The Ultimate Winter Hardy Shrub Collection

• On receipt, soak the roots in water for at least 2 hours (overnight is better). If you can't plant straight away, they should be fine for up to a week if left in a cool, dark, frost-free place - keep the bag around the roots with some water inside. Don't worry if the roots have been cut quite harshly – this is done to encourage the plant to grow.
• Bare root plants are dormant, with no leaves, and with the roots out of the soil.
• The season runs from November to April, depending on the weather. Some larger or slower-growing plants will already be a few years old on supply, and ready to thrive straight away in your garden.

• Select an appropriate spot for your plants, making sure that you give them enough space to grow to their full size.
• Dig a hole twice the width of the roots, forking over the bottom to loosen the soil, and add some good quality fertiliser such as Blood, Fish and Bone.
• Aim to plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the trunk.
• Holding the tree or plant upright in position with one hand, slowly backfill the hole with soil, and gently shake the plant, so the soil falls back around the roots.
• Use your heel to compact the soil around the plant to ensure good contact around the roots.
• If you are planting into pots, place some old rocks, stones or gravel in the bottom of the pot for drainage and ballast. Use the best compost you can buy.
• When the soil and air warm up from late March onwards, you should see the plant burst into life.
• Do not allow plants to dry out in the first four months after planting. Once established for one season, they will become much more tolerant to a lack of water, as the root system develops.
• There is no real need to prune for the first 2 years, then prune to the shape and size you want. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter to control size.
• Prune established trees in summer using good-quality secateurs, removing weak shoots, and cutting out those that cross over each other, to create an evenly spaced bowl shape.

Please allow us 3-5 working days to dispatch your order. Pre-ordered items will be sent as soon as possible after the date quoted and we'll generally ship your entire order with your pre-ordered items. When your order is dispatched, we'll send you another email with details of how to track it.

Most orders are sent on a fully-tracked courier service with Yodel. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, no signature is required, and our courier is asked to leave your order in a safe place on your property.

We'll send a tracking link when we dispatch your order, so you know when it's due to arrive. Please note, once delivered we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your property. If you have any specific delivery instructions, please let us know - there's an option to enter a short message for the courier at the checkout.

Smaller, lighter, single-item orders may be sent through the post with Royal Mail - in which case no tracking is available.

Our experienced nursery team will always send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive when you plant them, so although most plants are very tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme frosts or heatwaves, we avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme weather is forecast, or over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.