Our History

Fibrex has been growing pelargoniums for more than sixty years. In that time a small family nursery became one of the best-known pelargonium specialists in the country, built a collection that gained National Collection status, and earned a Royal Warrant. This is a short history of how it happened.

The beginning

The story starts with Hazel Key, who began collecting pelargoniums in 1958. Together with her husband, Dick, she founded Fibrex Nurseries, and for decades the nursery grew everything on site at Pebworth, near Stratford-upon-Avon. Alongside pelargoniums the nursery grew ivies, ferns and tuberous begonias, and built a mail-order service that sent plants to gardeners across the country.

Richard and Heather

As the nursery grew, the next generation took it on. Hazel and Dick's son, Richard Key, became one of the driving forces behind Fibrex, working alongside his wife, Heather Goddard-Key, with the support of Richard's sisters, Ursula and Angela. Pelargoniums named after Richard, including the variegated 'Richard Key' that we still grow, are part of his legacy.

Heather went on to lead the nursery, overseeing its show displays and the care of the collection. In 2017 Fibrex was chosen as the RHS Master Grower at the Malvern Spring Festival, a recognition of the whole team's work.

Richard sadly passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic. His work, and Heather's, is a large part of why so many rare and historic varieties are still being grown today.

A National Collection

In 1987 the Fibrex pelargonium collection was granted National Collection status by Plant Heritage, and the nursery also held the National Collection of Hedera (ivy). The pelargonium collection grew to more than 1,400 different plants, all looked after and funded by the nursery itself.

The National Pelargonium Collection glasshouse at Pebworth.

Flower shows and medals

For over fifty years Fibrex was a regular on the flower show circuit, including the RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court shows. The nursery won a long list of medals over the years, at one point collecting fourteen gold medals in a single season.

A Fibrex pelargonium display at a flower show.

Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 2015.

One of Fibrex's show displays of ivies and ferns.

The collection finds a new home

In 2021 the family gifted the National Collection to the Royal Horticultural Society. It was divided between five RHS gardens: Wisley, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Bridgewater, where you can still see the plants on display today.

A new chapter

In 2022 the family announced their retirement, and for a while it looked as though Fibrex might close. Instead, in September 2023 the nursery passed to Laura and Ed, who moved it from Pebworth to a set of traditional glasshouses at Pensham, near Pershore in Worcestershire. They brought nearly 1,000 pelargonium varieties with them and began sending out plants again in spring 2024. You can read more about them on our About Us page.

By Royal Appointment

Fibrex Nurseries holds a Royal Warrant, By Appointment to His Majesty The King, Growers of Pelargoniums.

Fibrex today

We still propagate and grow our plants ourselves, slowly and in small batches. Some of the varieties on our benches have been grown in Britain for well over a century, such as the regal Lord Bute, while others are rare cultivars that are now very hard to find elsewhere. Explore our scented-leaved pelargoniums or browse every pelargonium we grow.

Fibrex is open by appointment. Please get in touch if you would like to visit.