Our History
Bob Cherry
Paradise Plants' owner, Bob Cherry became interested in camellias in the mid 1960s and when the present property was purchased a collection of camellias was gathered together in the garden. Camellia sasanquas at this time were not widely grown and there was only a small number of cultivars available. These were one of Bob's favourite plants and he decided there was considerable room for improvement in the range of sasanquas. So he began a breeding programme which continues to this day. Over 25,000 have been raised & only a handful are now included in the range.
Through the 1990s and into the 21st century Bob's camellia breeding programme has extended to Camellia japonica and other Camellia Species and each year over 3,000 hand pollinations are carried out. Often using yellow species and tropical species of camellia such as Camellia amplexicaulis from Vietnam, and the amazing Camellia 'Piquetiana' which has purple flowers and a leaf half a metre long, we have many exciting plants to look forward to from Paradise Plants in the future.
At Paradise we also breed lavenders - the well known 'Bee' and 'Bella' series originate here. We also breed many other lines including Photinia, Michelia & Buddleia just to name a few.
The garden at Paradise is open twice a year to the public on the first weekend in May and the first weekend in August. With free admission, keen gardeners have the opportunity to visit and enjoy both the nursery and garden and see what exciting new plants are soon to be released. The garden is also open throughout the year, by appointment for groups, with a small admission charge. We hope you can visit us one day and look forward to your company.