Frequently Asked Questions
Please click on a question to view the answer.
What are your opening hours?
We are open seven days a week (including Bank Holidays) from 9am until 5.30pm but closing at dusk in winter.
During the Christmas period our opening hours vary. Please check the website during December for further details.
Our prices do not appear on-line because our website is first and foremostly an information site as opposed to an on-line shop. It is not possible to order goods via our website and we believe that adding prices would cause confusion and mislead customers into making the false assumption that it is possible to buy on-line.
However, if you would like to know the price and availability of any plants we do have an on-line enquiry service. When browsing it is possible to add plants to an enquiry as you would add them to an on-line basket which can then be sent through to us for checking.
Do you accept National Garden Gift Vouchers?
Yes we do.
Do you sell gift vouchers?
Yes. We sell National Garden Gift Vouchers in denominations of £1, £5, £10 and £25. These can be spent in participating outlets across the country.
If you cannot make it to The Nursery to buy them you can purchase them directly from the NGGV website. Click on the logo to be re-directed. The NGGV website also lists the participating stores.
Sorry, we do not offer a mail order service. We can reserve plants and other items for a limited period but they will need to be collected from The Nursery.
Is The Nursery wheelchair accessible?
The majority of The Nursery can be accessed by wheelchair but some areas are heavily gravelled and would therefore be unsuitable for wheelchair users. However, our staff are happy to offer their assistance should it be required. Our toilet facilities are wheelchair accessible, but are not available from the beginning of November until the end of February.
Do you have toilet facilities?
Yes, we have a wheelchair accessible, portable toilet on site for our customers' convenience.
N.B. This toilet is not available during the months of November, December, January and February.
Do you have a tea room?
No, we just don't have the room! However the M20 motorway services are a little over a mile away (you do not need to get on the motorway to access them). These services offer a wide selection of hot and cold food and drinks with plenty of indoor seating.
Can you recommend rabbit-proof plants?
Click below to view a PDF file that is a guide to plants that rabbits tend to avoid but it is not comprehensive and nor can it be guaranteed that the rabbits will not eat them if there is a shortage of their preferred plants!
Rabbits.pdf
........plants which are described as requiring a lime free soil? These plants should be planted with ericaceous compost. This includes such plants as Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Camellias, Pieris, Leucothoe, Gaultheria and some Erica. If a plant requires a lime free soil it will say so in the plant description.
........plants to be grown in containers? When planting bedding (seasonal) plants, which will be planted on a short term basis, we would recommend a multi-purpose compost or multi-purpose with added John Innes.
For long term use, for instance when planting shrubs and conifers in pots, a soil (loam) based compost, such as John Innes or multi-purpose with added John Innes, should be used.
What plants are suitable for shade?
There are many plants suitable for shade and the best way to select the right ones for your garden is to use our
Choose a Plant facility. Here you can input the type of plant you are looking for and your soil conditions and a list of plants will be displayed to suit your needs.
There are plants suitable for dry soils and the best way to select the right ones for your garden is to use our
Choose a Plant facility. Here you can input the type of plant you are looking for and the aspect you are to grow it in and a list of plants will be displayed to suit your needs.
As a rough guide the pdf below is a list of plants suitable for dry soils but it should be viewed in conjunction with the individual plant descriptions; soil conditions can vary from variety to variety.
Dry Plants.pdf
There are many plants suitable for use as ground cover and the best way to select the right ones for your garden is to use our
Choose a Plant facility. Here you can input the your soil conditions and the aspect you are going to grow your plant in and a list of plants will be displayed to suit your needs.
This means that the plant has been trialled by the Royal Horticultural Society and they have found the plant to have good garden worthiness. They look at such qualities as disease resistance, constitution and ease of maintenance. Plants found to perform well in these areas are then given the RHS Award of Garden Merit - AGM.
When is the best time of year to plant?
Most plants can be successfully planted at any time of year. However, the sooner they are planted before the heat and dryness of summer the more quickly they will make roots, and therefore need less watering.
The only exception to this is bare-root plants (such as hedging plants) which must be planted when dormant - usually this is between November and March.
Do you accept credit cards?
We accept all major credit and debit cards except American Express and Diners Club.
