Peter Kennett, Van den Berk Nurseries

Peter Kennett - Horticultural Advisor & Sales, Van den Berk Nurseries in conversation with Anna Roochove - Arbour Landscape Solutions

Peter Kennett is Horticultural Advisor and Sales at Tandee & Van den Berk Nurseries, the Peterborough-based nursery formed following Van den Berk's acquisition of the long-established Tandee Nursery in January 2025. Together, the two nurseries bring complementary strengths under one roof: Tandee's three decades of growing expertise and direct-to-trade supply, combined with Van den Berk's European scale and specialisation in large trees and shrubs. With a background that moves from business and marketing through real estate recruitment to hands-on tree planting, Peter's route into horticulture was anything but conventional and all the more grounded for it. His role sits at the intersection of plant knowledge and client relationships, supporting garden designers, landscapers and landscape architects in sourcing the right plants for their projects, from a single specimen tree to a full commercial planting plan.

Can you tell us how you first got into horticulture and what drew you to the industry?

My first horticultural role was during my university summers helping in a garden centre. I mainly helped with maintenance around the centre such as building fences and mending plant tables, but I did become interested in the plants themselves. Once I graduated, I took on a full-time role as a real estate recruiter but six months in, COVID hit and I was put on furlough and decided to go back to the garden centre as they were allowed to remain open. I then realised that I preferred steel toe caps to brogues and decided to follow a career in horticulture, starting as a tree planter as I learnt more about the plants themselves.

What have been some key milestones or defining moments in your career so far?

A key moment for me was transitioning from my planting role into an advisory one. This allowed me to combine both my newfound knowledge of plants, with my degree in Business and Marketing, and my experience from my role in recruitment.

How did your journey lead you to your current role at Tandee & Van den Berk?

Having worked my way into an advisory role I was content and happy to continue where I was, until the opportunity arose here at Tandee & Van den Berk. The chance to be involved with something new and to learn more about plants other than trees piqued my interest and curiosity.

Were there any mentors, influences, or experiences that shaped your approach to your work today?

Professionally my manager at the garden centre Julius was great, coming in early and staying late to educate me on plants and how the garden centre ran. As well as my colleague when planting Dean, who used to quiz me when we worked together on different plants and trees, whilst sharing his knowledge obtained from his time at Kew doing the practical qualifications. Both had a more practical view of horticulture, the academic side of horticulture is often taught with plentiful resources but applying this in a commercial setting takes mentors such as these.

How would you describe your role as Horticultural Advisor and Sales at the Tandee nursery?

Mainly my role would entail helping horticultural professionals such as garden designers and landscapers to source top quality plants for their projects. As the UK operation is fairly new, my day-to-day responsibilities are much more varied at the moment.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I could be out visiting designers and landscapers, hosting or attending events, organising transport, sourcing plants, putting together prices or even out on the nursery if needed. I enjoy that if anything there isn't a typical day, every day is different.

How do you balance the technical horticultural side with the commercial and client-facing aspects?

Plants are living things which of course can complicate matters to an extent, but there are ways in which we can take horticultural ideals and stretch them slightly to fit reality. Horticulture as a topic is so vast, no one person will ever have all the knowledge, so I often rely on the expertise of my colleagues in finding solutions.

Who do you work most closely with, and what types of projects are you typically involved in?

It is hard to narrow down, I could be helping someone find one tree or helping someone else put together a whole commercial planting plan. The seasons often dictate who I am working with, of course mainly these will be garden designers, landscapers and landscape architects.

What are some of the most common challenges your clients face, and how do you help address them?

Often it can be availability, whether that be of a particular species or variety, or quantity of plants needed. With our own nursery and trusted growers, we can provide that wider range of plants and at the quantities needed. 

What makes the approach at Tandee & Van den Berk distinctive when supporting designers and landscapers?

Having now partnered with Tandee, we can offer both the much bigger trees and smaller plants from one place without compromising on quality.

How does Tandee & Van den Berk support garden designers and landscapers throughout a project lifecycle?

Of course our main purpose is to help in the sourcing stages finding top quality plants, but I would like to think our website resources and nursery offer inspiration in the concept stages of a project.

At what stage do designers usually engage with you - concept, specification, or later?

It is normally in these early stages to offer inspiration and provide the plants required. Of course, sometimes things do not go to plan and we can help in the planting stages if extra plants are required.

How do you help clients choose the right trees for a scheme?

There are so many factors affecting which tree is best, but with our knowledge and ability to find more obscure tree varieties we can often offer exciting ideas for trees that would suit every situation.

What role does education and knowledge-sharing play in your work with clients?

It plays a huge role both ways. I can of course help with knowledge of our plants and nursery practices, but I have learnt so much from clients over the years — knowledge which I now use daily.

Can you share how collaboration with designers has evolved in recent years?

As covered in some of my previous answers I think as nurseries we are offering more in terms of the concept stages of design rather than just fulfilling orders, but similarly designers are offering much more in terms of what they would like to see us growing. I think the relationship still needs to be built upon but what we can see already is encouraging.

Can you describe the presentation space at the Tandee nursery and its purpose?

We have built a show area to act as a source of inspiration and a shop window to our bigger tree nursery in the Netherlands, showcasing some of the plants we can offer.

What was the original vision behind creating this space?

We wanted to make a space where our customers could sit down and enjoy a more show garden-like area, which showcased all we have to offer.

How do garden designers and landscapers typically use it when they visit?

More than just inspiration, it is a chance to look at each plant individually. We offer a lot of trees in which form is important, and this is a chance to see them in person.

What makes this experience different from a traditional nursery visit?

We have experts in all aspects of garden planting on site and now of course have the connection with Arbour who can share their expertise in stone. I don't think there are many nurseries which can offer quite the range of stock or knowledge!

How does the space help clients better understand scale, form, and planting design?

There is no replacement for seeing plants in person, especially with the bigger stock. Mixing this with other plants which could complement them allows our customers to see how they would work together in real life.

How are materials from Arbour Landscape Solutions incorporated into the presentation space?

Arbour have a wonderful display area which has really added to our presentation space. Once we have finished adding our own touches I think the two will complement each other really well.

Why is it important to showcase trees alongside hard landscaping materials?

I think it is important to have a holistic view when considering any planting designs and how they all tie in together, so seeing them in one place can only be beneficial.

How does seeing these elements together influence design decisions?

Seeing all the elements together gives designers the ability to tie all the elements of the garden together.

What is your long-term vision for the Tandee presentation space?

With time we hope to carry on expanding, being able to show more varieties and forms of plants. But also have more stock available on site to take away!

How would you like it to evolve as a destination for garden designers and landscapers?

With time we would like to add more stock to site, allowing people to pick particular trees and plants on the day, including even the bigger stock.

Are there plans to introduce events, workshops, or other learning opportunities?

Definitely! We are blessed with a wonderful space and years of knowledge within our team on a range of topics.

How do you see the relationship between nurseries and designers developing in the future?

It is becoming more and more prevalent that we are biodiverse in what we are planting and it is key that we as growers look to share new ideas with designers of plants which may not be as well known, and for designers to let us know which plants they would like to see grown more in nurseries such as ourselves.

What trends in horticulture or landscape design are you most excited about right now?

The increase in complicated planting environments of course brings its own issues, however it has also presented the opportunity to use new plant species and varieties, such as Mediterranean plants, smaller plants and trees, and plants which bring so much to our urban environments.

What do you enjoy most about your role today?

It is so varied there is not very often I find myself doing the same task for all too long!

What continues to inspire you in your work?

I think, much like anyone who works in horticulture, it is a love for the plants and the environment around us. I am always inspired by great gardens, country parks and wooded areas.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in horticulture or landscape design?

For me talking with a range of people within the industry is invaluable. Horticulture as a practice is often passed down generations with younger people learning from parents or grandparents, I think the same can be applied professionally, as in horticulture there is always something new to learn.

If you could change one thing about how planting is approached in design, what would it be?

Very much my own opinion but I like to see plants which aren't a manicured or "perfect" shape being used. I think the beauty of plants lies in imperfection, with each individual having their own character.

Thank you Peter for your time.

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