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Freshness is the key to success
History
Pacific was established in 1957 by the Knowles brothers
who specialised in primulas and delphiniums. Pacific delphiniums
are now grown
throughout the world and much credit for their introduction
into the UK can be given to the two brothers. We still
grow several
thousand Pacific delphiniums each year.
 In 1978 a keen amateur
horticulturalist, John Beharrell, bought the nursery on
the Chester Road from Les Knowles, the surviving
brother. At this stage the business was small and only occupied
about a quarter of the three-acre site.
The business remains
in the ownership of the Beharrell family and while John has
taken a back seat to spend more time on
the golf course (he is a former British Amateur Champion!)
his two
sons Tom and Peter now manage the ever-enlarging business.
The Nurseries
 Pacific has two nurseries. The first is situated
in Steetly, Sutton Coldfield on the Chester Road. This nursery
has
always been the centre of the retail operation and
in 1994 was totally
demolished to make way for the new garden centre development
that now sits proudly on the site.
Some of the nursery
land remains under production and this is largely used for
the growing of seasonal bedding
plants
for sale
through the garden centre.
 The second nursery is located
in Little Hay near Lichfield and is strictly a wholesale growing
nursery.
The nursery
specialises in growing hardy nursery stock, which
includes a wide range
of
shrubs, perennials, rhododendrons, heathers and
conifers. These are distributed throughout the country with
most going to independently
owned garden centres.
Most of the plants are raised
from cuttings or seed and this dictates the exceptional quality
of the
finished articles for which Pacific has developed
its enviable
reputation.
The Specialists
 The nurseries are located on an area of ground,
which favours the growing of ericaceous or
lime hating
plants. Whereas,
for commercial reasons, the nurseries have
never become reliant on just one type of plant, the
ericaceous group
has always
played
an important part of the production.
?? Varieties or heathers are grown, ?? Varieties of azaleas
and rhododendrons and ?? Varieties of pieris as well as many
camellias in all different shapes and sizes.
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