Leading online garden retailer and nursery Crocus has reported 20% year-on-year revenue growth during this year's peak trading season across both plants and products, a particularly encouraging result against the backdrop of continued challenges across the wider horticultural industry.
The strong performance has been driven by significant investment in Crocus' own nursery production and wider operational efficiencies, enabling the business to increase the volume of quality, homegrown plants in line with customer demand while maintaining high stock availability throughout the season.
This focus on UK-grown stock has also been a strategic response to evolving plant import regulations and increasing concerns around biosecurity. By expanding its own production capabilities, Crocus has strengthened supply resilience, maintained quality standards and reduced reliance on imported and bought-in stock.
The business is currently on track to produce 1.6 million homegrown plants this year and remains firmly on course to achieve its target of 2 million homegrown plants by the end of 2026.
To support this sustained growth, Crocus has expanded its nursery operations, bringing a further 2.3 hectares of growing space into production, while increasing capacity across its homegrown two and three-litre plant ranges to meet growing customer demand.
Alongside the success of its retail operation, Crocus' landscape and plant sourcing division, led by co-founder Peter Clay, has also enjoyed a strong year, supplying and managing planting schemes for some of the UK's most prestigious garden and landscape projects. Recent collaborations include working with Tom Stuart-Smith on the Tate Britain Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with Crocus now supplying the plants for the garden's permanent home at Tate Britain. The business is also delivering projects with RHS Chelsea Flower Show Best in Show winner Sarah Eberle and acclaimed designer Sarah Price, and is currently partnering with Tom Stuart-Smith to create the largest ever show garden at this year's RHS Badminton Flower Show.
Over the past three years, Crocus' wholesale and plant sourcing division has grown significantly, reflecting increasing demand for high-quality, nursery-grown plants and specialist horticultural expertise across the commercial landscaping sector.
Mark Fane, Co-Founder of Crocus, said: "It's been a great peak season for the business and one we're incredibly proud of, particularly given the difficult trading conditions many across the industry continue to face. Our decision to invest heavily in our own nursery production has enabled us to offer customers greater choice, consistency and quality throughout the season, while also responding to the changing landscape of plant imports and the increasing importance of biosecurity."
"What makes these results especially pleasing is that we've achieved this growth while continuing to deliver the level of service our customers expect from us. Throughout this peak season, 85% of customers have rated us as 'Excellent' on Trustpilot – a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our teams across the business."
Mark Fane added: "Since 2023, all of our own nursery production has been grown-on in peat-free compost, reflecting our long-term commitment to more responsible growing practices. Sustainability has long been central to how we operate, and we're committed to demonstrating that large-scale, high-quality plant production can be achieved responsibly."
Peter Clay, Co-Founder of Crocus, said: "We're incredibly privileged to work alongside some of the country's most talented and influential garden designers on projects that inspire millions of people and leave a lasting legacy. Whether it's an award-winning Chelsea garden, a major public landscape or a private commission, our role is to help bring exceptional planting schemes to life.
"The growth of our landscape and plant sourcing division reflects the trust that designers and clients place in our nursery, our plants and our expertise. It's particularly rewarding to see our investment in homegrown production supporting not only our retail customers, but also some of the most ambitious and exciting horticultural projects being delivered in Britain today."
The growth marks another milestone in Crocus' continued investment in UK-grown production, reinforcing the company's long-term commitment to quality, sustainability and horticultural excellence, while helping to build greater resilience within the British horticultural supply chain.
