Nick Gibb MP visited Binsted Nursery at Lake Lane, near Barnham at the invitation of Martin Emmett, Strategy Director of the three Tristram Plant nurseries, which includes Binsted Nursery.
Binsted Nursery grows 96 varieties of herbs for garden centres throughout the UK. They also grow “succulents” (lower water use flowers), and flowers from bulbs.
The three Tristram Plants nurseries (Binsted, Walberton and Fleurie) own 80% of the Farplants Cooperative which also includes Toddington Nursery near Barnham.
The Farplant Cooperative nurseries together supply garden plants and herbs to garden centre retailers and have a collective turnover of £20 million.
On the Binsted site there are 3.5 acres of reservoir, which holds 20,000 cubic metres of water, making the site self sufficient in water.
Nick Gibb said, “Horticulture remains a hugely important sector of our local economy in this part of West Sussex, and ornamental horticulture in particular.
“Across the country as a whole, ornamental horticulture (plants and flowers) contributes over £24 billion to the UK economy.”
Photo: from left: John Hall (West Sussex Growers Association); Nick Gibb; Richard Hopkins (chair, West Sussex Growers Association); Martin Emmett (Strategy Director Tristram Plant Nurseries); Richard Diplock (Eric Wall Ltd tomato growers).
The potted plant is an “Aeonium Schwarzkopf”.