About Us

Where is Mud Island Garden Centre?

Mud Island is situated in the heart of the beautiful Hampshire countryside between Portsmouth & Southampton.

Who owns Mud Island?

Mud Island is an independent garden centre that was established in 1992 by five family members, all of whom have an active role at Mud Island.

Mike senior has been running his own nearby wholesale nursery since 1972; he grows & supplies Mud Island with alpines, bedding plants, patio plants & perennials.

His wife Sally designs & prints most of the plant information labelling & signage around the garden centre.

Their daughter Anita manages the silk flower shop & gift shop.

Their son Mike is general manager at Mud Island & also grows shrubs, perennials & conifers.

Mike’s partner Frances manages shop areas, including gardening essentials & wildlife care.

Who else works at Mud Island?

Other family members are employed for growing & tending plants, shop assistance, catering, outdoor living showroom management & social media management.

The Mud Island team is completed by our knowledgeable senior members of staff and our friendly & efficient shop & catering assistants.

“Mud Island”, where does the name come from?

When we acquired the field that the garden centre now stands on we discovered that it was known locally as ‘Mud Island’ so we wanted it to retain it’s historic name.

When did Mud Island open?

We opened in 1992 as a traditional garden nursery and have gradually improved and extended from those small beginnings, to what is now a thriving garden centre with a reputation second to none.

Our extensions include coffee shop with indoor & outdoor seating, gardening essentials shop, gift shop, silk flower shop, and outdoor living / garden furniture showroom.

Are the plants homegrown?

Yes, our family comes from a long line of horticultural growers.

We grow many of our plants on the land just beyond the garden centre boundaries & also at a nearby growing site; namely alpines, bedding & patio plants, perennials, shrubs & conifers.

(Learn more about our Home grown plants.)

To provide our customers with the most extensive range possible we also buy stock from suppliers both locally and as far afield as the Netherlands & Italy – specimen plants, olive trees, ornamental grasses, climbers, buxus (box) hedging & topiary, conifers, evergreens, roses, heather, fruit & vegetable plants, herbs and more.

How do you compete with large national companies & garden centre chains?

As an independent family business we have always tried hard to stand out and be a little different.

We focus on offering only the finest quality plants; whether homegrown or personally selected from outside sources, and we strive to provide our customers with exciting & unusual specimens.

With our professional expertise & horticultural knowledge we can offer friendly help & advice during your visit.

We invite you to experience the uniqueness of the nursery, with it’s landscaped lawns & hedges, relaxed atmosphere & pleasant rural surroundings.