Gardening for many is more than just a hobby. It’s a passion, an escape and a creative outlet. But as garden centres have evolve into “lifestyle destinations” filled with homeware and cafes, the focus on the plants themselves can sometimes get lost. At The Big Plant Nursery, we remain rooted in serious horticulture. Here is why visiting a specialist nursery is the best investment you can make for your garden:
Deep expertise
Our staff have deep horticultural knowledge and years of experience designing and building domestic gardens. When you visit us, you will find out exactly what soil, light and drainage each plant needs to thrive. If you have a problem area or blank space in your garden, our specialists can make recommendations based on your specific conditions.
We also offer an At Home Consultancy Service where, for a small fee, a member of our team will visit your garden to discuss your aspirations and provide a tailored planting plan based on your exact requirements.
Plant health
Because our plants are nurtured with an individual touch, hand chosen and not shipped in bulk, plants are less stressed, more robust and less prone to shock once planted in the garden. They are hardened off and root health is prioritised over ‘shelf appeal’ resulting in plants that thrive for years to come.
Hand-selected
We work with carefully chosen suppliers and to ensure our plants meet the highest standards, many of our larger specimens are hand-selected by our experts. By personally inspecting each piece, we can guarantee that we are only offering the finest quality, character, and structural integrity to our clients. This meticulous process ensures that every centerpiece-grade item reflects the premium excellence we strive to provide.
Quality you can see
In an era of online shopping it can be easy to be swayed by a low price tag for something that will be delivered to your door. However, buying online often results in receiving stressed, sparse, dehydrated specimens that struggle to survive the transition to your space. When you invest in one of our plants you’re investing in a healthy, thriving centrepiece that has been pre-approved by professionals, ensuring you never have to worry about the quality. And if you live within a 15 mile radius, we can also deliver to your door using our own team and vehicles to ensure careful handling.
The Classics
Amelanchier lamarckii multistem variety, Juneberry
Commonly known as Juneberry, is a deciduous shrub, multistem or small tree celebrated for its ornamental value. In spring, it showcases profuse clusters of delicate white flowers, followed by small, edible purple-black berries in early summer. The foliage is characterized by elliptical leaves that are bonze tinged when young and then turn vibrant shades of orange and red in autumn. With a compact and upright habit, is favoured for providing visual interest throughout the seasons and attracting wildlife with its blossoms and fruits. Height 5-7m. Grow in moist but well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Amelanchier lamarckii thrives in various soils but not chalky conditions.
Betula pendula multistem variety (Silver Birch)
Betula pendula, commonly known as the Silver Birch or European White Birch, is a graceful deciduous tree native to Europe and parts of Asia. This medium to large-sized tree belongs to the Betulaceae family and is widely appreciated for its elegant appearance and distinctive white bark. Adaptable and hardy, Betula pendula thrives in well-drained soils and is commonly found in a variety of landscapes, including woodlands, parks, and gardens. It prefers full sun to partial shade. Due to its fast growth and light, airy canopy, the Silver Birch is often used as an ornamental tree, providing dappled shade and a sense of natural elegance to outdoor spaces. Additionally, its bark, leaves, and overall form make it a beloved choice for landscaping and a symbol of beauty in many cultural contexts.
Cornus kousa ‘Milky Way’ (Flowering Dogwood)
One of our favourites, this is a real statement/feature tree. Large cream coloured petal-like bracts effectively look like flowers which smoother the tree in June creating an unmistakable display, resulting in strawberry like fruits that appear alongside beautiful autumn colour. Height and spread 4-8 metres. Plant in moist but well drained, sunny/partial shade position.
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
A popular, hardy shrub known for its large, cone-shaped flower heads and reliable summer display. From mid to late summer, lime-green blooms emerge, gradually softening to creamy white and often blushing pink as autumn approaches. Strong, upright stems hold the flowers well, making them ideal for cutting and drying. Deep green foliage provides a fresh backdrop throughout the growing season.
Prunus ‘Kanzan’ (Flowering Cherry)
Prunus ‘Kanzan’ is quite possibly the most popular cherry tree planted in Britain, with its signature pink blossom. Introduced in the 1900s it has won numerous horticultural accolades over a number of years, including the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 2002. Its profusion of vivid dark pink double flowers in spring are considered by some, perhaps unfairly, as garish, though it is fair to say this tree is a real show-off! Foliage appears a coppery red colour, the leaves are fairly large and serrated on the edges, turning brilliant orange and coppery red in autumn. This small to medium sized tree is a little columnar as a young tree, becoming more rounded as it matures.
Rare varieties
We pride ourselves on offering unique cultivators alongside our signature ‘big plants’ that provide an instant mature garden. Our specimen trees and instant screening solutions are at the heart of The Big Plant Nursery.
Rare plants aren’t just for show. They promote biodiversity by offering a lifeline to pollinators through earlier/later blooms and attracting uncommon birds and insects. Rare varieties also often retain natural defences that have been bred out of other plants providing greater disease protection.
Rare plants can often elevate the sensory experience with new scents, colours and leaf textures compared to commercially grown plants. They offer a unique way for your garden to stand out from the crowd. If you are looking for something special, we recommend the following;
Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’ (Juneberry)
Amelanchier arborea ‘Robin Hill’ is a tough small tree, performing best in moist, well drained, lime free soil. It is capable of thriving in most soil types, however in less than perfect conditions soil preparation is recommended for the tree to thrive.
This small tree is suitable for a large number of planting schemes. Being a small tree of ultimate size, it can be planted much closer to buildings than most trees, making it particularly useful in gardens where space is a premium.
Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’ syn. Crispifolium, (Lion’s Head Maple)
Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’, is a unique deciduous tree prized for its dense, upright habit. The small, deep green leaves grow closely together along the branches, creating a distinctive textured appearance. In autumn, the foliage transforms into brilliant shades of fiery orange and red, offering a spectacular seasonal display. ‘Shishigashira’ reaches 4 metres tall and 2.5 metres wide, making it ideal for adding structure into the border or as a focal point in the garden.
Betula nigra (River Birch)
Betula nigra, also known as the River Birch or Red Birch is one of the best trees for wet soils. A highly impressive tree at maturity, it becomes a broadly pyramidal form as it ages, with diamond shaped, soft green foliage and shaggy, flaking cinnamon coloured bark.
This favourite, for wet and boggy sites, performs exceptionally well by river banks but has also been planted successfully in urban conditions and been seen thriving in arid London locations, making it an extremely versatile choice of tree for future planting. As temperatures in the UK continue to break records in summer months this tree becomes a good contender. The River Birch is a large tree which is a good option for a difficult area when options are limited to less ornamental trees. It can be planted as a statuesque, single specimen, multistem or in groups to accentuate
Camellia rosthorniana Cupido (‘Elina’)
A beautiful compact, evergreen shrub that makes a superb addition to the border. Red shoots in early spring then white flowers follow with a delicate pink flush. Height 1.5m. Spread 1m. Grow in acidic soil in a sheltered position and partial shade.
Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Grandiflora’ (Paperbush)
A deciduous shrub renowned for its fragrant, silky flowers and striking winter interest. This shrub features rounded clusters of creamy yellow, tubular blooms that appear on bare branches in late winter to early spring, exuding a sweet, citrus-like scent. Its broad, lance-shaped leaves emerge in spring, creating a lush green canopy that turns golden in the autumn. Its elegant, arching form and seasonal beauty make it a standout choice for woodland gardens, borders, or as a specimen plant.
Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Sons Tree)
A deciduous shrub or small tree prized for its unique late-season interest and impressive peeling bark which adds visual appeal throughout the year. As the tree matures, its bark exfoliates in strips, revealing a smooth, light brown or greyish layer beneath. This peeling bark, especially on older stems and trunks, creates a distinctive, textured appearance that contrasts beautifully with the tree’s lush green foliage and vibrant autumn colour. The tree blooms in late summer to early autumn, producing clusters of fragrant, white, tubular flowers that resemble small jasmine blossoms. After flowering, the plant produces distinctive, showy, red calyces, which persist into autumn, giving it a distinctive appearance. An eye-catching addition to the garden. Height 8m Spread 4m. Grow in well drained soil in a sheltered position. Full sun or partial shade.
Osmanthus aquifolium (Chinese Holly)
An evergreen shrub with attractive foliage and delightful fragrance. The holly-like leaves are serrated and glossy dark green. In late summer to early autumn tiny white flowers appear with a sweet fragrance that entices pollinators, followed by blue/black berries. A low maintenance and dense plant that is an excellent choice to add to the borders or as a feature plant. Grow in moist but well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
Paulownia tomentosa (Foxglove Tree)
A deciduous tree with large, ovate leaves and fragrant, light lilac-purple flowers in spring. Unusually, this tree forms its flowerbuds the previous season and so flowering is dependant on the overwintering buds not being damaged by a late frost. Can also be pollared annually to promote vigorous growth and extra large leaves upto 60cm or more accross. 9-12m tall at maturity.
Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ (Willow Leaf Pear)
Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’, also known as Willow Leaf Pear, makes a fine ornamental small weeping tree for a garden. Its spring white flower display is completely dominated by its silver green foliage in summer that creates a gentle mushroom shaped canopy. Its willow shaped leaves turn yellow in autumn before falling. We recommend a 70% reduction of the crown every five years or so in winter to reinitialise juvenile growth for the following spring, as the crown can get quite woody and dense. Fast growing, Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ prefers well-drained soil but also thrives on clay. Our specimens are available around 2.5m tall. We recommend rabbit guards for these trees if you live in an area prone to rabbits or deer. This tree is good for bees and other pollinators. Mature Height: 5-8m.
Styphnolobium japonicum (syn. Sophora) (Japanese Pagoda Tree)
Styphnolobium japonicum, commonly known as the Japanese pagoda tree, is an elegant, medium to large deciduous tree valued for its graceful form and light, airy canopy. It has pinnate, rich green leaves that emerge late in spring, giving the tree a refined appearance through summer. In late summer, creamy white, pea-like flowers are borne in loose panicles on mature trees. Ideal as a specimen tree, Styphnolobium japonicum thrives in well-drained soil and full sun and is hardy in urban areas.
Value for money
While a rare, mature specimen carries a premium, we offer better long-term value through the quality and longevity of our plants for those willing to invest in quality and long-term success rather than instant gratification.
Whether you are looking for a single statement tree or a complete garden overhaul, we are here to help.
Need ideas and advice for your garden project? The first step is a visit to The Big Plant Nursery for inspiration where our plant experts are on hand to help 7 days a week.