Simon Earley is the owner of the UK-based company Earley Ornamentals. The company was established in 2009 when Simon Earley took over the former Sakata Ornamentals. Annually, the company grows 180 million young plants made up of 1,800 varieties of bedding plants and perennials. The company supplies commercial growers, retail growers and local authorities throughout the UK.
The young plants are grown at its 12-acre site in six acres of high tech greenhouses. These greenhouses are continuously being innovated. “It is an on-going investment programme,” says Earley. ”We are constantly innovating. Last year we reviewed our approach to heating and commissioned two biomass boilers to replace our old oil boilers. It will save us a massive 664 tonnes of CO2 each year.”
Once the young plants are grown they are ready to be delivered to the commercial and retail growers. "The quality is of high value and therefore, the transportation is arranged ‘in-house’". The company delivers the young plants to the growers in its own temperature-controlled fleet of lorries.
Earley Ornamentals is the preferred distributor of Sakata Genetics in the UK and is always supplied with the newest varieties first. Currently, they develop a wide range of bedding, basket, patio plants, perennials and more.
"Impatiens have always been a popular bedding plant in the UK,” says Earley. “However, when downy mildew hit this crop four years ago, sales dropped dramatically. As a result, a vegetative grown variety of Impatiens has been invented that is resistant to this disease, namely the SunPatiens®. Nowadays, SunPatiens® are becoming an increasingly well-known bedding plant to UK consumers.
“People even ask for it by name,” explains Earley. “Recently, SunPatiens® were even awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).”
Despite this increase in popularity of SunPatiens®, the sector has to deal with difficult times at the moment; the consumer does not have much money to spend and the weather has been quite rainy. "Fortunately, the economic prospect is brighter for 2015", says Earley. “Consumers will have more to spend and hopefully, the weather will be better.”
For more information:
Earley Ornamentals
Simon Earley
Email: [email protected]
www.earleyornamentals.co.uk
