Wetland Plants

Wetland Plants: a working nursery for pond and wetland planting

Wetland Plants is a plant nursery based at Tillington, Hereford, dedicated to pond plants and moisture-loving species. The business describes itself as a working nursery rather than a garden centre, and states that it is not open to the public, although local collections can be arranged on request. Its catalogue is sold through the website as UK mail order, with plants grown throughout the year following their natural life cycle.

What the catalogue covers

The online shop is organised into groups that reflect the different planting zones of a pond and its surroundings. At the time of writing, the site listed 156 pond plants, 72 water lilies and 10 special offers, alongside a section for new arrivals. The main categories are:

• Water lilies
• British native water and moisture-loving plants
• Aquatic pond plants and deep water plants
• Floating water plants
• Marginal pond plants for shallow water
• Moisture-loving and bog plants
• Oxygenating pond plants
• Pond starter packs
• Water garden accessories
• Gift vouchers

Individual listings in the catalogue include named varieties such as Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother', Aruncus 'Horatio' (goats beard), Anagallis tenella (bog pimpernel), Lychnis flos-cuculi 'Alba' (ragged robin), Iris pseudacorus alba, Primula denticulata 'Rubin', Preslia cervina (water spearmint) and several Louisiana irises, among them 'Black Gamecock', 'Lady Cecily', 'Waihi Wedding', 'Wizard of Aussie' and 'Hush Money'. The best-seller section listed hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), Norfolk reed (Phragmites australis), water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) and an 11 cm square mesh planting basket.

Contract growing and project work

Beyond the standard mail-order range, the nursery states that it can contract grow plants to order for a range of projects. The categories it names are landscaping, designers and horticultural shows, local authorities and school projects, wildlife projects, natural lakes and river projects, local pond clearing and planting, landscaping projects and pond construction. These services are not available to buy directly through the website; the nursery asks that project requirements be discussed directly with its plant team.

Advice and customer contact

The plant team presents itself as available to advise on plant selection for anything from a small tub to a large planting scheme. The nursery also publishes guidance pages on choosing pond plants, planting and aftercare, and what to expect, along with information on peak season and delivery status. Enquiries are handled by telephone and email, and the nursery notes that messages left when the phone cannot be answered will be returned as soon as possible.

Practical information

Orders are placed through the online shop, which runs on WooCommerce and includes account, basket, checkout and returns sections. The nursery's postal address is Wetland Plants, Tillington, Hereford HR4 8LH.