We like to think that we can cater for a significant part of your growing needs and requirements. Our extensive range, flexible lead times, adaptable approach and surplus availability help companies that constantly have to "think on their feet" and react quickly. This is increasingly important in these changing times and unpredictable seasons, whether it be late or early springs, drought concerns or cold winters for example. We have many additions to this years catalogue, some completely new and a few others brought to the range by popular demand.

We have been able to demonstrate our dedication to improving product quality, as well as nursery systems and processes through accreditation to the BOPP (British Ornamental Plant Producers) scheme. The benefits of this attention to detail have been evident when seeing product leave the nursery and I am happy to read and hear many positive comments from our customers through the season. We intend to continue these improvements and are in the process of building a new glasshouse to increase our capacity on the nursery.

The 2008 Catalogue

In our new edition of the catalogue 'Growing Innovations 2008' - which will be winging its way to all our in August / September 2007 - there is a wealth of information provided on all our plant varieties, including full descriptions, unit price and unit size, handy hints for the end user as well as including more pictures than ever before. We have tried to cram as much information as possible on all our plant varieties into the catalogue includeding last years successful inclusion of recommended pot sizes, potting weeks and retail weeks for each variety. Request a copy...

This catalogue is laid out in an A-Z fashion as usual, we have kept last years successful format making efforts to include more information regarding the plant varieties including suggested potting times and pot sizes - as well as including larger pictures of each variety.

You may either browse through the listing or may prefer to look out for particular types of plants, such as herbs and alpines indicated by the colour coded dots and corresponding catalogue type. The information format for each variety, or group of varieties is illustrated here.

You will notice that we sell some of our plants under several different headings. This is intended to help you capture your target audience. For example, you may wish to sell an Ajuga in March with ‘Summer Patio’ labels, but in September with ‘Hardy Patio’ labels or as an ‘Alpine’. Our colour labels therefore have headings which match our catalogue sections or are neutral to give you the flexibility to sell the plants as you wish. What could be easier than receiving all your labels with your plants? See the back of the catalogue for more details of POS labels.

Since we produced our first list of Patio Plants in 1986, what was then a novelty has often been superseded by improved varieties or has become a commodity. We have had to move with the enormous popularity of the Patio Plant and find it hard to believe that the name we coined nearly two decades ago is now an accepted term for plants that can be successfully grown in a container.

New Varieties for 2008

This year we have this year introduced a whopping 140 new varieties for the 2007-08 season.While keeping many of the well known plants in our list we continue to add new varieties to our entensive catalogue, some of which you may have had a sneak preview of at our recent Open Days in July.

Varieties that are new to our catalogue are shown with the NEW logo against each plant. We at Kernock continue to trial hundreds of plant varieties brought to us from breeders and plant finders throughout the world and select the best to grow and sell. Included in this new selection are new and improved patio plant varieties, hardy and herbaceous perennials, alpines and a whole range of new succulents.

The collection of Proven Winner® varieties continues to increase and we are in a very fortunate position to be working with so many experts in the industry from all over the world, with regard to growing, marketing and plant breeding. This enables us to remain at the forefront of the ornamental plant industry and retain our reputation for being innovators. We owe a great deal to our friends and colleagues in the industry who help us to continue this flow of new and diverse ornamental plant material to the grower and gardener.

New Growing Methods

As with all forward thinking companies, we are always thinking how we can improve service and quality while keeping our prices at a reasonable level. In the past three years we have used Integrated Crop Management (both for pests and diseases) throughout our nurseries. In the past two years we have applied an organic Compost Tea mixture to our entire crop at regular intervals. This is considered by many scientists to be a 'Muck and Mystery' treatment and there was certainly some scepticism here about its efficacy. Not so now, however. We have seen some very positive results from its use combining it with conventional pesticides where necessary to reduce disease and increase the vigour of our plants.

Wollemi Pine

The Wollemi Pine project has been keeping us busy over the past 12 months. For those that don't know, this is the tree that was first discovered in the Blue Mountains of Australia in 1994, previously thought extinct. We are growing and distributing the trees in the UK. The first trees went out the door in September 2006, but since then we have been appointing retail partners leading up to the main launch in May 2007.

This coincided with our exhibition at Chelsea Flower Show. The conservation perspective is prominent with this project.

Cheque presented to Kew Gardens at Chelsea Flower Show

Already we have raised over thirty thousand pounds for conservation of rare and endangered plant species around the world.

It is perhaps a little ironic that one of the oldest plant species alive in the world today won 'Best New Plant Variety' in the Horticultural Week Awards 2006! Click here for further information.

InstaPlant News

This year we have produced just over 150 InstaPlant carpet bed displays and 15 new 3D InstaPlant displays were designed, planted up and delivered across the UK and Ireland.

InstaPlant carpet bed (covering almost 600m2) installed overnight for one glorious day in Trafalgar Square

InstaPlant® Living Wall Display

Breathe life into your event with the new InstaPlant® Living Wall Display. This is the latest addition to the internationally successful InstaPlant® floral design concept. We will be launching this exciting, innovative new product at The Event Show 2008.

Your ideas can be transformed into a 2m high living wall display, designed using computer technology and planted from over 50 foliage plants in a whole spectrum of colours and textures.

The ‘living wall’ is established under glass and can be delivered direct to your event anywhere in the UK & Ireland from May 2008. InstaPlant® Living Wall Displays are supplied in a single 2.5m wide section, or multiple sections that fit together to form a longer wall. It is easily transported, takes less than an hour to install and can be removed at the end of the event or moved to the next location. Come and see us on stand 340, Olympia, 23-24 January 2008.

InstaPlant wins Award at Saltex Exhibition

Our InstaPlant® stand at IOG Saltex won a Gold award for 'Outstanding Design and Layout'. We showed our 'Minmi Dinosaur' 3D InstaPlant surrounded by Wollemi Pines (it was the Wollemi Pines first outing to Saltex).

InstaPlant® will be on show again at IOG Saltex 2008, Further details can be found on our Shows Page.

Euonymus introduced to hardy InstaPlant carpet bedding displays

A new element to the InstaPlant carpet beds in 2006 was Euonymus 'Gold Dust' which is a hardy slow growing sub-shrub which should last for approx 3 to 5 years if trimmed and maintained for gold lettering and gold area of detail.