A York-based nursery has supplied more than £215,000 of plants for a £28.3 million rejuvenation of a park in a Scottish city.

Johnsons Nurseries of Whixley supplied the plants to Aberdeen’s historic Union Terrace Gardens as part of a partnership with fellow landscape provider Ashlea Ltd, who had won the soft landscaping contract.

The plants included a custom hand-grown city crest made from gold and green Ilex crenata, and 130 different varieties of plants.

Originally opened in 1879 by architect James Matthews, Union Terrace Gardens, the rejuvenated gardens now feature new wheelchair-friendly routes, a children’s play area, and three new pavilions for cafes, restaurants, and cultural spaces.

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The Gardens also feature extensive seating, new lighting elements, refurbished historic arches and Victorian toilets and specially commissioned artworks.

There is also a new water feature, and the statues of William Wallace, Rabbie Burns, and Edward VII have been cleaned alongside, the ‘grand staircase’ leading down to the lower Gardens.

(Image: CHRISTOPHER SWAN)

Over 20,000 plants were supplied to increase biodiversity within the Victorian park, including 1,252 Primula vulgaris, 1,853 Ophiopogon plan 'Nigrescens', 1,400 Brunnera, 1,270 Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea’, 1,008 Anemone Honorine Jobert 2L, and thousands of Ilex crenata gold and green which made up the city crest.

Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We were thrilled when the opportunity arose to work on such an iconic garden project, and it was great to work with the fantastic team at Ashlea once again.

“The project has breathed new life into the gardens, and we hope that our plants can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Stuart Simpson, Director at Ashlea Ltd, said: “We were delighted to work with the Johnsons team once again on this project, transforming Union Terrace Gardens into a fresh, revitalized space. Johnsons’ top-quality plants, trees, and shrubs really enhanced the gardens and made this a truly tranquil location.”

(Image: CHRISTOPHER SWAN)

Johnsons Nurseries and Ashlea Ltd have collaborated on numerous projects before, including The NCL2 Fulfilment Centre, Stockton, Sighthill, Glasgow, Pennine 5 Campus, Sheffield and various Center Parcs locations across the UK.

The Aberdeen collaboration has helped the Scottish scheme win awards including Gold Award in the 2024 Scottish Design Awards for Public Building and another Gold Award for Lighting.

The gardens also secured the prestigious Project of the Year and Public Realm Project accolades at the ASA Design Awards 2024, following its 2023 CECA Scotland Place Making Award.