Meet the Team

At Rymer Trees, we believe in growing trees in a way that is environmentally friendly and sustainable. This means that we completely avoid the use of peat in our planting process and use only minimal chemical intervention. This sometimes feels like the hard way of doing things, but we believe that the benefits of our approach far outweigh any short-term convenience. One of the challenges we face is the unpredictable and often extreme weather conditions. Enduring these conditions can be challenging, but we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of permanent staff and casual workers who work tirelessly to ensure our values are upheld with minimal grumbling. Our team is made up of individuals who share our passion for sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. They understand that the hard work required to grow trees without peat and minimal chemical intervention is worth it, not just for the environment, but for future generations. Find out more about them here.

On-site team.

  • A headshot of Harry in a green gilet that was taken for an award. He is stood outside at Rymer Trees peat-free cell-grown tree nursery

    Harry Hoblyn

    NURSERY MANAGER | DIRECTOR

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  • Lizzie stood in the shallows of a river next to some tree roots that are as big as her. She is looking up into the canopy

    Lizzie Smith

    ASSISTANT NURSERY MANAGER

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  • Hector pushing a wheel barrow of pumpkins at a pick-your-own pumpkin farm. He is wearing a yellow coat and smirking at the camera

    Hector Loft

    TEAM LEADER

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  • George Aabech-Smith

    NURSERY ASSISTANT

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  • Maple, the yellow Labrador in charge of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at Rymer Trees, is sat down and looking straight at teh camera. The camera is close to her, and she looks as though she's expecting a treat.

    Maple

    PEST CONTROL

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Seasonal Workers.

We feel fortunate to have an amazing network of seasonal workers who play a vital role in our nursery. They perform a range of tasks such as sowing, transplanting, packing, seed cleaning, weeding, and more. Despite the harsh conditions that come with the changing seasons, our staff keep going. We are extremely grateful for their hard work and dedication.

Directors.

Hector and Lizzie are stood behind a crouched Harry who has maple sat and leaning on him. This is a team photo taken in the hardening off area surrounded by peat free cell grown saplings.
Rory talking to some guests at the foot dip by the gate. The guests were here to attend a Rymer Trees open day to learn about the benefits of peat free composts being used for cell grown trees.
A Betula pendula (silver birch) that is towering over Maple the dog. This UK native is already over a metre tall despite only being in its first season. This is thanks to the peat-free cell-growing techniques used by Rymer Trees.
A red kite hopefully stalking whatever lives under the cell trays, and feeds on the peat-free trees.
Harry talking to a tour group at one of our open days. This one was aimed at integrated pest management (IPM).
Lizzie showing off one of our peat-free cell-grown Betula pendula (silver birch).
A small tortoiseshell butterfly resting on Harry’s chest
Tom and Toby at Chelsea Flower Show. They were checking out the peat-free cell-grown trees we supplied.
Harry is holding a tree guard open revealing how much this Acer campestre (field maple) has grown in its first season.
Harry hand watering the hardening off area. Although we have an irrigation system, sometimes the edges of the cell trays need topping up. Although our peat-free compost holds moisture well, if you do let it dry out it’s hard to re-wet.
Harry describing our peat-free compost and explaining why it’s perfect for cell-grown trees to a group at our IPM (integrated pest management) open day.