Home › Departments › Greens › Plant Buyer

Plant Buyer

Sources living and artificial plant stock from nurseries and hire houses to the greens breakdown and budget. Also called Nursery Buyer on some UK shows.

Duties

• Breakdown greens lists from art packs with Head of Greens
• Source nurseries, hire houses and specialist growers
• Negotiate hire/purchase and delivery windows
• Track availability, seasonality and lead times
• Coordinate transport into nursery / stage
• Keep purchase orders and returns paperwork
• Flag substitutes that break continuity or scale
• Support wrap returns and sales of surplus where agreed

Reports to

Head of Greens / Set Decorator

Works with

Head of Greens, Set Decorator, Production Buyer, Locations (access), Transport

Career path

Assistant Greens / Art Dept Assistant → Plant Buyer → Head of Greens (or Art Buyer path)

Day to day

Chase quotes and deliveries; photograph options for PD approval; keep the nursery fed without over-ordering.

Call times

Prep-led; may not match unit call every day — follow greens schedule and supplier hours.

What to wear

Smart-casual for supplier visits; boots/PPE in nurseries and yards.

Tools & kit

Laptop/phone; supplier contacts; measuring tape; camera for refs; PPE for yard visits.

Tips

Confirm title, agreement, budget band, prep/wrap, kit/vehicle fee and nursery location on the deal memo. We never invent Bectu figures — check bectu.org.uk / Art Department cards and your production. On smaller shows Greens may sit under Art or Props; larger features often list Greens as its own department.

Software

• Excel / Google Sheets plant lists, schedules and budgets
• PDF art packs / Bluebeam drawings
• PureRef / Milanote moodboards and botanical refs
• Shared call sheets (StudioBinder / Yamdu / PDF)
• WhatsApp / radio for on-set greens notes
• ChatGPT for species/season research drafts (HOD verify flame-retardant, invasive species and H&S)

Related roles

Head of Greens, Set Decorator, Production Buyer

More Greens roles