As garden designers, we’re often asked, “Where do you buy your plants?” The answer isn’t one single place – different nurseries excel at different things, from rare specimens to hardy locals and instant impact.
Which garden centres in North East Scotland are worth the journey, and what makes each one special?
Why Trust a Designer’s Recommendations
> Professional Standards: We see behind the scenes and all the work which goes into plant health, cultivation practices, and stock rotation by garden centre and nursery staff.
> Real-World Performance: We know which local nurseries supply plants that thrive in Aberdeenshire’s unique climate.
> Relationships Matter: We work closely with suppliers who understand our expectations for quality and reliability locally.
> Curated Knowledge: These aren’t just popular spots for a grand day out. They are places where we genuinely choose plants for our own clients’ gardens.
Top 5 Plant Nurseries and Garden Centres in North East Scotland
1. Ben Reid Garden Centre, Aberdeen
Founded by Ben Reid in 1807, this nursery is a local institution. The firm is now in the capable hands of the fourth generation Simon Fraser and his sister, Katie Lindsay.
With their dedicated team and over 250 years of local growing experience behind them, Ben Reid Garden Centre offers something a bit more special than the average garden centre.
Based in Aberdeen, they specialise in growing plant varieties guaranteed to thrive in our challenging North East climate.
What Makes It Special: Over 60,000 plants grown on-site annually, ensuring exceptional quality and acclimatisation to local conditions.
Designer’s View: The range is vast and beautifully presented, with most plants raised in-house. Staff knowledge runs deep – they’re passionate and genuinely helpful.
Best For: Trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and Christmas trees (they’ve been known to save Christmas with emergency deliveries!) .
Don’t miss their Rewards scheme – free to join and earns points on purchases!
2. Solstice Nurseries
What Makes It Special: Solstice Nurseries is a social firm and, for those in the know, a wholesale plant nursery. While primarily trade-focused, it’s worth knowing that this is where many local designers source plants for projects.
It’s more than just a nursery! Since 2005 it has provided training, qualifications and work experience in horticulture for people recovering from mental illness with the strapline “Growing People and Plants”. Solstice believes that horticulture improves health and wellbeing and they assist people in gaining experience for future employment or other work-related activity.
Designer’s View: We include this because it speaks to our process – we have access to quality trade nurseries that ensure our clients get the very best specimens. Solstice grows nursery quality perennials, shrubs and alpine plants.
Environmental Best Practice: Solstice Nurseries also minimise chemical use with no use of weedkiller, relying instead on an army of frogs to minimise slug damage. They also only use peat free compost and run a plastic pot recycling scheme where all pots returned to site are cleaned and re-used to propagate plants.
Best For: Understanding that designers have access to sources beyond the retail garden centre. Solstice Nurseries is a nod to the quality we pursue at Gerbera Designs. Local garden designers, gardeners and landscapers are the nursery’s main clients for plant purchase who are looking for locally grown, quality plants.
Note: Not open to the general public for general retail use. However Solstice Nurseries does sell plants to the general public by appointment only.
3. Mains of Drum Garden Centre, Drumoak
The Independent Spirit: The family owned business Mains of Drum Garden Centre is set in beautifully landscaped grounds on the A93 on Royal Deeside. Since opening in 2009 it stocks beautiful plants suitable for the Scottish climate and all things for the garden.
What Makes It Special: A genuine commitment to listening to customers and offering choice, quality, and personal service.
Designer’s View: This is more than a garden centre; it’s a destination. The plant range is thoughtful, and the team genuinely cares about helping gardeners succeed.
Best For: A family day out with plants – the award winning restaurant and giftware department make it an experience .
Don’t miss the Gardening Club where members can get 10% off gardening products like plant care, pet care, wild bird care, and gardening tools.
4. Springhill Nurseries, Dunecht
Independently run: Springhill Nurseries is a family business which was established in 1990. It is based in Dunecht, 10 miles west of Aberdeen.
What Makes It Special: They are growers of a wide range of quality plants suitable for the rigours of the Scottish climate. They are trade suppliers to garden centres, garden designers and landscapers, local authorities, agricultural businesses, golf courses, construction companies and many other businesses all over the Scottish mainland and islands.
Designer’s View: As growers they hold in excess of 500,000 plants from 9cm liners up to 5m high trees. They supply a vast range of plants, primarily grown in 3L pots, including shrubs, trees, conifers, heathers, climbing plants, herbaceous, grasses, fruit trees and fruit bushes both container grown from 9cm to 85L pots and bare rooted stock. They can also supply tree stakes, tree ties, rabbit guards, tree shelters, canes, compost and bark.
The general public can visit the nursery on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays but you need to phone in advance to book an appointment.
5. Henderson Nurseries, Turriff
What Makes It Special: Rooted in tradition, growing with passion as a fifth-generation nurseryman, Henderson Nurseries comes from a rich family tradition rooted in a deep passion for working with plants and outdoor spaces.
Designer’s View: They grow and supply shrubs, bare root trees and hedging which will tolerate the conditions in North-East Scotland.
Best For: Predominately specialise in bare root/ root ball and potted trees and hedging. They also supply shrubs all year round and annuals in the summer.
Don’t Miss: Henderson Nurseries also offer a comprehensive range of landscaping services, including hedge pruning and reductions, garden maintenance, grass cutting, and professional digger work.
Open by appointment only. Please contact them in advance.
How Gerbera Designs Connects You to the Best Plants
> Expert Sourcing: We know which nurseries stock the healthiest, most appropriate plants for your garden.
> Designer Access: We can source from trade growers you might not be able to visit yourself.
> Specified Selection: Every plant on our plans is chosen not just for beauty, but for availability and performance in North East Scotland.
> Planting Service: We don’t just design – we can source and plant, ensuring everything goes in perfectly.
Ready to Find the Perfect Plants for Your Garden?
Let Gerbera Designs take the guesswork out of plant sourcing. Contact us for a consultation, and we’ll create a planting design with the best local sources in mind.
