9/6/2025
As usual, excellent quality and fit.
We use cookies to give you the best customer experience possible. If you continue to use our website, we will assume you are happy to receive cookies from us and our partners. View Security & Privacy
© 2026 Hills of Bramley / Peter Christian. All rights reserved.
Prices are Inclusive of Tariff's & Customs Charges
New Spring Styles in Stock Now
Buy with confidence - free exchanges on all goods.
Guy Watts
In the world of horticulture, few stories unfold quite like that of Guy Watts. Garden Designer, Managing Director, and the owner of Architectural Plants—a 32-acre nursery in West Sussex that’s home to over 40,000 plants and, notably, some of the largest pots you’re ever likely to see. His journey is one of quiet determination, sharp intuition, and a deep, long standing relationship with the natural world.
Childhood weekends were spent wandering nurseries with his mother—one of which happened to be the original Architectural Plants site in Nuthurst—lighting the initial spark. A neighbour’s garden, partly designed by the celebrated Dan Pearson, cemented the fascination. “I got obsessed with plants,” Guy recalls, “from watching what you could do, with a bit of investment money and a passion for it.”
By his teens, he was spending every spare moment at the nursery: Saturdays, school holidays, even a spell post-university. It wasn’t just the plants that drew him in—it was the energy, the possibility. He was learning about beauty, about systems, about how to do things properly. And he was absorbing lessons from the best, including Angus White, the visionary founder of Architectural Plants. “Even when I went off and did my own thing in my twenties” Guy says, “I was always obsessed with the business.”
One of those “other things” was co-founding Streetscape, a landscaping social enterprise that trained long-term unemployed young people in south London. He ran it from 2010 to 2017, building a scheme that did more than just teach—it created pathways to independence, confidence, and purpose. When he returned to Architectural Plants in 2020 as its new owner, he brought those ideas with him.
Today, over 10% of the workforce at Architectural Plants are apprentices. That number is set to rise to 25%. The company partners with local colleges, like Brinsbury, offering a balanced, hands-on model: four days on site, one day in the classroom. The result? A new generation of skilled horticulturists with both practical experience and qualifications—plus the confidence to shape careers of their own, whether in gardening or beyond. “We want a team that spans generations,” Guy explains.
If it all sounds refreshingly un-corporate, that’s because it is. Guy’s background isn’t rooted in horticulture at all—it’s in accounting and finance. “I love spreadsheets,” he says, not even half-joking. What they bring to the table is clarity. “My passion was about seeing things done well. Beautiful design, attention to detail.” The business acumen and creative flair go hand in hand. And it shows—in the work, the team, and the culture he’s shaping.
Perfection here isn’t sterile. It’s dynamic, collaborative, and occasionally a little messy. “Sometimes the most amazing things actually come from people making mistakes,” Guy says, especially when it comes to topiary and plant shaping. It’s about having the confidence to try, fail, and try again—without losing sight of the objective.
If you’re starting to sense a pattern—drive, risk-taking, a certain restless energy—you wouldn’t be wrong. At 25, Guy became one of the first people in the world to row across the Indian Ocean as a pair. It took 102 days, a self-built boat, and a lot of grit. The journey raised over £100,000 and left him with a belief that anything’s possible, given the right mindset. “It makes you really believe you can do anything.” More recently, he got his private pilot’s license. Just for the challenge.
There’s a duality to Guy that’s immediately engaging. Practical and visionary. Focused and irreverent. One minute he’s loading trees in shorts and work boots, the next he’s at Chelsea Flower Show in a bright floral shirt, holding court on a 10x10 metre stand bursting with homegrown plants. “I enjoy the contrast,” he admits. “I’m treated very differently depending on what I wear. I’ve even been given tips while loading cars at the nursery in shorts and t-shirts—when I dress smarter, I am taken more seriously!”
For our shoot, Guy leaned into that signature balance—functional with a flourish. Wearing a classic Denim Chore Jacket layered over a Chambray Shirt, paired with natural tan Drill Jeans. The kind of look that feels just as natural among towering tree ferns as it does in front of a camera. The finishing touches were distinctly his: a botanical-print silk pocket square, a quiet nod to his world, and a braided leather belt that brought it all together. Effortless, but considered.
This year, the stand at Chelsea will be more than a showcase of rare plants—it’ll be a stage for the young talent behind them. Apprentices, new hires, and rising stars, all shaping the future of horticulture in a real, tangible way. It’s a reminder that this business is about more than aesthetics—it’s about people, opportunity, and doing things the right way.
Work in the gardens is usually quite physical and often pretty dirty—moving plants around, digging, that sort of thing. So for me, it's all about finding a balance. Practicality is key, and wearing something hard wearing is a massive thing.
Architectural Plants is also looking to the future in terms of sustainability. The ambition? To grow 90% of their stock on-site, up from an already impressive fourfold increase since 2015. And they aren’t afraid to go bold: like the time the team planted six large trees in under an hour using a helicopter—a move that would’ve made Jeremy Clarkson proud, but was all in a day’s work.
Guy’s approach to business—and to life—is holistic, people-first, and grounded in purpose. Whether he’s shaping trees, guiding a team, or flying a plane, he leads with optimism, integrity, and a genuine desire to help things grow. The kind of growth that matters.
He represents something quietly radical: a new breed of entrepreneur who treats business as a craft, who sees mentorship not as charity but as strategy, and who understands that giving people real chances leads to real results. His story isn’t finished yet—but it’s already an inspiring one.
And if you ask anyone who’s worked with him, they’ll likely say the same thing: he’s our kind of Guy!
Product Code: S
Please note all prices are INCLUSIVE of Tariffs & Duties.
29
6
3
1
1As usual, excellent quality and fit.
Outstanding quality and price!!!!
Great knock about jacket
Purchased for my husband, he absolutely loves it. The fit is great, he loves all the pockets and it is roomy enough for a heavy sweater for wear in cooler weather.
Fits my lifestyle now, color, non-button down collar with chest pockets - I'm retired
Good fit and casual, western look.
Good quality and fit.
EXCELLENT QUALITY, AND EXCEPTIONAL FIT!
I’m very pleased with these. “Order up” on the sizes they run a little bit smaller, at least on me.
classic blue work shirt can dress up or down with it
This was my go to Shirt in the 70's and 80's. Sleeves rolled up or down, looking good. Button down collars so the flaps don't beat you to death on the motorcycle. I don't know why they fell from grace but, finding one in the lightweight material has been a frustrating struggle. You are the only one offering them that I could find on my Internet search. I may purchase a couple more in case they become "Extinct". Good Show!
I size an XL and found the sleeve length about an inch too small. I take a 34/35 length. No matter as in general the shirt is great overall.
They don't fit. I wear a 34 waist in yyour moleskin pants and for these jeans I would have to order a 38.
Great. Tight in the chest
Good fit, great value and very satisfied.
Best Chambary Shirt I have found offered for sale. The comfortable lightweight provides multiple seasons use. The extreme weather of the American Southwest with both cold and hot temperatures were made for this shirt.
Fantastic!
good value quality and fit
Don't fit snuggly very baggy around the thigh
Another classic shirt from Peter Christian. We have ordered this chambray shirt twice already because my husband wears it so often! Well done!