I've been sourcing and supplying plants now for several years. I'm registered with DEFRA as a professional plant supplier (registered number 139545). I source and supply plants for gardens that I'm working on and I also sell plants - during the main growing season - at the Station in Frome.
You might have seen the Big Blue Landy, my old railway porter's trolley or Oscar or Ivy down there. We might even have had a chat over a cappuccino and almond croissant from the Rye Bakery!
Anyway I've been giving a lot of thought about how I can improve upon my plant offering. If you follow the Trug and Lettuce on social media then you might have noticed that I had a planning day last summer on the beach at Studland. And my thinking continued more recently when I was in Adelaide.
Well the thinking is coming together. The offer is becoming clearer. The domain name has been secured. The logo is being designed. The website is being built. The aim is to launch the idea during March.
What's the idea?
Well it's a simple one. It's me using my professional contacts and Somerset and Wiltshire based plant suppliers - the same ones that supply RHS garden centres and other nurseries that are local to Frome - to continue doing what I've done at the Station in Frome. Only this time to add something else to it.
It's also about doing it better than anyone else and offering better value for money - either in terms of the size of the plant that you get, or what you pay for them.
I'll still be able to source and supply what I've always done, but now I'm planning to do it slightly differently. A local, online presence that's similar to my fortnightly visits to the Station.
I've always preferred to meet my customers face to face and to provide them with a personal service. In any case I'm unable to send plants through the post as my DEFRA registration doesn't allow me to do that.
What I'll be offering is a bespoke plant sourcing and supply service through.............
Plant a Border.
These are a few borders from 2022 where I sourced and supplied herbaceous perennials, wildflowers and some rather nice eucalyptus. Oh and willow hurdles too!
All of these plants - and more - will be available through Plant a Border over the coming weeks and months. Provided of course they're available and in season. Those eucalyptus France Bleus sell out almost as fast as the almond croissants at the Rye Bakery! I buy them whenever I can. The eucalyptus. Oh and sometimes the croissants......
How it works.
More details will follow on Plant a Border but in short there will be two ways:
You tell me what you want. If I can source it then I let you know the price. If having looked around you decide you can't get the same plant better either locally or online - and you won't! - then you place an order with me, or
You tell me the sort of border you want - a wildlife border, a shady border, a grassy border. You also tell me a bit about the border - if it's south facing or in partial shade for example - and it's size. I then provide you with a list of plants that would work, how many you'd need and how much they'd cost. As before you price check those plants and then you place an order with me!
And then if you're within a suitable distance of Frome I deliver them to you free of charge.
You then have the option of planting them yourself, or arranging with me for Trug and Lettuce to do it for you.
Easy!
So if you'd like to see more pollinators in your garden - and why wouldn't you?! - keep an eye out over the next 6 weeks or so for the launch of Plant a Border!
Or if you can't wait until then, get in touch now through my facebook page, call me on 07734 365028 or email me at hello@thetrugandlettuce.co.uk
All plants are sourced locally in Somerset and brought to you by me - a DEFRA registered professional plant supplier - DEFRA number 139545.