About Us
The Practicality Brown Difference
We pride ourselves on our excellent customer satisfaction ratings, which are due to the excellent quality of our products and services together with our staff, who create the great experience for customers.
We are on hand to help, guiding your project choice from plant selection, right through to delivery and planting.
Our installation team have many years planting and machine operations experience between them. From working on large landscaping and land clearance projects, to the tender care required when planting an intricate topiary knot garden, these guys have seen it all. They really know how to deliver the Practicality Brown difference, with consummate care and attention to detail.
The nursery team look after the semi-mature trees and large plants at our Iver nursery. From careful selection for individual customer requirements, to the management of our tree stocks, the team also care-take plants in readiness for designers’ RHS Flower shows displays and show gardens. The nursery is constantly changing and evolving as stock and requirements change, and our expert team ensure this is maintained to our high standards.
With all our machine fleet and big pieces of kit, we also operate an efficient and expert team in our workshop ensuring that we have the right machine available for each project, whether it’s the 21tonne mulcher, our Big John tree spade or any of the tools of the trade.
Horticultural Influence
Alastair Beddall started his landscape contracting business in 1981, naming the company Practicality Brown, in favour of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the famous 18th Century landscape designer. Capability Brown designed some of Britain’s most spectacular park landscapes at historic homes such as Blenheim, Burghley House and Hampton Court. His designs can still be seen today, nearly three centuries later.
Practicality Brown at Iver
Company Development
During the 1980s, Practicality Brown (incorporated in 1987) worked on long term contracts for the Forestry Commission and was one of the first companies to develop tree clearance without burning. Pioneering whole tree chipping in the UK on a commercial scale in 1985, Practicality Brown have extensive experience of mechanised vegetation clearance, introducing Ahwi Mulchers in 1999 and mechanised Tree Shears in 2002.
By 1989 the company was also supplying semi mature trees and forest products to the landscape trade. In the late 1990s, Practicality Brown were instrumental in developing the Elveden UK Instant Hedge™ with the Elveden Estate in East Anglia. Together, they identified a need for a substantial, mature hedge up to 6ft high and planted species to grow for at least a four years before being sold in an ongoing programme. We have now developed Practical Instant Hedge™ grown here at our nursery in Iver, Bucks
Practicality Brown Today
Practicality Brown Ltd is an innovative, class-leading company, with divisions operating in the Landscape and Forestry Sectors.
The Practicality Brown Difference:
- We are staffed by an experienced and dedicated team who give exemplary customer service and project satisfaction.
- We have taken advantage of constantly changing market conditions and trends, to position ourselves at the forefront of the landscape industry.
- Our extensive experience of large tree planting is coupled with a large fleet of tree moving machinery.
- Our Elveden and Practical Instant Hedges are the industry standard against which all other hedging plants are compared.
- Our tree clearance division operates UK wide, offering a fast and efficient service with a large fleet of no-burn tree clearance equipment.
Key facts
- Date formed: 1981 (Incorporated 1987)
- Company Registration No. (England): 2114017
- Registered Office: Swan Road, Iver, Bucks. SL0 9LA
- Directors: Alastair Beddall, Richard Beddall, Graeme Jenkins and Phil Miller
- Accreditation: CHAS, Constructionline, BR Network
- Assurances: ISO:9001 ISO:14001
- Registered: BSL, CPA, FCA, WHA, Confor
- European Distributor for Dymax Tree Shears
- Sister company Fuelchip.co.uk
Why choose Practicality Brown?
- Excellent customer satisfaction for over 30 years
- Growers and suppliers of the Practical Instant Hedge™
- Instant Landscape Specialists with top quality, large plants
- Professionally trained, registered and certified staff
- High levels of customer recommendations
Support for Perennial
We are proud to be a Perennial Partner as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility Programme.
Perennial is the only charity in the UK helping all those who work in or are retired from horticulture and their dependent families; they step in when the going gets tough.
You can find out more about their work here.
