Shire Plants Blog

Bird's-foot-trefoil

13th Jul 2023

Lotus corniculatus is one of our wonderful native perennial wildflowers from the pea family. Widespread and found in all kinds of grassy places, from lawns to downlands, roadside verges to heathlands, … read more

​Lady's Bedstraw

1st Jul 2023

Lady's Bedstraw is a British native wildflower found in meadows across the country and in Europe, but now sadly much less commonly than previously. Finely cut foliage topped by myriads of tiny golden … read more

The Sound of Music

15th Jun 2023

Did you know that the song Edelweiss in The Sound of Music is about a real plant? Leontopodium alpinum (Edelweiss) is an alpine from the high mountains of Europe. Its flowers and foliage are cov … read more

Tidy alternative to Cow Parsley

10th May 2023

Chaerophyllum azoricum is very much like a tidy, well-behaved cow parsley. This rare plant heralds from the Azores Islands and makes an excellent border plant in any garden. Bees and other pollinators … read more

Perennial Wallflowers

10th Apr 2023

Now is a good time to plant perennial Wallflowers (Erysimum) for a good display of flowers this year and for several years to come. Mention perennial Wallflower and most people think of the ubiquitous … read more

Penstemons Available Now.

24th Mar 2023

Penstemons are reliable summer-flowering perennials with semi-evergreen foliage in winter and a flowering season from summer into autumn. They bring welcome colour to the garden and are loved by bees … read more

March Newsletter

12th Mar 2023

Our latest newsletter is out now. Nursery news and details of some interesting spring plants. You can view it here if you're not a subscriber. … read more

Snow

9th Mar 2023

A light covering of snow at the nursery this morning. The heaviest snow just skirted us fortunately. … read more

Potting

3rd Mar 2023

At this time of year we are starting to pot up in earnest. These plants are plugs which are either started from seed or softwood cuttings in autumn and are now ready to put into bigger pots. We hope f … read more

New Violet

20th Feb 2023

This striking violet is new to us this year and will be available in a few weeks. The dark colour of the flowers really stand out at this time of year (flowering early in a polytunnel). As a bonus the … read more

In-the-green bulbs

25th Jan 2023

For a short time, we have Winter Aconite, Wood Anemone, Native Bluebells, Wild Garlic and Snowdrops available in-the-green. This method of transplanting bulbs is generally more successful and quick … read more

Celandine 'Hyde Hall'

15th Jan 2023

The ivory white flower of this Celandine looks lovely against its shiny bronze leaves in the sunshine. Ficaria verna 'Hyde Hall' is flowering a bit early in a polytunnel. … read more

Ready to resume dispatching orders

5th Jan 2023

Our packing room is re-stocked with boxes and ready for when we resume dispatching orders next week, following our Christmas and New Year break.We would like to wish all of our customers a very Happy … read more

Home grown mistletoe

7th Dec 2022

So excited to have our first ever mistletoe berry in the orchard. I sowed berries (from left over sprigs after Christmas), on our apple trees 5 or 6 years ago and these slow-growing, parasitic plants … read more

Solomon's Seal

2nd Dec 2022

Most of us are aware of the cottage garden plant Solomon's Seal, but there have been a number of other common names applied to this plant over the years too.David's Harp, Lady's Seal, Job's Tears … read more

Native Primula Collection

29th Nov 2022

We are currently offering the three native primulas, Primrose, Cowslip and Oxlip as a collection, at a reduced price. These plants will flower in the spring and early summer and can be planted in the … read more

Mugwort

24th Nov 2022

I've been looking into the fascinating history of the Mugwort plant (it's raining outside!).This native wildflower is steeped in folklore and has had many uses over the years. Traditionally it was mad … read more

Autumn Newsletter

6th Nov 2022

Our autumn newsletter is out now. If you're not a subscriber, you can read it here. … read more

Autumn Plant Sale

2nd Nov 2022

Take advantage of low plant prices now and plant this autumn for bigger plants next year, or keep them in their pots over winter to plant in spring. Our compost contains slow-release fertiliser which … read more

Heritage Plants

1st Nov 2022

One of our aims is to protect plants which are in danger of being lost, due to the very limited range of plants on offer in garden centres. Chrysanthemum 'Picasso', which the Hardy Plant Society … read more