Johnsons Nurseries

What Johnsons Nurseries does

Johnsons Nurseries Ltd is a UK wholesale nursery business that grows and supplies trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, hedging, topiary and sundries to three distinct trade channels: commercial landscape contractors and public-sector schemes (Landscape Supply), independent garden centres and retail chains (Garden Centre Sales), and on-site professional buyers via its Trade Cash & Carry (Wholesale Xpress) outlet. Founded in 1921 by Eric Johnson and taken over by the Richardson family in 1964, it is now controlled across three to four generations, with 11 family members in active roles and the most recent generation assigned operational ownership of cash & carry, production, marketing, accounts and general trading positions from 2018 onward. Production is concentrated at five sites covering 200 acres in North Yorkshire (Kirk Hammerton / Whixley, Newlands, Cattal, Dunsforth and Ryther), yielding 5-6 million plants and trees per year across roughly 3,000 landscape variants, 2,500 tree variants and 800+ herbaceous variants; a 9,500 sq.m polytunnel block at Cattal was added in 2011 to expand container capacity.

The company operates a contract growing service pioneered in the 1980s for bespoke specifications outside normal production calendars, complemented by a European supply chain for stock it does not grow itself. Revenue is generated entirely through one-time wholesale transactions on quote-based trade terms, with two account structures: credit accounts with monthly billing against bands ranging from £500+ to £250,000+ monthly spend, and cash basic trade accounts on a pay-as-you-go basis. Distribution is run on a wholly owned fleet covering the UK from Aberdeen to Andover, enabling rapid fulfilment on named accounts; Garden Centre customers also transact through an account-gated webshop updated twice weekly. Headcount is 130 full-time rising to 160 seasonally (~23% seasonal uplift), with 50% peak-season increase indicated elsewhere in the data — a profile consistent with horticultural labour cycles and supported by relationships with multiple recruitment agencies.

Customers span landscape architects, contractors, garden centres, hospitality venues, residential developers, healthcare providers, education establishments, holiday parks, estates and tree surgeons; named projects include Grantley Hall (£75k Sandymouth Holiday Resort for Darwin Escapes, £125k+ for Donaldson's Edinburgh). The company is ISO 9001 (since 1992, the first European horticultural business), ISO 14001, ROSPA Silver and Plant Healthy accredited. Turnover grew from £13.2m in 2020 to £18.8m in 2023 (most recent disclosed year), and the business rebranded from 'Johnsons of Whixley Limited' to 'Johnsons Nurseries Limited' on 7 November 2023.

Name

Johnsons Nurseries

Legal name

Johnsons Nurseries Ltd

Website

https://johnsonsnurseries.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Johnsons Nurseries is a UK wholesale nursery that grows and supplies millions of plants, shrubs and trees annually across 200 acres to landscape contractors, garden centres and trade professionals, serving projects nationwide via its own delivery fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Nursery and Horticultural Plant Supply

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursery Contract Growing & Reforestation Stock Supply (AFAMADAK)

Keywords

• Wholesale nursery supply
• Commercial horticulture supply
• Contract plant growing
• Garden centre supply
• Landscape plant supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirk Hammerton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Landscape Supply / Commercial Projects: Wholesale commercial nursery supplying plants, shrubs and trees for large-scale public and private sector landscape schemes. Revenue generated through contract growing services and direct commercial project supply with bespoke ordering and nationwide delivery.
2. Garden Centre Sales: Supply of plants to independent garden centres and retail chains across the UK. Operating for over 40 years supplying over 2 million garden centre plants yearly. Customers access pricing via online webshop updated twice weekly.
3. Trade Cash & Carry: Wholesale cash and carry outlet for landscape professionals including gardeners, landscapers, tree surgeons, estates and universities. Open six days a week with competitive pricing and seasonal offers. Regional distribution five days per week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Johnsons Nurseries is a wholesale commercial nursery that grows and supplies trees, shrubs and plants across three channels: Landscape Supply (commercial projects with contract growing), Garden Centre Sales (wholesale to independent garden centres and retail chains via a webshop), and Trade Cash & Carry (an on-site Wholesale Xpress shop for landscape professionals). Across 200 acres of production the company supplies 5-6 million plants and trees annually, including 2,500+ tree variants, 276,000 herbaceous plants across 800+ variants, hedging, shrubs, climbers, topiary and sundries, supported by an own-vehicle nationwide delivery fleet and an established European supply chain.

Product overview

Johnsons Nurseries operates as a three-sector wholesale nursery business: Landscape Supply (commercial projects with contract growing options), Garden Centre Sales (supplying independent garden centres and retail chains via a webshop), and Trade Cash & Carry (Wholesale Xpress for landscape professionals). The company grows and supplies a diverse portfolio of plants including trees (2,500+ variants, 60,000+ annual sales), hedging, herbaceous plants (276,000+ plants, 800+ variants), specimen plants, shrubs, climbers, topiary, and sundries. The business operates from five production sites across 200 acres in North Yorkshire and maintains an online webshop for garden centre customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landscape Supply Wholesale commercial nursery channel supplying plants, shrubs and trees for large-scale public and private sector landscape schemes with bespoke ordering, designated account managers providing estimates within 24 hours, nationwide delivery and contract growing options.
• Garden Centre Sales Wholesale supply of plants, shrubs and trees to independent garden centres and retail chains across the UK, supported by a retail sales team on the road and a 24/7 webshop with pricing and availability updated twice weekly.
• Trade Cash & Carry (Wholesale Xpress) On-site professional trade outlet supplying landscape gardeners, garden designers, tree surgeons, estates, caravan parks and universities, open six days a week with regional delivery five days per week.
• Contract Growing Bespoke plant production service providing quality assured stock in custom sizes, forms and timings at cost-effective prices outside traditional growing seasons, used by commercial customers for Garden Festivals and major landscape schemes.
• Trees Trees supplied by Johnsons range from half standards to extra heavy specimens, spanning 2,500+ variants with annual sales exceeding 60,000 trees across the trade customer base.
• Hedging Native and indigenous hedging stock including transplants and seedlings selected for strength and vigour, grown at a dedicated hedging production site.
• Herbaceous Plants Herbaceous plant range of 276,000 plants across 800+ variants offering diversity in colour, shape and texture, produced on a seven-acre site at Whixley.
• Specimen Plants Instant impact specimen plants in sizes from 5L up to 70L and larger, with 10L being the most popular size.
• Landscape Plants Standard landscape plants in 2L and 3L sizes with over 3,000 variants grown across the nursery for maximum hardiness and inherent vigour.
• Shrubs Evergreen and deciduous shrubs available from 2L pot size up to specimen size for trade customers.
• Climbers Climbing plants ranging from single cane 2L pots up to 20L trellis specimens, including popular varieties of Clematis and Honeysuckle.
• Topiary Formal Buxus and Taxus topiary in sizes from 30-80cm balls up to 110cm cones for architectural and high-end landscape schemes.
• Sundries Horticultural sundries including fertilisers, compost, barks, stakes and ties supplied alongside plant purchases at the Cash & Carry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ trees supplied annually across 2,500 variants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Johnsons installed their own apiary which is looked after by Harrogate and Ripon Beekeepers Association. Part of environmental contributions and sustainability initiatives. The apiary produced its first batch of honey in 2017 with approximately 400,000 bees.
• Swift TempsminorOthersRecruitment agency used for sourcing Nursery Workers. One of several agencies used depending on business needs.
• Leaf RecruitmentminorOthersRecruitment agency used for sourcing Nursery Workers. One of several agencies used depending on business needs.
• Taylor Made EmploymentminorOthersRecruitment agency used for sourcing Nursery Workers. One of several agencies used depending on business needs.
• KHSminorOthersRecruitment agency used for sourcing Nursery Workers. One of several agencies used depending on business needs.
• Edwards Employment SolutionsminorOthersRecruitment agency used for sourcing Nursery Workers. One of several agencies used depending on business needs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deepdale Trees: UK commercial nursery specialising in semi-mature and instant-impact trees for landscape schemes. Comparable to Johnsons' specimen plant category and large-project commercial supply, including high-profile landscape installations.
• Barcham Trees: Major UK commercial tree nursery specialising in container-grown trees for landscape and amenity use. Comparable to Johnsons' tree production segment (60,000+ trees/yr, 2,500 variants) with similar customer base of landscape architects, developers and contractors.
• Majestic Trees: UK specialist nursery focused on large specimen and instant-impact trees for premium landscape projects. Comparable to Johnsons' specimen plant division and contract growing for high-value commercial schemes like Grantley Hall and Donaldson's Edinburgh.
• Bransford Webbs Plant Company: UK wholesale grower of nursery stock supplying garden centres and landscape trade. Comparable as a multi-category wholesale nursery with similar plant range, customer base and trade distribution model to Johnsons' Garden Centre Sales channel.
• Hillier Nurseries: One of the UK's largest and oldest wholesale nursery businesses (est. 1864), also operating garden centres. Highly comparable to Johnsons Nurseries as a multi-generational UK grower-wholesaler with similar scale, vertical integration and customer base across landscape and retail channels.
• Frank P Matthews: Long-established family-run UK tree nursery producing ornamental and fruit trees for wholesale trade. Directly comparable to Johnsons' tree and specimen plant lines, with similar B2B wholesale model serving landscapers and garden centres.
• Tristram Plants: UK wholesale nursery producing a wide range of ornamental plants for the amenity and retail trade. Comparable to Johnsons in scale and product breadth, supplying landscape contractors and garden retailers across the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Notcutts: Established UK garden centre chain with in-house nursery production. Overlaps with Johnsons' Garden Centre Sales channel and landscape supply; broader retail footprint gives Notcutts a wider customer base but less focus on wholesale B2B contract growing.
• Monrovia Nursery Company: One of the largest US wholesale nurseries producing ornamental plants for landscape and garden centre trade. Comparable as a large-scale grower-wholesaler with similar product breadth and brand reputation, but US-focused rather than UK.
• Star Roses and Plants: Major North American wholesale nursery producing branded plants for the landscape and retail trade. Comparable as a large-scale plant producer with established brand portfolio and distribution to independent garden centres, though US-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JohnsonsPlants
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQlqYXJQ8wWseqK6S13dF1g
• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnsonsNurseries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/johnsons-nurseries-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/johnsonsnurseries

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Johnsons Nurseries