About us – Propagation Place

Grow more food! Help us help more!

We love growing food. That’s why we grow your Plant Plugs to a high standard in our dedicated poly-tunnel.

Our team of professional horticulturists and local volunteers take away the fuss of germinating seeds, and we deliver thriving and well established vegetable seedlings ready for success.

By buying vegetable plug plants from Propagation Place you’ll be directly supporting our social enterprise, which in turn allows us to continue supporting vulnerable adults in Bristol, providing peaceful, restorative time in nature therapy, access to education and community, and by removing barriers to social inclusion and employment.

”My mood and confidence have greatly improved and I feel generally more motivated and capable.”
Propagation Place Volunteer

Propagation Place Staff & Volunteers December 2022

The story so far

It all started in 2015, when St Werburghs City Farm decided to do more to support our local food system. As a tiny smallholding close to Bristol city centre, the City Farm doesn’t have much space but we wanted to make a big impact.

We worked out that if we could supply strong, healthy plug plants to our neighbouring 13 acres of allotments, we would be supporting our local food system, plus starting a vibrant community business that could provide loads of great volunteering and educational opportunities.

Thus, Propagation Place was born!

Plant Plug with the Community Garden at the Propagation Place in the background

The Project initially launched in April 2016 with two-year of investment from the People’s Health Trust. A further grant was secured from Power to Change in 2018.

Since the project initially launched, more than 300 volunteers have helped to transform three overgrown and dilapidated plots on our neighbouring allotment site into a community growing space with raised beds and wheelchair-accessible paths, set up a propagation poly-tunnel and raised tens of thousands of seedlings for sale online and to local residents.

Propagation is central to our project. Our horticulturists and volunteers lovingly raise vegetable seedlings, giving them the best possible start in life so we can send them to our customers all over the UK.