Trade Nursery Public Open Day

Babylon Plants is a wholesale nursery set in the Oxfordshire countryside supplying garden designers and landscapers with hardy garden plants. During the week, our team grow and pick orders for designers and landscapers across the Southeast of England as well as numerous National Trust properties. However, on the 1st Saturday of every month, we exclusively open to the public so that they too can access the incredible range of plants and enjoy the immersive and inspiring nursery set in the Oxfordshire countryside.

We grow and stock a huge range of Trees, Topiary, Shrubs, Perennials, Grasses, Climbers and Ferns which are not generally available to the public in normal garden centres. Our range of plants has been carefully chosen to suit current design trends as well being selected to thrive in the local climate and be easy to grow.

Summer is nearly here but it's still an excellent time to plant. Whilst recent hot and dry weather can be off putting, this is still a great time to plant if you are able to water the plants in and care whilst they establish. Unbeknownst to most people, the peak months for root growth are July and August as plants are beginning to prepare for autumn and are using the resourced gathered in the growing season to enhance and improve their root systems ready for next year. Thus if you are able to care for plants during the hottest parts of summer, they will be much larger and better established than those planted in autumn and spring. After a wet 2024 and winter, ground water levels are still high so there is little chance of a hosepipe ban in this area this summer, despite the low rainfall since spring.

Our trees are growing strongly and still have much to bring in terms of structure and shade to the garden. Our tree range is the largest in the area with a large selection of multistemmed, pleached and standard trees, some over 5 metres tall and all beautiful.

We have a large range of box alternatives such as Yew, Ilex, Osmanthus and Portuguese Laurel to choose from if you're looking for lower maintenance alternatives to box. The moth has been particularly successful and aggressive this year, so many people are realising that perhaps it is time to reconsider if box and the never ending spraying regime required to keep it healthy is still the right choice for them. Stocks are currently low as our new shipment has been delayed by the hot weather, but new stock is due on Tuesday if customers want to view what is here and place forward orders for delivery or collection.

We are well stocked with hardy perennials, ferns and grasses as our stock areas are becoming increasingly full as we pot and set out fresh stock. If you're looking for Irises, Peonies, Echinaceas, Salvias or other beautiful herbaceous plants to create a stunning summer border, Babylon Plants should be your first port of call.

Our dedicated shade hall is rammed full of plants specifically adapted to grow in shady conditions making it easy for you to find plants for that difficult to fill shady spot. Whilst some of the most colourful shade plants are already over, there are still flowers for shade and plenty of interesting foliage and textures that are so important when considering how to plant a shady area.

Babylon Plants doesn't just stock a huge range of beautiful and inspiring plants. We also run the whole nursery ecologically, using peat free compost, biological controls and recycled and sterilised pots. We've planted a 5 acre meadow/woodland that surrounds the nursery and teems with wildlife. The meadow is looking stunning at present as the wild flowers come into bloom and the meadow is teeming with butterflies who have prospered with the hot, dry weather. Please feel free to ask directions to the meadow and stroll along paths that weave through trees planted over the last 30 years. This is also a great chance to get ideas on what trees might work in your space as many trees can be seen developing their mature habit and features.

Our friendly and expert sales team can help you find and select plants suited to your garden, discuss screening or tree options that might work in your garden or even advise on design and planting advice.

Category: Community | Gardening / Horticultural