About Us

Shipton Bulbs began on our Welsh smallholding in 1986, born from a love of native plants, naturalistic gardening, and the belief that our wild flora deserves a place not only in conservation, but in the gardens, woodlands, meadows, and landscapes we create around us.

What began with a focus on propagating native British bulbs and supplying seed of wild species gradually grew into something larger: a specialist nursery offering carefully chosen bulbs and plants that naturalise beautifully in the British climate. Alongside our native species, we began introducing exceptional bulbs from other temperate parts of the world—plants chosen not simply for spectacle, but for their ability to establish, return, and sit naturally within British gardens.

Shipton Bulbs was founded by my parents, inspired in no small part by the botanical knowledge and passion of my mum, Alison. Together, they were among the relatively small number of people, at that time, championing native planting long before it became widely embraced.

For me, this business has never simply been a family story I inherited later—it has been part of my life from the very beginning. As a child I was already helping in the small ways children can: collecting seed, lifting bulbs, packing orders, and growing up surrounded by plants, propagation trays, muddy boots, and conversations about gardens. Over the years, that involvement became a genuine part of the business, and now I am proud to be carrying Shipton Bulbs into its next chapter.

Plants, exploration, and the natural world have always been woven into our family life. As children, my sister and I were fortunate to travel widely with our parents, experiencing landscapes and flora across different parts of the world from an early age. Later, alongside building Shipton Bulbs, my parents went on to lead mountain expeditions and botanical tours across the Himalaya, Patagonia, China, and beyond—including John's journeys retracing some of the remarkable routes explored by his father, Eric Shipton. These experiences helped foster a deep appreciation for the relationships between British flora and the plants of other temperate regions, something that continues to influence the plants we choose today.

Following the heartbreaking loss of Alison in 2008, Shipton Bulbs remained a deeply family-centred enterprise, with both my sister and I helping to keep the nursery going. In later years, Victoria joined the business, bringing her own extensive horticultural experience from running a specialist nursery in Western Australia.

Today, Shipton Bulbs remains rooted in the same principles that shaped it from the beginning: a love of plants with character, an appreciation for naturalistic gardening, and a belief that the most rewarding gardens are those planted in sympathy with nature and place.

Whether you are planting a woodland corner, naturalising bulbs in grass, creating a pollinator-friendly border, or simply looking for something beautiful and enduring, I hope you will find something here to inspire you.