In March I, Guy (Managing Director) went to Pistoia, Italy to tag some plants for an upcoming soft landscaping job. Pistoia is the centre of the ornamental plant nursery trade in Italy. Situated in the Tuscan foothills next to Florence. Cold enough to prepare plants for the winters of northern Europe and warm enough to turbo charge the summer growth in a way which outcompetes nurseries from colder northern climates.
The nursery area of Pistoia is a delightful patchwork of circa 1500 small independent growers interwoven and stacked on top of each other amongst the lanes in an un-ordered organic arrangement. Completely undecipherable to the uninitiated.
Pistoia is not the place for the rare or unusual plant species, it is the place for value, volume and quality (if you pick the right places) of the more common or garden plants we are familiar with; Elaeagnus, Photinia, Euonymus, Osmanthus, Trachycarpus, Ilex Mediterranean perennials and associated shrubs. The forms, sizes and choice though is vast. That said, there is always the odd special plant or enthusiast growing the unusual, this is just not the speciality of the area.
With so many nurseries, so close together I think there has been a history of the growers competing on price to survive. This has led to low profitability and a subsequent under-investment in the future. The attitude to and the pride in their plants is changing. Investment with a view towards a sustainable future is beginning. It is interesting to hear their export markets are growing too, with significant orders coming from Eastern Europe as these economies mature and begin to provide the spending power needed to fund plant purchases which shouldn’t be, but still are, a luxury good. I heard of substantial orders from Hungary and Solvakia.
I found the area to be charming, the growers passionate, the climate very pleasant and the food extraordinary. I could make the trip alone for culinary tourism. I was also pleased to learn some new plants:
– Viburnum lucidum. A superb, versatile, hardy large leaved evergreen tree or shrub. Imagine Ligustrum lucidum, with a larger shinier leaf that doesn’t risk loosing its leaves in winter. With all the excitement and limited choice of evergreens I was very surprised for this to be the first time I have heard of this plant. A plant we shall be featuring from now on in our gardens.
– Eucalyptus cinnerea. A hardy and very attractive Eucalyptus species grown either as a feathered single or multistem shrub or standard tree. Because it grows so quickly here is it great value.
A word of caution through. Since Brexit plant import regulations into the UK have come into force. This far south pest and disease is more of a problem and it is prohibited to import some plant species. Pinus – no importing of any Pines from Italy. Cedrus – no importing of any Cedars from Italy. Anyone bringing plants into the UK from any grower should ensure they import from reputable growers who take plant health seriously. This is not always the case.
Transport is also a consideration, minimum orders are generally 8000 Euro. If we could buy these plants closer then we should consider the environmental impact of the haulage however, I think that the increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact from the reduced production times you get from the warmer climates off sets the transport.
I came away knowing we did a great job for our clients, picking the best plants value which I could not have done so well without making the trip. Whilst also making new friends, adding to my address book, learnt lots about plant production and taken another step towards improving our offering to our clients.
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Part of my extraordinary enjoyment in this work is the wonderful places it takes me. I have been lucky enough to see some not many do and that many would like to. A recent project has made a new entry into my top ten workplaces. We are implementing the first phase in what I hope will become a multi-layered garden landscape built considerately over a few years.