It’s that time of year again! This year King and Co are stocking three varieties of Christmas Tree, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, and Nordmann Fir.
(more…)King and Co The Tree Nursery’s top ten evergreen hedges. There is wide variety of evergreen hedging plants available to the UK market, we look at the hedge plants in further detail.
(more…)As we enter the winter months, it is important to ensure that your garden holds interest when other species defoliate. Here we detail the second half of our two-part article.
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As we enter the winter months, it is important to ensure that your garden holds interest when other species defoliate. Here we detail ten of our top winter interest trees.
Rootballing is the process in which plants are lifted from the ground with a ball of soil around the roots. If you’re wondering how we lift rootball trees, watch the video below. Please note they are only available during the dormant season, which usually runs from November to March!
Hopefully this video effectively showed the method we use for lifting trees with their rootball intact! If you have any questions, or need a quote for a project, please contact our sales team. We’re happy to help!
1. Tree Planting: Is Autumn a good time to plant?
2. Tree Planting Tips: How to correctly install your trees.
3. Tree Planting: When should you plant bare root and rootball trees?
4. Bare Root: How do you plant a bare root tree?
5. A Guide to Planting Bare Root Hedging.
6. Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) website
Now that the dormancy period is here and the bare root planting season is in full swing we though it would be a great time to highlight out top 10 bare root plants! These are just a few of our favourite varieties known for their benefits to wildlife, seasonal interest and importance in hedges across the British Isles.
Buckthorn is excellent for wildlife, forming a dense, thorny thicket that provides shelter. This large shrub/small tree has glossy dark green leaves that turn yellow in autumn. It produces small greenish-yellow flowers in spring and red berries that ripen to black in autumn.
Guelder rose has dark green, maple-like leaves that turn pink and red in autumn. It produces flat clusters of fragrant white flowers in spring and bright red berries in autumn. The berries provide excellent food for birds.
The Wild crab apple has dark green leaves and a stunning display of pink-tinged white flowers in spring. In autumn, it bears greenish-yellow fruits flushed with red. Its flowers attract bees, and its berries provide food for birds. It is a great choice for seasonal interest!
Spindleberry has green leaves that turn brilliant red in autumn. It produces small flowers in spring, followed by red fruits that split open to reveal bright orange seeds. Its vibrant colours add seasonal interest, while its flowers and berries attract wildlife.
Field maple is a must-have for mixed planting schemes. Its palmate green leaves turn rich shades of red and gold in autumn. Small greenish flowers in spring develop into winged fruits, dispersed by the wind. Adaptable and full of seasonal interest, it’s ideal for hedging, screening, or as a stand-alone tree.
Hazel has rounded green leaves that turn yellow in autumn, long yellow catkins in early spring, and edible nuts later in the year. It supports biodiversity by providing food and habitat for wildlife like squirrels. Hazel also responds well to coppicing, helping create a diverse woodland structure.
Blackthorn is a thorny tree with a dense, rounded crown and suckering tendencies. New shoots emerge from its roots, forming a thick, impenetrable thicket. Combined with its thorny branches, it makes an excellent boundary hedge and effective intruder deterrent.
Dog rose has long, arching branches with sharp thorns, large fragrant pink-white flowers in spring, and bright red berries in autumn. Often seen in British hedgerows, it’s ideal as a natural intruder deterrent and a great choice for attracting wildlife to borders and beds.
Common dogwood is a fast-growing shrub with an upright, bushy habit. Its green leaves turn rich red in autumn, and its young red stems add colour in winter. It is a great choice for strong seasonal interest.
A key component of native hedgerows, Hawthorn is easily our top bare root pick. Its dense growth and sharp thorns make it an effective natural barrier, while its autumn berries provide a valuable food source for birds!
Since bare root plants are supplied without pots or compost, they cost up to 70% less than those grown in containers. Their lower weight also means cheaper delivery charges too!
Successfully establishing a newly planted tree or hedge is much easier during the bare root season as the ground is moist and the temperature is cooler. If you get your bare root trees in the ground now, your trees will be ready to flourish when the weather starts to warm up next Spring/Summer.
Hopefully you got some inspiration from our top 10 bare root plants, please contact us if you have any more questions. We’re always happy to help!
1. Bare Root Planting Tips: How to establish a native hedge on a tight budget
3. How Do Accessories Protect Bare Root Plants?
4. How to Plant Bare Root Hedging and Trees: A Beginners Guide
In 2018, we proudly celebrated our 40th planting season and marked four decades of growing, supplying, and installing quality trees and hedging since our founding in 1978.
King & Co remains a family-run business, owned and operated by the original King family. Our passion for trees and commitment to outstanding service have never wavered. At our Rayne nursery you won’t find coffee shops or retail concessions, just a dedicated team focused on growing and delivering premium trees and expert installations.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of contributing to a wide range of high-profile projects, supporting infrastructure and beautification efforts. These include the Stansted Rail Link, Sizewell Power Station, the Braintree and Martlesham bypasses, and HMP Chelmsford. Our esteemed clients have also included Williams F1, Lord R.A. Butler, Felsted and Hallingbury Schools, the RHS, Essex Wildlife Trust, and Braxted Park. We even played a role in the clearance for the Essex section of the M25.
We’ve also been honoured with numerous industry accolades, including a Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, recognising our horticultural expertise at the highest level. In 2019, our nursery welcomed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of his Conservative leadership campaign tour.
As we celebrated our 40th birthday, we extended our heartfelt thanks to all our customers, both past and present. We look forward to another four decades of growing!
Planting a tree in remembrance of a loved one can be a deeply comforting act, providing a peaceful and lasting place for reflection. We’re often asked what varieties make the best memorial trees, so we have shared some considerations to help.
Choosing the right memorial tree can feel like a big decision, and it’s natural to wonder where to begin. Many people understandably wish to plant a tree that held special significance for their loved one. While personal preference is important, it’s also wise to consider a few key factors to ensure the tree thrives and serves as a lasting tribute.
Here are some important considerations:
We usually recommend selecting a tree known for its longevity. You might also find a native British species particularly fitting for the local environment. Trees like Oak, Hornbeam, Holly or even Magnolia often prove to be very suitable choices for memorial plantings.
While we have provided some recommendations that we believe would be suitable, we are absolutely open to any suggestions you might have. We are always mindful of the difficult loss you and your loved ones have experienced, and we are committed to assisting you with the utmost care and consideration during this time.
Given the significance of memorial trees, it is important that they are planted correctly to help give your tree the best possible start. While a landscaper can certainly handle this for you, we also offer a planting service for customers in Essex and nearby areas. For those who prefer to plant their tree themselves, we have created a helpful video guide. This video demonstrates professional techniques for planting and staking, offering valuable guidance to help your tree thrive!
Irrigation is the single most important thing to consider post installation. During the first growing season, your new tree will need watering at least three times a week. After this initial period, watering will only be necessary during extended periods of dry weather.
Memorial trees are often planted in meaningful locations, which may not always be easily accessible for regular watering. In such cases, we recommend considering the installation of a tree watering bag. This is an effective solution for maintaining the necessary soil moisture without frequent on-site visits.
For further assistance in selecting the best memorial tree for your loved one, please feel free to reach out to our sales team. We are happy to offer friendly, no-pressure guidance, to help you find the ideal tree for your specific needs!
Trees enter a dormant phase from November through March. This is a natural rest period where growth slows and metabolic activity decreases. During this time, trees conserve energy and resources to prepare for the warmer weather and the next growing season. If you are wondering when to plant bare root and rootball trees, this dormancy window is the only opportunity. Once active growth resumes in spring, only container-grown trees are suitable for planting.
While container-grown trees can be planted year-round, the dormant season opens up additional planting options…
Bare Root. These plants are only available during dormancy because they’re lifted directly from the ground without soil around their roots. This makes them easier to transport and significantly more economical than container-grown stock. Smaller hedge varieties are most commonly sold as bare root, but the suitability of planting large plants this way depends on species and height.
For more information on bare root plants as well as helpful planting tips, check out this guide!
Rootball. Rootball trees are also lifted during dormancy but with a ball of soil intact around their roots. This provides extra protection and helps support successful establishment, especially for larger trees and hedging. Rootballs are another practical, cost-effective way to create an instant hedge.
Knowing when to plant bare root trees makes all the difference. Dormancy is the only window where bare root and rootball trees can be planted safely. Make the most of the cooler months by choosing these options, your landscape will be ready to thrive come spring!
Known for its slow growth and famously toxic berries, we are often asked “What are the benefits of planting Yew?” It’s a fair question, and the answer is that despite these traits, the English Yew offers extensive advantages…
This incredibly long-lived tree has witnessed centuries of British history, and its strong, flexible wood was famously used to craft English longbows during the medieval period. As one of just three native conifers in the UK, yew offers a unique combination of timeless beauty, cultural significance, and long-term practicality. These qualities make it an ideal choice for many gardeners and landscapers.
A staple in British landscapes for centuries, yew has earned its reputation as the “Rolls Royce” of hedges. It is ideal for those seeking an evergreen boundary that is both elegant and low-maintenance over time. Yew also has dense foliage that can be easily clipped into sharp lines or shaped into decorative forms such as spirals, cones, and topiary balls. While its growth is slow, the results are long-lasting and highly rewarding, making it a top choice for traditional and formal garden designs.
Yew and the upright Irish yew species (Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’) are a common sight in churchyards and burial grounds. Historically associated with themes of death and resurrection, their role in the modern world has expanded significantly. Today, yew clippings are harvested for use in life-saving anti-cancer drugs, which is a powerful contrast to their ancient symbolism.
We supply most of our yew hedging to customers in rootballed form between the months of November and March, as this is the most successful method of transplantation. Container-grown yews are available during summer, but extra care must be taken with irrigation, as yew is sensitive to waterlogging. With the right preparation and site selection, a yew hedge can thrive for decades.
Hopefully this helped to explain the benefits of planting yew highlighting its qualities of beauty, longevity, and usefulness. Whether for privacy, ornamental appeal, or its historical legacy, yew remains one of the finest evergreen hedging options available today!
You can buy trees, hedging, shrubs and topiary online by browsing our website.
If you do not see a plant or size that is suitable for you then please call as we stock a wide variety of plants in our tree nursery. It’s worth noting that many other websites sell other people’s stock (i.e. they act as an agent) so you cannot view the products at their own site. At King & Co, all of our advertised plants are available for viewing at our tree nursery in Rayne, near Braintree, situated just over an hours drive out of London.
Our knowledgeable and experienced tree nursery staff are always contactable via phone on 01376 340469 or if you have any questions regarding any of our trees or accessories.
If you cannot see what you require on our website, please complete the enquiry form. We will give it our urgent attention and will get back to you shortly with a solution that meets your needs.
If you are looking for specific evergreen trees, Photinia, Leylandii hedging, Leylandii trees, instant hedging or shrubs, use the search bar at the top of the page
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