spring. Try planting at the back of a dull border or even as a hedge with its full height reaching 2 meters.
Flowers: February to April
Position: Full sun or light shade
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained, neutral soil
Pot size: Available in 2L and 3L pots subject to availability.
———————————————————————————————
A great addition to the garden, brighting up a dark corner, with double yellow flowers that burst from mid-late spring.
Flowers: March-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
A pretty deciduous shrub with zig-zag branches and crimson buds that open to display white flowers with pink centres in early spring. Its luscious green leaves appear after the summer months and are then followed by bright reddish/orange leaves before falling in the Autumn. A perfect small compact tree for a smaller garden or patio pot.
Flowers: March-April
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Another sign that spring is on its way… Magnolias in bud, these varieties generally flower from March-April onwards but some may appear towards the end of February.
Flowers: March – April onwards
Position: Full sun or partial shade (depending on the variety)
Height: Up to 10m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acidic soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Pieris plants generally flower from March-May but buds start to appear in February. Ideal for a partially shaded shrub border with flowers resembling lily-of-the-valley and available in shades of pink, red and white.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: March-May (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2.5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: humus-rich, moist, well-drained acid soil or ericaceous compost
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L, 20L (depending on the variety and availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 3m depending on the variety
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 2LD, 3L, 3LD, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Fuzzy pink catkins appear on varieties such as ‘Mount Aso’ during late winter – early spring, a wonderful eye-catching addition to the garden.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: April – May
Height: Up to 4m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
———————————————————————————————
Are you in need of some autumn/winter colour? Skimmia Rubella are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
Flowers: End of March – May (depending on variety and whether its a male or female cultivar) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Evergreen Viburnums such as tinus are a great shrub for winter interest with dark green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers from December to April.
A great low maintenance, easy to grow shrub that can brighten a part shaded area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
A great low growing ground cover plant with pale blue flowers and lance-shaped dark green leaves. It is excellent at suppressing weeds and would make a great addition to the front of a border. It generally flowers from April – September.
Flowers: End of March- April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.45m depending on the variety
Soil: any but very dry soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Posted 11th Apr 1:00pm
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Head of Production and Procurement, Jonathan Whittemore, will have achieved a whopping 10,000 miles + on his bike this year with an average of 18MPH, meaning he will have burned over 350,000 calories cycling. That’s the same as eating 9,344 burgers saving 356352 c02 emissions from not driving.
Are you interested in joining the Cycle to Work Scheme? Cyclescheme is an employee benefit that saves you 25-39% on a new bike and accessories. You pay nothing upfront. Basically, the company buys the bike, and you pay the money back each month through a salary sacrifice, which means you save on tax. Over 2,000 retailers are working with Cyclesheme nationally, and it is available in most bike shops locally, although we would recommend York Cycle Works in York or Chevin Cycles in Harrogate. It is a great scheme, and if you need any more information, you can go onto the Cyclescheme website https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/help/faqs/how-does-it-work.
Posted 20th Dec 9:27am
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Earlier this year, we asked staff to vote for their colleagues for our ‘Employee Awards’. The winners and runners-up were announced at the Christmas party at the end of last month with 13 award categories, including ‘The Neatest Nook’, ‘The Always Hungry’ and ‘The Biggest Smile Award’ below are this year’s winners.
Winner: Terry Cooper
Runner-up: Tony Green
Our System Support Assistant, Terry Cooper, scooped up the ‘Employee of The Year Award‘ with the majority vote. Terry is always on hand to help with IT issues that arise and supports our IT Manager, Darren Earle. He helps with regular upgrades, producing reports, has been fundamental in automating many of our processes and is someone who quietly listens to the problems being presented, working up a solution where he can.
Winner: Isaac Onions
Runner-up: Tom Chilton
Isaac joined us via the agency in 2019, working outside on the Plant Centre and was taken on full time a year ago and most recently started working in sales, he is doing a great job and has a bright future ahead of him, well done Isaac.
Winner: Adrian Price and Tony Green
Runner-up: Rob Richardson
We’d say well done, but I think this award requires more of a thank you, thank you for staying when you are required to do so and even when you are not. Thank you for going above and beyond each working day. We hope the nightcaps come in handy if you ever decide to take a nap under your desks when it’s past 8 pm…
Winner: Chris Davis
Runner-up: Eric Buckby
I think we can all agree that Chris is our office rocket, almost sprinting from one task to the next. Thanks for all your hard work, Chris.
Winner: Darren Fawebert
Runner-up: Simon Harrison
Darren had the majority vote for this one, with several mentions of the ice lollies he consumed during the summer, Darren, well done, but please leave some ice lollies for the rest of us next year!
Winner: Steve Morton
Runner-up: John Price
Steve has been with us for over 23 years and was crucial during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, he never stopped, worked additional hours and held his team together, we couldn’t have operated without him – Thanks, Steve!
Winner: Martyn Osborne
Runner-up: Jason Dacre
Martyn is one of the first on site at Johnsons setting up vehicles for the days work ahead when most of us are still in bed, he always goes about his day with a smile on his face whatever the weather and time, thank you, Martyn.
Winner: Steve Morton
Runner-up: Luke Richardson
Steve not only keeps his own department together but is the glue between many others, liaising with staff daily and keeping the business ticking.
Winner: Chris Davis
Runner-up: Gary Sutton
As the gloves say… our ‘Queen of Clean’, if only you could see her show home standard house, fit for a visit from the Queen.
Winner: John Price
Runner-up: Charlie Gibson
If John can’t fix it…no, one can! A big thanks for keeping all five nursery sites maintained – no task is ever too big!
Winner: Wayne Atkinson
Runner-up: Paul Lamb
He was nominated for his elaborate pranks and jokes, including sticking John’s face to a bollard on the A59! There isn’t a day that goes by without a joke.
Winner: Ian Nelson
Runner-up: Elliot Green
Has anyone ever seen Ian without a coffee and fag in hand?
Winner: Katie Burlingham
Runner-up: Isaac Onions
Katie can be seen throughout all seasons, time of day and weather conditions with a smile on her face – keep smiling Katie 🙂
Posted 16th Dec 1:40pm
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Congratulations to Tom Knowles and Matt Campey on passing their 7.5-tonne driving test. We look forward to seeing you on the road soon!
Posted 15th Dec 5:10pm
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Earlier this year, we asked staff to vote for their colleagues for our ‘Employee Awards’. The winners and runners-up were announced at the Christmas party at the end of last month with 13 award categories, including ‘The Neatest Nook’, ‘The Always Hungry’ and ‘The Biggest Smile Award’.
Our System Support Assistant, Terry Cooper, scooped up the Employee of The Year Award’ with the majority vote.
Terry is always on hand to help with IT issues that arise and supports our IT Manager, Darren Earle. He helps with regular upgrades, producing reports, has been fundamental in automating many of our processes and is someone who quietly listens to the problems being presented, working up a solution where he can.
IT Manager, Darren Earle said: “Since joining the IT Team Terry has expanded his skill set significantly. He has been the lead in a number of projects such as the automation of Sales Quotes, the Despatch Diary revamp and the Production Planning. This is alongside a myriad of smaller features and functions providing automation and time saving within various departmental processes. I could not be happier with the contribution that Terry provides both in terms of projects but also in the day to day support of users.”
Terry Cooper added ” Having now officially peaked with this prestigious award, I look forward milking every last iota of recognition and prosperity from fame’s fickle zenith. From here there is only the slow inevitable descent into avarice, tabloid scandal, arrest, rehab and finally an underwhelming 2036 sequel starring Ryan Reynolds. Thanks, Everyone ????”
Terry was rewarded with a voucher and certificate to thank him for all of his hard work and efforts this year – well done Terry.
Posted 10th Dec 2:50pm
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A big thanks to Kata Dacre, a fundamental member of our retail department who has achieved ten years of service with us. Kata has not been afraid to get stuck in since she joined us and has been involved in various roles before becoming the Retail Deputy Manager. Find out what she had to say about her time at Johnsons below:
1. How did you come to work for Johnsons?
Johnsons had a connection with the University I studied at in Budapest. In 2009 I had the chance to come and work for the company and completed 4-months of work experience to get my degree. In 2010, a week after I graduated from Uni, I moved to England and worked for JOW.
2. Did you work anywhere before Johnsons?
No, Johnsons is the first company I’ve worked for.
3. What roles have you worked in previously at Johnsons, and what do you do now?
The first time I worked on the Container unit, I lifted plants for Amenity, and after that, I drifted to the Retail shed and have worked there ever since, you name it, I’ve done it.
In the past 2 years, I have been the Retail Deputy Manager. I’m responsible for: checking off the trolleys before they get loaded onto the wagons, monitoring and topping up colour label stock. During the winter season, I check off and help sort the incoming bare root products.
4. Do you feel like much has changed in the past ten years?
It has got much busier. I have more responsibility which I like a lot. I have made good friends in the past few years. It was very hard at the beginning regarding the language barrier, the new setting, first-ever job. Still, I’ve received so much support, good and not so good critics, educational opportunities that have made me grow into the person I am today.
5. Your most memorable day at Johnsons?
During my work experience here, I met Jason, and the rest is history. We had our 10th wedding anniversary last month.
6. If you could have chosen another career, what do you think it would have been?
If I hadn’t moved to England, I would have spent more time in education. I would like to have become a Garden Designer.
7. Favourite part of your job?
Because I do so many different things, I never get bored. There are always challenges which I like.
8. What do you hope to achieve in the next ten years?
I’m open to anything. I’m not afraid to learn new things or do something different or maybe look after and run a unit one day.
Posted 8th Dec 8:39am
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A big thanks to Martyn Osborne for his hard work and commitment to the company over the past ten years. He works extremely hard and is also known as Johnsons ‘early bird’, setting up vehicles for the days work ahead when most of us are still in bed. He is a crucial member of the JOW team and can be seen flying from one task to the next. Find out what he said about his time at Johnsons below.
1)Tell us about the last ten years at Johnsons; what roles have you previously been involved in, and what do you do now?
The last ten years have flown by. For the first five years, I worked in retail for Steve Morton, the last five years Dave Barrett and the last ten winters Tony Green in Incoming Goods and Dispatch if needed.
2) What did you do before working at Johnsons?
I was a delivery driver for Oddbins.
3) What have you learnt during your time at Johnsons that you didn’t know before?
I have learnt so much about plants and trees, which has been very rewarding. As a delivery driver, you are isolated, so working with people and plants has been new to me.
4) What has motivated you to come to work each day?
I enjoy my job and want to do it to the best of my ability.
5)Proudest career moment?
Earlier this year, Covid wiped out the retail department and I had to step up while key managers were off ill, it was great that we still fulfilled the diary and order book and i enjoyed the challenge.
6) As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A formula one driver
7) Favourite plant variety?
Salvia, there’s so many different varieties, shapes and colours. They come back stronger year after year. They are closely followed by Peonies. Both of which I have an array of in my garden at home.
8) Favourite memory from your time at Johnsons?
While delivering plants to Inverness, I got to see the Northern Lights.
As a thank you for his service, Martin has been rewarded with a certificate and £100 in vouchers.
Posted 6th Dec 11:25am
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As we approach the end of 2021, theirs plenty to keep you busy within the garden this month, from moving plants that have outgrown their space to planting roses and, of course, winter digging. Check out our December hints and tips below put together by our Chairman and Horticulturist, John Richardson.
1) After long periods of November rain, often heavy, fallen leaves have become a congealed mass on lawns and many garden corners, try and clear them away to the compost heap before they start to rot and affect so many plants such as herbaceous, alpines, low growing shrubs and plants in containers.
2) Any plants which are now too big for their location or ‘in the wrong place’ can be safely moved, and the soil in December is usually warm enough to stimulate the production of new roots. Stake tall new plants to prevent wind rock until well-rooted and reduce their size if appropriate.
3) Place undercover any tender plants which have been overlooked earlier in the autumn and ensure that such plants growing in the ground are wrapped in straw and hessian, polythene is not the best material as it prevents air from getting to the plant.
4) If you intend to get on with the winter digging, cover a suitable area with polythene so that the ground is not waterlogged when you wish to dig.
5) Clean moss and lichens from paths and walls. There are several commercial brands of cleaner available, but bleach is equally as good. A power washer will make light work of the job, which is impressive when completed!
6) Lower temperatures and frost is forecast, make sure your bird feeding stations are clean and regularly refilled. The same applies to an accessible water supply. Remember, cooked food as opposed to birdseed may well attract vermin.
7) with long periods of rain expected, don’t forget to put a glass or plastic sheet over your alpine plants to keep off the majority of the rain.
8) Now is a good time to plant roses, heel them in if soil conditions are not suitable for immediate planting.
9) Before planting trees and shrubs ensure roots are moist by soaking in a bucket or similar.
10) This month is a good time to prune Birch and Acers. Trim the lawn edges for a quick lift!
11) Check apples and other stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds. Remove mummified fruits from the apple trees.
12) Start Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs into growth urgently if required to flower by Christmas.
13) Tidy up the greenhouse during inclement weather, and also prune glasshouse grown grapevines.
14) Be ready to plant tulip bulbs after the middle of the month to reduce tulip disease (Tulip Fire).
15) Insulate with bubble-wrap and hessian those plant containers which are to be left outside over winter, in order to prevent the pots cracking in frosty periods.
16) Thoroughly clean and grease the lawnmower and sharpen or replace the blades.
17) The earlier any winter digging can be done, the better, as this allows rain, snow, frost and ice to break down clods of soil and make cultivation in the spring so much easier.
Posted 30th Nov 9:37am
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Is your next garden project a bit of a suntrap? do you require hedging varieties for a full sun position? we have you covered with our favourite hedging varieties for full sun below from Photinia to Prunus and even Lavender for your smaller hedging requirements.
Cornus Elegantissima
Grey-green leaves with creamy-white flowers in early summer and red stems that can be seen during the winter periods, plant in a sunny position for best results.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun to partial shade
Height: Up to 2 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as bareroot from November – March
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Grisellina littoralis
A great hedging plant for a seaside retreat with large glossy, apple green ovate leaves. Grow in moist well-drained soil in a sheltered sunny spot for best results.
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 12 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball and bare-root plants from November – March
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Lavender Hidcote – why not choose a lavender plant for a scented small hedge in a sunny position? perfect for the edge of a path or small hedge at the front of a garden. This plant will also attract pollinators to your garden. Head to our pollinator-friendly plants guide for more bee loving plant varieties.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
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Photinia ‘Red Robin’- A versatile evergreen shrub that can be used for hedging, trained against a wall and even used as a ½ std tree once trained. It is happy in most fertile soils, in either a sunny or shaded position. If you wish to encourage its strong red growth and more flowers, it will be better planted in a full sun position. White flowers appear by April and into May once the plant is better established. We have found Photinia ‘Red ‘Robin’ to become ‘leggy’ over time if it is not properly maintained and left to run away with themselves, they can grow up to 4m tall and up to 4 m wide.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
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Pyracantha varieties
Known for their colourful berries available in yellow, reds and oranges which will last from Autumn through to Spring if left untouched by birds. Great against a back wall these Pyracantha will stop intruders. Available potted throughout the year.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Available in 2LD, 3LD, 5L, 10L and 20L + pot sizes
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Prunus Rotundifolia
A vigorous, dense evergreen shrub suitable for almost all locations. Large, glossy green leaves make this a go-to plant above other Prunus varieties. Its density makes it ideal for screening for privacy, and it is a great barrier to noise and wind. Commonly known as laurel, this hedging variety grows up to 60cm per year and is relatively happy in most soil conditions.
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – full shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist soil, do not plant in shallow chalk
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball and bare root plants from November – March
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Prunus Lusitanica
Also known as Portuguese laurel, boast luscious dark green glossy leaves on deep maroon stems with small, fragrant white flowers in the summer which are loved by pollinators and red berries in the autumn which are very popular with birds.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 15 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist soil, do not plant in shallow chalk
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
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Rosa rugosa
A hardy, easy to grow rose with pink scented flowers from June through to September, followed by bright scarlet hips. A dense, vigorous growing hedging variety happy in full sun.
Flowers: June – September
Position: Full sun – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L + pot sizes and as bare-root plants from November – March
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Click here for more hedging solutions
Posted 30th Nov 2:29pm
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There’s plenty of interest to be had from plants during the winter months whether that be the scent of Sarcococca or the flowers of Helleborus plants, check out some of our favourites below
Cornus are known for their coloured stems that are revealed when their leaves fall. Shades of red, yellow and orange stems are available.
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May – June
???? Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
???? Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Highly scented white flowers sit above large glossy, rich green leaves come late winter – early spring. It is a great addition to a shady border or a shaded patio spot where you can smell it every day.
Flowers: Late winter-early spring
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m
Soil:fertile, well-drained, moist soil
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Hellebores are compact, clump-forming perennials with dark green, leathery leaves and stunning flowers.
A tremendous shade-loving border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering from December – March.
Flowers: December – March (depending on the variety)
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 45cn (depending on the variety)
Soil: Heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
It would help if you planted in partial to full shade for best results and cut back old leaves in January – February to show off new flowers.
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Are the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering.
Flowers: November – March (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Are you in need of some autumn/winter colour? Skimmia Rubella are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
Flowers: April – May (depending on variety) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Evergreen Viburnums such as tinus are a great shrub for winter interest with dark green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers from December to April.
A great low maintenance easy to grow shrub that can brighten a part shaded area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Hamamelis plants are covered in branches of distinctive, spider-like, fragrant flowers in red, yellow, and orange shades from January to early spring.
Whilst slow growing this plant variety can become a large spreading shrub or small tree. A fantastic specimen plant that will make a great addition to the middle or back of a border.
Plant in well-drained, neutral acid soil in full sun to partial shade for best results.
Flowers: January – February
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Pot size: 5L, 10L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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A deciduous climber with bright yellow flowers that appear on bare stems in winter and early spring helping to brighten up a dark winter’s day. This attractive climber will grow well against a trellis or low wall once trained as it is not self-clinging.
Flowers: January – March
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2LD, 3LD ( subject to availability)
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Posted 24th Nov 5:21pm
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Our onsite plant centre is celebrating its best year ever, with a turnover of over 2 million, for the first time in its history. Johnsons of Whixleys overall turnover was just over 15 million, another record for the company in its 100th-year history.
The plant centre division, which Alice Knowles runs, was responsible for selling over 340,000 items and has seen a 12.62% increase of new customers and an increase in sales of 21.07% on the previous financial year.
The division’s successes are due to an increase in demand for garden projects and restorations by the public who have been putting their usual holiday funds into their gardens, which has made Landscapers, Garden Designers, Property Developers and others within the industry much busier. People also recognise the importance of a greener world and how plants can help the environment. We have also improved our website and social media pages and sent out regular PR campaigns, which have increased our visibility within the industry and increased the number of new customers on our system.
Plant Centre Manager Alice Knowles said: ” We are incredibly proud to have achieved our best year ever. We have adapted to the challenges Brexit has brought and have taken on board customer feedback and requirements, including moving away from traditional lines. We have increased our range and have added more unusual and exciting lines. I’m continually looking at ways to evolve the plant centre, including keeping up with the demand and the different requirements.
There has also been a few changes to our department with new faces joining our sales and operations side; find out more about the whole team below.”
Find out about our Amenity Sector and its changes by clicking here
Posted 18th Nov 9:13am
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Is your next project located at a site vulnerable to elements such as strong winds, with no natural barriers for protection? Don’t let the harsh conditions deter you! To help you create a resilient and thriving landscape, we’ve compiled a list of hardy hedging varieties specifically chosen for exposed sites. These plants are designed to withstand challenging weather while providing shelter, privacy, and aesthetic appeal.
Acer campestre
Acer campestre is a tough, deciduous species that excels in exposed locations. Unlike dense evergreens, its foliage allows wind to filter through, reducing the impact of strong gusts and creating a more sheltered environment. This makes it an excellent choice for hedging in areas prone to harsh weather.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4M
Soil: any soil (except water-logged sites)
Available in bare-root sizes 60-80cm and seedling 30-40cm. Also available in 2L, 3L, 5L & 10L.
Crataegus monogyna
Crataegus monogyna, commonly known as Hawthorn, is a highly popular native hedging plant, valued for its resilience and seasonal interest. In spring, it bursts into life with clusters of fragrant white flowers, adding charm and attracting pollinators. As autumn arrives, its green foliage falls away, revealing large, sharp thorns that provide excellent security and structure to the landscape.
This hardy species thrives in cold, windy conditions, making it ideal for inland exposed sites. Even in the face of strong winds, it can reach heights of up to 3 meters, offering both shelter and privacy.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3M in an exposed location
Soil: any soil (except water-logged sites)
Available in bare-root sizes from 40-60cm up to 200cm tall and in container pots after the bare root season.
Cupressus Leylandii
Cupressus Leylandii is one of the fastest-growing evergreen hedging plants, making it an excellent choice for those who need quick results. Its dense, upright growth offers exceptional windbreak capabilities, privacy, and noise reduction, making it a versatile barrier for exposed sites. This hardy species thrives even in cold and windy conditions, providing year-round greenery and protection.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 12 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes
Cotoneaster Franchetii
Cotoneaster franchetii is a tough and adaptable hedging plant, perfectly suited for both exposed inland and coastal sites. Its attractive, sage-green leaves with silvery-white undersides create a striking contrast, while clusters of delicate pink flowers emerge in early summer, adding a splash of colour to your garden. By autumn, these blooms give way to vibrant deep orange berries, which are not only visually appealing but also provide a valuable food source for wildlife.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3 metres
Soil: Any except water-logged
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes
Taxus Baccata
Taxus baccata, commonly known as Yew, is a classic dark green evergreen hedging plant, renowned for its versatility and timeless appeal. With its needle-like foliage, Yew not only provides year-round coverage but also acts as an excellent wind filter, making it ideal for exposed sites. This variety is highly prized for its use in formal gardens, often gracing the grounds of stately homes and private estates.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 20 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Grisellina littoralis
Griselinia littoralis is an excellent choice for coastal gardens, thriving in the salty air and windy conditions often found by the sea. Its large, glossy, apple-green ovate leaves bring a fresh, vibrant look to any landscape, offering year-round colour and structure.
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 12 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes
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Posted 22nd Nov 4:38pm
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November reminds us that winter is on its way with leaves on the trees falling rapidly and the increase of rain and wind. During November container plants and some ground plants will need protection from the frosts, wind and freezing rain. November is also the start of the Bare Root and Root Ball season so there’s plenty to be on with this month. Check out our latest hints and tips put together by horticulturist John Richardson.
1) The earlier winter digging can be done, the better, as this allows rain, snow, and frost to break down the clods of soil which will make cultivations in the spring so much easier.
2)Collect and dispose of the fallen fruits from apple trees, many will be damaged and prone to spreading diseases such as brown rot.
3)Divide and replant rhizomatous Iris, and layer Carnations and Pinks. Peg them into moist soil after carefully cracking a small section of the stem. Ensure the treated area remains in moist soil.
4)Now is the best time to plant roses, buying plants that are field-grown (bare-root) is the most economic and will survive just as well as container-grown plants if kept moist when out of the ground. For long delays, heel in the roots of the plant in an area that is not waterlogged.
5)Replace those small patches of the lawn which have become damaged, with turf from a less obvious area. Do not perform this task when the soil is waterlogged or frozen.
6)Take the opportunity to cut back overgrown hedges, either mechanically on deciduous plants or with secateurs and a saw on large-leafed evergreens such as laurels and rhododendrons. Trim conifer hedges next spring.
7)Clean moss and lichens from footpaths and walls. There are several commercial brands of cleaner available, but bleach is equally good. A power washer will make light work of the job!
8)Before the month-end check apples and other stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds.
9)Plant tulip bulbs after the middle of the month to prevent the spread of Tulip Fire disease.
10)Make sure you have checked the compost heap and the bonfire for hibernating animals before you light the bonfire on November 5th.!!
11)Collect seeds of any plants you may wish to reproduce for next year. Cover seed-heads with a paper bag and tap them to release seed over time. Do not save seed from plants described as being of F1 (hybrid) origin.
12)Cut back to ground level the canes of summer fruits such as Raspberries, Loganberries, Blackberries etc. as soon as fruiting is complete. Tie in the growth of this year’s new canes as these are your next year’s fruiting canes.
13)From the middle of the month begin successional sowing of spring cabbage for winter harvest, and lettuce is sown under glass for use during the winter.
14)Clean out bird boxes and sterilize them with boiling water.
15)Insulate with bubble-wrap polythene, the pots of plants which may not be entirely hardy, or the container is a traditional frost susceptible clay pot.
16)Don’t get carried away with autumn pruning! Plants such as Viburnum bodnantense, Lonicera fragrantissima, and the flowering cherry Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’, as these will carry sweetly scented pink flowers all the way through the winter.
17)Lift and store dahlias if not already completed.
Posted 2nd Nov 9:26am
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We are celebrating a record year of sales, achieving a turnover of over £15 million for the first time in our 100th year history.
In addition to the record turnover, the commercial sales department is celebrating a successful ten years in which revenue has grown by 50 per cent to more than £10 million.
The team has recently appointed third-generation family member Luke Richardson as Sales Director, he said: “Commercial sales have exceeded all expectations, driven by strong performance in our core business and new custom. Reorganising our structure gives us a great foundation to improve our service offering, further incorporate new technology and drive sustainable growth. Despite the pandemic & Brexit, our upcoming annual budget is ambitious and reflects high confidence in the team.”
The re-structure sees Iain Richardson focus on the general direction of the business, and he will retain a number of key accounts. Tony Coles heads up our all-important Key Accounts sector and is supported by Andrew Barker, who takes on the position of Key Accounts Manager.
Vicky Newell returns to the business and assumes the responsibility of General Amenity Sales Manager with Jack Witham taking on home area sales, Hannah Smith the North and Laura Holmes the South. Corrina Mills is the companies Estimator and Ellie Richardson continues to work alongside the sales team as Marketing Manager.
The sales team sell 6 million plants annually throughout the UK and are responsible for providing more than 10,000 quotes per year, up to 17,000 orders and 12,000 deliveries each year.
Group MD Graham Richardson said: “Our success is primarily down to the hard work and dedication of all our staff, from the quote process right through to the lifting of orders and dispatch.
Demand remains high as a consequence of a greater appetite for a greener world, considerable exposure from our improved website, expanded PR campaigns and significant social growth with an increase of 377% since 2017.
These elements have played a key factor in the 30% increase of new customers. This is an exciting time for the business as Luke brings experience, motivation, compassion and an unrivalled knowledge of the market and our family business.”
Posted 29th Oct 1:57pm
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We are celebrating achieving the BSI ISO 9001 Quality re-accreditation for the 30th year in a row.
We have achieved the ISO 9001 Quality Management, since 1991. We have also re-achieved ISO 14001 Environment Management standards since April 2010.
Supplying 5-6 million plants throughout the UK each year, our plants embellish their surroundings and make a positive contribution to the environment.
The ISO 9001 Quality Management is a clearly defined set of business processes, which defines Johnsons’ commitment to creating products and services following pre-defined standards. ISO 9001 is internationally recognised and one of the most popular international quality management systems.
ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system for businesses. It provides a framework that a business can follow of standards on environmental management. Integrating it with other management systems standards, like ISO 9001, can further assist in accomplishing organisational goals.
We have also invested in 3 new electric 4 x 4 Hisun buggies this month, the robust vehicles will be trialled on the nurseries five sites with a view to replace all dumper trucks by 2025. One charge can last an impressive full working day and will be used to tow trailers and bespoke equipment.
Graham Richardson, Managing Director at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We are proud and delighted to have achieved the BSI ISO Quality accreditation for the 30th year in a row. It demonstrates our dedication to adhering to an external system of quality management and environmental standards to ensure the best quality products and services to current, new and potential customers. The new electric buggies are also a great addition and will reduce costs and further enhance our environmental credentials significantly in years to come.”
Posted 6th Oct 2:42pm
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Welcome back to a familiar face, Vicky Newell who re-joins our team as General Amenity Sales Manager. See what she says about her new role, and what it’s like to be back below
1. How does it feel to be back?
It is great to be back and to see so many familiar faces.
2. Has much changed at Johnsons?
Technology has changed considerable, being paperless takes some getting used to. The new quotation tool is amazing and enables many more amenity quotations to be done consistently whether they come in spreadsheet or PDF format.
3. What will your new role involve?
My time will be split 3 ways – managing the Amenity sales department, looking after my own Amenity accounts and generating more Amenity business (happy to listen if anyone has any great ideas on the last one !)
4. What are you looking forward to most about your new role?
I would like to make a difference and the more the team talks to our customers (new and old), we can improve our offer which will hopefully will generate new opportunities
5. What do you think the challenges will be?
Being able to fulfil customer expectations within the ever-decreasing timescales
6. Tell us something we don’t know about you
I help out Knaresborough in Bloom, so can be seen planting, deadheading and watering the tubs and container in Knaresborough from time to time
7. What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I have 5 allotments with a friend, so that takes up most of my time on a Sunday, fighting against the weeds!
8. Favourite food?
I love Italian food but I am also partial to the odd slice or two of cake!
Posted 5th Oct 1:11pm
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Flowers: May – June (depending on variety, varieties such as ‘Puget Blue’ start flowering in April, and others flower for longer than June)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: March – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 3LD, 5L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: May (often have a second flush in summer)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Moderately fertile,well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Any moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May- June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L , 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: March-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: March-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 6m
Soil: Moist, well-drained, acidic soil
Pot size: 3L, 5L 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m depending on the variety
Soil: any fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3LD, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m depending on the variety
Soil: any fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m depending on the variety
Soil:Moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compost
Pot size: 3L, 5L, 7.5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 3m depending on the variety
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 2LD, 3L, 3LD, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m depending on the variety
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 4m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 12L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 17th May 11:21am
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Acers (Japanese maples) are best known for their vivid autumn leaves that turn various colours during October, including fiery red, orange, yellow and brown. They make a perfect focal point brightening up dark corners of the garden, and even grow well in pots.
A medium-sized maple with stunning yellow leaves in spring followed by yellow lime coloured leaves in summer and shades of orange and red in autumn.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Spread: Up to 4 metres
Has fantastic bright scarlet leaves during autumn that is a garnet stone colour throughout spring and summer, it’s slightly more compact than other varieties so makes a great addition to a patio pot or planted in a smaller garden.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 2 metres
Spread: Up to 2 metres
Is a great compact weeping Japanese maple variety with mid to bright green leaves in spring and summer that turn an orange-red in autumn.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 2 metres
Spread: Up to 2 metres
Purple and red shades in spring that have an outstanding autumn colour show of brilliant hues of oranges and reds.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Spread: Up to 4 metres
A small-sized tree with a dark orange edge and yellow centre in autumn turning to shades of green during the summer.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Spread: Up to 3 metres
A compact variety perfect for smaller gardens or even a patio pot. Displays of shades of red throughout the seasons and a crimson red in autumn.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Spread: Up to 3 metres
Known for its coral-pink stems and lush green leaves in summer that turn a soft yellow in autumn this will make a great feature tree.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Spread: Up to 2 metres
In need of more inspiration for your next project? head back to our solutions page here
Posted 25th Aug 1:31pm
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Newcastle’s iconic Quayside on the River Tyne has recently been brought to life as part of the NE1 Summer in the City project which has transformed a number of outdoor spaces across the city.
As part of the project sixty-nine, large planters have been installed along the Quayside. The planters have been made from upcycled concrete manhole rings, which have been decorated and filled with shrubs, herbaceous, grasses and trees, alongside various art installations to enhance the planting design.
Our customer Southern Green Ltd was commissioned to design and install the planters by their client NE1 Ltd with the planting interventions designed and delivered within 10 weeks including the procurement of all materials. JCC Engineers, Trevor Atkinson Landscapes, AH Events, Glebe House Vintage, Merchant no.1, RASKL Studio and The Traveller and the Bear were also part of the team brought together by NE1 to deliver this ambitious project.
Southern Green Ltd called upon Johnsons to supply a large number of plants including Carex Testacea, Achillea ‘Cloth of Gold’ Hebe ‘Sutherlandii’, Lavandula ‘Munstead’, Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, Salvia ‘Caradonna’, Astilbe ‘Fanal’, Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus, Campanula ‘Perla Blue’ and Verbena bonariensis.
Other pop-ups installed throughout Newcastle’s city centre have included a large open-air cinema Screen on the Green at Old Eldon Square, ‘Wave-Field’, an installation of 8 seesaws, the Urban Garden at Wesley Square, a 75m long pavement vinyl by artist Tim Gresham, 3D Street Art by 3D Joe & Max and even water activities on the river.
The ‘Summer in the City’ project aims to encourage tourists and locals into the city, with new attractions and activities to enjoy for all age groups.
Alex Slack, Head of Special Projects at NE1 Ltd said: “The Summer in the City project and associated Quayside interventions are the result of months of hard work, dedication and commitment of everybody involved. Emerging from lockdown and faced with both material and labour shortages (as well as a relatively short lead in) it was vital that we had the right people in place to deliver our vision. The creativity and innovative thinking of Southern Green coupled with a first-rate service from Johnsons enabled us to achieve something truly remarkable despite numerous challenges. We are absolutely thrilled with the result and are enormously grateful to all who contributed.”
Liam Haggarty, Southern Green Director, said: “It has been a privilege to be involved in yet another fantastic and innovative project working alongside friends and colleagues at NE1. The project is an exemplar for what can be achieved with a ‘can do’ attitude and a fantastic team of people all willing to go the extra mile from start to finish.
Johnsons are always great to work with and provide the highest quality plant stock. They agreed to a nursery visit at very short notice, and then collated and delivered everything to our exacting specification within a matter of days, which was one of the key factors to the successful delivery of the works on site – thank you again to Tony and his team.”
It was great to get involved in this project and bring the Quayside to life this summer. Liam came to the Nursery to choose the plants required. The aim was to get as much colour in as possible with good quality plants, each batch of plants was tagged to indicate the grade required to be lifted. All of the plants were sent to the site on trollies to avoid damage to the plants and particularly the flowers.
This is not the first ‘pop-up’ project johnsons has been involved with, click here to see a pop-up garden we supplied in Manchester for a well-known coffee brand.
Posted 23rd Aug 3:55pm
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If you are wanting your garden to bloom throughout the year, be sure to include long-flowering varieties in your projects from Vincas to Erysimum. Below is a list of some of our favourite long-flowering varieties.
A long-flowering semi-evergreen with narrow, grey-green leaves. This perennial produces spikes of purple flowers from late February to July and will make a great addition to a long flowering sunny border.
Flowers: February – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.75m
Soil: poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2L pots.
One of our favourite ground cover plants is the evergreen Vinca Minor. It is well-known for its capability in ground-covering flaunting its star-like blue flowers which can be seen from April to September. Planting the Vinca Minor in very dry soil exposed to full sun or partial shade will allow them to flourish.
Flowers: April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.2 metres
Soil: Very dry soil
Available in 2L pots.
Is a semi-evergreen perennial, well-known for its crimson upright flowers. It can be seen in the Autumn months from September to November, growing up to half a metre tall. For best results, soil moisture must be moist but well-drained.
Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5 metres
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Available in 2L and 5L pots.
A perfect plant doing well in partial shade to full sun, it’s great for underplanting or filling in any empty gaps in your border, adding beautiful purple flowers from June through to October.
Flowers: June – October
Position: Sun – Partial Shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil.
Violet blue flowers grow on purple stems from June to October. Happiest in a sunny position in a well-drained border. The flowers are well-loved by bees and butterflies.
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
A great addition to a sunny partial shade area of a project. They would even look great in a hanging basket.
Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Flowers: July – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L. 3L
Tall branching stems with clusters of lilac-purple flowers from June to September are ideal for the front or middle of a border in full sun.
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l pots (depending on variety)
Other long-flowering varieties you could use include Lavender, Hypericum, Erigeron, Penstemon, Nepeta and Buddleia.
For more garden inspiration, head to our solutions page by clicking here
Posted 11th Aug 10:33am
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Encourage birds into your garden projects by planting bird-friendly species such as Ilex aquifolium and Crataegus monogyna. See our bird-friendly hedging favourites below.
1) Ilex aquifolium (Holly) is definitely a bird’s favourite. Its dense prickly leaves offer windproof shelter along with berries for a Christmas feast. Blackbirds and thrushes are usually the first to strip a holly bush of its berries.
Available as root balls in the winter and container plants in a multitude of sizes throughout the year.
Flowers: June- July
Fruits: October – January
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 20 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil
2) Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) berries are a favourite for Chaffinches, Starlings, Blackbirds and Greenfinches. The leaves are the food plant for caterpillars of many moth species, providing food for baby birds in spring.
Flowers: May – June
Fruits: September – November
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 6 metres
Soil: Any soil (apart from water-logged)
We have a great selection of bare root hedging available from 40-60cm tall to 175-200cm tall from November to March.
3) Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) is used by birds to nest among its dense thorny branches and feast on caterpillars and other insects on its leaves, and feast on the sloe berries in autumn.
Flowers: March
Fruits: September – November
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Soil: Any soil (apart from water-logged)
Available in container pots throughout the year or in bare-root form come November – March.
4) Prunus padus (bird cherry) Provides a spring feast for pollinators. Its cherries are eaten by birds such as blackbirds and song thrushes and other mammals such as a dormouse.
Flowers: March
Fruits: August
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: Will tolerate most soil types
You can purchase this variety from us throughout the year as a container-grown plant or as a bare root one from November – March.
5) Cotoneaster varieties
Cotoneaster branches are always full of small red berries from autumn onwards and provide great shelter for a nesting site. They are popular with thrushes, Blackbirds and Waxwings.
Flowers: May
Fruits: Autumn
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 6 metres
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in a number of pot sizes from 2L to 10L.
6) Alnus glutinosa (Alder) seeds are eaten by birds such as Siskin, redpoll and goldfinches, as well as its catkins providing an early source of nectar and pollen for bees.
Flowers: February – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 10 metres
Soil: Will tolerate most soil types
This hedging plant is available in container pots throughout the year and in various bare-root sizes from November-March.
Other hedging varieties to consider to help encourage birds into your garden include Pyracantha, Acer campestre, Dog Rose and Malus sylvestris.
Posted 10th Aug 3:22pm
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Two employees Krzysztof Scislowski and Tom Watkins, have recently created a memorial bench for a previous employee, Dean Yarrow using pallets.
Earlier this year, we were notified of a fatal car accident on the A165 near Bridlington, which involved Dean, his wife and toddler Henry. Dean and his wife sadly died at the scene while their son was treated for minor injuries.
Dean was a well-loved hard-working member of the Johnsons team for 3 years from 2016-2019 and was Deputy Manager at our Whixley site, working closely with Krzysztof and Tom.
Krzystof and Tom are some of many Johnsons employees with fond memories of Dean and specifically remember him eating his lunch sat on nursery pallets which inspired their pallet bench memorial idea.
Deputy Cattal Manager, Tom Watkins said:
“Dean was an unforgettable character; his knowledge and passion for plants were inspiring to me when working with him.
His ability to always make me laugh both in and outside of work was everything you needed in a good friend.
This bubbly persona definitely shines through in his son, Henry, who is also a likeness of his mother in that sense. The memorial bench Krzysztof made is a great place for others to share the memory of Dean.”
Whixley site Manager Krzysztof, said: “
Dean was a helpful, funny, loved friend not only at work but also after. He always had a smile and was ready to help
and such will stay in my memory, a lot of the things we did together at Whixley will remind me of him.”
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson added: “Dean was a genuinely likeable character who was a valued colleague at Roecliffe, Whixley and in the business generally.
There is little we can do to ‘soften’ the impact of this tragic accident – memories are all we have and our memorial bench is a fitting tribute.”
Posted 9th Aug 2:33pm
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Congratulations to Jack Witham, who has joined our Amenity Sales team as a Junior Sales Executive Find out what he had to say about his new role below.
1. What will your new role at Johnsons involve?
I am going into the Amenity sales team, so it involves several things to do with the Amenity side. Doing quotes is what I have started learning, but it also includes sorting sales orders and dealing with customers, new and old.
2. How long have you been a part of the Johnsons team?
I started at Johnsons when I was 17 during the summer holidays whilst I was at six form college. From then, I’d regularly come back in between term times whilst studying at university. After finishing university last year, I stayed on the nursery until taking this new role. My role was predominantly being an amenity lifter, preparing orders for customers making sure everything was to a high standard.
3. What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Going into a different job role within the company is what I am most looking forward to, and working on a range of different things. This is my first job in an office, so it will be interesting to see what it is like inside.
4. What do you think the challenges will be?
Doing a job completely different from anything I have done before and learning all the different tips and techniques on computers. My I.T skills are O.K, but there is definitely room for improvement.
5. Do you have any hobbies?
I am a big cricket fan which shouldn’t come as much surprise working here. I am the Whixley cricket club captain, playing every weekend in summer when it doesn’t rain. I also have a membership at Yorkshire cricket club and watch them a lot when I can. I think that’s the only hobby I actually have.
6. Favourite subject at school?
Shockingly, it was P.E. Unfortunately, we hardly ever played cricket at school, and I wasn’t very good at other sports. I scored an own goal during my football examination, which brought my markdown.
7. Favourite food?
I love a Lamb pasanda from an Indian. It has to be the best meal out there. Any Indian food, though, is nice. Chinese is also very good. To be honest, I like a lot of food, just not mushrooms and cauliflower.
8. Favourite holiday destination?
Barcelona is a wonderful city. It’s got everything, plenty of bars, a lovely beach, and lots of Estrella. I’d love to go back again if I get the chance to. Hopefully travelling between countries will be easier soon and I can go abroad again.
Amenity Sales Manager, Tony Coles said: I would like to welcome Jack into the Amenity Sales Team, Jack brings with him the experience of working out on the Nursery lifting plants for the Amenity sector. I am confident Jack will become an integral part of the team looking after customers and their requirements in the future and I look forward to working with him.
Posted 4th Aug 8:56am
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A warm welcome to Jacob Heap, who has joined our cash & carry team for work experience this August to help fund his racing car.
1) Tell us about yourself:
I am 15 years old and about to go into year 11. I race cars as my hobby but hope to do it professionally.
2)What do you like to get up to outside of school?
Meet up and go away on holiday with friends. I work on my race car. I work with my dad to help pay for racing.
3)How did you get into racing driving?
I tried football and hated it, so my dad bought me a go-kart, and I raced go-karts for 7 years and then decided I wanted to race cars.
4)Favourite race experience and track?
My favourite track is Snetterton, and my favourite race experience was there 4 weeks ago when I started in 14th and battled to get to 6th.
5)What will your work experience money go towards?
It will help fund my racing car.
6) Where do you hope to be in five years time?
Racing in cars at a higher level, winning championships and being as successful as I can.
To find out more about Jacob and his racing, click here to visit his website
Posted 9th Aug 2:05pm
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The lighter evenings are slowly on their way out as we enjoy the last month of summer. However, there’s still plenty to be doing this August, including dead-heading, cutting back and dividing. Check out our August gardening hints and tips put together by Chairman and horticulturist John Richardson below.
1) When going on holiday and concerned about indoor containers being watered, try placing a full bucket of water on the garage floor and placing your pots around it on their own saucers. Using a piece of thick wet string about the consistency of a thick bootlace, tie one end to a piece of old cutlery and place it in the bucket. Push the other end of the string into the compost in one of the pots. Place strings from the cutlery to all the other pots and cross fingers!! It works for me !!
2) Complete the lifting of last seasons bulbs and dry them off naturally in light woven sacks for maximum ventilation.
3) Keep dead-heading the really good flowering plants, and don’t allow them to dry out. This should encourage new flowers and stop them from setting seed. Where heavy watering has been applied, consider giving the plants a top-dressing of general fertilizer, either dry or liquid, to keep them growing well into the autumn.
4) Cut back the long whippy growths of Wisteria to within 3 buds of the old wood if they are not required to extend the area covered by the plant.
5) Keep an eye on the whole garden and spray or pick off pests on Dahlias and Chrysanthemums in particular.
6) Collect and dispose of the first fallen fruits from apple trees. Many will be damaged and prone to spreading diseases such as brown rot.
7) Divide and replant rhizomatous Iris, and layer Carnations and Pinks. Peg them into moist soil after carefully cracking a small section of the stem. Ensure the treated area remains in moist soil.
8) Continue to water new lawns recently established. I suggest that it would be better to leave further lawn development until after mid-September when the weather is cooler.
9) It is important to provide water for wildlife in the dry months, a substantial bird bath plus a large saucer of water let into the ground for mice, hedgehogs, insects etc., will be much appreciated!
10) Collect seeds of any plants you may wish to reproduce for next year. Cover seed-heads with a paper bag and tap them to release seed over time. Do not save seed from plants described as being of F1 origin.
11) Cut back to ground level the canes of summer fruits such as Raspberries, Loganberries, Blackberries etc., as soon as fruiting is complete. Tie in the growth of this year’s new canes as these are your next year’s fruiting canes.
12)From the middle of the month begin successional sowing of spring cabbage for winter harvest and lettuce sown under glass for use during the winter
13) Make sure to leave time to be able to sit back and enjoy the late August evenings before the need to start winter digging and tree pruning becomes an urgent matter!
Posted 6th Aug 2:36pm
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The mornings now have a fresh feel to them, but overnight temperatures are still staying above 10 degrees. It really does feel as though we are coming to the end of the summer now, but there’s plenty to be doing in the garden this month; below are some hints and tips put together by Chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1)The first 10 days of September is the last time to be taking cuttings of tender perennials such as pelargoniums and fuchsias. Roots will form much quicker before the cooler weather sets in. It is better to take cuttings at this late stage to root them round the edge of a pot and leave them in the pot until transplanting next spring. Alternatively, bring the old plants under cover in a cool but frost-free room and take cuttings early next year.
2)Have you ever thought of buying a greenhouse? Now is a good time to buy at a discounted price, with the whole winter to erect it and have it ship-shape for the start of next spring.
3)Time to check bigger trees around the garden; September can be a windy month and well worth the knowledge that boughs are not likely to come crashing down on the house, the garden and the new greenhouse in the winter sales.
4) If you have time to spare on the weekend, take a notebook around the garden and note those plants which are happy in their location, are growing too big, have the wrong colour combination with neighbouring plants, or really need more space. It will make your winter sort-out in the garden much easier.
5) Planting new shrubs in autumn has the benefit of warm soil to get the plants established before winter and the soil is usually moist; delay bare-root tree planting until November and be sure to install a stake at the time of planting. Always put the stake on the windward side and secure it with a proper tree time.
6) September is a good month to plant spring-flowering bulbs, but leave tulips until November, as this will help prevent the fungal disease ‘tulip fire’. If you find mice digging up your crocus bulbs, cover them with fine chicken wire, which won’t affect grass mowing but should dissuade mice.
7)If you have heavy soil, dig over the garden borders later this month as the bedding plants need to be removed. This will make digging easier as the soil will not be at full water capacity as in later months.
8) Crocosmias form large mounds of roots and corms over the years, separate them with 2 forks by pulling them apart, or remove the soil and untangle them with the help of a hosepipe jet.
9) Continue to trim fast-growing hedging, and don’t overlook the weeds in the hedge bottoms.
10)Newly planted perennials will do well when planted over the next 6 weeks. Give the roots of new plants a good soaking before planting, and firm in well to the original depth and place a good mulch around the plant to prevent moisture loss and winter frost damage to young roots.
11) During this month and next, the lawn can be cut less frequently but will really benefit from mechanical scarifying or the regular use of a spring tine rake to remove the old ‘thatch’. Aerating the lawn by means of a machine or a garden fork will work wonders, in conjunction with a specific lawn weed-killer and an autumn lawn fertilizer dressing.
Posted 16th Sep 3:27pm
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The temperatures have dropped and trees & shrubs are changing colour – autumn is officially here, but there’s still plenty to be doing in the garden this month from planting bulbs to taking cuttings; below are some hints and tips put together by Chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Give conifer hedges a final trim and finish planting evergreen shrubs while the soil is still warm, and new roots will develop quickly.
2) Lift and store carrots and potatoes. Cut back strong stems of tall shrubs like lavatera and Buddleia to half their length to prevent winter damage. Complete the cutting back to 15 inches in February/March.
3) Collect the seed of those plants you may wish to increase and will come true from seed. Store seed in paper bags in a sealed container on the bottom shelf of a refrigerator. If unsure when to sow the seed, sow half on the collection and the other half in the spring.
4) At the end of October give the glasshouses and frames a thorough clean both inside and outside. Scrub down the benches with a mild disinfectant before hosing down the entire area.
5) If you have electricity in the glasshouse, check that the earth-breaker is undamaged and clean.
6) Fix grease bands to the trunks of apple and pear trees.
7) Clean out ponds and water features, and remove water pumps for the winter.
8) Repair broken fences, patios, trellises, steps, fall pipes and walls.
9) Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly, privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries, blackcurrants etc., at the end of the month.
10) Make several collections through the month of fallen leaves, and store them in a wire-netting enclosed area to ensure they rot down over winter. Do not leave fallen leaves on the lawn.
11) Clean out leaves from around alpine plants. If permanently outside and not in a cold frame, cover with a pinned down sheet of glass over winter to prevent the plants from becoming water-logged.
12) Lift Dahlias, Gladioli, and other tender perennials when temperatures fall sharply and store them in a frost-free place.
13) This is a good month to lay turf providing the ground has been firmed, raked, levelled and weeded.
14) If the weather warms up at the end of the month, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half-hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for frost prevention on cold nights
15) Be sure to have a stock of sand or salt for very frosty mornings when paths and roads are slippery.
16) Plant new daffodils, but don’t plant tulips until mid-November to reduce the risk of Tulip Fire Disease.
17) When planting new trees larger than 2m., place a diagonal stake into the prevailing wind to prevent the tree from leaning over in the first year.
18) Remember, when selecting shrubs, birds don’t like yellow berries!!
19) lift and divide rhubarb crowns at 5-year intervals, a spade is the best implement to use!
Interested in plants that are looking good this October, click here to view
Posted 4th Oct 1:01pm
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Are you in need of some inspiration for your next garden project and after some late-flowering herbaceous plants? check out some of our favourite August flowering varieties from Anemone to Rudbeckia.
Achilleas are a great addition to a mixed border or cottage garden in full sun – partial shade with flat-topped flowers that bloom from June – September with many cultivars and colours to choose from ranging from yellow to white and pink.
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L
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Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: July – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L. 3L
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Flowers: July – September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – August (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, preferably humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: August – October (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
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Flowers: July – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained, soil
Pot size: 2L
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Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: August – September
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil:Moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L, 5L
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Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Most soils, except very dry or boggy
Pot size: 2L, 3L
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Flowers: May – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
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Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: dry, well-drained, poor to moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L
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Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
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Flowers: August – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately-fertile, reliably moist soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
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Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – October
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Any moist soil
Pot size: 2l (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil:Well-drained, poor to moderately fertile
Pot size: 2l, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.8m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, preferably heavy but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Poor-to-average, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – November (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – August
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 29th Jul 2:10pm
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While many herbaceous plants have been and gone there’s still a few in flower during early autumn from Anemone to Geranium, add to your next project for late summer-early autumn colour.
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L. 3L
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Flowers: August – October (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
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Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
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Flowers: July – October
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Any moist soil
Pot size: 2l (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.8m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, preferably heavy but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – November (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 16th Sep 2:39pm
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Your garden projects don’t need to be dull or uninspired this November. In fact, the cooler months offer an excellent opportunity to explore a wide variety of autumn and winter interest plants that can add depth, colour, and texture to your landscape.
From the striking, fragrant blooms of Mahonia to the clusters of vibrant berries and rich foliage of Viburnum, there is no shortage of beautiful options to elevate your garden and bring it to life. These plants not only brighten up the landscape during the darker months but also provide visual warmth and unique features that capture attention and add charm to any project.
Cornus, commonly known as dogwood, is a versatile and visually striking group of deciduous shrubs and small trees admired for their vibrant winter stems.
After the leaves fall in autumn, Cornus showcases a stunning array of coloured stems, ranging from deep crimson reds to bright yellows and warm oranges. These colours provide much-needed visual interest during the colder months and can brighten up any garden space.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Cotoneaster is a versatile shrub known for its seasonal appeal. Varieties like ‘Horizontal’ and ‘Coral Beauty’ produce an abundance of vibrant red or orange berries during the autumn, adding striking colour to the garden.
In late spring to early summer, these shrubs are adorned with clusters of small, creamy white flowers that attract pollinators and enhance the garden’s visual charm. The combination of its delicate flowers and bold autumn berries makes Cotoneaster a great choice for year-round interest and wildlife-friendly gardens.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May-June (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
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Euonymus Alatus
Euonymus alatus, commonly known as the burning bush, is a bushy, dense, deciduous shrub that adds striking seasonal interest to gardens. Its green leaves transform into stunning shades of strawberry red in autumn, creating a vibrant display that lights up the landscape.
This shrub also features distinctive corky ridges on its branches, adding textural interest even after the leaves fall. Euonymus alatus is adaptable and low-maintenance, thriving in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, making it a standout choice for enhancing any garden with bold autumn colour.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Width: Up to 3m
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability)
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Euonymus europaeus, commonly known as the spindle tree, is a deciduous shrub or small tree prized for its striking autumn display. During the fall, its green leaves turn vibrant shades of red and purple, providing a colorful spectacle.
The real showstopper, however, is its distinctive fruit—small, pink-red capsules that split open to reveal bright orange seeds inside, adding unique visual interest and attracting wildlife. This shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade and adapts well to a variety of soil types. Euonymus europaeus is a great addition to gardens looking for multi-seasonal appeal with its combination of foliage, fruit, and winter structure.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to3m
Width: Up to 2.5m
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability)
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Mahonia is a standout shrub for adding vibrant winter interest to any garden. With its bold, spiky evergreen foliage and clusters of bright yellow, fragrant flowers that bloom from late autumn through winter, Mahonia brings both colour and texture during the colder months.
Mahonia thrives in partial shade and adapts well to a variety of soil types, making it a versatile, low-maintenance addition that brightens up winter landscapes.
Flowers: November – March (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Nandinas provide autumn interest when leaves turn shades of fiery red and copper.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: July (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist, well-drained soil
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Pyracantha, commonly known as firethorn, is a robust evergreen shrub prized for its striking display of brightly coloured berries that appear in late autumn and last into winter. These vibrant berries, in shades of red, orange, or yellow, depending on the variety, create a stunning contrast against the plant’s dark green, glossy foliage.
In spring to early summer, Pyracantha produces clusters of small white flowers that attract pollinators, adding further seasonal interest. This shrub is ideal for adding colour and texture to hedges, walls, or garden borders and serves as a valuable food source for birds during the colder months
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L, 20L + ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Sarcococca confusa, commonly known as sweet box, is an elegant, evergreen shrub known for its glossy, dark green leaves and highly fragrant, small white flowers. Blooming in late winter to early spring, these delicate flowers fill the air with a delightful scent, making it an ideal plant for adding interest during the colder months.
After flowering, the shrub produces small, black berries that add an additional layer of appeal and attract wildlife. Sarcococca confusa thrives in partial to full shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil. Its compact size and low-maintenance nature make it perfect for shaded garden borders, containers, or as a fragrant, informal hedge.
Position: Partial – deep shade
Flowers: December – March
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Sedum, commonly known as stonecrop, is a hardy, low-maintenance perennial that adds year-round interest to the garden. With fleshy, succulent leaves that range from bright green to deep burgundy, sedums offer unique texture and colour.
During late summer and into autumn, many varieties produce clusters of star-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, yellow, or white, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Sedums thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making them ideal for rock gardens, borders, and container planting. Their drought-tolerant nature and ability to withstand poor soil conditions make sedums an excellent choice for easy-care, resilient landscaping.
Flowers: August – November (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Skimmia is a wonderful shrub for adding multi-season interest to your garden. During autumn and winter, Skimmia develops clusters of tightly packed, decorative buds that promise beauty for the months ahead. As spring arrives, these buds open up into fragrant, star-shaped flowers that create a stunning display and attract pollinators.
Skimmia’s glossy, evergreen foliage serves as the perfect backdrop for both the winter buds and spring blooms, providing year-round structure and beauty. This plant thrives in partial shade and moderately fertile, well-draining soil, making it an adaptable and low-maintenance addition that elevates any garden space.
Flowers: April – May (depending on variety) flower buds are seen in autumn-winter.
Position: Partial – full shade
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist-well-drained, acid soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Viburnum is a diverse and attractive shrub that offers year-round interest with its beautiful foliage, seasonal flowers, and striking berries. In late autumn and winter, varieties such as Viburnum tinus produce clusters of small, delicate white or pink-tinged flowers that bring brightness to the garden during the darker months.
Many Viburnum species follow their flowering with colourful berries in shades of blue, black, or red, adding visual appeal and attracting birds. The foliage varies from glossy evergreen to deciduous varieties that can turn vibrant shades of red and purple in autumn. Viburnum is versatile, thriving in sun to partial shade and adapting well to different soil types, making it an excellent choice for adding multi-season interest to any garden.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist-well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 1st Nov 11:17am
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Are you in need of some inspiration for your next garden project and after some late-flowering herbaceous plants that will go into early Autumn? check out some of our favourite September flowering varieties from Sedum to Anemone.
Achilleas are a great addition to a mixed border or cottage garden in full sun – partial shade with flat-topped flowers that bloom from June – September with many cultivars and colours to choose from ranging from yellow to white and pink.
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, fertile, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: July – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L. 3L
——————————————————————————————–
Flowers: July – September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
——————————————————————————————–
Flowers: August – October (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained, soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – September
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil:Moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L, 5L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Most soils, except very dry or boggy
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately-fertile, reliably moist soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – October
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Any moist soil
Pot size: 2l (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil:Well-drained, poor to moderately fertile
Pot size: 2l, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.8m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, preferably heavy but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Poor-to-average, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: August – November (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 12th Aug 2:20pm
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In need of some late-flowering shrubs for your August projects? check out some of our favourites below from Abelia to Vinca.
Flowers: June – October (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, (subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L,10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July-September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: poor or moderately fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil, fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.5m depending on the variety
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
Flowers: July – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m + (depending on variety)
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.45m depending on the variety
Soil: any but very dry soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 1st Aug 10:55am
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We have recently donated plants worth hundreds of pounds to two Yorkshire NHS hospitals.
The newly created Rainbow Garden at Doncaster Royal Infirmary has benefited from a donation of plants worth £500. The garden, which is situated near the main entrance of the hospital, was designed to create a place where visitors and staff could go to remember the town’s 900 plus Covid-19 victims.
Colleagues at the hospital had been raising funds since June 2020 for the project, with almost 300 supporters providing donations both large and small.
The memorial garden features flower beds, a central lawn, paving, a patio and a pergola, all of which our Doncaster-based customer, AWS Landscapes Ltd kindly provided at cost.
Plants supplied and donated include Lavandula ‘Victory’, Prunus laur. ‘Rotundifolia’, Hydrangea pan. ‘Little Lime’, Cotinus ‘Royal Purple’, Magnolia soulangeana, Achillea ‘Walther Funcke’, Echinacea purpurea, Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ and Persicaria affinis ‘Superba’.
A similar garden has been created at the hospital’s sister facility at Bassetlaw.
Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity have also received plants from Johnsons worth more than £300. The plants were first used at the Harrogate Flower Show earlier this year as part of a gold award-winning display created by Lisa Norton from Harrogate Garden Design.
The display, entitled Escape Your Mind, featured an array of plants such as Buxus Sempervirens, Euphorbia, Pittosporum Magnolia Acuminata ‘Blue Opal’, Dahlia ‘Orange Sunshine, Phlox ‘Clouds of Perfume’, Cortaderia ‘Pink Feather’ and Salix ‘Golden Sunshine’. These have now been replanted at the hospital for staff and visitors to enjoy, providing an area of rest and reflection.
Richard Parker OBE, chief executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “On behalf of all within Team DBTH, I want to thank Johnsons of Whixley and AWS Landscapes Ltd for their contributions to our Rainbow Gardens. The generosity shown towards our Trust throughout the past 18 months or so has been nothing short of spectacular and I am so pleased that, together, we have been able to create these beautiful memorial spaces for those who are sadly no longer with us. Once again, thank you.”
Harrogate Hospital’s business development charity and volunteer manager Sammy Lambert commented: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to thank Johnsons and Harrogate Garden Design for their generosity and donation of beautiful plants which have made such a difference to our outside areas.”
David Sowerby, director of AWS Landscapes Ltd, said: “We are indebted to all the NHS staff who have given so much during the pandemic, and to those who sadly lost their lives. As a mark of our thanks and respect, we made our own donation and carried out all the works to create this garden for all to enjoy. We hope that the garden can be a beautiful space where staff and visitors can rest and reflect away from the stress of their busy working day.”
We are incredibly pleased to be able to give something back to both hospitals via our donation of plants which has helped two outside areas bloom. We are forever grateful to the NHS staff who have given so much over the past 18 months and that they continue to do so. We hope our plants are enjoyed by staff and visitors for many years to come.
This is one of many plant donations this year, as we pledged to donate plants to 12 different charities throughout our Centenary these donations have included plants to The Blue Cross, Thirsk, a memorial garden for Sir Captain Tom Moore and Henshaw’s Arts and Crafts.
Posted 27th Jul 4:37pm
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We recently teamed up with a landscaping firm and our customer Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd to help create a touching memorial for a national hero and campaigner, Capt Sir Tom Moore.
This year we celebrate our Centenary while the late Capt Sir Tom, who raised millions of pounds for the NHS, celebrated his 100th birthday in April 2020. He passed away in February this year.
The memorial was unveiled on the 7th July in front of World War II veteran Capt Sir Tom’s family, Junior Soldiers and sponsors such as Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd and Johnsons.
Chairman John Richardson and his grandaughter and Marketing Manager Eleanor Richardson attended with Director Stuart Skelton of Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd and Colin Simpson.
Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd commissioned Kris Elvidge, a local Stone Mason, himself a Yorkshireman, to engrave the stones that can be seen on the front and back of the college headquarters identifying the start and finish of the Capt Sir Tom Moore Walk. They also created 4 seating areas that surround a centre stone halfway along the main walkway taken by junior soldiers on parade day.
Through landscaper Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd, Johnsons donated two Magnolia ‘Double Diamond’ 200-250 110L trees and 50 Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ worth a total of £765 to the memorial at Army Foundation College Harrogate, where he was an honorary colonel.
The trees are among six planted by Junior Soldiers from the Army college in honour of Capt Sir Tom and to launch the Queen’s Green Canopy campaign across the country.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a tree planting initiative to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2021. People across the UK are being invited to ‘plant a tree for the jubilee’, with community groups and schools encouraged to take part from October, when the tree planting season begins.
Capt Sir Tom captured the nation’s hearts when he raised over £32m for NHS Charities by walking 100 laps of his garden during the first lockdown. He was born in Keighley but more recently lived in Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire.
He inspired millions when his saying ‘Tomorrow will be a good day’ trended on social media and became the oldest ever recording artist to reach number one when his duet of You’ll Never Walk Alone with Michael Ball topped the charts. On his 100th birthday, he received thousands of cards from well-wishers across the world, including the Queen and Prime Minister, and was honoured with an RAF flypast.
Eleanor Richardson, Johnsons of Whixley’s marketing manager, said: “We were delighted to be part of this fitting tribute to Capt Sir Tom Moore, who was a true inspiration. The donation is particularly fitting as the magnolia is native to Asia, where he served during World War II.”
Stuart Skelton, Director of Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd said “It has been an honour and a privilege to be involved in the Capt Sir Tom Moore Memorial, hopefully, this will continue to inspire future generations of Junior Soldiers”
Posted 15th Jul 11:34am
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In need of some late-flowering shrubs for your September projects? check out some of our favourites below from Abelia to Vinca.
Flowers: June – October (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, (subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: July-September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: poor or moderately fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil, fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.5m depending on the variety
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.45m depending on the variety
Soil: any but very dry soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Posted 24th Aug 9:43am
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In need of some autumn interest for your October projects? check out some of our favourites below from Cornus to Rhus.
Flowers: June – October (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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A bushy dense deciduous shrub with green leaves that turn to shades of strawberry red during autumn.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2m
Width: Up to 3m
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability)
Dark green leaves turn to a spectacular blazing scarlet colour during autumn and its summer flowers are replaced with orange-pink winged fruit which remains long after leaves have fallen.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to3m
Width: Up to 2.5m
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability)
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Known for its striking violet, bead-like berries that appear in autumn and remain after the plant has lost its leaves.
Position: Sun or dappled shade
Height: Up to3m
Width: Up to 2.5m
Soil: well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L, 10L ( subject to availability)
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Cornus are known for their coloured stems that are revealed when their leaves fall. Shades of red, yellow and orange stems are available.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability and the variety)
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An upright evergreen shrub with dark leaves and spiny branches. Vibrant yellow, red, and orange berries can be seen in autumn when little else is providing interest.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May
Height: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 3m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3LD, 5L, 10L, 20L + ( subject to availability and the variety)
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Berries appear on varieties such as ‘horizontalis’ and ‘Coral Beauty’ during the autumn period, in late spring- early summer they are filled with small creamy white flowers.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May-June (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
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Nandinas provide autumn interest when leaves turn shades of fiery red and copper.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: July (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 2m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 1.5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: moist, well-drained soil
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Bunches of bright red fruits are visible in autumn and three-lobed, dark green leaves turn to striking shades of red before falling.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: May – June (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 5m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
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An upright deciduous shrub or small tree with dark green leaves that turn to shades of orange-red in autumn before they fall.
Position: Full sun
Flowers: June – August (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 5m (depending on the variety)
Width: Up to 6m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
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Attractive dark red flower buds are produced in autumn and will be visible on the plant until spring when they burst into flower.
Position: Partial Shade
Flowers: April – May
Height: Up to 1.5m
Width: Up to 1.5m
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained acid or ericaceous soil
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Position: Full Sun
Flowers: March – April
Height: Up to 10m
Width: Up to 10m
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Posted 15th Sep 10:52am
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Not sure what to do in the garden this month? check out our July gardening reminders put together by Chairman and Horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Keep control of soft, fast-growing weeds such as thistles, they harbour aphids and other problems.
2) Now is the time to make yourself a good big compost bin, just before you really need it! Ideally, use 4 stakes as corners 1 metre apart in a square and staple wire netting (1 metre deep) around the square.
This affords easy entry when you wish to empty it, or it can be made bigger or smaller at will. If you would like a really permanent one, use pressure-treated plywood or boards instead of netting.
3) Treat shrubs that were cut back in the spring with a high Sulphate of Potash feed to encourage the production of flower buds for next year.
4)Prune shrubs grown on walls and pergolas to remove some of the top growth and further stimulate growth from the base of the plant.
5) Evergreen hedges can be clipped this month (and some deciduous ones), but ensure there are no nesting birds in the hedge or bush. Cut laurel and Eleagnus hedges with secateurs to prevent cut leaves.
In hot weather, spray newly planted container-grown hedge plant foliage with water as well as ensuring that the root zone continues to be kept moist.
6) Lift tulip bulbs after they have fully died down and store them in paper bags in a dry and airy place over the summer.
7) Keep hydrangeas well-watered, particularly those growing in containers, as they quickly show signs of drought, and it can be difficult to get them to fully recover.
8) Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning, and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble or liquid feed once per week and remove flower-heads that are going over.
9) Divide established clumps of bearded iris immediately after blooming and plant in the ground or in containers and keep moist. Discard the older exhausted rhizomes, and cut back the foliage of the new plants to approximately 12-15cm.
10) Now is the time to sort out your autumn bulb order, to give you maximum choice for next year. Bulb catalogues are now really helpful and a pleasure to look at. Planting early has benefits for almost all bulbs, but leave tulips until late November in order to prevent disease infection.
11) Remove spent rose flower heads and maintain spraying as necessary to combat greenfly, rust, mildew and black spot, as appropriate. Apply a summer rose feed in the middle of the month.
12) Take softwood cuttings of a range of shrubs by selecting healthy young shoots, the cutting s to be 5-8cm long with 2 leaves retained at the top of the cutting. Cut the base cleanly with a knife, just below a node (leaf joint). Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone and insert around the edges of a plastic pot in a very gritty compost and cover with clear polythene supported above the foliage. Among many ideal subjects would be Asters, Ceanothus, Cistus, Escallonia, & Hydrangea.
13) Keep a pair of secateurs in your pocket as you wander around the garden, being able to dead-head those flowers which have gone over will ensure a second flush of flowers in many cases.
14) Be sure to keep the bird baths topped up in the hottest of weather!
15) After the natural ‘June drop’ of many fruit trees, thin the remaining fruits to ensure the full development of the best trusses. Where branches are carrying heavy loads of fruit it is well worth considering support for the heaviest, particularly in the case of plums.
16) When Strawberries have finished fruiting trim back the foliage with shears and remove with any straw mulch which had been applied to protect and support the fruit. This waste can be composted.
In need of more hints and tips for your projects? check out our solution page by clicking here
Posted 6th Jul 9:30am
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We have continued our donation of hundreds of plants to Yorkshire charities as part of our centenary celebration.
We celebrated our 100th birthday this June and are marking our centenary year with a donation of plants to a different charity each month. The latest donation we made was to York Cares Big Community Challenge 2021.
The York Cares Big Community Challenge 2021 took place between the 9-30th June at Rowntree Park, with 17 volunteering sessions engaging more than 200 volunteers.
We worked in partnership with the City of York Council Environment and Communities Team and the Friends of Rowntree Park, to prepare the park for its centenary celebration this July.
York Cares has organised volunteers to clear and weed areas that have been affected by the floods. The volunteers will be replanting and starting the transformation of a part of the park into a new educational wildlife area, thanks to funding from Yorkshire Water.
Our donation of plants to the value of £200 has been used to revitalise the family picnic garden, which will host families and friends over the summer who go to enjoy the park.
The initiative is part of the York Cares Big Community Challenge 2021, where local businesses volunteer the services of their employees to transform a community space over the month of June.
York Cares aims to showcase the positive impact a green environment can have on health, wellbeing, and social inclusion.
Eleanor Richardson, marketing manager at Johnsons, said: “We are pleased to have donated £200 worth of plants for the Big Community Challenge in June, which will make a transformative difference to Rowntree Park.
“Many of us have benefited greatly from spaces like this throughout the pandemic so it is a wonderful opportunity to give something back while helping to celebrate both our own and the park’s centenary.”
Katy Elliott, volunteering support officer at York Cares Big Community Challenge, added: “We are incredibly grateful to Johnson’s of Whixley for their donation of plants which will make a real difference to one of the areas of the park.
Stu Small, Friends of Rowntree Park Gardener said: “Friends of Rowntree Park are pleased that Johnson’s was able to make a generous donation of plants to support our volunteer gardening programme. Like Johnson’s, Rowntree Park is also celebrating its centenary in 2021. The plants from Johnson’s have helped make an instant impact in our family picnic garden.”
Posted 6th Jul 10:01am
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In need of some flowering shrubs for your July projects? check out some of our favourite below from Convolvulus to Hebe and Vinca.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + (subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-July and usually again in September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L,10L (subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July-September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on the variety)
Soil: poor or moderately fertile, moist, well-drained neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (subject to availability)
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Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil, fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
????Flowers: May – October
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
???? Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
????Flowers: July – September (depending on varieties)
???? Position: Full sun
???? Height: Up to 1.5m depending on the variety
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 4L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
????Flowers: July – August (depending on variety)
???? Position: Full sun
???? Height: Up to 2m + (depending on variety)
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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????Flowers: April – September
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
???? Height: Up to 0.45m depending on the variety
Soil: any but very dry soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Interested in July flowering herbaceous for your planting plan also? click here
Posted 29th Jun 9:25am
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We were pleased to be crowned runner-up for the Yorkshire region at the prestigious Family Business of the Year Awards last week.
The virtual awards evening, which celebrates the best of British family businesses, was organised by Family Business United and took place on Thursday 24th June.
The UK’s leading supplier of safety products and services, Arco scooped up the Yorkshire Family Business of The Year title as well as Supreme Family Business of the Year 2021.
Three generations of the Richardson family work at Johnsons including Chairman John Richardson, Group Managing Director Graham Richardson and Directors Iain and Andrew Richardson. Also on the team are Tracey Richardson and John’s grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul, Shaun and Jonathan Richardson, who perform a variety of roles from Production Manager to Sales Manager.
We are incredibly proud to have made it to the finals alongside so many great family businesses and are over the moon to be crowned runner-up in our 100th year.
Congratulations to all winners, finalists and runners-up.
Posted 28th Jun 3:45pm
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Are you in need of some inspiration for your next garden project and after some flowering July herbaceous plants? check out some of our favourite varieties from Alstromeria to Helenium, Penstemon and Veronica.
Achilleas are a great addition to a mixed border or cottage garden in full sun – partial shade with flat-topped flowers that bloom from June – September with many cultivars and colours to choose from ranging from yellow to white and pink.
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L
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Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on the variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: May – June, August (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, humus, rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September (depending on the variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, preferably humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Humus, rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Most soils, except very dry or boggy
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: dry, well-drained, poor to moderately fertile soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – August
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 0.9m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, free-draining soil
Pot size: 2l, 3LD (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – October
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Any moist soil
Pot size: 2l (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – July
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m (depending on variety)
Soil: Cool, moist, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
For more ‘plantspiration’ head to our solutions section of the website here
Posted 28th Jun 11:32am
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We recently teamed up with Deacon Design and AWS Landscapes Ltd to supply thousands of plants and trees to create stunning landscaped gardens at a new care home in the heart of the Cotswolds.
A colourful array of more than 3,000 plants and shrubs, including magnolia, cherry and apple trees, and evergreen hedges, have been used to transform the grounds of Upton Mill Care Home in Tetbury.
In addition to the extensive gardens, the care home– part of the Porthaven Care Homes Group – offers residents the use of a cinema, gym, café, hair salon, activities lounge and even a private dining room.
Working with long-standing client AWS Landscapes Ltd and Landscape Architects, Deacon Design, we provided various plants and trees for the care home’s spacious grounds.
AWS Landscapes Ltd carried out the soft landscaping elements of the project which included planting several apple and magnolia trees, along with several Betula jacquemontii (Himalayan beech), Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’ (golden beech) and Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ (ornamental pear tree).
Colourful flowers such as Camellia japonica ‘Elegans’ and Clematis Montana ‘Grandiflora’ 10L along with grasses like Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ were included in the plant supply, that have enhanced the home’s outdoor communal areas.
Landscape Architects, Deacon Design, has worked closely with Porthaven Care Homes for many years. Since then, they have established an award-winning landscape design model that embraces Porthaven’s philosophy for the well-being of residents.
The new care home at Tetbury offers a landscape design with a series of communal garden spaces, including dining terraces, a formal lawn, chessboard and games area that allow residents, families, and staff to relax, socialise and exercise outdoors. Deacon Design’s approach includes private patio areas accessed directly from resident bedrooms and linked to a garden pathway that meanders through swathes of sensory planting.
The variety of spaces creates a positive sensory environment for residents and families to enjoy the gardens and benefits of horticultural therapy.
David Sowerby, Director of AWS Landscapes Ltd, said: “ This was a wonderful scheme to work on, and the design prepared by Deacon Design created a fantastic garden, which will be enjoyed by the residents for many years to come.
We chose Johnsons of Whixley, who we have used for many years now on our Nationwide contracts to supply the stock for this High profile site as the quality of the stock and the attention to detail given by our contact Andrew Barker is second to none, it is comforting to know that when we place an order with Johnsons everything will be dealt with efficiently and deliveries will always be on time.”
We have worked on similar projects previously, including a retirement village, Tattenhall, via Ashlea ltd.
Posted 22nd Jun 8:50am
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Congratulations to Tom Chilton, who has taken on the role of Roecliffe Assistant Manager as the previous Assistant Manager, Tony Tillet retired after 32 years.
Find out what he had to say about his new role below:
1.What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Managing the day to day running of the Roecliffe site and working with the team to produce great plants. It will also be great to see myself “grow” as a manager and further myself as a Horticulturalist.
2. What was your previous role within the company?
My main role within Johnsons has been on the production side of the company, I enrolled on the rising stars course soon after joining the company, and I have worked closely with Eric Buckby in the container unit potting shed, which I ended up managing for several weeks in his absence due to the Pandemic.
3.What do you enjoy most about working at Johnsons?
I have a general passion for plants. I have been around horticulture my whole life. The Johnsons community is also fantastic I have worked with so many great people here, the Richardson family make you feel very welcome, and I like the happy, upbeat environment in which we work.
4.What did you do before working at Johnsons? Where did you study?
Previous to Johnsons I worked for Summerfield Nursery at Poppleton, York. Summerfield grows a fantastic range of plants which they sell to the public and trade customers, I enjoyed my time there. I had worked there since I was 15. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for them. I studied Horticulture at Askham Bryan College in York.
5.What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy sport, including road/mountain biking and golf, and I have an allotment in which I grow exhibition vegetables and dahlias.
6. Tell us a random fact about yourself
At 21, I’m still a baby; I still can’t swim; no matter how much I try, I can’t do it!
Posted 17th Jun 8:33am
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We are proud to have sold around 220 million plants during our century of business.
Our family business was founded by war veteran Eric Johnson in June 1921 and was bought by John Richardson in 1964; it has been owned by the Richardson family since.
Notable projects include the Forth Road Bridge, HS1, Royal Parks, The Athletes Village at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, The National Trust, Studley Royal Gardens, a five-star hotel, Grantley Hall, and the UK’s largest science campus.
Founder Eric Johnson started the company with minimum assets and a small piece of land bearing a couple of dozen fruit trees. He went on to produce a range of vegetables, fruit and garden plants that he sold directly from the nursery.
After a year he took on his first employee and bought a model T Ford lorry. He began selling his stock from markets in Knaresborough and Otley markets while selling plants from home at weekends.
As the business continued to flourish, he took on more employees and began to import plants from Holland.
But the Second World War was a setback. Eric saw all but one of his staff join the war effort; he stopped growing ornamentals and concentrated instead on producing vegetables. He was given a commission with the Home Guard, with a platoon of 60 covering the area between Walshford Bridge and Skip Bridge along the River Nidd to Nun Monkton, back to Green Hammerton and the A1.
Towards the end of the war, Eric bought seven acres of land in Whixley and ER Johnson Nurseries, based at Cattal & Whixley, was born. The nursery cropped Brussels sprouts, marrows, roses, ornamental trees and shrubs to name but a few. The first large order was for 100,000 one-year seedling beech, sold to the Forestry Commission; they were all from one year’s crop and a single tree.
By 1964, when Yorkshire horticulturist John Richardson and his Scottish wife Dorothy took over, the company was producing 150,000 plants annually, many of which were seedlings of hedge plants and rhododendron ponticum. The business employed 11 full-time staff and had a turnover of £30,500.
John had spent much of his childhood on his grandparents’ market garden at Carlton, between Leeds and Wakefield. Aged 18, he went to Writtle College in Essex and completed a two-year college diploma in horticulture. Leaving college, John worked a full year for Willy and Robert Bean in East Yorkshire on intensive salad crops, while in his spare time he would grow rhubarb roots on borrowed land. He managed to sell the lot to the Bean brothers for £400 – a small fortune when the weekly wage at the time was just £6.50.
In September 1958 John moved to Surrey to work on the specialist market garden of FA Secret Limited for three years. He spent six months driving lorry-loads of produce from there to Covent Garden wholesale vegetable market. On his return journey, he would have to hand-load either five tons of spent hops from the Guinness brewery in north London or a consignment of horse manure from the Royal Mews, beneath Buckingham Palace.
He recalls: “On one occasion I was almost arrested as I drove down The Mall and through Admiralty Arch with a load of manure – lorries of any sort, particularly those full of manure, are not allowed down the Mall in front of the palace!”
By 1961 John had joined Fisons as the commercial representative for horticulture in Scotland, where he met Dorothy. The couple were married in 1962. John knew his heart lay in practical growing so was intrigued when his uncle, who owned a garage in the North Yorkshire village of Whixley, told him the owner wanted to retire. After a grand total of 16 trips from Scotland, the sale of the business was finalized and John was the proud new owner of Johnsons of Whixley.
Today, Johnsons has almost 200 acres of land and 120 employees, rising to 150 seasonally. The business sells between five and six million plants and trees each year. Despite the pandemic and Brexit, turnover for 2020 was £13.2m the second highest in the company’s history.
It remains a true family business, with 11 members of the Richardson family performing a variety of roles within the company. John, now 83, is the company chairman and still works a four-day week. His son Graham is the group managing director and makes the business’s overall decisions, with support from his brothers Iain and Andrew, who are directors.
John’s grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul, Shaun and Jonathan Richardson are all involved with the business, as is his daughter-in-law Tracey.
John said: “I always enjoyed physical work and growing things, so my life has been pretty ideal. There have been problems caused by things outside of our control, like the parks no longer buying directly from 1977, Dutch Elm Disease, COVID-19 and Brexit, but we have been able to survive them all so far.
“This has not been just my own doing but is thanks to the support of motivated and trusted colleagues who have run the different elements with such professionalism. It is with great pride that I have seen my sons continue to develop the business year on year, and now I watch my grandchildren take up the reins to the even further successful growth of the company.”
Posted 14th Jun 2:15pm
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Want to add colour to your garden projects this month? check out our guide to herbaceous varieties that are looking good this June from Achillea to Tradescantia.
Achilleas are a great addition to a mixed border or cottage garden in full sun – partial shade with flat-topped flowers that bloom from June – September with many cultivars and colours to choose from ranging from yellow to white and pink.
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Humus-rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L
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Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – June, August (depends on the variety
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, humus, rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, preferably humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L
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Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depends on the variety)
Position: Full sun -partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Humus, rich soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – August (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile, neutral to slightly acidic soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, free-draining soil
Pot size: 2l, 3LD (depending on variety and subject to availability).
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun- partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Any moist soil
Pot size: 2l (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1.2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L,5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
Pot size: 2l, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – July
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.4m (depending on variety)
Soil: Cool, moist, humus-rich soil
Pot size: 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May – July
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist but well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Please note the above plants listed are subject to availability and is not an exhaustive list of what is available, please contact your sales rep direct for specific requests.
Click here to view our list of June shrub plants that are looking good
Posted 14th Jun 9:51am
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Not sure what’s looking good in the plant world this month? check out our guide to shrub varieties that are looking good this June from Ceanothus to Spirea plants.
Ceanothus, also known as California lilac, is a vibrant genus of flowering shrubs. Renowned for their stunning blue or purple flowers, these plants are perfect for gardens and landscapes, adding a splash of colour in late spring to early summer. Ideal for dry, sandy soils, Ceanothus species support pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Flowers: May – June (depending on variety, varieties such as ‘Puget Blue’ start flowering in April, and others flower for longer than June)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 3m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Convolvulus cneorum is renowned for its striking appearance. The plant boasts silvery-grey, lance-shaped leaves covered in fine, silky hairs, giving the shrub a soft, shimmering look. During spring and early summer, the silverbush blooms profusely with white to pale pink, funnel-shaped flowers that have cheerful yellow centres. These blossoms create a beautiful contrast against the silvery foliage, making the plant a standout feature in any garden.
Flowers: May – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (subject to availability)
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Cistus, commonly known as rockrose, is a genus of flowering plants renowned for its vibrant and resilient nature. Native to the Mediterranean region, these hardy shrubs are a favourite in gardens for their showy, papery flowers ranging from white to deep pink, often with striking yellow or red centres. The foliage of Cistus species varies from glossy green to grey-green. Rockroses are exceptionally drought-tolerant and thrive in poor, well-drained soils, making them ideal for dry, sunny spots where other plants might struggle. Their ability to withstand harsh conditions, long blooming periods, and low maintenance needs make Cistus a popular choice for gardeners looking to add year-round interest and colour to their landscapes.
Flowers: June-July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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If you’re on the lookout for a hardy, beautiful shrub to brighten your garden, Deutzia might just be the perfect choice. Known for its profuse and eye-catching blossoms, this genus of deciduous shrubs is a true delight for any gardener seeking to add a touch of elegance and color to their landscape.
Flowers: April – June
Position: Full sun – partial
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Looking for a versatile, evergreen shrub that brings year-round interest and vibrant blooms to your garden? Escallonia might just be the plant for you. With its attractive foliage, colorful flowers, and hardy nature, Escallonia is a superb choice for gardeners seeking to add beauty and functionality to their outdoor spaces.
Flowers: June-July and usually again in September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Fuchsia plants are renowned for their stunning flowers, which are often bi-colored with contrasting sepals and petals in shades of pink, purple, red, and white. These flowers, resembling delicate ballerinas, hang gracefully from the branches, creating a spectacular display. Fuchsia foliage is typically green, but some varieties feature variegated leaves, adding even more visual interest.
Flowers: June-October
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, moist well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Halimium libanotis, commonly known as rock rose or Mediterranean sunrose, is a vibrant and resilient evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region. With its compact growth habit and silvery-green foliage, it adds a touch of elegance to any garden landscape. The plant bursts into bloom in spring and early summer, boasting cheerful yellow flowers that brighten up the surroundings.
Flowers: June-August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.5m
Soil: Well-drained soil
Pot size: 3L,10L (subject to availability)
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Hydrangeas are beloved flowering shrubs renowned for their stunning blooms and versatility in garden landscapes. With their large, showy clusters of flowers, hydrangeas add a touch of elegance and charm to any outdoor space. These deciduous shrubs come in a variety of cultivars, offering a range of flower colours, including shades of pink, blue, purple, and white, depending on soil acidity and cultivar type. Their blooms can also vary in shape, from mophead and lacecap to panicle varieties, providing gardeners with ample options for creative landscaping. Hydrangeas typically prefer moist, well-drained soil and partial shade, although some varieties can tolerate full sun. They are relatively low-maintenance plants, requiring regular watering and occasional pruning to maintain shape and encourage prolific flowering. Whether used as specimen plants, borders, or container plants, hydrangeas are sure to delight with their exquisite flowers and enduring appeal throughout the growing season.
Flowers: June-September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade (depending on variety)
Height: Up to 1.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil, fertile soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: June-September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: Fertile -well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
———————————————————————————————
Flowers: May – October
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m depending on the variety
Soil: moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 7.5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.5m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – July
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2.5m
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L ( subject to availability)
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Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 4m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 12L, 20L + (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: June – August
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.5m
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Flowers: May-June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m depending on the variety
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Pot size: 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L (depending on variety and subject to availability)
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Please note the above plants listed are subject to availability and is not an exhaustive list of what is available, please contact your sales rep direct for specific requests.
Click here to view our list of June herbaceous plants looking good
Posted 7th Jun 4:42pm
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During warm and drought weather, it can be hard to ensure plants are getting the water they need to survive. Read our guide on watering in dry weather below.
Drought (the definition for a gardener): drought is considered to occur in a garden when the soil moisture in the plant root zone is exhausted, and the plants wilt—a continuous period of 15 days when there has been no measurable rain.
Posted 3rd Jun 4:06pm
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Want to add fragrant plants to your garden project? has your client asked to surround the patio or decking area with fragrant plants? or do they want to add scent to their borders? Check out our guide to some of our favourite fragrant garden plants below.
Lavender plants have been used for thousands of years for their scent in the garden, including their use in essential oils with links to the Romans using it to perfume their baths. It has also been used for many years, dried out and put in small packets to freshen linen, closets and drawers.
Ideal for a pathway or patio pot flowering from July through to September, giving you months of fresh fragrance to enjoy.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Dependent on variety
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L and 10L pots (depending on variety)
A climbing plant famous for its smell which is often recognised in many perfumes. They prefer full sun and flower from June – August. Its dark green leaves turn to bronze come autumn. Add to a sunny positioned wall or fence near your front or back door.
Flowers: June – August
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 9m
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 5L, 10L and 20L pots (subject to availability)
While Syringa’s flowering period is short, its fragrance and bloom size makes up for it. Available in various colours, lilacs generally herald the beginning of warmer weather. Plant in a sunny well-drained spot for best results.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 5m (depending on variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L, 20L + pots. (subject to availability)
Highly scented white flowers sit above large glossy, rich green leaves come late winter – early spring. It is a great addition to a shady border or a shaded patio spot where you can smell it every day.
Flowers: Late winter-early spring
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5m
Soil: fertile, well-drained, moist soil
Looking for a scented cloud on your walk through the garden? Daphne aureomarginata is another fantastic fragrant plant that flowers from January until April. It is known for its pale pink flowers and thrives best in a sunny sheltered position.
Flowers: December – March
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 1.5m
Soil: fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soil
Some rose varieties, such as Rosa de L’hay, are known for their masses of heavily perfumed flowers rich purple in colour. It Would look great at the back of a shrub border and will flower from July to September.
Flowers: July – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 2.5m (depending on variety)
Soil: fertile, well-drained, moist humus-rich soil
Head to our solutions page for more hints and tips here
Posted 3rd Jun 11:14am
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Spring and early summer aren’t the only months where plants are in bloom choose from this selection of ‘late summer blooms’ for plants that go into late summer and beyond.
Choose Crocosmia varieties such as ‘Lucifer’ or ‘George Davidsion’ with funnel shaped flowers as bright as a red tomato, or as yellow as a lemon in ‘George Davidson’s case these plants flower from August to September. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ will work best in a sunny herbaceous border alongside other bold colours, like Achillea and will reach up to 1m tall.
Flowers: August- September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m tall (depending on variety)
Soil: Well drained, Hummus-rich soil
Available in 2L, 3L and 5L pots (depending on variety and availability)
Fantastic specimen plants ideal for a patio pot or mixed border in full sun – partial shade with some paniculata varieties flowering until October.
Flowers: July – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m tall (depending on variety)
Soil: Moist, well drained, Hummus-rich soil
Available in 3L, 5L, 7.5L and 10L pots (depending on variety and availability)
A great addition to the front of a sunny border and a great source of late nectar for pollinators flowering from August to October with pink flowers on top of grey-green succulent leaves.
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.45m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l and 3L pots (depending on variety)
Echinaceas are a firm favourite of butterflies with its fantastic daisy Iike, bright flowers and orange centres. Flowering from July to– September, it’s a must have for your late flowering border.
Flowers: July – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 1m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l and 3L pots (depending on variety)
Rudbeckia varieties such as ‘Goldsturm’ are a great addition to a late sunny summer border and will look great planted amongst ornamental grasses.
Flowers: August – October (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 075m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l pots (depending on variety)
Globes of trumpet-shaped blue flowers on straight green stems that will last until September. They look fantastic in a pot or summer border.
Flowers: July – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l pots (depending on variety)
Tall branching stems with clusters of lilac-purple flowers from June to September ideal for the front or middle of a border in full sun.
Flowers: June – September (depending on variety)
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 2m (depending on variety)
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2l pots (depending on variety)
Posted 2nd Jun 3:29pm
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With warmer temperatures and extra sunlight this month, there’s plenty to be doing in the garden, from mowing the lawn to trimming topiary and filling in your borders with herbaceous or bedding plants.
Check out our June gardening tips below, put together by Chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1)Continue mowing established lawns frequently. Raise the blades a little in parched weather. Treat with weed killer if necessary. Remember to water new lawns in parched weather. Consider laying paving as stepping-stones in areas of high wear.
2) Dead-head roses and other plants with a succession of flowers to ensure large blooms and a constant display through the summer. Cut rose stems back to an actively growing bud. Seversuckers from the rootstock by tearing them off, or if too large, cut with a very sharp knife as close to the stem as possible.
3) Complete the planting of hardy annuals, ensure they are well watered in and kept watered for the first month. Ensure that slugs and snails do not cause too much damage by removing them by hand or treating them with appropriate slug and snail killer.
4) Lightly clip box edging and topiary to remove wandering shoots. Remember to provide feed and water, particularly if they are growing in containers. Trim back the flowering growth of Erica carnea varieties and top dress with peat.
5) Check the borders for unexpected gaps and fill them with bedding plants or herbaceous plants, remembering to water them in the coming weeks!
6) Plant out young dahlias now the potential for frost is past. Keep well-watered and control greenfly. Apply a mulch to conserve moisture and reduce weeds.
7) Water containers whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Add a liquid feed to the water unless you have incorporated a long-release fertilizer earlier in the season.
8) Bright red lily beetles are already on the rampage again. Look for them on the upper surface of lily and Fritillaria leaves, where they take notches out of the leaves. They appear to move back down to soil level in the evening but need catching in daylight. They don’t fly, but any disturbance sends them falling back to ground level, where they remain with their black underside upwards. Eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves, and larvae live within a mound of their own frass.
9) Remove self-sown seedlings of ash and sycamore before they become too established.
10) Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings of cotoneasters, deutzias, fuchsias and philadelphus—root in a glasshouse or cold frame.
11) Reduce the number of floating plant leaves in the pond to allow light into the lower regions.
12) Tie in the soft young growth of raspberries, be careful not to break them off!.
13) Pinch out the growing tips of annual plants to encourage bushiness.
14) Sow winter pansies, primulas, violas and Brompton stocks under glass. Foxgloves and wallflowers can be sown outside in a weed-free area of the border to flower next year.
15) Earth-up main-crop potatoes and lift early potatoes when they have reached the size of a hen’s egg.
16) When watering greenhouse plants, spray a mist over benches, paths, and windows, and open doors and windows on hot days to help reduce the incidence of red spider.
17) Keep tying in the long shoots of climbing plants. Tie stronger stems to trellis or posts.
Posted 1st Jun 1:44pm
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We have donated hundreds of plants to Yorkshire charities as part of our centenary celebration.
We celebrate our 100th birthday in June and are marking our centenary year with a donation of plants to a different charity each month.
So far, we have gifted hundreds of plants worth more than £600 to Henshaw’s in Knaresborough, Hope Pastures, Leeds, York Teaching Hospital Charity and, most recently, the Blue Cross at Thirsk.
Plant varieties recently donated include a wide range of shrubs and herbaceous from Lavandula Hidcote to ‘Achillea’ new white 3L, and Digitalis dalmation rose 2L, Nandina Obsessed 5L, Paeonia ‘white wings’ 2L, Phlox Emerald cushion blue 2L, Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’ 2L and Vinca minor 2L.
Blue Cross Animal Welfare Assistant, Lyn Henderson said: “The team at Thirsk Blue Cross would like to thank Johnson’s of Whixley for their generous donation of plants for our site. It’s lovely that everyone who visits our centre will benefit from them and they are already creating a welcoming environment.”
Hope Pastures Sanctuary Manager, Leonnie Martin said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be chosen as the winning charity from Johnson’s of Whixley and the prize selection of plants was amazing. We have already installed some in our secret garden and we are using the others to create a peaceful piece of garden at the top of our site as a celebration of the people who leave us a legacy to help us do our work.”
The last year has been a challenge for many charities; people haven’t had the funds to donate like they usually would. It’s great to give something back to local charities and help their outdoor spaces bloom.
Posted 1st Jun 9:32am
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We are delighted to announce that we are now Plant Healthy certified.
The Plant Healthy certification scheme makes it easier to identify businesses that trade and grow plants to a high plant health and biosecurity standard. It reduces the risk of introducing/spreading destructive plant pests and protecting the horticultural industry, other cultivated plants and natural habitats.
Plant Health is important to Johnsons and many other nurseries for many reasons, such as protecting our woodlands from pests and diseases such as ash-dieback and oak Processionary Moth, to safeguard native flora and fauna from non-native pests and diseases.
Healthy plants are also fundamental for the creation of beautiful gardens and landscapes and are essential for life, making the oxygen we breathe and absorbing carbon dioxide. They are also essential for the food we eat and without them, we wouldn’t be here.
Head of Production and Procurement, Jonathan Whittemore, said: “We are acutely aware of our plant Health responsibility which is why our staff are appropriately trained, and our plant health systems are robust. Our recent Plant Healthy certification, shows we are a business that trades and grows plants to a high plant health and biosecurity standard—reducing the risk of introducing or spreading destructive plant pests and protecting the horticultural industry, other cultivated plants, and natural habitats.”
Click here to view our Plant Healthy certificate.
Posted 20th May 2:30pm
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Cottage style gardens are generally designed to include informal planting where the plants fill the air with beautiful scents; arches are filled with climbing roses, and borders full to the brim with a wide array of perennials and flowering shrubs.
Want to include cottage garden plants in your next garden design project? here are some of our favourites
1.Digitalis commonly known as foxgloves have been a cottage garden favourite for years with bell-shaped flowers available in an array of colours from pink to cream they are happy in a partial shade garden and are a favourite source of pollen for bees.
Flowers: June-July
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: moist, humus-rich soil
Available in 2L pots.
2. No cottage garden is complete without a Lupin, a popular choice for a traditional cottage garden with tapering spires available in shades of pink, purple, yellow, red and even mixed adding height to the back of a cottage garden border.
Flowers: June-July
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 1.2m
Soil: fertile, well-drained, sandy soil
Available in 2L pots.
3.Roses are a great addition to a cottage garden, and in particular, climbing roses would look fantastic against a trellis, pergola or the walls of a house with some varieties adding fragrance to your garden.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Dependent on variety
Soil: fertile, well-drained, moist soil
Available in 2L pots.
4. Lavender will add fragrance and colour to your cottage garden and will draw in the pollinators. A great addition to a path, or border. Place in a sunny, well-drained position for best results.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Dependent on variety
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L and 10L pots (depending on variety)
5. Geranium – A perfect plant doing well in partial shade to full sun, it’s great for underplanting or filling in any empty gaps in your border, adding beautiful purple flowers from June through to October.
Flowers: June – October
Position: Sun – Partial Shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil.
6.Hydrangeas are another firm favourite with varieties producing large clusters of purple, pink, blue or white flowers in early summer.
Flowers: July – August
Position: Sun – Partial Shade
Height: Depends on the variety
Soil: moist, well-drained, fertile soil
Other popular cottage garden plants include Alchemilla Mollis, Paeonia, Geranium, Phlox, Iris, Hollyhock, Dianthus, Delphinium and Heucheras. For more of our solutions click here
Posted 18th May 11:36am
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Summer is on its way as temperatures increase and days get longer, herbaceous plants start to emerge, and the grass is getting longer, there’s plenty to be doing in the garden this month, check out our latest hints and tips for May put together by chairman and horticulturist, John Richardson.
1)Thoroughly water newly planted trees and shrubs, a really good occasional soak is better than frequent small doses of water. A generally balanced feed in mid-May will help new plantings. A subsequent mulch of crushed bark or compost will help to retain moisture.
2)Tie in new growth of clematis, roses, climbing hydrangeas, honeysuckle and other fast-growing climbers.
3)Complete the planting of bare-root and root-balled hedging this month, and ensure that previously planted hedges have not been displaced by wind. Water in again if conditions remain dry.
4)Give a final clip to established privet, Ivy and Lonicera nitida varieties, and give topiary a quick trim if it is beginning to appear unkempt. Check for nest-building birds before clipping.
5)Slugs will be on the attack this month, control by picking off by hand or using a biological control such as ‘Nemaslug’ or chemicals based on ferric phosphate.
6)Plant up hanging baskets this month, but don’t place outside until the prospect of frost is over. Add a water-retaining gel and long release fertilizer for a good show!
7)Trim lawn edges frequently when dry to develop a firm edge to the lawn, which will not sink when walked upon.
8)If you did not apply a weed killer to the lawn this spring, use the grass mowings to mulch trees and hedge plants.
9)Pick off the flower-heads of Rhododendrons and Azaleas as they die back. The flower head will break off easily if bent over just below the old flower head. This encourages the new growth to develop and will be helped with a much of leaf-mould.
10)Plants should be staked before they become too big and start to flop. Methods to use include pea sticks, bending the tops across to form a canopy or use upright canes around each clump with twine tied around the canes, or wire netting supported by canes in a cylinder around tall plants or extra tall plants tied to canes of the ultimate plant size.
11)When the danger of overnight frost has passed, purchase your bedding plant requirements. It is a good idea to check when the local parks plant out their summer bedding as a guide
12)As the weather warms up, ensure that glass areas are shaded and open during the day. To maintain humidity, damp down the paths and other surfaces with a hosepipe.
13)Dahlias may begin to sprout in mild conditions under glass, don’t plant out until the possibility of frost is past. Consider taking cuttings of the first shoots.
Posted 30th Apr 3:02pm
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We are delighted to have been crowned as the regions 20th top business in our centenary year.
We have appeared in the York Top 100 Businesses report for four consecutive editions – but this year have moved into the top 20 for the first time. We are now at number 20, up from 47 in the 2019 list.
The list is compiled jointly by York Business School at the city’s St John University, Make it York and The Press newspaper.
Placings are calculated using an algorithm devised by York Business School that includes critical performance factors such as turnover, profit, growth and staff numbers.
Johnsons was founded in 1921 by World War I veteran Eric Johnson. The firm’s current chairman, John Richardson, took over the business in 1964. It is still run by three generations of the Richardson family, with 120-160 members of staff seasonally and a turnover of over £13 million.
The company supplies up to six million plants each year to major landscaping schemes across the UK and Northern Ireland with notable projects including The National Trust, Studley Royal Gardens, the Forth Road Bridge, luxury hotel Grantley Hall, royal parks and even the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Chairman, John Richardson commented: “This is an excellent achievement for our 100th year; we are extremely proud to have been crowned as York’s 20th leading business, alongside so many elite businesses in the region. Congratulations to everyone.”
Click here to view the full York top 100 publication
Posted 30th Apr 1:55pm
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Congratulations to Isaac Onions, who has now taken on the role of Plant Centre Sales Assistant.
Isaac joined Johnsons in May 2020 as an agency worker and was soon taken on full time as an outside cash & carry worker; before fulfilling this new role recently, below we asked him some questions:
1)What does your new role include? My new role will include processing customer orders, quoting and general front of house tasks such as answering the phone and scanning trollies.
2) What was your first job at Johnsons, and what did it involve? On my first day, I was outside weeding on the nursery. It was a sunny day so it was pretty fun.
3)What are you most looking forward to In your new role? I’m looking forward to a completely new challenge and it’s another step forward in the company.
4)What do you think the challenges will be? Learning the processes and trying to remember the plant names.
5)What have you enjoyed about your time at Johnson’s? I love the people that work here, everyone’s really friendly and there’s a nice atmosphere. In Cash and Carry we get sandwiches at the end of every month which gives us something to look forward to.
6)What do you like to get up to outside of work? I’m quite adventurous, I like going out hiking in the Moors, I even walked from Osmotherley to Saltburn a couple of years ago. I love running and I do MMA.
7)Favourite food? Chicken and jalapeños pizza
8)Favourite holiday destination? I like going back to Malawi to visit my family.
Cash & Carry Manager Alice Knowles said: “Isaac has been a great addition to our team since joining us and we are very much looking forward to him progressing his role in sales. He joins us at a busy time however he has already demonstrated great customer service to our customers who visit the c+c and when Hannah leaves will be competent in all aspects of sales.”
Posted 20th Apr 3:59pm
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We have helped a local Primary Academy connect with classmates in Africa as part of a British Council initiative.
The scheme, Connecting Classrooms, will see the Umar Bin Alkhatab Primary School in Sierra Leone work on a project on growth with Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy, North Yorkshire.
We donated more than 200 pots and sunflower seeds for the children at Tockwith to grow. Meanwhile, children at Umar Bin Alkhtab Primary will be growing trees as part of a national scheme in Sierre Leone, that aims to plant 3.8 million trees by June 2024.
The initiative aims to connect classrooms through global learning, equipping children with knowledge and skills whilst tackling issues such as climate change and gender equality.
The Yorkshire Primary Academy’s project has a dual purpose as it will symbolise the end of lockdown three and the growth the children will experience by being back amongst friends and staff.
As well as the donation of sunflower seeds and pots we have donated a Prunus Tai-Haku tree in support of BBC Countryfile’s Plant Britain campaign.
Headmaster at Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy, Justin Reeves, said: “We are grateful to Johnson’s of Whixley for their generous donation and for supporting us with our project. After this last year, it will be delightful to see our sunflowers shoot up, symbolising our growth coming out of lockdown. It is also fantastic to link this reciprocal project with our friends in Sierra Leone. ”
We will also be donating £1,800 worth of plants to local charities during 2021 as part of the business’s centenary celebration.
Posted 19th Apr 4:39pm
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We are delighted to announce that we are finalists in the Family Business of the Year Awards 2021.
Our family business will have the chance to scoop the Yorkshire regional and supreme champion titles for 2021.
We are incredibly proud of our identity as a family business and, in many ways, heritage and associated values which define what the company is today and how we operate.
Those values include absolute team spirit and a ‘workaholic’ attitude. The current managing directors all adopt a hands-on style and are just as likely to be found driving a truck, sweeping up or selecting plants as they are being seated at the board room table.
Three generations family business members who work at Johnsons include Chairman John Richardson, Group Managing Director Graham Richardson and Directors Iain and Andrew Richardson. Also on the team are Tracey Richardson and John’s grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul, Shaun and Jonathan Richardson, who perform a variety of roles from Production Manager to Sales Manager.
Family members are only a small proportion of the business, with 120-150 employees, many of whom have been with the company for 25 years + and have become extended family members.
Staff appreciation is ‘a mantra’ and we continually invest in small but regular rewards in the shape of ‘Extra Mile Awards’, seasonal vouchers, themed food events and on tap ice lollies throughout the summer. These are ongoing targeted ‘thank-you’s that compliment an annual financial bonus in the form of profit share and an attendance bonus. We believe that this is a successful strategy that is evidenced by our staff’s general satisfaction and a rolling 12-month pandemic absence level of only 1.3%!
Staff will also be given an additional day’s holiday this year in recognition of their hard work and dedicationn during their career.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said: “Winning this award would be a huge achievement, and what better year than on our 100th.
We look forward to attending The Family Business awards virtual ceremony, which will take place on June 24th. We would like to thank the judges and wish all finalists the best of luck. ”
You can find out about the history of our company here
Posted 15th Apr 9:22am
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This season has thrown up challenges like no other and increased demand is outstripping availability. Your understanding and patience are greatly appreciated but we ask that you help us, help you and observe the following shopping guidelines. With your help, we can provide a first-class service that meets our varied trade affiliates demands.
The first two quarters have seen Cash & Carry experience unprecedented demand and sales. We are currently tracking for a third straight record year with a 26% increase in sales (YTD) on last year, a 19% increase in customers and a 20% increase in transactions. We have grown significantly in the space of three years and are working from an ageing site, that has limited capacity and was never intended for its current use. In the near future, we hope to move to a new site but for now, we are constrained to the limitations of our current location.
Unfortunately due to the closure of nurseries in the first lockdown availability is much reduced and plant source is becoming very difficult. Demand is outstripping availability and we anticipate issues for a number of years ahead until production and site work has caught up. Brexit poses it’s own challenges and lead times have increased significantly due to regulations and checks.
We are currently navigating the above challenges and your support, understanding and patience is greatly appreciated. We ask that you help us, help you and observe the below guidelines to better improve your service.
£0-£250 spendFor any customer whose order is below £250 we ask that you lift the plants yourself off the beds here and take away with you on the day. We can on occasion hold your order if you need to call back with a van. We will hold for no longer than four days.
£250-£500 spend For customers who are spending between £250 and £500, we can quote for these orders and lift the plants. However, it would be appreciated if you can still lift some of the plants off cash and carry especially if you have seen the plants already and know you want particular specimens. These orders would not qualify for delivery; collection only, which can if needed, be held in our customer bays for a limited time.
£500 + spendAny order which has a value of over £500 can be delivered; by either our own transport (charges may apply). We will quote for these orders, lift and pack them for despatch. You can still lift the plants off the beds and take them away in your own vehicle if you wish.
Posted 13th Apr 3:52pm
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We have supplied thousands of plants to help restore the grounds of the historic Studley Royal water garden to their former glory.
The estate is just 18 miles from Johnsons’ HQ in North Yorkshire and is one of Europe’s finest examples of an 18th-century garden.
The planting is part of the National Trust’s long-term vision for the garden. The scheme involves planting thousands of Taxus baccata (yew), supplied by Johnsons, to replace overgrown and dying hedges. The work includes restoring all bosquets – formal plantations of trees and shrubs with growing space inside, designed to give the effect of an enclosed room.
Where possible, the aim is to help restore the garden with the bosquets providing an essential part of the structure recreating the experience visitors would have had on their visit during the 18th century.
Following his father’s death in 1741 William Aislabie became a tour de force creating gardens at Hackfall near Grewelthorpe and at Kirby Fleetham returning back to Studley periodically to enhance and extend his father’s garden. This work was to move into realms others could only dream of when William purchased the lands belonging to Fountains Abbey. By 1770 Studley Royal now including the ruins of the abbey became a ‘breathtaking’ experience. It was said after visiting that you had been ‘kissed’ by a genius.
Work to restore Aislabies’ yew bosquets has been ongoing since 1983; the hedges are part of one of England’s most spectacular water garden ever to have been built & survived with influences coming from earlier French, Dutch, Italianate gardens.
But before all of this situated in a secluded valley, Fountains Abbey was established by a breakaway group of Benedictine monks from St Mary’s Abbey in York in 1131. The abbey operated for 400 years and was prosperous, owning vast acres of land across Yorkshire, with sheep farming being a significant income source.
Michael Ridsdale, Head Gardener at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said: “Working with our local industries is key to the continuing success of the Yorkshire economy. Johnson’s and their former partners have been involved with this great estate for well over 50 years; locally produced stock is extremely important to us, even more so now as climate change is becoming a major issue for us all.
‘Keeping it local’ allows us to keep in constant contact with Johnsons; nothing can better for the buyer than being able to jump in the van and see how their stock is growing. We have a lovely relationship with all the staff at Johnson’s and it must be gratifying for them to be able to walk round the estate with their families and say we were part of that. “
Johnsons’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, added: “We feel privileged to be a part of more than 300 years of history. Since we were children, me & other members of our family have visited Fountains Abbey hundreds of times. The abbey’s past is genuinely fascinating and were excited to watch the hedging grow and flourish, returning the grounds to their former 18th-century glory.”
Find out more about the National Trust’s conservation work and donate via this link below www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountainsabbey
Interested in other projects we have supplied? click here to view our case study section
Posted 12th Apr 2:52pm
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Do you require hedging that will act as a deterrent? these hedging varieties offer a fantastic deterring method that will help keep human and animal intruders away. A great alternative to a wall or fence.
Prunus spinosa
A prickly native hedging plant covered in thorns, great as a mixed native hedge with bright white flowers in Spring followed by green foliage and sloes which appear in Autumn. (Great for making Sloe Gin if you get to the sloes before the birds)
Available as a bare root transplant at 40-60cm tall up to 200cm tall and in container pots after the bare root season.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3.5m
Soil: any soil (except water-logged sites)
Crataegus monogyna
A popular native hedging plant is known for its large thorns which can be seen after its green leaves fall in Autumn. It is also known for its white scented flowers which can be seen in Spring.
Available in bare-root sizes from 40-60cm up to 200cm tall and in container pots after the bare root season.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 10 metres
Soil: any soil (except water-logged sites)
Berberis varieties
Make a great intruder proof hedge due to its prickly foliage and are available in various colours and sizes as evergreens and deciduous varieties.
They are available In 2L and 10L pots.
Ilex aquifolium
A variety that is known for its spikey dark, glossy, green leaves which make it a great intruder proof hedging variety. Commonly known as Holly, this plant has an abundance of red berries during autumn and winter attracting birds to feast.
Available from a p9 pot up to a 20L.
Position: Full sun – Full shade
Height: Up to 12 metres +
Soil: normal, clay or chalk soils
Rosa canina
A prickly native variety that is fast growing with pale pink flowers in Summer. Bright Red rose hips come autumn, which are attractive to birds.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 2 metres +
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Pyracantha varieties
Known for their colourful berries available in yellow, reds and oranges which will last from Autumn through to Spring if left untouched by birds. Great against a back wall these Pyracantha will stop intruders. Available potted throughout the year.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 3 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Posted 26th Mar 12:12pm
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With spring officially here, it’s time to start making the most of your garden and landscaping projects with some of our favourite March flowering plants that are sure to add interest to your project this spring and beyond.
An evergreen shrub with year-round interest that will produce redbuds and clusters of soft pink flowers. Ideal for brightening up a part shaded area of the garden over winter and into spring when little else is flowering.
Flowers: Late November – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Available in 2L, 5L and 10L subject to availability.
This groundcover shrub is filled with blue-violet flowers right now that will last through to September. Vincas are great low growing ground cover plants that are great at suppressing weeds and great at the front of a border.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Flowers: Late March – September
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
An eye-catching evergreen shrub with generous pink-red bell-shaped flowers from March-May growing in full sun – partial shade it’s perfect in a large pot or on a patio.
Available in 3L and 5L pots subject to availability.
Flowers: March-May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
A striking spring-flowering plant which is smothered in golden blooms from March-April. A great addition to the back of a border or as an informal hedge.
Position: Full sun – Light Shade
Flowers: February – April
Available in 2L, 4L and 10L pots subject to availability.
Are you in need of some autumn/winter colour? Skimmia Rubella are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
Available in 2L, 5L, 7.5L and 10L pots subject to availabilty.
Flowers: March – May
Position: partial – full shade
A long-flowering semi-evergreen with narrow, grey-green leaves. This perennial produces spikes of purple flowers from late February to July and will make a great addition to a long flowering sunny border.
Flowers: February – July
Position: Full sun
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
Is filled with huge heads of yellow-green flowers with ‘bronze eyes’ from late March-May that tower above its bluish-green foliage. Great at the back of a sunny border.
Available in 2L pots subject to availability.
Flowers: Late March-May
Position: Full sun
Is a great addition to a small garden, it’s wiry twigs burst into life in March when buds open to display pale pink flower. It’s green leaves turn to glorious shades of red and orange in Autumn.
Flowers: March-April
Position: Full sun
Available in 3L, 5L and 10L pots subject to availability.
For further advise, hints and tips go to our solutions page here
Posted 17th Mar 10:50am
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Some plants can survive with only a few hours of sun a day, whether that be early morning or late evening. Shade can be caused by a number of reasons from buildings, walls, trees and of course, the gardens natural position. Below we have put some together a list of hedging varieties that can tolerate shade from Taxus to Ilex.
1.Taxus Baccata
A dark green evergreen hedging variety with needle-like leaves, ideal for your garden project’s shaded location, this variety is commonly known as ‘Yew’. It is a popular variety often used in stately homes grounds and private gardens. This hedging variety is easy to trim and can be used to create shapes for a statement feature or simply cut to create a clean line.
Red berries are seen come Autumn, which are loved by birds but harmful to humans, pets and livestock if eaten. This slow-growing variety prefers fertile, well-drained soil.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March (all sizes subject to availability)
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 20 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
2. Ilex aquifolium
A variety that is known for its spikey dark, glossy, green leaves which make it a great intruder proof hedging variety. Commonly known as Holly, this plant has an abundance of red berries during autumn and winter attracting birds to feast.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March (all sizes subject to availability)
Position: Full sun – Full shade
Height: Up to 12 metres +
Soil: normal, clay or chalk soils
3. Buxus sempervirens
Are a great low growing hedging plant that only requires clipping once or twice a year. Perfect for edging a path or border these hedging plants will only grow 10-20cm per year. Buxus is often used in a formal garden and is great shaped. Plant in partial shade for best results.
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Available in 1.5L, 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L +pot sizes and as cones and balls (all sizes subject to availability)
4. Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia
This plant is full of thick glossy green leaves with pale yellow splashes and is particularly popular in shady areas of the garden where little else will grow. A great plant to create a dense hedge.
Position: Sun – Full shade
Height: Up to 3 metres
Soil: Most soil types (except waterlogged or alkaline soils)
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes (all sizes subject to availability)
5. Prunus Rotundifolia
A vigorous, dense evergreen shrub suitable for almost all locations. Large, glossy green leaves make this a go-to plant above other Prunus varieties. Its density makes it ideal for screening for privacy, and it is a great barrier to noise and wind. Commonly known as laurel, this hedging variety grows up to 60cm per year and is relatively happy in most soil conditions.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as rootball and bare-root plants from November – March (all sizes subject to availability)
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – full shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist soil, do not plant in shallow chalk
6. 3. Elaeagnus x ebbingei
A tough evergreen shrub with dark green leaves with a silver speckle and attractive silver underside. This robust evergreen variety is ideal for a shady, dry, windy seaside site.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pots. (all sizes subject to availability)
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Soil: fertile, well-drained
Other plants to consider as shaded hedging varieties include: Berberis, Pyracantha and Leylandii.
Unsure how many you need to plant per m? check out our hedging guide here
Posted 12th Mar 10:20am
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In small gardens, most people favour a wall or fence, however, there are plants that can create privacy or a boundary without taking over too much room, here’s just a few of our favourite hedging plants for small gardens below.
1. Taxus baccata is a dark, evergreen low growing hedging plant that creates a dense screen in a garden they can be clipped back to keep a low formal hedge and will grow in sun to partial shade.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 20 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
2. Ilex crenata – This evergreen hedging variety is a great alternative to Buxus hedging, resistant to box blight and not prone to leaf scorch when pruned. It can be kept as a small neat hedge and would make a great addition to a path or border.
Flowers: May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Available in 2L and 5L pots and other sizes subject to availability
3. Lavender Hidcote – why not choose a lavender plant for a scented small hedge, Perfect for the edge of a path or small hedge at the front of a garden. This plant will also attract pollinators to your garden. Head to our pollinator-friendly plants guide for more bee loving plant varieties.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 0.6 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
4. Buxus sempervirens are a great low growing hedging plant that only requires clipping once or twice a year. Perfect for edging a path or border these hedging plants will only grow 10-20cm per year. Buxus is often used in a formal garden and is great shaped. (see our Buxus alternative blog post if you are concerned about box blight)
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
5. Euonymus ‘Jean Hughes’ is a fantastic dense, compact shrub that can be used in borders and hedging, a great new alternative to Buxus.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Sun- Partial shade
Height: Up to 1m
Soil: moist normal soil
6. Hebe ‘Red Edge’ – A small evergreen shrub that will make an attractive low hedging variety in full sun – partial shade.
Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Height: Up to 045m
Soil: moist, well-drained slightly alkaline soil
For more advise on plants for certain locations, head to our solutions page here
Posted 11th Mar 4:34pm
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Some projects and gardens arent always blessed with full sun positions, the good news is that there’s plenty of shade-loving plants that we supply from Vinca to Helleborus, see eight of our top-selling shade plants below.
Vinca Minor – A great low growing spreading ground cover with lavender-purple flowers flowering from April to September – great for suppressing weeds and great at the front of a border in partial shade.
Flowers: April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.2 metres
Soil: Very dry soil
Available in 2L pots.
2. Hostas do great in partial shade and thrive in damp soil conditions but be sure to keep the slugs and snails away which create holes in the leaves. The darker the foliage of the hosta the better it will do in the shade.
Flowers: July-August
Position: Partial or full shade
Height: Up to 1m (depends on the variety)
Soil: moist, well drained soil.
Available in 2L and 5L pots.
3. Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ – Great to add a splash of colour at the end of summer into mid-autumn. These Anemone will flower from August to October and grow up to 120cm tall. Best at the back or the middle of a border.
Flowers: August – October
Position: Sun – Partial Shade
Height: Up to 1.2m
Soil: moist, well drained soil.
Available in 2L, 3L and 5L pots (subject to availability)
4. Geranium Rozanne – A perfect plant doing well in partial shade to full sun, it’s great for underplanting or filling in any empty gaps in your border, adding beautiful purple flowers from June through to September.
Flowers: June – October
Position: Sun – Partial Shade
Height: Up to 0.6m
Soil: fertile, well drained soil.
Available in 2L, 3L and 5L pots (subject to availability)
5. Ferns – Not only are ferns low maintenance, but they also thrive in a shady spot. Try Dryopteris filix-mas or Polystichum setiferum for your shady planting plan.
Position: Partial Shade
Height: Up to 1m + (depending on variety)
Soil: moist, rich soil
6. Brunnera Jack Frost – I absolutely love the silvery foliage of a Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. They would look great next to tiarellas, heucheras and ferns. Plant at the front of your shady border.
Flowers: April-May
Position: Partial Shade
Height: 0.4m
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist soil
7. Helleborus – A great winter/spring addition to your shaded spot in a garden that will provide a much-needed source of pollen for bees and butterflies once they come out of hibernation.
Flowers: January – February
Position: Partial shade
Height: Up to 0.3 metres
Soil: Neutral to alkaline soil
Available in 2L pots.
8. Astrantia – Are a great addition to a shaded area of the garden including under trees or in a shaded border.
Flowers: June to August
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.75 metres
Soil: Fertile, moist, humus rich soil
Available in 2L pots.
Head over to our solutions page for more of ‘The Growers Choice’ here
Posted 11th Mar 3:16pm
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With the decline of bees and butterflies, we thought we would share some of our favourite pollinator-friendly plants and trees for spring, summer and autumn along with some tips.
Tips
In a warmer spring, butterflies and bees start emerging from their autumn/winter hibernation and rely on pollen and nectar to survive. These trees and plants are pollinator-friendly for this specific season:
Helleborus (Christmas rose) – a great winter/spring addition to your shaded spot in a garden that will provide a much-needed source of pollen for bees and butterflies once they come out of hibernation.
Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ – this plant is found covered in bees during early spring. Their bright yellow flowers appear from November to March and are happiest when placed in full or partial shade.
Apple and crab apple trees – these trees rely on pollinators, without them, the trees would not bear fruit. The beautiful blossom from these varieties, such as Malus Domestica, provide a much-needed spring feast for bees.
Salix caprea (Goat/ Pussy willow) – another one that is hugely important to providing an early source of pollen for pollinators is this tree thanks to its golden catkins that come out in March. A popular variety for queen bees, and mining bees.
Crocus – Bumblebees are often seen not only collecting the pollen but sheltering inside the flower overnight.
Moving into the summer season, these plant varieties are great options for pollinators to use during the warmer months of the year.
Echinacea’s (coneflower) – a great option for bees and butterflies as they pump out as much nectar in the morning as the afternoon, unlike other plant varieties.
Buddleia (butterfly bush) – the clue is in the name with this one as this really is covered in butterflies come June a great addition to a sunny border.
Lavender – an obvious (and popular) one as it has been loved by pollinators for hundreds of years. Place it in a sunny, dry and well-drained position.
Digitalis (foxgloves) – its bell-shaped flowers are very popular with bees, especially the bumblebee. Plant these in dappled shade for it to grow well.
Geraniums – this plant has a long blooming season which makes it a great addition to the garden for bees. Choose varieties such as Geranium Johnsons blue that will flower through to September.
Verbena – a plant that produces lots of nectar from July to October, they are loved by hoverflies, butterflies, bees and even dragonflies – a great addition to the middle or back of a border.
Salvias – Salvias are a real magnet to bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds with some varieties flowering from late spring through to Autumn, a great source of nectar for pollinators.
Escallonia ‘Pink Elle’ – Last summer our Escallonia ‘Pink Elle’ were full of butterflies from June through to August. Escallonia’s not only looked great in summer but their dark glossy foliage looks great throughout the year.
Moving into the colder end of the year for a change of seasons brings another round of trees and plants that are great for pollinators in the autumn.
Sedum Autumn Joy – this will flower from late summer into early autumn where they are frequently visited by butterflies and bees.
Hedera (Ivy) – this is vital in helping to aid bees in the late season with its mature plants flowering in October and November.
Anemone Honorine Jobert – an option that will not only brighten up that shaded part of your garden but a favourite of bees as it flowers from August to October.
Heptacodium miconoides – with clusters of white flowers, this tree provides a great source of pollen from September to November when other varieties have stopped flowering.
Posted 11th Mar 1:30pm
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Ground cover plants are a great addition to open landscapes and gardens of all sizes by filling in gaps and brightening up bare patches beneath trees. Here’s a list of some of our favourite groundcover plants.
Alchemilla Mollis
Show off their rounded light green leaves with green-yellow small flowers. It thrives positioned in full sun or partial shade, growing up to 1.5 metres. Flowering from June to September, it is an easy-to-use perennial making it a favourable option for ground cover in borders.
Flowers: June – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.6 metres
Soil: Hummus-rich soil
Available in 2L and 5L pots.
Vinca Minor
One of our favourite ground cover plants is the evergreen Vinca Minor. It is well-known for its capability in ground-covering flaunting its star-like blue flowers which can be seen from April to September. Planting the Vinca Minor in very dry soil exposed to full sun or partial shade will allow them to flourish.
Flowers: April – September
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.2 metres
Soil: Very dry soil
Available in 2L pots.
Persicaria ‘Darjeeling Red’
Is a semi-evergreen perennial, well-known for its crimson upright flowers. It can be seen in the Autumn months from September to November, growing up to half a metre tall. For best results, soil moisture must be moist but well-drained.
Flowers: September – November
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 0.5 metres
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Available in 2L and 5L pots.
Waldsteinia Ternata
Is a semi-evergreen perennial with yellow flowers standing out against their dark green foliage. They work well alongside a path or when used for edging a border under a tree or banking. Flowering in Spring and Summer, they will require full to partial shade in most types of soil.
Flowers: April – June
Position: Full shade – partial shade
Height: Up to 10cm
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Available in 2L pots.
Cornus Canadensis
Also known as Creeping Dogwood, blossom white flowers in late Spring to early Summer followed by clusters of bright red berries in Autumn once the flowers have faded. They are best grown in full sun to partial shade.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 10cm
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Available in 2L pots.
Hedera Hibernica
An evergreen, climbing plant which thrives in most soil types and can be used for ground cover once the shoots are pinned down. It is fast-growing so will require more attention than other ground cover varieties to stop them from growing out of control.
Flowers: October – November
Position: Full sun – full shade
Height: Up to 10 metres
Soil: Alkaline moist but well-drained soil
Available in 2L pots.
For further solutions for your garden head to ‘the growers choice’ section of our website here
Posted 8th Mar 3:45pm
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This week is National Careers Week so we decided to question a few of our existing staff members about their careers at Johnsons, see what they had to say below.
Mick Huby
1)What was the year you started at Johnsons? I started on the 15th June 1976, First job was hoeing conifers at Cattal with Bill Beasley, Harry Kettlewell, Eric Crowl and Jim Bryon.
2)What has made you stay here all these years? Still like the different challenges of growing new stock and seeing the good results. I like working outside. No one day has been the same and the friendships I have made with the other people who work here.
3))How has Johnson’s supported you in your career? From starting straight away from school way back in 1976 I have been helped and backed all the way by the company right the way through my apprenticeship and college years. I have been on many courses over the years from ploughing fields, grafting trees up to NVQ and management training. They have also sent me on nursery visits not only in the UK but to growers in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany and Italy to help gain further knowledge on how the business works.
4)What makes Johnson’s a good employee? I think that even though the company as grown so big over the years it is still a family run business and because of that reason, it cares for its staff as one big team.
5)How has Johnson’s supported you in your career? From starting straight away from school way back in 1976 I have been helped and backed all the way by the company right the way through my apprenticeship and college years. I have been on many courses over the years from ploughing fields, grafting trees up to NVQ and management training. They have also sent me on nursery visits not only in the UK but to growers in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany and Italy to help gain further knowledge on how the business works.
Claire Horner
How many years have you been at Johnsons? Nearly 22 years. I started work in the summer of 1999, I remember because it was the summer when we has a total solar eclipse.
1)What do you enjoy most about Johnsons? The thing I enjoy the most about working here at JOW is that there are never two days alike. It’s certainly not boring.
2)How have Johnsons supported you? JoW has supported my career by providing access to training courses and arranging meetings with other growers in the UK and in Europe. This has helped me have a greater understanding of the ways a nursery works and how to manage people.
3) What’s your proudest career moment? For me, my proudest career moment is being part of a really successful cash and carry team, which is going from strength to strength. I feel I belong to this team and think that what we achieve together is greater than any individual success.
My greatest personal achievement would be meeting my husband here at work. It was love across the muddy trenches; we met while working with the field-grown trees one winter; that was 18 years ago.
4) How do Johnsons show their appreciation? I love all the special days we have which are oriented around foody treats. From fish and chips to our month-end butties, it may not seem like much but these treats are what make me feel appreciated.
Tom Watkins
1)Length of service? Coming up to three years
2)What do you enjoy most about being employed by Johnsons?
I have always got great satisfaction from growing plants; understanding plant biology, refining plant husbandry techniques and experimenting with different IPM strategy. Being employed by Johnsons has allowed me to home in on these skills. With each day comes different challenges and obstacles to overcome, which allows for a steep learning curve.
3)How have Johnson’s supported you in your career?
I have always been given help and advice from the experienced members of staff that work for Johnsons. Any queries I have had have been met with a willing and helpful response. From this, my knowledge has grown considerably. On the other hand, any ideas I have had for trials or projects have always been supported.
The company has also given me the opportunity to work with one of our Dutch young plant suppliers. This was a great experience for me as it allowed me to understand the importance of building a good relationship with other companies that we do business with, as well as being able to work with highly skilled growers and improve my knowledge of young plant production.
4)How does working at Johnson’s compare to previous jobs you’ve had?
Every company is different, and the fact that Johnsons is a family run business has been reiterated by the ethos of the company. I have always felt that everyone I have worked with has been willing to get stuck in together to get each task done. Help is always there when needed and, although the company is split into several departments, we all sing from the same hymn sheet.
If you are interested in a career at Johnsons, keep an eye out for new positions on our careers page, or click here
Posted 4th Mar 2:58pm
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We have notched up another impressive plant supply during our 100th year, teaming up with Whiting Landscape ltd to enhance outdoor areas at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Europe’s leading science campus.
The Oxfordshire-based science, innovation and technology campus is the size of a small town and occupies over 700 acres. More than 200 organisations are based there; it is home to a scientific community of more than 6,000 people.
Many global firsts have been achieved at the campus, including the discovery of the world’s largest prime number, the building of Europe’s first energy-producing fission reactor and the first transistorised computer.
The UK’s first Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) is a recent ground-breaking addition to the site.
Harwell is now looking to expand, adding millions of square feet of new buildings, additional public areas and campus amenities – consolidating Harwell as one of the fastest-growing sites dedicated to science and technology in the UK. At 48,000 sq. ft, Zeus is the latest building on campus to reach practical completion.
Landscape construction and maintenance firm Whiting Landscape Ltd has been responsible for the soft landscaping package across new areas of the site, such as the area surrounding Zeus since 2016 with further work still ongoing.
We have supplied thousands of plants across the campus including more than 4,000 to enhance the grounds of the Zeus building, a multi-occupancy R&D, laboratory, office and engineering hub. Varieties include Vinca minor, Polypodium vulgare, Ajuga reptens, Carex pendula and Hypericum androsaemum.
Outside space around the Cobalt building has been improved by the planting of more than 5,000 plants and trees, including varieties such as 114 Pinus Mugo’ Mops’, 337 Fagus Sylvatica, 373 Rubus ‘Green Carpet’ and 205 Mahonia ‘Apollo’.
Kevin Jarvis, buyer for Whiting Landscapes Ltd said: “Whiting Landscape have enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Johnsons of Whixley for the past 40 years. This relationship continues to flourish and is based on the quick response offered at the tender stage through to the flexible and supportive approach at the point of delivery. With future development opportunities at Harwell we look forward to working alongside Johnsons to offer the client the best in terms of value and quality available to the market.”
We are no stranger to campus plant supply, having worked with a number of universities including the Cambridge Medical Campus, Inverness Campus, University of Hull Campus, University of Newcastle Campus and Sheffield Hallam Campus.
Posted 2nd Mar 10:08am
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March Garden Reminders
Spring is on the way and by mid-March it will be light until 6 pm, allowing additional time for garden tasks. check out this month’s hints and tips put together by our chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Prune decorative Cornus and Salix to within 5cm of the old shoots to encourage next year’s coloured winter stems. Don’t prune ‘Midwinter Fire’ types too hard.
2)Use sharp shears to trim winter-flowering heathers as flowers fade away, trim to just below the bottom flowers.
3) Arrange to plant summer flowering bulbs when planting condition is good. (Our cash & carry have a great range in-store at the moment)
4) Finish pruning perennials that have not yet been cut back, don’t remove new green shoots. It is still time to lift and divide large herbaceous clumps. Re-plant or give away the outer sections of the clump and destroy the centre of the plant.
5) Wait until Laburnums and Hawthorn are in full flower before planting out tender plants such as dahlias, begonias, fuchsias and pelargoniums.
6) Hellebores are now very popular, lift seedlings around parent plant and pot up.
7) Start preparing window boxes, always starting with new soil or compost. Pot up using hardy annuals by the end of the month, tender annuals should not be planted until all possibility of frost is past.
8) Forsythia will be in full flower this month. As the flower goes over, reduce older woody shoots by 25% and give a good much to ensure growth during the summer.
9) New shrubs and herbaceous plants can be planted when soil conditions are good.
10) Finish pruning soft fruit bushes by mid-month and give a high nitrogen feed.
11) Lawns may require the first light cut towards the end of the month. Ensure that you brush off worm casts beforehand to prevent dulling the mower blades, and it may well, be worth-while not collecting the cutting so that a light mulch is left on the lawn.
12) Apply a spring dressing of fertilizer high in nitrogen, medium potash towards the end of the month.
13) When daffodils have flowered, remove dead heads to conserve energy.
14) Prune strong growing Buddleias down to about 45cm for a good show by summer. Prune to 60-80cm for a denser but weaker overall growth.
Check out our gardening calendar for further hints and tips here
Posted 2nd Mar 9:44am
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Evergreen hedging provides leaf cover 365 days of the year, providing a natural screen to bring privacy and structure to your landscaping project.
We have a wide range of evergreen hedging plants available, from Prunus rotundifolia to Cupressus Leylandii. Our selection of evergreen hedging plants includes colourful foliage to fast-growing varieties.
See a selection of our favourite evergreen hedging varieties below.
Photinia ‘Red Robin’
A versatile evergreen shrub that can be used for hedging, trained against a wall and even used as a ½ std tree once trained. It is happy in most fertile soils, in either a sunny or shaded position. If you wish to encourage its strong red growth and more flowers, it will be better planted in a full sun position. White flowers appear by April and into May once the plant is better established. We have found Photinia ‘Red ‘Robin’ to become ‘leggy’ over time if it is not properly maintained and left to run away with themselves, they can grow up to 4m tall and up to 4 m wide.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
Flowers: April – May
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 4 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Prunus Rotundifolia
A vigorous, dense evergreen shrub suitable for almost all locations. Large, glossy green leaves make this a go-to plant above other Prunus varieties. Its density makes it ideal for screening for privacy, and it is a great barrier to noise and wind. Commonly known as laurel, this hedging variety grows up to 60cm per year and is relatively happy in most soil conditions.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball and bare root plants from November – March
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – full shade
Height: Up to 5 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist soil, do not plant in shallow chalk
Taxus Baccata
A dark green evergreen hedging variety with needle-like leaves, ideal for your garden project’s shaded location, this variety is commonly known as ‘Yew’. It is a popular variety often used in stately homes grounds and private gardens. This hedging variety is easy to trim and can be used to create shapes for a statement feature or simply cut to create a clean line.
Red berries are seen come Autumn, which are loved by birds but harmful to humans, pets and livestock if eaten. This slow-growing variety prefers fertile, well-drained soil.
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
Flowers: April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 20 metres
Soil: well-drained, fertile soil
Prunus Lusitanica
Also known as Portuguese laurel, boast luscious dark green glossy leaves on deep maroon stems with small, fragrant white flowers in the summer which are loved by pollinators and red berries in the autumn which are very popular with birds.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 15 metres
Soil: well-drained, moist soil, do not plant in shallow chalk
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes and as a rootball from November – March
Cupressus Leylandii
Is one of the fastest evergreen hedging varieties that can grow up to 3ft per year with its eventual height reaching up to 12m. Great as a windbreak, general barrier and for noise reduction. Regular clipper in summer and autumn can help achieve a dense formal hedge.
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 12 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes
Grisellina littoralis
A great hedging plant for a seaside retreat with large glossy, apple green ovate leaves. Grow in moist well-drained soil in a sheltered sunny spot for best results.
Position: Full sun
Height: Up to 12 metres
Soil: well-drained soil
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L, 10L + pot sizes
Not sure how many hedging plants you need per meter? head over to our hedging guide here
Posted 24th Feb 2:44pm
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We are pleased to have donated £150 worth of winter interest plants to Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough.
As part of our nurseries 100-year celebration, we are giving away 12 donations in 2021 to charities across the Yorkshire region.
Lucky winner Henshaws provides vocational training, including art and horticulture workshops, for people with a wide range of both learning and physical disabilities.
Plants donated by us include Hamamelis, Skimmia, Sarcococca and Helleborus. The plants will be used in the sensory garden and other prominent places around the Centre, bringing a splash of colour for the art makers and staff currently attending to enjoy, and visitors too once the Centre is able to reopen to the public safely.
Henshaws Fundraising Manager, Gemma Young, said: “We were so pleased to hear Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre were the first winners of this brilliant Centenary Charity Giveaway and can’t wait to see the blooms in their new home! Lorna and her team at Johnsons of Whixley were instrumental in the creation of the beautiful sensory garden at the Centre a couple of years ago, and their continued support means such a lot to the community here”.
2020 was a challenging year for many charities, including Henshaws, who rely heavily on donations to survive. It’s great to support Henshaws once again, we hope our plants spread cheer amongst staff, students and visitors for many years to come. This is just one of 12 donations throughout the year.
We have donated thousands of plants over the years; at the start of the pandemic in 2020, we donated hundreds of plants to local villages. Other donations include a cash donation of £5,000 to restore their village church stained glass window and a donation of over £800 worth of plants to the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford.
Posted 18th Feb 12:58pm
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We have had to stop supplying plants to Northern Ireland after new Brexit restrictions came into play in January.
Before Brexit, we sold half a million pounds worth of plants a year to Northern Irish customers, but new and impractical restrictions have put a wedge between long-standing trading relationships.
The new legislation stops nurseries like us supplying Rootball, Bare Root and Container plants into the EU and now Northern Ireland. Plants which originate from a bare root young plant, or those that have had any contact with the soil, even if container-grown, are considered a risk due to the likely legacy of soil residue which has the potential to carry pathogens or nematodes.
While not impossible, soil residue removal is impractical and would defeat the object of rootballing and containerisation.
Long-standing customers of Johnsons and many other nurseries are left with no choice but to go directly to EU suppliers as there are no restrictions on a legacy soil residue between EU members or affiliates in the guise of Northern Ireland.
Johnsons Head of Production and Procurement, Jonathan Whittemore commented:
“This legislation penalises UK growers and gives an immediate competitive advantage to EU suppliers who may go on to monopolise supply into an existing part of the UK at the expense of our business and the wider industry.”
“The Brexit ‘project’ was meant to reduce red tape and bureaucracy and was surely not intended to penalise UK Suppliers and active Northern Ireland/UK customers. The restriction was designed to protect the wider EU Flora and Fauna, under this scenario there is ‘nil’ risk to the EU from Johnsons traditional supply into NI be it from our own production or ironically imports sourced in the EU and supplied into NI!”
Click here for further details regarding plant health and growing media
Posted 2nd Feb 1:02pm
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Centenary Charity Giveaway – 12 plant donations up for grabs throughout 2021
We are marking our centenary with a competition where 12 lucky Yorkshire charities will have the chance to win a plant donation worth over £150 each.
At the end of each month in 2021, Johnsons will be giving away £150 worth of seasonal plants to a Yorkshire-based charity.
To nominate a Yorkshire charity or enter your Yorkshire charity comment on this post or email marketing@nurserymen.co.uk quoting ‘Centenary Giveaway’ commenting on where this donation would be planted and why you deserve to win.
Please read the full terms and conditions listed below before applying:
March terms and conditions
Posted 31st Mar 1:11pm
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Centenary Charity Giveaway – 12 plant donations up for grabs throughout 2021
We are marking our centenary with a competition where 12 lucky Yorkshire charities will have the chance to win a plant donation worth over £150 each.
At the end of each month in 2021, Johnsons will be giving away £150 worth of seasonal plants to a Yorkshire-based charity.
To nominate a Yorkshire charity or enter your Yorkshire charity comment on this post or email marketing@nurserymen.co.uk quoting ‘Centenary Giveaway’ commenting on where this donation would be planted and why you deserve to win.
Please read the full terms and conditions listed below before applying:
February terms and conditions
Posted 18th Feb 2:08pm
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Centenary Charity Giveaway – 12 plant donations up for grabs throughout 2021
We are marking our centenary with a competition where 12 lucky Yorkshire charities will have the chance to win a plant donation worth over £150 each.
At the end of each month in 2021, Johnsons will be giving away £150 worth of seasonal plants to a Yorkshire-based charity.
To nominate a Yorkshire charity or enter your Yorkshire charity comment on this post or email marketing@nurserymen.co.uk quoting ‘Centenary Giveaway’ commenting on where this donation would be planted and why you deserve to win.
Please read the full terms and conditions listed below before applying:
January terms and conditions
Posted 29th Jan 10:44am
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An investigation conducted by the British Association of Landscape Industries has revealed shortages of trees and shrubs are behind price increases within the industry.
Last week one of BALI’s Board Directors contacted BALI regarding the current availability of trees and shrubs. He advised stock of a wide range of planting material both in UK and Europe has become limited. Native trees and shrubs are most affected and, where they are available from suppliers, prices have increased significantly in a matter of a few months.
Having now spoken to several nurseries and wholesalers in the UK and Europe, BALI can confirm the issue and the potential to affect landscape contractors and specifiers if it has not already done so.
There are several reasons for this shortfall, some of them obvious and others less so. While COVID-19 and Brexit are contributory factors, they are less important than a widespread increase in demand for planting material, together with historic events to which the industry has little control.
The age of conspicuous concern for the environment has arrived. The negative impact of human activity on the planet is now being recognised by the public and, more importantly, forcing leaders around the globe to respond with initiatives that seek to tackle the problem.
Caring for the environment and human activity are not mutually exclusive, which means many projects now include extensive environmental elements. Whether to offset the carbon used in manufacturing, to screen a new motorway junction or mitigate habitats lost to the construction of the HS2 corridor, the environment has become a bargaining tool and plants the very latest currency.
Tree planting is a particularly popular venture. From large infrastructure projects to the government or charitable initiatives and local authority schemes, large scale tree planting is gaining traction. Due partly to the role trees can play in offsetting carbon emissions, governments the world over have set high targets for tree planting. In the UK alone, the government has set a target of establishing 30,000 ha of new woodland in England by 2025 and planting 11 million trees by 2022. HS2 is responsible for planting up to 7 million trees and even the BBC One Show aims to plant 750,000 trees during the next 12 months.
Predictably, global restrictions on movement during 2020 led to attention being turned to domestic gardens and public open spaces. BALI’s own 2020 trade survey revealed that, despite the financial and societal pressures of COVID, domestic spending on gardens – either on mail order or overall garden projects – increased significantly. In the case of mail-ordered materials, most BALI members recorded a record number of domestic sales.
If providing sufficient volumes of material for the burgeoning number of tree planting projects isn’t hard enough, suppliers are faced with many other issues which have been compounded in the last few years. Increasing demands on the material would put even the most robust supply chain under pressure, but growers have had many other pressures to deal with.
Between 2008 and 2013 the world was plunged in a recession. This period of fiscal austerity had an impact on growers in England and Europe, many of whom scaled back propagation and growing because of reduced demand and lack of capital. Fast-forward 10 years, and while growers have now invested in propagation and growing ventures, the recession has created gaps in stocks of planting material which is having repercussions for specifiers seeking the largest specimens for their project.
More recently, COVID has had an impact on the production of planting material. From shortages of labour to physically lift material from fields to missing deadlines for potting and planting stock last year, the pandemic has hampered most production operations to some extent. This has meant that lower numbers of material has been presented to market during the past 12 months, and is likely to be limited while the pandemic has a grip on the health of the global population.
Last but by no means least, large numbers of plants were purchased towards the end of 2020 and stockpiled to ensure any interruption in the trade as a result of a ‘no deal’ Brexit did not result in shortages of planting material. This is believed to have caused a spike in demand towards the end of 2020 which skewed availability of planting material in the early part of 2021. The last-minute Brexit deal has allowed trade to continue but delays to inspection regimes mean the effect of new trading relationships is unlikely to take effect until later this year.
Collectively, these events have resulted in a shortage of material and higher costs. Conversations with nurseries suggest this situation is likely to be more of an evolution rather than a short-term event. While many of the factors discussed are temporary, their impact is likely to be felt for several years.
While this evolution is likely to represent a challenge for landscape professionals, who may see this development as a backward step, suppliers of planting material are keen to stress that, while supply chains have evolved over recent years, the time invested in plants to grow remains the same, as do the challenges associated with a living thing.
To prevent disappointment, plant suppliers urge specifiers and contractors of all sizes to engage with them as early as possible regarding all orders for material. In contrast to the ‘next-day’ business models that are prevalent in consumer products, a longer order period is seen as a likely development.
Forward procurement planning is common in many other industries where there is a need to highlight upcoming purchases of goods or services and has recently been successfully implemented by landscape contractors working on the HS2 scheme under contract growing initiatives with nurseries. Given the investment in time and money required for planting material, this model may become more common in the future, to ensure this costly investment by the grower is protected.
The culture of next day delivery and immediate results has not escaped the landscape and horticulture industries, who have embraced supply chain developments and enabled specifiers and contractors to access a diverse range of plants. But when the commodity being sold requires years of investment and care at every stage, there is a limit to what is possible.
This document was made possible thanks to BALI’s contractor and affiliate generously sharing their time and knowledge with BALI’s technical officer, Owen Baker.
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson said: “ We like many other nurseries across the UK and Europe are facing stock shortages. We are trying to keep prices and time delays to a minimum and appreciate our customers understanding of the current climate; we urge all customers to give us additional time for all orders to avoid disappointment.”
Posted 22nd Jan 9:00am
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2021 is our Centenary year, and a lot has changed for our business over the past 100 years, but what has changed and what remains the same?
First off, we speak to Chairman John Richardson and his Grandson, Robert Richardson, the companies, Production Manager, about production changes during the past 100 years.
1.Firstly, how did it all start, tell us about the first plant variety Johnsons produced and sold?
John: It is now 100 years since Johnsons produced their first plants and I don’t remember the detail too well!! Mr Johnson minimally started on his own and grew vegetables, some roses, polyanthus, fuchsias, daffodils, and tomatoes for sale locally.
2. John, what knowledge of production did you have before purchasing Johnsons, and what did you learn from Mr Johnson?
John: My horticulture education was founded at my grandparents’ market garden at Rothwell and then at the Essex Institute of Horticulture, which covered most elements during the 2-year course.
On leaving I did a year working on a market garden in Brough, East Yorkshire, followed by four years on a big market garden in Surrey. Having realized that I didn’t have enough money to start vegetable production on my own, I joined Fisons, a national fertilizer company as an advisor to commercial veg growers to the whole of Scotland. Whilst it was a brilliant experience, after four years I wanted to get back to actual production and found that Nursery Stock was the answer as it was usually on a small scale, with the big benefit (or so I thought!!) that if you didn’t sell plants this year, they would sell for more money next year.
Mr Johnson was an excellent tutor from day one. One of the people I have most respected in my entire life. When he retired, he built a bungalow on the site and was on hand to help if I needed additional advise.
3.What challenges and triumphs did Eric tell you about his 43 years of producing plants before your purchase?
John: Mr Johnson started with the minimum of assets on a small bit of land bearing a couple of dozer fruit trees. He never learned to drive and had to wait until he got his first employee before he could sell through Knaresborough and Otley markets. His wife was a tremendous help to him, and they never had children. In the second world war, he had to grow for food products only and was also heavily involved in the regional Home Guard movement. The business grew slowly and steadily over the years, but Mr Johnson was a real plantsman, his main objective in selling plants was to make room to grow some more!
4.When you took over the business in 1964, roughly how many plants were Johnsons producing?
John: I estimate that it would be in the region of 150,000, many being seedlings of hedge plants and rhododendron ponticum, of which he sold 20,000 annually to Coles of Leicester as grafting stocks with a turnover of £30,500.
5.Rob, How does that compare to current figures?
Rob: Approx 2 million plants in pots and 1 million in the field, although we do have significant numbers grown for us on contract. We now sell over 5 million plants per year and our last turnover was 13.2 million.
6.And what about trends? What did we produce and sell most of? And what’s popular now?
John: The most frequently asked for plants over generations must have been hedge plants such as beech, thorn hornbeam etc., which have been grown for 500 years to use as field markings and animal enclosures. The seed is collected in the autumn and subjected to a period of cold winter treatment before being sown in the following spring. In recent years the number of plants grown from seed has increased, but not as much as the increase in plants propagated vegetatively in order to develop the continued expansion of ‘new’ varieties continually in demand by the public.
With the continued expansion of plants in demand, it is now relatively common for species requiring specific propagation techniques to be grown by a specialist to order, with some significant growers not undertaking propagation at all.
Roses and fruit trees have always been high on any propagators list, but over the last 30 years, demand has fallen to such an extent that propagation is now in the hands of a few companies.
Rob: There are some staple lines which are ever-popular and remain our best sellers year on year such as Lavandula Hidcote and Crataegus monogyna.
The most apparent upward trend over the last ten years has been in perennial/grasses planting, with shrub planting (mainly deciduous utility varieties) waning as a result; however, we are starting to see a bit of an increase in genus such as potentilla that hasn’t been fashionable for a while.
I can imagine that over the next few years there will be a revival in demand for varieties with traditional names such as Garrya’ James roof’ or Eucryphyia’ Nymansay’ at the expense of novelty varieties named after cocktails or emoji’s.
Mirroring the recent fashion for houseplants, I can also see foliar interest plants such as fatsia, hedera, and Colocasia that mimic these effects becoming popular.
7.Have there been more challenging years than others?
John: I look back to the early years when we had no summer sales; all our efforts were focussed on weed control and the training of young trees and shrubs. At that time, we had retail customers come and look around the nursery and place orders for autumn delivery. This could vary from a single rose costing 25p to a York Corporation order for £250. 1981 was our most challenging year, the frost set in at Christmas and the ground was frozen to a depth of more than 20″ solid for 13 weeks until we had to make the decision that staff would be laid off. That same week it began to thaw, and we kept everyone on, but it was a further three weeks before the frost was finally out of the ground.
2020 was also a challenging year with Covid-19 and Brexit bringing problems we have never had to face before.
Rob: Managing the production department from June this year means that I don’t have another year to compare it to. Coronavirus has been a bit of an unknown, but no more challenging than all the other complexities that growing plants bring.
8.What has changed most over the years?
Rob: I would think that the biggest change has been the loss of/reduction in seasonality. Most plants are now available and can be planted almost all year round.
From a sales/landscaping perspective, this is positive, but it does remove some of the variety and interest from what we see and do throughout the year.
9.Rob, you’ve worked in varied roles within the business, what do you enjoy most about this one?
Rob: I enjoy the constant problem solving that my job requires and the fact it allows me to explore lots of different disciplines at times in detail, but I think the most rewarding element of the job is the clear connection I can see with the results of my work. If I make the right decisions, we grow good plants, and I get to witness this first-hand.
10.And finally, Rob, what does the future of production look like? (will we be getting a static shock from robots?)
Rob: The obvious answer is greater automation, with more of the picking, packing and plant care processes likely to be mechanized particularly for commodity and large volume crops. This would involve more complex machines with a degree of intelligence. Still, most nursery processes are uniform enough not to need the differentiation ability of what I would think of as a Robot.
However, I think automation of commodity high volume lines will allow a more precise separation of/focus on added value products that require specialist skills or labour-intensive practices. The products that don’t fit automated systems may be the ones we see less of but pay a fair price for as a result.
Posted 20th Jan 1:09pm
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Winter is full of hidden gems in the plant world from bright coloured stems to attractive buds, so we thought we would share five of our favourites.
Cornus
Cornus varieties offer great interest throughout the year but in particular during the winter months when their bare stems are visible in fiery shades of red-orange and yellow.
For best results plant in moist moderately fertile soil in a full sun position to attain the best colour.
Popular varieties we sell include Cornus alba ‘Sibrica’, Cornus ‘Flaviramea’ and Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ we have a great selection from a 2L to a 10L pot.
Skimmia
Skimmia Rubella is a firm favourite with their fantastic dark green elliptic leaves with panicles of redbuds showing in winter and fabulous white fragrant flowers in early spring.
Plant in partial shade in neutral to acidic soil for best results. Avoid planting in full sun, which can cause yellowing to the leaves. A perfect addition to a patio pot or border.
Choose varieties such as Skimmia Rubella, Skimmia Finchy and Skimmia reevesiana.
Helleborus
Hellebores are compact, clump-forming perennials with dark green, leathery leaves and stunning flowers.
A tremendous shade-loving border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering from December – March.
It would help if you planted in partial to full shade for best results and cut back old leaves in January – February to show off new flowers.
Hamamelis
Hamamelis plants are covered in branches of distinctive, spider-like, fragrant flowers in red, yellow, and orange shades from January to early spring.
Whilst slow growing this plant variety can become a large spreading shrub or small tree. A fantastic specimen plant that will make a great addition to the middle or back of a border.
Plant in well-drained, neutral acid soil in full sun to partial shade for best results.
Evergreen Viburnums such as tinus are a great shrub for winter interest with dark green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers from December to April.
A great low maintenance easy to grow shrub which can brighten a part shaded area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Happiest in fertile, moist, well drained soil positioned in full sun – partial shade.
Posted 18th Jan 1:58pm
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We are proud to have been shortlisted for Family Business of The Year in the 2021 Family Business United Awards.
Our 100-year-old company will have the chance to scoop the Yorkshire, regional and supreme champion titles for 2021.
Family members who work at Johnsons include Chairman John Richardson, Group Managing Director Graham Richardson and Directors Iain and Andrew Richardson. Also on the team are Tracey Richardson and John’s grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul, Shaun and Jonathan Richardson, who perform a variety of roles.
Despite the challenges the company faced in 2020, including COVID-19, a break-in that destroyed thousands of plants and Brexit, turnover reached a remarkable £13.2 million, the second-highest figure on record. In 2020, we sold 5.3 million plants, welcomed 495 new customers, made 25 donations, completed over 10,000 quotes and made 11,000 safe deliveries throughout the UK.
We are one of the largest commercial nursery businesses in the UK, supplying stock for high-profile schemes including the Forth Road Bridge, HS1, Royal Parks, the Athletes’ Village at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the five-star hotel Grantley Hall.
Chairman John’s eldest grandson Luke Richardson oversees the running of the cash and carry side of the business and is a senior member of both the commercial sales team and senior management group. Thanks to Luke and his team, the cash and carry side of the business celebrated a record-breaking 2020. Since Luke took charge of the unit in 2018, sales revenue has increased by 35%.
Robert Richardson runs the production operation, with responsibility for growing more than three million shrubs and trees annually, managing a seasonal team of up to 150.
John’s granddaughter Eleanor Richardson is Johnsons’ first full-time staff member for marketing. She has been instrumental in raising the company’s profile via traditional and modern marketing methods, while managing the company website, social media platforms and PR.
The company is no stranger to awards success, taking two titles at the 2019 York Press Awards – Family Business of the Year and the overall Business of the Year award.
Graham Richardson commented: “It’s great to start 2021 with some positive news. We are incredibly proud to have been shortlisted amongst many other fantastic family businesses. It would be a great result to win, especially during our centenary year. We wish all the other businesses the best of luck and look forward to the awards evening in June.”
Posted 7th Jan 10:51am
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After the recent news of another lockdown in England, we would like to confirm that we remain open under the Government’s guidelines. We will continue helping the nation to keep planting, supplying shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and trees safely.
Our business is a key supplier into the construction industry, operates as a manufacturing entity within the Agricultural Sector and supplies Garden Centres that are remaining open and are classified as ‘essential retail’.
We are continually monitoring the Government’s advice and continue to undertake measures as recommended for the safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers.
We thank you for your support and custom in 2020 and assure you of our best intentions at all times in 2021.
Should we be able to assist in any way please do not hesitate to speak with your usual contact or any member of the Johnsons team.
You can read our full Covid-19 notice here
Posted 5th Jan 10:55am
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Another year has been and gone and with another lockdown just announced there’s plenty of jobs you can be doing in the garden this month.
Check out our January garden reminders put together by horticulturalist and Chairman, John Richardson.
1) In rock gardens and raised beds to ensure that fallen leaves have been removed in order to prevent Botrytis as they rot down.
2) Brush snow off conifers and heathers if there is heavy snowfall, in order to prevent branches being broken.
3) Plant some lilies in deep pots and keep in the greenhouse ready for transfer to the flower border when the flowers develop.
4) Make sure the hellebores have been tidied up with the removal of all the old leaves to make way for the new flowers, which will arise very shortly.
5) When the weather is too cold to do much else, turn the compost heap sides to middle and top to bottom in order to ensure the compost is evenly rotted down.
6) Continue to plant new fruit trees and bushes when conditions allow and apply a 12cm thick mulch of well-rotted compost to the root zone, allowing a 10cm space between compost and the trunk or stems to prevent future stem rot.
7) Take root cuttings of a wide range of plant species by lifting the root system and selecting a few roots the thickness of a little finger and 8-10cm long. Cut the top horizontal and the base diagonal to prevent confusion. Plant in the compost a couple of cms. below the surface and cover with approx. 2cm of sharp sand. Place in a cold frame or frost-free glasshouse for the rest pf the winter. New shoots should begin to appear in early spring.
8) Spray fruit trees and bushes with a tar-oil winter wash to kill overwintered aphid eggs. Do not spray in frosty or windy weather and protect evergreens or lawns in the area as they are subject to being burned by the spray. It will also kill moss and lichen.
9) Prune wisterias, cutting back all but required extension shoots. The reason for the 2-stage pruning is to concentrate nutrients in the shoots to aid the formation of flower buds.
10) Mid-winter is the best time to take chrysanthemum cuttings as they root easily.
11) Prune established fruit trees other than damsons and cherries. Prune newly planted fruit trees to shape and reduce leading shoots by half.
12) Dead-head winter flowering pansies to ensure they continue to flower freely.
13) If you need to move a shrub which has outgrown its space, dig around the plant with a vertical spade to a depth of 45-60cm and then use the spade to cut under the roots from all sides until the rootball is free. Ease a piece of thick polythene under the root system and drag it out of the hole, to its new location. Once firmly in place, fill backspace around the rootball, firm the soil by treading it in, and water thoroughly to eliminate air pockets.
14) Prune out old fruiting canes on autumn fruiting raspberries down to soil level. Remove a quarter of the old branches to the base to encourage strong new growth.
15) Before you start clearing leaves or forking over bare areas check for bulbs which have started growing and are just below the surface.
16) Check the plant labels on plants around the garden, many will have faded or broken.
17)Now the garden is bare, take an objective look around from all angles and consider if an ornament, seating or a structure of some sort would add to the interest.
18) If hard weather is forecast, wrap up tender plants such as Agapanthus in bracken or straw for added protection.
19) Mark areas in which bulbs come into flower with twigs so that future cultivations can be made safely. They will be easier to find if you wish to move them at a later date.
Click here to view other hints and tips for the rest of the year
Posted 5th Jan 9:34am
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The Brexit transition period is fast approaching as new controls come into effect from the 1st January, we asked our head of Production and Procurement, Jonathan Whittemore, some questions about the challenges the nursery faces ahead.
What challenges will the new changes bring?
We will have to have stock inspected and a phytosanitary certificate issued prior to dispatch, so this will add additional cost and time into the dispatch process. We are often asked for the stock by our clients that will have to be procured in the EU, in terms of plant health inspections this could mean an inspection in the EU prior to collection, an inspection on arrival in Great Britain, an inspection prior to dispatch from Great Britain and an inspection on arrival in Northern Ireland – four inspections in one week.
How are we preparing for these new checks and controls?
Much time has been spent trying to understand what we will need to do – conversations with DEFRA, APHA, the HTA, and customs agents in the UK and EU. The process is complex but preparations for EU exit have always been presented to UK businesses as ‘Just get an EORI number and a customs agent and everything will be fine’ that is far from the reality of the situation.
What are your concerns about the increased cost and health certificates?
Plant health and biosecurity are critically important to UK horticulture, but we are finding it difficult to see the value that the required process of inspections will bring to us. The majority of the additional cost in what we are required to do will come from the phytosanitary certificates and inspections around them. We need proportionate systems, clarity of operation, administrative burden and costs kept to a minimum.
Do you envisage issues after the transition period?
Really difficult to say. Until we get into next year, we won’t know for sure, but we are preparing for the worst-case scenario and hoping things are better. There has to be some disruption but who knows how damaging that will be. Supply chains will definitely be slowed down and imported plants more expensive.
Any other issues around BREXIT that are of concern?
I am sure that in Brexit the industry will find opportunities but at the moment they are not evident, and rather than being able to focus on finding them, we seem to be scrabbing to understand what we need to do to keep trading.
We have not been given sufficient time to prepare properly, I feel compromised and like we have little support in navigating our way through the unknown. The uncertainty of our predicament is, at times, crippling.
Posted 11th Dec 11:44am
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Six members of our staff have reached 185 years of service combined.
Head of Production and Procurement, Jonathan Whittemore, Sales Manager, Tony Coles and Spray & Irrigation Controller Wayne Atkinson have all reached 25 years of service each. While Operations Manager Steven Green and Assistant Senior Production Manager, Ian Nelson both reach 35 years.
Our retail Sales Manager, Mark Reynard, pictured below also celebrated his 40th anniversary at the company back in June.
To highlight their combined anniversary of long service at Johnsons, each staff member will receive a certificate and vouchers valued between £750 and £250.
An additional 27 members of staff have racked up over 830 years combined with Johnsons Directors and Chairman having served 157 of those years between them.
Steven Green who joined the company from leaving School said: “The variation, the chance to learn, the opportunity to travel, the people I have worked with over the years and the relationship I have with the Richardson’s who I grew up with in Whixley have all contributed to my length of service at Johnsons.”
Ian Nelson also commented “I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to grow my career alongside the growth of the company itself. I genuinely love plants, but ultimately it is about the people you work with, and there’s always been a good team here. Retaining that spirit is precious.”
While Jonathan Whittemore added “I have always enjoyed the people at Johnsons – we are a good bunch. The constant challenge that the company has been able to provide me has always given me enjoyment, but mostly it is working for a company of which I am incredibly proud.”
The company’s chairman, John Richardson, said: “It is with pleasure and sincere thanks that we enjoy the real contribution made by such long-serving staff. We look forward to them being with us for many more years to come.”
To find out more about Jonathan and Tony’s 25 years at Johnson’s click here
You can also read about Marks 40 years here and Ian and Stevens 35 years, here
Posted 11th Dec 8:50am
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Congratulations to Jonathan Whittemore and Tony Coles who have reached a combined service of 50 years, see what they had to say about their time at Johnsons below:
1.What was the date you started at Johnsons?
2. What was your first position within the company?
I came in as a management trainee – one of the first two – I remember the interview process well; it was over two days and included meeting the whole board during the first afternoon, and then two interviews the following day. Two highlights of that process were feeling completely out of my depth because I knew nothing about Leeds United and in one of the interviews I described bedding plant production as immoral! I spent my first three months in the field at Endfield lifting and grading stock.
3. What have you enjoyed most during your 25 years at Johnsons?
I have always enjoyed the people at Johnsons – we are a good bunch – and the constant challenge that the company has been able to provide me has always given enjoyment, but mostly it is working for a company of which I am incredibly proud.
4. Greatest career achievement?
If you speak to Dave Bramley he may say my greatest career achievement is still being here – he didn’t think I would last a month! I am not sure there would be one single achievement and whilst I am still focused on developing the people and the areas for which I am responsible, I hope the best is yet to come.
5. Looking back, what’s your favourite memory from your time here?
Managing the production unit at Roecliffe. I loved being responsible for that unit and being in the heart of growing plants.
6. What do the next 25 years look like?
Crickey, don’t ask me that now!! With Brexit on the Horizon, it looks incredibly challenging at the moment, and to be honest, until we can get Brexit done it is difficult to look too far into the future.
1.How did you come about working for Johnsons?
I was working at Thorpe Tree at the time and I saw an advert in the local paper for a Sales Assistant and applied. I remember being interviewed by Andrew and Steve Jones, and at one point they left me in Board Room with a typewriter to type a letter, one of the old metal clunky typewriters, how things have changed!
2. Tell us about your careers pre Johnsons:
I left school at 17 and followed my father’s footsteps and joined the Royal Navy and served 14 years, I was lucky enough to see a lot of the world, one of my Sons has also joined the RN so I am proud that 3 generations of my family have served. I left he RN and moved up to Yorkshire with Sandra and got a part-time seasonal job at Thorpe Trees at Thorpe Underwood, before being taken on full time by the late Alistair Taylor, I was there about 1 year before I started at Johnsons of Whixley.
3. First position at johnsons?
Sales Assistant, in Amenity sales at that time there was only 3 of us, and quotes would normally arrive by post and sometimes fax.
4. What are you most grateful for during your career?
Looking back over my working life, being able to see the World whilst in Royal Navy has to be a highlight particularly 1 trip where we circumnavigated the globe visiting a variety of places. Working at Johnsons has been a pleasure, to be still here after 25 years says it all really!
5. Most memorable day at Johnsons?
Some of the trips we take our customers on can get quite eventful, with customers let’s say, letting their hair down a bit!!!
6. How has the company changed over the years?
Wow! Massively – Everything from IT systems, Production, even sales. When I first started almost everything was paper-based, now we are using less paper, things have become more automated in lots of areas, and still evolving, I think over the years the sales side has got a lot more demanding, we are dealing with a lot more customers, we are having to find a lot more variety of plants. It’s great to see that some businesses are still going strong that have been using Johnsons for years, way before my time– Brambledown, S&S, Deerness (formerly Sones), Whitings. Plus I have certainly got greyer and have less hair!
Staff members Steven Green and Ian Nelson both reached 35 years service recently also, you can find out more about their time at Johnsons here
Posted 4th Dec 11:13am
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Two members of staff have reached 70 years service combined here at Johnsons.
Operations Manager, Steven Green and Assistant Senior Production Manager, Ian Nelson have both reached 35 years service.
The company will highlight their long service with vouchers and certificates.
Find out what they had to say about their time at Johnsons below:
1.What have you enjoyed most about your 35 years at JOW? – I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to grow my career alongside the growth of the company itself. I genuinely love plants but ultimately it is about the people you work with and there’s always been a good team here. Retaining that spirit is precious.
2. Tell us about your career at JOW, what was your first role etc? – I remember Day 1 as a ‘middle-year’ student. Jim Bryan & myself weed-spraying – with trainers on I think….don’t tell Terry & Dave. I guess I found a niche once the then Prod Mgr, Danny E, asked me to put my brains into weed-control programmes & pest & disease control. I wanted to have the Production Manager role and was lucky enough to do that for 18 years. It has been nice to pass the role onto Rob Richardson and feel assured it’s in good hands.
3.What has motivated you to come to work each day? – Keeping people in a job, seeing staff develop their own roles.
4. What has your greatest accomplishment at Johnsons been? – That’s really for others to judge!! Perversely my best (and most personally rewarding) work is probably when we’ve been struggling, having more challenging years. Perhaps those difficult times brought the team closer together and played to my strengths of ‘winging it’.
5. Most memorable day at JOW? – it seems funny now but at the time it wasn’t. We are going back 30+ yrs, the nursery was very different, I was driving the planting machine & right in front of the Boss (I’ve always called JMR the boss) I managed to squash the end of a 10m long aluminium irrigation pie which was hiding in the weeds. He gave me such a roasting Those irrigation pipes were near god-like & I recall Pete Jacques burying one he’d squashed to avoid John’s wrath!!!
Another memorable day has to be the time I was in charge of taking some staff abroad, I checked to make sure they all had their passports in the car and at the check-in desk realised I’d picked up my girlfriends passport and had to get the next flight out.
6. If you could have chosen any other career, what and where would it have been? – a misspent youth where study and work were not part of the plan didn’t help a career. Looking back I would like to have been an architect (buildings not landscapes), have something that would be there for years & my kids could say ‘My Dad did that’ – but the only architect I know personally specialises in toilet and shower cubicles. Wouldn’t aspire to that.
1.How did you come about working for Johnsons? I followed my Fathers footsteps, he worked for Mr Johnson in the 60s, and latterly Mr Richardson.
We also had just short of an acre of land at home which my Father grew Roses and cut flowers for resale as well as fruit and veg, I spent what seemed like hours de-budding chrysanthemums and digging the garden, Though I expect it was much less. I worked school holidays at Johnsons nursery through the summer so knew a little of what I was letting myself in for.
2.Did you work anywhere else prior to Johnsons?
I worked on Alistar Taylor’s (Thorpe Trees founder) farm picking potatoes during half term, it paid really well. I also worked most weekends from 15-16 years old with a friend, we a had a window cleaning round in Whixley village which was a good cash earner but was hard work as we had to carry ladders, step ladders and buckets to every job.
3.First position within the company?
I started the day after I left school at johnsons and was sent trimming trees with Chris Umpleby. This did not last long as I had to wear wrist support due to breaking my wrist playing football a number of weeks earlier. I was then sent to Whixley to work for a couple of weeks hand potting with Paul Lamb. I then spent my first years tying trees for John Walker and Dave Bramley both were excellent trainers of all aspects of life at Johnsons and horticulture.
4.If you could have chosen another career, what would it have been?
Other than a sports superstar I did try and get a Job with T Backhouse and Son at Hunsingore prior to leaving School as one of the few lessons I attended was woodwork, Backhouses were the local undertakers and supplied fencing posts, sheds benches as they still do now.
5.What has made you stay at Johnsons for all these years?
The variation, the chance to learn, the chance to travel, the people I have worked with over the years and the relationship I have with the Richardson’s who I grew up with in Whixley.
6.Favourite memory from working here?
Trips abroad with groups of colleagues, On one particular trip I remember Adrian Shippey looking after me on the roadside after a particularly rough crossing on the ferry.
The company’s chairman, John Richardson, said: “It is with pleasure and sincere thanks that we enjoy the real contribution made by such long-serving staff. We look forward to them being with us for many more years to come.”
Posted 2nd Dec 3:24pm
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Check out our gardening reminders for the month of December put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1.After long periods of November rain, often heavy, fallen leaves have become a congealed mass on lawns and many garden corners, try and clear them away to the compost heap before they start to rot and affect so many plants such as herbaceous, alpines, low growing shrubs and plants in containers.
2.Any plants which are now too big for their location or ‘in the wrong place’ can be safely moved, and the soil in December is usually warm enough to stimulate the production of new roots. Stake tall new plants to prevent wind rock until well-rooted and reduce their size if appropriate.
3.Place undercover any tender plants which have been overlooked earlier in the autumn and ensure that such plants growing in the ground are wrapped in straw and hessian, polythene is not the best material as it prevents air from getting to the plant.
4.If you intend to get on with the winter digging, cover a suitable area with polythene so that the ground is not waterlogged when you wish to dig.
5.Clean moss and lichens from paths and walls. There are several commercial brands of cleaner available, but bleach is equally as good. A power washer will make light work of the job, which is impressive when completed!
6.Lower temperatures and frost is forecast, make sure your bird feeding stations are clean and regularly refilled. The same applies to an accessible water supply. Remember, cooked food as opposed to birdseed may well attract vermin.
7.with long periods of rain expected, don’t forget to put a glass or plastic sheet over your alpine plants to keep off the majority of the rain.
8.Now is a good time to plant roses, heel then in if soil conditions are not suitable for immediate planting.
9.Before planting trees and shrubs ensure roots are moist by soaking in a bucket or similar.
10. This month is a good time to prune Birch and Acers. Trim the lawn edges for a quick lift!
11. Check apples and other stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds. Remove mummified fruits from the apple trees.
12. Start Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs into growth urgently if required to flower by Christmas.
13. Tidy up the greenhouse during inclement weather, and also prune glasshouse grown grapevines.
14. Be ready to plant tulip bulbs after the middle of the month to reduce tulip disease (Tulip Fire).
15. Insulate with bubble-wrap and hessian those plant containers which are to be left outside over winter, in order to prevent the pots cracking in frosty periods.
16. Thoroughly clean and grease the lawnmower and sharpen or replace the blades.
17. The earlier any winter digging can be done, the better, as this allows rain, snow, frost and ice to break down clods of soil and make cultivation in the spring so much easier.
Posted 2nd Dec 11:07am
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Our Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson, has responded to the Tree Council’s Jon Stokes, who said last week councils need to look more locally to counter the potential £15bn cost of diseases such as ash dieback.
“There can be no argument about the catastrophe unfolding with regards to the impact of ash dieback.
However, the suggestion that the discerning plant buyer should somehow only look for local stock appears to be a one-dimensional answer to the problem. It will only result in less choice, limited availability and a much poorer UK landscape at a time when planting is increasingly considered a key component in our ambitious targets to offset carbon emissions.
“Balance is an essential component in this discussion, for every diseased imported tree/shrub, you will find millions that are adding untold value to the landscape and subsequently much pleasure to the populous. Every tree and every shrub that is planted is incrementally adding to our appreciation for nature and wellness. This has never been more apparent than in the seismic shift in perception that has happened organically as a result of the pandemic.
Stock from the near continent has embellished the UK landscape and private gardens since Roman times, so much so that there is almost no genetic distinction between European and UK originating species. Diseases and pathogens are naturally occurring and are just as likely to erupt on our shores as they are in Europe. Science points to windborne infection from the continent as being as likely a source as imported supply.
The easy answer is to try and pull up the drawbridge as an attempted defence, however, make no mistake that there will be consequences in terms of supply and ultimately both volumes and range available. Undoubtedly, the answer is in a well funded and capable international plant health and biosecurity process that inspects growing plants during the growing season in situ, with a view to identifying substandard and diseased stock and growers whose methods are not exercising sufficient control. The fact that existing processes have on occasion failed us is symptomatic of process or resource failures and should not be an acceptance of not to do it all!
UK growers are plucky souls; however, our industry is fragmented and without the natural and commercial advantages enjoyed by the climate, soil and an already evolved and centralised industry. The fact is that ornamental horticulture in the UK is never likely to command the support and influence as enjoyed by our European neighbours whose industry accounts for a significant proportion of national GDP. Our production process is lengthy and begins well in advance of sales intelligence – we are therefore naturally cautious in the extent of home production, which, if inaccurate is just as likely to land on the compost heap as it is to achieve a profitable sale.
I for one accept the need to incrementally increase production in line with an assured demand but being a realist fully understand the value of imports in supporting our landscape and gardens whilst commercially helping to reduce our exposure.” – Graham Richardson
Posted 20th Nov 10:39am
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We have supplied over 1,000 trees, plants and shrubs for a revamp of York St John University’s Lord Mayor’s Walk campus.
Borders along the walk, at the front of the university’s main campus, were replanted with more than 30 varieties.
We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with the university, supplying high-quality plants for more than 15 years.
Included in our supply was a range of trellis varieties and three Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, along with Hypericum Calycinum, and Euonymus fort. ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’.
Over 50 Gillenia trifoliata were introduced, in addition to 40 Doronicum plantagineum ‘Excelsum’ and 10 Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’.
More than 200 Calamagrostis acut. ‘Karl Foerster’ grasses were planted, with 160 Lavender Munstead and more than 70 Hemerocallis ‘Red Rum’ and ‘Corky’ among the colourful varieties chosen for the borders.
Lord Mayor’s Walk forms a link with Gillygate, Clarence Street, Monkgate and Goodramgate in the centre of the city of York. Designated a Character Area, the site has been home to educational provision since the mid-19th century. York St John University is the main feature of the area, that runs along the northern side of the city wall.
Rob Scott, Head Gardener at York St John University, said: “We strive to create welcoming and beautiful outdoor spaces for students, staff and visitors. It’s a privilege to have this visible, central location in the heart of York and we want our gardens to stand out from the crowd. This partnership with trusted local supplier Johnsons helps us to maintain a green and vibrant campus with year-round colour.”
We have worked with several universities recently, including creating a green buffer zone for a project between Sheffield University and a nearby infant school, and supplying plants for a £200m redevelopment of the University of Hull campus.
Posted 30th Nov 1:29pm
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At the end of September, we finally reached the end of another remarkable year. A year that will be remembered for weather extremes (floods to drought), the resurgence of the Brexit debate but most of all the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following restrictions and the lockdown commencing March 23rd we experienced a slowdown in sales like never before, this coupled with daily changes to regulations, and our determination to maintain business operations at all cost created challenges that our business has never faced in its 99-year long history.
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I firmly believe this will prove to be the case when the crisis finally recedes, and life returns to a less restricted ‘new normal’. Much of our response has been remarkable – we adapted to reduced demand almost overnight creating new stock offers and opening up new previously untapped markets.
Staff numbers reduced rapidly with some staff furloughed, some shielding and at least ten office staff having the capacity to work from home to allow distancing in the space-restricted office building.
Our reaction and determination to follow the rules, coupled with a regimented sanitation regime and a naturally well-ventilated working environment have so far kept us mostly safe. Our resolve to ensure job security for all by continuing to ship and make much needed new plants throughout is a proven recipe!
The end result in our season 2019-20 is in my opinion, more remarkable than the previous year, which witnessed recording-breaking sales of over £14m.
Our sales of over £13.2m are our second-highest ever, and our success in reducing what could have easily been a mountain of unsold stock (otherwise known as waste) is almost miraculous when you consider the challenges. Profitability and cash generation has followed, and this creates a great buffer for the remaining challenges of the pandemic and Brexit that lie ahead.
Unfortunately, the challenges that we still face are no less significant than the battles we have fought, the pandemic refuses to let go, and the onset of winter will be a challenge.
Furthermore, we now face an exit from the European Union which offers little but uncertainty, confusion and increased cost. There is a misconception that a ‘deal’ will remove any potential limitations, and we will be able freely trade with our EU suppliers in an unchanged manner. This is not the case – new restrictions/regulations will limit what we can buy, will increase supply timescales significantly and will add between 5 to 10% to the cost of our plants, which might go on to have a limiting effect on what we sell.
The challenges we face are both unique and significant, but so is our resolve and core strength. We have the utmost respect for our ‘remarkable workforce’, customers and suppliers and remain eternally grateful for your loyalty, hard work and support. None of us know what the coming months will bring but individually and collectively, we can work together to limit the impact and maximise opportunities. This is what we did in the year gone and this is what we will do in the year coming.
With respect and gratitude to you ahead of our ‘Centenary Year’. – Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson
Posted 20th Nov 9:53am
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Firstly, a huge well done to the 13 applicants who applied for our rising stars programme, you we’re all great candidates and made our decision very difficult.
Below are the six chosen candidates of whom we asked some questions to, here is what they had to say below:
Andrew Nicholls
1.What are you looking forward to within the rising star programme?
I am looking forward to where this could take me within the company and the new skills I could learn.
2.What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Emptying dog poo bins for York Council (this wasn’t what I was contracted to do)
3.Favourite film? Into the wild
Tom Chilton
1.Favourite day at Johnsons so far?
It has to be the responsibility of working on my own, when Eric has left me on the potting machine and when I’ve gone spraying.
2.What do you enjoy outside of work? When I am not working, I am at my allotment – I also enjoy golf.
3.Favourite band? Oasis
Nedoyalko Antonov
1.How long have you been at Johnsons?
Directly employed since August 2017 but worked with the agency prior to that.
2.What do you like most about working here? Love being outdoors amongst nature, seeing birds, bees and other wildlife.
Ned is also a star in the kitchen with his international cuisine.
Richard Csanyi
1.Favourite hobby?
Guitar – my favourite song to play is ‘House of the Rising Sun’.
2.What makes work enjoyable? My colleagues, I have made good friends.
3.What do you miss about home? I miss the great food you can get in Hungary.
Kieran Pattison
1.Favourite TV shows? Crime dramas.
2.Ideal holiday destination? Would have to be Australia.
3.What are you looking forward to the most within the programme? Learning new skills and progressing at Johnsons.
Wiktor Zygnerski
1.What do you like most about England?
Love the nature, the hills, and rivers.
2.Best thing about Johnsons? All of it, the job I do, the people here, including the bosses.
3.Favourite Takeaway
Chinese, Sweet & Sour Chicken
Mentor, Ian Nelson, said: “I’m right at the end of my Johnsons career but the guys who are coming on to the Rising Stars programme are at or near the beginning. I’m a little jealous.
It is a bit of a cliché to say that now is a time of great opportunity. I’m confident though that the period upcoming, the next 5/10 years, will offer just that for the business.
I better be careful not to be age-ist, but it’s fact that there is a generation who’ll be hanging up their snips not so long from now and a new cohort of managers will be in charge & will be responsible for meeting challenges.
That was recognized and had to be addressed and that’s what the Rising Stars programme is all about. Giving staff with loads of potential the managerial & horticultural skills that they, & the business, are going to rely upon.
The partnership with Dutton Fisher, with Helen at the Personnel Partnership & Terry from Sound Safety and Johnsons is strong and between us I believe we can deliver a comprehensive, enjoyable and valuable package.”
Posted 6th Nov 3:36pm
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We are nurturing the leaders of the future through an innovative in-house training scheme.
The latest crop of delegates for our Rising Stars programme has just been chosen, with six employees – Tom Chilton, Richard Csyani, Andrew Nicholls, Wiktor Zygnaki, Kieron Pattison and Ned Antonov – selected to participate.
Rising Stars was first introduced by the company five years ago with the aim of developing the skillset of existing staff members to enable them to one day take on a more senior role within the business. We have made a significant financial investment in the programme to ensure its success.
The programme was open to staff from all parts of the business and includes training experiences, technical modules, horticultural sessions, operational nursery activities, as well as the opportunity to earn a formal qualification in team leading.
The programme is being delivered in conjunction with external training providers and includes a mixture of on-site training and external activities, including learning from supply and technology partners. Candidates work in various departments across the business and are assessed continuously.
Mentoring the growing stars is Ian Nelson, who will draw on his experience as production manager at Johnsons to guide the delegates through the various challenges to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they will need as managers of the future.
One graduate of the scheme is Terry Cooper. Terry started his Johnsons career with the plant production team at Cattal; however, after progressing through the Growing Stars programme, he now works in the IT department alongside manager Darren Earle. His role includes maintaining and updating hardware and software, providing user support, system testing and cyber security.
Terry said: “I found the program a great help and have it partly to thank for ending up working where I am today. After finishing the course, I had a better understanding of horticulture as an industry and acquired some really helpful practical skills and theoretical knowledge.”
New delegate Andrew Nicholls commented: “I’m looking forward to where this could take me in the company and the new skills I could learn.”
Graham Richardson, group managing director at Johnsons, said the future of the business was intrinsically linked with the abilities of the workforce.
“Geographically we are isolated from the main hubs of horticultural activity and consequently the vast majority of relevant training programmes. It made perfect sense therefore for us to draw on our considerable experience to create our own bespoke training scheme that will help us nurture the next generation of managers and supervisors.
“We are confident that within our own pool of employees, there is the talent to lead us towards the future.”
Posted 6th Nov 2:21pm
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We have teamed up with P1 Contractors Ltd and EMA Architects to make an ‘Eden’ in the grounds of Urban Eden, contemporary residential development in Edinburgh.
EMA Architects designed Urban Eden to create a ‘leave the city behind without leaving the city’ feel, designed in a triangle of colony houses which are very much a part of the city’s history. It’s gardens, and outdoor space is at the centre of the design with views of Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat and Salisbury available to view from the new developments.
P1’s works included the full soft landscaping package across two phases of the development which has now spanned four years.
Richard McMonagle, Director of P1 Contractors, said: “ P1 has had involvement in both phases of the development from an early stage, being just a stone’s throw from our Head Office it was development we were keen to be involved in. We turned to Johnsons to help our bid initially at tender stage, and this early involvement was key to winning the project, we knew that despite the contract duration Johnsons would continue to supply the high-quality stock we required to make this project a success.”
Our plant supply included over 13,000 shrubs, 4,000 herbaceous plants and over 200 trees.
Pollinator-friendly varieties such as lavender, nepeta and geranium were included making it wildlife friendly too.
The residential development won ‘Large Housing Development Of The Year’ at the Scottish Home Awards 2017.
So many housing developments have limited planting these days to maximise parking facilities, it’s no wonder there’s a decline in bees.
It’s great to be associated with this fantastic new residential development that’s green spaces and wildlife are at the forefront of its design.
Other Scottish projects we have been involved with include The Helix Project at Falkirk, the new Queensferry Crossing at Edinburgh, Donaldsons , The Event Complex The Torridon Hotel, and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Posted 6th Nov 1:40pm
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for November 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) There is a current move towards ‘no digging’ on vegetable plots, which firstly involves digging the area to double depth (double digging) and incorporating organic matter throughout both areas in order to cultivate an area of really deep soil. This will encourage the increase of worms and other creatures by applying an annual top dressing of organic matter or ‘compost’ which will be taken down into the soil. Small paths should be made across the area so that it is not necessary to walk on the growing area in the future for either cultivations, harvesting or other reasons, and thus prevent soil compaction.
2) The recent wind and rain have caused the sudden defoliation of almost all deciduous trees. Collect the leaves and store them in a cage made of wire netting around four wooden stakes. You will have perfect compost by next autumn, and you can also incorporate the trimmings from herbaceous plants. If you intend to incorporate twigs and small branches, these are best put through a shredder before incorporation.
3) Be sure to check for hibernating animals in bonfires to be lit over winter.
4) Lift and store dahlias if not done already, alternatively, protect the tubers by a good surface mulch.
5) Clear out bird boxes and sterilise them with boiling water.
6) Plant winter bedding such as wallflowers, pansies, primulas etc.
7) Lift and divide rhubarb crowns ensuring that each division has a good crown. Replant when soil conditions allow. Divided crowns will survive for at least a month in the open without further protection.
8) Start Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs into growth urgently if required to flower by Christmas.
9) Tidy up the greenhouse during inclement weather, and also prune glasshouse grown grape vines.
10) Be ready to plant tulip bulbs after the middle of the month.
11) Put grease bands (available from garden centres) around the trunks of apple trees against female winter moth caterpillars which climb the trunk when hibernation is completed..
12) If weather is mild and the grass still growing, give the lawn a final cut with the blades set relatively high, and remove fallen leaves to prevent bare patches in the spring.
13) Insulate with bubble-wrap and hessian those plant containers which are to be left outside over winter. in order to prevent the pots cracking in frosty periods.
14) Thoroughly clean and grease the lawnmower and sharpen or replace the blades.
15) Prepare chrysanthemum stools, dahlia tubers and gladioli corms for protective winter storage.
16) On a fine afternoon have a walk around the garden and make a note of what has done really well, and also not so well so that when the time comes to replant the borders you will have a good idea of what will be successful! Why not have a visit to Harlow Carr gardens or one of the other splendid gardens in the area, and make a note of which plants you are really motivated by?
17) Hang protective fleece out to dry before placing in storage for next year.
18) The earlier any winter digging can be done, the better, as this allows rain, snow, frost and ice to break down clods of soil and make cultivations in the spring so much easier.
Posted 5th Nov 1:26pm
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A warm welcome to two of our new office starters, Edwina Hughes and Wendy Bartlett who joined the team recently. Here’s what they had to say about their new roles:
Edwina Hughes
What does your new role involve in the company?
Calculating, Processing and paying Wages, Salaries, Holidays, Pensions, Health Shield and associated paperwork.
How have you found your first few weeks with the company?
Its been extremely busy having to learn 3 new computer systems and process Year End changes, but I am really enjoying it.
What’s one thing that surprised you about the company?
How the company has evolved over the years and especially in terms of the technology that is used.
What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
That I went on a five-week development exchange to Kenya with Young Farmers and I am now President of Tadcaster and Wetherby Young Farmers Club.
What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
Getting my hand’s dirty helping on our family farm.
Favourite band?
I don’t really have one, I love all kinds of music.
Wendy Bartlett
What does your new role involve at Johnsons?
I put prices offered by our suppliers onto a spreadsheet to help the Plant Purchaser make buying decisions. When the decision has been made I then do the purchase orders on the system and send them out.
Where did you work previously, and what did you do?
I worked at the Alzheimer’s Society as a member of the Training & Consultancy Team, arranging dementia awareness training sessions for care homes, local authorities and companies. Before that I was a fundraiser for a Police charity in Harrogate.
Anything interesting, you have learnt that you didn’t know before?
Just how many different plants there are out there! I can’t imagine how long I’d have to work here to know what some of my colleagues do!
What have you enjoyed most about your first month here?
Getting an insight into a whole new fascinating world – it’s a nice industry to work in and a great company.
Favourite season?
Autumn when it’s not raining (!) and Spring when everything turns green.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself:
I was in the Guinness Book of Records back in the ’80s when I was a student.
Posted 21st Oct 11:55am
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A warm welcome to our new Procurement Manager, William Moss who joined the team last week. Find out what he had to say about his new role below:
1.What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Speaking to and making relationships with our suppliers
2.What do you think the challenges will be?
I come from a background in contracting and procurement, however, the world of horticulture is new to me so the biggest challenge is the vast amount of on-the-job learning required
3.Have you learnt anything that you didn’t know before?
Virtually everything I have learnt here so far; everybody has been very helpful and full of knowledge they’re willing to share
4.Favourite city in the world?
San Francisco. I spent a year living out there back in 2011 and loved every minute
5.Dog or cat?
I’m definitely more of a dog person. My partner Lucy has a huge Irish Setter called Fin, who we take with us everywhere
6.Have any hobbies?
I play a lot of sports and compete in triathlon. I also love cooking and spend most of my time at home in the kitchen
Will is one of five new starters to join johnsons in recent months, you can find out about our new starters Katie and Sarah here also.
Posted 20th Oct 4:04pm
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A warm welcome to two of our new office starters, Sarah Greenwood and Katie Short. Here’s what they had to say about their new positions at Johnsons:
Sarah Greenwood – Admin Assistant
What does your new role include?
My new role primarily involves putting sales orders on to SAP, so that the orders can be allocated and sent out for delivery. I also do jobs for other people, for example I have been updating our online Retail Availability List with the new plant deals for the next week or I have been creating production orders for plants to be grown onsite.
What have you enjoyed most about your first few months at Johnsons?
I have enjoyed learning how Johnson’s operate, having a tour of the nursery was perfect for this. I have also enjoyed learning how to use SAP and beginning to build my horticultural knowledge. Working in a new environment has been exciting for me as I last worked in a café, so this office environment is very different. And of course, I have enjoyed meeting all the lovely people who work here.
What was your first job from leaving school?
After school, I went straight to university to study Geography and then my first job was at York Recourse working as part of the Front of House team in the hospitality boxes.
If you could add one thing to the office, what would it be?
A room with big comfy sofas to have lunch in!
Do you have any hobbies outside of work?
I have recently taken up horse riding again after a break due to university and I have been loving it. During the summer months, you will find me watching Whixley CC. Or I can be found washing my car on a weekend.
Favourite holiday?
Lucca, Italy, 2018. Everywhere we visited was beautiful and the weather was perfect! I also had the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life there. It was a called white pizza, so was basically a garlic bread but had spicy Italian sausage on it. Also fulfilled my love for cars with visiting the Ferrari Museum and the Lamborghini factory.
Katie Short – Logistics Administrator
Describe your new role at Johnsons:
I help to support my Manager Hannah Smith organise the day to day transport. I communicate with our European suppliers to get loading dimensions so we can work out the wagon and space requirements and organise any returns and book ferries for the drivers.
I contact customers to confirm delivery dates and help resolve any queries they may have and deal with any other tasks as is required.
How have you found your first few weeks at Johnsons?
I have really enjoyed my first few weeks, it has been quite challenging at times but very interesting. There is lots to learn so never a dull moment, everyone has been so helpful and informative which has been a great help.
I’m looking forward to developing in my new role.
The best thing about Johnsons?
The best thing about Johnson’s of Whixley is the people and how everyone is so helpful and how everyone is rewarded for their hard work with the cakes & lunches etc.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love spending time with my family and friends. I love to go walking and the dales and the coast are my favourite places to go. I love Cooking, baking and learning new skills.
What’s one item you couldn’t live without?
I couldn’t live without my hairbrush.
Favourite food?
My favourite food is sushi
Posted 20th Oct 2:31pm
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We have supplied plants worth more than £50,000 to help transform a new luxury lodge resort set in the heart of the Peak District.
Rivendale Lodge Retreat, previously known as Rivendale Caravan Park, has been redeveloped by leading lodge resort operator Darwin Escapes. The new lodge resort opened in September and offers luxury self-catering lodge accommodation alongside a bistro restaurant and bar. Bespoke treehouses will also be added to the site.
Our supply included more than 20,000 plants including hedging, shrubs, herbaceous and aquatics to the modernisation scheme, that includes hard and soft landscaping around the site.
Included in the supply were more than 4,000 ferns such as Dryopteris affinis, thousands of grasses, including Luzula sylvatica, and hundreds of geraniums.
The 36-acre resort on the edge of Alsop-en-le-Dale village is set in a former quarry, and the site includes woodland areas, pastures and a pond that attracts ducks, geese, frogs and even newts.
We have supplied thousands of plants to Darwin Escapes resorts across the UK, from Kent and Somerset to Cornwall and Norfolk. Resorts have included Sandymouth Holiday Resort and Cheddar Woods
The UK’s tourism industry is booming with staycations proving incredibly popular. People realise they don’t need to go abroad to enjoy a break so new destinations such as Rivendale will be on many people’s lists to visit next year.
Our plants have beautified and enhanced the new luxury resort’s grounds. We hope holidaymakers and wildlife enjoy the plants for many years to come.
Group Grounds and Utilities Manager for Darwin Escapes, Kris Sutton said: “We’re delighted to have worked with the Johnsons of Whixley team again at our newly redeveloped Rivendale Lodge Retreat. They have been our main suppliers for many resorts in the Darwin Escapes portfolio, and we always receive top-quality stock. The recent supply of plants for Rivendale has ensured the resort blends with the natural surroundings, and we are really pleased with the finished look.
Posted 20th Oct 1:38pm
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Our Garden Centre Sales Division has launched its first digital catalogue.
The division which has supplied over 700,000 plants to Garden Centres this year would usually have its catalogue printed and sent out to customers, this year they have gone paperless for the first time in 50 years to reduce paper wastage.
We are one of the few businesses that can claim to be a real net contributor to the environment from growing and supplying over 7 million plants and trees per year to low emission vehicles. Our irrigation system uses rainfall and runoff water from its reservoirs. The plants we supply beautify UK wide planting schemes and private gardens helping reduce Carbon Dioxide from the air and greenhouse gases which create pollution.
Our BSI ISO 9001:2015 & 14001:2015 Quality, and Environmental standard credentials have underpinned business operations since 1992, the new digital catalogue is one of many changes to our company’s systems with order processing going digital too.
Our new catalogue can be viewed here – to access you will need to be a customer and have the password – please contact us on 01423 332309 or email paull@nurserymen.co.uk to gain access.
This was an obvious step for our Garden Centre Sales department. In going paperless, we have saved 10’s of thousands of pages which, by the end of the next year would have ended up in the bin or recycled and would have taken time to process. The benefits are significant from both an efficiency perspective.
Posted 13th Oct 10:23am
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for October 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs and fruit bushes, lift and divide rhubarb crowns when the leaves have died away.
2) With only 50-65mm of rain expected in October in the north, together with a number of sunny days, try and make a start on some of the winter jobs completed before the real winter weather sets in. Dispose of fallen apples as they will not store and may carry over disease if left outside.
3) Collect seeds of those plants you wish to increase. Store dry seeds in paper bags in an airtight container on the bottom shelf of the fridge. If unsure when to sow, sow half the seed on the collection and the other half in spring.
4) Frequently collect fallen leaves from around the garden and store in a wire-netting mesh bin using four wooden posts at the corners. Filled in October and November you should have a rich compost by next autumn. Do not leave fallen leaves on the lawn.
5) Clear leaves from around all alpine plants. If they are to be left outside, provide the protection of a cold frame, or even a glass or plastic cloche, to prevent plants becoming waterlogged.
6) When the foliage is dropping from tall shrubs such as Buddleias and Lavatera, cut them back to half the height to which they will be pruned in the spring, which will prevent winter gale damage.
7) It is fine to plant Daffodils and many other spring-flowering bulbs this month, but leave tulip bulbs until November to reduce the incidence of Tulip Fire disease.
8) Move non-hardy plants grown in containers e.g figs, olives, bay trees and palms, under the shelter of a greenhouse or sunroom.
9) Apply grease bands around the trunks of apple trees as a barrier to winter moths. Apply the correct grease the trees with rough or smooth bark. Rake up leaves around rose bushes to prevent Black Spot being carried over to next year.
10) Berries are popular with birds in winter, but they dislike yellow ones such as viburnum, Holly and Pyracantha.
11) Remove any shading applied to glasshouse roofs and fit bubble insulation to the sides.
12) Plant up containers with winter bedding such as pansies, violas, polyanthus, variegated ivy, bulbs and Conifers etc.
13) Clean out ponds and remove water pumps for the winter.
14) Give conifer hedges a final trim, and finish planting evergreen shrubs whilst the soil is still warm.
15) Raise the blades on the lawnmower a little now that growth has slowed significantly.
Posted 6th Oct 9:55am
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We are celebrating a record-breaking year within our Garden Centre Sales Division.
The Garden Centre Sales Division, which is run by Mark Reynard has had a turbulent year, to say the least when garden centres were forced to shut leading to postponed and cancelled orders of thousands of perishable plants.
The retail division has relied heavily on online plant retailers during the lockdown and has now surpassed its original budget figure to achieve a record-breaking year despite all of the challenges faced.
A tunnel full of retail phormiums
We had to think outside of the box during the lockdown period and come up with initiatives to save what would otherwise be wasted stock by donating hundreds of plants to local villages as well as creating ‘Garden Rescue Packs‘ which were sold by online plant suppliers, Hedges Direct.
Over 300 ‘Garden Rescue Packs’ were shipped from April – May including one to the investor, Deborah Meaden. The packs included a selection of x50 2L or x25 5L mixed shrubs.
Image of Garden Rescue Packs
Once the Garden Centres could re-open we experienced unprecedented demand for our plants. Over 700,000 plants have made it down our plant preparation line from April – now.
The division’s successes are due to the publics newfound love of gardening and home improvements with companies such as Notonthehighstreet seeing a 230% increase in garden-related searches in August alone. Our staff did a fantastic job of fulfilling the high demand, working overtime, including weekends and evenings to produce and collate all of the orders.
Retail lifting supervisor, Martyn Osborne
Retail Sales Manager, Mark Reynard, said: “A notable year in my 40-year career at Johnsons. It’s astonishing to have come out of the ‘other end’ in what we initially thought was going to be the most challenging year the division had ever faced. We are so grateful for all our staff’s hard work and all of the orders and support from our customers new and old.
We know there are lots of challenges ahead for all of us in the coming months but hope the publics newfound love of gardening continues into next year. ”
Retail Sales Manager, Mark Reynard
Posted 28th Sep 10:56am
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Our cash & carry wants to improve its service and you can help them, help you…
This season has thrown up challenges like no other that the nursery has faced in its near 100-year history. The collation of small orders can be time-consuming and take staff away from important work such as stocking up the beds. With this in mind, we are making a few changes to how we process your orders. This will be implemented from the 1st of October.
£0-£250 spendAny customer whose order is below £250 we ask that you lift the plants yourself off the beds here and take away with you on the day. We can on occasion hold your order if you need to call back with a van. We will hold for no longer than four days.
£250-£500 spend Customers who are spending between £250 and £500, we can quote for these orders and lift the plants. However, it would be appreciated if you can still lift some of the plants off cash and carry especially if you have seen the plants already and know you want particular specimens. These orders would not qualify for delivery; collection only, which can if needed, be held in our customer bays for a limited time.
£500 + spend Any order which has a value of over £500 can be delivered; by either our own transport or by use of a carrier service (charges may apply). We will quote for these orders, lift and pack them for despatch. You can still lift the plants off the beds and take them away in your own vehicle
Posted 21st Sep 3:46pm
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Johnsons of Whixley team up with LDC Ltd and Studio Loci to create a private sanctuary for a family home
We recently teamed up with award-winning landscapers, LDC Limited and Landscape Architects, Studio Loci to create an elaborate private garden for a residence in Surrey.
The Springhill Garden is based at a private residence in Guildford. The owners commissioned a total redesign of the outdoor space to showcase the views over North Downs and to create a garden fit for all the family.
The jewel in the crown is a stunning tiered garden to the rear of the property. The first level features an entertainment space including a large area for seated guests, with access via a grand entrance with a 23-step staircase connecting it to the main garden. The steps are bordered by a prairie style planting scheme to provide year-round vibrancy and colour.
The second tier of space is a lawn that provides a flat, open space for children to play. This area is surrounded by a planting scheme of pleached trees and yew hedging that separates the area from the rest of the garden whilst also protecting the views over the downs.
The final level, which is accessed by an additional set of steps, leads down to the private tennis court that is shielded by an embankment.
The garden was designed by Studio Loci and the contract work carried out by LDC Ltd, using more than 800 plants supplied by Johnsons.
Among the plants supplied were Lavandula ‘Hidcote’, Calamagrostis acut. ‘Karl Foerster’, Pennisetum alop. ‘Hameln’, and Stipa tenuissima.
Landscape Architect, Tom Prince from Studio Loci said: ” LDC have been more than happy with the service provided by Johnsons over the last few years. The quality of nursery stock has always been to a very high standard and we look forward to working with Johnson well into the future.”
We hope the garden provides amazing memories for the family for many years to come. It is an incredible space, with every area being utilised and surrounded by wonderful plants and trees.
This is one of many private gardens we have supplied via our customers in recent times including a parterre garden in Ilkley, a large domestic garden in North Yorkshire and a sloping garden in Harrogate.
Posted 21st Sep 10:28am
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We have donated plants worth hundreds of pounds for a magical garden to help children cope with grief.
The garden, at the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford, will be a tranquil space where children can be themselves, explore their surroundings and escape their reality for a short while.
Our plant donation was worth more than £800 to the hospice, that cares for terminally ill patients and their families while Leeds Landscapers, Aire Valley Landscaping Services gave up their time to design and plant the garden.
Included in our supply were perennials such as Verbena bonariensis, Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’, Salvia ‘Caradonna’, Crocosmia ‘George Davidson’ and Lavandula ‘Hidcote’.
Climbing varieties included Trachelospermum jasminoides, Hydrangea petiolaris and Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ perfect for covering trellises and fences in the new garden. Several Amelanchier alnifolia ‘obelisk’ trees were provided, along with grasses such as Ophiopogon ‘Nigrescens’.
The garden aims to provide a safe yet stimulating space where children can go with an adult to enjoy some time out and enjoy being a child again.
The magical space includes surprise elements such as fairy doors and toadstools hidden among the greenery, along with sensory sections with running water and scented plants.
A hospice spokesman explained: “Children may be worried about having fun due to an awareness of their wider family’s emotional needs. However, this space is for them. The Magical Garden will enable children to spend ‘time out’ exploring and having fun during very stressful and upsetting times. This will be their space to play, relax, explore, gain a sense of normality and be themselves.
“We also hope that through engaging in creative thinking, this will strengthen their bond with the adult and help them to have difficult conversations about grief and death.”
We are delighted to support this initiative to help children through what will, in all probability, be the most difficult time of their young lives. The garden will offer them a valuable space to take time out and be a child again, as well as helping them to talk about how they feel.
This is one of many projects we have donated to in recent years including Springwater School and the BBC Children in Need, DIY SOS ‘Big Build Project’.
Posted 7th Sep 10:10am
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for September 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) If you have heavy soil, dig over the garden borders as bedding plants need to be removed. This will make digging easier as the soil will not be at full water capacity as in later months.
2) Now is the time to make yourself a good big compost bin, just before you really need it! Ideally, use 4 stakes as corners 1 metre apart in a square and staple wire netting (1 metre deep) around the square. This affords easy entry when you wish to empty it, or it can be made bigger or smaller at will. If you would like a permanent one, use pressure-treated plywood or boards instead of netting.
3) On a fine evening have a walk around the garden and make a note of what has done really well, and also not so well, so that when the time comes to replant the borders you will have a good idea of what will be successful! Why not have a visit to Harlow Carr gardens or one of the other splendid gardens in the area, and make a note of which plants you are really motivated by?
4) Towards the end of the month and into October is the best time to move evergreens as the soil is still warm and new roots will take hold before winter. Make sure the planting hole is big enough so the plant is at the same depth as before, firm soil back around the root-ball and water in well.
5) Keep dead-heading the best flowering plants to encourage new flowers and stop them from setting seed.
6) Take hardwood cuttings of your favourite roses. Ideal cuttings are about pencil thickness and 30cm long, remove the top 8cm of young growth down to just above a bud. Cut the bottom of the stem at about 2-3mm below a bud and trim off all the leaves with the exception of the top 3 sets of leaves.Make a slot with a spade in an area of good soil and push in the cuttings (base first!) so that about one third remains above ground. If the soil is heavy, run some sharp sand down the planting slot to improve drainage. The cuttings should be ready to plant out next autumn.
7) Complete the lifting of last season’s bulbs and dry them off naturally in light woven sacks for maximum ventilation.
8) Prune rambler roses when they have finished flowering.
9) Now is the time to sort out your bulb order to give you maximum choice. Bulb catalogues are now really helpful and a pleasure to look at. Planting early has benefits for all bulbs, but leave tulips until late November in order to prevent disease infection.
10) New construction such as rock gardens or raised beds started this month should be completed before the days get too short and the soil has become wet.
11) Crocosmias form large mounds of roots and corms after a few years, try separating them with a fork, pulling them apart, or removing the soil and untangling them with the help of a hosepipe jet.
12) This month and next month the lawn can be mown less frequently, but will really benefit from mechanical scarifying or the regular use of a spring tine rake to remove the old ‘thatch’. Aerating by means of a machine or a garden fork will work wonders, in conjunction with a specific lawn
weed-0killer and an autumn lawn fertilizer dressing.
13) Cheap insecticide – 3 pounds of rhubarb leaves infused in 6 pints of water with added soap solution makes a good insecticide. It is poisonous, take the usual necessary precaution.
Posted 1st Sep 1:11pm
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Our Retail Sales Manager, Mark Reynard, has just celebrated 40 years with the company, so we asked him some questions about his time at Johnsons, see what he had to say below:
1. What was the year you started at Johnsons? 23rd June 1980
2. How did you come about working at Johnsons?
I came for an interview on a sunny day in June, and it looked a nice place to work – a few months later in the winter digging trees up with rain running down your neck was a slightly different experience.
3. Did you work anywhere else prior to Johnsons? I only did a paper round; I started work at Johnsons just a few days after my 16th birthday!
4. What was your first position in the company?
My first position was an apprenticeship for three years with work-based learning mixed in with college work.
5. How has the company changed over the years?
Wow – beyond belief really, from 20-30 staff to the 110-160 staff there are now, it is an incredible change, and a tribute to all the hard work people have put in over the years. The nice thing we have maintained is the friendly Family Business feeling as the company has grown. People are treated as individuals and not just numbers on a payroll – those of us that haven’t worked anywhere else probably don’t’ appreciate this enough.
6. What is your most memorable day at Johnsons?
For different reasons:
7. If you could have chosen another career what would it have been?
Anything to do with sport really – playing it or coaching.
8. What has made you stay at Johnsons for all those years?
Although 40 years sounds like a very long time the first 10 years were very different, from growing plants to loading and delivering plants and then on to sales where no two days are ever the same.
Running the Garden Centre Sales side of Johnsons is a bit like running a separate business within the main business, I set different goals each year to keep driving me forward, we have made some good progress recently but still feel there are a few things to achieve before I hang up my order pad.
During my time at Johnsons I’ve had some up’s and down’s which the Richardson family have always supported me through and I feel it’s nice to repay that in a small way.
Group MD Graham Richardson added: “Mark has been a valued member of the team since June 1980, I can’t believe how fast the years have gone by.
“Mark joined Johnsons as a 16-year-old apprentice and over the years, with hard work and dedication, has progressed throughout the business. He is a valued member of the team and is a key part of our business and history.”
To mark his four-decade milestone, as is customary the company will formally recognise this extraordinary achievement at the Christmas shutdown.
Posted 28th Aug 9:12am
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We recently teamed up with one of the UK’s top landscape and maintenance contractors, Ashlea Ltd to complete the soft landscaping at the Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs Visitor Centre, giving it a new look for reopening after lockdown restrictions.
The popular holiday destination is situated at Penrith, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. Set within 400 acres, Whinfell Forest is the largest of Center Parcs’ five UK villages, offering a range of indoor and outdoor activities, restaurants and shops that attracts thousands of holidaymakers every year.
Landscape and maintenance specialist Ashlea Ltd has completed several hard and soft landscaping projects at the site in recent years. The latest includes clearing and replanting the banking at the visitor centre.
Our supply included more than 250 plants to complete the banking’s transformation including a mixture of shrubs, grasses, and ferns with varieties such as Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’, Pinus mugo, Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’, Cotinus’ Royal Purple’, Mahonia x media ‘ Charity’, Miscanthus sinensis ‘ Zebrinus’ and Dryopteris erythrosora.
Wayne Dand, Contracts Director at Ashlea Ltd, said: Once again Johnsons Of Whixley excelled in the delivery and supply of mature shrubs to enhance the Visitors Centre embankment prior to the park opening In July 2020. The embankment is situated on a busy route to the visitors centre and is always far too busy to close the footways for completion of the works. Due to the park being closed during the lockdown, the opportunity came to remove the old and tired planting and replace with a new mature planting design to freshen the area for reopening.
It’s great to have supplied another area of the well-loved Whinfell Forest Center Parcs via our long-standing customer Ashlea Ltd. Thousands of families visit here each year, so it’s fantastic to be enhancing the already beautiful outside space with hundreds of our plants.
Posted 10th Aug 4:08pm
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We have made some management changes to our onsite cash and carry. The unit is often seen as a showpiece for the company for any visiting architect and client as well as being a one-stop-shop for landscape affiliated trades in the North of England including Landscape Gardeners, Garden Designers, Property Developers, Estates, Hotels and more offering an extensive range of shrubs, herbaceous, trees, hedging and sundries.
The current Cash & Carry Manager Luke Richardson has now returned to our main office to focus on commercial sales. He will continue overseeing the day to day activities on the cash & carry but will leave the managing of the unit in the capable hands of two familiar faces, Alice Knowles, and Claire Horner.
Between the two employees, they have over forty years of working experience which they can apply to their new roles. Alice Knowles, who has a background in horticultural retail outlets and has previously worked at Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate, will be concentrating on the quotes, customer orders and internal functionality of the unit.
Claire Horner, who has worked at Johnsons for over twenty years, will be focused on the external elements of the cash and carry, such as the stocking and cultural work. Together they will ensure that the high standards are preserved, and customer-focused service is maintained.
Our cash and carry which is located between Harrogate and York, just off the A1 at junction 47 serves over 1000 landscape affiliated customers a year and has gained over 133 new customers since the beginning of lockdown.
New Cash & Carry Manager, Claire Horner said: “A quality service is assured to our customers, who are our top priority. Being able to offer a wide range of quality plants which reflects seasonality and to always have a variety for our customer to chose from off the beds is our aim. “
Posted 31st Jul 2:25pm
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for August 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Prune plum trees when cropping has finished. Cut out all dead and diseased wood. Cut back lateral branches of fan trained plums by a third.
2) Cut back the long whippy growth of Wisteria to within 3 buds of the old wood if they are not required to extend the area covered by the plant.
3) Stop greenhouse tomatoes, and stop outdoor tomatoes when 4 or 5 trusses have set. Remove 50% of the lower foliage and reduce watering to allow fruits to ripen.
4) Pinch back trailing plants such as ivy-leaved pelargoniums that are becoming straggly. Pelargoniums grown as bedding or container plants will root easily from cuttings. Select sturdy shoots about 10cm long, cutting just below a node. Place in a pot of very sandy compost and shade from the sun in a greenhouse or cold frame.
5) Maintain the water level in ponds to prevent stress to fish, plants and other plant life.
6) Give container plants a liquid feed as long release fertilizers may not provide enough boost to keep the plants growing.
7) Collect and dispose of fallen apples showing signs of brown rot. Do not compost them.
8) Cut down to ground level the recently fruited canes of Raspberries. Tie in strong young canes spaced 8-10cm apart. Remove surplus young canes and burn them.
9) Sow spring cabbage early in the month for planting out mid-September.
10) Plant Freesia corms now in large pots to begin flowering in March.
11) Plant spring-flowering crocus and Muscari during the month.
12) Give a high Potash feed (Sulphate of Potash or tomato fertilizer) to plants which will provide a display next year. Water in, if conditions are very dry.
13) Continue deadheading roses and tie in and secure young shoots of climbers. Watch out for Black Spot and Greenfly, spray at once and apply a foliar feed if prolific.
14) Keep annual beds free from weeds and remove faded flowers. Lift bearded Iris every 3 years when they become crowded. Discard old material from the centre of the plant. Cut back foliage of new plants to 20-30cm before planting.
15) Pot up seedlings of self-sown herbaceous plants.
16) Trim Lavenders as the flowers go over, but don’t cut into the last seasons wood as this may prevent future regrowth.
17) As soon as strawberries stop cropping, cut off old leaves about 10cm above the crown. Cut off all runners other than those required to fill gaps. Rake off all old foliage and any straw around the plants, Burn all this rubbish. It is suggested that the plants are dug up after cropping for three years, and virus free new stock is purchased.
18) Make a list of the bulb varieties, quantities and planting locations for planting this autumn.
Posted 30th Jul 12:21pm
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We have created over 5000 sqm of additional bed space for plants of the future at two of our nursery sites located In Kirk Hammerton and Roecliffe, North Yorkshire.
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson stood amongst the new beds
Production capacity has increased as a result of reduced sales brought about by the recent crisis and as a reaction to potential Brexit trading constraints.
New beds
Recent projects have delivered sufficient growing space to produce an extra 320,000 extra landscape and garden plants per year. The facilities comprise of external beds and covered ‘polytunnel’ space all profiled and watered via automated systems.
New beds
Through the sale of 7 million Trees & Shrubs annually, we are one of the few businesses that can claim to be a true net contributor to the environment. Our green credentials are monitored continuously via its accreditation to the environmental standard ISO14001.
New tunnel
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson said: “Investment in new production facilities provides extra facilities to hold over crops otherwise destined for the waste heap and reduces our exposure to reduced availability should trading constraints with Europe begin to bite
Posted 15th Jul 11:14am
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When we think of pollinator-friendly shrubs and herbaceous, we automatically think of lavenders, but this doesn’t suit everybody’s taste or garden position, so we have put together a list of other pollinator-friendly plants for different positions in your garden during the spring and summer months.
1.Primula veris
Flowering period: April – May
Position: Full sun or partial shade
2. Helleborus varieties
Flowering period: January – March (some varieties flower earlier, and for longer)
Position: Partial shade
3. Prunus Kojo-no-mai
Flowering period: March – April
Position: Full sun
4.Berberis darwinii
Flowering period: April – May
Position: Full sun or partial shade
5. Pulmonaria Diana Clare
Flowering period: February – May
Position: shade – Partial sun
6. Ribes King Edward
Flowering period: April – May
Position: Full sun
7. Viburnum tinus
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Flowering period: April – December
8. Mahonia ‘Winter sun’
Position: November – March
Flowering period: Full sun – partial shade
1.Geraniums
Flowering period: May – September (some varieties may flower earlier and for longer)
Position: Full sun or partial shade
2. Echinacea’s
Flowering period: July – September (most varieties)
Position: Full sun
3. Buddleia’s
Flowering period: July – September (mot varieties)
Position: Full sun or partial shade
4. Scabiosa varieties
Flowering period: July – September (most varieties)
Position: Full sun
5. Lavender varieties
Flowering period: July – September (most varieties)
Position: Full sun
6. Verbena varieties
Flowering period: June – September (most varieties)
Position: Full sun
7. Agastache varieties
Flowering period: June – October (most varieties)
Position: Full sun
8.Caryopteris ‘Heavenly Blue’
Flowering period: August – September
Position: Ful sun
Posted 6th Jul 2:53pm
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for July 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) Water recently sowed or turfed new lawns in dry weather to ensure establishment. Don’t forget to sweep up fallen apples and heavy fallen leaf concentrations before mowing.
2) Plant bulbs in the grass to flower next autumn as soon as bulbs are on sale.
3) If the garden is to be left for some time in mid-summer, consider cutting back the tops of all flowering plants to stop seed being set and germinating without control. This should also lead to a good display of flowers later in the season.
4) lower the cutting height on the lawnmower (but not too short!) and cut lawn edges with a half-moon cutter, long-handled shears or an electric nylon line trimmer. Remove perennial lawn weeds.
5) Hoeing lightly is an effective way of reducing water loss, not only does it eliminate weed competition for water, but a fine tilth on the soil surface helps prevent transpiration, but don’t hoe too deeply. A mulch of garden compost is another very good method of helping reduce water loss, and also helps increase soil organic matter.
6) Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble or liquid feed once per week and remove flower heads which are going over.
7) Prune pyracanthas by cutting back side-shoots to 2-3 leaves from their base for a good show next year. Wear gloves!!
8) When the first flush of hardy geranium and Alchemilla is over, cut them back hard for a spectacular second flush of flowers.
9) Lift tulip bulbs after they have fully died down and store them in a dry, airy place over summer (Better stored in paper bags, definitely not polythene).
10) Feed roses with a specialist rose fertilizer if not already done. On light soils, a mulch of rotted compost will provide long term slow feed but will also help preserve moisture.
11) Trim quickthorn and privet hedges and continue to keep hedge bottoms clean by hoeing or the use of Gramoxone. Always check for nesting birds before cutting hedges in summer. When trimming Laurels and Elaeagnus, cut back straggly shoots with secateurs.
12) Check all plant ties, and that all herbaceous forms of support are strong enough for the new growth.
13) Be sure to keep hydrangeas well-watered, they are very quick to show the shortage of water by drooping heavily.
14) Keep an eye open for pests and diseases such as greenfly, lily beetle, mildew and blackspot.
15) Root heather cuttings in boxes or small pots using a mixture of 50% peat and 50% acid sand. Take cuttings of young half-ripe shoots from the middle of July to mid-August, dipping the ends of the cuttings in rooting hormone. Don’t allow cutting to dry out, but don’t over-water. Provide shade for the cuttings.
16) In the north, July is probably as late as possible to achieve good results from sowing beetroot, lettuce, spinach and carrot seed. Harvest beans and peas as they are ready, as this will encourage the production of a further crop.
Posted 2nd Jul 1:59pm
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Motorists stopping for a break at the new Skelton Lakes service station on the M1 near Leeds can enjoy glorious landscaped lakeside gardens thanks to us and Landscaping firm Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd.
Our plant supply to the scheme was worth more than £110,000, which aims to bring new levels of design and quality to visitors when it opens this summer.
The area, at Junction 45, will include a business centre and community facilities, in addition to a range of food and drink outlets, a visitor area and lakeside viewing deck across a total of 30 acres. The main building will feature exposed timber beams and a ‘living green roof’ to reflect the landscape.
Our supply included more than 25,000 plants for the landscaping scheme, including more than 3,900 Persicaria ‘Darjeeling Red’, 3,600 Carpinus betulus, 2,800 crataegus monogyna and 1,100 Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’.
Also incorporated in the supply was over 400 trees, with varieties including over 60 Acer camp. ‘Streetwise’, 120 Betula pendula, 60 Alnus glutinosa and 45 Pinus sylvestris.
Brambledown Director, Paul Curry said: “It was a pleasure to work with Johnsons of Whixley again on such a large Commercial Landscape Project near Leeds. We have continued to plant thousands of trees and shrubs at Skelton Lakes Service Station throughout the Covid-19 pandemic while implementing all necessary Public Health England and Government industry safe working practices. It has been a very challenging project, but we have worked very closely with the client, and the main contractor to ensure our programmed landscape works could progress.
Skelton Lakes aims to bring a new concept of the motorway service station to Yorkshire, with unprecedented levels of design set in acres of gardens.
The development will form part of a ‘Green corridor’ linking Grade 1 listed Temple Newsam House to the north and Rothwell Country Park to the south.
Posted 30th Jun 11:55am
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One of our amenity sales reps, Andrew Barker, has set about creating a vertical living wall in his backyard during the lockdown period.
Andrew was influenced to create his living wall after seeing customer Brambledown Landscapes Ltd build a living wall for retail giant Barker and Stonehouse along with the many benefits it has for the environment.
Barker and Stonehouse’s living wall planted and maintained by Brambledown Landscapes Ltd
A variety of our plants including, Cyrtomium fortunei P9, Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ P9, Heuchera ‘Caramel’ P9, Pennisetum alop. ‘Hameln’ P9 and Asplenium scolopendrium P9 were used to complete his living wall project.
A living wall has many benefits, including the improvement of air quality, reducing energy costs (if placed alongside a building), reducing noise levels, aesthetically pleasing and water management.
We asked Andrew his top tips for creating a living wall and what he used to do so, here is what he had to say below:
1. What equipment did you need to create a living wall? Pressure-treated timber, premade plant pocket material and a lot of screws.
2. What plants did you choose and why? I wanted a mixture of evergreen and deciduous perennials to achieve some structure with seasonal interest and tried to use some older lines that we had on the nursery to reduce waste.
3. How long did it take you to build? It took a day to build the frame, half a day to fix in place and nearly a full day to plant up
4. What aftercare does a living wall require? With a small amount of substrate in each pocket water monitoring or an automatic irrigation system is needed—also, the use of a balanced liquid feed schedule throughout the year. The rest of the work will be standard cultural work to the individual plants to keep them looking their best.
Posted 1st Jul 9:24am
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A warm welcome to Yvette Adams who joins our front of house team as a Receptionist and will be working alongside Chris, Tracey, and Cath. Here’s what she said about her new position at Johnsons:
Welcome to the team Yvette, how are you finding your new role?
I am really enjoying my new job; everyone has made me feel very welcome.
Where did you work before Johnsons?
I worked in the office at Boroughbridge High school.
What are you looking forward to most while working here?
Getting to know my colleagues and understanding the running of the company.
What have the challenges been so far?
Trying to pronounce and spell suppliers’ names.
Anything new you have learnt since joining?
Yes, working on the plant production line was something I had never done before.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
Seeing Family and Friends, Walking and grooming my dogs, and Gardening.
How did you celebrate your new role?
Had Fish and Chips and a glass of cider.
Tell us a random fact about yourself:
I once played Bass guitar in a punk rock band
Posted 25th Jun 8:47am
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England cricket hero Ben Stokes has a stunning new-look garden thanks to us and the team at Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd.
The current England vice-captain – voted Sports Personality of the Year 2019 after his heroics in the Cricket World Cup and in the test match at Headingley when England beat Australia – visited our onsite trade cash & carry with Brambledown’s Director to select several plants for his garden.
He chose several topiary plants including Buxus cones in 170L pots, varying from 130cm in height to 200cm, and 110cm wide Buxus balls.
Brambledown, one of the UK’s top landscape and maintenance contractors, has been undertaking soft and hard landscaping works – including planting the topiary plants – at the cricketer’s Co Durham property.
Frank Curry, Brambledown Director, said: ” It’s a pleasure to be working with Ben and his wife Clare on their garden plans. They enjoyed the opportunity to visit Johnsons of Whixley and see the vast variety of quality plant material.
Eleanor Richardson, Johnsons’ marketing manager, added: “The men in our family business are big cricket fans, so were starstruck when Ben Stokes attended our onsite trade cash and carry.
“As always, it’s a pleasure to work with our long-standing customer Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd who are guaranteed to do a great job for the England cricket star. We look forward to seeing the end result of the garden project.
Posted 19th Jun 1:51pm
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We have teamed up with one of the UK’s largest landscaping companies, Ashlea Ltd to help the grounds of the new Waterfront Business Park in Barrow-In-Furness bloom.
The £3.5 million project comprises of offices, workshops and industrial buildings that are already home to several businesses including BAE, that has occupied a sizeable unit since phase one of the scheme opened in 2017.
Located at the gateway to Britain’s ‘energy coast’, the development is regarded as a hotspot for growing businesses.
The team at Ashlea completed the groundworks and planting for the grounds of the business park.
Johnsons supplied trees, hedging, grasses and shrubs for the scheme, including varieties such as Betula pendula, Pinus Nigra, Miscanthus sinensis, Stipa tenuissima, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa and Viburnum opulus.
Ashlea Ltd Contracts Director Wayne Dand said: ”Once again Johnsons Of Whixley has excelled themselves with the quality of plants, trees and service provided. The coastal landscape design of ornamental grasses is starting to develop well.”
We are delighted to have been Ashlea’s chosen supplier for this project. This is one of many similar projects we have supplied in recent years, and it is great to see our plants help this new business park to ‘bloom’. We look forward to working with Ashlea Ltd again soon.
Posted 16th Jun 11:41am
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To celebrate World Gin Day on Saturday 13th June, we are giving away a 20cl bottle of our ‘Quixley Gin’
For your chance to win simply like our Facebook page, like the post and tag the friend, you would share a bottle with. ????
Terms and conditions do apply below ⬇️
1. The promotor is Johnsons of Whixley Ltd
2. Entrants must like the Johnsons of Whixley Facebook page and have liked and commented on the post as requested to be in for a chance to win.
3. The prize is open to all UK residents aged over 18 and above.
4. There is only one prize available
5. Only one prize per entrant (a 20cl bottle of Quixley gin) can be claimed, multiple entries from the same applicant will be discounted.
6. The prize is as stated, no cash or alternative prize is available.
7. The Winner will be picked at random from all eligible entries.
8. The competition will close at 12 pm Monday 15th June
9. The Winner will be announced on Monday 15th June on the Johnsons of Whixley Facebook page.
10. Winners will be asked for their details for postage or collection.
11. Winners will receive their prize by post or on collection.
12. The winners are allowed up to five calendar days to claim the prize from the date they are announced. If the Winner fails to come forward, then the prize shall be forfeited.
13. Entries who did not win will not be contacted.
14. Johnsons of Whixley will not take responsibility for any lost items in the post – replacements cannot be issued.
15. If you are a winner, the Promoter may request you to participate in any publicity or promotion organised by the Promoter, including promotional photographs.
16. The Promoter reserves the right to withdraw this offer or amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without notice.
17. In the event of any dispute regarding the Terms and Conditions, the conduct, results and any other matters relating to this prize draw, the decision of the Promoter shall be final, and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.
18. By entering applicants agree to the above terms and conditions.
Posted 9th Jun 9:59am
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for June 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
1) The very dry weather in May has made us realise just how important it is to organise an efficient watering system. Garden centres will have excellent drip-feed watering systems on sale, which are ideal for plants in containers, grow bags, window boxes and hanging baskets, and are relatively easy and quick to install. Money well spent!
2) Anything planted during the last 2 months is almost certain to be suffering from the effect of the drought. When watering, ensure that plants are given a really good soak and not just having the soil surface dampened down.
3) Hoe weeds wherever possible in the dry weather, they collapse quickly, and leaving a tilth on the soil surface helps conserve moisture and prevents the growth of new weed seedlings.
4) Make sure that supports are now in place for herbaceous plants which are growing quickly, the support is also needed if they become short of water and lose rigidity.
5) Forsythia and other early flowering shrubs will benefit from having some of the old flowering shoots removed in order to stimulate new young shoots which will carry flower buds next year.
6) Don’t forget to prune topiary plants such as Buxus and Taxus, if you leave it too long it is very easy to lose the original shape, and extremely difficult to recover.
7) If you have never had the opportunity to read a copy of ‘Gardening Which’, either borrow a copy or take out a subscription, it is worth every penny!
8) Complete the planting of hardy annuals, and ensure they are well watered-in and kept watered for the first full month.
9) Ensure that slugs and snails cannot do too much damage by picking them off plants in the late evening by hand or treating them with appropriate slug and snail killers.
10) Plant out young dahlias now there is no chance of frost. Keep well-watered and control greenfly. Apply a mulch of spent compost to retain moisture and reduce weeds and slugs.
11) Sow winter pansies, primulas, violas and Brompton stocks under glass. Foxgloves and wallflowers can be sown outside in a weed-free area of the border to flower next year.
12) Bulb foliage will have died down by now, remove it once it has gone dry and yellow. Daffodil bulbs will be fine left in situ, but tulip bulbs are better lifted carefully, cleaned, and dried off in shallow boxes. Keep cool and well ventilated until replanted in the autumn.
13) Watch out for those bright red lily beetles, they are on the march! Make sure to keep a hand underneath when trying to catch them, as they drop into the soil beneath when touched.
14) Keep removing the side shoots of tomatoes by breaking them out of the leaf axils, to ensure the energy of the plant goes into the fruit.
15) Now that wholesale nurseries and garden centres are open once again, a walk around any of them will be useful as no doubt they will have a number of unsold lines at attractive prices.
16) Trim back the flowering growth of Erica carnea varieties and top-dress with peat.
17) Watch out for woolly aphids on apple trees, scrub off with soap and water.
18) Dead-head roses after they have flowered,. Cut down to the axil of a bud with secateurs.
“If you have two pennies, spend one for a loaf and one for a flower.
The bread will give you life, the flower a reason for living’. (Chinese Proverb, & Maurice Baren)”
Posted 1st Jun 9:33am
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A staff member has set about creating a new wildlife haven at one of our nurseries 50-acre sites.
Our Newlands site is located in the heart of Yorkshire and surrounded by open landscapes, it now enjoys a new pond courtesy of our long-standing employee Darren Fawbert.
This new feature is located close to the nursery’s on-site apiary and woodland area which is already home to an array of birds, insects, rabbits, hares, deer and many other wildlife species.
The pond is now one of five across 200 acres of our land, these are mainly left untouched and are currently homes to ducks, geese, grey herons, frogs, a swan and plenty of fish.
Darren set about his mission just weeks ago in his spare time and has transformed the area with a pond, native tree planting, a bench, and his very own sign ‘Fawberts Folly.’
We are one of the few businesses that can claim to be a true net contributor to the environment as our produce is a true natural offset to climate change and the country’s commitment to Carbon Neutrality.
Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director at Johnsons of Whixley said: “ During the current crisis the public have recognised the value of outside spaces and the natural world. In a matter of weeks, Darren has created a hugely valuable natural space, some of our staff have even taken to having their lunch in this unique oasis located on the edge of a natural escarpment offering 360 views of the Dales, North York Moors and even the iconic spire of York Minster.”
Posted 29th May 9:30am
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We have donated a number of trees and hedging plants to help rejuvenate and enhance the local playing fields and caravan site at a local village, Rufforth.
Redevelopment of Rufforth cricket pavilion, changing rooms, bar and caravan park are all part of planned works by the Rufforth Playing Fields Association.
Over the winter months, members have been busy litter picking and planting spring bulbs, along with 250 cell grown trees and shrubs donated by the Forestry Commission.
We donated 300 Crataegus Monogyna (hawthorn), nine fruit trees including Malus Domestica and Prunus dom ‘Victoria’ and associated rabbit protection, tree ties and stakes.
The forestry commission trees have been used to create a woodland walkway for dog walkers while our donation has been used to create a community orchard and segregation hedge around the campsite area.
Andrew Barker, who works in the sales department at Johnsons and lives in Rufforth village, said: “This has been a fabulous project that has brought together the community and various stakeholders of the playing fields. All would not have been possible without these kind donations.
“One of the great aspects of working for a company like Johnsons is their view on corporate social responsibility and the way they use their capabilities by providing local charitable projects such as this with plant material.”
Posted 14th May 10:46am
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for May 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturist John Richardson.
6. In mild weather slugs and snails may well begin to eat the shoots of newly growing perennials. Use environmentally approved slug pellets as a control.
7. Dahlias may begin to sprout in mild conditions under glass, but don’t plant out until frost is past. Consider taking cutting of the first shoots.
8. Towards the end of the month collect woody twigs to use as supports for perennials before they get too long and straggly.
9. Apply residual weedkillers to gravelled driveways and footpaths. Be careful to ensure that the application is confined to the treated area and not surroundings. Significant drift can occur when using a pressurised sprayer.
10. Begin mowing the lawn weekly, but with the blades set quite high until the rate of growth increases. Dig out those perennial weeds that suddenly appear.
11. Check stakes and ties of trees planted in the last 2 years, stakes should still be sound and the tree ties not strangling the tree.
12. As the danger of night frost diminishes apply mulches to the soil to help conserve moisture.
View our full list of gardening reminders for the year, here
Posted 5th May 2:26pm
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Another local, Family Business, Make it Wild have been working with us and other nurseries to help plant the trees of the future, having pledged to plant 100,000 trees this decade, to form part of the ‘Northern Forest’.
The North of England has significantly fewer trees than other parts of the country, with just 7.6% of the region covered in woodland. The Woodland Trust is working with several partners including Make it Wild to plant over 50 million trees across northern sites and cities including Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Hull and Sheffield which will help to form the ‘Northern Forest’.
Since the beginning, Make it Wild have planted a whopping 36,000 trees across their land with Yorkshire suppliers including Johnsons of Whixley. Their mission is to support biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
The eco-friendly family that run Make it Wild set about their mission nearly ten years ago when they purchased 25 acres of land on the banks of the River Nidd. The land, which is adjacent to the village of Kirk Hammerton, located on the outskirts of York, is now known as Sylvan Nature Reserve. The project showed them how good land management could create a haven for wildlife and humans with 18,000 British, deciduous trees planted along with 8 acres of wild-flower meadow.
Following on from their successes at Sylvan Nature Reserve, the Neave family purchased a further 111 acres just outside Summerbridge near Harrogate, that has formed ‘Bank Woods’, a far larger habitat project incorporating ancient woodland.
Make it Wild encourage people to take responsibility for their carbon footprint. They offer individuals and businesses the possibility of offsetting their own carbon footprint through planting trees. This proved very popular as a Christmas gift, and also with businesses wanting to improve their ‘green’ credentials.
They plant trees and promote the purchase of eco-friendly, plastic-free and zero waste products on their website, such as Bee Wax Food Wraps and Bamboo Cotton Buds. Furthermore, they educate people about the benefits of protecting natural environments.
Tree varieties supplied and planted over the last nine years include Betula pendula, Prunus avium, Prunus padus, Sorbus Aucuparia, Acer campestre, Malus Sylvestris, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Viburnum opulus, Rosa canina and Ilex aquifolium.
These tree-planting projects aim to help tackle climate change, reduce the risk of flooding, clean the air and improve health and wellbeing.
Founder of Make it Wild, Christopher Neave said: “Johnsons of Whixley have been wonderful partners in our mission to help nature. It has been great having such a helpful business so close to us. They have always been able to assist us with good advice and high-quality trees.”
Posted 29th Apr 2:57pm
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We recently welcomed a new face to our office, Hannah Smith who joined our team as a Transport and Logistics Manager. Here’s what she had to say about her new role at Johnsons of Whixley.
1. What does your new role as a transport and logistics manager involve?
Managing the goods coming in and out of the business ensuring that all sales order stock is met by the incoming purchase stock.
2. How have you found your first few weeks?
Challenging but I am certainly looking forward to the future
3. What did your last job involve?
I have always worked in transport but my last job was transporting race horse throughout Europe for all occasions sales, racing, vets, breeding, yard moves.
4. What skills has it helped you develop for this job?
Multi-tasking, patients & straight-talking
5. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
Developing the transport side of the business
6. Have Johnsons supported you well with your new role?
Amazingly- everyone has been really supportive!
7. How will you be celebrating your new role?
A bottle of wine by the fire
Posted 21st Apr 10:50am
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We have teamed up with our long-standing customer, Ashlea Ltd to beautify the grounds of Lancaster Castle, following multimillion-pound conservation works.
The scheme has seen 5,000 sq ft restored to provide a new courtyard, café, gallery space, teaching suite and ticket office.
The building dates back to the 11th century and has a varied history, having been used as a defensive fortress, a royal castle, a crown court, a civil court and even a prison.
The medieval castle forms part of the Duchy of Lancaster, a royal inheritance that began 750 years ago. The castle itself has had many royal visitors over the years including King John, Robert the Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Queen Victoria and, in 2015, the Queen, who is the current Duke of Lancaster.
In the last 100 years, the castle has been used by the county council to train police officers. It was a prison office from 1954 until 2011 before it was decommissioned by the Ministry of Justice and returned to the Duchy of Lancaster. Since then, the focus has been to preserve and restore the historic site and to open the castle to the public.
Over the last seven years, the duchy team has worked closely with heritage architects, archaeological specialists and structural engineers to complete this project.
Ashlea Ltd’s groundworks for the project included soiling to the new planters, tree pit construction, drainage and laying of artificial grass and trees, as well as planting hundreds of shrubs and herbaceous plants, provided by Johnsons of Whixley.
Our plant supply comprised of hundreds of shrubs and herbaceous plants with varieties such as Buxus ‘suffruiticosa’, Euonymus fortunei, Hebe rakaiensis, Helleborous Anna’s Red’ and Heuchera Ruby Bells included in the project.
The supply also included four large Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’ trees with a girth of 30-35ins, in 100L pots.
Ashlea Ltd’s contracts director, Wayne Dand, said: “We are delighted, as are the clients, with the outcome of the scheme, especially the excellent standard of trees and shrubs. Logistically the project was complicated to deliver, due to restricted access through the castles main gate.”
This is one of many projects we have supplied through Ashlea Ltd, including Monks Cross Retail Park and Windermere Boat Museum.
Posted 21st Apr 9:40am
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On March 23rd 2020 the government announced comprehensive lockdown restrictions for the entire nation. At a stroke, many businesses simply ceased to trade and have remained in a state of suspended animation ever since.
At Johnsons, our approach has been driven by the need to ensure both the personal safety and job security of all staff.
Staff numbers have reduced by 40%, and this conversely has created a uniquely well-spaced and naturally ventilated working environment with 70 staff spread out over five sites totalling 150 acres.
During this period we have still dispatched 230,000 plants(Mar 23 to Apr 16th) fulfilling orders into all sectors in both an ethical and safe manner.
Our remote workers are dialling in daily and continue to answer enquiries, fill in quotes, pay suppliers, pay workers, and ask for payment from customers. They attend regular zoom meetings, organise incoming goods and our limited dispatch. Some of our colleagues are isolating at home or are furloughed due to the slow down in productive work – the contribution and support they are making is perhaps not as obvious but nevertheless remains essential.
We still need to grow the plants that we will sell in recovery – our potting machines are busy churning out new crops, and our production teams are frantically tending the plants that are vigorously growing in the sunshine on the nursery to ensure they remain saleable for as long as possible.
We thank all our customers and colleagues for your continued support; we remain open for business and capable of scaling up overnight when at long last the restrictions ease. Should you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.
Posted 16th Apr 5:29pm
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Wanting to add a splash of colour to the garden this April? Check out this month’s highlights from Cytisus ‘Allgold’ to Clematis ‘Early Sensation’, there is something for every garden.
1. Cytisus x praecox ‘Allgold’
A great deciduous shrub with arching sprays of bright yellow flowers from April – June. A fantastic addition to a mixed border.
???? Flowers: April – June
???? Position: Full sun
2. Clematis ‘Early Sensation’
A great evergreen that is happiest in full sun-partial shade, use a trellis or wire support to grow up a fence or wall.
???? Flowers: March – April
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
3. Vinca minor
A great low growing ground cover plant with pale blue flowers and lance-shaped dark green leaves. It is excellent at suppressing weeds and would make a great addition to the front of a border. It generally flowers from April – May.
???? Flowers: March – September
???? Position: Full sun or partial shade
4. Spirea arguta
Small delicate white flowers on arching stems have started to appear on our Spirea arguta plants this month. A hardy deciduous shrub perfect as a freestanding shrub or as a hedge. Prune immediately after flowering to guarantee abundant shows year after year.
???? Flowers: March-May
???? Position: Full sun
5. Viburnum tinus
Our Viburnum tinus plants are full of bud and flowers right now… An excellent evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and clusters of small white flowers. Ideal for brightening up a part shaded area of the garden over winter and into spring when little else is flowering.
???? Flowers: March – April
????Position: Sun – Partial shade
6.Halimium libanotis
A small evergreen shrub, with small glossy, green leaves and primrose-like yellow flowers from April – June. Great at the front of a border, rock garden or in a container.
???? Flowers: April – June
☀️ Position: Sun
7. Ribes ‘King Edward VII’
Are full of clusters of deep pink, tubular flowers right now that will be followed by blue-black fruit. It would make a great informal, flowering hedge or work well at the back of a border.
???? Flowers: April – May
☀️ Position: Full sun
8. Primula veris
Primula veris, a semi-evergreen perennial is in full flower right now, a great addition to a wildflower meadow flowering from April till the end of May.
???? Flowers: April – May
☀️ Position: Full sun – partial shade
Posted 16th Apr 10:17am
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We have donated hundreds of plants to surrounding local communities during isolation.
A range of seasonal garden plants have been distributed to villages situated close to our headquarters in Kirk Hammerton, North Yorkshire.
Residents picked up the plants from collection points – while observing social distancing and as part of their daily exercise.
Our nursery supplies three channels to market including the commercial sector, garden centres and via our trade counter. We are particularly concerned about the potential waste of perfectly good plants due to the current lockdown. Like all fresh produce, garden plants have a shelf life before they are past their best or require significant cost investment to hold them over.
The crisis could not have come at a worse time for us and other growers, who are usually at their busiest around the Easter period. It is estimated, that nationally, the current surplus stock is worth more than £250m! Rather than allow some of our plants to be wasted, we chose to donate some of our Garden Centre quality stock to boost the spirits of local communities’ and help with mental wellbeing for those in lockdown.
Throughout this week, staff have delivered various varieties to different locations for people to take home. Villages to benefit include, Whixley, Roecliffe, Marton Cum Grafton, Kirk Hammerton, Cattal, Little Ouseburn and Nun Monkton.
Plants donated include cheerful flowering varieties such as include Viburnum tinus , Vinca minor and Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’. The colourful Photinia fraseri’ Red Robin, Pieris’ Forest Flame’ and Bergenia Harzkristall are also included, along with geranium and Californian lilac – all perfect for spring and summer planting.
We regularly make donations to causes within the community, including £5,000 to help restore the stained glass windows at Whixley church, and plants worth thousands of pounds to a number of schools in the area, including a donation worth more than £5,000 to Springwater, a special needs school in Harrogate.
Eleanor Richardson, Johnsons marketing manager, said: “We thought it would be nice to share some springtime colour with our local villagers, who might be feeling anxious or pent up at this difficult time.
“Our business is approaching its centenary in 2021, and we value our long-standing relationship with each of the local villages who have always been a rich source of key employees”.
“There are clear links between gardening and mental wellbeing. Hopefully, these donations will help people to get through this situation, giving them a reason to be outdoors in the fresh air, caring for their plants.”
Posted 8th Apr 12:10pm
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We have created a rainbow display of small shrubs, grasses and perennials in a range of foliage and flower colours as a symbol of hope for all those affected by coronavirus.
Initial planting design plan of the rainbow by Helen Taylor Garden Design.
We were delighted when our customer Helen Taylor Garden Design approached us with the idea after we were targeted by vandals last week, leaving us with serious damage to our plant productions beds.
We have had to bear these losses on top of the very grave situation the horticultural industry finds itself in now that gardens centres have been closed due to the coronavirus restrictions on non-essential retail.
Eleanor Richardson, Johnson’s of Whixley and garden designer Helen Taylor putting the final touches to the planted rainbow at Johnson’s Wholesale Cash and Carry.
All suppliers for ornamental horticulture are likely to encounter huge financial losses as they have no outlet for their plants. The HTA Horticultural Trade Association believe that millions of plants could be binned in the coming weeks.
Because of this Johnsons have teamed up with Hedges Direct to create a garden rescue pack pallet of plants to those who are self-isolating and want to get out in the garden. Read more here
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson said: “We welcomed Helen’s idea to put out a symbol of hope, particularly to our own horticultural industry and as an opportunity to do something positive. In these testing times we hope it will lift our staff and trade customers spirits as they see the large rainbow display with its promise of sunshine after the storm.
A rainbow of hope from above taken by a drone camera.
Garden Designer, Helen Taylor, said: “I’d been noticing all the lovely rainbow pictures drawn by children in windows and I realised I could design and create a rainbow made from plants which would be a living piece of art. I use Johnson’s of Whixley for sourcing tree, shrubs, perennials for gardens we design and wanted to help the nursery in their current difficulties and to send a symbol of hope to out to everyone.
The rainbow has been made of a series of arcs of contrasting plants to represent the colours of the rainbow:
Reds: Photinia ‘Carre Rouge’, Berberis thunbergii’ Harlequin’ and Photinia ‘Little Red Robin’.
Oranges: Physocarpus’ Amber Queen’, Berberis thunbergii ‘Admiration’, Carex comans ‘Bronze Form’, Spiraea japonica ‘Firelight’.
Yellows: Spiraea japonica ‘Goldmount’ and Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald and Gold’.
Greens: Hemerocallis Stella d’Or.
Blues: Hebe Blue Star’, Lavandula in variety and Festuca ‘Elijah Blue’.
Indigo: Anemone ‘ Harmony Blue’.
Violet: Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shade’.
Garden Designer Helen Taylor with the rainbow.
Posted 3rd Apr 11:04am
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We are excited to announce that we are teaming up with our customer Hedges Direct to beat the crisis with garden rescue packs delivered directly to your Garden.
At present, garden centres everywhere are closed, which means that UK nurseries now have a surplus of garden centre stock and no available outlet.
Hedges Direct has kindly offered to support us to ensure surplus stock can find a home and garden.
The mixed shrub pallet deal of garden centre plants will be available as two different options.
Aucuba Japonica (‘Crotonifolia’ and ‘Rozannie’)
Berberis Thunbergii (Atropupurea Nana’ and ‘Golden Dream’)
Buddleja (‘Buzz Sky Blue’ and ‘Buzz Ivory’)
Ceanothus (‘Blue Sapphire’, ‘Italian Skies’ and Caeanothus thyrsiflorous repens)
Choisya ternata and Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’
Convolvulus cnoreum
Coprosma (‘Inferno’, ‘Pacific Dawn’ and ‘Pina Colada)
Cytisus ‘Lena’ and Cytisus praecox ‘Allgold’
Escallonia (‘Apple Blossom’,’ Gold Carpe’t, ‘Glowing Embers’ and ‘Iveyi)
Euonymus fortunei ‘Blondy’
Euonymous japonicas (‘Microphyllus Albovariegatus’ and ‘Microphyllus Aurea’)
Genista ‘lydia’
Halimium libanotis
Hebe (‘Blue Star’, ‘Champion’, ‘High Voltage’, Purple Shamrock’)
Lavatera ‘Baby Barnsley’ and Lavatera olb. ‘Rosea’)
Photinia (‘Carre Rouge’, ‘Red Robin’, ‘Little Red Robin’ and ‘Pink Marble’)
Pittosporum tenuifolium (‘Gold Star and ‘Tom Thumb’)
Spirea arguta, Spirea japonica ‘Firelight’ and ‘Golden Princess and Spiraea nipp. ‘Snowmound’
Vinca minor (Atropurpurea and ‘Ralph Shugert’)
Weigela florida (‘Minor Black and ‘Kosteri Variegata’)
Aucuba Japonica ‘Crotonifolia’
Berberis thunbergii ‘Harlequin’
Ceanothus ‘Skylark and Caeanothus thyrsiflorous repens
Choisya ‘White Dazzler’
Convolvulus Cnoreum
Coprosma (Ignite and Pacific Dawn)
Cotnius cogg. ‘Royal Purple and Cotinus dummeri ‘Grace’
Crinodendron hookerianum
Euonymus jap. ‘Greenspire’
Euonymus jap. ‘Marieke’
Euonymus jap. ‘Paloma Blanca’
Euonymus ‘Kathy’
Euonymus ‘Pierrolino’
Halimium libanotis
Hydrangea pan. ‘Limelight’ and Hydrangea pan. ‘Silver Dollar’
Leucothoe axil. ‘Curly Red’
Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’
Osmanthus x burkwoodii
Photinia fras. (‘Pink Marble’, ‘Carre Rouge’ and ‘Little Red Robin’)
Pittosporum ‘Golf Ball’ and Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Gold Star’)
Skimmia x con. ‘Kew Green’
Viburnum tinus
Once selected, delivery will be arranged straight to your garden.
Posted 2nd Apr 3:30pm
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Johnsons ask for Government support for Ornamental Horticulture during COVID-19
Our Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson has sent out a template letter calling for government support for ornamental horticulture during the coronavirus crisis.
Pre-approval for consideration was received with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Defra secretary of state George Eustice having been informed.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said: “This is the basis of a letter sent to our MP seeking support for the industry. We would urge all growers to do something similar.”
“I promised to brief you on the emerging impact of the current crisis on commercial ornamental horticulture. You have perhaps seen relevant footage on BBC national news this morning?
“Growers have to commit way in advance to ensure the availability of garden and landscape plants at windows of seasonal demand. Easter, in particular, is a focal point for the general public who emerge from winter and turn their attention to their spring garden.
“The ongoing crisis and the necessary lockdown has withdrawn that demand at a stroke resulting in an industry-wide surplus of at least £250m. Many of these crops have a limited window for sale, have limited shelf life, incur significant cost to maintain and then become a long term dilemma as the carried over surplus buts up against subsequent crops of the same item that have had to be produced to meet forecast future demand.
“Without being alarmist, this is simply the most significant issue that our industry has ever faced.
“We believe there is a strong case for government support that will provide financial backing in compensation for wasted stock and for future stock that will waste as a result of postponed contracts, orders and insufficient longevity in the allocated stock. ‘Support is required now and should be capable of providing assistance to growers who will have no option but to waste significant tranches of saleable stock both now and in the coming months.’
“I understand that a business case was made to the treasury via the UK Farming Round Table/NFU and HTA on Friday 27 March and that pre-approval for consideration was received. I am also told that Rishi Sunak and George Eustice have been informed.
“In the longer term, our industry will be called on to grow the trees to assist in our meeting an ambitious carbon reduction target, putting it bluntly the industry has to exist in order to do this!
“I would be very grateful for your support and a direct plea to any appropriate instruments of government, including DEFRA and the Treasury.”
We have also created a petition asking for the Governments support for Ornamental Horticulture during COVID-19.
We are asking everyone in the horticultural industry to get on board and sign it, with over 100,000 signatures needed for a discussion to be formed in parliament.
The link can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/312821/sponsors/new?token=oOooLvlpHXQNKWlSy5fZ.
The industry is facing a lot of pressure and we urge trade customers to continue sending quotes, orders and calls as the business operates with skeleton staff.
To make matters worse our main 50-acre site was broken into last Thursday, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to plants and existing boundaries.
The police are still investigating this incident and are asking people with information to contact them on 101.
Posted 1st Apr 11:30am
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Thieves destroy thousands of our plants
Thousands of our plants have been destroyed after a break-in at our main nursery site in Kirk Hammerton.
The plants were deliberately run over by a dumper truck which was stolen at Johnsons of Whixley between 10 pm, and 12 am on Thursday 26th March.
The stolen truck was used to remove a bowser containing 1,000 litres of fuel it was then driven through Johnsons perimeter fence and onto the A59 ploughing through the plants in the process. The truck was subsequently left, but the diesel was taken.
Managing director Graham Richardson said the vandals drove the truck over tens of thousands of plants which were growing in readiness for next year, “because they could and they felt like it”.
He said: “They deliberately drove over our production line of stock, damaging tens thousands of plants – hardy landscape plants of differing varieties, not saleable, but in production for the future.”
North Yorkshire Police are currently investigating and you should get in touch with them on 101 if you have any information.
Posted 28th Mar 8:53am
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We have teamed up with one of the UK’s top landscaping firms, Ashlea Ltd, to enhance the grounds of a York retail park as part of a £15m refurbishment scheme.
Monks Cross, just outside the city centre, was built in the 1990s and was in need of some TLC to help improve the outdated exterior.
We have supplied plants for a number of makeover schemes at the park since it opened, with the two businesses located less than 15 miles apart.
GMI Construction undertook the alteration and remodelling works to existing shop facades, canopies, walkways and car parks, as well as the construction of four new retail pods.
The company enlisted Ashlea Ltd to carry out the soiling and soft landscaping package.
The work included the soiling of newly installed raised planters and planting a total of 7,000 shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and several mature trees.
These plants were supplied by Johnsons, and included 550 Ilex Crenata ‘Convexa’, 2,000 Carpinus betulus, 300 Festuca ‘glauca’, 200 Hebe’ Red Edge’, 250 Lonicera ‘Maygreen’ and 200 Lavandula ‘grosso’.
The trees provided included Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’, Sorbus auc. ‘Sheerwater Seedling’ and Betula pendula ‘Fastigiata’.
Rob Brooks, contracts manager at Ashlea Ltd, added: “This was a challenging scheme as the site is a live retail park open to the public on a daily basis. Johnsons’ logistics of delivering materials and moving them around the site to their specific locations was a key factor in completing our soft landscaping works, along with their high-quality plants.”
It’s wonderful for Johnsons to have teamed up with long-standing customer Ashlea Ltd to supply a scheme so local to us.
Our supply to Monks Cross goes back to the 1990s, so it’s great to supply this retail park once again. We have many year’s experiences in providing plants to retail and leisure sectors, with recent substantial supplies to Retail Parks Thorpe Park and Teesside Park.
Posted 23rd Mar 11:51am
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COVID-19 Update – Bulletin
Dear Customer,
By now the impact of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) is occupying every waking moment of most UK citizens.
As a result of the crisis our daily mode of operation is being adjusted on a daily basis to cope with the stresses and challenges that result. Trade has been and remains brisk – we very much remain open for business and irrespective of the unknown challenges ahead it is our intention to continue to ship trees and shrubs wherever practically possible.
We can foresee a slow down in demand, reduced availability and much reduced resource in our attempts to maintain our operational business. A ‘wholesale’ shutdown is not envisaged nor is it planned at the moment. We will do our best!
We are already working with reduced numbers of staff and home working has already been underway for a cross section of staff if applicable. Please be tolerant if our ability to communicate is reduced or somewhat slower.
Our practical internal response is comprehensive – measures taken are listed on our latest Covid-19 New Bulletin visible at https://johnsonsnurseries.co.uk/covid-19-coronavirus-notice-johnsons-of-whixley/.
Our business has never been in a better position to withstand this unique challenge – our financial strength and reserves are considerable.
We thank you for your custom to date and assure you of our best intentions at all times. Should we be able to assist in any way please do not hesitate to speak with your usual contact or any member of the Johnsons team.
Thanks & regards
The Directors and Senior Management Group at Johnsons of Whixley Ltd
Posted 18th Mar 3:17pm
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COVID-19 (coronavirus) notice
The Covid-19 outbreak continues to make headlines with numbers of those infected rising daily and a lot of uncertainty for businesses remains.
The preservation of the operational business is fundamental to the security of our entire workforce, the ability to operate, despatch, invoice and collect outstanding monetary sums is a close priority followed by the ongoing production of future crops.
We have been closely monitoring the government’s advice and have undertaken measures as recommended for the wellbeing of our staff and customers.
It remains very much business as usual – albeit a challenge!!
Actions taken include:
If you have any further questions as to how this may affect your orders please contact your sales rep directly or call us on 01423 330234
For further updates on the coronavirus please visit the NHS website.
Posted 17th Mar 4:31pm
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Make the most of yours and your clients garden this March with some of our favourite flowering plants that are sure to add interest to the garden this spring from Forsythia ‘Lynwood Gold’ to Pieris ‘katsura’, there’s something for everyone.
1. Forsythia ‘Lynwood Gold’
Yellow flowers smother branches from March – April providing a notable cheery sight to the start of spring. Try planting at the back of a dull border or even as a hedge with its full height reaching to 2 meters.
???? Flowers: February – April
???? Position: Full sun – light shade
2. Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’
A pretty deciduous shrub with zig-zag branches and crimson buds that open to display white flowers with pink centers in early spring. Its luscious green leaves appear after into the summer months and are then followed by bright reddish/orange leaves before falling in the Autumn. A perfect small compact tree for a smaller garden or patio pot.
???? Flowers: March – April
???? Position: Full sun
3. Vinca minor
A great low growing ground cover plant with pale blue flowers and lance-shaped dark green leaves. It is excellent at suppressing weeds and would make a great addition to the front of a border. It generally flowers from April – May.
???? Flowers: March – September
???? Position: Full sun or partial shade
4. Spirea arguta
Small delicate white flowers on arching stems have started to appear on our Spirea arguta plants this month. A hardy deciduous shrub perfect as a freestanding shrub or as a hedge. Prune immediately after flowering to guarantee abundant shows year after year.
???? Flowers: March-May
???? Position: Full sun
5. Viburnum tinus
Our Viburnum tinus plants are full of bud and flowers right now… An excellent evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and clusters of small white flowers. Ideal for brightening up a part shaded area of the garden over winter and into spring when little else is flowering.
???? Flowers: March – April
☀️ Position: Sun – Partial shade
6. Bergenia ‘Harzkristall ‘
A clump forming perennial with large dark green glossy leaves, reddish brown stems and pink tinged white flowers that appear in spring. Great for a woodland garden or border.
???? Flowers: March – April
☀️ Position: Sun – Partial shade
7. Pieris ‘Katsura’
A compact, evergreen shrub with clusters of pale pink, cream bell-shaped flowers in spring. It is well known for its foliage that emerges red, changes to pink, then cream and on to green. A great plant for a container on a patio.
???? Flowers: February – April
☀️ Position: Sun – Partial shade
8. Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’
A striking medium-sized ornamental cherry tree that is known for its deep purple foliage and stems which can almost appear black. During March and April a mass of single pink flowers emerges providing an early source of pollen for bees. The deep purple leaves remain until autumn when they turn a bright red before falling.
???? Flowers: March – April
☀️ Position: Full sun
Posted 17th Mar 11:02am
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Our staff went the ‘extra mile’ to raise money for Sports Relief on Friday 13th March.
Thirty members of staff racked up a whopping 400 miles on two static bikes within an eight-hour working day at our head office in Whixley.
The company sponsored the event, donating £2 for every mile staff cycled, with customers and suppliers also chipping in to boost the total raised to £1040.
Staff with the most miles in half an hour included Martyn Osbourne with 18.6 miles, Gary Sutton with 15.5 miles, Luke Richardson with 15.3 miles and Graham Richardson with 15.1 miles.
Two members of staff took to the bike twice with Catheryn Gauden contributing 30.5 miles and Mark Reynard 23.8 miles.
Head of production and procurement manager, Jonathan Whittemore started the day off with a 45-minute stint where he racked up 25 miles for the company along with Tony Green who contributed 19.4 miles.
This is one of many charity donations we have made in previous months, including a recent contribution of plants worth over £700 to the Marie Curie hospice in Bradford and a £5,000 cash gift to a local church stained glass window restoration project.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said: “This is another great team effort for the best of causes. The sporting theme brought together directors, salesmen, administrators, nursery workers and accountants to make a worthwhile contribution to Sport Relief. Well done to all who took part.”
Sports Relief brings together the worlds of entertainment and sport to get active and raise money to help poor and disadvantaged people in the UK.
Posted 16th Mar 11:20am
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We have teamed up with Aberdeen-based landscapers Life Landscaping to help create a memorial garden at Hazlehead Park.
The Rainbow Garden is a peaceful haven away from the bustle of the park, where bereaved parents and families can reflect. At the centre of the garden is a stunning bronze sculpture, Fleeting, with a flowing design of flying birds encircling a seat.
The garden has an arched entrance and further private seating areas, in addition to a dedicated area where flowers can be left.
The Rainbow Garden opened in summer 2019 in response to a request from families affected by past practices around the cremation of babies at Aberdeen Crematorium. Parents had input into the design of the garden, by TGP Landscape Architects, taking inspiration from the song ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.
Soft landscaping works were completed by Life Landscaping, including installing lawns, trees and thousands of plants supplied by us.
Among the plants, supplied were 335 Miscanthus sin. ‘Morning Light’, 260 Aquilegia vulgaris 2L, 250 Rhodendron in variety 7.5L, 160 Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ 2L, and over 100 Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ 2L.
Hazlehead Park is rich in history, including land gifted to Aberdeen by King Robert the Bruce as part of the ‘Freedom Boundary’ in 1319. Today the 180-hectare park is enjoyed by families, walkers and runners and includes two golf courses, a maze, mini zoo, woodland walks, nature trails, a café, children’s playground and two formal rose gardens, the Queen Mother’s Rose Garden and the North Sea Memorial Rose Garden.
Life Landscaping owner Ryan Pedersen said: “It was such an important project to be a part of and we were very honoured to take part. With this space, families now have a place to remember those who have passed and it can be visited all year round.”
Johnsons hope the garden provides an area where bereaved parents can remember and reflect in a quieter area of the park that is surrounded by beautiful flowers, sculptures and outdoor space.
This is one of many projects we have supplied in Aberdeen in recent times including The Event Complex and Baird Family Hospital.
Posted 5th Mar 4:07pm
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for March 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) Prune strong growing Buddleias down to about 18” for a good show by summer. Prune to 30-40” for a denser but weaker overall growth.
2) Plant climbing and wall plants. Prune clematis species and hybrids that flower on current season’s growth if not already done. Ensure they are well watered.
3) Prune decorative Cornus and Salix to within 5cm of the old shoots to encourage next year’s coloured winter stems. Don’t prune ‘Midwinter Fire’ types too hard.
4) Many herbaceous plants do better planted in spring rather than autumn, particularly on heavy clay.
5) Snowdrops re-establish best when moved whilst still in leaf. Split and replant those in tight clusters, or buy in new ones ‘in the green’.
6) Arrange to plant summer flowering bulbs when planting condition are good.
7) Finish pruning perennial which has not yet been cut back, but don’t remove new green shoots.
8) When daffodils have flowered, remove dead heads to conserve bulb energy.
9) Hellebores are now very popular, lift seedlings around parent plant and pot up.
10) Alpines can still be planted, and also check that existing plants have not been lifted by recent frosts.
11) As the weather improves, weed growth will begin in earnest, hoe off seedling weeds with a really sharp hoe and treat perennial weeds with Roundup.
12) Finish pruning soft fruit bushes by mid-month and give a high nitrogen feed.
13) Lay fleece or polythene on bare soil to warm it up before planting vegetables or sowing seeds. Remember to apply slug pellets.
14) Consider re-potting those plants in containers which have been in the same compost for too long. Carefully remove the pot, cut back two or three of the old roots and remove some soil. Re-pot into a slightly larger pot, add a little fertilizer and firm in the compost on all sides. Give the plant a good watering.
Interested in further advise or solutions? visit our ‘solutions’ section here
Posted 5th Mar 1:35pm
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for April 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) Prune early flowering shrubs after flowering is over.
2) Prune foliage shrubs if cut foliage will be required later in the year.
3) Mulch shrubs and fruit bushes when the weather begins to warm up, but not deeply into the centre of the shrub.
4) Continue to divide herbaceous plants if necessary.
5) Plant evergreen shrubs, soak root-balls before planting and water in after planting.
6) If dry spells continue, remember to water those trees and shrubs that have been planted since Christmas.
7) Cut off dead hydrangea flowers down to the top 2 strongest growth buds.
8) Plants growing on the edge of ponds can be lifted, divided, and replanted as required. Remove pond heaters or other frost preventive objects.
9) Pick off the flower heads from spent daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs which have gone over, and give a top-dressing of general fertilizer.
10) In mild weather slugs and snails may well begin to eat the shoots of newly growing perennials. Use environmentally approved slug pellets as a control.
11) Dahlias may begin to sprout in mild conditions under glass, but don’t plant out until frost is past. Consider taking cutting of the first shoots.
12) Towards the end of the month collect woody twigs to use as supports for perennials before they get too long and straggly.
13) Apply residual weedkillers to gravelled driveways and footpaths. Be careful to ensure that the application is confined to the treated area and not surroundings.
14) Begin mowing the lawn weekly, but with the blades set quite high until the rate of growth increases. Dig out those perennial weeds that suddenly appear.
15) Apply a high Nitrogen lawn fertilizer, and water-in if conditions are dry, in order to prevent scorch to the grass.
16) Check stakes and ties of trees planted in the last 2 years, stakes should still be sound and the tree ties not strangling the tree.
17) Remove raspberry suckers coming up away from the row. Thin new canes to 15cm apart on the support wires.
Interested in further advise or solutions? visit our ‘solutions’ section here
Posted 8th Apr 10:15am
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We have two Deputy Manager roles available, one based at our Whixley site carrying out general deputy duties and one with a specific focus on cultural tasks. We’re looking for people who are motivated and eager to learn and who want to take the next step on their career ladder into a management role.
In these roles you’ll be supporting the Unit Managers, planning and managing the work of nursery employees and fully deputising for the Managers in their absence. You must have some experience of managing small teams as you’ll be responsible for managing resources and stock to ensure that we have great plants ready, just when we need them. These are key and exciting roles in our business with a wide variety of “hands-on” tasks and specific responsibilities.
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In this role, you’ll be supporting the Unit Manager, planning and supervising the work of the potting team and fully deputising for the Manager in their absence. You’ll need to make decisions around effective resource allocation to ensure our output is maintained to our excellent standards. This is a “hands-on” role with the opportunity to work with a great team.
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For all of these roles, you must have some plant knowledge and have experience of procedures related to growing. We need you to be able to work on your own initiative, be a team player and be a great communicator too.
Due to our production and operational demands a ‘can do’ attitude is essential. You’ll be juggling a variety of tasks, all within prescribed timescales and we’ll need you to have an eye on quality at all times.
We’ll also need you to be flexible around working hours as you may be required to work additional hours when needed and there may be occasional weekend working.
With our Headquarters in Whixley, North Yorkshire, we are one of the largest commercial nurseries in the country, a family-owned business, selling over 7 million plants a year into both landscape and retail sectors. We are an ambitious and growing company with an enviable reputation of being a great place to work.
We offer some great benefits, such as enhanced pension options, healthcare packages, generous holiday entitlement, regular treats and opportunities for further learning and development.
If you want to grow your career with us, please send your CV to Chris Davis, Chrisd@nurserymen.co.uk, along with a covering letter which explains how you think you have the experience, skills, abilities and knowledge to do this job as set out in our job description and employee specification, by Friday 20th March.
Posted 19th Feb 1:32pm
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We have provided an additional 16 bird homes at our 50-acre headquarters site in Whixley during National Nest Box Week (14th – 21st February).
National Nest Box Week is an annual event that takes place around the time when birds pair up for the new breeding season.
We have recognised the vital role that birds play in the natural eco-system this includes the control of pests, plant pollination and the natural spread of seeds.
With this in mind, we have installed the nest boxes at our main site and plan to install additional boxes on our other sites in the coming months.
Our site is located in the heart of North Yorkshire, surrounded by open landscapes which are home to a broad range of wildlife.
Staff regularly enjoy watching the antics of foxes, rabbits, hares, deer, butterflies and a wide range of birds including robins, blue tits, sparrow hawks, kites, buzzards, oystercatchers, and owls.
Ponds and water interceptors are also a regular feature of the nursery environment; they provide valuable irrigation reserves as well as significant ecological diversity.
Through the sale of 7 million Trees & Shrubs annually, we are one of the few businesses that can claim to be a true net contributor to the environment.
Our green credentials are monitored continuously via accreditation to the environmental standard ISO14001.
The environment is at the heart of our operation, we invest time and money each year in making improvements which include the reduction of non-recyclable plastics to low emission vehicles.
Within the last few years, we have installed our very own onsite apiary which houses up to 800,000 bees, the installation of extra nesting boxes throughout the nursery can only go on to further embellish our surroundings.
Want to find out more about National Nest Box Week? Click here
Posted 14th Feb 1:41pm
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2020 is the International Year of Plant Health and it is a great opportunity for us to celebrate our healthy plants and to promote our responsible practices that reduce the spread of plant pests and diseases.
Here are some of the reasons why plant health matters to us:
Protecting our woodlands
Trees are under increasing threat from pests and diseases such as ash-dieback and oak Processionary Moth. We regularly review our Plant Health Policy to ensure that we operate to the highest of standards.
Creating beautiful gardens and landscapes
Healthy plants are fundamental to the creation of beautiful gardens and landscapes. We work to produce robust and healthy plants which will thrive after they are planted.
Safeguarding native flora and fauna
Non-native pests and diseases can be very damaging to our native plants and wildlife. We work closely with the plant health authorities and carefully source and inspect any imported plants to minimize risk.
Healthy plants are essential for life
Plants produce the oxygen we breathe and absorb carbon dioxide, they are essential for the food we eat and the environment we live in. Without them, we could not be here.
As well as working with plant health authorities and reviewing our policies regularly, we also employed our very own plant health specialist, Rebekah Robinson, you can find out all about her and her role in the following blog post > Plant Health Specialist
You can also find out more about the International Year of Plant Health on the Defra Plant Health portal here.
Posted 23rd Jan 10:48am
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Check out our latest gardening reminders for 2020 put together by chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) Plant container-grown perennials for an early start to the spring. If they are large plants, consider carefully dividing them before planting.
2) Be sure to water root-balls before planting, if there is a dry spring it may slow growth in dry days.
3) Apply a mulch of garden compost, to all trees and shrubs in potentially dry sites.
4) Finish winter pruning this month, first principles are to remove dead and diseased stems, then crossing branches, followed by a reduction in the height of the main stems.
5) Cut bushy Eucalyptus back to within 2-3” of the main stem to stimulate a flush of bushy growth.
6) Plant up window boxes and tubs for seasonal colour.
7) Pot up or transplant last year’s hardwood cuttings.
8) Repair broken fences, patios, trellises, steps, fall pipes and walls.
9) Divide and replant Snowdrops ‘in the green’ as the flowers go over.
10) Clean out existing bird nesting boxes and put up new ones and of course, feed the birds!
11) Take hardwood cuttings of Forsythia, Deutzia, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Virginia creeper, Holly, Privet, Cotoneaster, Poplar, Willow, Gooseberries, Blackcurrants etc
12) When the ground is firm, repair any uneven areas of the lawn, or where the grass has died out.
13) Invest in a soil thermometer, when the soil temp. exceeds 5°C start sowings of hardy crops such as carrots, lettuce and radish direct into the ground.
14) If the weather warms up, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half-hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for cold nights.
15) Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Viticella groups to about 12”. Pyracantha should be pruned to within two buds of the mainframe except for extensions, if not done last autumn.
16) Do not apply heavy dressings of fertiliser to areas of naturalised bulbs as this will only encourage the growth of the surrounding grass.
17) Propagate a wide range of woody shrubs by layering, towards the end of the month, Peg down a young shoot into the soil under the tree without detaching it from the tree, but make a cut in the underneath of the stem, or twist it at the point where it will turn it upwards.
Pin this down with a suitable forked twig into a couple of handfuls of compost and hold firm with a proper stone. Tie the growing shoot to a small cane to keep it upright, and trim to prevent being moved in the wind.
Posted 4th Feb 2:08pm
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We have supplied more than 25,000 plants to The Parks Trust, an independent charity that cares for around 6,000 acres of parkland and green space across Milton Keynes.
In most places, it’s common for parks to be managed by the local authority, but in Milton Keynes, the Trust has ownership to ensure the city’s unique green landscape is managed and protected forever without having to compete for funds with other council departments.
Caring for river valleys, ancient woodlands, lakesides, parks and landscaped areas alongside the main roads that represent 25% of the city, the Trust was created in 1992 and endowed with a substantial property and investment portfolio, that pays for the vital work of nurturing and enhancing the landscape, remaining entirely self-funded.
Our supply to The Parks Trust included more than 20,000 hedging transplants including 9,000 Cornus, 3,500 Ligustrum ovalifolium, more than 1,200 Crataegus monogyna and over 1,000 Acer campestre. Shrub varieties included over 800 Hypericum ‘Hidcote’, 500 Pachysandra terminalis and 600 Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold.
86 10-12 girth trees were also included with varieties such as Betula Jacquemontii, Carpinus betulus and Tilia Cordata all planted at Campbell Park.
Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director at Johnsons, said: “We’re delighted to play a part in the project that is turning Milton Keynes green, with our plants, shrubs and trees ready to be showcased around the city. The Park Trust does an incredible job of caring for its much-needed green space, continuing to take ownership of additional areas as the city expands.
Rob Riekie Landscape and Operations Director for The Parks Trust said: “Each year we plant between 30,000 – 40,000 shrubs and trees to help to maintain and develop the green spaces within our care in Milton Keynes. The high-quality plants supplied by Johnsons help us do this as well as helping to develop the city for future generations
This is one of many parks Johnsons have supplied in recent years including Saughton Park, Edinburgh, Hirst Park, Northumberland and Brooke Park, Ireland.
For further information about The Parks Trust, visit www.theparkstrust.com.
Posted 6th Feb 10:06am
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Despite January’s reputation of being dull, there’s actually plenty of bright and cheery looking plants this month that are sure to add some winter interest to your client’s gardens. Check out our favorites for this month below which include Jasminum nudiflorum, Hamamelis ‘Arnold Promise’, Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ and Helleborus ‘Mont Blanc’
A deciduous climber with bright yellow flowers that appear on bare stems in winter and early spring helping to brighten up a dark winter’s day. This attractive climber will grow well against a trellis or low wall once trained as it is not self-clinging.
???? Flowers: January – March
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
A compact, clump-forming perennial with crisp white flowers and dark green, leathery leaves. A great border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering.
???? Flowers: December – March
☀️Position: Partial shade
White flowers in May – June with dark green leaves that redden in Autumn and fall to reveal bright yellow stems in winter. A great choice for a moist area of the garden.
????Flowers: May – June
☀️Position: Full sun – Partial shade
a sweetly scented evergreen shrub known for its pure white flowers from December – March with dark green leaves. Perfect in a deep shaded border spot or woodland garden. To appreciate its vanilla-like fragrance plant in a moist, well-drained soil.
???? Flowers: December – March
☀️ Position: Partial – Deep shade
Are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
???? Flowers: April- May
☀️ Position: Partial – Full shade
Our Viburnum tinus plants are full of bud and flowers right now… An excellent evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and clusters of small white flowers. Ideal for brightening up a part shaded area of the garden over winter and into spring when little else is flowering.
???? Flowers: December – April
☀️ Position: Full sun – partial shade
Spider-like yellow, fragrant flowers cover bare branches in January and February when little else is flowering. This is a great plant for the back of a shrub or woodland border.
???? Flowers: January – February
☀️ Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Is the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering. Available in 2L,5L and 10L pots.
???? Flowers: November – March
☀️Position: Full sun – partial shade
Posted 13th Jan 9:32am
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Happy New Year to you all, If your New Years resolution is to spend more time in the garden be sure you check out our January 2020 garden hints and tips by our chairman and horticulturalist, John Richardson.
1) Now is a good time to move shrubs which have outgrown their allotted space. With big shrubs remove up to 25% of the older branches before you start digging. Dig a trench around the shrub 45-60cm from the base and remove the soil from the trench, this allows you to get a spade, angled downwards, under the shrub to dig under the roots and prise them out of the ground. Lift the rootball onto a piece of sacking or plastic and drag to the new planting location. The new hole should be 20-30 cm wider than the rootball but only the same depth. Fill back the hole with topsoil mixed with some good compost, firm in with the feet, and water well.
2) A good time for a warm job, insert metal or wood lawn edging as clearly define edges add so much to the look of a good lawn. Make sure the edges will not be damaged by the lawnmower.
3) If you have a large garden, buy in a load of well-rotted farmyard manure to mulch borders or dig into the ground or add to your compost heap to promote decomposition.
4) Give the greenhouse a really good clean, both inside and out. Wash the glass, framework and staging with disinfectant to remove pests and diseases.
5) Continue to plant new trees and shrubs in frost-free weather conditions.
6) Thin out dead and diseased branches from established trees and shrubs together with those branches growing too strongly in the wrong direction. Be aware of the plant’s natural habit.
7) Cut back the young shoots of Wisteria to within 8-10cm of the old wood.
8) Examine stored Dahlia tubers, if they are shrivelling, place them in tepid water overnight, then dry them & replace in peat, sawdust or vermiculite. Cut off diseased areas & dust with sulphur.
9) Where Cyclamen coum has spread naturally from seed, select the best seedlings with good leaf markings and replants into new areas which will benefit from the winter colour. Did you know that ants carry the seed off to new locations?
10) Shrubs to enjoy in January: Chimonanthus fragrans, Daphne mezereum, Garrya eliptica,Hamemellis, Jasminum nudiflorum, Lonicera fragrantissima, Mahonia.
11) Now is the time to contemplate sowing sweet peas under glass over the next 4-6 weeks, but only in a mild heat of about 39 degrees F.
Enjoyed our January 2020 Gardening Reminders? Look back at last years here > January 2019 Gardening Reminders
Posted 8th Jan 11:29am
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We recently teamed up with Gavin Jones Ltd, part of the Nurture Landscape Group to supply plants as part of a make-over at one of the UK’s busiest retail parks (Teeside Park).
Our supply included thousands of flowering shrubs and trees for a landscaped central area at Teeside Park, a major shopping and retail development at Stockton-on-Tees that includes all the major high street names, from River Island to Showcase Cinema, as well as a large food court area.
The park was created in 1988 but since then, footfall has increased dramatically, leading to some issues with traffic and parking. A revamp scheme was drawn up by owners British Land, that relocated parking, transforming the existing area into a new pedestrianised food and shopping area known as The Spark. A newly landscaped area will also be created along the park’s eastern terrace.
Grounds maintenance specialists Gavin Jones Ltd, worked with landscape architects Macgregor Smith and Key Property Solutions, to help with the make-over at Teeside Park including the soft landscaping that included planting 1000’s of Johnsons plants and the installation of soft artificial turf for children’s play areas.
Darren Hardman, North East regional Contracts Manager at Gavin Jones, said: “We recognise that family time is valuable and wanted to create a space that offers families the opportunity to interact and bond. Retail parks and landscaping are now trending towards being family-orientated spaces as recently demonstrated in the recently completed Glasgow Fort shopping complex, and we are determined to lead the way.”
Johnsons supply included more than 34,000 plants that included over 17,000 Ornamental grasses and 11,000 ferns with varieties such as Polystichum setiferum, Sesleria nitida and Polypodium vulgare all used.
Over 6,000 herbaceous varieties were also included with Achillea, Salvia and Astrantia’s all proving popular in the planting plan.
Tony Coles, Amenity Sales Manager at Johnsons, said: “Teeside Park is one of the busiest retail developments in the UK and we are delighted to be involved in this ambitious landscaping scheme. Hopefully, it will attract even more visitors to the park, who can take a break from shopping in a green oasis.”
We have considerable expertise in working with retail and leisure landscaping schemes, with past projects including the Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre, Thorpe Park Retail Park and Spinningfields in Manchester.
Posted 8th Jan 10:59am
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We recently teamed up with one of the UK’s largest landscaping companies, Ashlea Ltd, to supply thousands of plants to a new £15m health centre in Barrow-in-Furness.
The state-of-the-art Alfred Barrow Health Centre, in Duke Street, occupies the site of the former Alfred Barrow School.
The facility provides a variety of primary, community and social care services to the Morecambe Bay community with three GP practices, the Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group, two foundation trusts and a Boots Pharmacy.
The original Victorian building has been retained as a response base for the North West Ambulance NHS Trust.
Commercial landscaper Ashlea Ltd provided the groundworks and planting that surround the new centre then turned to us to provide the thousands of plants required.
Plants supplied incorporated 4,000 shrubs, including Griselinia littoralis, Hebe ‘Wiri Mist’, Pachysandra ‘Green Carpet’, Euonymus ‘Ovatus Aureus’, Vinca minor ‘atropurpurea’ and Hedera helix. Several trees were also included in the supply, with Betula jacquemontii among the varieties provided.
Ashlea Ltd Contracts Director Wayne Dand said: “Due to programme delays, the scheme became a challenge to all. Once again, Johnsons Of Whixley excelled themselves with delivery and quality. The scheme was handed over on time, to specification and budget.”
This is just one of many health facility projects we have been involved with recently including Baird Family Hospital, Aberdeen, Royal Derby Hospital and Maggies Centre in Oldham.
Posted 6th Jan 4:58pm
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December is the month of giving where millions of us spend £100’s on our loved ones for Christmas so we decided to put together a ‘ Christmas plant gift guide’ for all the plant lovers of the world looking for something extra special to gift this Christmas.
A fantastic Christmas gift for a doorway, entrance or patio with its rich green, evergreen foliage providing year-round interest.
Position: Partial – Full shade
Available in various heights and pot sizes, please enquire with the dimensions you require.
Would make a fantastic addition to a patio during the winter months providing great winter interest from their dark red flower buds that will open to delicate white flowers come spring. Why not pair this with a Chelsea style pot to provide a patio perfect gift.
Flowers: April – May
Position: Partial – full shade
Available in a 2L, 5L, and 10L pot.
Also known as the ‘Christmas Rose’ provide bowl-shaped pure white flowers from mid-winter to early spring. They are happiest in shadier spots with well-drained soil and would make a great centrepiece on a Christmas table which could then be planted on in the garden to provide winter interest for many years to come.
Flowers: December – March
Position: Partial shade
Available in a 2L pot.
Another great gift for a patio paired well with a slate pot. This plant is full of bud and flowers this month – March. A great plant that will brighten up a dark area of the garden when little else is flowering.
Flowers: December – April
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Available in 2L, 3L, 5L and 10L pots.
Commonly known as ‘Christmas box’ provide creamy white vanilla-like scented flowers from December- March with dark green leaves. A perfect plant for a deep shaded border or woodland garden. Plant at the front or back of a house to enjoy its vanilla-like fragrance.
Flowers: December – March
Position: Partial – deep shade
Available in 2L and 5L pots.
Posted 11th Dec 11:15am
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Aberdeen based landscapers, Landform Ltd, recently teamed up with us to supply plants and complete the soft landscape contract element of the new £163.7 million pound hospital and cancer treatment centre in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The new ‘Baird Family Hospital’ will replace the existing ageing Aberdeen Maternity Hospital with additional services, including breast and gynaecology services.
The new ‘ANCHOR centre’ is the first of it’s kind in Scotland providing modern and high-quality accommodation for the delivery of co-ordinated Oncology and Haematology day patient and outpatient services.
Landform Ltd working through main contractor Graham Construction secured the soft landscape works, manufactured and installed all stainless steel railings, resin bound paths, timber crib support walls, wildflower areas and a new pedestrian steel and timber bridge.
Plants supplied by Johnsons have beautified the grounds at the new hospital and centre with tree varieties supplied including Betula Jacquemontii, Magnolia ‘Galaxy’, Magnolia ‘Sundew’ and Prunus ‘Cheal’s Weeping’. Shrubs included 100’s of Euonymus fort. ‘Emerald Gaiety’, Lavandula angustifolia, Sarcococca humilis, Hebe ‘Sapphire’, 800 Calluna vulgaris varieties and over 400 Vinca minor ‘Atropurpurea’.
The new hospital and centre will help provide quality care to those in need in the Aberdeen and surrounding areas with high quality, modern facilities.
Landform Ltd’s Director, Jake Dickie said: “As a premium contractor in all sectors we work in it is vital our suppliers match our quality standards, ethos and attention to detail. We have sourced our plant material through Johnsons of Whixley for many years now and our relationship has been built on their similar ethos to ours. From their customer service, plant sourcing, supply and premium delivery service direct to site, this enabled us to complete our soft landscape project to the specification and quality standards set out by our client. “
It’s great to see the progress of this new development, Landforms landscaping works and our plant supply plays an essential part in the visual aesthetics of the hospital and centre… We hope the plants are enjoyed by the staff and visitors for many years to come. We look forward to seeing the project completed later next year.
This isn’t the first hospital we have supplied in recent years, in 2017 we supplied Maggie’s Centre in Oldham with herbaceous, trees and screening plants and most recently we helped turn ‘Donaldson’s a former hospital into luxury apartments.
Posted 3rd Dec 2:43pm
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Congratulations to Tom Watkins who has taken on the ‘Cattal Deputy Unit Manager’ role and will be working alongside Cattal Manager, Mark Weatherill. Here’s what he had to say about his new role:
1.Within a year you have gone from ‘trainee manager’ to a ‘Deputy Manager’, how does that feel?
I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I got promoted to deputy manager. I have had my sights set on a role like this since I started at Johnsons, and I have been working hard to improve my skills and knowledge to fit this kind of role. Now I feel I can really hone in my skills as a manager and a grower.
2. What did your previous role include?
As a management trainee, I was moving around the different departments at Johnsons and spending up to a couple of months in each one. Up until moving to Cattal, I spent time at Roecliffe, Whixley, Newlands – Incoming Goods, Amenity Sales and Retail Operations. Working in each department involved understanding procedures, but also evaluating them and trying to see how we could improve them. Alongside this, I was working on trials and projects which were supported by management in various departments.
3. How have Johnsons supported you? and how has this helped you get to your new position?
Each department I have worked in has been great for my personal development because the managers I have worked with have all been really enthusiastic in showing me how they manage their units, and how the units are run efficiently. I have always been free to make suggestions and ask questions. As well as this, my enthusiasm for working in production horticulture has always been recognised and supported.
4. What will your new role include?
I’ll be assisting Mark in managerial duties; managing potting, lifting and cultural activities. I’ll also be inducting and training staff on site. As well as this I will be in charge of spraying and irrigation on the site. This will involve routine checks and repairs, crop walks to asses plant health and research into potential new products we can use.
5. What are you looking forward to most in your new role?
I look forward to growing crops throughout their growth cycle, from potting to dispatch and improving my growing methods each time around. That is where I find the most enjoyment in horticulture and is what I look forward to most in this role.
6. What do you think the challenges will be?
Cattal is a large nursery, which poses challenges both from a growing and management aspect. We have a lot of plants on-site and all have different growing requirements. As well as this, we usually have a few staff on-site and, although we have a great team at Cattal, I can’t spend all of my time with the plants!
7. Are there any specific courses you will be attending?
I have just completed my PA2 spraying qualification, which will go alongside my PA1 and PA6. This will mean that I can operate the boom sprayer. In the future I will also be looking at taking courses on pesticide/fertiliser use.
8. And finally, how will you celebrate your new role?
I’m treating myself to a trip to Athens over New Years.
Chairman, John Richardson, commented on Toms recent success: ” Such a pleasure to read Tom’s comments, you know that someone is going places when they are motivated by hard work, ambition, education, success and goodwill, he joins so many of our senior staff in these attributes.”
Posted 8th Dec 8:32am
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Not sure what to do in the garden this December? Check out our garden hints and tips by our chairman and horticulturalist, John Richardson.
1) After a month of November rain, fallen leaves have become a congealed mass In many garden corners. Try and clear them away to the compost heap before they start to rot and affect different plants such as herbaceous, alpines, low growing shrubs and plants in containers. This also applies to the lawn!
2) Any plants which are now too big for their location or ‘in the wrong place’ can be safely moved, the soil in December is usually warm enough to stimulate the production of new roots. Stake tall new plants to prevent wind rock until well rooted, and reduce their size if appropriate.
3) Ensure that house drains and run-off areas from the garden are not choked by leaves. A time of year when water can often be found backing up in the most surprising places! We have just had the roots of a 10 yr. Scots Pine fill a 4” pipe from drain to soakaway absolutely solid for 15ft.
4) We are now in for regular frosts and snow, make sure your bird feeding stations are clean and regularly refilled. The same applies to an accessible water supply. Remember, cooked food as opposed to birdseed may well attract vermin.
5) with long periods of rain to be expected, don’t forget to put a glass or plastic sheet over your alpine plants to keep off the majority of the rain. Plant Cyclamen coum for good winter colour.
6) Place tender plants under cover which have been overlooked earlier in the autumn and ensure that such plants growing in the ground are wrapped in straw and hessian, polythene is not the best material as it prevents air from getting to the plant.
7) Ensure that outside taps, and taps in unheated buildings, are well insulated for the winter months. Turn off the stop-taps if this is possible to prevent the potential for them freezing.
8) Take the opportunity on dry days to treat fences and sheds with a form of creosote which is not harmful to plants. If you have to remove climbers from the wall, take the opportunity to prune them whilst you have full access, and also check for damage to the fence or wall.
9) If you intend to get on with the winter digging, cover a suitable area with polythene so that the ground is not waterlogged when you wish to dig. Leave the dug surface as rough as possible.
10) Clean moss and lichens from paths and walls. There are several commercial brands of cleaner available, but bleach is equally as good. A power washer will make light work of the job, which is impressive when completed! Move container bay trees to a sheltered area.
11) Cut back the long shoots of ornamental vines, thin them out and then cut the side shoots back to two buds. Check the greenhouse heater is still working!
12) Check apples and other stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds. Remove mummified fruits from the apple trees.
13) Trim the lawn edges for a quick lift.
14) Take the opportunity to cut back overgrown hedges, either mechanically on deciduous plants or by the use of a saw or secateurs on large-leafed evergreens such as laurel or rhododendrons. Wait until growth starts in the spring before pruning conifer hedges.
Interested in what plants look good this month, head over to our latest blog post ‘Our monthly favourites, December’
Posted 2nd Dec 3:09pm
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Not sure whats looking good in the garden this December? Check out our favourites for this month including Helleborus, Cornus and Sarcococca.
Are the perfect addition to a shaded spot in your garden as they prefer full – partial shade with spikes of yellow flowers from November through to March that has a fragrant reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley on dark green holly-like leaves. Prune in spring after flowering. Available in 2L,5L and 10L pots.
???? Flowers: November – March
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
A compact, clump-forming perennial with saucer-shaped cream flowers that mature to a pinky-brown colour over time. A great border plant that will brighten up your garden when little else is flowering, available in a 2L pot.
???? Flowers: December – April
???? Position: Full sun – Partial shade
White flowers in May – June with dark green leaves that redden in autumn and fall to reveal bright yellow stems in winter. An excellent choice for a moist area of the garden in a full sun – partial shade position.
???? Flowers: May – June
???? Position: Full sun – Partial shade
A sweetly scented evergreen shrub known for its pure white flowers from December – March with dark green leaves. Perfect in a deeply shaded border spot or woodland garden. To appreciate its vanilla-like fragrance plant in a moist, well-drained soil.
???? Flowers: December – March
???? Position: Partial – Deep shade
Our Viburnum tinus plants are full of bud and flowers right now… An excellent evergreen shrub with dark green leaves and clusters of small white flowers. Ideal for brightening up a part shaded area of the garden over winter and into spring when little else is flowering.
???? Flowers: December – April
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
Are known for their dark red flower buds that are produced in autumn and last through to winter until the flowers open in spring — an excellent plant for a patio pot or border.
???? Flowers: April- May
???? Position: Partial – Full shade
Dark green spiny leaves with yellow-cream margins with bright red berries that encourage birds into the garden from December – February.
???? Flowers: May – June
???? Position: Full sun – partial shade
Are known for their bright-red stem that are revealed during mid-late autumn when the leaves fall. In early summer you will find small white flowers that appear amongst masses of dark green ovate leaves.
???? Flowers: May – June
???? Position: Full sun – Partial shade
Posted 29th Nov 1:39pm
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We are proud to be celebrating our best year ever since the company was founded almost 100 years ago.
From a turnover of £33,000 with just ten members of staff in 1964 when John Richardson took over, the company now employees over 110 members of staff and has seen a turnover of £14.3 million this year with almost 400 new customers and over seven million plants and trees sold.
The company has invested significantly in both its equipment and workforce. The Newlands and Roecliffe sites have undergone considerable expansion works costing around £160,000, with a new polytunnel to hold up to 60,000 plants at any one time and a 3,200 sq metre bed to accommodate a further 180,000 plants.
Earlier this year, we invested £70,000 in a new retail line, produced our first group catalogue in a decade and launched a new-look website.
We also made York’s Top 100 Business List for the third year running and Won ‘Family Business of the Year’ and ‘Business of the Year‘ at the York Press Business Awards in November.
The Richardson family receiving ‘Business of the Year’ award at the York Press Awards.
During 2019, we have supplied stock for several high-profile residential schemes, including the development of almost 1,000 concept apartments in Salford and a new development by Redrow, Colindale Gardens in London.
Colindale Gardens, London
We provided plants worth £140,000 for the multi-million-pound Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) which opened this year and includes an arena, conference halls, a multi-purpose space, hotels and more.
The Event Complex, Aberdeen
Other significant plant supplies have included major infrastructure schemes along the A50 in Staffordshire and the A6 in Northern Ireland and to amenities such as the Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, Holyrood Palace and Hirst Park, Northumberland.
We also saw our plants used in large retail developments such as Teeside Park, Thorpe Park, Crown Retail Park, Glasgow, in addition, our plants were used in a UK-wide scheme to transform Costco petrol station sites.
Thorpe Park, Leeds
Several five-star hotels had their gardens enhanced by our stock, including Grantley Hall near Ripon and the Dakota in Manchester, while the company provided plants for a new gin garden at the exclusive Torridon Resort in the Scottish highlands.
Grantley Hall, Ripon
Our plants also made it across several holiday parks including Darwin Escapes, Sandymouth in Bude, Hoburne Mews and Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa.
Sandymouth, Bude
The company has also donated over £15,000 worth of plants to local schools and good causes this year, including providing volunteers for the York Cares initiative, while a donation of £5,500 to Springwater, a special needs school in Harrogate which led to Johnsons being awarded a Big Build Award at this year’s Yorkshire Property Awards.
Group managing director Graham Richardson said the company was in a strong position heading into 2020: “This year has been very successful, with 17,000 invoiced orders and the despatch of approaching seven million trees and shrubs.
“As we look ahead to the coming year we aim to try and hold on to sales successes of this year – our budgets assume a small reduction in sales because of Brexit and the fact that our exposure to imported stock could hit us particularly hard in at least the first three months.
“We have already committed a lot of time and money to our Brexit plans, but as well as having no crystal ball, it is impossible to have any influence over the final outcome. However, our business is in a strong position to cope with a downturn or seize on new opportunities alike, so while the coming months remain unclear, we are confident that our recent successes will be maintained and in time surpassed.”
Posted 27th Nov 12:06pm
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We are extremely proud to have won ‘Family Business of the Year’ and overall ‘Business of the Year’ as well as being shortlisted for ‘Large Business of the Year’ at the York Press Business Awards on Thursday 21st November.
Phil Amy Commercial and Product Director from Talk Talk presents the ‘Business of the Year award to the Richardson family.
The black-tie ceremony was held at York Racecourse and included an evening reception and three-course meal before the awards ceremony took place which was hosted by BBC presenter Colin Hazelden-Brice.
The awards celebrate businesses from all sectors across York, North and East Yorkshire with ten categories in total including ‘New Business of the Year’, ‘Employer of the Year’, ‘Business Personality of the Year’, Exporter of the Year and ‘Employer of the Year’.
The ‘Family Business of the Year’ award recognised the achievements of Johnsons’ three-generation family business that includes 11 Richardson family members who have various roles within the company including Chairman John Richardson, Group Managing Director Graham Richardson, Director Andrew Richardson, Director Iain Richardson, Receptionist Tracey Richardson, Accounts Assistant Janice Richardson and grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul and Shaun Richardson.
Family Business of the Year of the Year award. Derek Carter, Portakabin Chief Executive presents trophy to the Richardson family.
The company then went on to win ‘Business of The Year’ where the company’s achievements were recognised from a turnover of just £33,000 with ten members of staff to £14.3 million with 110 full-time staff, rising to at least 140 seasonally.
Photo of all winners at the York Press Business Award
Chairman John Richardson paid tribute to the hard-working family ethos and team contribution while Group Managing Director Graham Richardson added: “The family is honoured to receive such a high profile recognition of its ongoing efforts and we pay tribute to John Richardson’s original foresight, ongoing stewardship and willingness to risk all that he had at the outset.”
Posted 22nd Nov 11:07am
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We recently teamed up with Willow Heart Garden Design to beautify the grounds of a new luxury development by Citadel Homes Ltd in the rural village of Talkin, Brampton, Cumbria.
The new development by Citadel Homes Ltd comprises of 6 traditionally styled luxury detached houses and bungalows that are located between the Talkin village and the picturesque 165-acre Talkin Tarn Country Park. The park boasts mature woodland, meadows and an 18,000-year-old glacial lake which has been used for water sports for 100’s of years.
Citadel Homes Ltd enlisted Philippa Baldwin, owner of Willow Heart Garden Design to provide the design and soft landscaping to help beautify the grounds of the new development.
The rural location and woodland surroundings were taken into consideration when designing along with the buff stone and cream rendered walls which were complemented by the planting.
Our supply included a large number of Shrubs, Trees, Herbaceous and Evergreen hedging including Buxus sempervirens which were used to give a distinct formal appearance outside the homes.
Other evergreen varieties were used to create privacy and boundaries between each property.
Tree varieties included Acer ‘Emerald Queen’, Betula jacquemontii and Carpinus betulus ‘Pyramidalis that were planted to add height and maturity to the landscaping.
Shrubs were carefully selected for specific locations and included several different varieties such as Viburnum tinus, Prunus laurocerasus ‘Otto Luyken’, Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’, Hebe ping. ‘Pagei’, Cotoneaster ‘Coral Beauty’, Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald n Gold’ and Sarcocca confusa, known for its delightful winter scent that will be enjoyed when entering or leaving the new properties.
This is one of many new developments we have got involved with supplying this year including Colindale Gardens, London, Chapel Wharf Apartments, Manchester and Spinning Acres, Leeds.
Posted 20th Nov 2:23pm
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A warm welcome to Rebekah Robinson who joins the team as a ‘Plant Health Specialist’
We are acutely aware of our responsibilities and have taken on Rebekah as a ‘Plant Health Specialist’ to ensure that our staff are fully and appropriately trained, and our plant health system is robust.
Here’s what she had to say about her new job role and her first few weeks at Johnson’s:
I’ve been spending a few days working with each team across the nursery and it has been great to see how the different areas of the nursery function together; sales, purchasing, incoming goods and production to name a few. Everyone has been very welcoming and it’s clear that staff know what they are doing.
My new role includes providing training to staff on topical plant health issues, auditing current plant health processes within the nursery, and suggesting changes if necessary. I will be responsible for updating our plant health standards which sit alongside our quality and environmental standards.
It’s hard to pick out a single thing, but I have particularly enjoyed working in the Cash & Carry. Working there gave me the chance to admire and inspect a wide range of stock together in one location. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have a large garden at the moment, or I would quickly spend my salary on plants!
I started my career in arable agriculture and completed a PhD in agricultural microbiology before I made the switch to horticulture. I have an RHS Level 3 certificate in the principles of horticulture and my PA1 and PA6 spray licence. I’m really looking forward to gaining more practical horticultural experience whilst working at Johnsons.
For the last five years, I worked for the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley in Surrey. I was a Senior Plant Health Scientist and my responsibilities included delivery of plant health policy for RHS shows, providing plant health training to staff and exhibitors, and diagnosing diseased plant samples in the laboratory.
In my previous job, I was working at the customer end of the horticultural industry and I’m now looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the production end of the industry. I am also looking forward to adding my knowledge and experience to that already possessed by the team at Johnson’s and developing our plant health systems to ensure they are robust enough to handle the future threats we may face.
Chairman and Horticulturalist John Richardson, said: “As a company, we were delighted when Rebekah Robinson chose Johnsons of Whixley as a nursery grower with whom to spend 2 years developing her understanding of nursery stock production and national distribution.
Rebekah has now been with us for 3 months and is spending time in several areas of the business, where she has immediately become a valued member of our team and will provide us with real support in our determination to improve our plant health management to the highest standard.”
Posted 18th Nov 5:17pm
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We are proud to have donated £5,000 to help fund the restoration of two stained glass windows at our local Parish Church, Whixley (that dates back to pre-Norman conquest times).
The restoration of the two-heritage stained glassed windows that have suffered wind, sun and weather damage over 100’s of years are estimated to have cost in the region of £35,000.
This is just part of a wider project named the ‘Whixley Heritage project’ that aims to dig deeper into the village’s history. Earliest records suggest that dwellings are thought to have been built two thousand years ago when the roman empire had extended to Britain.
Group Managing Director of Johnsons of Whixley, Graham Richardson said: “ We have had a strong business and family relationship with Whixley Church for four generations, there are very few charitable projects that have struck such a chord, and we are delighted to have assisted the project in achieving its goals.”
The vicar of Whixley Church, Reverend Sarah Feaster, said: “We are immensely grateful that Johnsons of Whixley were able to give a significant contribution to our Whixley Heritage Project, in particular helping to pay for the restoration of two of our magnificent Victorian windows. Johnsons have always been very generous to our various fundraising initiatives both for our church and for other charitable causes such as Christian Aid.”
Window before
Window after
A dedication service will be held on Sunday 17th November to thank Johnsons, and the other contributors to the fund, a certificate of appreciation will also be circulated.
Chairman John Richardson and Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson with the certificate of appreciation.
In total the company has donated a whopping £15,000 worth to projects this year including a donation worth £2,500 to Springwater School, Harrogate and several plant donations to three local primary schools.
Posted 11th Nov 4:03pm
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Our wholesale Xpress division has teamed up with award-winning Garden Designer Sean Murray to transform the grounds of a home in Northumberland.
Following the work, the 2.5-acre garden in Northumberland will be opened to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme.
The house has been renovated by its new owners over the last two years, who decided they also wanted to beautify the house’s outdoor space.
They turned to Sean, winner of the BBC RHS Great Chelsea Garden Challenge, to redesign the entire garden.
To add a further degree of complexity, the design needed to incorporate several existing mature trees and Feng Shui recommendations.
Garden Designer, Sean Murray said: “I was genuinely thrilled to be given complete creative control over such a large garden. It has been a pleasure to work with the owners to create what I hope is the garden of their dreams. Johnsons plants were all top-notch quality and their team were extremely professional and were keen to go the extra mile.”
The grounds now incorporate a rose garden, formal front garden, a Zen courtyard, pondside planting, island beds and a formal jewel garden, in addition to an orchard, tennis court with pavilion, a woodland garden and a kitchen garden complete with a reclaimed greenhouse.
Johnsons cash & carry division was asked to supply mature trees, hedges and winter flowering shrubs that offered year-round interest through leaves, stems, bark, fruits and flowers. Repetition of perennials across the garden brings a sense of cohesion and enhances the narrative between separate sections of the grounds.
The public will be given a glimpse of the garden next year when it opens for two days as part of the National Garden Scheme.
Luke Richardson, Cash & Carry Manager at Johnsons of Whixley said: “We are delighted to have been involved in this latest project along with the very talented Sean Murray and his team at Garden Narratives. Our supply has transformed the grounds of this stunning property that will be enjoyed by the owners and garden visitors for many years to come.”
This is one of many garden design projects we have got involved with in recent times, including a private garden in Dunsforth designed by Lizzie Tulip and a private parterre garden designed by Helen Taylor Garden Design in Ilkley.
Posted 6th Nov 9:14am
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Not sure what to do in the garden this November? Check out the November gardening reminders put together by our chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) Finish picking the last of the late apples, Store in well-ventilated crates or freeze them.
2) Collect all the canes and stakes no longer in use and stand the bottoms in preservative for a day.
3) Service the mower or have it done professionally, clean and store garden furniture.
4) Check alpines in case they are covered in leaves.
5) Clear fallen leaves from lawns, ponds, gutters and natural free drainage routes.
6) Cut back tall rose bushes and shrubs such as Buddleia to prevent winter wind-rock and damage.
7) Check that ceramic or terracotta pots are raised on ‘feet’ off the ground to help avoid frost damage.
8) Cover alpines with sheets of glass or cloches to reduce the effect of excessive winter rain.
9) Take root cuttings from oriental poppies, sea hollies and verbascums. Cutting should be 8cm long, of average thickness, with a straight top cut and sloping bottom cut. Place vertically in pots of cutting compost with top level with the compost. Keep outside in a sheltered place over winter.
10) Try to complete laying turf this month. If delayed, wait for a day when conditions are dry underfoot.
11) If newly ordered plants have arrived but soil conditions are poor, take them out of the packaging, splay open the roots and lay them in a 15” deep trench at 45⁰, to the side of the trench, to reduce wind disturbance. Firm soil back over the roots. Plants are ok like this until growth commences.
12) When planting roses into an existing rose bed, remove the soil from each planting hole and replace with soil from another part of the garden which has not previously grown roses.
13) Clean the corms of gladiolus lifted last month which are now dry. Remove the old corm from the base of the new corm. Destroy any showing signs of disease. If you have saved the small cormlets attached to the base of the new corm, keep until March and plant 2” deep in a layer of sand.
14) If conditions are not too wet, now is a good time to establish or develop the rock garden. OK to plant at this time of year but protect young alpines from excessive rain.
15) Now is a good time to develop a new vegetable plot. Deep dig the plot and add well-rotted compost or manure. Grass can be dug in but turn it upside-down in the base of the trench and cover with soil to prevent re-growth. Leave soil surface rough to benefit from winter frosts.
16) Wash out water butts to remove debris. Purchase additional water butts for other downpipes.
17) On cold November nights, sit over the fire and go through next years seed and bulb catalogues and read those magazine articles which you had no time for in the summer.
Posted 4th Nov 4:17pm
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We are pleased to be helping people enjoy even happier holidays after supplying plants to a £1m transformation scheme at Hoburne Naish Holiday Park in Hampshire.
Included in the delivery were more than 2,000 shrubs, hedging plants, herbaceous plants and 21 varieties of grasses all worth a total of £22,000.
Situated on the clifftop with breath-taking sea views, the site combines the very best of coastline and countryside, from sandy beaches to picnics in the nearby New Forest.
The holiday park has recently undergone a significant refurbishment of its leisure and entertainment complex, with its family-friendly dining area and improved public spaces, and the design-led regions with comfortable seating options.
Attractions also include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna and on-site brasserie, along with adventure golf, a multi-sports games arena and play areas for children of all ages.
The park includes a new development of luxurious holiday homes, set in design-led landscaped areas and offering sea views across to the isle of Wight.
In total, Hoburne has spent £6m on giving each of its seven-holiday parks in the South West a facelift.
Mark Preston, Director of Hoburne Properties added “we have been delighted by both the quality of the stock and the level of service we have received from Johnsons, and the feedback from our holidaymakers and owners regarding their first impressions of the recently developed areas has been nothing but complimentary. We look forward to working with Johnsons on some exciting projects we have lined up for this coming winter across our parks”.
We are delighted to have contributed a substantial number of plants to help revamp the Hoburne Naish holiday park. Holidays are a very special time for people, full of relaxation, and we hope we can play our part in ensuring visitors have a happy and memorable time amid glorious surroundings.
This is just one of many holiday parks we have supplied recently others we have supplied include the Sandymouth resort, Cheddar Woods resort and Canterbury Reach which are all part of the Darwin Escapes group
Posted 30th Oct 12:04pm
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A warm welcome to Kirsten Morgan who has joined our cash & carry team as ‘Plant Centre Assistant’ and will be answering calls and serving customers. Find out what she had to say about her new job below:-
1.Where did you work before Johnsons? Farrow & Ball, Harrogate.
2. What was your previous role? I was a Showroom Assistant.
3. What does your new role at Johnsons include? I provide a front of house service, answering the telephone and assisting visitors to the Cash & Carry with their enquiries. I am also involved in the sales side, providing quotations, processing sales, and assembling orders.
4. How have you found your time at Johnsons, what have you enjoyed most? I have been at Johnsons since April this year where I joined the company via an agency. I have enjoyed meeting the Cash & Carry customers and helping them with a wide range of projects. I have also enjoyed working with my new colleagues who have been very welcoming and have helped me settle in my new role.
5. What are you looking forward to in your new role? I am looking forward to the variety that the changes in the seasons will bring to my position. At the moment, the Cash & Carry is full of a beautiful selection of bulbs, and we are also preparing for the oncoming busy Bare Root and Root Ball season.
6. What do you think the challenges will be? To provide the best possible customer service, understanding and meeting our customer’s requirements, in what is an uncertain economic environment. Keeping warm in the winter may also be a challenge too.
Posted 28th Oct 11:39am
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Halloween competition terms & conditions
Thursday is Halloween and to celebrate we are giving away a Halloween themed hamper. To enter, simply like our Facebook page and comment with a Halloween emoji ???? ????
Posted 28th Oct 10:17am
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Helping local primary schools bloom
We are proud to be nurturing the next generation of gardeners by donating plants and bulbs to three local primary schools.
We provided more than 600 daffodil bulbs, 12 bags of compost and 300 pots to Kirk Hammerton Church of England Primary and Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy, where green-fingered pupils will plant and tend the bulbs.
Four members of the Richardson family, which owns Johnsons, attended Kirk Hammerton primary school, which is just a mile and a half from the company’s main site.
In addition, we donated 60 plants worth £150 to Coppice Valley Primary School in Harrogate, where our customer Ray Skeltons (Harrogate) Ltd is carrying out a landscaping project. Among the plants gifted to the school were Lavender Hidcote, Hebe ‘Red Edge’ Photinia ‘Red Robin’, Euonymus ‘Emerald Gaiety’, Skimmia rubella and Choisya ternata ‘sundance’.
This latest round of donations brings the total value of plants given to local schools this year to nearly £4,000. Included in this was a donation of plants worth £2,500 to Springwater Special School, Harrogate, lavenders worth £540 to Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy and £50 of plants to Roecliffe Church of England Primary School.
Justin Reeve Headteacher at Tockwith School said: “Thank you so much to Johnsons of Whixley’s for giving every child in the school the opportunity to add a bit of colour to their own gardens by donating a daffodil plant. We are very grateful for this generous offering and the chance for our children to plant and tend to the bulbs. “
Emma Meadus Headteacher at Coppice Valley Primary School said: “We are so grateful to Johnson’s of Whixley and their generous donation. With their help, we are working towards redeveloping the space at the front of the school into a community garden with space for enjoying nature and growing food. The beautiful plants from Johnson’s have become part of our wellbeing space for all the community to enjoy. “
Kirk Hammerton primary school added: “We are so fortunate to have the support of Johnsons of Whixley who provided daffodils bulbs for all of the children. The children are patiently awaiting a break in the weather so that they can plant the bulbs in our wilderness garden. We all look forward to them appearing in the spring!”
Posted 23rd Oct 1:23pm
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We are delighted to announce that we have been added to York’s Top 100 business list for the 3rd year running.
Researchers from York St John University and Make it York have taken an in-depth look at the key business sectors in the city, including leisure, tourism, sciences, transport and technology. The analysis is carried out from key players in the York business community including the federation of small businesses, Chambers of Commerce, Enterprise Partnership and York Professionals where turnover, profit, growth and staff numbers are all taken into consideration when making the top 100 list.
We are pleased to have placed at number 55 in York’s Top 100 list in 2017 and 34 in 2018 and look forward to this years result being announced on Wednesday 13th November where all businesses within the list will be invited for breakfast at St John’s University.
The Top 100 magazine will also be launched at the breakfast lunch along with a 48-page supplement that will appear in ‘The Press’ newspaper on this night.
Chairman John Richardson and Marketing Manager Eleanor Richardson will attend the breakfast-lunch on behalf of Johnsons of Whixley.
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson said “ We are delighted to feature again in the list of the York region’s top 100 companies. This year’s awards follow another record year to Sept 2019 which will be hopefully reflected in next years awards.”
Posted 18th Oct 10:25am
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We recently teamed up with Evoke Landscape Design Ltd to create an outdoor learning area at Hightown Junior Infant & Nursery School, Liversedge.
The West Yorkshire based junior school already has an extensive allotment and orchard on the grounds as well as an area for rearing chickens and ducks; this helps encourage the children to engage with the outdoor environment.
The new area designed by Bradford landscape design business Evoke will further enhance the outdoor learning space and hopes to encourage wildlife. With 120 used tyres from a local garage were added to create a living retaining wall around the new area, the tyres have been filled with sensory plants from our Wholesale Xpress department; plant supply included Lavenders, Rosemary, Heathers, Thyme, Mint and a range of grasses and other herbaceous plants.
It was fantastic to team up with longstanding customer Evoke Landscape Design Ltd to enhance the outdoor learning area of Hightown Junior Infant & Nursery School, we hope the children and teachers enjoy this space for many years to come.
Headteacher at Hightown Junior Infant & Nursery School, Mr Russell Ingleby, said: “We are delighted with the work that Evoke Landscaping has completed in the school grounds. We are looking forward to seeing how the carefully chosen plants and shrubs add to the outdoor experience for years to come.”
This isn’t the only school project we have got onboard with recently, we are proud to be working on a collaboration project between the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Sheffield and Hunter’s Bar Infant School, Sheffield. The #GoGoGreen campaign will see 100’s of our plants used to help improve the air quality of the school’s playground. You can find out more here – – – > #GoGoGreen
Posted 17th Oct 12:10pm
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This year we have teamed up with SPA Landscaping to help Costco Wholesale Corporation petrol stations bloom throughout the UK.
Throughout 2019 Costco have been constructing new petrol stations at select locations across the UK. The construction of these sites has required a full-scale landscaping renovation from topsoil amelioration right through to tree and shrub planting.
Sheffield based SPA landscaping’s large in-house team carried out the works across a number of the sites and tasked us with the supply of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.
Plant varieties supplied to the various Costco sites have included a large number of trees including Sorbus ‘Sheerwater seedling’, Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ and Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’. 1000’s of shrubs were also supplied including Griselinia littoralis 10L, Hebe ‘Mrs Winder’ 5L, Vinca Major 2L, Viburnum tinus 2L, Hedera Hibernica 2L, Spirea ‘Anthony Waterer’, Escallonia rubra ‘Macrantha’, Carpinus betulus and Photinia ‘Red Robin’.
Before planting, SPA Landscaping used a rotavator to break up, churn and aerate the soil before providing a mulch finish. The benefits of doing such include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area.
It’s been fantastic to work with SPA Landscaping to beautify the grounds of several Costco sites in the UK this year. Costco is one of the best-known names in trade retailing, with 770 shops worldwide, so it’s great to be associated with them and their latest petrol station constructions.
Alex Anthony, Director at SPA Landscaping, said “We pride ourselves on a high-quality finish to the job at hand, and when working with highly reputable companies such as Costco, we must ensure every aspect meets our standard. This is why we regularly work with Johnson’s of Whixley as their stock is second-to-none, and we know we trust an on-time site delivery.”
We also teamed up with Spa Landscaping earlier in the year to supply plants to a healing garden at the Royal Derby Hospital, you can read all about it here —–> Royal Derby Hospital supply
Posted 11th Oct 2:33pm
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Our Garden Centre Sales has launched a new catalogue for 2020, to promote new and existing lines. The catalogue will be available from early October both on this website and in print.
The catalogue features more than 900 lines including 31 brand new varieties such as Senicio ‘Angel Wings’, Agapanthus ‘Polar Ice’, Yucca ‘Gold Sword’, Cordyline ‘Charlie Boy’, Astrantia ‘Pink Pride’ and Leaucothoe ‘Burning Love’.
The catalogue will also showcase various plant collections, including the patio perfect range and prestige collection, ideal for people looking for well-established plants.
Johnsons has been one of the UK’s leading garden centre suppliers for more than 40 years, with plant lines grown on a number of the company’s specialist production sites in North Yorkshire.
Garden Centre Sales Manager Mark Reynard said: “We are delighted to present our 2020 catalogue and showcase new lines following another strong year.”
For your copy email paull@nurserymen.co.uk or call us on 01423 330234.
Posted 4th Oct 2:15pm
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Not sure what to do in the garden this month? Here are our garden reminders put together by our chairman and horticulturalist John Richardson.
1) With October starting with rain, following rain, which followed rain, the land is going to be too sticky and muddy to do much for the next week or so, give the greenhouse or garden shed a good clean, and put away all those tools, labels, canes and bottles that it has been easier to overlook during the good weather.
2) Give conifers a final trim this month and try and complete the planting of evergreens while the soil is still warm and new roots will then establish before the ground becomes cold.
3) Give thought to lifting tender plants which you wish to retain, pot them up and store in a frost-free environment. Calla lilies have been very popular this year, but don’t forget they are on the tender side and also need to be lifted and protected during the winter.
4) If you need to move trees that are going to be too big for their location, do it in 2 stages, this year dig a trench around half the root ball, about 30-40cm away from the trunk and backfill with good well-rotted Compost. This will encourage young roots near to the trunk before you cut the roots on the other side as you move it next autumn. Don’t try this on trees more than two years after the original planting; the root-balls would be just too big and heavy to lift.
5) As herbaceous plants die back, reduce top growth almost to ground level and compost all soft green material. Remove and store all the canes and stakes. Burn pea-sticks and rotten stakes.
6) Fix grease bands to apple and pear tree trunks to prevent female winter moth caterpillars climbing up to lay their eggs on the young buds. Choose the correct grease for smooth or rough-barked trees.
7) Now is an excellent time to clean out the pond and remove the water pump for the winter.
8) Store top fruit for the winter, by picking only those fruits which are undamaged, wrap in newspaper and store in a frost-free cool shed. DO NOT retain any fruits which show signs of damage; they will only affect those that are undamaged, but you can freeze these fruits.
9) Rake up fallen leaves around rose bushes to prevent the carry-over of Black Spot to next year.
10) Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs and line them out in a trench formed by pushing a spade into the soil to about 10 inches and rocking it to enlarge the slot. Insert the cuttings about 2 inches apart and firm soil back between the feet. On heavy soil run a little sand into the slot before planting the cuttings.
11) Tall shrubs such as Buddleia and Lavatera, which will be pruned hardback in spring will tidy up the garden if cut back by half at this time to prevent wind rock during the winter.
12) Dahlia tubers need lifting and storing this month. Cut the stems back to about 4” from ground level, shake off as much soil as possible, hosing off if necessary, and store upside down for 14 days to dry out the stems of the plants. Afterwards, store in dry compost with the stem out of the compost, in a cool frost-free building. Remember to name all plants at the time you lift them from the ground.
Posted 2nd Oct 9:53am
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Working with Gavin Jones Ltd to supply a new retail and leisure destination at Thorpe Park, Leeds.
We supplied nearly 20,000 plants worth more than £60,000 to transform the new leisure and retail complex at Thorpe Park, Leeds.
Thorpe Park is an extension to the existing retail site off Junction 46 of the M1. The park boasts a new shopping area, The Springs, featuring high street giants such as Next, Boots, TK Maxx and M&S Food as well as a cinema, gym and several high-end restaurants.
The adjacent country park has also benefited from our plants and trees, in a scheme design by Ares Landscape Architects Ltd that was installed by landscaping experts Gavin Jones Limited.
Further additions to the complex include a business and enterprise centre, sport and leisure hub and railway station, while 300 new homes will form a residential quarter.
Over 13,000 herbaceous plants were included in the supply, with over 1,500 Geraniums, 1,000 Persicaria Bistorta ‘Superba’, 2,000 Hemerocallis ‘Golden Chimes’ and over 1,000 Ajuga’s.
A further 7,000 shrubs, grasses and herb varieties were also provided for the 140-acres of parkland and public open spaces.
Gavin Jones Limited senior estimator Ricky Whiteman, said: “It has been great to see the progression of Thorpe Park, the site has really taken shape in the last year, we were appointed by GMI Construction to complete the soft landscaping package, we then called in leading commercial nursery Johnsons of Whixley to supply a large number of plants this really helped put the finishing touches to the scheme”
We have many years’ experience of providing plants to the retail and leisure sector. Recent supplies include the Leicester Costco site and the Spinningfields urban regeneration development in Manchester.
Posted 30th Sep 11:00am
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We are proud to have been shortlisted for not one but two York Press Business Awards including ‘Family business of the Year’ and ‘Large Business of the Year’, an excellent result for us on the back of a very successful year.
The ‘Family business of the Year’ category is perfect for our three-generation family businesses. In total, 11 members of the Richardson family have roles within Johnsons, including Chairman John Richardson, Group Managing Director Graham Richardson, Directors Iain and Andrew Richardson, receptionist Tracey Richardson, accounts assistant Janice Richardson and grandchildren Luke, Robert, Eleanor, Paul and Shaun Richardson.
John’s eldest grandson Luke Richardson took over the cash & carry side of the business in summer 2018 which has resulted in a 32% rise in revenue and a 29% increase in product offering, which has resulted in an additional 134,311 plants being sold.
Robert Richardson is currently taking over production operations and will have responsibility for growing more than three million shrubs and trees annually with a seasonal team of up to 90.
John’s granddaughter Eleanor Richardson is Johnsons’ first full-time member of staff for marketing and has been instrumental in raising the company’s profile via traditional and modern-day marketing methods along with the management of the website, social media platforms and PR.
The second category we have been shortlisted for celebrates ‘York’s Large Business of the Year’ with achievements this year including attracting more than 400 new customers, a £1.37m increase in sales on the previous year (October – March), investments including a £70,000 potting line and numerous prestigious projects we have supplied including the luxurious Grantley Hall hotel, the new Event Complex, Aberdeen, the Dakota Hotel, Manchester, luxurious holiday lodges by Darwin Escapes and the Windermere Jetty boat museum.
We hope our successes this year are recognised with an award but wish all of those who were shortlisted the best of luck; we look forward to attending the awards ceremony in November.
Posted 25th Sep 12:49pm
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We are proud to be on board with a collaboration project between the Landscape Architecture Department at the University of Sheffield and Hunter’s Bar Infant School, Sheffield. The #GoGoGreen campaign will see 100’s of our plants used to help improve the air quality of the school’s playground.
The plant supply will include a £300 donation made by Johnsons, and a further £3,200 worth of our plants will be purchased to help create a green barrier in the playground.
Working with air quality experts from the Landscape Architecture Department of the University of Sheffield, the school wants to plant shrubs, herbaceous, hedging and trees to create a green barrier in the playground to help protect children from harmful gases produced by exhaust fumes; an issue that is affecting many inner-city schools.
The school has already raised £10,000 to buy plants and equipment to create the soil bed needed to build the barrier – and Johnsons have helped by donating plants for the scheme. Included in our supply are Phyllostachys nigra, Thuja occidentalis smaragd, Lavender Hidcote, Heathers in variety, Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, Salvia off. Purpurescens, Sarcococca confusa, Bergenia cordifolia ‘purpurea’ and Juniperus virginiana ‘blue arrow’.
Working with PhD student María to monitor the air in the playground, data will be collected to enable air quality experts and specialist plant scientists to identify the best vegetation and planting configuration to improve air quality. Children will also learn the value of green spaces for learning and emotional wellbeing.
PhD researcher María del Carmen Redondo Bermúdez said: “Different plants have different capacities to reduce air pollution, depending on the characteristics of their leaves and bark and how they are arranged in space. By using a mix of plant types – trees, shrubs, climbers and herbaceous perennials – we will try to cover all the mechanisms for pollution mitigation. Planted together, they will form a barrier against the wind that brings contaminants to the playground. We chose Johnsons of Whixley because of the high quality of their plants, their recycling initiatives of plastic containers and their strict ISO standards (for example the 9001 for Quality Management and 14001 for Environmental Management), and equally important, the ethics of their team and their friendly and effective communication. Those are part of the reasons why the Landscape Department of The University of Sheffield have always considered them as a top nursery”.
#GoGoGreen campaigners hope the project will help identify workable solutions for not only Hunter’s Bar Infant School but for other inner-city schools looking to improve air quality.
Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director at Johnson’s, said: “ We look forward to being associated with a scheme that will not only provide an immediate aesthetic impact but will also go on to improve air quality and help reduce pollution, our environmental credentials are important to us, so it’s great to be on board with this fantastic #GoGoGreen campaign ”.
To find out more about this project visit the #GoGoGreen website or donate here
Posted 25th Sep 12:05pm
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A new community of almost 1,000 concept apartments in the centre of Manchester will benefit from nearly 8,000 of our plants.
The Chapel Wharf development will see four towers between 12 and 22 storeys high created on the banks of the River Irwell, next to the five-star Lowry Hotel.
The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are mostly open plan with a private balcony or terrace and will be partially constructed off-site using the very latest manufacturing techniques.
Part of a significant regeneration of the Chapel Street area by developer Dandara, the scheme will also create public spaces, walkways and parking for almost 400 cars.
Working with Ashlea Ltd, we provided over 1,500 ferns and grasses, 3,000 herbaceous plants, over 3,000 shrubs and over 50 trees to help create a green oasis in the communal areas, with trees including Himalayan birch, Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan), Amelanchier lamarckii (Juneberry) and Betula pendula (Silver birch) all included in the order.
Wayne Dand, Contracts Director of Ashlea Limited, said “ We are delighted with the outcome of this project at Chapel Wharf. As always Johnsons Of Whixley have excelled themselves in working closely with us on the supply and delivery from start to finish. “
Herbaceous species include more than 600 Bergenia Silberlicht (elephant’s ears), 500 English lavender plants and almost 150 of the Johnsons Blue variety of geranium.
More than 700 of the evergreen shrub Euonymus Fortunei Emerald Gaiety’ along with hundreds of grasses and ferns were also provided.
Last Christmas, we supplied festive foliage to the nearby Spinningfields district, home to around 200 businesses, retailers such as Mulberry and high-end restaurants including The Ivy and Restaurant MCR. You can find out more about our supply here – – – – > Johnsons deliver Christmas trees to Spinningfields
Posted 23rd Sep 10:26am
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We recently teamed up with p1 Contractors Ltd to supply over £150,000 worth of plants for a multi-million-pound Scottish conference/exhibition centre and largest new entertainment complex in Europe.
Replacing the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC), The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) is a £330 million development that opened in August 2019; it includes a new arena, conference halls, a multi-purpose space, hotels and more.
The new arena will host acts such as Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Lewis Capaldi and Elton John in the coming months; it is set to attract an additional 4.5 million visitors bringing £113m of extra spend to the Scottish economy.
Our supply included nearly 40,000 shrubs, 170 three-metre-wide hedera screens, over 30,000 bare-root transplants and more than 400 trees.
Linlithgow-based p1 was responsible for all the soft landscaping on the project, soiling all areas around the complex along with seeding works and tree, shrub and woodland planting around the site.
Ronnie Blair Contracts Manager for the project on behalf of p1 Contractors Ltd, added: “Having a company such as Johnsons of Whixley working with us on such a large-scale project has been very reassuring, Iain has taken the time to come up to Scotland and walk the site offering information on the planting to help me with the contract. With the opening of the new complex on the horizon, I am excited about the prospect of returning in a few years to see what it looks like with a bit of maturity something which should be in keeping with the ambitious company we are.
Other plant supply to Scotland includes Donaldsons, Edinburgh and the iconic Forth Road Bridge
Posted 14th Sep 12:27pm
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We have recently been recruited by Brambledown Landscapes to provide a plant supply for the latest phase of a multi-million-pound project to revamp the historic Hirst Park in Northumberland.
Our plant supply, including both plants and trees, was worth £20,000 and was funded by a £2.29m Parks for People grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Project planting
Consisting of more than 50 trees worth £9,000, our plant supply also included a range of plants including 262 Stipa Tenufolia, 188 Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and 250 Sedum spectabile ‘Brilliant’, as well as a range of rhododendron varieties and 126 Persicaria ‘Darjeeling Red’.
The first stage of the Hirst Park project began in early 2018 with the removal of dead, dying and dangerous trees. The replacement trees were planted over the winter of 2018 to ensure minimum disruption during bird nesting and bat roosting seasons.
It is estimated that the project to transform Hirst Park, where legendary footballers Jackie Milburn and the Charlton brothers played as youngsters, will take five years to complete.
Landscaping work is being carried out by our client, Brambledown Landscape Services, and will include the creation of a formal garden, water play feature, horticultural training building where families can learn to grow their own vegetables and a New Food Circle, operated in partnership with Northumberland College.
Director of Brambledown Paul Curry said: “We have a wonderful relationship with Johnsons of Whixley, who have been supplying trees on our schemes for many decades. This prestigious multi-million-pound Heritage Lottery Fund Park at Hirst Park in Ashington, Northumberland is one of many large park improvement schemes we have carried out over the years alongside Johnsons.”
The future for Hirst Park
Once the scheme is complete, events will be held at the newly refurbished park to help people learn more about the heritage of Hirst park, the local area and the people in it.
We are really excited to be able to get involved in this project. Our products will bring life back to Hirst Park and ensure it is a place to be enjoyed for many years to come as it has been in the past.
We have worked with Brambledown on lots of other projects, including Haggerston Castle in Northumberland and the conservation area at Spinning Acres in Leeds.
Posted 6th Sep 3:09pm
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Our staff are tucking into some delicious honey treats this week – produced by thousands of their co-workers.
The number of bees at our on-site apiary has increased to 800,000 this summer, with the creatures helping to pollinate flowering plants at our main 50-acre site, that produces more than a million plants every year.
The bees are managed by Keith Simmonds, Vice President of Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers, who said that the bees, Johnsons and most importantly the environment all benefited from their presence in equal measure.
He said honeybees contributed significantly to our economy, helping plants to grow and produce food by transferring pollen between flowering plants. The majority of plants we need for food rely on pollination, particularly by bees.
It is estimated that bees will fly 55,000 miles to make a single pound of honey – the equivalent of going around the world more than twice.
Staff from our Johnsons office are tucking into honey on toast to celebrate National Honey Month this September.
Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “ What could be better than fortifying our staff with honey harvested via our own bees, pollen and ultimately the plants that they have so carefully tended in the recent month – a truly efficient food cycle!”
Want to find out more about our bees? Click here
Posted 6th Sep 11:31am
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Not sure what you should be doing in the garden this month? here are our top tips for the month of September.
Posted 3rd Sep 11:06am
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This month is National Honey Month and to celebrate we are giving away a hamper that includes honey from our beehives. To enter, simply like our Facebook page and comment with a bee emoji ????
National Honey Month Competition
Posted 2nd Sep 10:36am
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We have recently supplied a range of plants and trees to an exclusive retirement village in the Cheshire village of Tattenhall, one of the UK’s most coveted postcodes.
The Gifford Lea retirement village will be enhanced by hundreds of top-quality plants and trees provided by our Wholesale Commercial department.
The landscaped gardens are one of the prime attractions of the select development of modern apartments, which also boasts an on-site spa, bistro and beauty salon.
Working with long-standing client and landscaping specialist Ashlea Limited, we supplied a variety of trees, shrubs, herbaceous and hedging plants.
The range of trees we supplied included five Acer campestre (field maple), Crataegus crus-galli (hawthorn), Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine (hornbeam), four Prunus taihaku (great white cherry) and three Tilia cordata greenspire (small-leaved lime).
We also provided various species of geranium, in addition to more than 260 Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ and around 200 Sarcococca Winter Gem boxwood shrubs.
Hedging plants included 400 Fagus sylvatica (beech) whilst Digitalis purpurea (foxgloves), Bergenia silberlicht (elephant’s ears) and Siberian iris ‘white swirl’ were among the hundreds of herbaceous plants in the inventory.
We are delighted to have played our part in creating the stunning gardens for this sophisticated development in the desirable location of Tattenhall.
We have worked with Ashlea on many previous occasions and they know they can rely on Johnsons to fulfil their requirements for only the very highest standards of plants.
Bruce Tyrer, projects director of Ashlea Limited, added: “The quality of the planting scheme needed to reflect the quality of the buildings themselves, constructed by Seddon Construction Limited. This was the main reason why we chose Johnsons of Whixley to supply the trees and shrubs to this prestigious retirement complex – the plants have helped to transform the scheme.”
We have many years’ experience of supplying quality residential developments, take a look at our work with Spinning Acres as well as our award-winning supplies to Great Kneighton and Tadpole Garden Village.
Posted 30th Aug 9:32am
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We recently worked on a project for the Dakota Hotel, a new luxury hotel in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, teaming up with PWP Design Ltd and Gavin Jones Ltd.
We supplied a range of plants to the hotel, including clipped evergreen shrubs, sculptural feature trees and lush green groundcover for a series of planting areas and pots that frame the terrace and enhance the parking courtyard, main entrance and overall impression of the hotel.
Our supply included hundreds of herbaceous, shrub and grass varieties for the hotel grounds, including Buxus spirals, Sarcococca confusa, Pachysandra ‘Green Carpet’ (to create attractive yet low maintenance ground cover), Agapanthus africanus, Viburnum davidii and Hakonechloa macra.
The Dakota Manchester is situated on Dulcie Street, at the edge of the vibrant Northern Quarter, and features 137 rooms, a Dakota Grill restaurant, cocktail bar, waterside terrace, cigar garden and a grand deluxe penthouse, believed to be the largest in the city.
A lot is happening in Manchester right now, especially in the Northern Quarter, so it’s fantastic to be supplying to this new project. It’s also great to be teaming up once again with Gavin Jones Ltd and PWP Design Ltd, both of whom are long-standing customers.
The collaboration of our businesses allowed us to achieve the luxurious and highly visual impact the client required for the hotel, delivering the quality and style that is associated with the Dakota brand.
This is not the first time we have worked on a luxury hotel, take a look at our recent project, supplying the stunning Grantley Hall near Ripon.
Posted 15th Aug 5:01pm
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We have recently added to our blooming repertoire with the launch of a new Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ plant line, just in time for our new catalogue in September.
The award-winning plant, which originally derives from Chile, has been carefully cultivated over the winter by production manager Ian Nelson and the rest of our team.
He put the plant through multiple tests, finding it able to withstand harsh conditions, require minimal care, as well as being suitable for use across a range of soil conditions.
‘Angel Wings’ is identifiable by its striking silver leaves and silky touch. It is also drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant, making it the perfect addition to a coastal garden.
We debuted ‘Angel Wings’ on our stand at the National Plant Show in June where it attracted widespread attention.
‘Angel Wings’, which has also been seen in the Falklands and Argentina, was first discovered by plant developer Lyall Fieldes on a trip to the Patagonia region of Chile. It has since made its mark on the European market, winning a bronze medal at the Netherlands Plantarium in 2016 and the Glee new product award in 2017.
Ian Nelson, Production Manager said “We always strive to provide something unique and beautiful that will bring something special to a garden or larger-scale project.
“As ‘Angel Wings’ is a very robust plant, it is perfect for most growing conditions, while still maintaining its soft and delicate appearance. It requires very little care due to its durable nature and will add a gorgeous touch to flower beds and pots alike.”
Garden Centre Sales Assistant Manager, Paul Lamb, added: “We are delighted to be able to offer the sought-after Senecio ‘Angels Wings’ to our customers. We are launching with a 5L version, and as we head into 2020 we will have the plant available in both a 3L and a 5L size.”If you’d like to find out more about Senecio ‘Angel Wings’ click here to contact a sales rep today
Posted 15th Aug 8:48am
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Looking to keep busy in the garden this August? Here are the jobs you should be keeping on top of this month:
Check out our previous months gardening reminders here
Posted 2nd Aug 12:02pm
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Our wholesale Xpress department recently supplied a selection of plants to enhance the hard landscaping of a sloping garden designed by LWB Landscapes in the Harrogate area.
LWB Landscapes proved that a garden doesn’t need to be flat and spacious to be beautiful, dealing with a steep slope requires imaginative thinking, and, adding stone terraced flower beds, Indian stone paving and Oak sleepers they have created a beautiful layered garden.
Using a simple mix of Buxus Sempervirens balls and cones, Lavender Hidcote, Convolvulus cneorum, Carex morrowii ‘Vanilla Ice’ and Pieris jap, we were able to bring the space to life, creating an enviable garden that will be loved for years to come.
See below for before and after shots of the garden
Posted 1st Aug 2:54pm
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We recently supplied a selection of Taxus topiary for Grade II listed Bowcliffe Hall, a historic Yorkshire venue that hosts weddings, corporate events and more. Guests can enjoy acres of glorious gardens designed to be perfectly in keeping with the hall’s Georgian heritage.
As part of a topiary project at the hall, we were asked to provide a selection of yew plants, to celebrate its character and history whilst enhancing the arrival experience for guests. Yew was chosen to complement the existing clipped topiary in the gardens.
An important consideration was the scale and proportion of the plants, to enable them to be seamlessly incorporated into the overall garden design, which includes both cone and standard (lollipop) shaped plants.
We supplied 10 cone-shaped Taxus baccata (Yew) root balls and 13 Taxus baccata (Yew) lollipop standards with a 100cm stem and 70-80cm head.
In order to carefully maintain the plants, the garden team at Bowcliffe Hall has implemented an irrigation system and mulched their bases.
The plans form an integral part of a stunning front garden, a traditional Georgian design that wows guests on arrival while remaining true to the building’s rich heritage.
Posted 31st Jul 2:29pm
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A true staple for any size project or garden, the humble lavender is a top favourite for many of our commercial customers. Last year we sold over 110,000 lavender plants, including ‘angustifolia’ ‘hidcote’, ‘munstead’ ‘vera’ and many more varieties.
Lavender plants are well known for their wonderfully calming fragrance, but they are also a great plant for pollinators and are famed for the various shades of purple they come in. A truly versatile plant, it can instantly improve the appearance of any space, from the edge of a driveway to the surrounding of a public seating area.
Commonly flowering from June to September, they’re easy to grow and care for making them an ideal solution for low maintenance areas.
When it comes to planting, opt for a sunny to light shade position – a south or west facing location would be ideal. Place the lavender plants in a well-drained neutral to alkaline soil as they will not do well in wet, waterlogged soil.
These plants need very little water once they become established, except for those planted in a pot or container as these will need regular watering when the pot becomes noticeably lighter.
Caring and maintaining lavender plants is very easy. Ensure to cut back new angustifolia varieties in late August to September once they have finished flowering and have gone slightly grey, a second flush of flowers may appear after pruning. Pruning will help keep the plant compact and stop it from getting too leggy.
Lavandula Hidcote
Our bestselling lavender line, Lavandula Hidcote, is a compact English lavender that produces dense, fragrant, violet flowers that look great along a driveway, border or in a pot. It is very popular with pollinators throughout its flowering months.
Flowers: June – September
Position: Full sun – light shade
Eventual height & spread: 75cm x 60cm
Lavandula Munstead
Our second bestselling lavender plant is the Lavandula Munstead, named after Gertrude Jekyll’s garden at Munstead Wood. This variety has blue-purple summer flowers that have a wonderful contrast against its grey-green leaves. It’s a firm favourite with bees and will look great at the edge of a path or border, or clipped to add a contemporary look to any space.
Flowers: June – September
Position: Full sun – light shade
Eventual height & spread: 75cm x 60cm
Lavandula ‘Little Lady’
The final lavender plant on our list is Lavandula ‘Little Lady’. This variety has a lighter blue flower that is produced on upright stems against sage green foliage. It is a fantastic compact variety that can be used to make a vibrant low hedge.
Flowers: July – September
Position: Full sun – light shade
Eventual height & spread: 40cm x 40cm
Posted 25th Jul 9:51am
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Looking for a semi-hardy herbaceous plant, that is long flowering with interesting foliage? Alstroemeria is the plant you have been searching for – and will not disappoint.
Working well in borders combined with other plants, alstroemeria produces fantastic coloured flowers in a wide range of colours from June through to October every year.
They also make for impressive displays for container pots or cut flowers that can be displayed inside.
Caring for your alstroemeria
Be sure to plant alstroemerias in full sun or partial shade in a fertile, moist, well-drained soil to ensure they keep on flowering. Remove the whole stem at the base once the flower on it has finished as this will encourage the growth of new flowers. To protect the plant during winter, make sure to wrap it with a protective fleece.
Available at our Cash & Carry and for Garden Centre Customers
We have some fantastic Inticancha Alstroemerias available this year – here’s a preview of what you can pick up from our onsite Cash & Carry or on our retail availability list:
Alstroemeria Inticancha Bryce has large, stunning orange and yellow blooms with a brown speckle. They would make a great addition to a compliment a warm coloured border and will flower from June through to October.
Alstroemeria Inticancha Sunshine has a dwarf habit, with large pink and yellow cantered flowers that will emerge come June right through to October.
Alstroemeria Inticancha ‘Maya’ are known for their white flowers with a deep, blotched pink centre and a small flare of green at the end of each petal. These alstromerias will start flowering from the end of May/early June and through to October. They will stay nice and compact making them ideal for a patio pot.
Alstroemeria Inticancha Red are a clump-forming plant with dark green leaves, and dark red funnel shaped flowers. This is another variety that usually flowers from June to October.
Posted 23rd Jul 8:49am
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Scandinavian plant supply for Saltwell Park, Gateshead
We teamed up with the National Garden Scheme (NGS) Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Gateshead Council to provide a Scandinavian plant supply to Saltwell Park.
The Swedish inspired garden will open during the World Transplant Games in August, with the aim of attracting new visitors to the North East and promoting Gateshead to an international audience.
The Scandinavian garden design was created to mark 10 years of strong cultural and trade links between Sweden and the North East of England. Garden designer Susie White created a classic 18th century English garden in the Västra Götaland region of Sweden back in 2017, featuring iris, peony, roses, allium, lupin, foxgloves and sage.
Gateshead’s 55-acre Saltwell Park will feature a woodland, meadow area and elements of coastal landscape, with more than 600 new shrub and herbaceous varieties in addition to 11 trees. Our plants were also complemented with a supply of Swedish heritage plants to tie the theme together.
Maureen Kesteven, NGS County Organiser, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, said: “This unique international project has been a major endeavour for the NGS volunteer team in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. We are grateful for the assistance provided by our commercial sponsors. Being able to rely on Johnsons of Whixley for the bulk of the plants was a real confidence booster for us.”
It’s great to be involved with such an exciting project that connects the UK and Sweden. We were delighted when the National Garden Scheme got in touch and asked us to provide the plants and we hope the garden is enjoyed by many people for years to come.
In addition to Saltwell Park, we have worked on beautifying several parks across the UK to improve the space for the local communities. Our team recently partnered with Ashlea Ltd to enhance the new Gypsey Race Park in Bridlington [View case study here], a project partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Posted 17th Jul 7:59am
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Jobs to do in the garden in July
Take steps to protect plants in the heat of summer – and reap the rewards for the rest of the year – by following our tips on jobs you should do in the garden in July.
Want more guidance on what jobs you should carry out for a garden in July? Here are some more examples of recommendations from our expert team Jobs to do in the garden this May
Posted 5th Jul 4:31pm
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They’re colourful, low maintenance and even act as a weed suppressant – so if you don’t already have a geranium in your garden, now is the time to put that right!
These low maintenance ground cover plants are happiest in full sun – partial shade and are available in shades of whites, pinks, purples and blues, providing a dense carpet of foliage from May through to September.
This versatile plant can be used at the front of an informal border, in a pot or in a rockery as groundcover – here are some of our favourite Geranium varieties:
Geranium Johnsons blue – a personal favourite of many here at Johnsons of Whixley, this Geranium variety has masses of lavender-blue flowers with bright green foliage. Cut back after flowering for a second flush of flowers later in the summer.
Care level: easy
Flowers: May – September
Position: full sun – partial shade
Soil: well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy
Height x spread: up to 60cm x 60cm
Geranium miss Heidi – a fantastic clump-forming perennial with masses of small pink flowers, with deep violet veining throughout.
Care level: easy
Flowers: May – September
Position: full sun – partial shade
Soil: well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy
Height x spread: up to 45cm x 45cm
Geranium macrorrhizum Spessart – a lovely variety that blooms with white or pale pink flowers, this Geranium originates from mountainous regions, making it best suited in rockery areas.
Care level: easy
Flowers: May – September
Position: full sun – partial shade
Soil: well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy
Height x spread: up to 50cm x 60cm
Geranium phaeum – also known as ‘mourning widow’, it gets its name from its small, dark purple flowers that look beautiful against their light green foliage.
Care level: easy
Flowers: May – June
Position: full sun – partial shade
Soil: well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy
Height x spread: up to 80cm x 45cm
Geranium Rozanne – named as a plant of the centenary at the Chelsea flower show 2013 by RHS, this gorgeous geranium has beautiful, large saucer-shaped, blue flowers with deep pink/purple veining and a white centre.
Care level: easy
Flowers: May – September
Position: full sun – partial shade
Soil: well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy
Height x spread: up to 60cm x 80cm
Posted 2nd Jul 10:01am
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We are delighted to have recently completed two large plant supplies totalling more than £50,000 to two Darwin Escapes holiday developments in the south of England.
Situated in Kent – known as the Garden of England – Canterbury Reach Lodge Retreat offers holidaymakers luxurious lodges set within acres of rolling countryside. The resort enjoys a tranquil setting within easy reach of Canterbury town centre.
Our team were appointed to provided 260 trees and more than 9,000 bulbs, including snowdrops (Galanthus Nivalis) and bluebells (Hyacinthoides Non-Scripta), as well as more than 8,500 shrubs and herbaceous and 8,000 bare root hedging plants, completed the supply, worth £27,000 in total.
The second of the two large plant supplies was worth £25,000 and used at the Darwin Escapes Cheddar Woods Resort and Spa in Somerset, where the extensive gardens were designed to reflect the beauty of the surrounding woodland.
The resort, nestling in the Mendip Hills, boasts an Enjoy England five-star gold rating and has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor. Discerning guests can enjoy spacious plots within this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Our supply comprised 75 trees including rowan (Sorbus Aucuparia), field maple (Acer Campestre) and silver birch (Betula Pendula) along with almost 10,000 bare root hedging transplants of hawthorn (Crataegus Monogyna), common hazel (Corylus Avellana), blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa) and sweet cherry (Prunus Avium).
Four thousand shrubs of various sizes, from 2L to 10L) were also provided, including 310 10L New Zealand broadleaf (Grisellina Littoralis).
We have built up many years’ experience of providing plants to clients in the holiday park sector, where another recent project undertaken for Darwin Escapes included an extensive supply of shrubs and hedging transplants for the award-winning Sandymouth Holiday Resort, as part of a substantial modernisation process.
We also teamed up with long-standing client RPS Group plc at the recently opened Darwin Escapes Norfolk Woods Resort and Spa in Norfolk to provide products worth £50,000 for the resort, including a variety of ornamental and native plant stock.
We are justifiably proud of completing the large plant supplies for Darwin Escapes. These resorts are noted for their luxury and high standards and we are delighted to contribute to this with our own high-quality trees and plants.
For more information on the resorts, please go to https://www.darwinescapes.co.uk/
Posted 26th Jun 3:43pm
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This week marks National Insect Week where we educate people of all ages to about insects, but more importantly, we should be encouraging our customers and the general public the of benefits insects and pollinators.
By taking the time to learn about how we can support pollinators for this specific week, we can educate people on how to support them throughout the year. Even though some insects hibernate, bees do surface when the temperatures are warm in autumn and early winter. Here’s our guide on the best trees and plants for pollinators for any season.
In a warmer spring, butterflies and bees start emerging from their autumn/winter hibernation and rely on pollen and nectar to survive. These trees and plants are pollinator friendly for this specific season:
Helleborus (Christmas rose) – a great winter/spring addition to your shaded spot in a garden that will provide a much-needed source of pollen for bees and butterflies once they come out of hibernation.
Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ – this plant is found covered in bees during early spring. Their bright yellow flowers appear from November to March and are happiest when placed in full or partial shade.
Apple and crab apple trees – these trees rely on pollinators, without them, the trees would not bear fruit. The beautiful blossom from these varieties, such as Malus Domestica, provide a much-needed spring feast for bees.
Salix caprea (Goat/ Pussy willow) – another one that is hugely important to providing an early source of pollen for pollinators is this tree thanks to its golden catkins that come out in March.
Crocus – this plant offers a great source of pollen. Bumblebees are often seen not only collecting the pollen but sheltering inside the flower overnight.
Moving into the summer season, these plant varieties are great options for pollinators to use during the warmer months of the year.
Echinacea’s (coneflower) – a great option for bees and butterflies as they pump out as much nectar in the morning as the afternoon, unlike other plant varieties.
Buddleia (butterfly bush) – the clue is in the name with this one as this really is covered in butterflies come June a great addition to a sunny border.
Lavender – an obvious (and popular) one as it has been loved by pollinators for hundreds of years. Place it in a sunny, dry and well-drained position.
Digitalis (foxgloves) – its bell-shaped flowers are very popular with bees, especially the bumblebee. Plant these in dappled shade for it to grow well.
Geraniums – this plant has a long blooming season which makes it a great addition to the garden for bees. Choose varieties such as Geranium Johnsons blue that will flower through to September.
Verbena – a plant that produces lots of nectar from July to October, they are loved by hoverflies, butterflies, bees and even dragonflies – a great addition to the middle or back of a border.
Moving into the colder end of the year for a change of seasons brings another round of trees and plants that are great for pollinators in the autumn.
Sedum Autumn Joy – this will flower from late summer into early autumn where they are frequently visited by butterflies and bees.
Hedera (Ivy) – this is vital in helping to aid bees in the late season with its mature plants flowering in October and November.
Anemone Honorine Jobert – an option that will not only brighten up that shaded part of your garden but a favourite of bees as it flowers from August to October.
Heptacodium miconoides – with clusters of white flowers, this tree provides a great source of pollen from September to November when other varieties have stopped flowering.
Posted 21st Jun 3:41pm
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Two families marked the end of an era of working together when Nigel Crowl retired from working on the nursery here at Johnsons of Whixley.
Nigel worked here for 47 years – following in the footsteps of his father, Eric, who also spent many years with the company as a general nursery worker. Sadly, the Crowl family will be unable to match our three generations of Richardsons as Nigel’s son now lives abroad.
Nigel spoke to our chairman, John Richardson – who himself has been with the company 55 years – about his time at Johnsons.
JR: Did you work anywhere prior to Johnsons?
NC: My first job after leaving school was as a joiner for the savages at Ouseburn until I had an accident with a circular saw that resulted in two badly cut fingers. While at savages, I also learned how to build coffins and dig graves! I only stayed there for about a year but I learned a lot.
JR: What job roles have you had working on the nursery?
NC: Since starting here, I have been involved with nursery work including budding 120 thousand bush roses, 12 thousand standard roses, growing trees from whips and numerous other nursery jobs. At 18, I started driving a 7.5 ton lorry before passing my HGV test, after which I delivered goods for six months of the year while the other six months would involve nursery maintenance. I enjoyed the change in jobs. Eventually, I gave up driving and concentrated on the maintenance.
JR: What have you enjoyed the most about your job?
NC: The thing I have enjoyed the most is the variation, no two jobs are the same. I also get on reasonably well with my immediate boss.
JR: Tell us a funny story from your time at Johnsons
NC: One that always springs to my mind is something that happened many years ago when the manager at the time was Danny Elliot. Chris Umpleby and I were sent up the field near to where the fire heap is now. There were rows of newly planted whips and we were told to stop them at head height. Neither myself nor Chris is very tall, so we stopped the rows of whips at 5ft. When Danny saw them, he blew his top as he wanted a foot taller – but how were we to know when he said head high, he meant the height of his own head! Needless to say, the whips went on to make excellent trees.
JR: If you could have worked anywhere else, where would it have been?
NC: I would have continued my job as a joiner but more on the furniture side rather than putting up farm buildings or fitting outhouses.
JR: What changes have you seen in the company over the years?
NC: Johnsons has changed a lot over the years from a small retail nursery where you could be packing a single rose for delivery to a house in the centre of Leeds to a large wholesale business that now delivers hundreds and thousands of plants to large landscapers and nursery businesses. The maintenance side has also changed as there are more sites and we cover things like covering the tunnels and so on.
JR: Any exciting plans for retirement?
NC: The only plans for retirement are more holidays abroad and to enjoy going fishing… It will also be nice for my partner, Shirley, and I to be able to go out for days and just take life at a more leisurely pace.
John added: “Nigel has done most things on the nursery but is probably pleased that we stopped budding roses 25 years ago, his back has nearly finished aching! He really enjoyed driving jobs, and as the nursery got bigger, he took on so many of the woodworking and maintenance jobs. I’m sure he can look round the nursery anywhere and say ‘well, I had a hand in building that’.
“It is not so easy now, but we could always find where he was – just find the way to the base of the smoke cloud. Nigel will be missed; he has a great deal to be proud of and we will certainly miss him.
“Enjoy your retirement Nigel, you have deserved it, and we will be pleased to see you if you are ever at a loose end. With very best wishes from all of us at Johnsons.”
Posted 20th Jun 8:30am
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Working alongside Sheffield-based Spa Landscaping, our team delivered a plant supply that was used to create a new healing garden at the Royal Derby Hospital.
Created to provide a calm and peaceful place for people to visit during their time on hospital grounds. The newly designed courtyard area was also sensitively landscaped to provide an area for people to plant a bulb in the memory of loved ones who sadly died at the hospital.
To create the serene healing garden through landscaping, our supply included a number of plants and trees to the value of £3,000, which included hedging transplants Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn), Acer Campestre (Field Maple) and Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan). To complement this, the supply also included different shrub varieties, including Escallonia ‘Donard Radiance’, Viburnum tinus and Acer campestre and Pyrus Chanticleer trees.
The garden was officially opened during Dying Matters Week by the chief executive of the hospital Trust, Gavin Boyle who also planted the first bulb. There will also be up to three special occasions throughout the year where the public will be able to plant a bulb in memory of their loved ones.
Mark Swift from Spa Landscaping said: “Naturally, we’re delighted to have been chosen to create such a wonderful and peaceful area for the hospital. It’s been a joy to witness this project blossom into life and we truly hope the area offers comfort to those who need it most.”
As always, it’s great to see the end result of projects we are involved with, especially when it has such a lovely meaning behind it. We hope the garden brings comfort to those who have lost loved ones for many years to come.
Posted 19th Jun 4:19pm
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At Johnsons of Whixley, we take our corporate social responsibility very seriously, which is why we are always happy to help local schemes such as York Cares.
We donated plants worth £300 and volunteered the services of four employees to transform an outdoor space at The Hut, a mental health charity based within Clarence Gardens in York, that provides meaningful activities for those with enduring mental health issues or learning disabilities.
Our team of Eleanor Richardson, Corrina Mills, Jim Christmas and Darren Fawbert helped make the outdoor space at The Hut more attractive and usable, refreshing and reinvigorating the grounds to create an area where people can take part in activities, socialise and celebrate together.
This included constructing a pergola, planting raised beds, making an outdoor store, painting railings and creating paths and seating areas.
Plants supplied included Choisya ternata ‘White Dazzler’, Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ and Syringa vulgaris ‘Prince Wolkonsky’ along with various herbs such as parsley, sweet marjoram and apple mint.
The Hut is a registered charity that offers a range of activities, from a men’s lunch club to creative writing, exercise and creative workshops.
The initiative is part of the York Cares Big Community Challenge, where local businesses volunteer the services of their employees to transform a community space in just three days.
York Cares aims to showcase the positive impact a green environment can have on health, wellbeing and social inclusion.
This is the second project aimed at raising mental health awareness that we have undertaken recently. We also supplied plants for the Mental Health Garden, created by garden designer Jo Manfredi-Hamer, which took the gold award at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show.
Posted 9th Jun 4:04pm
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We are proud to have recently completed an impressive landscape plant supply to Grantley Hall, a new 5-star luxury hotel in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales that is set to open next month.
Grantley Hall, a grade II* listed property, has undergone a complete restoration that included the addition of a new large wing, housing 47 exquisite rooms and suites, a wedding and banqueting suite, private event spaces, a tranquil spa, ELITE luxury gym, 18m swimming pool and executive wellness space.
As part of this restoration, we were appointed to supply an impressive order of plants to restore the grounds to their former glory. Our plant supply included a number of large topiaries, including Fagus (Beech) domes and Buxus (Box) balls, as well as thousands of herbaceous, shrubs and grasses for decorational borders.
To complete the project there were several large hedging elements, including Hedera Hibernica (Ivy) screens that will be used to create partitions in the Hall’s gardens.
The Hall was built by the Norton family in the 1680s before it passed on to the Furness family who lived there at the turn of the 20th century. Lady Jane Furness was a very keen gardener and was behind the creation of its ornamental Japanese gardens using rock from the nearby Brimham Rocks.
The Hall then passed to Sir William Aykroyd who hosted both Queen Mary and then Dame Vera Lynn who entertained convalescing troops in WW2. The current owner, Valerie Sykes, bought the property in 2015 with the vision of restoring the building and its landscape back to its original splendour by creating a unique wellness, dining and hotel experience in the North of England.
Working with Grantley Hall has been a real privilege, we have watched the project progress from its inception into something unique to the area. This will undoubtedly attract new discerning visitors to the North Yorkshire area, we are delighted to have played a small part in creating an inspirational first impression.
Posted 11th Jun 4:03pm
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We recently teamed up with Ashlea Ltd to work with them on a new project to supply trees and shrubs to the new Windermere Jetty museum, home to some of the world’s oldest boats.
The museum was officially opened in April by the Prince of Wales and is home to more than 40 vessels including the SL Dolly, which is thought to be the oldest mechanically powered boat in the world, dugout boats dating from between 1200 and 1320 AD and the famous tarn boat used in Beatrix Potter’s sketches.
Housing boats both in and outside the building, a key element of the design incorporates spectacular views of Lake Windermere for visitors to enjoy.
From the stock grown on our Yorkshire nursery, we supplied 70 trees, from 10-12 girth size up to 14-16, a range of shrubs in P9, 1L and 2L sizes, and thousands of bareroot hedging transplants.
Including this supply, Ashlea Ltd’s work included planting locally collected wildflower seeds and bulbs.
It’s great to be included in another fantastic project with Ashlea Ltd where we have supplied a number of items to enhance the outside space of a local attraction.
Posted 5th Jun 8:34am
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For this year’s National Children’s Gardening Week, we were eager to help inspire young pupils and their parents.
Wanting to educate a younger audience on the opportunities our industry has to offer and to encourage the next generation of gardeners, our team recently visited Tockwith Church of England Primary Academy with a little gift.
In support of National Children’s Gardening Week, we paid the school a visit with a donation of 180 lavender plants, with one for every pupil. After learning about how to plant and care for them, the pupils were encouraged to take a lavender home to plant with their parents over half term.
During our time there, the pupils also learnt about how plants and trees play a vital role in attracting bees, and why bees are so important to our food chain. It is estimated that around one-third of the food we eat every day relies on pollination by honeybees, such as avocados, broccoli, celery and squash.
The school itself is home to a colony of honeybees, that in their first year provided a 40lbs crop of honey that was sold to make £111 towards new bee suits for the children. All Year 4 pupils have lessons in beekeeping and observe the colony in action.
And to support the bees that inhabit our own nursery, we launched a Trees for Bees initiative earlier this year, planting trees, wildflowers and shrubs at the company’s apiary.
In the height of summer, up to 800,000 bees inhabit the company’s grounds to collect pollen; however, we wanted to encourage bees to continue to visit this later into the year when many species stop flowering.
We are delighted to be supporting National Children’s Gardening Week for the first time and we hope that by giving each pupil something to take home and grow, we can capture children’s enthusiasm at a time when plants will grow quickly in the warmer weather.
We are always keen to spread the message about the vital help that bees give us and to encourage a better understanding of how we can help to boost the bee population.
Posted 27th May 9:49am
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Environmentally friendly garden tips and recommendations
World environment day is being celebrated this June on the first Wednesday of the month, and it’s the perfect time to remind ourselves how important it is to encourage others to protect our environment.
To do our part in raising awareness we have come up with some tips on how to create an environmentally friendly garden, from conserving water to growing your own vegetables.
Limit your use of water
Limiting the use of clean water is important for the environment, so why not recycle natural sources that can be used to water plants in any garden by installing a water butt.
To preserve your water, we recommend directing the supply to the roots of plants without wasting it on the leaves or flowers. Removing weeds will ensure the water is going towards your plants and is not being wasted further.
There have been several hosepipe bans in place across the country during the warmest periods of the year. You can help conserve your water usage by using a watering can in its place, and to consider the time of day; watering during the warmest part of the day would mean the water is more likely to evaporate in the heat and be ineffective. Prioritise young plants and seedlings over more established plants as these will survive longer periods without water.
Use drought-tolerant plants
Opting to use drought-tolerant plants, that require less watering, will be better for the environment in helping to save water.
There are plenty of options for any garden. If you’re looking for plants that do well in full sun, we’d recommend shrub varieties like lavender, rosemary and buddleia, or herbaceous varieties like Iris, Kniphofia and salvia. Alternatively, there are drought resistant plants that do well for shaded areas, such as Sarcococca, Hypericum, Euphorbia and Digitalis.
Plant a tree
When it comes to purifying the air, and helping to reduce air pollution in built-up areas, we recommend planting a tree to decrease carbon dioxide levels. Choose varieties with larger leaves and wide crowns to maximise photosynthesis. Trees can also provide additional benefits such as providing a home for local wildlife and reducing noise pollution.
Introduce pollinators
One-third of our crop supply in the UK relies on bees pollinating our plants. By introducing stock that bees are highly attracted to helps encourage them, and other pollinators, into your garden.
Protect wildlife habitats
Looking after our environment doesn’t just mean caring for the space itself, but also giving nature helping hand. The colder months of the year can be a struggle for local wildlife, but by building birdhouses with feeders, log piles for hedgehogs or even insect hotels, we can provide a safe space for them all year round.
Make organic compost
Having an environmentally friendly garden means having a space where you are largely self-sufficient. Make your own compost by using recycled elements from your garden or home, including leaves, grass cuttings, branches, natural debris, leftover fruit peels, eggshells and old newspapers.
Grow your own fruit and vegetables
Growing your own food is not only cost effective but rewarding. The fresh fruit and vegetables taste great while helping to reduce the environmental impact the shipping and plastic waste has from produce sold in supermarkets. Start with something easy to grow, such as carrots, potatoes, apples or berries, before tackling more challenging produce.
Posted 29th May 10:33am
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Adding colourful plants in May: Rhododendrons and Azaleas
May is the month where we see Rhododendrons and azaleas bursting into life as they produce their characteristic, brightly coloured flowers. With a choice of tubular, funnel or bell-shaped flowers, available in pinks, purples, yellows and oranges, there really is a Rhododendron and azalea for everyone.
Rhododendrons
Known for its spectacular flowers, Rhododendrons make a fantastic addition to an area of the garden where a pop of colour is needed during spring.
When it comes to planting, we would recommend ensuring they are placed somewhere that has dappled shade. They thrive in a woodland setting as well as growing well in sunny areas, provided it is sheltered and accompanied with well-drained, moist soil with a PH level of 4.5-6. Avoid planting in full shade as this will result in a limited amount of flowering.
For the best results, place your Rhododendrons in areas of high rainfall and plant in moist soil, using mulch to stop the plant from drying out.
Rhododendrons are fairly low maintenance, and require little pruning, other than the removal of dead wood and the deadheading of spent flowers.
Azaleas
Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron genus, and therefore are very similar plants. Smaller in comparison, but just as bold in colour, azaleas have beautiful flowers that can last for several weeks during spring.
For best results, we recommend planting azaleas in a cool, lightly shaded site to avoid burning the leaves. They can also be planted in the full sun as the leaves will be deprived of oxygen in heavy shade. Azaleas can work well in containers too, provided these are of the compact variety.
For best results, use an acidic soil with a PH level of 5-6 and choose an ericaceous compost when planting.
To maintain a more compact appearance, or to encourage a bushier growth, trim azaleas and cut their branches after their blooming period has finished as this helps to promote new growth.
Top picks available from our Cash & Carry
Rhododendron Golden Gate
Dark green leaves with beautiful, apricot pink flowers with a dark pink margin. Loved by bees, these plants would grow best in partial shade or full sun if sheltered.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 120cm
Spread: Up to 120cm
Rhododendron Kabarett
A pretty variety with purply pink flowers and a burgundy red marking that appears in May, this shrub is moderately vigorous and will grow up to 1m high.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 100cm
Spread: Up to 150cm
Azalea Jolie Madame
Trumpet-shaped, pink scented flowers with an orange blotch in the centre that look fantastic against their glossy green leaves. The perfect addition to an acidic border with a height and spread of 150cm.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 150cm
Spread: Up to 150cm
Azalea ‘Golden Eagle’
Large trumpet-shaped, orangey yellow flowers bloom in May, with a lime green foliage that takes on a shade of bronze and purple in the autumn.
Flowers: May – June
Position: Full sun – partial shade
Height: Up to 200cm
Spread: Up to 150cm
Posted 22nd May 1:40pm
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One of the greatest things about our business is being able to lend our products and services to beautifying parks visited by the local community. We have worked with Ashlea Ltd over many years, and our team were given the opportunity to team up with them once again to enhance the new Gypsey Race park in Bridlington.
The work undertaken for Gypsey Race was partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Its location is an idyllic setting as it follows the banks of a stream that runs through the town centre of Bridlington, providing new walking and cycling routes, a play area and improved habitats for wildlife.
Our team supplied over 6,000 plants and 180 trees that have been grown on our nursery, including Ulmus ‘New Horizon’, Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’, Prunus ‘avium Plena’ and Pinus sylvestris.
Managing Director Wayne Dand from Ashlea Ltd said: “We are delighted with the outcome of this project. As always Johnsons Of Whixley have excelled themselves in working closely with the construction team in supply and delivery.”
The project is an important part of the regeneration plans for Bridlington, where a second phase will introduce more woodland areas and see a revised transport plan in place for locals and those visiting the coastal town.
New signs will be fitted throughout the park celebrating the heritage of those who have worked and lived along the Gypsey Race, as well as providing information about the wildlife in the park.
It’s great to see our plants bring this new £5m park project to life for the community to enjoy for many years to come. This is one of many parks we have supplied plants to over recent years, with other notable projects including Saughton Park in Edinburgh, Brooke Park in Ireland and the Valley Gardens in Harrogate.
Posted 20th May 10:20am
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Our joint Big Build donation with Bettys & Taylors Group to Springwater School, a special needs school in Harrogate, was recognised with a big build award at this year’s Variety Big Build Award at the annual Yorkshire Property Awards.
Over £5,500 worth of plants were donated to the school for a special new, interactive and sensory-stimulating playground for its pupils aged between 2-19 years of age. To activate the sense of smell, a number of plants with an arousing aroma were used, including varieties such as lavender, mint and rosemary.
The awards evening was hosted by Martin Bayfield, where over 1,000 guests attended the event to celebrate the many achievements of businesses in the Yorkshire commercial property sector.
A three-course dinner was served at the black-tie evening, alongside the awards presentation with various fundraising activities throughout.
A grand total of £250,000 was raised at this year’s annual awards for Variety, the children’s charity, that helps sick, disabled and underprivileged children across the UK.
Our marketing co-ordinator, Eleanor Richardson, attended the evening to collect the award recognition on behalf of our company. It is great to have our contribution to Springwater School recognised, but most of all, we’re delighted to see the great impact our donation has had on the school already. We look forward to getting involved with the next Big Build project.
This is one of many donations Johnsons of Whixley has made over the past few years, including a donation of £5,000 to BBC Children in Need and the DIY SOS team where they helped redevelop a community centre in Swansea with trees, hedging, shrubs and herbaceous.
Posted 16th May 8:30am
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Industrial and commercial spaces aren’t known for their greenery, but over recent years we have been more involved in beautifying these somewhat sparse landscapes. We are very happy to have been involved in a landscape supply for Costco’s new warehouse site in Leicester to do just that.
Teaming up with Sheffield-based, Spa Landscaping Ltd, we were briefed to enhance the grounds of the new Costco site to make them more visually-pleasing, as well as improving the local environment.
Using over £9,000 worth of plants that have been grown on our nursery in the Vale of York, this landscape supply was designed to not only improve the attractiveness of the area but to help add some privacy with hedging.
To successfully achieve this, the plants chosen were 5L Carpinus Betulus and 10L Grisellina Littoralis to create a hedge border, complemented with a large number of shrubs and seven Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’ rootball trees.
Alex Anthony, managing director of Spa Landscaping Ltd, said “For the past three years we have developed and maintained many sites for Costco across the UK. The professional finish and quick turnaround times we provide wouldn’t be possible without our trusted suppliers, which is why we work closely with the team at Johnsons of Whixley. We can trust that they will deliver quality stock, on time, this allows us to carry out our work with no hold ups.”
It is always a great experience for our team when working with Spa Landscaping, and it’s wonderful to see how our plants have been used to enhance a space such as this one.
www.spalandscaping.co.uk
Posted 7th May 4:17pm
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We’re delighted to share the news that a project we have been involved with dedicated to mental health awareness has taken the top prize at this year’s Harrogate Flower Show.
Taking the Gold Award at this year’s show, the Mental Health Garden, designed by Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design, was created using plants supplied from our nursery. The garden was created in support of Leeds Mind, the mental health charity which provides help and information when people need it most.
Jo was inspired to create the garden after seeing the impact of mental health issues on someone close to her and wanted to highlight the issues whilst communicating a message of positivity. The clever design was created to represent the different aspects of mental health. We worked closely with Jo to select and supply a number of trees and plants for the award-winning garden.
It featured different shades of pebbles to represent depression and improved mental health through counselling and support, with the focal point of the garden design being a semicolon, a symbol associated and worn by some mental health sufferers.
Other features of the mental health garden represented self-harm, strength and activities often chosen to combat mental health issues.
The garden includes Kernel, a design by the award-winning sculptor David Harber. A beautiful polished stone sphere, Kernel has a mirror-polished stainless steel wedge cut into it to reveal a shiny core of oxidised steel that represents inner strength.
We are absolutely delighted that this stunning garden has been awarded one of the top prizes at the prestigious Harrogate Flower Show. As a company, we are thrilled to have been able to add to the impact of Jo’s incredible design.
While awareness of mental health issues has improved in recent years, thanks to campaigns such as Time To Change, it’s vital that this remains in the spotlight so that people receive the help and support that they need, when they need it.
Posted 26th Apr 4:05pm
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Pieris, also known as Lily of the Valley shrubs, are looking fantastic right now with their generous bell-shaped flowers that emerge at the end of March through to May in an array of colours. Best grown in a sunny or partial shade position with slightly acidic soil, they would make a great addition to a pot on the patio. With thousands available on our current stock list, we are sure there’s a Pieris for your next design or planting plan – but which one’s for you?
Pieris ‘Mountain Fire’
One of our favourite Pieris varieties, known for its decorative foliage that starts off entirely red and matures to green with age. Clusters of white flowers against the blood red and green foliage creates a dramatic effect between March and May.
Pieris Katsura
A great, compact evergreen shrub that provides pale pink bell-shaped flowers similar to those of Lily of the Valley. The flowers emerge in late March and are followed by deep mahogany shoots.
Pieris ‘Flaming Silver’
A variegated shrub with silvery white edges and elegant white bell-like flowers that flower from late March right through until May. Wonderful in a shaded spot in the garden or in a patio pot.
Pieris ‘Passion’
This is an eye-catching evergreen shrub with generous pink red bell-shaped flowers from March to May growing in full sun or partial shade. It’s the perfect addition to a large pot on your patio.
Posted 24th Apr 12:31pm
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Not sure what to do in the garden this month? Here’s a list of jobs to put together by the chairman and horticulturist John Richardson
Posted 1st May 8:00am
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We have teamed up with Bettys & Taylors Group to provide over £5,500 worth of plants to Springwater, a special needs school in Harrogate.
The Harrogate based day school provides education to children between the ages of 2-19 years that have a range of complex life-limiting and learning limited conditions. The school also provides an Outreach service within North Yorkshire mainstream schools for pupils with learning difficulties.
Samantha Gibson from Bettys & Taylors Group, said: “As a business we have a long history of working with Springwater School over the last two decades. With this background we were delighted to be able to be part of this project through our Trees for Life initiative in revitalising their sensory garden. “
1,430 plants have been provided and donated for it’s new interactive and sensory stimulating playground that will allow children with disabilities to safely play alongside their friends. This is the second phase of the big build project which will really compliment the new state of the art sensory room and soon to be complete sunken trampoline for rebound therapy; phase three of the project. Plants have carefully been chosen with sensory varieties such as Lavender, Mint and Rosemary included in the planting plan.
Managing Director Graham Richardson from Johnsons of Whixley, said: “I can think of few projects that are as deserving as ‘Springwater’ and our business is pleased to help in a small way. Our team up with Betty’s has worked particularly well, both being local employers with 100 or approaching 100 years of operating in the locality!”
The ‘big build project’ was launched by Children’s charity Variety on the back of their visit to the school in 2017 when Yorkshire Regional Development Director of Variety, Charlotte Farrington recognised how restrictive the school was for the children. Variety managed to enlist numerous local businesses that attend the Yorkshire Property Awards each year to get on board with donations and services to help give the school a much-needed makeover.
Johnsons and Bettys joint donation will be recognised with a Variety Big Build award at the Yorkshire Property Awards on Thursday 9th May at Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate.
Posted 7th May 11:19am
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Bee keeping and plant growing go hand in hand, and it should come as no surprise we have an ever-expanding apiary onsite.
Within the first few weeks of spring, we have grown our apiary with the addition of another 200,000 honey bees, with that set to increase once again to over 800,000 by summer.
During a single pollen collection trip, a honey bee will visit anywhere between 50-100 flowers, making our nursery’s main 50-acre site the perfect home for bees. In the surrounding area, we have another 75 acres that will also be utilised by the bees as they have been known to travel over 2,000 miles to collect pollen.
As we lead into the busiest time of the year on our nursery, we will have more and more plants for the bees to visit and feed from.
Knowing about the declining bee population figures due to industrial agriculture and climate change, we contacted the Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association back in spring 2017 to help with increasing the growth in our area.
We installed an onsite apiary where bee keeping could be managed directly from our site, starting with just a small number of beehives with the aim to increase this year on year. Since the launch of our apiary, we are delighted to have seen a substantial increase over the last two years, with thanks to beekeeper Keith Simmonds, vice president of Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association.
Keith commented: “The mild winter has meant more colonies of bees have successfully survived through to the spring season. A mild spring will ensure that a good number of strong hives help the UK honey bee population to recover from the losses of recent times. Everyone can do their bit to help by ensuring that their garden, or planting scheme, includes something for the bees to live off.”
We would like to remind everyone of the importance of bees; not only do they pollinate a third of our food, they pollinate 80% of flowering plants. Some crops rely on pollinators, for example blueberries are 90% dependent on bees, and most of all, honey must be produced by bees – all of which alone contributes millions to our economy.
With the recent study that announced the decline to a third of the British wild bee and hoverfly population, we are very proud to be doing our bit for the environment and bee population. Our nursery is the perfect location for bee keeping, and we would like to encourage businesses with a similar landscape to create a home for bees too.
Posted 23rd Apr 9:46am
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Following the unpredictability of 2018’s weather, and the knock-on effect this has had on businesses in our industry, we have had an outstanding start to 2019 with our most successful half year of trading since the company was established almost 100 years ago.
Over our three business sectors, Wholesale Commercial, Wholesale Xpress and Garden Centre Sales, our orders grew by 20% with sales totalling £8m between October and March, an impressive increase of £1.37m on the same period last year.
More than 9,100 orders were placed and in excess of 3,000 deliveries carried out to locations across the UK.
February, in particular, had seen a record number of orders, with both sales and top-up orders proving extremely robust.
National infrastructure projects such as the redevelopment of the A50 trunk road in Staffordshire [link to blog] had given a boost to our clients in the landscaping sector, which in turn has benefited us here at Johnsons of Whixley.
An early spell of good weather brought a brisk garden centre trade that saw order books swell by around a fifth competed to last year – despite the huge question mark of Brexit still hanging over the industry.
We don’t know what’s on the horizon and as we are reliant on the economic and supply chain, Brexit has the potential to be catastrophic. It makes long-term planning very difficult for trading but one thing we can do is to invest in innovative new systems that will help us to retain the current buoyancy.
One such system is a new plant retail line that will significantly improve efficiency for our team on the nursery. We have invested £70,000 in a new mechanical line capable of processing up to 7,000 plants a day while halving the number of workers required to perform the task manually – vital if Brexit has an effect on staff numbers. This equates to a saving of around 228 personnel hours a week, or £1,000 per day, at peak times.
We are also looking to invest a further £100,000 in a substantial amount of covered growing and storage space at our Roecliffe site, to prepare for a Brexit eventuality that would affect imports of plants from Europe that we then grow and supply for our customers.
Posted 16th Apr 8:31am
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It’s that time of year where school children get egg-cited for some Easter-inspired activity, so this year we partnered up with local Tockwith Primary School by recycling plant pots for a fundraising Easter decorating competition.
We donated and delivered over 200 two-lite plant pots to the local primary school, where children decorated them with a variety of designs, from classic Easter themes of chicks and eggs, to their favourite characters like Harry Potter.
The pots were then judged by the teachers, and prizes were awarded before the pots to the children for their excellent designs. The finished pots were then sold at the Easter fair to raise money for the Parent, Teachers and Friends Association (PTFA).
The ‘cracking’ idea of recycling plant pots to raise funds came from a group of girls in Year 5, Chloe, Georgia, Mia and Orlaith.
Justin Reeves, Headteacher at Tockwith School, said: “Thank you so much Johnsons of Whixley for donating 200 plant pots for our Easter plant pot decoration competition. Not only did this help raise more money for the school, it helped the creative juices flow in Tockwith with some children creating some awesome designs. Thanks again for supporting a local school.”
We love being at to help local schools and charities with their fundraising where we can, especially when there is a chance to encourage the next generation of gardeners into the great outdoors to learn new skills. It’s especially lovely to be able to encourage children to recycle while they’re having fun.
The plastic crisis has been one of the most high-profile items in the news throughout the past year, with figures showing that more than 90% – or 6,300 million tonnes – of plastic waste has never been recycled.
As a company, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, so we jumped at the chance to put 200 of our old and used plant pots to good use.
Posted 16th Apr 8:23am
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When we think of Hebes, we naturally think of Hebe ‘Pagei’, Hebe ‘green globe’ or Hebe ‘Mrs Winder’, which are all fantastic shrubs in their own right, but they aren’t as spellbinding as the fantastic Hebe Magic colours collection. Find out why we think so below:
The Hebe Magic collection includes Hebe ‘Heartbreaker’, Hebe ‘Magic Summer’, Hebe ‘Frozen Flame’ and Hebe ‘Wild Romance’. All these plants change colour depending on the temperature and light intensity they are placed in. The plants can go from green, bronze and variegated in the summer, to wonderful reds, pinks and purples in winter – but which one tickles your fancy?
Hebe ‘Heartbreaker’ was the first in the Hebe Magic collection, and it really is a fantastic variety that will put on a colourful display throughout the year. Its cream edged green leaves can be seen through spring and summer, with mauve flowers between June and August, followed by vivid pink displays when the temperatures drop.
Hebe ‘Magic Summer’ has a grey green variegated leaf that turns a purple-red in winter and spring, which intensify as the temperature drops. It also has purple-blue flowers that will appear in early summer. This plant will look fantastic in a mixed border adding year-round interest to your garden or landscape.
Hebe ‘Frozen Flame’ also offers year-round interest with subtle, pale green foliage that includes veins of cream and deep purple-pink. These colours then intensify to a deeper pink-purple as the weather turns colder. As a compact shrub, it would make a great addition to a patio pot.
Hebe ‘Wild Romance’ is a great evergreen shrub that is ideal for beds, borders and containers – particularly when in a full sun to partial shade position. This hebe magic variety has dark green foliage that turns to deep burgundy at the end of each stem, that turns even darker going into the winter months.
Posted 15th Apr 10:05am
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Transforming spaces for a live-action show must include a varied and detailed plant supply to guarantee an impactful experience for the audience.
A recently completed project saw our plant supply do just that, by bringing to life the myth and legend of the spectacular outdoor show of Kynren.
Over 7,000 hedging plants and trees were supplied, along with thousands of planting sundries, including varieties such as Field Maple, Silver Birch, Hawthorn, Beech and many other fringe species. The plants have been used to help in transforming the space for the show, which will be performed during the summer by a 1000-strong case in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
The producers of the show, Eleven Arches, had approached our team to fulfil its landscape plan with an order that would bring to life the story of Arthur, the son of a mining family, on his spellbinding journey through time on an enormous scale.
‘Kynren’ is the Anglo-Saxon word for generation – and organisers hoped that the show will bring together generations of families for years to come. Our chairman, John Richardson, had previously attended one of the Kynren shows last year and was in awe of how the space had been transformed to produce a fantastic show.
Looking to delight and dazzle the senses, Anna Warnecke, director of Cavalry and Estates, commented: “As Kynren grows and the site expands to include other attractions alongside the show, our aim is to provide a visually stunning visitor experience with an abundance of flora and fauna.
“Across the site we will feature many heritage plants, which will not only enhance our visitor experience, but also increase biodiversity value and create more habitats for wildlife.”
Although our team are experts at transforming spaces with plants, working with the UK’s leading outdoor live-action show has been an incredible experience in seeing how our products have been used. We are extremely proud to be able to add such quantities of native trees and shrubs to reinforce Kynren’s environmental credentials.
Fancy visiting this fantastic show? go to www.kynren.com to book your tickets today.
Posted 15th Apr 9:46am
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We have been producing Photinia ‘Red Robin’ on our nursery for over 25 years, however, we are always on the lookout for new and developing plant trends in our industry for our team to test new lines. Over the last couple of years, we have trialled several of the new Photinia ‘Carre Rouge’ variety and found it to be a tidier, and much more compact plant, with stronger red colouring.
So what are the highlights of both varieties, and what makes Photinia ‘Carre Rouge’ one to watch?
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is a versatile evergreen shrub that can be used for hedging, trained against a wall and even used as a ½ std tree once trained. It is happy in most fertile soils, in either a sunny or shaded position. If you wish to encourage its strong red growth and more flowers, it will be better planted in a full sun position. White flowers appear by April and into May once the plant is better established. We have found Photinia ‘Red ‘Robin’ to become ‘leggy’ over time if it is not properly maintained, and left to run away with themselves, they can grow up to 4m tall and up to 4 m wide.
Photinia ‘Carre Rouge’ is a new compact variety that has blood red growth and smaller leaves reaching up to 2.5 m tall -nearly half the size of its mother plant Photinia ‘Red Robin’, – making it a much more appealing hedging variety, and an easily managed landscape shrub. Its red colouring is much more intense than that of ‘Red Robin’, while also being more tolerant of hard pruning and shaping. Similar to ‘Red Robin’, it produces white flowers come April and May if sited in a sunny position.
Production Manager Designate Robert Richardson said ‘’Photinia ‘Carre Rouge’ stays red whereas Photinia ‘Red Robin’ fades to green. It is also compact where a ‘Red Robin’ tends to sprawl and become unmanageable. I believe it is a much more appropriate plant for most landscape and garden settings, and in time, I can only see its popularity increasing.’’
Posted 9th Apr 10:10am
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Spring is off to a slow start this year, which can mean the regular jobs to do in the garden in April might not be quite the same as last year. If you’re not sure what to do in the garden this month, here are our gardening reminders put together by chairman John Richardson.
1) Plant evergreen trees and shrubs this month when soil conditions are good.
2) A good time to move rhododendrons with a good root-ball.
3) Hard prune Forsythia after flowering, along with Buddleia davidii varieties and Hydrangea paniculata and Chaenomeles varieties.
4) Trim Lavenders to shape, but don’t cut back into the old wood.
5) Propagate perennials by division such as Michaelmas daisies, Rudbeckias and Heleniums.
6) Continue to dead-head spent daffodils, as well as other bulbs and winter flowering shrubs.
7) Divide primroses when they have finished flowering.
8) Tie in young shoots of climbing plants, including roses, ensuring their support structure is still sound.
9) Build raised beds for easier vegetable production throughout the year.
10) Mow lawns on a regular basis as growth increases.
11) Remove the top two inches of compost on containers and replace with a fresh layer.
12) Weeds will grow quickly this month, keep going around your space with a sharp hoe before they start getting too well established. Apply weed-killer to weeds in paved areas.
13) Ensure any compost you buy has been recently manufactured and is not last year’s production. Check in Which? Magazine for recommendations on using the one for your needs.
14) Make sure that all the old leaves have been removed from Hellebores.
15) Ensure you have given herbaceous plants enough support in the form of canes or twigs, it is much more difficult the later you leave it!
16) Be sure to ventilate greenhouses and cold frames on warmer days.
17) If you have doubts about the condition of your soil, invest in a soil test kit from a garden centre, they are cheaper than you think and are easy to use!
Posted 5th Apr 4:18pm
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We teamed up with Edinburgh-based construction and maintenance firm P1 Contractors to supply thousands of plants for the landscaping of an iconic building originally known as Donaldson’s Hospital, Edinburgh.
Since starting the project in 2017, we have supplied over £125,000 worth of plants to date, with varieties including 5,000 rootball Buxus (Box) for formal parterres, over 400 Taxus (Yew) rootballs for formal hedging, 7,000 shrubs and herbaceous plants, 83 trees, including 42 which were pleached specimens, and a large number of topiary boxed balls.
The former Donaldson’s hospital site has been turned into luxury apartments with prices ranging from £250,000 to £1,625,000 making it one of the most expensive residential development in Scotland.
The A-listed building was formally built as a hospital for destitute and vulnerable children and was opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria who is reported to have said that the building was more impressive than many of her own palaces.
Residents of the new Donaldson’s development will enjoy 16-acres of private parkland which will include formal parterres, sweeping lawns and mature trees. Landscaping has also taken place in the chapel garden, morning and afternoon terrace, the park, the courtyard and parterre terrace.
This is another fantastic project to be involved with in partnership with P1 Contractors. We’re delighted to see building that has stood derelict for 10 years transformed into accommodation in keeping with its impressive history.
Richard McMonagle, Director of P1 Contractors Ltd, said: “Our client, City & Country place a lot emphasis on the landscape around their developments and this has been refreshing for us as a contractor. We are delighted to have been involved in this project which has seen us also secure the next three phases of the project for both hard and soft landscaping which gives us a long-term input.
“Given some of the apartments in the development are on the market for over £1 million, the quality of the landscaping and plants must reflect this, so we turned to Johnsons who have again played a key part in achieving this.”
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “This is another fantastic project to be involved with via P1, a long-standing customer. It’s great to see a derelict building of 10 years be transformed into accommodation and in-keeping with its impressive history.”
Posted 4th Apr 10:41am
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We are helping transform a major trunk road linking the East and West Midlands.
Thousands of plants have been supplied for a new junction on the A50 in Staffordshire, created as part of a £40m regeneration project in Staffordshire. The Growth Corridor project is managed by Staffordshire County Council and aims to reduce congestion and improve safety.
Working with contractors ATM Ltd, we supplied 12,000 bare root hedging transplants, including native and non-native varieties. More than 7,000 Crataegus monogyna were included in this first phase of the landscaping, expected to be complete by autumn 2019.
Phase two will see more varieties being planted while the entire 80,000 square metre site will be grass seeded.
The A50 Growth Corridor project is funded by the Government and aims to reduce congestion, improve road safety, support local businesses and create jobs.
Ellie Richardson, Johnsons of Whixley’s marketing co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted to be part of this major landscaping project that will make journeys quicker, easier and safer in addition to benefitting local employers.
“The mix of varieties perfectly complements the scenery around the area and this scheme shows our ability to meet large orders and deadlines for our customers.”
Matt Harston, ATM Ltd Contracts Manager, Said: “ Its Great to see this site taking shape! Atm have been involved from the start with the initial De Vegetation of the site and all of the Fencing which is all for the Priciple Contractor, Tarmac Group. To have won the Landscaping and Maintenance contract direct for Staffordshire County Council is the icing on the cake as we get to put the finishing touches to the project. It’s been a great example of all the services that ATM Ltd can provide and the high standard of workmanship we deliver.
Posted 28th Mar 1:34pm
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Growing plant Trends for 2019
As one of the UK’s leading nurseries we are always looking into growing plant trends and themes in our industry by trialling new and exciting lines. Below are just a few of the new product lines our production team are trialling before they are ready to hit the market later this year, but will they make it through the tests of production manager Ian Nelson?
First on our plant trends list is the fantastic Helenium salud series that flowers from July to October. Some of its great characteristics include being drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant and pollinator-friendly.
So far, our trials of growing this plant have gone well and the Helenium’s have retained fresh foliage through to November.
Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ is the second on our list. This popular grass has been around a while, and we are seeing an increasing demand for it across the market. It looks spectacular if grown in partial shade but does burn if subject to a lot of sunny summer days. This plant is fantastic in large numbers as it softens edges of pathways or borders, and it also works well in a patio planter.
The third of our growing plant trends is Senecio ‘Angel Wings’. A favourite of ours as it is also a plant that won a Glee new product award for when grown by Wyevale Nurseries. It is known for its dramatic silver white round, silver white coloured leaves. It will make a great premium potted plant that is sure to look great alongside others. Our production manager, Ian Nelson, put this plant to the test over winter, finding that it withstood horrible weather and soil conditions.
Cornus ‘Magic Flame’ is our final plant on trial. Although it will be difficult to beat the wonderful Cornus Midwinter Fire, known for its fiery coloured stems, its magic flame could offer a more intense hue through winter. Only time will tell, and with a small number on trial, we will see how it goes.
Production Manager Ian Nelson said: “We are always on the look-out for something new and attractive but durable. Appearance alone is not enough – the plant has got to be a ‘do-er’. Only when we’ve trialled it thoroughly in different environments and soils am I happy to say it’s a good one. We were punting Photinia Carre Rouge at the end of 2017 which is really starting to prove popular and is an excellent plant.”
Posted 12th Mar 4:06pm
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We are delighted to have sponsored the trees and plants for a display dedicated to mental health awareness at this year’s Harrogate Flower Show.
The Mental Health Garden has been designed by Jo Manfredi-Hamer Garden Design and is proudly supporting Leeds Mind, the mental health charity which provides support and information when people need it most.
In addition to trees and plants, the 7.3m x 5.2m garden includes different shades of pebbles to represent depression and improved mental health through counselling and support.
A semicolon, sometimes worn by mental health sufferers, has been incorporated into the design, along with features to represent self-harm, strength and activities often chosen to combat mental health issues.
The garden also includes Kernel, a design by the award-winning sculptor David Harber. A beautiful polished stone sphere, Kernel has a mirror-polished stainless steel wedge cut into it to reveal a shiny core of oxidised steel, representing inner strength. Also involved in the garden’s creation are Marshalls and Stone Warehouse.
Among the plants we have supplied are carex oshimensis, stachys byzantine ‘Silver Carpet’, Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Valentine’, Myosotis sylvatica and Choisya ternata sundance. Several Skimmia × confusa Kew Green were included in the supply, along with Tiarella Sugar and Spice,
Helleborus x hybridus Pretty Ellen Red and four pleached trees.
Designer Jo was inspired to create the garden after seeing the impact of mental health issues on someone close to her and wanted to highlight the issues whilst communicating a message of positivity.
She said: “There is help available and, with help and support, people can learn to manage their mental health.”
Research shows that gardening can be extremely beneficial for people with mental health problems. It improves communication with others, teaches practical skills and enhances concentration.
Gardening is the ultimate feel-good pastime – it gets people out in the fresh air, it’s great exercise and it allows them to express their creativity – therefore it seems fitting that we support this project.
The Harrogate Flower Show runs from April 25-28, where the Mental Health Garden can be viewed, with garden construction commencing on April 15.
Posted 6th Mar 11:26am
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Ground cover plants are a great addition to open landscapes and gardens of all sizes by filling in gaps and brightening up bare patches beneath trees. Here’s a list of our top six plants that will work in any environment.
Posted 11th Feb 11:15am
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Our Wholesale Commercial team recently completed a project in supplying plants to Omega plc’s site at Capitol Park, Doncaster.
Working alongside one of our long-term customers, Ashlea Ltd, we supplied over 6,000 shrubs grown on our nursery; including over 600 2L Photinia ‘Red Robin’, 450 2L Euonymus ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ and 200 2L Viburnum ‘Eve Price’.
Adding height and contrast to the project, the supply also included 16 trees with a girth size of 16-18 inches. Some of the varieties used were Betula pendula, Pyrus chanticleer, Liquidamber styraciflua and 10 MST Amelanchier lamarckii 125-150 size.
Omega plc’s 320,000 square foot warehouse is used by the company to produce high-quality fitted kitchens and furniture across the UK.
Yorkshire contract manager at Ashlea Ltd, Rob Brooks, said “Ashlea was awarded the soft Landscaping package by Tolent Construction for works to be carried out once Omega plc had moved into the new premises.
“This required us to complete a large amount of work in a short space of time with restricted access. Once again, Johnsons of Whixley was able to deliver on time, meet the specification and site requirements as well as maintaining a high standard of products.”
Our team are delighted with the outcome of Omega plc’s warehouse landscape. It’s always great to see large quantities of our shrubs going out the door. As always Ashlea Ltd has done a great job and we’re looking forward to working with them again on future projects.
Posted 2nd Feb 11:07am
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Here are our Gardening Reminders for the month of February
1) Cut back ornamental grasses.
2) Divide and replant Snowdrops as the flowers go over.
3) Clean out existing bird nesting boxes and put up new ones.
4) Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly,
privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries, etc
5) Pot up or transplant last year’s hardwood cuttings.
6) Consider planting shrubs or trees to provide winter colour in those dull conrners.
7) Repair broken fences, trellices,steps, and walls.
8) Repair any uneven areas of the lawn when the ground is firm.
9) Push single seed potatoes into half-filled plastic pots, adding compost as they grow.
10) Invest in a soil thermometer, when the soil temp. exceeds 5°C start sowings of hardy crops such as carrots, lettuce and radish direct into the ground.
11) Ensure that borders have been forked over in preparation for summer growth or new planting. Apply a general fertilizer around the beds at 2-3oz per sq. yd, also apply to new areas.
12) If weather warms up, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for cold nights.
13) Plant roses as soil conditions permit, prune stems of new roses down to an outward facing bud 3-5” above the crown. Cut the stem cleanly just above the bud. Plant graft union just below soil level. Apply bone meal at 2oz. per sq. yd. and prick into surface. Firm soil around roots.
14) Prune climbing roses this month, keep 5 to 7 strong shoots and prune back all side shoots to within 3 buds of the base. Tie in all shoots securely. Prune Rambler roses in the autumn.
15) Prune shrub roses late February to encourage growth from the base. Remove some old shoots but don’t reduce height too much as they tend to flower on older wood.
16) Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Viticella groups to about 12”. Pyracantha should be pruned to within 2 buds of the main frame except for extensions, if not done last autumn.
17) Complete formative pruning of trees by the month end. It may be necessary to limit growth to one leader to avoid a fork in the main stem, or removal of the leader if a bush form is required.
18) Do not apply heavy applications of fertilizer to naturalized bulbs as this will only encourage the surrounding grass.
Posted 1st Feb 10:53am
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We recently welcomed a new face to our Wholesale Commercial team. Hannah Smith joined our sales team in January as a sales executive/administrator. Here’s what she had to say about her first two weeks at Johnsons of Whixley.
1. Welcome to the team! How have you found your first two weeks as our new sales executive?
My first two weeks have been absolutely jam packed! In my first week I got to spend a day with each department, both out on the nursery and in the office. I was able to see how everyone, from sales to despatch, played a vital part in ensuring a customer order was put together efficiently from start to finish.
2.What have you enjoyed the most so far?
I really enjoyed being out on the nursery for a day (even if it was absolutely freezing!), lifting plants and packing them into boxes ready for delivery. It made me realise how much work goes into putting an order together which will be beneficial in my role. Oh, and I got to ride round on the back of a tractor ????
3.What will your new role include?
My role as a sales executive will include account management, pricing quotes for customers, dealing with any questions or queries customers might have about any existing or new orders and ensuring their order are processed quickly and correctly.
4.Where did you work prior to joining Johnsons of Whixley?
Prior to Johnsons I worked at a farm shop in Harrogate for two and a half years.
5.What are you most looking forward to while working here?
I’m looking forward to a completely new challenge! I’ve only ever worked in face-to-face retail so working in sales at Johnsons is a big change for me. Hopefully I’ll be able to use some of the skills I already have to help me along the way, plus everyone has been so kind and helpful so I’m sure I’ll find help if I ever get stuck!
6.What do you think you biggest challenge will be?
I think the biggest challenge for me will be learning all the different varieties of plants and trees we grow and sell. I can’t believe how many there are! Wish me luck!
Posted 5th Feb 10:48am
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We worked with client Brambledown Landscape Services to supply plants and trees for an exclusive £40m development within a secluded conservation area in Leeds.
Spinning Acres, at Far Headingley, has transformed the six-acre former Tetley Hall University of Leeds site. Originally, the area was a prime location for wealthy mill owners who built impressive villas within glorious landscaped grounds.
We worked with Brambledown Landscape Services and Smeeden Foreman Landscape Architects to supply four large trees and plants worth £5,000 for the first and second phases of this prestigious Spinning Acres development.
Brambledown installed high specification timber fencing and gates to all the gardens, turfed front and rear lawns and planted trees and shrubs around communal areas of the development.
Johnsons supplied a total of 1,250 shrubs for the project, including a mixture of 1L, 2L and 5L plants in addition to the trees.
Developers Pickard Properties will offer the properties for long-term rent. Phase one of the scheme includes a range of four-bedroom homes, an imposing five-bedroom semi-detached option and a two-bedroom converted stable, in individual designs.
Phase two is the transformation of the Cloth Halls into 31 one- and two-bedroom apartments, retaining the Victorian architecture and using Yorkshire stone.
A third phase is currently in the planning stages and involves the conversion of existing stone-built villas into private apartments. The final stage will see other building conversions as well as new-build accommodation, all of which will be available to rent.
We were delighted to be involved with this highly acclaimed scheme and to play our part in transforming the grounds of this development to their original splendor.
Nick Rogers, assistant contracts manager at Brambledown Landscape Services, added: “This has been an exciting project to be part of, working alongside Smeeden Foreman Landscape Architects, who have been involved with the development from its early stages. Brambledown are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Pickard Properties and Johnsons in the future.”
Posted 1st Mar 4:32pm
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We have teamed up with local garden designer Lorna Batchelor to supply plants to a new sensory garden at the Henshaw Arts & Crafts Centre in Knaresborough.
The new sensory garden will create a safe place for students to learn and explore and includes nearly £4,000 worth of plants with scented varieties such as Sarcococca confusa, Hamamelis mollis and Viburnum bodnantense, grasses for sound and touch with varieties of Stipa, Carex and Phormium included. Around 60 Rhododendrons and Azaleas give a splash of colour in the woodland garden with Ferns and Acers creating a tranquil area around the new waterfall.
The waterfall was taken from Lorna’s Gold Award winning garden ‘Eden’ at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show 2018 and was put together by stone mason/ sculptor Jonny Clasper.
Henshaw’s is a northern charity supporting people living with sight loss and other disabilities for over 180 years, its college provides specialist education for its students, supported housing, community centres and an Arts & Craft Centre. The Arts & Crafts Centre was formerly Knaresborough Zoo. It is open for the public to enjoy and has extensive gardens, workshops and a café.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing & sales coordinator at Johnsons of Whixley said: “It’s wonderful to be involved with a charity so close to home, working with our customer and local garden designer Lorna Batchelor to provide a garden that will really benefit the students at Henshaw’s for years to come”
Lorna not only provided the design but was hands-on with the planting too.
Lorna said “I have visited the Arts & Crafts Centre with my family for many years and it is a place close to my heart. It has been a joy to help redevelop the gardens for the people of Knaresborough to enjoy. Thank you, Johnsons, for all the lovely plants!”
The garden will re-open to the public on Mother’s Day (31st March)
Posted 7th Mar 2:13pm
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Our Wholesale Commercial team worked with Darwin Escapes to supply plants for a new lodge and retreat, the Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa.
The new Norfolk complex, which opened in January, includes luxury self-catering lodges, many with their own private hot tub facilities, an on-site restaurant, tropically-heated swimming pool and an on-site spa.
We worked with leading multi-disciplinary consultancy firm RPS Group plc on creating a variety of environmental aspects for the project, including the landscaping planning and design, arboriculture and ecology.
We provided products worth over £50,000 to be planted at the resort, including a variety of ornamental and native plant stock, all container-grown to accommodate the park’s construction programme.
David Cox, associate landscape architect of RPS Group Plc, said: “We’re really pleased to see yet another Darwin Escapes scheme is coming together well. The quality of plant stock and efficiency of Johnsons has also been second-to-none.”
It was great to be involved with another Darwin Escapes project and to be working with RPS again. Another Darwin Escapes resort we worked on in 2016, Keswick Reach, won ‘Best Large Park in Britain’ in the 2017 Hoseasons Annual Awards and Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa is sure to be recognised for its luxury and high standards.
Want to find out more about Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa? visit www.darwinescapes.co.uk
Posted 11th Feb 9:05am
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Think outside the ‘box’ with these Buxus sempervirens alternatives
Due to the ever-increasing problems of box blight, we have thought outside the ‘box’ with these Buxus sempervirens alternatives.
1. Sarcococca confusa -Try Sarcococca confusa for a fragrant evergreen hedge. It grows up to 60cm tall, in sun or partial shade.
2. Give Lonicera nitida a go. It forms a dense, fast-growing evergreen hedge and can be trimmed into various topiary shapes.
3.Why not try evergreen Berberis? Especially stenophylla, it forms a prickly, fast-growing hedge. Trim after flowering to keep it dense.
4.Give Ilex crenata a try. With its small glossy leaves, it has a similar appearance to Buxus and can make an attractive parterre.
5. Use Euonymus ‘Green Spire’. Its green foliage is an ideal substitute for Buxus and it will easily trim into a low hedge.
Posted 6th Jan 3:28pm
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Trade sales and public sales – what’s the difference?
Johnsons of Whixley is a supplier to DIY chains, independent garden centres and amenity projects across Europe.
We’re proud to enjoy strong relationships with such a wide range of clients, and the service we provide reflects the requirements of our customers in trade and amenity sector.
It’s important that our customers understand how this works in a trade environment and, more specifically, that we are unable to sell to customers of registered trade account holders shopping independently, even if they have the permission of the account holder.
Members of the public may only visit the site accompanied by the registered account holder and plants cannot be sold directly to non-account holders.
As a wholesale company, we are not rated for retail sales purpose and so it is a legal requirement that we do not sell directly to the general public.
This means that an invoice can only be prepared in the account holder’s name, and payment can be taken from the account holder only.
We are unable to discuss prices, provide planting advice or accept payment from anyone who is not a registered account holder with ourselves.
We hope that our customers are not offended by requests for proof of trade, or if we ask you to verify your account details.
The measures will protect our customers’ ability to invoice their own customers at their discretion, reduce the chances of us providing contrasting or conflicting advice and, ultimately, allow us to provide genuine trade customers with the best possible levels of value and service.
Posted 15th Jan 3:24pm
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With summer slowly disappearing before our eyes, and plants going over and ready to be cut back, there are still some late-flowering perennials, which are a must if you eager to add some much-needed late summer colour.
Six must have late-flowering perennials
1) Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ are funnel shaped flowers as bright as a red tomato, which flower from August to September. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ will work best in a sunny herbaceous border alongside other bold colours, like Achillea or even Crocosmia ‘George Davison’. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ will reach up to 1m tall.
2) Crocosmia ‘George Davidson’ are Another Crocosmia with funnel shaped flowers in a yellow as bright as the sun. Growing slightly smaller at 80 to 90cm, Crocosmia ‘George Davidson’ will sit nicely in front of its bold brother, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, until September.
3) Rudbeckia ‘Summerina Orange’ are a stunning clump-forming perennial with rusty-coloured flowers with chocolate centres on long dark green stems. Giving colour from July to October a perfect addition to your summer border.
4) Echinacea ‘Magnus’ is not only is a favourite of butterflies, it’s one of mine too! Fantastic daisy like bright pink flowers with bright orange centres flower from July through to September – a must have for your herbaceous border.
5) Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ adds a fantastic splash of interest for late summer. Bright white flowers with yellow centres on long stems growing over 1 to 1.2 metres tall, which are great in partial shade, or at the back of a herbaceous border. They last from August to October.
6) Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ are little rays of sunshine featuring golden yellow flowers with dark centres, which flower from August to October. They are ideal for a summer border, mixed with grasses.
Posted 9th Aug 2:14pm
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Autumn is for planting
Summer may be disappearing before our eyes, but autumn is the best time to plant bulbs.
As we prepare for the changing of the seasons, Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson provides a step-by-step guide to planting bulbs this autumn.
1) Choose a bulb. Make sure you research the area you are planting. Is it shady? In full sun or partial shade? Choose snowdrops for a shady spot, tulips for full sun and daffodils for partial shade.
2) Plant at the right time. Don’t plant bulbs any earlier than September. They will not do well.
3) Dig your hole. Dig a hole three times as deep as the bulbs height. Place the bulbs at least three bulb widths apart.
4) Put your bulb in. Make sure the roots point down and the bottom of the bulb touches the soil.
5) Feed your bulb. Add empathy bulb starter to give your bulbs a head start.
6) Sit back and wait ‘til Spring!
Posted 22nd Aug 2:12pm
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There’s nothing like a meadow of golden daffodils to raise your spirits. But daffodils aren’t the only spring bulbs to mark an end to dark winter days and bring colour to the garden. Here’s six of our favourites.
For best results plant between September – October.
1) Daffodil Tete-a-Tete – A miniature bright yellow daffodil growing up to 15cm tall from March to April that will do well in partial shade. Think about planting around the edge of a tree or in a pot.
2) Crocus Ruby Giant – An early flowering Spring bulb, which flowers from February to March and will give you vibrant purple flowers at 5cm tall. They will look great naturalized on lawns.
3) Allium Purple Sensation – Purple globes on long stems that flower from May to June. They would look great amongst ornamental grasses or in the middle of a sunny perennial border.
4) Tulip Mistress – A beautiful pink tulip flowering in April and growing up to 60cm tall. Great planted in mass in either a mixed tulip pot or in a border situated in Partial shade or full sun.
5) Fritillaria-meleagris – Also known as snakehead fritillary with pink / purple checkboard flowers, and flowering from April to May. Perfect in a wildflower garden or woodland.
6) Hyacinthoides non-scripta – bell-shaped blue flowers that flower from April to May. Best in partial shade and would do great in a woodland area.
Posted 1st Sep 1:48pm
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Looking for plants that will do well in a shaded spot? Here’s six shade loving plants
Almost every garden has a bit of shade, this could be shade cast by buildings, trees, fencing or simply the positioning of your garden but don’t see this as a problem with these six shade loving plants.
1. Vinca Minor – A great low growing spreading ground cover with lavender purple flowers flowering from April to September – great for suppressing weeds and great at the front of a border in partial shade.
2. Hostas do great in partial shade and thrive in damp soil conditions but be sure to keep the slugs and snails away which create holes in the leaves. The darker the foliage of the hosta the better it will do in the shade.
3. Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ – Great to add a splash of colour at the end of summer into mid-autumn. These Anemone will flower from August to October and grow up to 120cm tall. Best at the back or the middle of a border.
4. Geranium Rozanne – A perfect plant doing well in partial shade to full sun, it’s great for under planting or filling in any empty gaps in your border, adding beautiful purple flowers from June through to September.
5. Ferns – Not only are ferns low maintenance, but they also thrive in a shady spot. Try Dryopteris filix-mas or polystichum setiferum for your shady planting plan.
6. Brunnera Jack Frost – I absolutely love the silvery foliage of a Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. They would look great next to tiarellas, heucheras and ferns. Plant at the front of your shady border.
Posted 15th Sep 1:38pm
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Intruder proof your hedge this planting season with our intruder proof hedging range that offers a fantastic deterring method that will help keep human and animal intruders away.
1)Prunus spinosa – A prickly native hedging plant covered in thorns, great as a mixed native hedge with bright white flowers in Spring followed by green foliage and sloes which appear in Autumn. (Great for making Sloe Gin if you get to the sloes before the birds) Available as a bare root transplant at 40-60cm tall up to 200cm tall.
2)Crataegus monogyna – A popular native hedging plant known for its large thorns which can be seen after its green leaves fall in Autumn. It is also known for its white scented flowers which can be seen in Spring. Available in bare root sizes from 40-60cm up to 200cm tall.
3)Berberis varieties – Make a great intruder proof hedge due to its prickly thorns. They are available In 2L and 10L pots.
4)Ilex aquifolium – An evergreen with attractive leaves with a prickly edge that form a dense hedge. Ideal for keeping intruders out and available from a p9 pot up to a 20L.
5)Rosa canina – A prickly native variety that is fast growing with pale pink flowers in Summer. Bright Red rose hips come autumn, which are attractive to birds.
6)Pyracantha varieties – Known for their colourful berries available in yellow, reds and oranges which will last from Autumn through to Spring if left untouched by birds. Great against a back wall these Pyracantha will stop intruders. Available potted throughout the year.
Posted 11th Oct 1:35pm
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Looking for trees with autumn interest? here’s a few of our favourites looking fantastic right now.
1. Euonymus alatus – Dark green leaves that turn to a bright attractive red in Autumn. Once its leaves are shed you are left with its unusual winged stems and branches that create winter interest.
2. Liquidambar styraciflua ‘worsplendon’ – Attractive Loped leaves that are green in Spring/Summer and go from yellow to orange and then red in Autumn before falling from the tree.
3. Amelanchier lamarckii – A tree with lots of interest through the seasons from its white star shaped flowers in Spring with bronze leaves that turn to dark green and in Autumn turn orange and red.
4. Parrotia persica – A fantastic tree with year round interest with its flowers in late Winter and early spring with yellows, reds and purples on the leaves come Autumn.
5. Acer ‘Autumn Moon’ – Bright green leafs in Spring and Summer followed by dramatic pink, peach and flame colours in Autumn. Perfect addition to a Japanese garden.
6. Parthenocissus quinquefolia – Known for its Autumn colour a vigorous climber that goes from green in Spring and Summer to a bright red and orange in Autumn.
Posted 17th Oct 1:31pm
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Fast growing hedging plants
With the bare root and root ball planting season just around the corner here is our guide to some popular fast growing hedging varieties.
Fast growing varieties are a cost effective way of establishing a fully formed garden parterre and are available in various pot sizes and root balls.
1.Cupressus Leylandii – a very fast growing hedging variety that can grow up to 3ft per year with its eventual height reaching up to 12m tall. Great as a windbreak, general barrier and for noise reduction. Available in various different pot sizes and heights.
2.Prunus Rotundifolia (common laurel) – A great fast growing dense evergreen hedging plant which can grow 2ft per year and is available container grown throughout the year or as a root ball from November – March.
3.Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese Laurel) – A hardy evergreen shrub offering screening throughout the year with growth rates of 60cm + a year. Fantastic for screening, noise reduction and wind protection. Available container grown throughout the year or as a root ball from November – March.
4.Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) – a hardy hedging plant that will form a dense hedge and grow on average 75cm per year. Doesn’t require as much trimming as leylandii. Available as container grown throughout the year or as a root ball from November – March.
5.Photinia ‘Red Robin’ an attractive garden hedge growing up to 2ft per year keeping its leaves in the winter. Characterised by its brilliant red new growth. Available container grown throughout the year or as a root ball from November – March.
6.Ligustrum ovalifolium (Common Privet)– Growing 40-60cm per year this popular semi-evergreen hedging plant is known for its neat oval leaves that are pollution tolerant, great for screening and effective for noise reduction. Available throughout the year as a container grown plant or as a rootball come November – March.
Posted 27th Oct 1:12pm
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Check out our guide below for the bare root and root ball seaso
1. Choose your hedging variety – Make sure you research the area that you are planting. What is it you are needing. Is it functional or ornamental? If its privacy plant Laurel, Yew, Leylandii or Thuja.
2. For security plant Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Pyracantha or Berberis.
3. Plant at the right time – planting between November to March is the best time for bare root and root ball plants ensuring the best possible start whilst dormant.
4. Dig your hole – Dig the right size hole for your bare root or root ball. Aim to ensure that the planting depth is equal to depth of the ball or recognises the obvious planting band on a bare root plant.
5. Spread the roots and firm – Before planting gently spread out the roots or tease them out of a root ball. Back fill with soil and gently firm in to eliminate any air ensuring soil is in contact with the newly planted root.
6. Water – Winter can be just as dry so ensure you water in well and monitor the soil moisture level thereafter.
Posted 31st Oct 12:59pm
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There are lots of compelling reasons to plant a bare root or root ball hedge, see some of our reasons below.
Save Money – Planting a bare root or root ball hedge is usually much cheaper than planting an equivalent container grown hedge.
Attract wildlife – Planting a hedge provides a home for insect’s birds and other mammals. It is also a great source of shelter and food.
Stop intruders – Planting a hedge can deter thieves. There is a host of ‘spiky’ plant options – ornamental and native!
Reduces noise and Assists with Privacy – Planting a hedge reduces noise pollution and creates a green screen barrier that softens any boundary thus ensuring privacy.
A wider range is available – A wider range of sizes and varieties are available throughout the bare root and root ball season to suit both ‘situation & pocket’!
Absorb rainfall – Hedging absorbs rainfall and reduces run off this mitigates the impact of waterlogging and flooding.
Posted 1st Nov 12:41pm
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Not sure what size tree you need this bare root and root ball season? Check out our tree size guide above.
Note: Girth is measured as circumference at 1m high. For example a 6-8cm Girth Tree is a hefty broom handle thickness.
Posted 15th Nov 12:36pm
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Jobs to do in the garden this January
1) Rake dead leaves out of ponds to prevent water stagnating.
2) Plant winter aconites.
3) Remove dead and dying foliage from hellebores.
4) Plant fruit trees and cane fruits, mulch newly planted trees (do not build compost up around the trunks of trees).
5) If the grass needs cutting due to mild weather, remove mowings as too cold for decomposition.
6) Lift self-sown Cyclamen coum seedlings and replant where most effective for winter display.
7) Cut out reverted stems from variegated evergreens. These will be green only, and appear stronger than variegated stems.
8) Pick up all fallen foliage in the greenhouse to prevent disease establishment.
9) Clean rainwater gutters from all garden related buildings to prevent over-flow.
10) If very hard frosts are anticipated wrap tender plants such as Agapanthus with straw or bubble-wrap and tie securely.
11) Continue to remove fallen leaves and twigs in the shrubbery and lightly fork soil over.
12) Shorten the summer growths of Wisteria (already reduced in September) to 2 buds.
13) Nets draped over the branches are the only reliable way to prevent birds from damaging the buds of flowering cherries.
14) Check all trees and fruit trees to ensure that the root-stock of the tree is not growing in competition with the scion variety.
15) Prune overgrown hedges hard in winter, during frost-free weather. Cut back yew and privet severely to within 15cm of the main stem. For hornbeam and beech cut right back to the main stem to prevent tufty growth. Prune one side one year and the other side the following year.
16) In freezing conditions ensure that the ice on ponds is broken to allow the escape of toxic gases. Do NOT hammer the ice as it may stun the fish. Apply bottles containing hot water.
17) If water remains on the lawn surface for some time after rain, check for blocked drains. If there is no system, make plans to put such work in hand.
18) Take the frosty weather and dark nights to look up the answers to the questions you keep asking yourself whilst you are doing a whole rage of jobs during better gardening conditions!
Posted 1st Jan 11:37am
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Its national bird feeding month so we have come up with some plants that are guaranteed to encourage birds into your garden!
1) Holly (Ilex) is definitely a bird’s favourite. Its dense prickly leaves offer windproof shelter along with berries for a Christmas feast. Blackbirds and thrushes are usually the first to strip a holly bush of its berries. Available as root balls in the winter and container plants in a multitude of sizes throughout the year.
2) Mature Ivy (Hedera) offers masses of autumn berries. Song thrushes and Wood pigeons are usually the first to enjoy these.
3) Pyracantha (Firethorn) are an attractive heavily berried prickly plant providing not only protection from predators but is a tasty food source too, a favourite with finches, sparrows, starlings and song thrushes.
4) Hawthorn (Quickthorn) berries are a favourite for Chaffinches, Starlings, Blackbirds and Greenfinches. The leaves are the food plant for Caterpillars of many species of moth, providing food for baby birds in spring. We have a great selection of bare root hedging available from 40-60cm tall up to 175-200cm tall.
5) Cotoneaster branches are always full of small red berries from autumn onwards and provide great shelter for a nesting site. They are popular with thrushes, Blackbirds and Waxwings.
6) It’s great to leave seed heads on over winter as they provide an additional food source for birds – particularly Greenfinches and Goldfinches.
Posted 1st Feb 11:34am
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Jobs to do in the garden this February
1) Cut back ornamental grasses.
2) Divide and replant Snowdrops as the flowers go over.
3) Clean out existing bird nesting boxes and put up new ones.
4) Take hardwood cuttings of forsythia, deutzia, honeysuckle, jasmine, Virginia creeper, holly,privet, cotoneaster, poplar, willow, gooseberries, etc
5) Pot up or transplant last year’s hardwood cuttings.
6) Consider planting shrubs or trees to provide winter colour in those dull conrners.
7) Repair broken fences, trellices,steps, and walls.
8) Repair any uneven areas of the lawn when the ground is firm.
9) Push single seed potatoes into half-filled plastic pots, adding compost as they grow.
10) Invest in a soil thermometer, when the soil temp. exceeds 5°C start sowings of hardy crops such as carrots, lettuce and radish direct into the ground.
11) Ensure that borders have been forked over in preparation for summer growth or new planting. Apply a general fertilizer around the beds at 2-3oz per sq. yd, also apply to new areas.
12) If weather warms up, take the opportunity to prepare compost and boxes for sowing half hardy annuals by the end of the month. You should have a heat source available for cold nights.
13) Plant roses as soil conditions permit, prune stems of new roses down to an outward facing bud 3-5” above the crown. Cut the stem cleanly just above the bud. Plant graft union just below soil level. Apply bone meal at 2oz. per sq. yd. and prick into surface. Firm soil around roots.
14) Prune climbing roses this month, keep 5 to 7 strong shoots and prune back all side shoots to within 3 buds of the base. Tie in all shoots securely. Prune Rambler roses in the autumn.
15) Prune shrub roses late February to encourage growth from the base. Remove some old shoots but don’t reduce height too much as they tend to flower on older wood.
16) Cut back Clematis Jackmanii and C. Viticella groups to about 12”. Pyracantha should be pruned to within 2 buds of the main frame except for extensions, if not done last autumn.
17) Complete formative pruning of trees by the month end. It may be necessary to limit growth to one leader to avoid a fork in the main stem, or removal of the leader if a bush form is required.
18) Do not apply heavy applications of fertilizer to naturalized bulbs as this will only encourage the surrounding grass.
Posted 1st Feb 11:27am
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Create a ‘fragrant garden’ with these plants
Ever wanted to create a ‘fragrant garden’ but not sure what to plant? Check out our guide below.
1) Lavender has been used for thousands of years for its scent in the garden including its use for essentials oils. It has also been used for many years, dried out and put in small sachets to freshen linen, closets and drawers. Lavenders will flower from July through to September giving you months of fresh fragrance to enjoy.
2) Trachelospermum jasminoides are a climbing plant famous for their smell which is often recognised in many perfumes. They prefer full sun and flower from June – August. Its dark green leaves turn to bronze come autumn.
3) Sarcococca humilis offers some winter scent, it flowers between December & February. They are renowned for their vanilla like aroma and will grow well in shade.
4) Looking for a scented cloud on your walk through the garden? Daphne aureomarginata is another fantastic fragrant plant that flowers from January until April. It is known for its pale pink flowers and thrives best in a sunny sheltered position.
5) Lonicera Graham Thomas flowers from June through to August and creates a colourful feature up a trellis or garden wall in sun or in partial shade. Its creamy white flowers are highly scented.
6) Rosa de L’hay is known for its masses of heavily perfumed flowers that are a rich purple in colour, it would look great at the back of a shrub border and will flower from July to September.
Posted 12th Feb 11:11am
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Six cottage garden favourites
Ever wanted to create a cottage garden? Here’s our top 6 plants to create that cottage garden feel.
1) Digitalis offer height with their long tubular bells in bright colours that offer a fantastic feast to bees. Digitalis flower from June – July.
2) Lupins will also add height to the back of a cottage garden bed but do stake to stop them from falling over. Lupins will flower from June – September In bright purples, pinks and various other colours.
3) No cottage garden would be complete without roses, climbing roses would look fantastic against a trellis, pergola or the walls of your house. Some of the old fashioned rose varieties are sure to add lots of fragrance to your garden between June – August.
4) Lavender would look great either side of a pathway up to your cottage door, adding fragrance and colour from early – midsummer.
5) Choose a Geranium like ‘Johnsons blue’ that are low growing and will creep around other plants, spill on to pathways and often repeat flower.
6) Hydrangeas are a great addition to a large cottage garden with their large clusters of white, pink or blue flowers in August – September that do best in full sun or partial shade.
Posted 20th Feb 11:08am
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Plants to attract butterflies to your garden
To celebrate butterfly week we thought we would share some of a butterflies favourite plants. It is said that 70% of the UK’S butterfly population are in decline. By planting some of these you could help save butterflies from any further decline.
1) Just one Buddleja in your garden is enough to attract a hoard of butterflies, after all its known as the ‘butterfly bush.’ Buddleja is full of nectar which is a butterfly’s primary food source.
2) Scabiosa were very popular with butterflies last year, flowering from June to September they provide a good amount of nectar for butterflies throughout the season. These plants thrive in full sun as do Butterflies!
3) Lavender is full of nectar which means it’s never short of a butterfly or two, three four etc. Lavender will do best in a sunny position and fill flower from July to September.
4) Last summer our Escallonia ‘Pink Elle’ were full of butterflies from June through to August. Escallonia’s not only look great in summer but their dark glossy foliage looks great throughout the year.
5) It’s no wonder Echinacea are attractive to butterflies with their large cone shaped flowers, they prefer full sun and will flower from July to September.
6) Verbena bonariensis are sure to keep butterflies happy in late summer when they flower from June right through to September they will do great in full sun.
Posted 12th Mar 10:53am
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How to attract butterflies to your garden
Want to attract butterflies to your garden? Here’s our top tips:
1) “Butterflies like a lot of sunlight”! Be sure to choose plants that do well in full sun like Echinacea, Verbena and Lavender.
2) Do choose native and non-native plants to encourage different butterflies to your garden
3) Try to provide nectar throughout the butterfly season choosing early and late bloomers.
4) Prolong flowering by deadheading flowers, this will encourage a second lot of flowers – meaning more nectar for butterflies!
5) Do try to plant along a fence, building or hedge to protect butterflies from the wind.
6) Place a rock in a sunny spot for butterfly basking and resting.
Posted 10th Mar 10:49am
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Here are our Gardening Reminders for the month of April
1) Prune early flowering shrubs after flowering is over.
2) Prune foliage shrubs when cut foliage is required later in the year.
3) Mulch shrubs when weather begins to warm up, but not deeply into the centre of
the shrub when growing from a stool.
4) Continue to divide herbaceous plants if necessary.
5) Plant evergreen shrubs, mulch and water in well. Continue to water if dry.
6) Cut off dead hydrangea flowers.
7) Mulch fruit trees and bushes.
8) Plant Raspberry canes.
9) Rake lawns to remove worm casts, twigs, and old grass.
10) Apply spring fertilizer dressing to lawns as weather warms up.
11) Apply grass seed to thin areas of the lawn and rake in. Cover with fleece for a few
days if there is a problem with birds eating the seed.
12) Lightly trim lavenders (but not into the old wood) to stop them getting leggy.
13) By mid to late April soil should be warm enough to sow hardy annuals directly
where you wish them to flower.
14) Towards the end of the month collect woody twigs to use as supports for perennials before they get too long and straggly.
15) Keep up with weed control, concentrate on Dandelions, bindweed, cleavers, creeping yellow cress, and hairy bittercress as they seed and germinate so easily.
16) Cut back Lavatera hard to carry this summer’s flowers.
17) Check stakes and ties of trees planted in the last 2 years, stakes to be still sound and ties not strangling the tree.
18) Make sure you planted your Magnolia in a site which is not exposed and does not receive the morning sun, as these conditions may cause May frost damage.
19) Reversion occurs in a number of variegated trees and shrubs, foliage becomes green and the shoots grows strongly. Cut out these shoots as soon as possible, and as close to the stem as possible.
Posted 1st Apr 10:44am
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The benefits of gardening to your health
1) Spending time in the garden provides sunlight which in turn gives you some much needed vitamin D.
2) Gardening for several hours a week could help you to lose weight. It is said that you can burn up to 500 calories per hour of gardening depending on the activity.
3) Being out in the garden and exposed to different microbes helps to build up your immune system which in turn helps you to fight colds and flu.
4) Gardening is great for relieving stress and is a great distraction from the day to day stresses in life.
5) Growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruit is not only rewarding but is great for your diet too.
Posted 1st May 10:34am
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Why gardening is great for the mind
1) Gardening is great for the mind and is a mood booster. Being busy in the garden keeps your mind occupied and focused and gives you that feel good factor.
2) Gardening is great for physical activity and you can burn up to 500 calories per hour of gardening.
3) Gardening is great for relieving stress and reduces levels of cortisol.
4) Flowers and the outdoors are known to improve your mood. Getting outdoors, gardening or visiting your local National Trust garden is sure to improve how you’re feeling.
5) Gardening requires skills that protect the brain from ageing and has links to decreasing the risk of dementia.
6) Gardening is linked to a better night’s sleep, the physical activity will tire you out.
Posted 30th Apr 10:29am
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Jobs to do in the garden this May
1) Plants should be staked before they become too big and start to flop. Methods to use include pea sticks, bending the tops across at the top to form a canopy, upright canes around each clump with twine tied around the canes, wire netting supported by canes in a cylinder around tall plants, or tall plants tied to individual canes of the ultimate plant size.
2) Still time to plant container roses to replace those that have deteriorated over winter, or to fill that hole in the border, Water new plants thoroughly. Spray against greenfly in early morning or evening, but not when wet. Check for specific advice on sprays against black spot and other diseases.
3) Apply a balanced fertilizer around shrubs and water shrubs which have been spring planted and will still have limited root systems. May is a good time to plant evergreens if there is significant rain or water will need to be applied. Keep new growths of wall plants tied which help when pruning in late June. Prune clematis montana types quite hard after flowering to ensure a good show next year.
4) Keep weeds down by hoeing or chemical weed control, use Roundup against perennial weeds. A 10cm layer of mulch (mushroom compost or well-rotted garden compost ) will
supress weeds and help conserve moisture.
5) Complete the planting of root-balled or pot grown evergreen hedges, water the hedge line the day before planting and again when planting is completed. When conifer hedges have reached
the required height, cut back the leader shoot to 6” below this height to encourage branching lower in the stem and a neat compact top to the hedge.
6) Pick off dead flower heads of Rhododendrons and Azaleas to allow new growth to develop and mulch with leaf-mould.
7) Clip Lonicera nitida hedges monthly to maintain a good shape. Clip Privet regularly. Clip Forsythia and flowering Currant hedges after flowering. Weed and hoe under hedges.
8) Feed top fruit and soft fruit and use nets to protect bushes from birds as flowers develop.
9) Cut back Ivy and Ceanothus which has finished flowering.
10) 1f you have not used weed-killer to treat the lawn this spring, use the grass mowings to mulch trees and hedge plants.
11) Some plants like Forget-me-nots can spread very rapidly, to contain them pull up the plants as soon as they finish flowering to prevent them seeding every-where.
12) Watch out for the vivid red Lily beetles which will be apparent from mid-month, hold a hand underneath them when trying to catch them as the try and drop to the ground. They lay their
eggs under the leaves and the grub covers itself with its own faeces. SQUASH them!
13) Trim lawn edges frequently when dry to develop a firm edge which will not sink when walked upon.
14) Set the mower blades to their final height for the summer, and apply a top-dressing of a nitrogen fertilizer in late May. Water when conditions require it, don’t under-water, but make
sure that water is getting to the roots of trees and bigger shrubs.
Posted 1st May 10:28am
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Plants to create that ‘Chelsea’ feel
Feeling inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show this week? Here are’s some plants to create that ‘Chelsea’ feel.
1) Digitalis is available in an array of fantastic colours and are sure to impress the neighbours through May – July.They prefer partial shade and will look great in the middle or the back of a border.
2) Get the Chelsea look by using Lupins, known for their bright colours, they are great for that cottage garden feel and will flower from June – September.
3) Another Chelsea favourite is, Geum, we’d recommend using a bright colour like Geum totally tangerine – these are great when used in your Chelsea border alongside Salvia.They prefer full sun and will flower from June – August.
4) Salvia are available in pinks and purples, and Salvia Caradonna is one of our favourites. It would and look great with both Geums and Achillea.
5) Buxus shaped as cones or balls add great formality to a garden with minimum upkeep.They look great at the front of a border or in between plants.
6) Agapanthus make the perfect Chelsea plant, and if you don’t have enough room to create a full Chelsea garden, a few pots filled with Agapanthus will do the trick.
Posted 15th Jan 10:17am
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Great plants to encourage children to garden
Want to get your kids excited about gardening? Here are our top six plants
1) Echinacea Magnus – its bright pink flowers are sure to attract bees and butterflies, which is great when teaching your child all about pollination. They will also look great in a vase on the window sill once picked.
2) Sunflowers are great to grow from seed. Not only do they germinate quickly, but you can start the seed growing inside. This is the perfect flower to grow with siblings as you can have competitions to see whose grows biggest.
3) Stachys, also known as lambs ears, are known for their soft woolly leaves, making them a must0touch plant for your child and a great addition to a sensory garden.
4) Planting Bulbs like daffodils, tulips and crocus is not only an easy task to get your kids involved with in the autumn, but it will also be great for them to see come spring when they bloom.
5) Mint and other herbs are easy to grow in a small pot and can be used in the kitchen.
6) Tomatoes grow very easily from seed and can be grown in hanging baskets if you’re lacking space. It’s fun to watch them grow, and it’s always great to eat freshly-grown veg!
Posted 25th May 10:07am
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Five ideas to get your children into gardening this summer
Want to include your child in your next Saturday afternoon in the garden? Here are our top tips to get them interested.
1. Choose flowers that are easy to grow from seed like sunflowers, poppies and marigolds. This will encourage your child and show them how rewarding gardening can be.
2. Pointing out wildlife and pollinators is not only educational but shows just how important they are to us.
3. Grow your own vegetables and let your children pick them ready for their tea.
4. Make gardening fun by creating a fairy garden, a pizza garden or even make a scarecrow – get creative!
5. Choose activities your child can easily get involved with, like watering!
Posted 19th May 10:06am
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Half a dozen home-grown flowers to mark British Flowers Week
To mark British Flowers Week, we’ve published a list of six of our favourite Briitish flowers that we enjoying seeing across the country throughout the year.
1. Bluebells – The UK is home to about half of the world’s bluebell population, which cover our woodlands. They do great in shade and flower mid-April to late May. Available as a bulb in September.
2. Foxgloves date back to the 1500s, where they got their name from an English myth that foxes wore the flowers on their paws. The hillside of fox’s dens were often covered in foxgloves. Digitalis thrive in partial shade and are a great addition to a cottage garden come the summer.
3. Rosa canina dates back to the age of Shakespeare and can be found in hedgerows, woodland and scrubland across the UK. Known for their flower in May and June and its fruit come September, October time.
4. Primula veris, also known as cowslip, is a plant of traditional hay meadows, ancient woodlands and hedgerows. It gets its name from being found among the manure in cow pastures.
5. Anthriscus sylvestris also known as cow parsley or Queen Anne’s lace, which received its name from when Queen Anne travelled the countryside in May, when the roadsides had been decorated for her, are seen up and down our verges and roadsides.
6. Convallaria majalis, also known as lily of the valley, is found in woodlands throughout the UK in May and was seen in recent years in the bouquet of Catherine Middleton.
Posted 20th Jun 9:54am
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Jobs to do in the garden this July
1) July is set to be the driest month ever recorded in the UK. Water is best applied to plants in the form of a good soak, and not a spray over, which evaporates in no time at all, and little
gets to the deeper roots. Don’t forget to leave fresh water for birds and small animals.
2) Applications of water at the rate of 1 inch (2.5 cm) per application will replace the water deficit when applied weekly in mid-summer. Ensure that your sprinkler is producing an even pattern, and there is no water run-off on a slope. Check application rates and uniformity with a rain gauge or plant saucers spread across the sprinkler area. Never water during the heat of the day,best times are early morning or late evening.
3) If the garden is to be left for some time in mid-summer, consider cutting back the tops of all flowering plants to stop seed being set and germinating without control. This should also lead to a good display of flowers later in the season.
4) Lawns may turn brown in dry conditions in summer, but will rapidly green up as soon as rain comes or irrigation is applied. Let grass grow a little bit longer to reduce stress and cut the lawn weekly to prevent it becoming too long. You can leave the grass mowing’s on the lawn in dry weather to act as a mulch and further help to save moisture. Remove obvious weeds as these too
will compete for water.
5) Hoeing lightly is an effective way of reducing water loss, not only does it eliminate weed competition for water, but a fine tilth on the soil surface helps prevent transpiration, but don’t hoe too deeply. A mulch of garden compost is another very good method of helping reduce water loss, and also helps increase soil organic matter.
6) Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble or liquid feed once per week and remove flower heads which are going over.
7) Prune pyracanthas by cutting back side-shoots to 2-3 leaves from their base for a good show next year. Wear gloves!! When the first flush of hardy geranium and Alchemilla is over, cut them hard back for a spectacular second flush of flowers.
8) Clear foliage from ponds and remove weeds from around the edges, and excess growth from water lily foliage. Make sure the soil in bog gardens doesn’t dry out.
9) Remove spent rose flower heads and maintain the sprays to combat greenfly rust, mildew andblackspot if appropriate. Apply a summer rose feed fertilizer in the middle of the month.
10) Trim quickthorn hedges and continue to keep hedge bottoms clean by hoeing or the use of Gramoxone. Always check for nesting birds before cutting hedges in summer.
11) Check all plant ties, and that all herbaceous forms of support are strong enough for the new growth.
12) Be sure to keep hydrangeas well-watered, they are very quick to show the shortage of water bydropping heavily.
13) Keep hardy and half-hardy annuals well-watered and weed-free. Try not to walk on the beds as the plants damage easily. It is usual to place a plank across two boxes to help with weeding and the removal of spent flowers.
14) Can compost can be harmful in holes dug for new trees? Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser at the RHS, says: “The compost rots and the tree settles down too far in the soil and as a
result root and stem rot can set in. It’s best to plant trees in plain old soil.”
Posted 1st Jul 9:43am
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Six white plants for Wimbledon
This week marks the start of Wimbledon and to celebrate we have put together a list of six of our favourite white plants that are flowering now.
1) Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ has a lovely fragrance with flowers up to 5cm across. Suitable in any aspect of the garden but particularly great at the back of a border.
2) Anemone Wild Swan flowers earlier in the season than other anemone. It prefers a sheltered spot to grow in.
3) Achillea The Pearl produces little white buttons of flowers and was favoured by designer Gertrude Jeykll.
4) Campanula White Clips is a low grower, which produces masses of large bell-like flowers; looks great in a rockery.
5) Rosa Kent is great for producing masses of white flowers and good ground cover.
6) Leucanthemum Freak are great for giving height to borders and have a long flowering season if you deadhead regularly.
Posted 5th Jul 9:39am
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Get a lawn as good as a golf course
To celebrate the British Open Golf tournament this week, we have come up with some tips to help you get a lawn as good as a golf course.
A regular maintenance programme will help avoid the need to renovate later.
1) Mowing – this should be done regularly between spring and autumn,with once a week being the ideal amount during these seasons. In summer, cut twice a week, unless in drought conditions, then drop back to one. Never mow wet, dewy or frosted grass.
2) Remove Moss – Moss forms in grass when there is a poor growing condition, such as shaded, waterlogged or compacted soil. Scarification in the autumn is ideal on smaller lawns. Organic moss control can be applied after the grass has been cut short.
3) Feeding – In March and April, apply a spring feed which will help increase vigour and help tackle weeds and moss. It is always best applied to wet grass, and not dry. If vigour is lost between April and August, repeat the spring feed application in cool conditions.
4) Watering – Water to a depth of 10cm as the soil becomes dry, but before the grass starts turning brown. If the ground has become hard and compacted, aerate with a garden fork before watering. Watering once a week should be sufficient unless in drought conditions. Water either early morning or evening, and don’t over water as this can encourage shallow roots.
5) Repairing – Damaged grass caused by pets or diseases should be repaired in the spring.
Posted 16th Jul 9:29am
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Want a good selection of late flowering perennials? Choose from these flowers that are sure to see you through until the end of summer.
1) Rudbeckia ‘Little Gold Star’ – a compact Rudbeckia standing at 50cm high, these plants will last you all the way through to October and are known for their mounds of bright yellow flowers.
2) Agapanthus ‘Columba’ – One of our favourite perennials, it has globes of trumpet-shaped blue flowers on straight green stems that will last until September. They look fantastic in a pot or summer border.
3) Echinacea ‘Magnus’ – a firm favourite of butterflies with its fantastic daisy Iike, bright pink flowers and orange centres. Flowering from July to– September, it’s a must have for your late flowering border.
4) Agastache ‘Black Adder’ – great for the back of a border and grow up to 90cm tall. They will flower until October and thrive in full sun.
5) Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ – funnel shaped flowers as bright as a red tomato, which will flower from July to September. They will work best in a sunny herbaceous border alongside other bold colours like Achillea.
6) Sedum ‘Matrona’ – this plant has purple stems with clusters of soft pink flowers that will last until October, also, they are great for cut flowers.
Posted 24th Jul 9:25am
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Here’s our gardening reminders for the month of August:
1) Now is the last chance to prune stone fruits such as cherries and plums. Choose a dry day in order to prevent disease entry through the wound. If you have peaches or apricots under protection, prune them now to prevent silver leaf disease.
2) Cut back the long whippy growth of Wisteria to within 3 buds of the old wood if they are not required to extend the area covered by the plant.
3) Keep watering those containers! Placing the plant in a saucer-shaped dish will be a great help in making the water you apply remain available to the plant.
4) With the weather so dry it is an ideal time to concentrate on the removal of perennial weeds, either by hand or with the aid of the chemical Glyphosate.
5) Check that weeds are not spreading under larger shrubs where the shade has kept them that little bit more moist and able to seed.
6) Towards the end of the month cut back the canes of fruited cane fruits to ground level, and tie in the young shoots which will provide next year’s harvest.
7) Keep dead-heading the best flowering plants to encourage new flowers and stop them setting seed. Apply a liquid feed as plants will require added nutrition to counter the dry weather and heavy watering.
8) Keep hardy and half-hardy annuals well-watered and weed-free. Try not to walk on the beds as the plants damage easily.It is usual to place a plank across two boxes to help with weeding and the removal of spent flowers.
9) Trim fast growing hedges, and don’t forget the weeds in the hedge bottoms!
10) Remove rose blooms as they fade and don’t apply feed after the end of July, as late soft growth would not be hardy before winter.
11) Complete the lifting of last seasons’ bulbs and dry them off naturally in light woven sacks for maximum ventilation.
12) Take cuttings of shrubs, heathers, hydrangeas and fuchsias.
13) Keep an eye on the whole garden and spray as necessary against pests on dahlias and Chrysanthemums in particular.
14) When going on holiday and concerned about indoor containers being watered, try placing a full bucket of water on the garage floor and placing your pots around it on their own saucers.
Using a piece of wet string about the thickness of a bootlace, tie one end to a piece of old cutlery and place in the bucket. Push the other end into the compost of a pot. Place strings from bucket to all pots.
Posted 1st Aug 9:21am
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Are weeds taking over your garden? If you choose ground cover plants they will naturally smother weeds, they cover the ground and don’t leave any spaces where weeds can grow.
Here are six great plants to keep the weeds at bay.
1) Alchemilla Mollis is a great ground cover plant that is best in full sun or partial shade and flowers in June – September. Its round broad leaves are perfect for edging a path and smothering any weeds.
2) Ajuga is a great ground cover for a shady area that will form a quick carpet of foliage flowering in early summer. They are great for filling in gaps, edging paths or even used to spill over the edge of a pot.
3) Pachysandra terminalis are known for their dark glossy green leaves that form dense mats of groundcover in full sun or full shade. A perfect addition between shrubs and trees.
4) Vinca Major is perfect for supressing weeds under trees, and even on sloping banks, as they are happiest in full sun to partial shade, flowering from April – September. If you have a small garden try Vinca minor instead.
5) Geranium Johnsons blue has a beautiful saucer-shaped purple flower that appears from May through to August. They are perfect for the front of a border and will create a dense carpet that will supress weeds, they are happy in full sun – partial shade.
6) Hostas love shade and look fantastic at a path edge. Alternatively, plant them at the front of a border in contrast with ferns, once they’re established the foliage will supress weeds.
Posted 23rd Aug 9:18am
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Want to attract bee’s to your garden? Here’s six great blooms to do just that.
1) Lavender is one of a bees favourites, largely because of their bright purple tones as bees see this colour more clearly. A two year study at Sussex University found them to be one of the most popular plant varieties to the insect, flowering from July – September, they are the perfect plant for bees with plenty of nectar through summer.
2) Echinacea flowers are not only loved by bees, but butterflies too due to its large landing pad, bright colour and pollen, making it well worth the visit. Seed heads will also feed birds in the fall and winter.
3) Foxgloves are known for their long tubular shape and are great for long-tongued bees, flowering from June – September.
4) Scabiosa plants have a steady supply of nectar, making them a great choice for any garden hoping to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. It’s also perfect for a summer border.
5) Agastache is a great plant that bees make their way around systematically on the many tiny flowers. It looks great in mixed herbaceous borders and is a bees’ favourite.
6) Geranium have a long flowering period making them great for bees. The purple varieties tend to be favoured, again, for their colour, and will last from May – August,. Make sure to remove old flowers and leaves so they can rejuvenate.
Posted 1st Sep 9:00am
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What to do in the garden this September
1) August has been another dry month here in North Yorkshire, we had a few showers and some prolonged rain on the 26th/27th, but not enough serious volumes to replenish the water table. Just that fresh feeling in the mornings now, but overnight temperatures are still staying above 10 degrees.
2) Summer Branch Drop (SBD) has been apparent on several trees in the area, no-one appears to have identified the cause, but it does seem to occur after rain following a very dry spell.
3) If you have heavy soil, dig over the garden borders as bedding plants need to be removed. This will make digging easier as the soil will not be at full water capacity as in later months.
4) Now is the time to make yourself a good, big compost bin, just before you really need it! Ideally, use four stakes as corners, one metre apart in a square, and staple wire netting (one metre deep) around the square. This allows easy entry when you wish to empty it, or it can be made bigger or smaller at will. If you would like a permanent one, use pressure treated plywood or boards instead of netting.
5) On a fine evening, have a walk around the garden and make a note of what has done really well, and also not so well, so that when time comes to replant the borders you will have a good idea of what will be successful! Why not have a visit to Harlow Carr Gardens or one of the other splendid gardens in the area, and make a note of which plants you are really motivated by?
6) Towards the end of the month and into October is the best time to move evergreens as the soil is still warm and new roots will take hold before winter. Make sure the planting hole is big enough so the plant is at the same depth as before, firm soil back around the root-ball and water in well.
7) Take hardwood cuttings from your favourite roses. Ideal cuttings are about pencil thickness and 30cm long, remove the top 8cm of young growth down to just above a bud. Cut the bottom of the stem at about 2-3mm below a bud and trim off all the leaves, with the exception of the top three sets of leaves.Make a slot with a spade in an area of good soil and push in the cuttings (base first!) so that about one third remains above ground. If the soil is heavy, run some sharp sand down the planting slot to improve drainage. The cuttings should be ready to plant out next autumn.
8) Keep dead-heading the best flowering plants to encourage new flowers and stop them setting seed.
9) Newly planted perennials will do well when planted over the next 6 weeks. Give the roots of new plants a good soaking before planting, firm in well to the original depth and place a good mulch around the plant to prevent moisture loss and winter damage to young roots.
10) Continue to trim fast-growing hedges, and don’t forget the weeds in the hedge bottoms!
11) Now is the time to sort out your bulb order to give you maximum choice. Bulb catalogues are really helpful and a pleasure to look at. Planting early has benefits for all bulbs, but leave tulips until late November in order to prevent disease infection.
12) Complete the lifting of last seasons’ bulbs and dry them off naturally in light woven sacks for maximum ventilation.
13) Crocosmias form large mounds of roots and corms after a few years, try separating them with a fork, pulling them apart, or removing the soil and untangling them with the help of a hosepipe jet.
14) This month and next month the lawn can be mown less frequently, but will really benefit from echanical scarifying or the regular use of a spring tine rake to remove the old ‘thatch’. Aerating by means of a machine or a garden fork will work wonders, in conjunction with a specific lawn weed killer and an autumn lawn fertilize dressing.
Posted 15th Sep 8:54am
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Q&A with our beekeeper for National Honey Month
To celebrate National Honey Month this September, we asked Keith Simmonds from Harrogate Beekeepers Association, who looks after our onsite apiary, some questions.
1) How many years have you been a beekeeper and what do you like most about it?
I started in 2006 on a beekeeping course run by Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association, so 13 seasons. Bees often surprise you by not behaving as you expect, so you are always learning.
2) How much training did it take to become a beekeeper?
The course was some 20 weeks long, consisting of 12 weeks’ theory and 8 weeks’ practical. It was a very comprehensive course, but shorter courses are available. You never stop learning, and belonging to a beekeeping association gives you plenty of contact with more experienced beekeepers to help you learn.
3) What is the main responsibility for a beekeeper?
The main job is to ensure that the bees are happy with sufficient space when they need it during the summer months, and most importantly, that they are healthy. Bees are under pressure from all sorts of environmental and habitat problems, keeping them healthy gives them the best chance of survival.
4) Our apiary isn’t the only one you look after, how many bees do you estimate you look after in one year?
I have three apiary sites with 22 colonies or hives. On average, at full summer strength, each will have 50,000 bees, so more than a million bees.
5) How much honey do the bees you look after produce a year?
This, like any other food product, depends on lots of outside influences, such as weather, crops and other forage available to the bees. I would think somewhere between 500 and 700 lbs of honey per annum. A lot of this is left with the bees as winter feed.
6) Most people do not react well to the sight of swarming bees, were you afraid of the bees when you first started out as a beekeeper?
No not really, I was fascinated by the bees. Most people on beekeeping courses are keen to get into their hive for the first time. A swarm of bees is more intent on finding a new home than spending time attacking you. Swarming bees are often very calm.
7) How many times do you think you’ve been strung over the years?
This must now be in the hundreds, I have reached the stage where I no longer react to stings, however let me make one thing clear, each sting still hurts.
8) Is there a way of calming the bees?
One of the best ways to keep bees calm is to be calm yourself, no sudden movement, noise or knocks. Beekeepers use a smoker to help manage the bees, these burn wood, paper or cardboard, well, anything organic in the smoker. The smoke will cause the bees to fill themselves with honey as they believe a fire could be nearby and they may need to leave. Well-fed bees are usually calmer.
9) We all use the phrase “as busy as the bee”, but do bees sleep or rest at all?
Bees don’t sleep or hibernate, in the summer they are busy collecting nectar and pollen to feed themselves and the new brood in the hive. The Queen will lay 2,000 eggs a day during summer, and sometimes more. So you see, the hive is busy all the time in the late spring and summer. In winter the bees are mostly confined to the hive due to bad weather where they form into a compact ball of bees to keep warm.
Posted 15th Sep 8:44am
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Here are six reasons why you should love and protect bees this National Honey Month.
1) 1 out of 3 bites of food is originally sourced from a bee-pollinated plant.
2) Bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants on earth.
3) Bees have been producing plants for over 100 million years.
4) Only bees can make honey.
5) A colony pollinates 4,000 fruit trees.
6) Some crops are 90% dependent on bee pollination.
7) Bees contribute millions to our economy.
Posted 7th Sep 8:39am
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Hedging varieties for small gardens
In small gardens, most people favour a wall or fence, however these are plants that can create privacy or a boundary without taking over too much room.
1. Buxus sempervirens are a great low growing hedging plant that only require clipping once or twice a year. Perfect for edging a path or border these hedging plants will only grow 10-20cm per year. Buxus is often used in a formal garden and is great shaped.
2. Taxus baccata are an evergreen low growing hedging plant that create a dense screen in a garden they can be clipped back to keep a low formal hedge and will grow in sun to partial shade.
3. Ligustrum vulgare are great for nesting birds and have small white flowers in the spring. 20cm -40cm growth a year with an eventual height of 4m, keep them trimmed for a lower hedge.
4. Cornus Alba are grown for the bright red stems during the winter months, these will get to a height approx. 4m. Cut some stems back at the end of March to help keep the bright colour.
5. Fagus Sylvatica Purpurea a mix of copper and purple colours spring to autumn. Grows to 5m with a yearly growth of 40-60cm.
6. Lavender Hidcote – why not choose a lavender plant for a scented small hedge, Perfect for the edge of a path or small hedge at the front of a garden, growing 10-20cm per year.
Posted 12th Sep 5:35pm
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Hedging varieties for shade
Some plants can survive with only a few hours of sun a day, whether that be early morning or late evening. Shade can be caused by a number of reasons, but to help your plants grow, plant with rootgrow to help the plant establish a good root system.
Here is a list of our favourite hedging options for planting in shaded areas:
1. Ilex aquifolium is most commonly recognised for its spikey green leaves and red berries in winter, this versatile plant can grow in full shade to a height of 8m.
2. Aucuba japonica has thick glossy leaves, providing colour and structure all year and the plants will grow in most soils. Small flowers are produced in summer but the berries from autumn to spring are more noticeable. Eventual height of around 3m.
3. Elaeagnus x ebbingei is one of the best hedging plants to use nearer the house as these plants produce white, highly scented flowers and have an attractive silver underside to the leaves. Growing 30-45cm a year its mature height can be around 4m tall.
4. Corylus avellana is a great base plant if trying to grow a native hedge. Distinctive pale-yellow catkins can be found on the bare stems in late winter, before large soft leaves appear. One of the faster growing hedge plants, eventual height can reach up to 8m.
5. Pyracantha make a great hedge in shade and look great against a north facing wall or fence adding vibrant colour to your garden.
6. Taxus baccata is a dark, dense, native evergreen hedge with bright red fruit attractive to birds, and is happy in dry shade or sun.
Posted 12th Sep 5:30pm
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Conifer varieties for every garden
When conifers are mentioned, most people think of the large overgrown hedges which can become the source of arguments between neighbours. However, this conifer week, we will be looking at how they can be used in all gardens as they give great colour and structure all year round.
Low growing/ Spreading
Prostrate or spreading conifers are ideal on a steep bank, or in areas where the soil is too poor to plant shrubs, but some green is required. These conifers also help keep weeds at bay meaning less maintenance time is required.
• Picea pungens Waldbrunn – blue/grey with silver tinged spring growth 50cm x 100cm
• Juniperus Blue Carpet – bright blue/ grey 50cm x 200cm
• Juniperus Old Gold – yellow to deep bronze 100cm x 200cm
Miniature conifers
Yes, they really can stay small. In this case they can be used on alpine rockeries as most only grow to 40cm in 10 years. Another option is to grow them in containers alongside annuals to give an extra layer of interest.
• Juniperus Blue Star – bright blue/grey bun shaped habit 50cm x 100cm
• Podocarpus Kilworth Cream – bushy pale green edged with cream, pink tips in spring 50cm x 50cm
• Picea J W Daisy’s White – conical shape, cream tips fading to green 1m x 1m
Narrow conifers
Narrow, Pencil, Column, call them what you like, but these conifers are great at adding height whilst not taking over your garden. These are a must if you are looking to create a Mediterranean-feel to your space.• Cupressus pyramidalis – retains dense thin shape well. 15m but can be trimmed to height easily.
• Juniperus Blue Arrow – vivid steel blue foliage retained year-round. Compact habit with eventual height of 2.5m
• Taxus baccata fastigiate – deep green needles. Becomes broader with age. 8m x 4m
Interesting foliage
Boring green flat leaves will be a thing of the past with these more unusual conifers. Great for adding texture year round to formal and informal gardens.
• Ginkgo biloba – fan shaped leaves which turn yellow in autumn. Grows well in containers. Buy as a standard to add extra interest.
• Thuja Whipcord – pendulous, cord-like branches. Slow growing mound. 1.5m x 1.5m
• Pinus mugo – spiral clusters of needles. Candle like new growth in spring which can be pinched put. Reddish brown cones. 1.5m x 1.5m
Posted 12th Sep 5:29pm
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As well as challenging exposure to wind and rain, hedges can protect more delicate plants from coastal sea spray and snow drifts. Native hedging plants are great for use in this instance as they can establish the best of their situation.
Try –
Acer campestre is a field Maple hedge that can work as either a single species or mixed together with other native species. The foliage turns a lovely buttery yellow colour in the autumn. Suitable in most soils and locations, apart from full shade, this will grow to 5m.
Sambucus Nigra has a distinctive large, flat flower head that is produced in June, followed by elderberries which can be eaten. Even though it is a deciduous shrub, leaves can drop as late as November and grow back in a good winter in sheltered locations around January. It’s a fast-growing plant, reaching an ultimate height of 4m.
Viburnum opulus is a plant with something for every season but best in the autumn with bright red berries, which the birds love and fiery red foliage. Its best in full sun as this plant will grow to around 5m.
Carpinus betulus has a similar look to Fagus, this semi evergreen produces green catkins spring to autumn, which then turn fruit which a number of wildlife will feast on. This plant is also very happy to grow in poor soils. Makes a great screen of up to 5m.
Posted 25th Sep 5:24pm
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Hedging varieties for full sun
For hedges in full sun you also need to consider if the plant will be drought tolerant. This means the plants can handle being in direct sunlight for longer periods of time.
Here are some of our top favourites:
Prunus spinosa, more commonly known as Blackthorn, is a dense and prickly plant that has one of the earliest blossoms as pure white flowers against black stems appear in March. Its autumn fruits (sloes) can be made into tasty food and drink, as long as you beat the birds to them.
Cragaegus monogyna is possibly the most recognised native hedging plant, it gets its common name of ‘May Blossom’ from the beautiful show of white scented flowers during May. Birds will then feast on the glossy red berries in autumn. This hedge is suitable for most gardens as can easily be kept between 1–5m.
Osmanthus Burkwoodii is similar to Elaeagnus, this hedge has sweetly scented white flowers in spring, and is becoming a good substitute for Box Hedging due to it being easily cut in to a variety of shapes. Growing to 3m, this acts as a good screen for mid-way through a long garden.
Photinia Red Robin is one the best alternative hedges, this is quickly becoming popular in gardens due to the fiery red show of the new leaves growing up to 4m. Trim in spring and summer to help make a denser hedge and continue the colourful show.
Posted 25th Sep 5:23pm
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Jobs for the garden during October
1) Autumn colours are almost always at their best for the next six weeks, and the relatively drySeptember and the colder nights will continue to develop the colours. For one of the best displays visit the Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, Dunham Massey in Cheshire,
Gibside in Tyne and Wear, and Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey. Most trees which carry the strongest colour are not native to the UK, most are from North America and Asia, but they have
added so much to our landscape over the last 400 years.
2) Frosts will become common from now on, it is wise to lift any plants from the border which are tender and place in a frost-free room or glasshouse. Overwinter cuttings from them on a windowsill!
3) Whilst it is still reasonably light in the evening, make a start on the winter digging, especially on heavy clay soils. Clods will break down much easier after a winter of snow, frost, wind and rain. Try and incorporate as much organic matter as possible to increase drainage and fertility. Riding
stables are a good source of cheap manure.
4) With only 50 to 65mm of rain expected in October in the north, together with a number of sunny days, try and get as much winter work completed as possible before the really harsh weather sets in. Don’t forget to collect all those fallen apples! There are a number of local people now willing to offer juicing facilities for a small fee, remember that if they have fallen, fruits will be bruised and will not store, other than by preparing and freezing. Dispose of unwanted fallen fruits as they may well carry over disease from year to year.
5) Use this period to give the glasshouse a thorough clean when all of the plants can be put outside on a mild day. Clean the glass inside and out, and scrub down benches with a mild disinfectant before hosing down the entire area. If you use electricity in the glasshouse, check that the earth breaker is clean and acting effectively.
6) Collect seeds of those plants you may wish to increase, store dry seeds in paper envelopes in an airtight container on the bottom shelf of the fridge. If unsure when to sow the seed, sow half on collection and the other half in the spring.
7) Fix grease bands to apple and pear tree trunks.
8) Clean out ponds and remove pumps for the winter.
9) Give conifer hedges a final trim and finish planting evergreen shrubs.
10) Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs and fruit bushes, lift and divide rhubarb crowns.
11) Lift and store carrots and potatoes. Cut back tall shrubs like Lavatera and Buddleia to half their length to prevent winter damage. Complete cutting them back in early spring.
12) Clean out leaves from round all alpine plants, if left outside provide the protection of a cold frame or even a sheet of glass or plastic to prevent the plants becoming waterlogged.
13) Frequently collect leaves from around the garden and store in a wire mesh bin using four wooden posts at the corners to produce excellent leaf mould compost by next autumn. Leaves left on the lawn will kill the grass and can also attract slugs and snails.
14) Can compost can be harmful in holes dug for new trees? Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser at the RHS, says: “The compost rots and the tree settles down too far in the soil and as a
result root and stem rot can set in. It’s best to plant trees in plain old soil.”
Posted 1st Oct 5:14pm
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The 21st October marks national Apple day and to celebrate we have listed some of our favourites for cooking, eating and for cider.
For cooking
• Granny Smith – great for baking whole, sweet and crisp with a green skin
• Braeburn – makes a great apple sauce – tart, sweet and aromatic with a bright colour
• Bramley – icon for apple pies and crumbles – sharp and juicy
For Eating
• Gala – bright red flushed fruit with a sweet almost perfumed taste.
• Coxs Orange Pippin – Considered the best eating apple in the world
• Red Delicious – iconic ruby red skin with sweet juicy white flesh.
For Cider
• Katy – heavy cropper with a sharp flavour. Very juicy. Also enjoy straight from the tree.
• Kingston Black – only grown for juicing, turn this into a vintage cider.
• Golden Spire – has an cider-like flavour flesh. Also good for cooking with.
Posted 21st Oct 5:11pm
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Jobs for your garden in November
1) The earlier any winter digging can be done, the better, as this allows rain, snow, frost and ice to break down clods of soil and make cultivations in spring so much easier.
2) There is a current move towards ‘no digging’ on vegetable plots, which involves digging the area to double depth (double digging) and incorporating organic matter throughout the two areas in
order to cultivate an area of really deep soil and encourage the increase of worms and other creatures by applying an annual top dressing of organic matter or ‘compost’ which will be taken
down into the soil. Small paths should be made across the area so that it is not necessary to walk on the growing area at any time in the future, for either cultivations, harvesting or other reasons and thus prevent any soil compaction.
3) The wind, frost and rain has suddenly brought down large quantities of leaves. If you can collect and compost them, they will make the best compost ever for use next year. Softer
foliage from prunings around the garden can be incorporated into this compost, but woody branches and hard stems will take much longer to rot down. Be prepared to wait a long time for
them to be usable, or hire a shredder and incorporate the product into the compost, or use as a mulch next year.
4) Whilst busy doing the autumn trimming don’t get carried away by doing everything! Plants such as Viburnum bodnantense will carry sweetly-scented pink flowers right through the winter,
as does Lonicera fragrantissima and the tree Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis.
5) If you enjoy the picture of heavily-frosted shrubs, don’t remove the stems of Sedums. Many Ornamental grasses and trees with a fine branch system, such as birch, and plants which may be a
focal point in the garden, will have character throughout the year.
6) Clear out bird boxes and sterilise them with boiling water.
7) Be sure to check for hibernating animals before lighting a bonfire.
8) Have the lawnmower serviced and cleaned before rust becomes established.
9) Think about planting tulip bulbs after the middle of the month.
10) KEEP OFF THE LAWN IN FROSTY WEATHER!
11) Insulate pots left out over winter.
12) Winter prune fruit trees and bushes, and plant new or additional ones.
13) Lift and store dahlias if not done already.
14) Start amaryllis (hippeastrum) bulbs into growth urgently if required to flower by Christmas.
15) Start pruning glasshouse grape vines when outdoor weather is inclement.
16) When receiving consignments of new plants, soak the roots for 24 hours in a bucket of water before planting. If planting conditions are not suitable, take out a trench in a sheltered area of the garden and put the roots of the plants in the trench with the above ground parts of the plant at 45 degrees to stop wind blowing them about. Plant in final position when circumstance allow.
17) When planting new trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, make sure to firm in the soil around the roots as you fill back the planting hole.
Posted 1st Nov 5:10pm
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Johnsons guide to trees for different locations
To celebrate National Tree Week (24th November to 2nd December), we have come up with some trees for different soils and locations.
Clay soils – Malus John Downie
Sandy Soils – Robinia Frisia
Acid soils – Amelanchier lamarckii
Wet soil – Salix chrysocoma
Exposed sites – Crataegus Paul’s Scarlet
Sheltered sites – Acer Bloodgood
Coastal sites – Populus alba
Hot sites – Sophora japonica
Shade – Acer campestre
Wildlife gardens – Prunus padus
Posted 24th Nov 5:04pm
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Jobs to do in the garden this January
1) Now is a really good time to tidy up the hellebores. Remove old leaves and make way for the
Flowers, which will be with us shortly. Plant winter aconites to improve the early spring show.
2) Be sure and remove dead leaves which have built up in the pond to prevent stagnation.
3) Service the lawnmower, spring will be with us before we realise it! If grass needs cutting,
remove it as it is too cold for it to decompose.
4) Make sure the water has been turned off to all outside taps.
5) Plant new fruit trees and bushes as conditions allow, applying a mulch of well-rotted material,
but leave a 10cm gap between the stem and the mulch to prevent potential stem rot.
6) Where Cyclamen coum has spread naturally from seed, select the best seedlings with good
leaf markings and replant into new areas which will benefit from the winter colour. Did you
know that ants carry the seed off to new locations?
7) Plant some lilies in deep pots and keep in the greenhouse ready for transfer to the flower
border when the flowers develop.
8) Placing a couple of forks of well-rotted manure on top of rhubarb crowns will encourage
them to make early growth. And, if covered with an upturned dustbin or similar, you will get
the beautiful red leaf stalks and yellow leaves we see in the shops in early spring.
9) Have a walk around the garden merely to see what additional colour you would like at this time of year and purchase new and attractive shrubs such as Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), snowdrops,
Cornus and decorative stemmed willows. Do you have enough interesting conifers in a range of sizes and colours?
10) If you have a grape vine under glass, now is the time to prune it, before the sap starts to rise.
Don’t leave it until next month as the wounds tend to bleed.
11) If you enjoy making an early start to the growing year, cover some areas with polythene or
cloches to protect the soil from the hardest frost and the heavy spring rains. This can improve
the soil temperature by up to six degrees when it is time for you to plant or sow.
12) Brush snow off conifers and heathers if there is a heavy fall, in order to prevent branches being
broken.
13) On a cold day when you are trying to keep warm, turn you compost heap sides to middle and
top to bottom, and this will ensure a good friable compost in late spring, ideal for potting on
plants of all kinds.
14) In rock gardens and raised beds, ensure that fallen leaves have been removed in order to
prevent botrytis.
15) Sit in front of a warm fire when there is a gale outside together with a blizzard, and go through
all the new seed catalogues for this coming spring and draw up a sowing/planting programme!
We hope you enjoyed our jobs for January, have you read our latest blog piece on “Hedging for 365 days of the year”?
Posted 1st Jan 5:01pm
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What to do in the garden this December
1) After a week of November rain, often heavy, fallen leaves are becoming a congealed mass in many garden corners. Try and clear them away to the compost heap before they start to rot and affect so many plants such as herbaceous, alpines, low-growing shrubs and plants in containers.
2) Any plants which are now too big for their location or ‘in the wrong place’ can be safely moved, and the soil in December is usually warm enough to stimulate the production of new roots.
Stake tall new plants to prevent wind rock until well-rooted and reduce their size if appropriate.
3) Ensure that house drains and run-off areas from the garden are not choked by leaves. It’s a time of year when water can often be found backing up in the most surprising places!
4) When lower temperatures and frost is forecast, make sure your bird feeding stations are clean and regularly refilled. The same applies to an accessible water supply. Remember, cooked food as
opposed to bird seed, may well attract vermin.
5) With long periods of rain expected, don’t forget to put a glass or plastic sheet over your alpine plants to keep off the majority of the rain.
6) Place under cover any tender plants which have been overlooked earlier in the autumn and ensure that such plants growing in the ground are wrapped in straw and hessian. Polythene is not the best material as it prevents air from getting to the plant.
7) Ensure that outside taps, and taps in unheated buildings, are well insulated for the winter months. Turn off the stop-taps if this is possible to prevent the potential for them freezing.
8) Take the opportunity on dry days to treat fences and sheds with a form of creosote which is not harmful to plants. If you have to remove climbers from the wall, take the opportunity to
prune them whilst you have full access, and also check for damage to the fence or wall.
9) If you intend to get on with the winter digging, cover a suitable area with polythene so that the ground is not waterlogged when you wish to dig.
10) Clean moss and lichens from paths and walls. There are several commercial brands of cleaner available, but bleach is equally as good. A power washer will make light work of the job,
which is impressive when completed!
11) Cut back the long shoots of ornamental vines, thin them out and then cut side shoots back to two buds.
12) Any damaged areas of turf can be replaced by new turfs or exchanged for a similar piece of turf in a less obvious position in the lawn. Do not perform this task when the soil is frozen.
13) Check apples and other stored fruits for signs of rotting and throw out damaged fruit for the birds.
14) Take the opportunity to cut back overgrown hedges, either mechanically on deciduous plants, or by the use of a saw or secateurs on large leafed evergreens such as laurel or rhododendrons.
Wait until growth starts in the spring before pruning conifer hedges.
Posted 1st Dec 5:01pm
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Wanting a hedge 365 days of the year? An evergreen hedge provides structure and privacy throughout the year, here’s 6 of the best.
Hedging for 365 days of the year
1. Prunus Rotundifolia – a vigorous, dense evergreen shrub suitable for almost all locations. Large, glossy green leaves make this a go-to plant above other Prunus varieties. Growing up to 60cm a year, trim in spring and autumn to keep a good shape.
2. Taxus Baccata – a dark green evergreen hedging plant great for shade and happy to be pruned. It is not the fastest growing evergreen variety but will grow 30-40cm per year.
3. Cupressus Leylandii – is one of the fastest evergreen hedging varieties that can grow up to 3ft per year with its eventual height reaching up to 12m. Great as a windbreak, general barrier and for noise reduction. Available in various different pot sizes and heights.
4. Buxus Sempervirens – offer a low slow growing evergreen hedging plant that will be easy to keep clipped, making it the perfect edge to a pathway, formal hedge or as a topiary shape. It is happy in full sun – full shade and can grow up to 10cm per year.
5. Prunus Lusitanica -also known as Portuguese laurel, boast luscious dark green glossy leaves on deep maroon stems with small, fragrant white flowers in the summer and red berries in the autumn which are very popular with birds.
6. Griselinia Littoralis – are known for their glossy, apple green foliage and make a fantastic dense hedge that offers screening and year-round interest. Griselinia is perfect for a formal hedge as it can be clipped neatly. It is perfect in a full sun position.
Needing hedging for shade? full sun? and an exposed site? check out our other hedging blogs –
Shade hedging plants
Hedging plants for full sun
Hedging for an exposed site
Posted 9th Jan 4:55pm
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Pupils get planting for National Tree Week
Pupils from Kirk Hammerton C of E Primary School received a lesson in the importance of planting trees this week from our procurement manager Jonathan Whittemore.
We also donated 45 bulbs, one for each child at the school to plant as part of National Tree Week which is organised each year by The Tree Council.
National Tree Week which took place from 26 November – 4 December is the UK’s largest tree celebration annually launching the start of the winter tree planting season and a chance for communities to do something positive for their local treescape.
Jonathan Whittemore presented to pupils on Tuesday 29 November about the importance of trees in the environment and also gifted a tree and plant pot for the entrance to the school.
Jonathan said:
“As a socially responsible business and one of the very few net contributors to the environment it’s very important to us to work with the local community to promote trees more than ever and to help ensure a green future for everything from humans and wildlife to bugs.
“Without trees, our towns and countryside would look bleak and uninspired.
“We enjoy working with the school and know that by visiting this week it has helped develop the children’s appreciation of the importance of tree planting and the sustainability of the local environment.”
Class 1 teacher, Brogan Fraser said:
“Following the event, the children took time to notice the trees around the school grounds, admiring their beautiful shapes and qualities. In the classroom they have been more aware of all the resources in school which are made from wood. Great fun was had by all!”
Executive Headteacher, Elizabeth Mellor said:
“I would like to add my sincere thanks to Johnsons of Whixley for their support of the school. The children benefitted enormously from the whole experience and as a result have a better understanding of how important trees are and also how to care for our environment.”
As part of our continued work in the local community, we also delivered 32 miniature Christmas trees to every child at Kirk Hammerton Nursery School.
Posted 4th Dec 4:42pm
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Why bees are so important to us
1) Every third mouthful of food we eat relies on pollinators.
2) Approximately 250,000 species of flowering plants depend on other plants to help them pollinate.
3) Broccoli, Asparagus, Cucumbers, Apples, Cherries, Almonds and Watermelons are among foods that would no longer be available if bees ceased pollinating.
4) Bees pollinate 70 of the top 100 food crops we eat.
5) By keeping flowers pollinated, bees help floral growth and provide attractive habitats for other insects and birds.
6) Imagine a Summer’s day without flowers. Bees help beautify our planet.
7) Honey bees help contribute to our economy. Inn 2008, the British Bee Keepers Association estimated that they contribute £165 million annually.
8) And last but not least, bees are the only insect in the world that produces food eaten by man (honey).
Posted 10th Jul 4:34pm
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Keeping your garden green is more important than ever before
With the rise of low-maintenance gardens, and plant-free drives, it is important to remind ourselves just how important our gardens and green fronts are.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson shares eight reasons why you should be like us – and keep you garden green!
1) Trees and plants help prevent flooding by absorbing water
2) Gardens increase a feeling of wellbeing
3) Trees and plants filter air pollution
4) You will attract bees and butterflies, even if you don’t have a large garden
5) You will increase the aesthetic appeal of your neighborhood
6) Your trees and plants give nature a home
7) Your hedging and trees help create a sound barrier
8) Porous drives soak up 50% more rain then tarmac or paving
Posted 27th Jul 4:29pm
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Johnsons plays key role in boosting UK tree population
We’ve grown and supplied more than 2.5 million trees during the last 12 months, placing us as one of the UK’s biggest net contributors to the nation’s tree population.
This week is National Tree Week (25 November – 3 December) which is organised by the UK Tree Council to mark the start of the winter tree planting season and aims to encourage communities to do something positive for their local treescape.Just 13% of the UK’s total land area is covered in trees, compared with an average elsewhere in the EU of about 35%. In England, the figure is just 10%.
It is estimated that we have grown and supplied a total of 110 million trees and hedging plants since our chairman John Richardson purchased the business in 1964, and we are continuing to supply plants and trees to high-profile projects up and down the country.
The variety of trees grown ranges from forest trees and woodland plantings, to smaller hawthorn and fringe hedging species.
Our group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “National Tree Week provides an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the many benefits trees bring, including improved air quality, flash flood prevention and shelter for wildlife, and acknowledges the importance of protecting and nurturing British woodland.”
“The benefits of strong woodland coverage in the UK are clear, not least of all because wood is an essential material in construction, and we are proud to play such a significant role in boosting the nation’s tree population.”
Posted 27th Nov 4:19pm
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How to create a bird friendly garden
Want to create a bird friendly garden but not sure how? Check out our guide below.
1) Grasses not only provide cover their seed heads provide food and material for birds’ nests.
2) Providing birds with a feeder encourages them into your garden. Once they know there’s a food source there they will be back again for more.
3) Why not add a bird bath or small pond to your garden to encourage birds. Birds love a good splash and can quench their thirst.
4) Certain shrub varieties provide great cover, nectar, attract insects and some even provide birds with berries.
5) Adding a bird house to your garden will provide birds with additional shelter and more options on when it comes to building their nest.
6) Trees are great as they provide a natural location for birds to build a nest, some provide nectar, berries and trees often attract insects.
7) Ground cover like Ivy provides cover for birds and also attracts insects.
Posted 14th Jan 4:10pm
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How to create a Dog friendly garden
1) There are lots of plants in your garden that are potentially harmful to your dog if eaten including daffodils, Tulips, foxgloves, delphinium and yew. Either replace them with more suitable plants or make sure you keep an eye on your dog when they’re out in the garden.
2) Make sure your fences are safe and secure along with keeping your gate locked to make sure your dog can’t escape. Remember they can jump quite high if they want to so ensure your hedge and fence is at a good height.
3) Keep your dog away from slugs and snails as they can catch lungworm if they eat an infected slug or snail.4) Do provide a shaded area for your dog in summer, dogs have fur and often get too hot during summer.
5) Do keep chemicals and pesticides away from your dog as it could make your dog very sick.
6) Do choose robust and sturdy plants. Dogs are known for digging and running through plants so do choose robust shrubs and established perennials.
Posted 6th Apr 3:54pm
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How to create a bee friendly garden
1) Add nectar and pollen rich flowers to your garden including varieties such as Lavender, eryngium, heather, Ivy, Mahonia, Geranium, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Salvia and many other varieties.
2) Small garden? No problem, plant up seasonal containers that will encourage bees, they will particularly be drawn to plants in the sun.
3) If your garden is big enough, a natural meadow provides additional nectar and pollen and encourages different species of bees.
4) Make a bee bath using low water and stones they can land on. Don’t fill it too deep as it may drown the bees.
5) Avoid using pesticides as these could be harmful to the bees.
6) Think about the different seasons, particularly spring and late summer, where the bees need a boost.
7) Do provide bees shelter by leaving stumps or creating your own ‘bee hotel’.
Posted 9th Apr 3:51pm
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Check out our allotment tips for national allotment week.
•Crop rotation – this is a great practice to follow which helps with soil fertility, weed control and pest and disease control. Split your plot into sections depending on how much of one group you want to grow then each year rotate by one plot. This is normally done over 3 or 4 years
3 Year
• Year one
Section one: Potatoes
Section two: Legumes, onions and roots
Section three: Brassicas
• Year two
Section one: Legumes, onions and roots
Section two: Brassicas
Section three: Potatoes
• Year three
Section one: Brassicas
Section two: Potatoes
Section three: Legumes, onions and roots
4 Year
• Year one
Section one: Legumes
Section two: Brassicas
Section three: Potatoes
Section four: Onions and roots
• Year two
Section one: Brassicas
Section two: Potatoes
Section three: Onions and roots
Section four: Legumes
• Year three
Section one: Potatoes
Section two: Onions and roots
Section three: Legumes
Section four: Brassicas
• Year four
Section one: Onions and roots
Section two: Legumes
Section three: Brassicas
Section four: Potatoes
• Clear weeds from the site 1st. Do not use a rotavator as this can spread the roots of weeds such as Nettles and Bindweed which will then re grow. Instead cut down to a manageable height and use a fork or spade to dig out. This may seem labour intensive but worth it for great soil.
• Consider what you want to grow as some crops can be in the ground years or take up large amounts of room. Soft fruit bushes will require cages with netting to protect from birds.
• Weeding between rows with a hoe in dry weather will help keep weeds under control.
• Watering – plants need to be encouraged to search for water deeply, so water well once a week instead of a light sprinkling every day. If you have a shed on your plot, invest in a water butt. This helps create a convenient supply of water.
• Sun – Ideally a plot should be in sun which is ideal for most crops. If you have a more shaded location, then hose crops wisely. Currents and berries along with chards, kale and lettuces will grow well if planted out with an established root system.
• Soil – some crops won’t grow in particular soil so get dirty and test your soil. It is also worth doing a pH test as you may need to add soil improvers. Ideally you are looking for a pH level between 6.1 and 7 as most plants will grow in this as it is high in nutrient. It is always worth adding good rich organic matter each year.
• Pest and Diseases – the most common issue is with slugs and snails. They can devastate a crop over night so try and use organic control such as Wool pellets or go on a hunt overnight and pick them off. Watch out for diseases such as Allium Leaf Minor, Potato and Tomato Blight and Club Root.
• Make you own compost – from 1 simple compost bin to 3 large crates, there is a way to make your own compost for every size plot. Starting in the spring mix green, nitrogen-rich material with brown, carbon-rich material. Keep adding to the pile, breaking up larger items and if it becomes dry spray with water. Turn regularly with a fork as it starts to cool down. This method should see compost ready in 4 months.
• Mulching – one of the best for nutrients and cost effective is leaf mulch. Simply take a black bin liner and put a few holes in the side and bottom. Collect your leaves and put them in the bag along with a spray of water. Tie the back and place it in a shaded area until the following autumn when you can apply to the plot. Try to exclude conifer and evergreen as these take several years to decompose. If you have a larger area and a lot of leaves to collect, make a leaf bin out of stakes and chicken netting.
• Wildlife friendly plots – help to encourage bees, butterflies, hedgehogs and frogs especially in more urban areas. Avoid using harsh chemicals buy using companion planting or manually removing pests. Think about creating a wild flower section which may also include a small pond. Set up bee-boxes, hedgehogs-homes and log piles.
Posted 14th Aug 3:47pm
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To mark National Butterfly Awareness Day on Saturday, Johnsons of Whixley shares six reasons why we should all try to protect our winged friends:
1. Butterflies are great for educational purposes. Their life cycles are fascinating and watching them go from egg to caterpillar to butterfly is incredible.
2. Butterflies have been used scientifically for centuries to investigate many areas of biological research.
3. Butterflies play an important role in pollinating flowers. Pollen collects on the butterfly’s body as it feeds on a flower’s nectar. As the butterfly moves on to a new flower, it carries the pollen with it.
4. Thousands of people travel abroad each year looking for butterflies. Eco-tours bring valuable income to many countries.
5. Butterflies are sensitive to climate change. Scientists monitor butterflies as a method of watching for warning signs of the more widespread effects of the phenomenon.
6. Butterflies are an important part of the food chain, particularly to birds and bats.
Posted 31st May 3:33pm
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How we are helping the bees
1) Our plants and trees provide pollen and shelter throughout the seasons.
2) We grow 100’s of varieties of plants that are good pollinators including lavenders, Echinacea’s, Buddleia and many more.
3) Our onsite apiary houses up to 400,000 bees during the summer months.
4) Bees travel up to three miles for pollen, meaning all of our local sites will be used by our bees.
5) Our onsite ponds and reservoirs provide water for bees to keep hydrated.
Posted 16th Jul 3:20pm
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Why Johnsons are net contributors to the environment
To mark World Environment Day on the 5th June, Johnsons is proud to list some of the ways we help make a positive contribution to the world around us:
• We achieved BS8555 ‘Development of Systems leading to full Environmental System’ in 2006
• We are accredited to the international quality standard ISO 9001:2015, and the environmental standard ISO 14001:2015, making us one of the few true net contributors to the environment
• No non-conforming activities have been identified for the past three years
• Our irrigation system uses rainfall and water wastage from the reservoirs
• We were identified as having the best UK nursery management systems by the MOD prior to their Aldershot refurbishment
• Our recycling for all waste, including plastic pots, is audited externally
• Our long release fertilizer included in all potting composts to ensure a nutrient reserve after planting
• 240 nursery stock growers have been inspected as potential suppliers of the widest range of available nursery stock
• The use of peat in our compost has been reduced by 40% by using crushed bark and wood fibre as alternatives
• Seven of our internal managers act as internal auditors of the environmental system
• All of our commercial vehicles now conform to the low emission standards
• All of our articulated truck trailers are low loading high volume spec
• All stores of liquids are fully bunded to prevent leakage to ground
• Our drainage systems have been upgraded to reduce scouring and silt erosion
• We are a member of the Ethical Compliance Scheme
• We have introduced a plant bio-security policy
• We have improved water oxygenation installed in irrigation ponds
• We have installed a bio-mass boiler installed to heat our propagation glasshouse and four staff houses
• We have erected many bird boxes erected and nesting birds are always protected
• We drilled an additional at Whixley to reduce use of mains water
• Our environmental systems work in tandem with quality and health and safety
• Our 200Kwh Biomass boiler has reduced the use of heating oil and provides winter protection for 1000s of plants
• The plants we supply embellish their surroundings
Posted 4th Jun 3:12pm
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Our guide to outdoor watering in dry weather
Drought (the definition for a gardener): drought is considered to occur in a garden when the soil moisture in the plant root zone is exhausted and the plants wilt. A continuous period of 15 days when there has been no measurable rain.
1) In hot weather, water in the cool of the early morning, in the evening the soil and the atmosphere will still be very warm and applied water will quickly evaporate.
2) Frequent light watering does not penetrate deep into the soil, soak the soil to a good depth from time to time. This will encourage deeper rooting and the tapping of water at lower levels.
3) After a heavy watering apply a mulch around the plant or tree, leaving 4-6 inches around the main stem to prevent fungal attacks. Remember that fine water absorbing roots are not under the trunk, but towards the edge of the plant canopy.
4) If water is not available it has been traditional to hoe the surface soil, but not deeply as you may be cutting surface roots. A crumbly, hoed surface will prevent transpiration from lower depths and facilitate the rapid absorption of rain, or water, which is applied.
5) When watering with a hose, use a rose in the end so that there is no solid water stream as this would contribute to water run-off and erosion.
6) There are now many good water sprinklers on the market which have a wide range of spray patters for efficient watering in a round or rectangular pattern. A sprinkler in conjunction with a water timer in the hose line will make the whole process so much easier.
7) Seep-hoses are particularly useful as they can be wound amongst plants that are susceptible to drought and left down all year.
8) Whenever possible, use rainwater (collected in a rainwater butt) for watering lime hating plants. such as rhododendrons, camellias, etc.
9) It’s worth noting that, half an inch of rain equals approx. 13,600 galls/acre or 2.8 gall/sq.
10) Remember, waterlogging can be as bad as drought!
Posted 26th Jun 3:10pm
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Johnsons supply West Kensington memorial garden
Johnsons of Whixley were selected by The Landscape Group id verde to supply Gwendwr Gardens in West Kensington.
Gwendwr Gardens is a public garden that was built in memory of those killed in the Blitz.
We secured the contract, worth £13,000, following a competitive tender issued by Coventry-based The Landscape Group, part of the id verde Group.
id verde Group is the European market leader for the management, maintenance and construction of natural and urban landscapes.
As part of the renovation works, overgrown foliage was cut back to make way for the new planting scheme supplied by us, comprising of approximately 6,000 plants, mainly shrubs and herbaceous and of 44 different varieties.
The new planting complements the different growing conditions within the site and provides colour and interest throughout the year.
A sunken garden, which is the focal point at the centre of the park, has also been filled with colourful plants and native flowers in shaded areas to help boost biodiversity.
The garden first opened in 1949 after being gifted to what was then Fulham Council by the Gunter Estate and was built to remember residents from West Kensington who lost their lives in the Second World War bombings.
Posted 1st Dec 1:32pm
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5 star planting scheme at luxury Lake District holiday resort
We recently won a large contract to supply a new, 5 star luxury holiday resort in the Lake District.
Landscape architect, RPS Group – one of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary consultancies advising on all aspects of the built and natural environment – selected stock from our nursery including over 300 trees, 13,000 native hedging and woodland mixes and over 2,000 ornamental shrubs for the new holiday park.
Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat is set to be opened this winter by Darwin Escapes, which operates 16 holiday parks across the UK. Since purchasing the site, previously known as North Lakes Caravan Park, Darwin Escapes has been undertaking a complete redevelopment of the resort in order to create a market-leading holiday destination, which, as well as featuring a new restaurant, bar and outDavid Cox, Technical Director at RPS said:
“Darwin Escape’s new development at Keswick Reach has been carefully designed to provide a bespoke holiday experience. The planting designs use carefully selected plant and tree species which complement the local landscape and provide a high quality setting to the holiday park.
“We have a well-established, successful relationship with Johnsons of Whixley that has enabled a specific plant and tree stock list to be developed, with high quality stock checked at the nursery and delivered to site expediently.
“Johnsons’ flexibility, market knowledge and commercial attitude has aided the project landscape architects to positively achieve a fantastic naturalistic landscape setting,” he concludes.
Tony Coles, our amenity sales manager said:
“We have supplied holiday parks before, but never on this scale and were extremely delighted to be chosen as the preferred supplier by the RPS Group and Darwin contractors.
“The mix of trees, native hedging and woodland varieties, with ornamental shrubs, perfectly complement the natural scenery, hills and woodlands surrounding the new resort and the planting scheme truly shows what we have to offer in terms of quality stock and the ability to meet large orders and deadlines for our clients.”door activity centre also includes a new landscaping and planting scheme.
Posted 21st Oct 1:28pm
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We’re celebrating 30 years of being in business with Wentworth Garden Centre
Over the years we have established relationships with clients from across a number of sectors through its amenities, garden centre sales and cash and carry services.
And our work with Wentworth Garden Centre, near Rotherham, is one such relationship with roots tracing back three decades.
We initially worked alongside one other in the Garden Centre’s first months as a business, providing high-quality stock at attractive rates.
The relationship has continued since then, and we recently supplied Yew (Taxus Baccata) to the Garden Centre as part of the renovation of their ‘Millennium Maze’.
Posted 7th Mar 1:22pm
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Johnsons supply colour to Culzean Castle, Scotland
We’re working alongside The National Trust of Scotland to add vibrant colour to the newly re-modelled entrance to Culzean Castle, and the surrounding country park, on the Ayrshire coast.
The Castle, and the 600-acre park that surrounds it, is The Trust’s second most popular property and attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year.
P1 Contractors appointed Johnsons to the project to ensure the exacting specification was met or exceeded.
This included the supply of 150no multi-stem betula, specimen azaleas, instant hedging, 1300no rootballed taxus, specimen taxus balls, ranging from 30cm to two-metre diameter, and ground cover shrubs.
We’re working in conjunction with P1 Contractors. The total value of the contract is in excess of £70,000.
Posted 14th Mar 1:21pm
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Johnsons win contract to Revive the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
We’ve secured a contract worth £122,000 to supply the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland.
The new planting scheme is part of a £48m revamp of the hospital, which cares for patients with mental health problems, after a new state-of-the-art facility was granted the go-ahead in 2014.
External work has so far included the removal of shrubbery, trees and other debris, the demolition of the Scottish Ambulance Service building, as well as the development of a therapeutic garden activity area.
A large landscape contractor selected Johnsons of Whixley to supply two phases of the project.
The initial phase, which we secured in November 2015, involved planting for the internal courtyards and the second phase, won in August 2016, was to supply the external planting areas, which is due for completion in April 2017.
In total, 280 specimen trees up to 25-30cm girth and 45,000 container shrubs are being delivered to the scheme, with over 70 different species.
Posted 17th Mar 1:14pm
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Johnsons supply 12,000 plants to former Arla Foods site
We will be supplying more than 12,000 plants as part of the retail and leisure development on the former Arla Foods site in South Ruislip.
We were selected ahead of other bids following a competitive tender process and will supply a range of shrubs and herbaceous plants as part of the project.
The contract, agreed with landscape construction and maintenance company Whiting Landscape and landscape architects Macgregor Smith, is worth more than £30,000 and is our latest ‘contract grow’ project.
The development will include a new 11-screen cinema, family restaurants, a new Asda supermarket and petrol filling station, and create more than 530 new jobs.
Work commenced on site in October 2015 and it is anticipated that the facilities will be open to the public this summer.
Johnson of Whixley senior amenity sales manager Tony Coles said: “It is a privilege for Johnsons to be making such a significant contribution to a project that will not only revitalise the site, but also create new jobs and opportunities for local residents.
“Johnsons has a proven track record of meeting the demands of large, high-volume projects and delivering plants to a high-quality and at an attractive rate.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Whiting Landscape on this project, and eager to see the wider project unfold in the months ahead.”
Posted 20th Mar 1:08pm
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Johnsons supply plants to ‘Best in show’ at the RHS Cardiff Flower Show
Johnsons of Whixley has congratulated Chris Myers on winning ‘Best in Show’ at the RHS Show Cardiff for his garden celebrating the mythical tale of ‘Bloudeuwedd’.
According to the myth, Blodeuwedd was a woman created from flowers, and the wife of the hero Lleu.
While her husband was away, Blodeuwedd fell in love with a neighbour and together they hatched a plan to kill Lleu while he bathed.
But Lleu thwarted death, and transformed into an eagle to flee, before returning to human form.
As punishment, Lleu turned Blodeuwedd into a tawny owl and she was banished to live a solitary life in the woods.
Elements from this magical story were represented in the garden.
Chris also received a Gold Medal in recognition of the high standard of his garden.
Johnsons is proud to have supplied plants to the award-winning garden, including ferns, ivy, blackthorn and oak.
RHS Cardiff was held at Bute Park in the heart of the city centre, and celebrated the best of springtime while encouraging visitors to learn and grow as gardeners.
Chris, who is best known as the presenter of Channel 4’s ‘Wild Things’, is a regular guest blogger on the Johnsons website.
Posted 11th Apr 12:57pm
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Johnsons supply Spring Flower Show’s largest ever show garden
After supporting and supplying plants to the largest ever show garden at Harrogate Spring Flower Show, as part of a project being delivered in conjunction with Help For Heroes, we are proud to announce that the garden, named ‘A Homecoming Prayer’ won gold – taking top honours at the show.
Johnsons supplied plants including bamboos, grasses, acers, specimen conifers and trees, at a heavily subsidized rate as part of their sponsorship of the project.
The garden will now be relocated, in its entirety, to its final home at Dishforth Airfield, near Thirsk, where it will serve as a memorial space for the 6th Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, who recently returned to the UK from Germany.
There are plans to construct a new Cenotaph as part of the garden.
It is hoped that the garden will not only enhance the barracks, but also kick start wider gardening initiatives, including workshops for military wives and partners.
The garden is a collaborative effort, led by the 6th Royal Logistics Core, working with Help for Heroes, in support of wounded, injured and sick veterans around the country.
Members of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) have helped to support the design and build of the show garden.
The project is also being sponsored by HESCO, a globally renowned manufacturer of defensive barriers used to protect military personnel overseas and to save homes and businesses from flooding.
Posted 21st Apr 12:51pm
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Johnsons helps National Trust at Studley Royal restore its 18th c garden
We’re helping The National Trust at Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey near Ripon, North Yorkshire, to restore an important element of its 300-year-old Georgian garden.
Since 1983 we’ve been supplying specimen container grown hedging plants to the World Heritage Site to replace its yew ‘bosquet’ hedges which have become overgrown causing them to lose their formal appearance.
The work is part of a massive programme of works that has been taking place at the Studley Royal water garden. Since taking over the site from North Yorkshire CC in 1983, the estate has invested millions of pounds in its work to safeguard this unique garden which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.
A bosquet is a group or plantation of trees and shrubs, often planted in straight lines or geometric shapes; they can be but not always are surrounded by formal hedges (green walls) or paths of gravel.
Influenced by late 17th century French fashion for formality the garden makers at Studley Royal used bosquets throughout the water garden using English yew as their favoured hedging plant.
The current overgrown, and in some places dying yew ‘bosquet’ hedge which is just over 800 metres in length, will be removed from the garden in autumn/winter 2018 and replaced with specially selected 125cm specimen container plants, which will be planted in the garden in 2019.
The specimen container plants, which were planted in October 2016, are currently growing and being nurtured at our Newlands nursery, and have already started to take shape. At the end of April the plants were shaped and another trim will be undertaken later this year.
If required, stock may be transferred into air pots to stimulate root development and returned to our Thornville site.
Group director Graham Richardson from Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We’re delighted to be working again at Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey, and are excited to be helping to restore such a beautiful garden which has so much of Yorkshire’s history behind it.
“We have a long history of working closely with the National Trust and a proven track record of delivering to a precise specification that produces an effective result.
“Growing large hedges is a genuine horticultural challenge where attention to detail is critical throughout the process.”
Head of Landscape at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Michael Ridsdale, said: “The yew bosquet is a key feature of the landscape here in the water garden. We’re pleased to be working with Johnsons of Whixley to grow new yew trees specifically for the project we have in mind, it means we can grow them to an appropriate size off-site before planting, which significantly reduces the impact of the work on the landscape.”
Posted 27th Jul 12:48pm
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Johnsons help Maggie’s Centre garden blossom with plant supply
Our Wholesale Commercial team has supplied plants to a new garden, built in the grounds of Maggie’s Centre in Oldham.
Maggie’s Centre offers practical, emotional and social support for those with cancer, along with their family and friends.
The structure and space were designed by dRMM, under the guidance of garden designer Rupert Muldoon. It was planted by Wrights Landscapes.
The garden will provide a peaceful and beautiful setting for people with cancer, friends and family members to relax and reflect.
We supplied a selection of shade tolerate herbaceous, edible and screening plants.
Our area sales manager, Vicky Newell, said: “The garden truly is beautiful. It is arranged on three levels and features beautiful Betula pendula Szechuanica multi-stem, cocooned in a ceiling to floor undulating clear window. The tree lets in so much light to the building that it lifts your spirits as you enter.
“The majority is made from recycled materials and water from the roof is drained via a single rainwater pipe hovering above a water bowl, and the next level has an edible garden featuring fruit trees and culinary herbs. Underneath the building is a swath of shade tolerate plants and a disabled access walkway so patients can enjoy their environment.”
DRMM garden designer, Rupert Muldoon, said: “Maggie’s Centre in Oldham presented the opportunity to design an ornamental forest floor, which is lushly planted and flows below the sculptural birch and pine trees on a sloping, shaded site.
“My design was based upon mixes of plants species that would knit together and thrive alongside one other, resulting in a very intricate planting schedule of perennials and shrubs. And working alongside Johnsons, I was assured of the best quality plants, which are all British-grown on site.”
The establishment of Maggie’s Centres was inspired by the story of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who was told she had cancer in a hospital corridor, and vowed that no one else with cancer should be treated in that way.
This led to the first Maggie’s Centre being opened in Edinburgh in 1996, and since then 21 Centres have opened in the UK and abroad.
Posted 4th Sep 12:16pm
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Johnsons supply plants to UK Remembrance Centre
We have supplied tens of thousands of plants to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
A total of 38,000 plants, including a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous varieties, were supplied to the project as part of a contract grow in partnership with Grace Landscapes and landscape architect Andy Webster of Fira.
Situated in Staffordshire, on the edge of the National Forest, the National Memorial Arboretum is the UK’s year-round centre of Remembrance.
The site’s maturing woodland landscape is home to more than 300 memorials, which commemorate fallen soldiers and members of the emergency services, alongside charity and civilian organisation tributes.
Johnsons of Whixley senior amenity sales manager Tony Coles said: “It was a privilege to be a part of such a prestigious and meaningful project, and help add an extra element of colour and beauty to an already picturesque setting.
“Whilst the contract has since concluded, it is always pleasing to see the results of our work at a later date. It’s a truly magnificent location and we feel enormous pride at having helped to enhance it further.”
Grace Landscapes head of estimating, Ricky Whiteman, said: “We were very proud to be awarded the soft landscaping package for such a prestigious and well-known site.
“We were pleased to be working alongside Johnsons of Whixley for the plant supply, having already developed a healthy relationship with the business over a number of years.”
Posted 13th Oct 12:06pm
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Johnsons help kick-start Leeds City Council’s new nursery
Our Garden Centre Sales division has supplied approximately 64 trolleys worth of stock to The Arium in Leeds, a new City Council led initiative to provide horticultural support to all areas of Leeds.
The Arium is the name for the newly-opened Leeds Parks Plant Nursery, which will grow more than three million plants a year for the city’s parks, roundabouts, flower beds, school grounds and other locations across the city.
The new nursery opened for business on Thorner Lane in the Scarcroft area of the city on Saturday 7 October and has enjoyed excellent footfall and levels of interest during its open weeks of trade.
The Arium is open to members of the general public and facilities on site include a café, shop and outdoor children’s play area.
The products we’ve supplied include a broad selection from across our range.
Our garden centre sales manager, Mark Reynard, said: “The Garden Centre Sales side of our business has enjoyed a relationship spanning more than 10 years with Leeds City Council, while commercially the two parties have worked together for more than 40 years.
“It’s pleasing to be able to further enhance an already strong relationship by helping the Council kick-start their new project at The Arium. We wish them every success during their first year of trade, and look forward to working closely with them in the future.”
The Arium’s senior supervisor, Lee Cawood, said: “As a council, we’ve enjoyed an excellent relationship with Johnsons of Whixley for generations.
They’ve been a key supplier to our amenity projects for a number of those years, and we’re delighted to be partnering with them for The Arium.
“The level of service and the overall quality of product that we’ve received from Johnsons has been first class, and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the business in the years ahead.”
Posted 1st Nov 12:05pm
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Johnsons help renovate York Cemetery with plant supply
We have helped renovate areas of York Cemetery, with the help of garden designer Lizzie Tulip.
Lizzie Tulip is a Chelsea Flower Show Medal winner, who has served as a trustee for the Cemetery for the last four years and helped shape the landscape of the 24-acre site.
As part of the latest project, we have supplied an order worth more than £2,000, including spectacular taxus beehive shapes, which have helped to enhance the formal Victorian section of the cemetery, and provide structural planting for the newly-named Hanley Avenue area.
An opening ceremony to mark the completion of the improvements was held on Sunday 26th November, attended by the trustees of the cemetery and invited guests.
Our Xpress office and administration supervisor, Ellie Richardson, said: “We we supply projects large and small across the UK and Europe, but local landmarks and beauty spots are equally as important to us.
“We’ve worked alongside Lizzie on many projects over the years, and it’s been great to link up with her once again to help further improve the wonderful landscape at York Cemetery.”
York Cemetery is a grade II listed landscape and one of only two privately owned Victorian cemeteries in the UK.
Founded in 1837, it now encompasses 24 acres and is administered by The York Cemetery Trust, with support of the Friends of York Cemetery.
The cemetery received a Gold Award in the Open Spaces Category of the RHS Yorkshire in Bloom Competition 2017.
Posted 7th Dec 11:58am
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We have completed a three year long project supplying plants to a Northumberland Holiday Park, supplying plants to two landscaping and construction companies as part of a major long-term project at Haggerston Castle.
The first phase of stock included native trees, hedging, ornamental and specimen shrubs which was supplied to Brambledown Landscapes Ltd in Durham, who undertook the initial landscaping, between Autumn 2013 and Spring 2015.
The 200-acre nursery then supplied various phases of stock to P1 Solutions from Edinburgh who undertook the second phase of landscaping between February 2016 and Spring 2017.
This included mature specimen trees, instant hedging, a large range of ornamental shrubs, grasses, heathers, and native structure planting.
Haggerston Castle Holiday Park is a caravan park which stands out from the crowd due to having a castle in the grounds. It is set around several lakes and is surrounded by beautiful scenery, as well as being close to beaches and castles.
Andrew Richardson, Joint Managing Director at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We have a proven track record of supplying an excellent quality of products and services to businesses in the leisure industry and it was a pleasure to be a part of such a fantastic development at Haggerston Castle.
“Our current systems at Johnsons of Whixley contain over 45,000 stock variants which ensures that we can offer a solution for every scheme and budget.”
Andy Aitken, Operations Director at P1 Solutions, said: “P1 Solutions can confirm that Johnsons of Whixley have provided top quality plants and service on the two phases of work we have carried out at Haggerston Castle in 2016 and 2017.”
Posted 4th Feb 11:54am
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Johnsons supply ‘Best Large Park in Britain’
We’re proud to have supplied our stock to a holiday resort which has been awarded as the ‘Best Large Park in Britain 2017’.
We supplied 346 trees and 15,000 hedge, shrub and herbaceous plants to Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat in the Lake District, which has been named as the Best Large Park in Britain 2017 at the Hoseasons Best in Britain awards.
The prestigious awards recognise holiday parks and resorts from across the UK for their dedication to tourism and providing exceptional experiences.
Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat, which opened in December 2016, is set within a secluded area of the Lake District, surrounded by breath-taking mountains and lakes, making it ideal for people wanting a relaxing break.
Our amenity sales manager, Andrew Barker, said: “We’re thrilled that Keswick Reach Lodge Retreat has been awarded Best Large Park in Britain.
“At Johnsons of Whixley, we supply plants to landscape schemes throughout the UK. The Keswick Reach holiday lodges are set in such a beautiful location and it was a delight to supply our stock to such an idyllic setting. Our current systems contain over 45,000 stock variants ensuring that we offer a solution for every scheme and budget.
“Huge congratulations to everyone involved at the Retreat, what a fantastic first year for the team!”
Posted 8th Feb 11:53am
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Johnsons help restore Harrogate’s grade II listed Valley Gardens
We have supplied more than £3,000 worth of plants as part of the ongoing Heritage lottery funded restoration of Harrogate’s grade II listed Valley Gardens.
The horticultural nursery, which is based equidistant between York and Harrogate, has supplied products including evergreen azaleas, ferns, camellias and rhododendrons for work on the restoration of the 1930’s Japanese Garden.
In addition to the planting the garden’s stream has been drained and desilted, additional footpaths and entrance archways have been created and three new bridges have been constructed, as part of the area’s transformation.
The order has been fulfilled by the Johnsons Xpress arm of the business, which operates alongside thriving commercial and garden centre sales divisions.
Johnsons of Whixley Plant Centre manager Robert Richardson, said: “Following a series of recent projects in North Yorkshire, we’re proud to once again have played a small role in helping transform a local green space.
“We were very pleased to be given the opportunity to contribute to the restoration of the gardens, particularly considering the sympathetic and considered approach to both design and planting being taken by the friends of Valley Gardens, Harrogate Borough Council and the Japanese garden society.
“We now look forward to seeing the rest of the redevelopment unfold, and the garden mature in the months ahead.”
Johnsons Xpress is the trade only cash and carry arm of Johnsons of Whixley, one of the longest established and largest commercial nurseries in Europe.
Xpress’s customers include landscape gardeners, garden designers, tree surgeons, estates, caravan parks and universities.
Posted 8th Feb 11:50am
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Johnsons supply plants to Manchester Airport link road
We have supplied a range of trees, plants and grasses as part of the construction of a new £15m link road at Manchester Airport.
The products were supplied to the new Enterprise Way at Airport City North throughout the month of November, in partnership with landscapers Blue Wigwam.
The range supplied includes large single and multi-stem trees, ground cover flowering plants and low maintenance grasses.
The construction of the new link road, which is a part of Airport City North at Manchester Airport, marks a major milestone that will help underpin future development, including the creation of offices, advanced manufacturing units and new hotel beds, creating a total of 11,400 new jobs.
Enterprise Way will connect new development plots to the rest of the landmark site and the wider transport network.
Our senior amenity sales manager, Tony Coles, said: “The development at Airport City North is truly exciting, and it’s been a privilege to provide products to Enterprise Way section of the wider project.
“Working with our partners at Blue Wigwam, we have delivered to an exacting specification and deadline.”
Blue Wigwam director, Richard Hughes, said: “I have worked with Johnsons for the last 17 years, and in the last year they have given me support and a quality of service and product that I can’t get from other tree nurseries.
“I believe that my loyalties lie with Johnsons of Whixley, and for a good reason – they look after me and my company.”
Posted 15th Feb 11:39am
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Johnsons supply Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre
We have completed the supply of a range of more than 20 varieties of shrubs and herbaceous plants to a landscape upgrade scheme at the Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre.
Following a competitive tender process, we secured the five-figure contract to supply more than 7,500 plants in partnership with commercial landscapers Grace Landscapes, based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
Our work on the 5.6 ha site helped to earn Grace Landscapes an award in the Soft Landscaping (£300k to £1.5m) category at the recent BALI Awards.
As part of an ambitious upgrade scheme, we worked alongside other partners, including property developer British Land and Landscape Architect McGregor Smith and main contractor McLoughlin Harvey to create a new identity for the facility.
The landscape strategy was combined with a public art initiative to create a setting that reflects the character of the local area, including the surrounding Scottish woodlands, while encouraging visitors to spend time in the external, green spaces.
Our senior amenity sales manager, Tony Coles, said: “We were delighted to land this contract in April of last year, and have since relished the opportunity to provide our usual high level of service and product quality to help upgrade the Glasgow Fort facility.
“It’s great to see the work commended by BALI, and we look forward to maintaining and further strengthening our relationship with Grace Landscapes, and our other partners in the commercial sector, during the next 12 months.”
Grace Landscapes North East regional manager, Darren Hardman, said: “The landscaping on this high-profile development has been well received by both the Centre Management Team and the public.
“It brings a different experience to the development, combining soft play for the younger members of the family, and a place to relax for parents.
“Grace Landscapes and Johnsons of Whixley liaised very closely on the scheme, from procurement of the plant material to specific timed deliveries, and Johnsons were always on hand to provide appropriate and helpful advice.”
Macgregor Smith director, Rupert Grierson, said: “Macgregor Smith has been working on Glasgow Fort for a number of years, and highlighted at an early stage in the project the requirement for high quality plant material as part of delivering the client’s vision.
“We are pleased to see that the quality of the plant material and installation has come together well and look forward to seeing new spring growth in 2018.”
Posted 15th Feb 11:32am
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Johnsons help Restore Terry’s Factory to its former glory
We have supplied a range of trees and shrubs totalling £20,000 to a recently-completed residential development on an iconic site in York.
The work is part of the conversion of the Grade 11 listed Terry’s Factory. The art deco building, which will be known as The Residence, first opened in 1926 and was the home of famous brands including Terry’s Chocolate Orange and All Gold Chocolates.
The factory closed in 2005 and it fell into serious disrepair in the years that followed, which resulted in the building being officially declared ‘at-risk’ by English Heritage.
The building has since been purchased by Henry Boot Developments, who have converted it into 170 apartments across five floors.
We have supplied 40 mature trees and 2,000 shrubs as part of the wider development, equating to the majority of the plants on site.
Our amenity sales manager, Andrew Barker, said: “The new development at The Terry’s Factory looks fantastic, and it’s been a pleasure to work alongside developers Henry Boot and David Wilson, alongside Bob Gascoyne Landscape Seeding, on the project.
“We have an excellent track record in the house building and residential development sector, and take particular pride in the quality of our products, the level of service and our ability to meet tight deadlines.”
The luxury apartments and penthouses at The Terry’s Factory will range in price from £194,950 to £649,950, and the building will feature a landscaped boulevard, boutique-style lobby and concierge desk. The total cost of the development is £38m.
Posted 16th Feb 11:28am
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Donating plants to two award winning Harrogate Flower Show gardens
We have donated £600 worth of plants to two gold award winning gardens at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show.
We donated £300 worth of plants to the charity Horticap’s ‘All Characters Great & Small’ show garden, and £300 worth of shrubs and herbaceous plants to Yorkshire Garden Designs for its ‘Eden’ show garden.
Horticap is based in Bluecoat Wood Nurseries in Harrogate and provides adults with learning and other disabilities training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.
Its garden, handcrafted by students and staff, is inspired by iconic Yorkshire landmarks and is brought to life with well-known characters from across the region including Olympic gold medallist boxer, Nicola Adams, and cricket commentator, Geoffrey Boycott.
A combination of season perennials, shrubs and trees have been used to create the patriotic garden.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire Garden Designs’ show garden is inspired by the Garden of Eden and aims to represent a perfectly balanced eco-system.
Yorkshire Garden Designs worked with Yorkshire stone mason Johnny Clasper and Wetherby-based Aquascapes & Landscaping who used flowing freeform walling to create stone streams complete with water sprouts to represent the four biblical rivers.
The design also incorporates flowers, fruits and edible herbs, along with insect friendly and aquatic plants.
The garden will find a permanent home after the show at Henshaw’s Arts & Crafts Centre in Knaresborough.
We have a long standing relationship with both Horticap and Yorkshire Garden Designs. Students at Horticap have regular visits to the nursery and we have been supplying plants to Yorkshire Garden Designs for ten years.
Ellie Richardson, of Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We have an excellent relationship with Horticap and Yorkshire Garden Designs so we were excited to donate plants to their show gardens at this year’s Harrogate Spring Flower Show.
“The gardens they have created are fantastic and show lots of skill and creativity. We’re looking forward to our continued work with the designers and can’t wait to see what gardens they create in the future.”
Lorna Batchelor, owner and garden designer at Yorkshire Garden Designs said: “The biggest part of putting together a successful show garden is finding the right people for the job, the right materials, the right suppliers and getting everything in the right place at the right time. Johnsons of Whixley never disappoint!”
Phil Airey, assistant manager at Horticap, said: “Our show garden at the Harrogate Flower Show went really well, we’d like to thank Johnsons of Whixley for all of their support.”
Posted 2nd May 11:24am
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Johnsons support York Cares ‘Big Community Challenge’
We recently offered support to this year’s York Cares initiative that aims to improve outdoor spaces at various local community organisations.
Johnsons of Whixley staff members Ellie Richardson, Corrina Mills, Vicky Newell, Darren Fawbert and Chairman John Richardson, volunteered their time and expertise to support this year’s Big Community Challenge, organised by York Cares, which aims to showcase the positive impact a green environment can have on health, wellbeing and social inclusion.
York Cares is a partnership of the city’s leading employers committed to making the city a better place through employee-volunteering.
This year’s activities included growing and caring for plants, while improving York’s green spaces to benefit different communities in the city, including older people and adults with learning disabilities at Gale Farm Court Independent Living Community; young people experiencing acute mental health issues at Mill Lodge NHS Community Unit, and patients, staff and visitors that use Clarence Gardens at York Hospital.
The Johnsons team of volunteers helped improve the outside space at Mill Lodge, a mental health community unit for 12-18-year olds. The morning involved unloading the plants they supplied, digging and creating stepping stones in the garden, whilst other volunteers made raised beds for vegetables and sensory plants, removing weeds and old plants.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “This is our second volunteering project with York Cares. It’s great to offer our support and help a local charity by not only offering volunteers but donating plants to help improve the outside spaces too. We had a mixture of staff attend from Johnsons including our Chairman John Richardson, who at 80 was just as involved in digging and weeding as the younger ones.
“As workers within the horticultural industry, we’re very much aware of the positive impact a green environment can have on those who use it, and we were pleased to lend our time and knowledge to the project, as part of a fantastic team from a range of backgrounds.”
Posted 2nd Jul 11:22am
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Johnsons help beautify Exhibition Square as part of Bloom Festival
Johnsons of Whixley has loaned £5,000 worth of plants to the upcoming Bloom Festival, to help beautify York’s Exhibition Square.
The plants were delivered on the morning of the 4 July, ahead of the Festival, which runs between 5 and 7 July, and celebrates York’s rich and varied horticultural heritage.
The jam-packed programme includes the involvement of more than 70 regional businesses and more than 100 fringe events, connecting horticulture with art, music, literature, cinematography, gastronomy and science.
The brain child of Make It York, the festival is supported by York Business Improvement District and dozens of local businesses and organisations.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “Johnsons has a growing track record of supporting local initiatives and an event of this nature is obviously something we jumped at the chance to be involved with.
“We’re pleased to supply a range of plants to assist with the projects and we look forward to seeing the results, and enjoying the rest of the Festival, in the days ahead.”
Managing director of Making it York, Steve Brown, said: “Inspired by the unique Ancient Society of York Florists, we’re bringing together green-fingered people, creatively-minded individuals and businesses to create a festival which will celebrate York’s horticultural heritage and the equally vibrant activity taking place within the city today.”
Posted 5th Jul 11:16am
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Johnsons of Whixley supply garden display for global coffee brand
We have worked with a promotional equipment specialist to deliver a UK pop-up brand promotion for a world-renowned coffee brand.
We supplied over £7,000 worth of plants and materials including ginkgo and bay trees, grasses, bamboo, shrubs, ferns, Ivy screens and ivy on canes, to a pop-up garden in Manchester to promote the coffee brand, which operates cafes and sells its products in shops worldwide.
The project is being delivered in conjunction with DHB Group that provides a full range of bespoke, quality and mobile promotional equipment solutions to blue chip clients in the UK and throughout Europe.
The garden features hanging chairs and a decorative birdcage alongside the greenery to create “an oasis to pause and rest “and is open to the public for 12 days on Wednesday 8th August at St. Ann’s Square, Manchester.
The display will also feature an insight into the history of coffee, from its legendary origins in 9th century Ethiopia, plus information on how people can support the brand’s charitable initiatives.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “For close to 100 years, Johnsons has established working relationships with companies large and small across many sectors in the UK and beyond, and we value each of them. However, it’s rare to be given an opportunity to work on a horticultural project for a true world-renowned brand.
“It was also great to get properly ‘hands on’ with the project – from quoting, to helping plant, to seeing the final finished garden in Manchester. It’s rare we have the opportunity to be involved in a project so comprehensively, from start to finish, but it’s a challenge the business has relished.”
Posted 8th Aug 10:58am
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Plants good enough for Alan Titchmarsh
We recently donated over £500 worth of plants to ITV’s Love Your Garden.
Plants included Lavenders, Geraniums, Alchemilla, grasses and many more varieties.
The team transformed Jim Cowlings’ garden in the Yorkshire Dales into a personal retreat for him and his family. Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 57, and went through lots of trail therapy, he now campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of regular check-ups.
This is the third round of donations we have made to Alan and his team at ITV’s Love Your Garden this year with a following two to DIY SOS.
Posted 5th Sep 10:58am
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Johnsons get green fingered for Greenfields community garden
Staff from horticultural nursery Johnsons of Whixley got stuck in with their third volunteering project with York Cares on Thursday, 18th October.
York Cares is a partnership of the city’s leading employers committed to improving outdoor spaces at various community organisations across the city through employee-volunteering.
The project included renovating part of the Greenfields community garden on Haxby road which included cutting back brambles, pruning fruit bushes, pulling up weeds and turning compost.
The garden is heavily used by residents, scouts and the local primary school.
The five volunteers from Johnsons of Whixley included Ellie Richardson, Laura Holmes, Claire Horner, Darren Fawbert and Jim Christmas, they joined forces with Lend a Lease – a leading international property and infrastructure group.
Steven Graham, Community Liaison Manager at Lend a Lease, said: “It’s great to get out the office and give something back to our local community, especially when two businesses can come together and really make a positive impact to a volunteer-run charity. We hope to continue to support Greenfields for many years to come.”
Volunteer and Marketing co-ordinator, Ellie Richardson from Johnsons of Whixley, said: “This is the third project we have got involved with for York Cares, it’s great to give something back to the local community and make a visible difference.”
Posted 18th Oct 10:45am
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Johnsons helps keep village’s mining heritage alive with plant supply
We have supplied more than £5,000 worth of plants to help renovate a local community garden.
1,000 plants, including shrubs, grasses and trees, were planted by a team of volunteers in Pegswood, Northumberland, on the grounds at the junction of Front Street and Longhirst Road.
The garden, which has been designed in collaboration with award-winning garden designer Sean Murray of Garden Narratives, and contractors PH Partnership, reflects the mining and brickworks heritage of the village.
The design includes 24 oak sleepers, reflecting the 24 fathoms depth of the first coal shaft that was sunk in the village, and the themed flowers will include iris coal seams and canary bird roses.
A retaining wall uses rubble from a number of old buildings in the village and there will be as many Pegswood bricks within the garden as possible.
Funding for the project was secured from numerous sources by Pegswood Parish Council.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “Johnsons has a proud history of supporting community projects in our community and beyond, and we’re proud to have been able to support the construction of a new community garden.
“We value the history and heritage of our own village, so it’s pleasing to be able to help another village pay homage to theirs.”
Pegswood Parish Council chairman, Paul Williams, said: “This is a project that we’ve been talking about for some time now.
“This community garden is intended to inform people of our history, while providing a great focal point for residents today and into the future.”
Johnsons of Whixley is a family-run horticultural nursery with roots tracing back almost 100 years. The business is today recognized as one of Europe’s largest commercial suppliers.
Posted 25th Sep 10:41am
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Plant donation for ITV Love Your Home and Garden
Earlier on in the year we teamed up with the Love Your Home and Garden team to supply a number of plants to the value of over £600.
The supply was for a single mum and her severely disabled son in Mansfield. Josh is 16 and the equipment he needs to support him and enable his mum, Benita, to move him around was getting so big that he was confined to one room in the house.
The project included not only an indoor renovation to help add some much needed open space, but a complete outdoor makeover too.
The plant donation included Helleborus, Heucheras, vincas, ceanothus trellis and a number of other shrubs and herbaceous varieties.
We donated 55 different plant lines and made the 72-mile trip to deliver the plants.
We hope Benita and Josh get to enjoy their newly renovated home and garden for many years to come.
Posted 11th Oct 10:40am
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Johnsons work with P1 Contractors Ltd to supply Saughton Park, Edinburgh
We have been working with P1 Contractors Ltd to supply plants for the restoration of Saughton Park, Edinburgh.
The £6.7 million renovation project began back in July 2017 and included the restoration of the walled garden, winter garden – including the winter glasshouse – and the restoration of the 110-year-old bandstand and garden.
Further redevelopment of the seven acre garden included:
• A brand new café
• The redevelopment of a rose garden with pergolas, and a seating area
• A new playground which is wheelchair-friendly and includes a train, bird’s nest climbing tower and lots more exciting play equipment
• Newly restored paths which include LED lighting
• A new car park
• A new entrance
• An outdoor gym
• A roller hockey and basketball court
• A new courtyard where the former stables have been turned into the parks offices
• New toilets including ones suitable for people with learning and physical disabilities
Edinburgh-based p1 has been responsible for the majority of the planned works including all the soft landscaping, landscape conservation, refurbishment of the winter garden and bandstand, the refurbishment of paths, benches, lighting, gym, car park and signage.
Richard McMonagle, Director of P1 Contractors Ltd, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of this project, it hasn’t been an easy task by any means with over 1,000 plant varieties on the order. Johnsons has excelled itself in only having to offer minimal substitutes from the original specifications and sourcing a lot of stock that we don’t normally see on our usual day to day schemes.”
Johnson’s contract to p1 was worth over £100,000. The plant supply was split over five different areas of the garden and included 70 pleached Carpinus, 90 trees over 16-18 girth size, 11 MST Betulas and over 5000 hedging plants.
The rose garden supply was worth over £40,000 and included eight thousand herbaceous plants, shrubs and roses. The bandstand renovation saw over 5,000 plants which included a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous with the white border including over 3,000 plants that included varieties like 400, Hakonechloa macra, 175 Helleborus ‘Silver Lace’ and 210 Brunnera ‘Mr Morse’.
The herbaceous border also saw over 6,000 plants used including over 350 Allium purple sensation, another 700 shrubs and herbaceous plants were used in the Italian garden also.
Ellie Richardson, Marketing & Sales Coordinator at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s great to be involved with a full renovation of a well-known Scottish park with a long-standing customer. The supply has been ongoing for over a year so it’s great to see the finished result that includes so many different lines.”
Posted 12th Oct 10:32am
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Johnsons work with Ashlea Ltd to supply A21 Tonbridge
We were selected by Ashlea Ltd in February 2017 to supply thousands of bare root hedging and trees to the new Tonbridge dual carriageway, Kent.
This was part of the two-year, £70 million project which set to create a new dual carriageway to follow the line of the existing A21.
The new dual carriageway follows the line of the existing A21 with a new junction at Fairthorne (by the petrol station) and at Longfield Road, replacing the existing roundabout at the southern end of the scheme. Parts of the existing A21 were retained to provide access to houses, businesses, fields and woodland. A new bridleway for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders was provided along the whole length of the scheme.
Planting and earth mounds were provided to ensure that existing residence would not be affected by the noise of the new dual carriageway.
Plant varieties included over 40,000 native and non-native hedging and a selection of trees and shrubs.
Green-tech also supplied the following:
• 20,000 x 1.2m standard plus tree shelters 80-120mm dia
• 20,000 x 1.2m x 32mm square fsc tree stakes
• 2,000 x 60cm Acorn treeguards for shrubs 170-200mm dia with stakes
• 2,500 x bags of tree planting compost
• 10,000 x spirals (60cm x 38mm) and canes (90cm)
Johnsons of Whixley marketing co-ordinator, Ellie Richardson, said: “This was another great project with Ashlea Ltd. We have been involved with lots of roadside planting schemes over the years so it was great to supply another well-known carriageway, we cant wait to see it mature over the next few years.
Green-tech sales manager, Andrea Questari, said: “We were delighted to be involved with Ashlea Ltd on this project. Ashlea Ltd are very well known within the industry for their landscaping on the UK’s highways. Wayne Dand and his team managed this sensitive site very well which made our job a lot easier logistically.”
Posted 26th Oct 10:26am
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Johnsons Supply Dream Wedding Venue in the Yorkshire Dales
We have been supporting Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd in the supply or Trees & Shrubs to assist in the creation of a new outdoor space linked with the renovation of an original and historic ‘Tithe Barn’ at a prestigious Yorkshire Estate.
The Grade II listed, newly-renovated barn is set within the grounds of the Duke of Devonshire’s majestic Bolton Abbey Estate in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Built in the 1500s, the Tithe Barn overlooks the priory ruins and the River Wharfe and is set to create a unique wedding venue which could be described as the most romantic and complete venue of its kind in the region.
The barn still holds a lot of its original features including its timber beams from the 1500s. The barn can host up to 400 guests and the build has included a new access road off the B6160 and a car park for guests.
The developers, Cripps Barn Group, aimed to make the barn one of the largest, spectacular and most prestigious spaces in which to get married and the results speak for themselves.
Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd, one of the largest horticultural service providers in North Yorkshire carried out the ground works which included ground preparation and grading, seeding, turfing , shrub, herbaceous and tree planting to specification.
Colin Simpson, senior estimator at Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd, said: “It has been such a privilege for us to be associated with the renovation of Tithe Barn. I can see the beautifully landscaped gardens and magnificent views being on many Wedding photographs for years to come.
Johnsons’ supply was worth over £19,000 and included 78 trees all above 12-14 girth size, 13 pleached Quercus Ilex (Holly/Holm Oak) which are situated around the edge of the garden and over 3,000 shrubs/herbaceous varieties for its borders.
Andrew Barker, Amenity sales rep at Johnsons, said: “It is wonderful to be involved in projects like this where the planting really finishes the project. Hopefully It will provide a backdrop for some fantastic wedding pictures. As always great working with true professional contractors such as the team at Ray Skelton Horticulture”
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator at Johnsons, said: “It’s fantastic to have been involved in the transformation of Tithe Barn, we have supplied the Bolton Abbey Estate for many years so it’s lovely to be able to supply another high profile part of the estate. As always Ray Skelton (Harrogate) Ltd has done a wonderful job of the outdoor space and the barn itself is truly spectacular.”
Posted 29th Oct 10:14am
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Johnsons supply exciting new 5-star lodge and spa retreat
Johnsons of Whixley has been working with Darwin Escapes to supply plants to its newest lodge and spa retreat, Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa.
The new Norfolk complex will open in January 2019 and will be bringing Darwin Escapes’ luxury accommodation and high standards of service to the region for the first time. Norfolk Woods is just one of Darwin’s 22 parks and as the newest park in the portfolio, it is one not to be missed.
The resort will include luxury self-catering lodges, many with their own private hot tub facilities, an onsite restaurant, a tropically-heated swimming pool and an on-site spa.
One of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary consultancies, RPS, has been advising on a variety of environmental aspects of the project, including the landscape planning/design, arboriculture and ecology.
David Cox, of RPS, said: “we’re really pleased to see that yet another Darwin Escapes scheme is coming together well; the quality of plant stock and efficiency of Johnsons is second to none”
Over £50,000 worth of plants have been planted at the new resort, including a variety of ornamental and native plant stock, all container grown to accommodate the park’s construction programme.
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s great to be involved with another Darwin Escapes project and to be working with RPS again.
“Back in 2016, another Darwin Escapes resort, Keswick Reach, won “Best Large Park in Britain” at the 2017 Hoseasons Annual Awards and it was great to be associated with this. I’m sure Norfolk Woods Resort & Spa will undoubtedly be recognised for its luxury and high standard.”
Andrew Barker, amenity sales rep at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “Really happy to be working on yet another Darwin site. It is tremendous working with the project management team on such high spec and impressive sites”
Posted 14th Oct 10:06am
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Johnsons Supply banking at Whinfell Forest Center Parcs
We have been selected by Ashlea Ltd to supply over 250 10L shrubs to restore the waterfall banking at Center Parcs Whinfell Forest in Penrith.
Whinfell Forest offers short breaks on the edge of the stunning Lake District National Park and includes indoor and outdoor activities. It even has its own onsite pub, restaurants and shops and is a sanctuary for the endangered red squirrel.
Ashlea’s works included the clearance of the Rhododendron banking, a new design and the planting of over 250 10L shrubs.
Varieties included Pinus mugo, Euonymus fort. ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’, Cotinus cogg. ‘Royal Purple’, Polystichum setiferum, Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’, Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ and lots of other varieties.
Johnsons of Whixley’s marketing co-ordinator, Ellie Richardson, said: This isn’t the first project we have been involved with where we have supplied Center Parcs through Ashlea Ltd so it’s great to supply another, especially with mature 10L varieties that will make an impact straight away.”
Posted 1st Nov 9:20am
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Johnsons supply large domestic garden via Lizzie Tulip an award winning garden designer.
We have been working with Lizzie Tulip Garden Design to supply plants to a local large domestic garden, Lizzie Tulip Garden Design is a specialist design consultancy renowned for creating beautiful, stylish gardens. Based in Yorkshire, they work on projects of all sizes, locations and for public and private clients.
Johnsons’ plant supply was worth over £25,000 and included a full garden renovation which included over 80 buxus balls in various sizes, pleached carpinus trees, over 200 root ball Taxus for hedging, Taxus beehives and 1000’s of herbaceous and shrubs.
Lizzie Tulip designed the gardens in North Yorkshire as a series of spaces to be enhanced by the beautiful context of the surrounding landscape and to make the most of the views out to the Vale of York.
The Front Garden and Cloister Garden provide a warm welcome to visitors, with a unique circular step linking the two gardens gracefully together. A tall Cercideiphyllum japoincum tree bridges the height of the house and in autumn the fallen foliage fills the air with the heady scent of bunt sugar.
As you venture into the garden, four formally planted Viburnum carlcephalum and a row of pleached Carpinus betulus trees frame views into the white garden and formal lawns. Through the understory of the pleaching is the central Grass Border planted with ordered structure of Buxus semperviren balls, surrounded by tall swaying grasses such as Miscanthus and Molinia varieties together with spires of Salvia and Veronicastrum.
A new loggia provides a prestigious backdrop to the formal lawns where long perennial borders, both sun and shade loving, flank the main lawn.
From the main lawns you can enjoy a walk onto the North Lawn to take in views of the surrounding fields, set within the backdrop of the informal annual and wildflower border, or visit the Pool Garden with its sunny borders of cordoned fruit trees, cloud pruned Buxus and Wisteria covered pergola.
You can also venture onto the Upper Terrace where a ‘double lavender walk’ draws you toward the seating area for views out to the White Horse. A formal pond, set within the lawn and framed with pillars of Taxus baccata, offers reflections of the sky during the day and a lit fountain to enjoy at night.
A journey to the back of the Loggia, through a bespoke domed ‘Hornbeam Arbour’ takes you from the more formal parts of the garden to the lush and exotic Stumpery. Here a stream flows down to a pond, with a series of small bridges along the way.
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s been fantastic working with Lizzie on this for the past couple of years, it’s great to see the garden coming to life now as everything has matured, a truly beautiful design by Lizzie Tulip.”
Posted 14th Nov 9:09am
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Johnsons supply BALI award winning inner-city development
Johnsons of Whixley teamed up with award-winning landscaping firm, Kingston Landscape Group, to supply Colindale Gardens – a substantial inner-city re-development by Redrow Homes worth £1 billion located in the heart of North West London.
The BALI award winning Colindale Gardens will see over 2,900 new homes with a mixture of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes surrounded by nine acres of space, the new London neighbourhood includes cycle paths, walkways landscaping, cafes, restaurants and its very own resident-only gym.
Located in London, Colindale Gardens has excellent public transport links into the centre of the capital. Redrow has invested £11 million in the Colindale Underground Station and Northern Line to support the new development.
Collindale has not only received a BALI Award for category Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) – cost between £300k-£1.5m it has now been shortlisted for not one but two APL awards in the soft landscaping and commercial garden category.
Abigail Evans Director of Kingston Landscape Group said “Redrow required us to complete a large amount of work in a short space of time. To enable us to achieve this, it was paramount that plant deliveries arrived on time, were true to spec and the correct numbers. Johnson’s delivered on this, which contributed to the overall success of the contract along with the organisation and strong team work between KLG and Redrow on site.
Johnsons of Whixley’s contract to Kingston Landscapes started in late 2017 and was worth over £90,000. It included over 5,000 herbaceous plants, nearly 7,000 shrubs including 2L, 5L and 10L plants, over 900 hedging plants and some instant hedging.
Senior Amenity Sales Manager, Tony Coles said: “We were delighted to get this contract and have since been able to secure the supply of more plants for Colindale. We relished the opportunity to provide a high level of service and product quality for this scheme. It was particularly pleasing to hear that the project has been commended by BALI, and that it will be showcased at the BALI Awards in Dec. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Kingston Landscape Group over the coming months and years.”
Posted 15th Nov 9:08am
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Johnsons supply Glasgow Riverside Campus via Ashlea Ltd
To celebrate National Tree Week (24th November to 2nd December), we look back at the supply of a number of trees to Glasgow Riverside Campus via customer Ashlea Ltd in 2016.
Glasgow Riverside Campus, situated at the edge of a major crossing at the River Clyde, won 12 architectural and design awards and was shortlisted for architecture’s most prestigious accolade, the RIBA Stirling Prize.
Ashlea Ltd carried out the groundworks at the campus back in 2016 and our plant supply included 14 large MST Betulas, thousands of Vinca’s, hundreds of Ferns and a large number of other mixed shrubs.
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s great to look back at projects where our trees and plants have beautified inner-city areas, it was another great project to be involved with Ashlea Ltd on.”
Posted 23rd Nov 8:59am
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Johnsons deliver Christmas trees to Spinningfields
We have teamed up with award-winning landscaping firm, Ground Control Ltd, to supply and install Christmas trees to Spinningfields, Manchester.
Spinningfields is one of Europe’s most successful urban regeneration projects. Home to over 165 world class financial and commercial service organisations, Spinningfields is a vibrant destination with luxury international fashion brands, bars and restaurants, such as Mulberry, Tattu and The Ivy.
Johnsons supply of Christmas trees to Spinningfields via Ground Control Ltd, included 50 Picea Omorika (commonly known as Serbian spruce) – a medium-sized evergreen tree frequently used at Christmas due to its striking crown.
These trees were a beautiful addition to Hardman Square and were installed prior to The Ivy’s launch on 27 November. Ellie Richardson, the marketing coordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s fantastic to be associated with such an exciting city-centre estate as well as to be working with a long-standing customer, Ground Control Ltd. “
Ground Control Ltd’s construction manager, Steven Yates, said: “ Ground Control are very pleased to have carried out the hard and soft landscaping on Hardman Square Furthermore the trees supplied by Johnsons beautifully compliment Spinningfields’ iconic Pavillion – Manchester’s largest timber-frame building, which hosts The Ivy.
Posted 1st Dec 8:51am
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Johnsons work with Whiting Landscape Ltd to supply plants to £100 million infrastructure.
We have teamed up with Whiting Landscape Ltd to supply plants to East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park, a £100 million infrastructure by SEGRO and Roxhill.
With up to 6,000,000 sq. Ft. of logistics accommodation. The development also includes a 50-acre Strategic Rail Freight Interchange that is capable of handling 775m of freight trains.
East Midlands Gateway is positioned in a prime location adjacent to East Midlands Airport with direct access to the M1 and J24. The freight line will provide a direct line to major ports, the channel tunnel and other UK/air freight interchanges.
Whiting Landscape Ltd’s works included semi-mature and extra heavy standard tree planting; ornamental shrub planting; forestry planting; turfing and seeding.
Kevin Jarvis, buyer at Whiting Landscape Ltd, said: “The supply of shrub and forestry stock for this project was placed with Johnsons because we were confident that the quality would be good and that they could meet the demanding call-off schedule required to get stock to site on time.”
Johnsons’ plant supply included over 13,000 2-3L in size shrubs and over 20,000 bare root transplants which were mixed and non-native.
Senior Amenity sales manager at Johnsons of Whixley, Tony Coles, said: “It was great to be chosen by Whiting Landscape Ltd to provide the plants for this £100 million infrastructure, working with Whiting Landscape Ltd we have been able to supply and meet deadlines, it’s great to see it coming together”
Posted 7th Dec 8:42am
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Johnsons supply two award-winning developments via Plant Style Ltd
We are proud to have supplied plants to two award-winning developments via Plant Style Ltd called ‘Great Kneighton, Trumpington, Cambridge’ and Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, Wiltshire’.
‘Great Kneighton, Trumpington, Cambridge’ by Countryside Properties.
The Cambridge development, by Countryside Properties, also saw the firm win a gold award in the ‘Best Public Realm’ category at the prestigious What House Awards 2018.
The development includes 120 acres of country parkland, lakes and green spaces and includes a bird reserve, woodlands, allotments and over 14,000 new trees which were planted in the community.
Plant Style Ltd was contracted to complete the landscaping which saw Johnsons supply £50,000 worth of plants such as more than 9,000 shrubs – including over 1,000 10L Buxus sempervirens and over 300 Skimmia ‘Rubella 5L’ and specimen trees.
Tadpole Garden Village, by Crest Nicholson Strategic Projects
Meanwhile, Tadpole Garden Village, by Crest Nicholson Strategic Projects, was awarded a silver in the ‘Best Public Realm’ category at the What House Awards 2018. Its grounds include a mature woodland, ponds, hedgerows and a 100- acre park which is committed to encouraging wildlife.
Plant Style Ltd carried out the landscaping for this project too which included over £90,000 of Johnsons’ plants from 2015-2018. Varieties included nearly 150 trees over 20-25 girth size, 80 large mixed native hedging units and over 12,000 shrubs and grasses.
Plant Style Ltd’s managing director, Colin McDowell, said: “Working with Johnsons to deliver these projects was an easy choice as they have proven to be one of our most reliable suppliers. The awards are great recognition for all involved and we congratulate Countryside Properties and Crest Nicholson on their success. “
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, added: “We are extremely proud to be associated with not only Plant Style Ltd but the prestigious What House Awards 2018. A huge congratulations must go to both developers and Plant Style Ltd who carried out the landscape works.”
Posted 12th Dec 3:44pm
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Luke Richardson makes Pro Landscaper’s 30 under 30
We are proud to announce that our very own Luke Richardson has been named on Pro Landscaper Magazine’s prestigious 30 under 30 list.
Pro Landscaper launched the initiative again this July to find another 30 young inspiring people in the industry, following the success of the inaugural ‘30 Under 30: The Next Generation’ last year.
The award ceremony has been designed to help young people within the horticulture and landscape sectors gain recognition and celebrate their achievements.
This year, a high volume of applications were received from all sectors of the industry, including garden design, landscaping, landscape architecture, arboriculture and suppliers.
Luke attended the 30 under 30 presentation evening on November 15th at Sandown Park Racecourse where he received his certificate. Luke’s achievement was also covered in the magazine.
Congratulations Luke!
Posted 5th Dec 3:40pm
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To mark World Health and Safety Day (Friday 28th April) we have asked Johnsons’ resident Health and Safety experts, Dave and Terry from Sound Safety, some questions around the subject and their work with us.
How long have you worked with Johnsons of Whixley?
We started working with Johnsons in June 2006, so just over 10 years!
What systems have you helped put in place during your time with Johnsons?
Initially we focused on getting senior managers, managers, supervisors and shop floor personnel involved and talking about health and safety, and started to hold regular executive and general committee meetings discussing, planning and actioning health and safety issues on site. We’ve monitored how effective our systems are through regular audits and inspections. This model has been instrumental in achieving all the improvements that have been made over the past ten years at Johnsons.
What’s been the most frequently reported incident you have come across working with different businesses?
That’s a difficult question, as we work with many different companies who operate in different environments. But there is always a human element in reported accidents and incidents. Often someone has failed to do something they should have done, or someone has done something they shouldn’t have done. Incidents involving vehicles contribute to most of the incidents reported here at Johnsons.
How often do you work with Johnsons?
We work with Johnsons one day per week, but we are always on call in the event of an emergency, or if anyone requires support or advice.
What does a day working at Johnsons entail?
In the morning, we review any accidents or incidents from the previous weeks, prepare for committee meetings that we may be attending, and work on any documents around systems and risk assessments – in other words any paperwork that needs doing. Usually in the afternoon we investigate any accidents or incidents, carry out a scheduled workplace inspection at one or two of the sites, and spend time with managers who may have raised a concern.
What do you like most about working with Johnsons?
When trying to develop a robust health and safety culture in any organisation there has to be a genuine commitment and practical involvement at senior management level. Without this commitment, it’s difficult to encourage middle management and supervisors to get on board – we believe Johnsons have those elements in place. Having an open an honest relationship with management is one of the keys to job satisfaction.
How did you both get into the health and safety industry?
For me (Terry), it just seemed a natural progression in my career, coming from an engineering background in a highly regulated chemical industry. I (David) applied for the job as Safety Officer as it meant a promotion and more money than I was getting working as a chemist – hat was 27 years ago when I had a full head of hair!
Have you been involved in any accidents or incidents yourselves in your career?
About 20 years ago I (Terry) was working on a scaffold with a colleague, when one of the scaffold boards snapped in half and I fell about four metres injuring my back. I (David) haven’t suffered any injuries at work but I once nearly electrocuted myself at home trying to fix the washer while it was still plugged in! Fortunately for me the RCD tripped so I was not injured too badly. It’s worth noting that many more injuries are caused by accidents in the home than they are by accidents in the workplace.
Finally, what health and safety advice would you give to people working in the horticulture industry?
Listen and take on board any health and safety advice you’ve been given, adhere to any training or instruction that you have received, challenge anything that may potentially put you or your colleagues at risk, and report anything that has the potential to hurt someone.
Posted 24th Apr 3:23pm
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Johnsons named runner up in Family Business Awards 2017
Johnsons of Whixley’s status as one of the county’s leading family businesses has been further enhanced after being named Runner-Up for the Yorkshire region at the prestigious Family Business of the Year Awards earlier this month.
Following a thorough application process, the Whixley-based plant nursery business, first established in 1921, was named on the final shortlist of 14 by organising body Family Business United, the magazine and resource centre that champions and celebrates the family business sector.
The awards were held on Thursday 8 June at the luxurious May Fair Hotel in London, where Grimsby-based wholesale food exporter Ramsden International was awarded the top prize.
Graham Richardson, managing director at Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We are incredibly proud to have made it so far in the competition, and were delighted to make the final shortlist, so to be named as overall runner-up is a huge achievement.
“Across three generations, family values are at the heart of everything we deliver and it is pleasing that our long-standing commitment to these values has been rewarded in this way.
“I’d like to congratulate Ramsden International on their worthy victory, and all of the other finalists for making the shortlist. We enjoyed a great night in wonderful company and left feeling immensely proud of all that we have achieved.”
John Richardson, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in September, has been the chairman of the Johnsons Group since 1964 and still takes an active daily role in governance, strategy, quality and environmental systems, and health and safety.
Two of John’s sons, Andrew and Iain, are joint managing directors, alongside sibling and group managing director, Graham.
John’s grandchildren also take an active role. Luke is a senior key account manager, Robert is manager of the wholesale cash and carry unit, and Ellie is an office and administration supervisor, with a customer-facing role within the Xpress Cash and Carry division.
A further two grandsons and a granddaughter also have sales and admin responsibilities.
Posted 14th Jun 3:05pm
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Johnsons of Whixley has invested more than £1,000 in drone technology as the company continues to drive innovation in the horticultural industry.
The new airborne cameras will enable Johnsons staff members to remotely monitor stock levels across more than 200 acres of fragmented sites, as well as crop quality and irrigation levels.
A dedicated team of staff members will be trained to operate the technology, which has a 3.5-mile range and can capture Ultra HD (4K) quality video.
Established over 90 years ago, Johnsons of Whixley has a long history of technological innovation, and finding solutions to common industry problems. Many of the solutions implemented are bespoke to the business.
Johnsons of Whixley group manging director, Graham Richardson, said: “There are a variety of envisaged uses for the new technology and we are excited about the possibilities around stock monitoring and management.
“As a business we are always eager to find ways to boost our efficiency, streamline processes and embrace technology that can help us ultimately deliver a higher quality of product to our customers.
“And by training staff members to use the technology we are aiding their continued professional development.”
Posted 14th Jun 3:04pm
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Meet our Potting Supervisor Laszlo – he’s been working at Johnsons of Whixley for four years, after moving to the UK from his hometown in Hungary.
In his profile, Laszlo talks about what he enjoys about working at our nursery, what brought him to the UK and what he likes about living here.
This is the first of a number of profiles from our staff who have moved to the UK after living in other European countries.
Name: Laszlo Csanyi
Age: 20
Hometown : Baja, Hungary
How long have been in the UK?
Four Years
What were your reasons for choosing to settle in the UK?
My older brother and father came over to the UK in February 2014 to work. After they had being living in the UK for a while my mum, myself and my younger brother and sister moved over here. My parents sold everything back home to live and work here.
Who did you come to the UK with?
My family
How did you come to work for Johnsons?
I couldn’t carry on the studies I had done in Hungary so I got better with my English over the first 6 months here and an agency firm called Jark phoned me to ask if I wanted to work at Johnsons.
What is your current role within the company?
Potting supervisor
What does a typical day for you at Johnsons consist of?
I start off with a team brainstorm and plan the day, then I get my team together and talk through what needs to be done. We generally pot 5L & 10L plants.
Has this been your only role at Johnsons? (promoted etc.)
I have always worked on potting and learnt from my previous supervisor Brian who helped me with the knowledge I have now. I was then offered a full time contract and a promotion to be the Potting Supervisor in April 2016.
What’s your favourite thing about working for the company?
I enjoy what I do and enjoy a challenge. I get on well with everyone and have always had great support from the management.
What’s your favourite thing about living in the UK?
I enjoy the loud music in pubs and clubs and there are lots of choices here compared to in Hungary, such as more music.
What are your ambitions, in work and in life?
I would say it was a big step becoming a supervisor I am really happy with that as a first step.
Posted 20th Jun 2:32pm
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Johnsons of Whixley meet the staff – Gergo Kontos
Name: Gergo Kontos
Age: 27
Hometown:
Szolnok, Hungary. I now live in Leeds, but visit home once or twice a year to see my family.
How long have been in the UK?
I moved here when I was 24, so it’s been just over three years.
What were your reasons for choosing to settle in the UK? I just felt like England had more to give.
Who did you come to the UK with? I travelled over with a friend of mine.
How did you come to work for Johnsons?
The friend I travelled over with found me a job at Johnsons, at first through an agency, and I am now employed full-time by the company.
What is your current role within the company?
I am a senior nursery worker.
What does a typical day for you at Johnsons consist of?
I mostly work in the potting shed, but I sometimes drive the tractor, or the dumper, when helping to lift amenity orders.
Has this been your only role at Johnsons?
My job and the roles I carry out have varied over the last three years I have been here, and I am happy to work wherever I am needed.
What’s your favourite thing about working for the company?
The people that work here are friendly, and this has really helped make my time enjoyable.
What’s your favourite thing about living in the UK?
The football! I support Liverpool and enjoy watching the matches on TV. I also like that my girlfriend lives in the UK, and I love the fact that Slash from Guns N’ Roses is English. I love the band and I went to see them live in London two weeks ago.
What are your ambitions, in work and in life?
I would love to travel some more, and maybe live In Australia or New Zealand with my girlfriend, but I would come back to Johnsons if I ever returned to the UK. I may end up in Australia or New Zealand once we’ve saved up enough money.
Posted 29th Jun 2:30pm
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Horticap’s students gain industry insight from nursery visit
Students and staff from the charity, Horticap, enjoyed a tour and hands-on work experience at our nurseries on Wednesday 12 July.
Horticap’s qualified staff and team of volunteers provide adults with learning difficulties with training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.
The group enjoyed a visit to the board room and a guided tour of the Johnsons nursery site and gained a first-hand insight into operations in the Xpress Cash and Carry division of the business.
The tour was hosted by Johnsons of Whixley chairman John Richardson, who celebrates his 80th birthday in September, and who still plays an active role in the running of the business.
John said: “We were delighted to welcome the students from Horticap, alongside their excellent supervisors, Phil and Erica, who were also keen to pick up production ideas which might be useful at Horticap.
“I always enjoy talking to visitors, particularly when they are young and motivated by growing plants, and the delight and surprise on the faces of these youngsters as they saw the volumes and variety of large scale production, was wonderful to see.
“As youngsters they were keen to see inside one of our big trucks, which was about to leave for Scotland, and insisted on having their photos taken in the driving seat. It was a totally new experience for all of them.
“Horticap is a truly admirable organisation, and they need, and truly deserve, the support of all our horticultural friends.”
Horticap assistant manager, Phil Airey, said: “We were made to feel so welcome by Johnsons of Whixley. Our students had a great time and learnt a lot about the industry.
“One of our student said afterwards said it was one of the best days he’s had, so we are grateful to Johnsons for hosting us, and for being so supportive of our efforts in general.”
Johnsons of Whixley has provided empty pots to Horticap for many years, whilst also supplying plants and other horticultural products to their charitable projects.
Based in Harrogate, Horticap’s students complete work under supervision throughout their local community.
The charity also raises funds by selling gardening accessories and gifts, as well as perennials, bedding plants and shrubs cultivated by Horticap’s own students and staff.
Posted 17th Jul 2:18pm
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Honey is in sight as bees get to work at our nursery
Life is sweet at our nursery as colonies of bees have been busy creating their first batch of honey.
We installed an apiary at our 200-acre nursery three months ago as part of a project in partnership with Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association, which recognises the crucial role bees play on our eco-system.
We installed the apiary to help the UK’s bee population and are now very close to seeing our first batch of honey.
Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association has been visiting the nursery fortnightly to check up on the bees. We’re looking forward to trying the first batch once the honey is ready.
Honey can be used for a variety of purposes; from medicinal use such as treating wounds and allergies, to beauty purposes such as hair conditioners and lip balms. And of course, it can simply be used to sweeten up food such as toast and pancakes.
The British bee population has declined at an alarming rate in recent years, by a third since 2007.
Contributions to the decline include recent wet summers, which have prevented bees from searching out pollen, and environmental changes, such as the increased use of pesticides in farming, alongside the depletion of natural habitats.
Bees are a vital part in the world’s food production as studies have revealed that around a third of the world’s food is pollination dependent.
Our group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “We’re excited to see that the first batch of honey is almost ready and we’re looking forward to trying it!
“Our nursery is an ideal location for bees as it utilizes the many varied plant stocks grown at Johnsons of Whixley and provides foraging within the surrounding countryside.”
Keith Simmonds, Vice President of Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association, said: “The bee colonies at Johnsons of Whixley have made good progress following a slow start to the year and I am hoping for a good first harvest from them.
“Honey bees have many problems to face in their short lives, with the loss of wild flowers and the increase in the various external factors effecting their survival, a site such as Johnsons which offers so many nectar and pollen producing plants will help the long term survival of the honey bee.
“I would encourage as many people as possible to offer sites for bee colonies and I would like to say a big thank you to Johnsons of Whixley for providing an apiary site.”
Posted 21st Jul 2:13pm
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On the road with Johnsons of Whixley driver Tim Smith
How have you found your first year on the road working for Johnsons?
It has been an enjoyable year that has flown by and proved to be very different from my previous job.
What is the difference between this job and your last job?
My last job was Frozen food distribution, delivering to large supermarket distribution centres nationwide, on timed deliveries. They are very impersonal places where you are just a number. There was no customer interaction, unlike at Johnsons, where it is positively encouraged. I engage with customers on a daily basis and I feel like a valued member of staff.
What has been the biggest challenge?
As part of everyday life as a delivery driver, finding new addresses that can be in the most awkward places is a big challenge. Sometimes the places are inaccessible to the size of vehicle I am driving, so we have to sometimes think hard to find solutions.
Where have you travelled most to in the last year?
Holland. I go on a regular basis each month.
What is your favourite part of the job?
I drive a well-kept truck that I am proud of.
Where is the furthest delivery you have done?
I drove to Wick, which is North East Scotland, and nearly 500 miles away from Johnsons. This was to deliver Ashlea landscaping to a new school.
If you could go anywhere in your truck where would it be?
I would like to go into the South West more. I don’t get the opportunity to go in that direction much.
How do you cope with the various challenges of long-distance driving?
Driving an HGV is unlike driving a car and it brings with it its own challenges. As a professional driver, we have many more laws to adhere to; driver’s hours to name one. Together with this, the vehicles themselves are huge advertising billboards, so concentration is imperative. The long distances are something you quickly get used to.
Posted 7th Aug 2:10pm
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Johnsons of Whixley meet the boss – John Richardson
Meet our chairman John Richardson, who has been at the head of our business for more than 50 years and says he has no plans to retire.
John first took ownership of Johnsons of Whixley in 1964. Under his leadership, the business has grown to become one of the largest commercial nursery businesses in Europe, and a trusted supplier of plants and trees to commercial projects throughout the UK.
Most 80 year olds are at home reading a book or watching TV. At 79 you are still at work four or five days a week. What does an average day entail?My average day at work involves managing a series of administrative tasks related to quality and environmental systems, health and safety, packaging waste, agricultural census requirements, as well as answering letters with no other obvious recipient. I maintain a number of ongoing historical records and attend meetings appropriate to my role.
How will you be celebrating turning 80 this year?
Possibly by going out for a meal with family one evening.
What got you interested in horticulture and what has kept you motivated all these years?
I grew up on the traditional West Riding farm run by my mother’s family, producing cereals, vegetables and 200 acres of rhubarb. I worked from age 11 on the farm during every non-school hour. I wasn’t motivated by classroom subjects – only woodwork!
On leaving school I applied to go to Askham Bryan College, but the principal suggested that I should go to Writtle College in Essex and do a two-year Diploma course, which I did.
I tried salad production, tomatoes, vegetables and spent three years selling fertilizer to commercial growers before deciding to focus on nursery stock production.
What are you most proud of?
I’ve never owed anyone money, other than a mortgage, and I am delighted to have the family I have got.
If you hadn’t opened a successful nursery what career path would you have gone down?
Almost certainly I would have gone in to some sort of mechanical engineering. Aged 16, I applied for an apprenticeship with Rolls Royce, but was turned down, as my maths results were not good enough.
Was there any point at which you felt like quitting?
I’ve never felt like quitting anything other than Latin! Every time we’ve had a problem I try and see the way out, never look back and consider what we might have done differently.
Is there anything you would have changed, knowing what you know now?
I may have developed a garden centre if any of my sons had been motivated to run it.
What are the biggest changes you have seen in the industry over the last 50 years?
Climate change and the impact of foreign holidays has revolutionised the range of plants now used in private gardens. There have also been big changes around the use of plastic. 50 years ago there were no plastic pots, no poly tunnels and no polythene bags. And there were fewer summer sales because nothing was in pots. Mechanisation has also increased significantly.
What is the biggest change in shopping trends you have seen over the last 50 years?
The first garden centres were seen on the outskirts of London just 50 years ago. The first supermarkets followed soon after. The local authorities used to order plants for their own parks departments to plant – now local authority work is almost entirely through contractors.
Is it nice to see the different generations of the family coming into the business?
It’s really satisfying!
Do you have any advice for people starting out in horticulture or their own business?
Attack the project with fire and enthusiasm and gain as much knowledge as possible related to the entire project area you are interested in. Learn about it as much as you can. Watch every episode of Dragons’ Den and you will then realise how many people don’t know the basic facts relating to their proposals but expect support from others. You will have one or two setbacks – but skill, enthusiasm, personality and quick thinking will carry you through. No job will be as rewarding as working for yourself.
…and finally, will you ever retire?
Retiring is something you do when you go to bed! I love my association with my work, the staff, our customers – and the plants! – too much to consider packing in. What would I do? I have 14 books waiting to be read, and I try and get through them, but only very slowly!
Posted 5th Oct 1:57pm
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Johnsons of Whixley Meet the boss – Tony Coles
Johnsons of Whixley’s Senior Amenity Sales Manager, Tony Coles, recently took part in the York Press Meet the Boss feature. Check out his interview below.
What job would you like to have other than your own and why?
It sounds daft but I would have liked to have been an Astronaut. I have always had an interested in space and the sense of seeing the earth from space is appealing. But, in reality, that was never going to happen, so I was very proud to instead serve in HM Forces before joining Johnsons of Whixley. I served in the Royal Navy for 14 years, and enjoyed every moment of that. Being part of a team that was defending your country was a great feeling, plus I got to travel and visit many places around the world.
Greatest achievement?
This is not an easy question to answer, but I have been lucky enough to have never been out of work. Since leaving school I have only ever had three jobs, and I have spent 22 and a half years at Johnsons of Whixley, doing a variety of roles during that time. I’m very proud of what I have achieved during my professional career.
What makes you most angry?
I think that would have to be those people you sometimes find who walk down the street looking at their mobile phones and not looking where they are going. I have to say that is something that really annoys me, and I’m sure other share my frustrations, especially when you’re in a rush!
Biggest mistake?
I’d say one of my biggest regrets was probably not working hard enough at school. I should have done better than I did, and then who knows where I might have ended up. But then I also think that the biggest mistake someone can make is not learning from their mistakes!
What do you need to make life complete?
Health is a very important factor for happiness, alongside feeling the comfort of knowing that I would not have to rely on anybody in my old age. You certainly appreciate the importance of overall health and wellbeing as you get older.
Why do you make a difference?
Not an easy one this, because I think we all make a difference to the world in our own small ways. I think the most important thing is to just do your best at what you do, whether it being in your workplace, at home or anywhere else. I believe that if you do that then you can certainly make a difference.
Posted 6th Oct 1:44pm
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Johnsons teams up with Children in Need to help transform community centre
Johnsons of Whixley teamed up with BBC Children in Need and the DIY SOS team to help a local charity in Swansea rebuild their community centre.
We donated a range of large trees, hedging and shrubs as part of the redevelopment of the centre and its grounds.
The centre is operated by The Roots Foundation, which has spent the last two years in a dilapidated wooden hut, and the lack of space and facilities was making it difficult for the team to provide its services to those who need it.
The Roots Foundation provides help and support to young people who are leaving the care system and preparing for the challenges of the next chapter in their lives.
The DIY SOS team was challenged to construct a new support centre from scratch, which is spacious and suitable for the users’ specific needs, in just 11 days.
The new development includes a large youth club space, therapy room, kitchen for cooking classes and a Life Skills Garden. The build also included four self-contained apartments.
‘DIY SOS: The Big Build’ is the BBC’s flagship home renovation programme. It has been running for 18 years, and attracts up to five million viewers per episode in its prime-time slot on BBC One.
The results of renovation will be revealed when the programme airs in November.
Johnsons of Whixley group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “Across our business, Johnsons of Whixley is involved in a diverse range of projects, of which many provide care and support to the local community.
“We’re proud to have been able to give our support to a cause as worthwhile as The Roots Foundation, who provide such a valuable service to young people in their community.”
A spokesperson for BBC Children in Need said: “DIY SOS completely relies on the support and generosity of the local community, tradespeople and suppliers to help transform the lives of truly deserving families.
“It’s great to have Johnsons of Whixley on board for this – their donation is huge and is of great support to the project.”
Posted 27th Oct 1:41pm
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Our Chairman John has won a Lifetime of Achievement Award.
John Richardson has been named as one of the first recipients of a Lifetime Achievement Award in The Yorkshire Post newspaper’s Rural Excellence Awards.
John received the honour at the inaugural edition of the awards, held at the Pavilions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground on Thursday 12 October.
He was honoured alongside Roger Nicholson, whose family operate Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley, and agronomist Dave Clark, a pioneer of new techniques who was the first to advise on the use of fungicides for wheat, and use novel products to both control disease and improve grain quality.
John’s own achievements in the horticultural industry span well over half a century, having purchased the business in 1964 with just eight full-time staff in 1964, and grown it to employ more than 100, rising to 150 seasonally.
Under John’s reign, Johnsons has had continuous success. During the last 12 months, the business has delivered a turnover of just over £12m, representing our best ever annual performance.
Today, Johnsons is a true Yorkshire family business, employing three generations of the Richardson family; John’s sons, Graham, Ian and Andrew serve as directors.
Johnsons of Whixley chairman, John Richardson, said: “It was a tremendous honour to be shortlisted alongside such worthy nominees, and an even greater privilege to be named as one of the inaugural winners of the Rural Excellent Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I’d like to congratulate Roger and Dave on their outstanding achievements in their respective industries. They have both proven themselves to be true pioneers and it is humbling to have been named in their company.”
Posted 12th Oct 1:22pm
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Honey all round as we collect our first batch from our onsite apiary
We’re delighted to have collected our first batch of honey, after installing an on-site apiary earlier this year.After recognizing the important role that bees play in the UK’s natural eco-system, we partnered with Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association to offer the insects a home at a new apiary, constructed in May.
The British bee population has declined at an alarming rate in recent years, by a third since 2007.
Contributions to the decline include recent wet summers, which have prevented bees from searching out pollen, and environmental changes, such as the increased use of pesticides in farming, alongside the depletion of natural habitats.
Bees are a vital part in the world’s food production, as studies have revealed that around a third of the world’s food is pollination dependent.
The new apiary has already provided a boost to the local bee population, and several jars of honey have now been collected.
Each bee can make half a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime, meaning it takes approximately 180 bees to fill a full jar.
Our group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “The installation of the on-site apiary has proven a hugely worthwhile exercise. It’s our duty to protect and nurture our eco-system, and this is a small way that we can do just that.”
Have you read our blog on planting trees for bees? you can read it here ‘Planting trees for bees’
Posted 28th Sep 1:13pm
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Welcome to the team Johnsons Laura Holmes
Congratulations to Laura Holmes who has joined the sales team as a Sales Administrator from her previous HR admin role at the City of York Council, here’s what she had to say about her new job.
1) Where did you work prior to Johnsons?
City of York Council
2) What was your previous role at the City of York Council?
HR Administrator – Recruitment
3) What does your role include at Johnsons?
My role at Johnsons is a Sales Administrator. This includes putting orders on, completing and returning quotes, dealing with customer inquiries, telephone calls, logging complaints and much more.
4) How have you found your last few weeks at Johnsons?
I have found the last few weeks at Johnsons very interesting. I am learning a lot of new things and dealing with many different people. It has also been busy which is good for me, because it gives me lots of practice.
5) What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I am looking forward to learning new skills and picking up challenges I will of not of faced in my old role.
6) What do you think the challenges will be?
A challenge I have already come across is learning all the different plant names and varieties also identifying what they look like. I think this will take some time as there are so many to learn!
Senior Amenity Sales Manager Tony Coles said “It is great to welcome Laura into the Amenity sales Team, Laura will help provide vital administrative support for the section, her support will help the Area Managers focus on bringing in new business for the company whilst retaining excellent relationships with our existing clients.”
Posted 8th Feb 1:06pm
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To mark Employee Appreciation Day, some of our members of staff have shared with us what they enjoy about working at Johnsons of Whixley and how the business has supported them in their career.
Group Managing Director Graham Richardson said ” In a largely manual industry we remain very reliant on our employees for every aspect of what we do. The level of motivation and commitment never ceases to amaze us and it couldn’t be more apparent at times of extreme weather or hard-ship. To the team at Johnsons – “thank you all”!
Today is Employee Appreciation Day (2nd March), what do you enjoy about be-ing an employee at Johnsons of Whixley?
Bev Elsworth, Senior Nursery Worker, said: “I love seeing the colourful flowers and foliage of the variety of plants.”
Darren Earle, IT & Systems Manager, said: “I enjoy the variety of work that I get to be involved with. Also the people I work with make it a good environment to be in.”
Jason Clement, Senior Wholesale Plant Centre Assistant, said: “I enjoy being an employee at Johnsons because I’m working outside in the fresh air, the work I do is appreciated, I work in a stress free and friendly environment and I learn new things most days.”
Matt Campey, Despatch Team Member, said: “I enjoy how every day is different and you are always kept busy – the days fly by.”
Describe a typical day at Johnsons of Whixley.
Andrew Barker, Sales Account Manager, said: “Usually very busy, quoting new work, making sure that orders go out and are not delayed and dealing with any issues that arise.”
Eric Buckby, Deputy Manager Container Unit, said: “Setting up the potting machine for crops we intend to pot that day and when the team arrive, and organising what everyone is doing throughout the day.”
Sara Szabo, Retail Senior Supervisor, said: “Quality control, final checking of orders, watering glasshouse, sorting orders for garden centres, deputise for the retail line manager, and sorting out delivery notes for wagons to give to despatch.”
What previous positions have you had at Johnsons?
Bev Elsworth, Senior Nursery Worker, said: “I first started working on the retail line, then I moved onto the amenity orders.”’
Nige Crowl, Maintenance Operative, said: “I was a HGV delivery driver and before that I worked at Johnsons as a general nurseryman“
Sara Szabo, Retail Senior Supervisor, said: “I used to work at the Cattal site with the potting team but had many other tasks including tying and trimming.”
How has Johnsons of Whixley supported you in your career?
Andrew Barker, Sales Account Manager, said: “I have gradually increased my responsibilities and Johnsons of Whixley have provided further training where required.”
Darren Earle, IT & Systems Manager, said: “When I have expressed an interest to be involved in specific areas, I have been given the opportunity to do so. I have had the chance to develop systems in the ways I want which has provided new experiences whilst being the best fit for the business.”
Paul Lamb, Assistant Retail Sales Manager, said: “I have had a number of roles in my time at Johnsons of Whixley, whatever I have done I have never doubted that I didn’t have their full support.”
Tracey Richardson, Receptionist, said: “Johnsons of Whixley have provided me with in house training, and have helped with time off for child care during Summer holidays.”
How does working at Johnsons of Whixley compare to previous jobs you’ve had?
Andrew Barker, Sales Account Manager, said: “It is surprisingly similar to the food industry supply but with not as many cakes!”
Eric Buckby, Deputy Manager Container Unit, said: “When I was farming I was working and on call seven days a week and any holiday was a rarity.”
Matt Campey, Despatch Team Member, said: “Different, At Johnsons on the despatch unit we work as a team, whereas in other jobs I have mainly worked on my own.”
What do you think is the best way to make an employee feel appreciated?
Bev Elsworth, Senior Nursery Worker, said: “Talk to them, explain what’s going on, don’t leave them left out, understand what they are going through, look after them during difficult times.”
Jason Clement, Senior Wholesale Plant Centre Assistant, said: “I think communication is important and being thanked for your hard work is always good.”
Paul Lamb, Assistant Retail Sales Manager, said: “Still keep paying them is a good start! Seriously, it is just the simple things like saying good morning, knowing your name and the fact you’re not a number, and thanking you for your effort.”
What’s your proudest career and personal achievement?
Bev Elsworth, Senior Nursery Worker, said: “Getting 100% in my Spray certificate, teaching myself the different varieties of plants.”
Eric Buckby, Deputy Manager Container Unit, said: “Being appointed as Deputy Manager and always trying to improve output and quality of the team.”
Nige Crowl, Maintenance Operative, said: “I passed my HGV test first time and I have never really fallen out with anyone.”
Paul Horner, Junior Supervisor, said: “Being promoted from nursery worker to supervisor and I met my wife Claire at work.”
Tell us a random fact about yourself
Andrew Barker, Sales Account Manager, said: “We once had a pet chicken called ‘Nuggets’.”
Bev Elsworth, Senior Nursery Worker, said: “Working here is like doing a work out everyday, no need to go to the gym! Also, I enjoy springboard diving at the Hydro in Harrogate.”
Matt Campey, Despatch Team Member, said: “I’ve been fortunate enough to work abroad in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.”
Tracey Richardson, Receptionist, said: “I would love to be an 80s DJ.”
Posted 1st Mar 1:00pm
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Congratulations to Terry Cooper who has taken on the system support assistant role and will be working alongside IT Manager Darren Earle.
Where did you work prior to Johnsons?
I’ve done quite a bit, worked as an engraver with my uncle for a few months, which seemed interesting but I only really scratched the surface whilst there. I also worked at a guitar shop in York but had to quit as there were just too many strings attached. I have also been a call centre android, supermarket vegetable wrangler, construction site high visibility statue and a chef.
What was your previous role at Johnsons?
I have been working in operations, generally ensuring all orders are processed and allocated correctly,before that I was outside on the nursery, mainly with the plant production team at Cattal.
What will your new role include at Johnsons?
It’s quite a varied role, but mainly I will be involved with providing direct user support, some development and System testing, Cyber security,
General monitoring, Maintaining and updating of the Company’s IT Hardware and Software, I will also have to buffer the calibrated pixel-layer memory matrix to ensure that the quantum-core kernel correctly defrags the encrypted data mainframe and vector-cache.…and of course the classic turning it off and on again.
Have you always had an interest in IT ?
Yeah definitely, us early ‘millennials’ were kids during the time the internet became widely accessible and it was hard not to be influenced by such a fascinating communications revolution.
I also remember getting in trouble at school for repeatedly changing the homepage from askjeeves to google, despite it being the superior search engine.
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
The opportunity to acquire knowledge of a constantly evolving progressive industry sector and seeing tangible benefits where I.T improvements have been implemented.
What do you think the Challenges will be?
Without a doubt remembering what all the acronyms/initialisms stand for, MAC, HTTP, DBMS, DHCP, DNS, TCP/IP, SMTP…. The list is endless!
Is there any specific courses you will be attending to help with your new role?
I have enrolled with the exclusive Darren Earle School of Information Technology which is fantastic, i will also be ‘attending’ various webinars on database administration and SQL, working towards a Microsoft accreditation.
IT Manager Darren Earle said “Seeing Terry’s involvement in a few projects he has worked on in his old role I recognised that he had a flair for IT. Coming from a User role into a Systems role will provide a great benefit to developing new projects. I’m looking forwards to working together”
Posted 6th Mar 12:58pm
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Family Business – National Siblings Day
To mark National Siblings Day on Tuesday 10th April, we’re celebrating the brothers and sisters who work together here at Johnsons of Whixley.
Our workforce is made up of 100 employees, which includes three generations of the Richardson family, colleagues with 30 years’ service and employees of different nationalities – combining decades of experience in horticulture.
The business is owned by chairman John Richardson, whose three sons, Andrew, Graham and Iain, all work for the business, along with six of John’s grandchildren.
John’s children and grandchildren have always been hands-on in the nursery, from helping with digging, to testing out their new toy cars around the grounds.
Fast forward to adulthood and two of John’s sons, Andrew and Iain, are joint managing directors, while his other son, Graham, is group managing director. Between them, they are in charge of running the company and overseeing different areas of the business.
As group managing director, Graham Richardson takes a leading role in ensuring delivery and the smooth running of all business obligations. In addition, he oversees the company’s finance, systems, people, administration and marketing.
As joint managing director, Andrew Richardson has a stake in sales, marketing and transport across the group, while joint managing director, Iain Richardson, is responsible for amenity and retail sales, production, logistics, purchasing, maintenance, operations and stock.
The next generation of the Richardson family is John’s grandchildren and Graham’s children Luke, Robert, Ellie and Shaun.
Pictured above Robert, Ellie and Luke
Luke is a senior key account manager, Robert is manager of the Wholesale Cash and Carry unit, Ellie is an office and administration supervisor, with a customer-facing role within the Xpress Cash and Carry division, while Shaun is a wholesale plant centre assistant which involves keeping the Cash and Carry stocked up, collating customer orders, and helping with the general upkeep.
Ellie said: “Growing up around the family business has been lots of fun – I would play out in the nursery most nights after school and it was particularly fun in the summer months when we could run through the water sprinklers! I also used to enjoy jumping in the compost heap!
“I would go to work with my dad most Saturdays and at the age of 14 I would answer phone calls after school and in the school holidays.
“After finishing my beauty qualifications, I had accepted a job working on a cruise ship and started working for the family business before I started working on the cruise ships. At the age of 18 I decided that being thousands of miles away from home was daunting and wasn’t for me. I was enjoying working for the family business and decided to stay and not take up a career on the ships.
“Working with family can be challenging but we all get on so well and are all so close that if there are any differences at work we soon sort them out. Working in sales and seeing the quotes and the money you are making for the business is particularly motivating.”
John said: “As a father, I find it quite exceptional that we can work together all week, and then enjoy meeting up for a meal out at the weekend.”
Posted 10th Apr 12:37pm
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A warm welcome to Alice Knowles who joins the cash & carry team.
Alice joins us from RHS Harlow Carr and has a great plant knowledge behind her, Alice will be working front of house on the cash & carry dealing with customer enquiries in person, on the phone and by email, Here’s what she had to say about her new job.
1) Where did you work prior to Johnsons? – spent the last 10 years working in garden centres with the last 4 years at RHS Harlow Carr Plant centre as a team leader.
2) What are the similarities in your old role to your new role at Johnsons? – Customer facing role, giving plant advice, stock ordering.
3) Where did you study and what qualifications did you gain? – 2 years at Bishop Burton Collage doing ND in Horticulture covering subjects such as machinery, propagation and pruning.
4) What will your role include at Johnsons? Front of house, dealing with customer enquiries in store, over the phone and by email, quotes and sales.
5) How have you found your first week at Johnsons? Varied trying to learn all the new systems but the team have been very supportive.
6)What are you looking forward to in your new role? Working alongside a nursery and gaining more horticultural knowledge.
7) What do you think the challenges will be? Trying to remember plant pot sizes/height/container/root ball,the bad weather and not having a Bettys lunch everyday.
8) Tell us a random fact about yourself? I’m a Leeds Rhinos supporter.
Have you met Cash & Carry Manager Luke Richardson? You can find out all about him here ‘Congratulations to Luke Richardson new cash & carry manager’
Posted 18th Apr 11:54am
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Welcome to the team Simon Harrison
We would like to welcome Simon Harrison to the Johnsons Of Whixley team. Simon joins our incoming goods team which is quite the change from his 20 years as a chef In the NHS. Simon’s role will include unloading incoming deliveries, checking off incoming deliveries and putting them in the correct location ready for customer orders or for our own beds of stock.
1) Where did you work prior to Johnsons? I’ve worked in the NHS for the last 20 years as a chef and for the last 10 as the assistant head chef.
2)What did your job role include? Day to day running of a busy kitchen helping organise around 30 staff and up to 1000 meals, I was also responsible for ordering incoming supplies which were needed to run the department but outgoing deliveries also.
3)What will you miss about working at the hospital?
The good friends I have made over the years but I will probably miss the free lunch more!
4)What will your role include at Johnsons? My role within Johnsons currently is working closely with Tony Green and Carolyn Pickard within the incoming goods department, helping unload deliveries that come into the yard then trying to find them a home somewhere on site.
5)How have you found your first few months at Johnsons? I’ve really enjoyed and relished the first few months in my new role.
6)What are you looking forward to in your new role? Learning new skills in a new environment.
7)What do you think the challenges will be? The main challenges are obviously gaining the mind boggling plant knowledge that most people here have but I have surprised myself so far by remembering more and more.
8) What do you get up to outside of work? I enjoy various sports including cycling, squash, boxing and still play football regularly (while my knees let me) I have two young children who keep us very busy! I spend a lot of time watching my son play football too.
Posted 20th Apr 11:42am
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Johnsons of Whixley mark National Volunteers’ Week by helping adults with learning difficulties learn new horticultural skills.
Our very own Ellie Richardson recently spent a day working with Horticap, a charity that provides adults with learning disabilities training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.
Johnsons has an established relationship with Horticap, spanning more than ten years.
Working with the group, Ellie created pom-poms to add to a wired hare sculpture, which will be sold at Harrogate Hospital to raise funds for the charity once completed.
Ellie also learned how the students made hanging baskets, while also making her own.
Volunteers’ Week takes place 1-7 June every year and provides an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.
Ellie said: “Volunteering is important to a lot of staff members here at Johnsons and we’re proud of the time and expertise we have leant to others over the years.
“Volunteering gives you that feel-good factor and it was nice being in a different environment. I really enjoyed my day with Horticap.
“The students, instructors and carers were lovely to me and I will definitely be volunteering with them again.”
Posted 5th Jun 4:51pm
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Johnsons of Whixley sponsor balloon raffle for local charity ball which supports the Sir Ogden Macmillan Centre, Harrogate.
More than £26,000 was raised towards funding cancer treatments and provide vital supportive services for Harrogate’s patients and carers, to help them live with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.
The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre (SROMC) provides high quality cancer treatments and health and wellbeing services.
It offers support for people affected by a cancer diagnosis in the Harrogate and rural district community, as well as some patients from the north Leeds area.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Managing Director Graham Richardson said: “It’s important that we contribute to local charities like the Sir Ogden Macmillan Centre which provides high quality cancer treatment and care, we look forward to supporting the charity again next year”
Wish to support the Sir Ogden Macmillan Centre? you can find all the information you need here ‘Sir Ogden Macmillan Centre’
Posted 22nd Jun 4:40pm
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Johnsons staff member gains a close insight to onsite apiary.
Staff member Ellie Richardson gained a close insight into activity within the apiary and discovered that site now houses more than 400,000 bees.
The Johnsons site is perfect for bees as it provides foraging within the surrounding countryside and utilises the many varied plant stocks grown in the nursery.
Johnsons predicts that their seven on-site beehives could house more than 600,000 bees by July.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “Bees are hugely important to us as they pollinate a third of the food we eat.
“But it is only once you start learning about bees that you realise how amazing they are. I am definitely considering taking up a course next year to become a beekeeper myself!”
The British bee population has declined at an alarming rate in recent years, by a third since 2007.
Contributions to the decline include recent wet summers, which have prevented bees from searching out pollen, and environmental changes, such as the increased use of pesticides in farming, alongside the depletion of natural habitats.
Bees are a vital part in the world’s food production, as studies have revealed that around a third of the world’s food is pollination dependent.
Posted 26th Jun 4:31pm
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York Cares Big Community Challenge 2018
We recently offered support to this year’s York Cares initiative that aims to improve outdoor spaces at various local community organizations.
Johnsons of Whixley staff members Ellie Richardson, Corrina Mills, Vicky Newell, Darren Fawbert and Chairman John Richardson, volunteered their time and expertise to support this year’s Big Community Challenge, organized by York Cares, which aims to showcase the positive impact a green environment can have on health, wellbeing and social inclusion.
York Cares is a partnership of the city’s leading employers committed to making the city a better place through employee-volunteering.
This year’s activities included growing and caring for plants, while improving York’s green spaces to benefit different communities in the city, including older people and adults with learning disabilities at Gale Farm Court Independent Living Community; young people experiencing acute mental health issues at Mill Lodge NHS Community Unit, and patients, staff and visitors that use Clarence Gardens at York Hospital.
The Johnsons team of volunteers helped improve the outside space at Mill Lodge, a mental health community unit for 12-18-year olds. The morning involved unloading the plants they supplied, digging and creating stepping stones in the garden, whilst other volunteers made raised beds for vegetables and sensory plants, removing weeds and old plants.
Johnsons of Whixley’s Ellie Richardson said: “This is our second volunteering project with York Cares. It’s great to offer our support and help a local charity by not only offering volunteers but donating plants to help improve the outside spaces too. We had a mixture of staff attend from Johnsons including our Chairman John Richardson, who at 80 was just as involved in digging and weeding as the younger ones.
“As workers within the horticultural industry, we’re very much aware of the positive impact a green environment can have on those who use it, and we were pleased to lend our time and knowledge to the project, as part of a fantastic team from a range of backgrounds.”
Need a plant donation? we love giving something back to the community and getting our hands dirty, supporting local, regional and national charities and projects.
Over the years we have provided plants and trees to improve outdoor spaces at numerous organizations across the country.
If you, or a charity or initiative you know, would benefit from a donation or support, feel free to get in touch using the contact form on our ‘Contact Us page’
Posted 2nd Jul 4:16pm
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Johnsons of Whixley help staff beat the heat with ice lollies.
We have pulled out all the stops to help staff beat the heat during the latest heatwave sweeping the UK.
We have purchased and installed freezers at key locations through our 200-acre site – and filled them with complimentary ice creams and ice lollies for staff to enjoy.
Johnsons of Whixley group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “We recognise the hard work of staff throughout our business, but those that work outside are obviously finding the heat heavy going at the moment.
“We value the wellbeing and happiness of our staff more than anything, so we were glad to make a small investment in freezers and ice lollies to help provide some cooling respite from the searing temperatures.”
Posted 2nd Jul 4:06pm
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Congratulations to Steve Morton on his new role of Despatch Manager.
1. How many years have you worked for the company?
I have worked here for 20 years, starting in 1998 and working towards an NVQ Level 2 in nursery stock.
2. What previous roles have you had within the company?
I have worked on multiple sites doing roles like lifting, potting and propagation. My last role was retail lifting manager and stock control.
3. What will your new role include at Johnsons?
I am now the despatch manager. The job role includes checking orders off for quality control, making sure all internal transport is complete, and all wagons leave our site.correctly loaded. As well as that, I am responsible for ensuring all health and safety rules are followed.
4.What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I am looking forward to new challenges from my previous roles and being able to be more hands on due to my last role being more computer based.
5.What do you think the challenges will be?
My biggest challenge of this role is learning the despatch side of the business, as this is all new to me.
6.Are there any specific courses you will be attending to help with your new role?
I would like to attend a course so that I can learn about rules and regulations for the drivers, so I can have a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
7.Any plans for celebrating your new role?
I may treat myself to some Star Wars collectables.
Posted 16th Jul 4:03pm
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Congratulations to Luke Richardson who has now taken on the role of cash & carry manager.
1.How many years have you worked at Johnson’s? 12 Years in varying different positions. My last role was in Amenity Sales managing southern accounts which was a successful period and I achieved a goal of becoming the company’s biggest sales rep last year.
2.What do you like about working in your family’s business? It has it’s challenges but it’s all I know! Sometimes the boundaries between work and home are blurred but in the main it’s only positives. There’s more of a togetherness and as a family we have real pride in our business for what John’s achieved but also gratitude for the sacrifices made to get here.
3.What makes your new role different from your last? In the Cash & Carry I’m responsible for a department and people. Whereas my last role was fulfilling the requirements of large commercial accounts in the amenity landscape sector.
4.What do you think the challenges will be? On a personal level not to be as self-centric which you could say is a sales trait. And for the C&C the age old problem of the weather – I sit here following a tough 6 weeks of heatwave wondering how on earth to plan a budget a year in advance… We are very much at the behest of the elements!!!
5.What are you looking forward to in your new role? There’s a lot more variety to the role and it’s essentially a microcosm of the nursery.
6.What changes do you hope to make during your management of the cash & carry? Nothing drastic as the C&C guys are doing such a good job – it’s about consolidation more than anything!
Operationally there will be a few small changes and I’ll look to revamp the quote process. We have recently implemented a new till system which should improve functionality.
7. Do you think your previous role will help in your new role? My time in amenity has given me an excellent foundation and I feel it will particularly help with sales elements, operations and general organisation. In the past few years I have worked with some great people and to draw experience from someone as knowledgeable as Tony has been invaluable
Posted 8th Aug 3:49pm
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New till system for Johnsons of Whixley cash & carry unit
As part of our ongoing investment programme we have recently concluded a project to update our Plant Centre EPOS (Electronic point of sale) Software. Our new iVend software offers improved functionality, an improved interface and greater compatibility with our main SAP Business One system.
New cash & Carry Manager Luke Richardson, previously Johnsons’ southern area sales rep, has worked for the business for 12 years and has experience of working with some of the company’s largest customers.
He said: “Our £12k investment is significant and means that we can have a system that ensures greater stability, better reporting and – above all – a smoother and more efficient customer shopping experience.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in my previous role and I’m proud for what we achieved in a very successful period. The opportunity to manage the cash and carry division wasn’t one I could refuse, and I look forward to the challenge. Rob has built a strong foundation and I’d like to build upon that success.”
Posted 12th Sep 3:46pm
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We would like to welcome George Metcalfe to the team who joins us as part of a two year management trainee programme which Johnsons hopes will provide a vocational platform from which the business’s future leaders can emerge.
1. Have you had any previous experience in horticulture?
Yes both as a gardener and a grower.
2. Where did you study?
Askham Bryan College
3. Have you had any previous jobs?
Yes, as a gardener and grower – in my last role i grew mostly bedding plants, pansies and violas.
4. What will your training at Johnsons involve?
Working at the various different sites, getting familiar with many aspects of what we do here and why.
5. What have you enjoyed so far?
Meeting the team and working closely with various plants down at the Whixley unit.
6. What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I’m mostly looking forward to an external nursery work placement in August, I expect this will give me a chance to learn a great deal.
7. What do you think the challenges will be?
Moving around a lot will keep me on my toes and ill have to learn to adapt quickly.
8. Tell us a random fact about yourself?
My favourite tree is Betula pendula because of its aesthetics and its many uses.
Have you read what our other management trainee Tom Watkins had to say? You can read his blog post here: ‘ A warm welcome to Tom Watkins ‘
Posted 8th Oct 3:26pm
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A warm welcome to Tom Watkins who joins the Johnsons of Whixley team as part of a two year management trainee programme which Johnsons hopes will provide a vocational platform from which the business’s future leaders can emerge.
1. Where did you work prior to Johnsons and what did your role include?
Battlefield farms, Virginia. Large scale commercial greenhouse that specialised in ornamentals, predominately annual bedding plants. I was an intern working as a grower.
2. Did you go to a horticultural college?
Yes Askham Bryan College, York
3. What makes the industry attractive to you?
I like the satisfaction of seeing a crop throughout its growth cycle and enjoy that each season is different.
4. What will your training at Johnsons involve?
Understanding how the business is run by working on different placements within Johnsons including getting to know the customers and suppliers.
5. What have you learnt so far?
As well as general nursery duties that are to be carried out on site I am starting to understand how orders are received, processed, prepared and despatched.
6. What are you looking forward to in your new role? I am looking forward to taking on interesting projects and gaining management experience.
7. What do you think the challenges will be?
In an industry that is constantly changing I think the challenges will lie in adapting to those changes, that and learning everyone’s name.
8. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy cooking and I am a keen fisherman
Have you read what our other management trainee George Metcalfe had to say? You can read his blog post here: ‘Welcome George Metcalfe’
Posted 10th Oct 3:22pm
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Plant donation for Love Your Home and Garden
Earlier on in the year we teamed up with the Love Your Home and Garden team to supply a number of plants to the value of over £600.
The supply was for a single mum and her severely disabled son in Mansfield. Josh is 16 and the equipment he needs to support him and enable his mum, Benita, to move him around was getting so big that he was confined to one room in the house.
The project included not only an indoor renovation to help add some much needed open space, but a complete outdoor makeover too.
The plant donation included Helleborus, Heucheras, vincas, ceanothus trellis and a number of other shrubs and herbaceous varieties.
We donated 55 different plant lines and made the 72-mile trip to deliver the plants. We hope Benita and Josh get to enjoy their newly renovated home and garden for many years to come.
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s great to donate a number of plants to the Love Your Home and Garden team, our plants are very visual so to make such an impact for a great cause is wonderful”
Missed the episode? you can click on the link here to find out more information Love Your Home and Garden Episode 1
Need a plant donation? we love giving something back to the community and getting our hands dirty, supporting local, regional and national charities and projects.
Over the years we have provided plants and trees to improve outdoor spaces at numerous organizations across the country.
If you, or a charity or initiative you know, would benefit from a donation or support,feel free to get in touch using the contact form on our Contact Us page
Posted 11th Aug 4:00pm
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Johnsons Landscape Architect training day 2018
We hosted our Landscape architect training day on Thursday, 4th October, where we invite landscape architects and garden designers for a free one-day course to help broaden their knowledge of plants, planting and to gain an insight into what we do.
The full course date was taken up by nine members of Macgregor Smith, a landscape architect and award-winning practice, based in Bath that consists of landscape architects, urban designers and architects.
This is our third course, having first started in 2016, and the in-depth training day was led by our production manager, Ian Nelson, who has 40 years’ experience in the horticultural industry. Ian holds a HND in Horticulture and is a panel member on the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). The session covered topics including natural hybridisation, basic propagation, planting and after care, contract grows and new plants.
Ian was assisted by Johnsons’ key account sales member, Andrew Barker.
Andrew said: “This is a great learning experience for new and experienced landscape designers and architects to help build knowledge of what we do and why we do it. It also provides an effective opportunity for a two-way discussion between the nursery and landscape architects.”
There are limited spaces available to attend our courses which are free to attend. To register your interest, or to book onto a course for next year, contact Ian Nelson on: iann@nurserymen.co.uk or Andrew Barker on: andrewb@nurserymen.co.uk
Posted 12th Oct 2:58pm
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New Dynamic Dispatch Duo Steve Morton & Matt Campey
Congratulations to Matt Campey who will be taking on a new role as Deputy Dispatch Manager from November 1st, this follows on from our new Dispatch Manager, Steve Morton, who took on the management role back in July this year.
With over 12,000 deliveries per year and on average 120 deliveries per week during our busiest season, the dispatch unit is very much at the heart of what we do.
Matt started with us in summer 2016 as a Dispatch Operative where he helped assist with the dispatch unit, he then went on to be a Senior Nursery Worker before returning to the dispatch unit where he became Dispatch Supervisor.
As Deputy Dispatch Manager, Matt’s role includes assisting the Dispatch Manager, checking orders off for quality control, making sure all internal transport is complete and all wagons leave our site correctly loaded.
Steve joined us in 1998 and has worked on multiple sites doing roles like lifting, potting and propagation. His last role was retail lifting manger and stock control.
With Steve’s knowledge, management skills and Matt’s experience in the dispatch unit, we already know our orders and trucks are in more than capable hands.
Steve said: “Congratulations to Matt on his new role. I am looking forward to working alongside him to improve the dispatch department. I am sure myself and Matt will learn off one another in our new roles together.”
Steve said: “Congratulations to Matt on his new role. I am looking forward to working alongside him to improve the dispatch department. I am sure myself and Matt will learn off one another in our new roles together.”
Matt said: “I’m very happy to have achieved this role in the Despatch Department. I’m looking forward to working alongside Steve Morton, where between us we can not just learn from each other, but help to improve the efficiency of the department as well. Tom and Chris have played a large role in helping both myself and Steve to gain the knowledge needed in our department roles. As a team we work extremely well together, and I look forward to the years to come.”
Posted 26th Oct 2:50pm
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Johnsons remembrance memories for armistice day
As the nation commemorated Remembrance Sunday, we wanted to share this piece from our Group Director, Graham Richardson, on the impact war hero, Eric Johnson, has made on our company – an impact we are truly grateful for and respectful of his remarkable time fighting for our country.
At this time of year, the nation has been reflecting on the Great War and the Victorious Armistice signed 100 years ago on November 11th, at 11am, 1918.
From a personal perspective, it evokes powerful boyhood memories of our business founder, Mr Eric Johnson.
I recall badgering him about his wartime experiences – the response was his usual warm smile, a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye – little else!
On occasion, we would go to the nursery house, open a large cupboard in an unused room and I’d see a range of artefacts collected in order that his experiences would never truly be forgotten.
Mr Eric Johnson
His Webley Scott service revolver (decommissioned) was in pristine condition and was still in its highly-polished walnut brown leather holster – I can still smell the rifle oil and leather to this day!
Components of standard issue ‘Mills Bomb’ (Hand Grenade). Bayonets gathered from a distant Flanders battlefield (Allied and German), his Trench Great Coat. All items of wonder to a small boy.
To this day, I retain the Fuse of a ‘Stokes’ mortar bomb kept as a relic by Mr Johnson and passed on to me via his family. It sits pride of place on my desk!
Type 146 Percussion Fuse – 3” Stokes Mortar
Mr Johnson rarely discussed his experiences. We know that he lost many members of his immediate platoon on more than one occasion. He expressed his revulsion at the smell of whisky, which always brought back horrific memories of drinking heavily following a particularly ‘costly raid’. An extract from the war diaries of his regiment (1/7th Middlesex) paints a vivid, and terrible,
picture:
No’s 2 and 2a Parties – Enemy Trench Raid 18/29 May 1918 – Wancourt Road
Zero Hour – 11pm.
“A hostile party was also encountered between trench running from L to D. These were also engaged. Estimate hostile casualties 32. The platoon found a considerable number of German dead in the trenches. A few of the enemy threw themselves down and pretended to be dead. All ‘dead’ men were bayoneted on passing out.”
Centre Platoon
The Lewis Gun fired two magazines and accounted for 20 of the enemy. Range less than 50yds. Panic stricken enemy were observed running about in front of the trench of which 3 were killed by Lieut Mackenzie. One wounded prisoner and one light machine gun was captured by this platoon. The platoon claims having inflicted 35 casualties which can be taken as reliable. ORKNEY Trench was strongly held and the men went over with the intention killing and they carried out this intention.
Mr Johnson applied for a commission as an officer after having served in Leeds University’s cadet force. His records say that he stood 5ft 8in tall, with an expanded chest of 34 inches and a weight of 120lbs (8.5 stone). He was above average height and build for the time.
On mobilisation, he was made a private in the 3/5th Battalion of the Buffs (East Kent Regt) a training unit of the territorial force. He never actually joined his unit, instead joining number 8 officer cadet battalion in Lichfield Staffordshire in March 2016, at the age of 19. He passed the course in September 2016 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.
He was seconded to the 1/7th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment and the war diaries note his arrival at ‘La Gorgue’ near the town of Estaires – here he joined his colleagues for the first time as they rested ‘out of the line’.
His division (167th Infantry Brigade in 56th London Division) had seen action at the Battle of the Somme and were relieved, exhausted on October 9th.
His battalion next went into action at Neuvile Vitasse nr Arras when the Britsh Third Army launched another massive attack in April 1917. In July, they moved out to the rear of YPRES (Called ‘Wipers’ by Mr Johnson) – the Third Battle of Ypres unfolded.
On August 16, the division attacked through two strongly-held positions called Glencorse Wood and Nonne Bosschen – soon after they were relieved having suffered 2,900 casualties.
Mr Johnson then went on to serve at the Battle of Cambrai (I recall his ref to Cambrai Wood). As the war ground on the German massed for a massive counter attack in March 2018 and his division fought a magnificent rear-guard defence against a many time greater number of German Attackers.
By now, the Allies were in the ascendancy and his division was to assist in piercing the impregnable ‘Hindenburg Line’ between Cambrai and Saint-Quentin. The German defensive structure was broken forever in the west.
Extract from war diary on 11/11/1918 – Armistice
Following the end of hostilities, Mr Johnson remained with his unit ensuring order and assisting with refugees until demobilisation in 1920 when he was ‘stood down’.
The rest is history, as they say, he returned to his native Yorkshire and started cultivating garden and landscape shrubs on his wife’s land Nr Cattal Station.
His business soon expanded and, by 1964, he was growing on 11 acres of land with 11 staff members.
John Richardson took over soon after and developed a great friendship with Mr Johnson based on respect.
We are hugely proud of Mr Johnson and the business’s pedigree – remembrance Sunday and the Armistice is a wonderful time when we reflect on Mr Johnson, his lost pals and the sacrifices made by all our armed forces at this time and indeed in every conflict since.
Whilst our business has now been in ‘Richardson’ ownership longer than that of Mr Johnson, our name will always reflect Mr Johnson what he created and the sacrifices he made along the way.
Posted 11th Nov 9:00am
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We are proud to have been crowned as one of the region’s best businesses for the second year running.
Compiled by York Business School, York St John University, Make it York and The Press publication, the ‘York Top 100 Businesses’ report has nominated Johnsons as 34th place in the ‘Top 100 Businesses’ awards for 2018.
The Top 100 shortlist is calculated using an algorithm devised by York Business School and considers key performance factors such as turnover, profit, growth and staff numbers – with Johnsons placed at number 55 in 2017 – the report’s inaugural year.
Johnsons was first established in 1921 by World War One veteran, Eric Johnson, the firm’s current chairman, John Richardson, took over the business in 1964 and established it as Johnsons of Whixley Ltd in 1993.
John joined Johnsons marketing co-ordinator, Ellie Richardson, at the Top 100 Businesses breakfast held on 14th November at York St John University to find out their company’s official placing.
He said: “It’s fantastic to be featured alongside so many first-class businesses in the Top 100 list. The company continues to work hard to ensure that the right decisions are made to keep the business pushing forward during uncertain times. The Top 100 accolade is testament to the staff who, as always, are extremely supportive of the company’s objectives and ambitions and we look forward to continuing to be a significant contributor to the ‘green’ environment.”
Posted 14th Nov 10:00am
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Johnsons raise £300 for Children in Need on Friday 16th November.
Staff raised the money by taking part in a ‘wear your pyjamas to work day’ where staff put in £1 for wearing pyjamas and £2 for those who didn’t, staff also made buns and biscuits to sell to help boost the funds further.
BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s UK corporate charity, they provide grants to projects in the UK which focus on children and young people who are disadvantaged. 2,400 projects are currently supported by Children in Need, a great charity which we are happy to support.
Ellie Richardson, marketing co-ordinator for Johnsons of Whixley, said: “It’s fantastic to have raised £300 for Children in Need, we raised £350 for Macmillan’s biggest coffee morning back in September so it’s great to have raised a substantial amount for another well known charity”
For more information on Children in Need you can visit their website here Children in Need.
You can also contact us with charity enquiries here Contact us
Posted 16th Nov 5:00am
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Johnsons trial plant pots aimed at reducing landfill.
We are excited to be trialling a revolutionary new type of plant pot to fight the industry battle against plastic waste.
The new taupe-coloured plant pots, in collaboration with pot manufacturer Aeroplas UK, are made from 98 per cent of recycled plastic and are detectable by domestic waste separation systems which means they can be put back into the recycling stream.
They are distinct from standard pots, which feature a carbon pigment that compromises recognition, and results in millions of pots ending up in landfill every year.
The new product is set to be tested throughout 2019 to identify any impact on growing performance. If no issues are found, the new pots will be available to the company’s garden centre customers across 2020.
Mark Reynard, Johnsons of Whixley’s Garden Centre sales manager, said: “As an industry we need to work together on ways to reduce landfill to keep our environment thriving.
“This innovative way is a small part of a much wider issue so we are really keen to find out how the tests go and hopefully this can be the beginning of various ways we, as a business and industry, continue to keep taking care of our surroundings.”
Posted 2nd Nov 10:00am
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Johnsons get into the ‘Christmas Spirit’ with a company gin!
Following a successful project to develop corporate ales ‘Whixley Gold’ and ‘Copper Beech’, the next exciting step was the creation of our own high-quality London Dry Gin.
Discussions with local distilling experts ‘Corks & Cases’ of Masham helped the project to proceed… and we have now proudly taken delivery of our first batch.
Our ‘Quixley Gin’ is named after the village of Whixley formally known as ‘Quixley’ in the 14th century. For many years, Quixley (now Whixley) was famous for cherries which were originally cultivated by the friars from the Priory of Knaresborough and, in later times, were sold in London at Covent Garden. A great day of celebration was the annual Whixley Cherry Feast held on the first Sunday in August. The word feast meant “festival” rather than the scoffing of huge amounts of the fruit too!
The ‘Quixley Gin’ concept is the brainchild of Ellie Richardson who is a third-generation member of the Richardson family who bought the now-Johnsons of Whixley business from First World War veteran, Eric Johnson, in 1964.
The gin was first produced at the Spirit of Masham’s distillery following a ‘Gin Experience’ gin creation afternoon. A group of Johnsons employees worked alongside Derek and Jake (Gin Experience experts) to create a range of cherry-themed gins before reducing the shortlist to our collective favourite.
The label features an illustration taken from a bygone photo of the village, along with cherry blossom graphics to enhance the ‘Quixley’ story.
The gin will be given to long-term customers and suppliers as a thank you for their custom over the years.
Johnsons of Whixley’s marketing co-ordinator, Ellie Richardson, said: “I’m extremely proud of my heritage and where I have grown up and, along with a natural love of gin, I thought Quixley Gin was the perfect concept.
“We think our horticulturally-themed gin creates a fitting connection between Whixley village and Johnsons of Whixley who still sell 50,000 cherry trees annually.”
Posted 4th Dec 8:00am
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Four employees reach 105 years of service combined.
Group Managing Director, Graham Richardson, has achieved 35 years with us, alongside assistant retail manager, Paul Lamb for as many years, as well as Adrian Price who has been with us since 1993, with a total service of 25 years, and Gary Sutton, our accounts manager, who has been with us for ten years.
To celebrate their long service, each staff member has received a certificate and vouchers to the value of £350 for 35 years, £250 for 25 years and £100 for ten years.
We asked them some questions about their time at Johnsons, see what they had to say below:
Paul Lamb, Retail Assistant Manager – 35 years’ service
1. How did your career at Johnsons start?
25th May 1983, I left school then the next day I had a job interview at Johnsons of Whixley before starting on a trial basis with the company on 1st June of the same year. I was then offered a job on 15th June during a time when there were nearly three million unemployed, so I was happy to be in work.
2. Was this your first job?
I was supposed to start on the tree unit (Newlands – that’s when it was full of trees) but John came into the canteen on my first day and said they were short staffed at Whixley propagation unit. So, I went up there to help out for a couple of weeks… and I’m still there eight years later!
My first job was knocking out rooted cuttings at Whixley in tunnels on a very wet day with a fella called Iain Richardson. Not sure what became of him?!
3. Does it feel like you’ve been here 35 years?
It’s a bit strange really as I don’t feel 35-years older, but the numbers don’t lie. It really does only seem like 10 or 15 years ago since I started and I feel very proud to have worked at JOW for so long. I’m even more proud of the fact that they still want me after 35 years.
4. What has changed most at Johnsons in the last 35 years?
Just about everything… Spades in particular! How many of those do you see on the nursery now? There was a time when everybody had their own and, woe betide, if you picked up the wrong one. So many aspects of the business have changed over the years, from the way we produce to the way we despatch. But the end goal has never changed.
5. What have you enjoyed most about your time at Johnsons?
This one is easy. It’s when I have spent a lot of years at Johnsons working outside and being involved in producing something which is an environmental benefit to us all, this is a pleasure in itself. But my biggest enjoyment over the years has been the people I’ve worked with.I have been lucky enough to work on some units for the past 35 years and the people and characters you meet along the way have given, and are still giving me, some great memories.
6.What’s your proudest career and personal achievement?
Having had seven different roles at Johnsons so far! This has given me lots of great opportunities over the years to implement changes and to see the benefit they have made.
To be still here 35 years on is excellent too. Nobody starts a job thinking, “I’ll be here in 35 years time,” but I am, and I still want to be. Johnsons is a family business and it is great to be still involved in its future.
Graham Richardson, Group Managing Director – 35 years’ service
1. How does it feel to have reached 35 years at Johnsons?
Saying it sounds longer than it feels!
2. Was this your first career?
Yes, from school to one year of work experience on a nursery near Skipton and then an official start at Johnsons.
3. What have you liked most about your 35 years in the company?Working with family and colleagues who you consider friends, not just fellow employees.
4. What’s your proudest career and personal achievement?
Contributing to the success and security of the business. My personal achievement has to be my relationship with my kids.
5. And finally what do you hope for the future of the family business?
Continued security and success for those reliant on a living from Johnsons of Whixley.
Posted 20th Dec 8:48am
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A warm welcome to Jozsef Szabo who joins the cash & carry team as Plant Centre Assistant.
Jozsef’s role will include serving customers, helping load customer orders, helping put down stock and sales admin.
Cash and Carry Manager, Luke Richardson said: “We are delighted to have Joszef on board. He’s a great guy with a strong work ethic and I have been impressed with his astute ability to adapt to our unique systems. It’s testament to his hard work that he’s already contributed in helping achieve our best November on record (by some distance)”.
1.Is this your first job at Johnsons?
No, I worked at the Cattal site for 6 months.
2.What did your previous role include?
I started at Cattal with the potting team, after a few months I moved to the lifting department where I helped pick orders.
3. What did you work as back in Hungary?
I worked for Puma as a shop assistant and stock room assistant for 5 years.
4. Is this your first job in the UK?No, I started working in a hotel as a house keeper and linen porter around 4 years ago when I moved to the UK. The hard work paid off when I was promoted to head of housekeeping, I spent a year and a half in that role then decided I wanted a change so decided to apply for a job at Johnsons.
5. What do you like most about the UK?
I like that People are so polite and helpful.
6. What do you like least about the UK?
The weather
7. What do you like to do outside of work?
I like watching football, playing poker or reading a book if I get any spare time.
8. What do you miss about your country?
My family and friends
You can find out what previous cash & carry administrator Ellie Richardson is now up to here ” A change of roles – Ellie Richardson “
Posted 6th Dec 4:00pm
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A change of roles – Ellie Richardson – Marketing & Sales Coordinator
Ellie is set to start a gradual withdrawal from her ‘Xpress Plant Centre” focus which will be complete by December 2018.
As a victim of her own success Ellie assumes responsibility for Social Media, Website and Electronic communications and a coordinators role for all things marketing.
Group MD Graham Richardson says “Ellie has been instrumental in relaunching and managing our Marketing Focus, her natural flair and drive coupled with a ‘young persons’ understanding of electronic media has been nothing short of spectacular” – “working alongside our marketing partners Faith PR we have gone from having a very limited marketing and PR profile to be industry leading in a very short period of time, an increased focus will bring even more positives”!
Ellie’s time will be spent managing our various social media platforms, content management, cultivating prospects, press release co-ordination/management, website management and development, staff events such as year-end celebrations and rewards, charity events and some other internal duties.
Ellie will also be looking at taking on HR elements in the New Year alongside Chris Davis and Helen Straw, she plans to attend a CIPD course in 2019 as well as various marketing courses.
Ellie commented “ I could not have had a better grounding than my 6 years working in the plant centre which is a micro business within wider business operations, during this time I have loved interacting with customers (old and new) and have managed some fabulous key accounts – Lizzie Tulip and Helen to name but a few” I am looking forward to this next and exciting opportunity and have no doubt that an increased focus on Marketing and PR, particularly through new media platforms has a very obvious benefit for customers, staff and ultimately business performance, I also look forward to the challenges.
Posted 10th Dec 5:00am
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Johnsons – Planting Trees for Bees
When we think of plants for bees we naturally think of Lavender, Echinacea and other predominantly flowering species.
Rarely, however, do we think of trees as a major source of pollen for bees.
A tree is larger in size and therefore has lots more flower head area which, in-turn, provides a plentiful food source in one place.
Trees provide a source of food in early spring and autumn when a lot of other species have stopped flowering.
In recognition of this we are committed to planting a range of bigger trees which will help provide a wider source of food over a longer period of time. Species include:
Heptacodium miconoides, which will provide a rich pollen source in autumn.
For spring, we will plant Prunus cerasifera (Plum Cherry), Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) ,Malus sylvestris (Wild Crab), Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan) and Tilia europaea (European lime) which will ensure a rich summer feast.
As an aperitif we will be sowing a rich mix of wild flower seed in the immediate vicinity.
We are delighted with our ‘Apiary’ success to date and hope that this extra TLC will pay dividends in terms of the extent and health of our already successful honey bee community.
Want to create a bee friendly garden ? check out our guide ‘Creating a bee friendly garden”Creating a bee friendly garden”
Posted 8th Jan 3:45pm
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