Our Team
There are 3 ways to purchase / order at Provender Nurseries.
Quoted Sales Team: Our enthusiastic team have a wealth of information, skills and expertise at their fingertips. To advise you on any aspect of your planting projects including timelines, plant sourcing, sourcing landscaping accessories, delivery schedules and plant advice.
Large planting schemes and commercial projects can easily be catered for by Provender Nurseries. Come and talk over your plans with any of our sales or quoting team who are happy to help with plant suggestions too. You can contact a member of the sales / quoting team on sales@provendernurseries.co.uk or phone on 01322 662 315.
Online Sales Team: For your convenience, we also have our online service via the Trade Zone. Unlike other online ordering services, at Provender Nurseries, you can speak to an actual person. Our online team have a wealth of knowledge and experience to make ordering plants and sundries for your planting/design projects as smooth as possible. If you can't find what you are looking for, you can give a member of our online team a call, or you can add a comment when submitting your online order and we will do our best to source any missing items in for you.
Cash & Carry Team: If you prefer to select your own plants and sundries, why not visit our 18 acre site, stocked all year round with a wide range of plants including; trees, herbaceous, shrubs, hedging, specimen plants, bamboos, fruit, aquatics, herbs and alpines, where our experienced cash & carry team would be pleased to help with any of your project needs.
We also stock a wide selection of landscaping accessories such as aggregates, bark, compost, soil, chemicals, weedkillers, fertilisers, tools, hardware and more. See our product categories page for more details.
Sales Team
Nigel life has been in Horticulture for the last 40 plus years and started in 2011 at Provender Nurseries in the Quoted Sales Team. He started with local authorities, and became a Landscaper working on private gardens. During that time, Nigel has worked in Interior/Exterior Landscaping, Industrial and Private Garden Design and Trade plant nurseries.
Nigel has had two articles published in The Garden Design Journal on ‘Grasses’ and ‘Hemerocallis’. Nigel lives in Kent with his wife Sheliagh, their dogs Osi, Masie and Liffy and Ollie and Nellie, the cats.
Graham began with the company in April 2017 joining a busy quoting team and diving straight in at the deep end. Graham was bought up around plants and flowers and as a child, lending a hand in his parents cut flower business. Graham has over 40 years’ experience in the industry including setting up and running a wholesale flower supply company and running the UK arm of a Dutch importer. With many years in Garden Centres, Graham brings extensive retail experience to the team. His biggest passion is for cooking and all things food. He is a walking encyclopaedia of ingredients.
Clare Vinton has worked at Provender Nurseries since 2007 as a member of the sales team, having originally starting as a student on holiday work. Clare has a strong plant knowledge gained from working in garden centres and commercial nurseries over the years. She works closely with garden designers sourcing plants and advising on plant choices. Clare has a BSc (Hons) in Horticulture with Amenity Management.
Clare has a keen interest in horticulture in general and her passions are plants, gardening and animals. She often visits gardens in her free time.
Zohreh joined Provender Nurseries in 2017 working in the nursery team with little horticultural experience but with a yearning to learn more after enjoying time in her own garden. During her time on the nursery Zohreh increased her plant knowledge quickly and discovered a love of helping customers along the way. With 2 year's experience behind her on the nursery Zohreh moved into the quoting team and is taking on the challenge with gusto. Zohreh has a degree in Psychology and Philosophy and is very keen on baking. On cake day sales Zohreh’s cakes are top of the list for everyone on site! Her apple and almond cake is not be missed.
Ben joined Provender Nurseries in March 2022 as part of the quoted sales team.
He has a National Diploma in Countryside Management from Writtle college, an RHS level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture and a BA honours degree in TV and Film Production from Anglia Ruskin University.
Previously Ben has worked at Hadlow College, Platipus Anchors, as well as a wide variety of other horticultural roles within this much-loved industry.
Ben’s interests include photography, design, horticulture, rock climbing and animals. He has one dog, four cats and a blue tongued skink called Dave!
Julia White joined Provender Nurseries in Nov 22 originally as part of the Cash and Carry Team, but with six years previous experience in the turfing and aggregate industry, soon joined the sundries team, where her knowledge of the industry will be put to good use.
Originally from a scientific background, Julia has an HNC in Applied Biology, specialising in analytical biochemistry.
Julia moved into her ‘forever’ home in 2022, so is spending all her spare time renovating both the house and the garden!
Alex has a BA in Garden Design and initially started in the industry doing garden maintenance before moving to Provender Nurseries in 2014 and is a winner of Pro Landscapers’ 30 Under 30 in 2018 recognising young talent in the horticultural industry.
Starting out on the nursery, Alex worked her way up to Plant Area Supervisor in 2017 and in 2021 was promoted to Cash & Carry Sales Manager.
Her other favourite pastime is curling up on a comfy chair with a good book and cup of tea and biscuits at the ready.
Jill has worked for Provender Nurseries for 19 years, and over this time has witnessed many changes, watching it go from strength to strength, growing into an amazing Nursery with new members of staff joining every year. With many of its customers returning year on year no matter how cheeky Jill is to them!
Jill holds an RHS General exam, as well as a City & Guilds in Horticulture and an HTA in plant care.
In her spare time Jill manages an allotment which tends to feed her – and her colleagues for most of the year! She also bottles her own jam and chutney, so her cupboards often resemble something out of the Good Life!
Julie joined Provender Nurseries in November 2020 after 5 years working in the industry.
Formerly a teacher, Julie designed the Environmental Studies curriculum content and was involved with projects in the UK, Oman and Nigeria.
Julie’s particular interest is planting for specific requirements; wildlife friendly, low pollen, child and pet safe, trees for smaller gardens, screening boundaries for privacy and pollution reduction. This ties in with her efforts at home to implement the government’s new Environmental Land Management Scheme for farms.
Lizzy joined Provender Nurseries just before lockdown in March 2020 as part of the Nursery Team, quickly moving over to the Cash & Carry team; now working as the new Online Sales Manager and looking after the website. Lizzy joined Provender Nurseries from the RHS after six years of service, where she latterly was the Show Manager for RHS Chatsworth Flower Show.
Lizzy has a passion for design, organisation, opera and all things horticultural with a particular passion for ferns and animals of all shapes and sizes. Her biggest love (other than her husband) is her French Bulldog Rudy.
Denise has been in the horticultural industry for nearly 17 years and holds a level 2 NVQ in production and horticulture, a City & Guilds level 2 on Plant Propagation, a City & Guilds level 2 in Garden Design and a Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture amongst other qualifications.
Her passion for plants has remains undaunted over the years. She enjoys spending her time attending her own garden, eagerly awaiting to see all the unusual varieties that arrive at the nursery, as well as spending time with her much-adored Jack Russell Ronnie, cooking and going on country walks and discovering new places.
Liz Hughes started at Provender Nurseries in 2008, as a Sales Assistant. With a background spanning 34 years and a BSc Honours in Horticulture, Liz has a good all-round background of the industry. Liz has been the Marketing Manager at Provender Nurseries organising trade shows, events and overseeing all of Provender Nurseries social media for over 5 years.
Liz loves a tropical plant and anything exotic. Her bathroom looks like a jungle! Liz’s interests include more houseplants, reading, walking, friends and family and pub lunches.
Graham Marlow has been working at Provender Nurseries since August 2017. Initially as Stock Controller, then moved over into the role of Sundries Sales Executive and now has been promoted to Sundries Purchasing Manager.
Previously working as a Manager at Tesco's, Graham is now using his skills and knowledge gained there, to improve the smooth running of the Sundries department at Provender Nurseries.
Graham’s hobbies include swimming, going to the gym, walking, going to the cinema, playing cards, chess and backgammon.
Richard has over 20 years of experience in the horticulture industry. He began his career in plant retail working in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand, after which he built his expertise in the wholesale plant supply market.
As Managing Director of Provender Nurseries since 2013, Richard has established the wholesale plant cash and carry and sundries supplier as a leader in the Southeast.
A dedicated believer in nurturing talent in the industry, Richard works hard to promote horticulture as a positive career choice for students in the UK and Europe, including organising exchange programmes to share knowledge and build networks.
Richard Burt has been at Provender Nurseries since 2007 starting as Sales Manager and working towards his present role as Sales Director.
Richard left college with an ND in Horticulture and has spent all his working life within the industry, working predominantly in nurseries and wholesale plant supply. As a result, Richard has an extensive bank of plant knowledge and is always keen to learn more.
Working closely with the management and purchasing teams, Richard is always on the look out for new varieties to hold in stock and encourages the team at Provender Nurseries to keep up to date with new ranges.