It all began in Somerset!
We are Steven and Lindsay Lister, the husband-and-wife team behind PlantWild and the owners of The Blooming Wild Plant Nursery.
We are passionate about peat free growing and sustainable gardening practises, to help support nature and a greener tomorrow.
We both started out in Horticulture in Somerset, where Steven studied at Oaklands Horticultural College, then Cannington Horticultural college, gaining Advanced certificates in Amenity Horticulture, whilst Lindsay studied at Bath university achieving a BSc Hons in Horticulture.
Steven followed a Sales and Marketing route within the Horticultural world, whereas Lindsay worked in Research and Development most notably within the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).
Our combined ambition has always been to own an eco-friendly nursery and so we returned to Somerset to pursue our passion.
We believe in helping people to plant for nature, and their wellbeing;
using sustainable plants to create sustainable living for the future.
Our Journey
PlantWild began in 2018 when we had the opportunity to start our own small nursery in Northamptonshire to grow peat free British native wildflowers.
We were fortunate to secure some rented land from a forward-thinking farmer who understood what we were looking to achieve …..and so our sustainable business started to grow.
By 2021 we had outgrown our ¼ acre site and decided to search for a larger nursery that we could call our own.
We came upon The Blooming Wild Plant Nursery in its beautiful rural setting in South Somerset, which we purchased in Spring 2022. We were then able to combine growing Native wildflowers with a carefully chosen range of peat free Herbaceous perennials and Ornamental grasses.
Our plants aim to provide inspiration and solutions for people to help create wildlife friendly gardens, by blending Native Wildflowers with pollinator friendly Herbaceous perennials, alongside Ornamental grasses. We encourage sustainable gardening practices to help communities improve local biodiversity through habitat creation.
Our range of wildflowers are grown in 9cm pots or 1 litre pots and available online or direct from the nursery. Whilst our Herbaceous perennials and Ornamental grasses are available in 1 litre or 2 litre pots direct from the nursery with an increasing selection online.
Our plants can help to attract more pollinators into Cottage gardens; to turn Shady spots into wildlife habitats, to create mini-Garden meadows; or to create wildlife havens for the Pond edge.
Whatever the size of your outdoor space, you can bring more wildlife to your world.
Our Ethos
We take an eco friendly approach to running our nursery.
Peat Free
We grow all our plants in Peat free compost
Water capture
We harvest rainwater from our buildings into our rainwater storage tank to use for irrigation and to reduce the use of mains water.
Integrated pest management
For pest control we find the biodiversity of our environment is the best solution. We will use biological pest control where possible or an organic, non-chemical spray for a pest outbreak. No pesticides are used, in order to be safe to the plants, the environment and the food chain.
Organic nutrients
Our peat free compost includes a balance of nutrients to give all our container grown plants a great start. If we add feed later in the season, we use a balanced organic seaweed extract.
Propagation
Much of our stock is hand propagated on site. We sow seed collected from our own stock, or UK sourced seed. We also take cuttings where possible. Bulbs, bare root stocks, or plants that we are unable to propagate, or which have plant breeder’s rights, are sourced from UK suppliers. We then continue to grow peat free.
Energy conservation
Our propagating tunnels are unheated, to eliminate the use of extra energy and to allow seeds and plants to grow within their natural cycles. This allow plants to develop with a robust root system and once established, they are moved outdoors to continue growing in the natural environment.
Pots and packaging
All our pots are grey or taupe and kerbside recyclable. We take care to pack our online orders using materials that can also be recycled at home.
What Our Customers Say
“My husband and I bought a number of grasses from the nursery this Spring and I just wanted to say how pleased we are with them and the pleasure they are giving. We will be back for some more very tall grasses in the Autumn! ”
– Jude C
“I just had to let you know that I received my online order today and I am blown away with the quality, size and health of the plants and the careful packaging. I am really so delighted with these. So huge thanks for what you do”
– Abbey B
