ONE OF the UK’s leading commercial nurseries hosted a successful Confor National Nursery Open Day yesterday (September 8, 2015) at its transplants division for its forestry customers.
Wyevale Nurseries Transplants Division in Ledbury opened its doors on Tuesday, September 8 and customers who attended were taken on tours around the nursery and light refreshments were also served.
Ray Jenkins, Director at Wyevale Nurseries Transplants Division, said: “We are part of the Confor Nursery Producers’ Group and as a member we were very pleased to be involved in the first Confor Nursery Producers’ Group – National Nursery Open Day.
“We had a very successful and enjoyable event with a steady stream of visitors arriving throughout the day. There were several tours around the 200 acre nursery allowing visitors to see our home grown transplants, which this year have seen good growth and quality.
“It was a great opportunity for people to meet in an informal environment and to hear other people’s views and discuss the industry. There was lively discussion about forestry requirements in general and the low level of available Government grants, the narrow window for applications and how this will affect the coming seasons.”
Delegates from companies who attended the open day included Woodland Trust, Glympton Farm Estate, Pembrokeshire Frame Ltd, J. Roberson & Sons, Chartered Foresters & Surveyors, Poplar Tree Co and Lucas Ashworth Forestry.
Confor is a members’ organisation, which promotes forestry and wood, and is funded by and accountable to people and businesses who own forests and who work in forestry or with wood and forest products.
The aim is to support sustainable forestry and low-carbon businesses through promotion of markets for forest products and helping improve members’ competitiveness.
Confor’s remit covers all parts of the wood supply chain, from nurseries through to forest owners, agents, contractors, harvesters, sawmills and other users of wood.
The Confor Nursery Producers’ Group was set up in 2003 to facilitate a more co-ordinated, targeted and responsive approach to lobbying, provide members with an enhanced focus on common issues, provide a channel for the exchange of information, capitalise on opportunities for research and market development and promote the use and benefits of British nursery stock.
Membership of the group is open to fully paid-up, private sector members of Confor who have at least 40 hectares under forest nursery stock production in the UK, or who can demonstrate that at least 60% of their turnover is generated from sales of self-produced UK stock.
Wyevale Nurseries is one of the largest family-run wholesale nurseries in the UK. It was established in 1930 by Harry Williamson, a horticulturist and entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who sadly passed away in 2011.
The Williamsons’ saw the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres, followed by a chain. In 1987, the retail side needed to expand and the 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.
The family then turned its focus to Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. It continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship currently being held by the third generation, Heather and Simeon Williamson, with plans for the fourth generation to takeover in the future.
Wyevale Nurseries has a significant product range and is regularly introducing new plants. It offers a large variety of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants to garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners.
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