Bees Ltd. Florists and seedsmen, Mill Street
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Arthur Kilpin Bulley (1861-1942), was a Liverpool cotton broker, known as a socialist and suffrage supporter and naturalist>  Significantly he was a passionate gardener. Bulley was interested in introducing new plant species from abroad. In particular, Himalayan and Chinese mountain plants which he thought could be established in Britain.

Bulley founded a seed and plant nursery - Bees Ltd,  using his initial as the company name. Subsequently Bulley funded plant collectors, the most notable of whom were Frank Kingdon Ward and George Forrest who undertook many  trips to Burma and China in the early 20th century to collect material for Bees.  A number of plants which they discovered bear the names wardii,  forrestii or bulleyana in recognition of their finds. Less well known is his support for expeditions to Morocco, Turkey, the Americas.

The company had a warehouse in Toxteth at 173 to 181 Mill Street.

Bulley bought land at Neston on Wirral and, starting in 1898, began to create an extensive garden, part of which he opened to the public. He used much of Forrest's material to create a wonderful collection of plants.  

Bulley died in 1942 and in 1948 his daughter Lois gifted the gardens and an endowment to the University of Liverpool, who now manage the extended gardens as an "open public park and flower garden" under the terms of the Agnes Lois Bulley Trust. The gift came with conditions that the house and grounds be kept as a botanic garden in memory of her father. The gardens were revitalised in the 1960s and Ness Gardens on Wirral may still be visited today.