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Olive Grove Nurseries: Look out it’s a jungle out there
Tim and Jackie Thackeray in their jungle experience at Olive Grove Nurseries. Inset, some of the animal figures. Picture: Ben Davis/Peterborough ET (METP-13-05-11BD110)
IT’S a jungle out there as businesses struggle to cope in the challenging economic conditions.
Maybe someone forgot to tell Tim and Jackie Thackeray of the difficulties as their lifestyle business, the olive tree and Mediterranean plant nursery Olive Grove Nurseries, based at Polebrook, near Oundle, is celebrating a year of success way beyond the couple’s expectations.
Tim and Jackie thought they might turn over about £75,000 in their first year, but have actually realised more than four times that figure.
The first anniversary has also been marked with the opening of a jungle experience in Olive Grove’s undercover plant area.
Made by top Kenyan artisans from recycled steel drums, the jungle animals blend seamlessly with their exotic plant surroundings, enabling the customer to come on each one with a sense of surprise and delight.
From the huge 5ft gorilla emerging between the palms to the elegant cranes grazing among the grasses and the little warthog scuttling beside the path, the jungle is a must for locals looking to find specialist statement plants and high-impact garden design features.
For those not tempted by animal sculpture, there are wood carvings from Indonesia with people magically appearing through the trunks of trees; while a gathering of calming water features in an area of the jungle with piped music demonstrates perfectly the ability of contemporary water art to create an idyll in one’s garden.
Jackie said: “Our main client base is people looking for big specimen plants that make a high impact, such as 400-year-old olive trees or towering 4m tall hardy palms, so we wanted to offer them a range of stunning architectural garden features to complement their garden design. We have also set up a Tiki bar and relaxed seating areas where customers can take time to consider their garden designs.”
The nursery, which came highly recommended as a newcomer nursery in last year’s Garden Retail Awards, has seen its commitment to innovation and quality pay dividends, having performed way beyond first year expectations.
Tim said: “Since introducing the jungle experience, customer feedback has been excellent, with many people saying that it was their friends and family who had recommended a visit.
“My wife and I chose to set up the nursery as a lifestyle business so we would not be encumbered by high expectations, therefore the success of the nursery is beyond anything we imagined possible; all we can put it down to is our continuous commitment to supplying magnificent specimen plants with a first rate service experience.
“The jungle is Phase 2 of our development plan for the nursery and we have plans for Phase 3 next year which, depending on customer feedback, is likely to include a farm shop and cafe on site”.
To find out more about Olive Grove Nurseries, visit www.olivegrovenurseries.co.uk or call Tim and Jackie on 01832 275660.
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
