At the start of Sept in 2019 Hadlow College and Provender Nurseries started working together involving students in growing stock in line with the college curriculum and for eventual sale at Provender Nurseries cash and carry in Kent. A win win situation for both parties. Smooth running…..or so we thought ….……and then in March came Covid-19 and lockdown; colleges shut, students sent home and business told to close their doors.
With the college now closed and students sent home we had to react quickly and co-ordinate managing plant stock here on site at the cash and carry and also at Hadlow College. Stuart Tickner, the Nursery Manager organised rotas for looking after the stock at Hadlow College to cover the maintenance regime, weeding, feeding, checking on the watering system on a weekly basis and check how stock was growing.
He and his team have done a great job and all the stock has now been cleared from the college and is now on site at Provender Nurseries and looking excellent. We have extended a part of the nursery to accommodate the extra stock and although there were hiccups along the way we could not be more pleased with the quality of the resultant plants.
The range of plants grown at Hadlow is diverse and reflects our love on plants on site and also to give the students a challenge in different plant requirements. We hope to continue this working relationship for the coming years and are busy planning and sourcing stock for the next growing season.
Some of the crops grown and now available at Provender Nurseries:
- Lavender in 2L pots. 9 varieties
- Hydrangea paniculata Pinkachu. 70L
- Hydrangea arborescens BellaRagazza Mauvette. 45L
- Kalopanax septemlobus maximowiczii. 45L
- Hydrangea arb. Annabelle. 25L
- Hydrangea petiolaris. 45L
- Hydrangea quercifolia Alice. 18L
- Hydrangea quercifolia Burgundy. 18L
- Miscanthus in 18L pots. 5 varieties
- Panicum virgatum Northwind. 18L
- Pennisetum alop. ‘Hameln’. 18L
- Pennisetum alop. ‘Moudry’. 18L
- Musa basjoo. 25L
- Ensete ventricosum Maurelii. 25L
- Musa lasiocarpa. 25L
- Musa sikkimensis Red Tiger.25L
- Parrotia persica Persian Spire. 18L and 25L
Provender Nurseries
www.provendernurseries.co.uk
Hadlow College
www.hadlow.ac.uk