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Planting is a specialist field, - one where you can make money, and also one where you can get it really wrong and blow your reputation.
Start with the RHS plants and flowers encylapedia. - Then I suggest Right plant right place, and What plant where.
plus I find the best tree book is Trees in Britain by Roger Philips.
You've got some good Nurseries by you. - look some up, - spend lots of time browsing so you know what they've got, and what other landscapers and designers are buying. - Ask them where they get there plants from. - and get the stock lists from as many as possible.
Remember there's no point buying any plant unless you know what kind of soil it is, - and you're prepared it well.
If you want someone to do the lists for you- that's what I specialise in. - have a look on my blog for some of the borders i've planted. - blog.plantpassion.co.uk - there's a border planting category.
thankyou
yes im surrounded by nurseries i built a new distribution centre for far plants 2 years ago and know some of the local growers star plants binsted nurseries etc i may give them a call they could point me in the right direction
ill check out your blog thanks again
agree this is where im lacking in knowledge
Gary I have found Dr D G Hessayon's range of horicultural books very very handy, simple to understand, well written and he is a world renowned horticulturist, just makes it very easy for the layman and beginner to get to grips with it all. Do a search in amazon for his books. I have, over the years collected about 6 of his books on differing subjects and read through them regularly in the van at lunchtimes. Great way of building up a knowledge of the soft landscaping side of our industry.
thanks for that i have a look on amazon / ebay
thanks again
For many years, perhaps still today, many Wholesale Nurseries have always treated Landscapers, as "Your plants are over there Mate"!
The presumption that as they are "Trade Customers" they know the job, this has never been correct in our view. Landscapers have to know about paving, decking, walling, fencing, water features, lighting and yes, plants. Growers like ourselves, just do the plants, so must help our customers.
For every customer, ( we only supply Trade) that visits our Nursery, we show them around and listen to their needs for current and future work. This is called service, which you offer your customers. As an example for a new customer today, I spent 15 minutes on the phone to ident a plant, with no photo! There was no guarantee of an order, we even suggested another supplier.
Along with this, for our Customers, we offer free of charge site visits, to suggest plants, on the premise of right plant, right place.
If your current plant supplier does not offer you, the Customer, this level of service, perhaps you should be asking why not?
Hope this of help. BTW The Hilliers manual of Trees & Shrubs is the book to have.
swlc@btconnect.com
im approaching a couple of suppliers over the weekend see what response i get