A Look Back at 2024 With Mathias Nurseries

As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on 2024—a year filled with exciting milestones, industry challenges, and growth for our team and business. From national recognition to introducing new faces and products, this year has truly been memorable.  The trend of customers wanting high quality British grown stock produced and supplied by a trusted longstanding family business continues.

Our 2024 Highlights

Working with ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh

One of our standout moments this year was being invited to supply plants for ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh. Having worked with some of the show’s presenters in a personal capacity over the years, it was incredibly rewarding to be recognised for the quality of our stock by showcasing our products on such a public platform.

Find out more about our appearance on ITV’s Love Your Weekend.

A Visit from Our Local MP

In late summer, we were honoured to host our local MP at our nursery. His visit was a testament to the vital role our industry plays in the community and provided an opportunity to discuss pressing concerns within the horticultural sector. It’s reassuring to have political support at a time when the industry faces uncertainty.

Welcoming New Faces

This year, we welcomed two new members to our team—both recent college leavers with a passion for horticulture. One of them joined us as an apprentice, attending college for formal horticultural training while gaining hands-on experience with us. Their energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn has been a fantastic addition to our team, and it’s been a joy to see them thrive.

Supporting the Community

We continued our support as longstanding sponsors of Tilford Cricket Club, a thriving community organisation. Not only did Tilford lift the l’Anson Cricket Division 1 Cup earlier this year, but it’s always a joy to see the village green filled with 250 children enjoying junior cricket sessions each Friday evening in the summer, supported by dedicated volunteers. Partnering with such an engaged and successful local club is a privilege.

Expanding Offerings

A Growing Tree Range

2024 saw a significant expansion of our specimen trees. After a revamp of our online tree section and increased production over the past few years, we now offer a broader selection of sizes and varieties of popular specimen trees. This initiative has been met with enthusiasm from our customers, who appreciate the enhanced options for their gardens.

A Rise in Alternatives to Box Hedging

One of the most notable product trends this year has been the growing popularity of Euonymus Green Spire. As gardeners move away from traditional box hedging (Buxus sempervirens) due to issues with blight and box moth caterpillars, Green Spire has emerged as a resilient and attractive alternative. We’ve seen a significant uptick in sales, and we’re delighted to support customers in creating beautiful, sustainable borders.

Impressive Sales Figures

This year, we tallied some remarkable sales numbers that highlight the growing demand for our plants:

• Portuguese Laurel: We sold 5 kilometres of this popular hedging plant, with most plants averaging  5–6 feet tall.
• Yew Hedging: Another 5 kilometres sold—ideal for creating elegant, long-lasting borders.
• Laurel Hedging: Our best-seller, with an impressive 8.5 kilometres sold this year.
• Euonymus Green Spire: This alternative to box hedging has grown in popularity, with 5 kilometres sold in 2024.

And these are just a few of our popular varieties!

Overcoming Challenges in 2024

Like many in our industry, we’ve had to contend with unpredictable weather this year. A cooler, wetter summer affected the growth of some stock, delaying harvest timelines and leading to a late start to the autumn planting season. This created a bottleneck, but thanks to our hardworking team, we managed to meet demand during the busy period.

While the weather posed challenges, it also underscored the resilience of our plants and our team. We’ve adapted and learned from these conditions, setting the stage for even stronger growing seasons ahead.  No two years of weather are ever the same in farming!

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we gear up for 2025, here are just a few things our customers can expect:

• More Hedging Options: We’re ramping up production of our most popular hedging varieties, offering them in a wider range of sizes and at highly competitive prices.
• Commitment to Affordability: Despite rising costs across many industries, we’re proud to keep our prices stable, thanks to the economies of scale achieved through our expanded production processes.
• Continued Innovation: With new machinery and streamlined processes, we’re better equipped than ever to produce and deliver quality plants efficiently.

Can We Help You?

2024 has been another hugely successful year of growth and we’re excited for what lies ahead.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can work together in the year ahead, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with our team today or browse our extensive range of UK-grown hedging plants.