THE SEEDS OF A

BRILLIANT IDEA

Martin first became interested in palms back in the 70’s when his brother gave him a Kentia palm for his new flat. Knowing nothing about plants he duly watered it to death, but buying its replacement and learning about palm care woke something in him which turned into a hobby, a passion and eventually the business known today as The Palm Centre.

The seeds of interest in exotic plants had quite literally been sown as his interest in raising palms began to develop and he considered how to share his burgeoning knowledge (and growing plant collection) with potential customers.

SHOPPING AROUND

The Palm Centre officially opened its doors to the public in 1988 when the business began selling a limited range of palm trees from its original base in East Sheen, South West London. . Although the idea of a shop selling exotic plants in the UK was unusual and completely unheard of at the time, it somehow seemed to work.

Thankfully, as word started to spread, The Palm Centre took off as the popularity of exotic plants caught on; eventually giving Martin the freedom to travel around the world; sourcing, studying, photographing and writing about palms.

GOING FOR GOLD

In 1990 The Palm Centre created a huge splash at the Chelsea Flower Show with a high-impact and unique debut display consisting solely of palm trees, which nobody had done in living memory.

The stand attracted unprecedented praise from visitors and show judges - who awarded the nursery its first gold medal. It was equally well-received by the horticultural press and we were honoured to be featured on the front page of The Times newspaper.

UNKNOWN & EXOTIC PLANT INTRODUCTIONS

Martin has travelled around the world in search of rare plants that were once considered lost forever. Previously unfamiliar specimens such as Trachycarpus princeps and Chamaerops cerifera (now prevalent in European nurseries) were virtually unknown until he brought them back and nurtured them into thriving plants. . The seeds collected during these explorations have since been shared with other European growers to ensure a sustainable source of supply for future generations.