It’s an impressive set-up – around 1.3 million roses are propagated each year on 25 hectares of land. A further 300,000 roses are grown to Whartons’ specifications by small Norfolk contract rose growers. During the peak summer season the company employs in the region of 120 staff.
If you go into any garden centre, chances are that the roses on offer have been grown by Whartons. The operation is overseen by Robert Wharton, who is passionate about the business and – with the help of son Paul and a conscientious staff lead by general manager James Taylor – is dedicated to delivering the consistently high quality plants for which the company is known.
“Rose production is an extremely competitive business and we don’t believe in compromising on quality,” says Robert. “Our aim is to bring our customers the best performing varieties from around the world. We run a continuous trials programme with the world’s top rose breeders, to select the best of the new varieties. It takes around nine years to develop a new rose, so it’s a long and painstaking process.”
Whartons has been a member of the Anglia Group of Nurseries since 1970. The group grows a wide non-competing range of hardy garden plants, shares technical ideas as well as product transportation, and is dedicated to delivering a high quality product and service to garden centres.
This commitment to quality extends to the Scotts growing media and fertilizers which Whartons uses to pot up its plants. “We have been using Scotts in one form or another for over 20 years,” Robert explains, “and find they are the best choice all round. The quality of their products is superb. Over the years we have tried many other manufacturers’ growing media and fertilizers, but they have never performed as well.