Beth Chatto's Nursery
Nursery

Beth Chatto's Nursery

Colchester

About

The home of sustainable and ecological planting Plants sold according to the conditions that suit them best: dry, shade, general, damp. Right plant, right place! The vast majority of the plants we sell are grown here in our nursery. We use peat-free potting compost and are working hard to ensure we recycle all plastic pots, with an incentive for customers to return their pots for reuse and a new repotting station where customers are invited to wrap plants in newspaper or similar, and leave pots for reuse. Beth began her nursery in the 1960s following numerous requests from friends and family for her ‘unusual’ plants. A wander around the nursery reveals over 2,000 varieties of irresistible plants, many of them propagated from plants in Beth’s 7.5 acre garden and 3 acres of stock beds. Plants are carefully propagated by our expert team using the traditional methods of cuttings, seed, and division. Nearly all of our plants are grown outside too, ensuring they are tough and garden-ready. Raised benches of plants at the front of the nursery tend to show off some real showstoppers and can help give you ideas on how to group plants together, as well as displaying wildlife-attracting plants, climbers, and alpine collections, while plants for shade can be found under cover of the polytunnels. Border design service If you are unsure of which plants will suit your garden, talk to some of our nursery team who can help give expert advice. Or you can harness Beth's horticultural knowledge in a beautiful, sustainable plant tapestry designed specifically to suit your garden. Our garden designers will create a lasting, hand drawn border plan that will give year-round interest, taking into account your soil, aspect, conditions and existing plants and shrubs. An investment that will ensure a beautiful garden for many years to come.

Gardens

  • A long border garden featuring a rustic branch sculpture with dried Lunaria pods, abundant naturalistic planting of purple verbena, yellow yarrow, and silver foliage, and a leaning garden spade.
    Growing with Many Hands
    Mattie O'Callaghan
    Supporter
  • A naturalistic garden features layered slate steps leading to a tall, dark abstract bat ear sculpture, surrounded by lush planting with dark purple foliage, white flowers, and delicate pink and white wildflowers in black planters.
    360° tour available
    The Bat Conservation Trust's Nocturnal Garden
    Melanie Hick
    Plant Provider
  • A semi-circular feature border with a curved wooden slatted bench backed by a low stacked brick wall, surrounding a reddish-brown mulch area. Mixed green planting with small purple flowers fills the foreground and sides.
    360° photo available
    Telling Stories, Making Memories
    Ella Clarke, Sally Holder
    Plant Provider
  • A contemporary pocket garden featuring light-coloured concrete pillars and planters, with a tall conifer surrounded by drought-tolerant grasses, silvery foliage, and small orange flowers.
    360° photo available
    Teucer Wilson: Green the Gap Garden
    Laura Strand, Sam Stark Kemp
    Plant Provider
  • A feature border garden with two tall, slender conifers, a white abstract sculpture, and weathered terracotta amphorae, surrounded by ornamental grasses, pink coneflowers, and purple salvias on light grey gravel with rusted metal edging.
    Woman-to-Woman
    Ally Elphick, Charlotte Rose Wroe, Gill Hall, Irene Rosazza
    Plant Provider
  • A large, undulating woven willow structure winds through a naturalistic sanctuary garden with a cone-shaped clay oven on a stone wall.
    The Freedom from Torture Garden: A Sanctuary for Survivors
    Emma O'Connell, John Warland
    Plant Provider
    Herbaceous Plants
  • A lush, naturalistic water garden with a tranquil pond reflecting the sky, surrounded by abundant green foliage, marginal plants, and distant pink flowers.
    The Beth Chatto Gardens
    Supplier
Location

Where to find them

Clacton Road
Elmstead Market
Elmstead
Colchester
CO7 7DB
United Kingdom
Beth Chatto's Nursery · on map