Snowdrop Days at Fullers Mill Garden

Joe Sharman and Alan Leslie started Monksilver Nursery in 1989. The aim was to grow and sell as many rare and unusual herbaceous plants as possible. I think they have achieved this and are well-known for their very colourful stands full of rarities at events in the region.

Snowdrops started as a private passion for Joe and were of little financial importance. Over the years, Joe has found, raised and named many varieties and has become one of the country's leading growers. Joe started the Galanthus Gala which then became the leading snowdrop event in the country. Over the years, snowdrops have become much more mainstream and in the season many, many gardens now open for snowdrops. Joe organises and attends snowdrop events in the UK during the season. Following on from brexit, Joe then started a second business in the EU which allows him to continue to trade there. Joe now does three events in Germany following on from the English season.

Joe does BBC local radio once a month as a gardening expert and has been written about in every major newspaper and gardening magazine.

He will bring a huge range of varieties, new and old, to the Fullers Mill Garden snowdrop event. He will also bring many other Spring bulbs and plants.

Established in 2022, Sustainable Plant Store Ltd. was founded by Chris Wiley and specialises in selling sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to popular plants and garden products, competitively priced and delivered to you in 100% recyclable/compostable packaging.

In May 2022, Chris introduced a new Sweet Pea at Chelsea Flower Show named 'Peter Seabrook', after the late Peter Seabrook; a highly respected and well-known horticulturalist who encouraged and guided Chris throughout his career in the industry. The Sweet Pea was presented to the late Queen Elizabeth II and went on to win the Best New Plant award at BBC Gardeners' World Live in June, one month later.

Following this success, Chris saw an opportunity to combine two of his passions - plants and sustainability - to create an online 'one-stop-shop' for consumers to purchase garden products with the confidence that every item sold has been selected to produce zero waste for landfill and is locally sourced or has a low carbon footprint, ensuring a greener future for generations to come.

The award winning Sweet Pea makes up the company logo, so a real personal connection.

Sustainable Plant Store offer an extensive range of Galanthus, some of which will be available to purchase on his visit to Fullers Mill.

World renowned garden and extensive nursey created by award-winning plantswoman Beth Chatto, OBE, synonymous with her gardening philosophy ‘right plant, right place’. Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens offer more than 2,000 different varieties of plants, specialising in predominantly herbaceous perennials, grasses and ferns, including many unusual types you might not find elsewhere. The nursery offers a wide range of plants for difficult situations, such as dry, poor soil and damp conditions. All our plants are grown in peat-free compost, with the majority propagated by the Beth Chatto team from plants in the garden.

Riverside Bulbs is a small family business based in Suffolk, who aim to supply a wide, popular and interesting range of flower bulbs to keen gardeners across the country, for both Autumn and Spring planting seasons, at down to earth prices.

Veronica is a private gardener and galanthophile living in Suffolk with a collection amassed over the last 15 years from reliable sources.

Veronica will be offering an eclectic mix of mainly pot grown snowdrops – established ‘names’ rather than the latest ‘must haves’.

The Plantsman’s Preference is an independent Norfolk nursery selling a range of perennial plants including shade plants, ornamental grasses, hardy geraniums and ivies.

Established in 1996 by plantsman Tim Fuller, all plants are peat-free and propagated by Tim and his small team at the nursery.

Tim will be bringing a selection of early spring flowers, evergreens and unusual plants that are looking good and ready to grow.

World renowned garden and extensive nursey created by award-winning plantswoman Beth Chatto, OBE, synonymous with her gardening philosophy ‘right plant, right place’. Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens offer more than 2,000 different varieties of plants, specialising in predominantly herbaceous perennials, grasses and ferns, including many unusual types you might not find elsewhere. The nursery offers a wide range of plants for difficult situations, such as dry, poor soil and damp conditions. All our plants are grown in peat-free compost, with the majority propagated by the Beth Chatto team from plants in the garden.

Hedgehog Plants, based in Suffolk, is an RHS award winning, husband and wife run nursery specialising in both the unusual and some more usual hardy shrubs and perennials.

They specialise in (but are not limited to) Shrubs & Shade-Lovers. They also have one of the best selections of House Plants in Bury St Edmunds, and have featured in both the RHS Garden Magazine and on Gardener's World.