A North Wales plant nursery has been recognised with a royal warrant after decades of supplying rare and unusual plants to the royal estates.
The honour was awarded to Sue and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones of Crûg Farm Plants, based near Caernarfon, who have spent more than 30 years sourcing, cultivating, and supplying rare plants to Buckingham Palace and other royal gardens. The warrant is a mark of recognition from King Charles.
Sue Wynn-Jones said: "We were delighted to receive news of the Royal Warrant. We are the only plant nursery in Wales to have such an honour and there are currently only 14 other businesses awarded the warrants in Wales.
"We have done a lot of work in supplying many of the royal gardens.
"The head gardener at Buckingham Palace would come here to pick up plants, and when we went to a garden party in the palace grounds, we were able to see our plants growing.
"It was a great thrill."
The couple’s remarkable story will be featured in an upcoming episode of S4C’s Garddio a Mwy, airing on Monday, June 29.
Ms Wynn-Jones and her husband have spent decades travelling through remote mountain passes, jungles, and valleys in search of rare species suitable for the British climate.
Over 35 years, they have explored Asia, the Middle East, and South America, discovering hundreds of previously unknown plants and introducing more than 4,000 cultivars to the UK.
Garddio a Mwy presenter Meinir Gwilym said: "Crûg Farm is a treasure, and each plant has its own history and story.
"For Sue and Bleddyn, all the plants are a reminder of where they were collected, and of the people they had met along the way.
"It was also a privilege to chat with such knowledgeable and experienced horticulturists."
Their adventures have not been without danger.
During one expedition in Guatemala, the pair were robbed by machete-wielding men who stole their cameras and equipment.
Their discoveries have transformed their former 200-acre beef farm into a horticultural destination renowned among plant collectors and gardeners.
Their work has led to the identification of a new lily species and a possible new genus in the witch hazel family.
Ms Wynn-Jones said: "In the early days there were no mobile phones, no internet, no GPS mapping and everything was arranged through letters, phone calls and word of mouth.
"During our trips we have met some wonderful people and made lifelong friends."
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