About Us

Botany Bay is proud to be an independent garden centre and nursery, trading for 50 years.

The Botany Bay business originally started life as a pick-your-own fruit business before progressing into bedding plants and perennials. With this heritage we are passionate about plants, growing many of the plants found the garden centre right here on the nursery.

Being independently owned is reflected in our individual approach and attention to detail. The personal touch is very important to us and we always aim to provide a friendly, reliable and knowledgeable service.

Where it all started...

In 1974 Sue & Peter Ratcliffe bought a plot of land in Astwood Bank, known locally as Botany Bay. They both had a background in horticulture and it was their ambition to start their own nursery, Peter had gained advanced qualifications and had worked as an adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture.   

The couple lived in Redditch, they had a lively toddler and Sue was heavily pregnant. To keep money coming in while the business developed, Peter took on a milk round and also worked as a contract landscaper on Redditch New Town. He actually planted most of the trees along Alders Drive.   

The land was drained and prepared and they set about planting Pick Your Own strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries & blackcurrants. Peter could tell some great stories about Pick Your Own - including the topless raspberry pickers! This was a relatively successful business, however the land itself wasn’t good growing land.  The only time it had ever been ploughed was in WW2 to grow potatoes.   

A company based in Stratford asked if Botany Bay could grow geraniums for them. So a huge polytunnel was built with benching and heating and was soon full of geranium cuttings. In 1978 the couple also began building work for a house on site. The whole family moved into a tiny caravan, Sue and Peter, 2 young boys and 2 dogs. Using a bucket as a toilet and visiting family for showers once a week, it was an unforgettable experience. 

With the business growing and a team of staff building up, a huge glasshouse was built, with many more added over the years up to the 12 houses that they have today.   The business continued to grow for about 5 years until disaster struck - the Stratford company pulled out of their contract halfway through the season. So after many sleepless nights Peter and Sue decided to go it alone and set up their own wholesale business.    

Around this time a chirpy 16-year old started working for Sue and Peter, a young man called Jeremy - he learned the business and is still here as a Director 39 years later!    

The business at this time was purely a wholesale nursery, employing up to 40 staff in the main season. At its peak, they were growing one million geraniums, about 1.25 million fuchsias and about 3 million other hanging basket plants. They developed a reputation far and wide for selling the “Mother Stock”. These were the plants that provided the cuttings for all of the stock. People still ask for these even now!   

When he left school, their eldest son Jamie went to work at other nurseries to learn the trade from the bottom up and returned to Botany Bay when he was 24. In the early 2000s, there was a shift in the market. Dutch growers were producing vast numbers of plants in staggeringly large glasshouses in the Netherlands. They were keen on price and unlimited on supply - smaller growers like Botany Bay found it difficult to compete. So the business had to evolve.   

 Jamie became more involved in the business as it moved in new directions, opening a Plant Centre, which over the years has become the successful Garden Centre that they have now. As the garden centre built up, the wholesale business reduced in volume. Their biggest customer is now Botany Bay itself! 

Botany Bay are proud to work every year with Astwood Bank in Bloom, Henley in Bloom and Studley in Bloom. They also supply the local authorities in Alcester, Redditch and Feckenham. 

Jamie and the management team have lots of exciting ideas for the future of the Botany Bay, so generations of gardeners to come can benefit from top quality and friendly service that Botany Bay prides itself on.