Shire Plants Blog

Spotlight on: Celandine Celandine are one of the delights of early spring and among the first plants to flower in the countryside. They are delightful little flowers and true harbingers of spr … read more

Today has been a day of seed planting. November may not be the obvious month for planting seeds but there are two good reasons for sowing now.Firstly, seeds that have been collected this season from … read more

15 tonnes of gravel to move by hand. No need to join a gym then. … read more

Continuing on from our earlier 'Spotlight on Foxgloves' post, today we have added six additional exciting varieties to our offering. Digitalis cariensis trojana - a beautiful and rare foxglove … read more

We are pleased to announce that Shire Plants will be participating in the following Rare Plant Fairs in 2019: Evenley Wood Garden, Brackley, Northants, 7th April 2019 Waterperry Gardens, Nr. … read more

One sign of a serious gardener is that they haven't yet put away their trowel and are eagerly planting hardy perennials, shrubs and trees in the knowledge that they will see the benefit next year.Autu … read more

The winter battle begins...Polytunnels hold a dual attraction for mice: protection from the elements and plenty of delicious food sitting conveniently on the floor (our young plants).We deal with them … read more

The native foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is one of the most familiar of our wild flowers and its association with man is long and complex. Digitalin, which is extracted from it, is a powerful poiso … read more

We love Sweet Peas but they are a bit of a bother. Because they are annuals we need to sow seed each year, find a suitable place to plant them, feed them and train them up suitable netting. By late su … read more

Bonking GrassThis excellent little plant has just been added to our range. Bonking Grass is not yet widely known in the UK but we expect that to change due to its versatile nature and beautiful flower … read more

Spotlight on: Penstemons If you’re looking at your border in late summer and need to add some instant colour, Penstemons are the answer. Plant in groups of three or five for impact. Most border t … read more

Spotlight on: Chrysanthemum Chrysanths, or Mums, like Asters are invaluable for adding late summer and autumn colour to extend interest in the borders. They start flowering late into the season a … read more

We are pleased to announce that our Mail Order service is now active and you can order plants for home delivery from our website from today. We have teamed up with a specialist overnight courier to pr … read more

The action on the propagation benches is hotting up now the temperature has dropped a bit. Is there anything more exciting than checking seed trays first thing in the morning for signs of germination? … read more

Spotlight on: Aster/ Michaelmas DaisyAdd bright autumn colour to your garden.The perennial Asters, which include Michaelmas Daisies, are essential to prolong the flowering season of most gardens from … read more

Just added this beauty to the website. The Slipper Flower (Calceolaria biflora) is just one of our latest offerings. Each unforgettable flower is like a yellow slipper, with brown freckles in the … read more