Where and when to buy big/mature shrubs?

[kateal]

I'd like to buy a couple of big shrubs for my garden but all of the garden centres I've been to only have small or - at best - medium size ones. I've bought a few but even two years on, everything is still teeny and underwhelming. Where should I be going? Should I go to nurseries instead of garden centres - is that where these things are actually grown? I'm based in the south east, near the Surrey/London border.

I was just watching Love Your Garden and they planted a huge (6ft) viburnum popcorn, which was gorgeous - where do I get such things?!

I buy my bigger plants from Crocus or the Telegraph Garden Shop. They are excellent quality, packed really well and have a guarantee.

Don’t be An idiot like me and battle through the packaging. There is a pull tag near the bottom which opens up the bo😐🤗🤗

Specialist nurseries. There are often adverts at the back of gardening magazines.

I’d hold off planting buying and planting until Autumn if you can.

florentina1, thank you and especially for the packaging tip!

TowerRingInferno, good point about leaving until autumn, I just want to get organised so I don't leave it to late to plant once again. I'll check out my back issues of The Garden etc and see who does the big stuff. Ta.

Avoid Primrose and Parker’s, their quality is very hit and miss. If you want trees, then Barcham Trees are brilliant. I bought 2, 15 feet, Amelanchier (10ltr) from them. From Crocus I got Robinia Casque Rouge and a Sorbus Cashmiriana, both 5 litre and also various sizes Silver Birches, Cotoneaster, large pyracantha and Acer Griseum. Each plant has thrived .

Architectural Plants sell some wonderful things, and I think do large plants if you want. But I think you have to go to their nursery near Chichester to buy.

Smaller independent companies would be able to help. My father runs a horticulture company and regularly supplies and plants trees and shrubs like this.

Luckykitty, can I ask what your father's company is called please? THanks.