Grayshott Gardeners rounded up its 2024 Programme of Lectures with a fascinating talk from Nick Macer, a specialist nurseryman and owner of Pan Global Plants, a nursery in Gloucestershire.

Nick had what he describes as a “rebellious youth” – at school they said he was “bright but bored”. He dropped out before he was 16, and worked for a landscaping company to earn some money. He soon learned that a life working outside appealed to him, and trained as an arboriculturalist at Merrist Wood, where he developed a passion (bordering on an obsession) for trees and plants. In 1997 he persuaded the bank to loan him the money to set up his own nursery, and Pan Global Plants was born.
Nick has been on many, many trips around the temperate world, searching for attractive and unusual plants that will thrive in the UK climate. In many countries this means seeking out the higher altitudes – and such remote spots bring their own challenges. We heard of lightning bolts, marauding bears, fording rivers and sleeping in the open – not for the faint hearted.
It was fascinating to see amazing plants growing in their natural habitat, alongside the images of the same plants growing in his own nursery. Many seeds and bulbils have been collected and nurtured on the nursery until they are ready for sale to eager customers.
By the end of the evening we felt like we had been around the world ourselves – albeit from the comfort of Grayshott Village Hall. And since most of us are unlikely to be that adventurous, we were very grateful to Nick for sharing his experiences in such an entertaining way.