It was in 1919 that the Government set up a number of smallholdings for returned servicemen of the First World War. One of these Crown Colonies was at Holbeach in Lincolnshire. Otto Augustus Taylor, as a result of being gassed in the war, was unable to return to his occupation in London. He applied for one of these new holdings and was successful. With his wife and two sons, Stanley and Percy, he moved to the new settlement with a house and 4 hectares of land.
He soon realised that working the holding, as a small scale version of the neighbouring farm was unlikely to provide a living for his family. He decided to grow flowers and bulbs and became one of the pioneers of bulb growing in this country. Otto died in 1946 having seen the business grow considerable with the help of his two sons.
By 1968 the family owned some 120 hectares of prime Lincolnshire silt and the nursery facilities had been expanded. John, Roger and Brian had joined their father Percy, and uncle Stanley, and in 1970 O.A. Taylor & Sons Bulbs Ltd was formed by the younger generation to supply bulbs to nurseries and garden centres. With the retirement of their father and death of their uncle in 1985 the company was awarded The Royal Warrant as Bulb Growers to Her Majesty The Queen. The Queen Mother's Warrant followed this in 1991.
Taylors are one of the largest bulb companies in the country, with their Dutch purchasing company; sourcing all types of bulbs from around the world, to be packed on their site at Holbeach. Taylors force 88 tonnes of daffodil bulbs each year for flower production under glass from yearly November to February. They also market over 20 million outdoor blooms in March/April the bulk of which are exported.
Taylors will have in excess of 3,000 tonnes of daffodil bulbs pass through the yard each summer. In Spring 2009 their specialist daffodil division was successful in winning a hat trick of gold medals at shows nationwide including a Premier Award at Harrogate. They also won their 16th consecutive Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For the past 3 years, Taylors Bulbs have been voted the Associate Member of the Year by the UK Garden Centre Association.
View our range of Taylors Bulbs for Spring Flowering here.
View our range of Taylors Bulbs for Summer Flowering here
