Jon Rose started Botanica in 1987, on some 5 acres of a disused dairy farm. Indeed, the original milking parlour became the nursery office and the old 'bull box' the sales office. Over the following 30+ years we have continued to expand and now grow on over 25 acres, producing native, ornamental & fruit trees, shrubs, climbers, ferns, herbaceous and many more.

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Jon’s fascination for plants has grown over the years as he values not only their beauty but their importance for ‘replenishing’ the air we breathe and being the basis of our food, medicines, clothing, shelter and much more. It is Jon’s vision which has driven our continued expansion to what we are today.

 

Jess Dighton, our Nursery Manager, started with us in the summer of 2011, coming to us as a trained florist. She absorbed knowledge from Jon like a sponge and has worked her way up to her current role. Jess organises the bulk of our growing with the rest of her team and is the recipient of many compliments on the professionalism and neatness of our nursery from many, including those in the trade.

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We can’t forget our Head Propagator Dave Metson who is another long serving member of our team, having joined us in 2008. Dave is valued for his skill and knowledge in propagating a wide range of plants. Some of his successes include very difficult subjects, drawing praise from our highly experienced Jon himself.

 

We do, of course, have more team members responsible for plant care and dispatch and together we all share the same enthusiasm for growing our wide and exciting range of plants.