Plant supply for garden designers
We didn't intend to become the biggest plant sourcing operation in the UK, it happened by accident. To our surprise, the service that we offered to amateur gardeners was one that was very attractive to the professionals. It seems that no one else can offer such a large range of varieties and very few can deliver them all at once, on a specified date. So, if you want 30, sixty year old pollarded limes, no problem; 1000 Phyllostachys nigra: we'll get them, 250,000 herbaceous perennials- easy, we'll bring them on to the nursery and deliver them when you want.
For large projects we'll even grow plants to order. If there are varieties that you know you'll always use in your schemes but have difficulty getting or can't get at the right size, then we'll grow them specially for you.
For really big orders (over £2,000) email your full plant list to mark.straver@crocus.co.uk or sarah.mackenzie@crocus.co.uk or sarah.robinson@crocus.co.uk
Alternatively, phone direct on (01344) 629608 for Mark or (01344) 629612 for Sarah Mackenzie and (01344) 629614 for Sarah Robinson. Our fax number is 01344 629600.
Mark Straver
Like his father and grandfather before him, Mark Straver has been a plantsman all his life. Before joining us, Mark spent 14 years running his own nursery with his brother Robert. He has now teamed up with us at crocus, and its largely thanks to his contacts that we have been able to establish such good links with the best growers in the UK and Europe.
Sarah Mackenzie
Before joining us in 2006, Sarah gained her degree in Horticulture from Wye College (Kent). She had also accumulated 6 years nursery and retail experience, during which her love of plants and the outdoors has grown to an obsessional level, as has her purchasing of plants for her own garden!
Sarah Robinson
Sarah joined Crocus in 2003 to work in customer services. However, it wasn’t long before her love of growing things in her allotment and on her windowsill at work made her crave plants more than people. By 2007 she had to be transferred to the wholesale team.
Mark and Sarahs can handle most things (including their growing chocolate addictions!), although for larger orders, its best to give them at least 1 months notice to keep away the grey hairs!
The designer's viewpoint
Tom Stuart-Smith
'For someone like me, it's very important to know that the plants will be good quality and exactly as specified without annoying substitutions or omissions. I have now used Crocus for 24 jobs since Chelsea, ordering a total of 129,195 plants across 1,102 species.'
Jinny Blom
'I like the fact that I can order a few herbaceous things together with say, three, six metre, multi-stemmed Betulas and have the whole lot arrive together.'
