The Rare Plant and Herb Nursery
Arne Herbs moved to Limeburn Hill in 1986; the nursery site occupies 8.5 acres, is largely South facing, has pH neutral soil and its own alkaline water supply which makes it ideal for growing a wide range of herbs specially those from the Mediterranean. We maintain a display garden containing more than 300 species of plants to show what you may expect when they have matured.
At the request of our customers all of our plants are grown on a strict minimum pesticide regime, this means that occasionally you may find the odd insect on your purchases. Plants may be sprayed with chemicals upon request prior to leaving the nursery.
Opening Times
The nursery is open from 10 AM to 4PM most days, however we occasionally take plants to
sales and Farmers markets, so telephone prior to setting out to ensure that someone will be able to help you. If you require specific
rare plants or herbs, it is advisable to ensure that they are available prior to your visit. Please bring boxes for your plants, we may be able to provide some but can not guarantee it.
Nursery Location
The nursery is located in the picturesque Chew Valley, situated on the edge of the Mendip Hills south of Bristol. The nursery is ideal for customers wishing to buy rare plants and herbs in Bath, Frome, Weston-Super-Mare , Swindon and the South West of England.
If approaching from the North, it is inadvisable to travel via the M32 unless
you are familiar with the centre of Bristol.
From the M5, A38 or A37, follow the signs to Bristol Airport.
On the Bristol side of the airport, join the B3130 to Chew Magna.
From the B3130, turn north towards Bishopsworth at the first, (and only),
roundabout on the west side of Chew Magna. This road is Limeburn Hill. We
are 300 yards up on the left.
Medicinal Plants and Safety
For our own protection, that of our insurers and yourselves, we insist that children are kept within parental arms' length at all times. We appreciate that children find plants as exhilarating as party political broadcasts so if yours suffer less than a superhuman boredom threshold, we strongly advise you to leave them at home.
Organic, Peat and Plastic
We are frequently asked whether we are "organic" The short answer is No, because our job is growing plants, not coping with all the nonsensical bureaucracy involved in the certification process. However, we very rarely use chemical sprays which are harmful to the natural predators on which we rely for pest control.
We do use peat because it is integral to the natural habitat of many plants and they therefore give their best performance in this medium. Trying to make plants conform to human ideals is akin to those vegetarians who feed their cats on cabbage and then wonder when they wander off (or die). On the other hand, most Mediterranean plants hate peat so we are pleased to humour their politically correct whims by reducing the peat content and increasing the grit in their environment.
All our packaging material, boxes, polystyrene chips, shredded paper etc is recycled. And yes we do use plastic pots, plastic tunnels and plastic labels, just like the "organic" growers in fact. We are acutely aware of the environmental damage resulting from the use of plastics, but unless the public show a greater willingness to pay fifteen quid for a pot of Basil than they have up to now, I regret we are stuck with them.
Club Visits to the Nursery
We appreciate that our lecture fees are sometimes beyond the reach of the
small county gardening clubs whose patronage during the early years allowed
us to become the international force we are today.
Secretaries are invited to bring their members round for an evening's
conducted tour of the nursery when we can offer "a
crisp and a drink" and also the opportunity to purchase special plants and herbs, often not available
elsewhere. There is no fee for this but visits to the Arne Herbs Nursery should normally be arranged
well in advance.