OUR STORY SO FAR
1997
South African Roots
Our founder Philip Nieuwoudt grew up in rural South Africa, in the semi-arid region of Namaqualand where trees are few and far between. His surname, fittingly, translates to New Wood.
Philip met Tiffany, an English physiotherapist working in a Cape Town Hospital in 1997. In 1998, they moved to Philip’s family sheep farm near the Namibian border. 4,500 hectares of rugged land, six hours north of Cape Town where they spent eight years running the farm and raising their eldest children.
2001
Growing a Passion for Trees
In 2001 Philip began studying Horticulture, working on garden design projects and completing his practical training at the world-famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. It was here that his love for plants, and especially for trees, truly took hold.
2008
From South Africa to the UK
In 2004 the family moved to the UK, where Philip joined Deepdale Trees in Bedfordshire. His passion for trees kept growing, and soon the idea for his own nursery began to form.
The Beginning of New Wood Trees
In 2008, New Wood Trees was officially incorporated. That same year, Philip and Tiffany moved to Devon and bought their first field. The first trees were planted, and their journey as tree growers began.
What started as a small family venture working from home slowly took shape. In 2016 they moved to a permanent site, complete with a barn, yard and container area large enough for an arctic truck to turn, yet still personal and hands-on.
Today, the nursery has over 13,000 field-grown trees and a 600-tree container area. Philip continues to travel around Europe to visit other nurseries and share knowledge. He is also a proud member of the International Dendrology Society (IDS), always learning and finding inspiration.
Why You’ll Love Our Field Grown Trees
- Instant impact and charm: Our semi-mature trees bring shape and character to your gardens as soon as they are planted. Each tree brings its own individual charm
- Healthy and strong: They establish well due to the strong root systems we have cultivated and because they are already accustomed to British soils and climate
- Peat-free & ethically grown: We are fiercely passionate about the environment and the way we grow our trees. Our nursery is peat free and we care deeply about sustainability
Our Team
We have an incredible team and we know how important every single person is to the success of New Wood Trees.
Together we hand-plant, prune, lift, transplant, market, sell and delivery and nurture thousands of trees every year.
A warm welcome
We supply trees to garden designers, nurseries and private homeowners throughout the South of the UK. Notably our trees have been showcased in winning entries at the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Garden Festival.
We care deeply about sustainability. All
our containerised trees are potted with peat-free compost.