A family affair

In a new series showcasing notable UK nurseries, Humaira Ikram explores a Scottish nursery that grows and sells a range of desirable ornamentals

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Macplants is located near Edinburgh and offers a bountiful selection of carefully chosen, garden-worthy plants - good, robust varieties, as well as some slightly quirkier, unusual or newer options. These include ferns, herbaceous alpines, roses, ornamental grasses and perennials, available via the website or from the nursery shop. Macplants is particularly known for its autumn gentians, meconopsis, ferns and sanguisorbas.

It’s early morning when I arrive to take a look around. I drive through the gently undulating East Lothian landscape and the sun appears through the clouds when I turn into the nursery between two high hedges.

Beryl McNaughton established Macplants in 1979. Initially she grew and sold plants from her back garden and had a little residency selling plants at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which she would deliver in her car. Her husband and business partner Dr Ian McNaughton, a government breeder of agricultural brassicas, used his spare time to focus on autumn gentians, which are still some of the nursery’s most striking specialist plants.

The nursery has moved location and grown since then, and is now run by the couple’s son and daughter, Gavin and Claire. Gavin explains that after finishing a PhD in biochemistry in 1994, he decided to focus on the family business. But Beryl still comes to work every day, even though she's officially retired.

Claire is responsible for the retail side of the nursery, as well as its consistent focus on garden-worthy perennials. She says there has been a huge increase of interest in shade-loving plants and in particular ferns, so the nursery offers a notably wide selection. As well as selling direct to the public, Macplants also supplies trade clients, both in the landscape business and garden centres.