Meet the Grower: Palmstead Nurseries

We visited one of our trusted growers, Palmstead nurseries and saw for ourselves how they really are People, Planet, Plants.

At Garden Club London, we continue to build and maintain a trusted supplier base — approved partners who we can rely on to deliver the same care and quality we promise to our clients. We’ve been working with Palmstead Nurseries for several years now, not just because their service and products are fantastic, but because they’re genuinely committed to growing and supplying plants sustainably. Our recent visit to their nursery reinforced exactly why we’re proud to partner with them.

Water & Irrigation

We began our visit exploring one of the standout aspects of Palmstead’s sustainability strategy; their reservoirs. Palmstead’s advanced approach to water management is centred around three interconnected reservoirs that are both fed by rainwater and recycled irrigation run-off, and in turn feed the entire nursery. With a combined capacity of around 75 million litres, these reservoirs allow Palmstead to be largely self-sufficient in water use throughout the year, even during dry spells.

“Not many nurseries can say they harvest their own water and use it to irrigate their entire site,” the team explained. “Any water that doesn’t hit the pot goes straight back into the lagoons.”

By operating this closed-loop system, Palmstead dramatically reduces its reliance on mains supply and minimises wastage. This approach not only ensures resilience during droughts but also lowers the nursery’s overall environmental impact — conserving a vital natural resource while maintaining consistently high growing standards.

For us, it means the plants we source are nurtured under genuinely sustainable conditions, grown in a system designed to work with nature rather than draw from it.

Waste, Pots & Recyclable Systems

Walking around the nursery, you might not notice this quiet but impactful change because you’re often too focused on the plants — but the pots here are a big deal too.
In 2021, Palmstead stopped purchasing black, single-use pots and now uses grey pots made from 100 % recycled materials, which can be processed through household recycling systems.

Plants are shipped on returnable trolleys or in recyclable containers, and all plastic crates and trays are returned to suppliers for reuse or recycling.
These systems mean that the environmental footprint of each plant is lower, and the end-user (us or our clients) is less likely to be left with hard-to-dispose-of packaging.

Peat-Free Growing Media & Responsible Plant Production

Now that the pots are recyclable, attention turns to what’s in them. Reducing peat use is one of the most pressing issues in modern horticulture, as peat extraction remains a major environmental concern. Palmstead is very transparent about its progress and is already peat-free in all 2 litre containers and larger.

Partnering with a supplier that has a credible and ambitious peat-reduction strategy ensures our plant supply supports the long-term health of soils and ecosystems – helping us continue to create beautiful, resilient gardens for years to come.

Energy, Carbon Footprint & Vehicles

Palmstead’s sustainability efforts extend well beyond plant production — they’re rethinking energy and transport too. The nursery now runs on biofuel and solar power, with electric vehicles in use across the site.

“We’ve moved away from diesel and petrol,” explains James Anthony, Sales & Marketing Manager. “We use hydro-treated vegetable oil, which is much cleaner for the environment. We have four vehicles, all filling up with our own fuel on site.”

Solar panels power everything from the office to on-site machinery, with surplus energy fed back into the grid. This dedication to reducing carbon impact doesn’t just affect the people who work at Palmstead, but everyone who works with them — the full life-cycle of each plant is considered from seedling to delivery.

The Bigger Picture: Why It Matters

Walking through the nursery, it’s clear that sustainability isn’t an optional add-on at Palmstead — it’s embedded in the DNA of how they operate: People, Planet, Plants.
For us at Garden Club London, that alignment of values is key. This visit reaffirmed that Palmstead Nurseries is a supplier whose practices we can trust — both for the plants they deliver and for the planet they support. As we move ahead with our projects, knowing that behind every container is a nursery working seriously on sustainability gives us confidence.

Thank you to James and the Palmstead team for their time, transparency and hospitality. We look forward to continuing our partnership.