Toby Buckland

Toby Buckland Nurseries Launches Today!

Broadcaster and author Toby Buckland – best known for presenting BBC Gardeners’ World – is aiming to shake up how the nation gardens with a new online plant nursery selling mainly pot-less bare-root plants.
A traditional planting method that Toby has championed for years, bare-root is commonly used among professional growers to grow mature hedges, roses and trees.  Widespread prior to the 1960’s, planting bare-root allows gardeners to purchase many varieties that are available only seasonally in pots.   
Toby’s range of bare-root perennials and roses are lifted from the open ground where they are grown, the roots are washed of soil, packed up in moist packaging and mailed to arrive the next day ready to be planted. Using significantly less packaging with no plastic pot or compost, bare-root plants are also kind on the pocket, as much as a third cheaper than the potted equivalent. 
A professional gardener and grower for more than 20 years Toby Buckland explains what prompted him to establish a new nursery, “I want to offer another option for the gardener. Bare-root is how our grandparents used to garden, lifting plants from their gardens in winter and swapping with friends and family.” 
“Bare-root planting has always been part of the rhythm of the gardening year, and while we will sell plants in pots during the growing season, gardeners can take advantage of winter dormancy to plant the old-fashioned way, more economically and with less waste. 
“It’s one for the early-bird, for gardeners who like to plan ahead. While putting this year’s borders to bed, gardeners are already thinking about next year. The advantage of planting bareroot now is that roots have time to establish over winter, ensuring large, healthy plants next spring. Personally, I love the interraction bareroot offers. It’s the difference between buying a ready-meal and one you prepare and cook yourself. It might even go some way in helping reduce the estimated 500 million plastic plant pots we throw away in the UK each year.”  
Toby Buckland Nurseries are launching with many of Toby’s favourite perennials and roses. There are also plant collections designed to encourage bees and butterflies into gardens. As well as collections to help gardeners create different planting styles such a naturalistic and for the cottage garden. 
A range of stunning modern roses are also available, chosen by Toby for their colour, fragrance, long-flowering and an ability to grow well, even in parts of the country where roses traditionally struggle, such as the wetter West Country. 
The nursery is not open to the public and situated in the grounds of Powderham Castle, Kenton, Devon. The castle is open to the public from April 1- October 31.