What impact does retail horticulture have on the environment?

Just like any other industry, the retail garden trade is constantly evolving and, hopefully, improving. In the last few years the overwhelming emphasis has been on the environmental impact of peat-based products, plastics, packaging and pesticides. We are fortunate in the horticultural industry to have a strong collective voice, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). This has close links with its membership of growers, suppliers, retailers and landscapers. It regularly consults and inputs valuable advice into relevant government departments.

The good news stemming from this collaboration is that the use of peat has reduced substantially in recent years and is likely to be withdrawn entirely from retail sales within 18 months. It’s obviously hugely important to us in the industry to provide a suitable alternative which is both fit for use and also environmentally friendly. Again, the HTA has been at the forefront of coordinating research into providing suitable growing mediums for different types of plants. Many growers and retail customers are finding the transition challenging, not least because compost blends that have been honed for literally generations are being replaced in a few short years. The danger is that possible alternatives such as coir are shipped in on polluting carriers from thousands of miles away, which can negate any beneficial environmental effect of not using a UK based product. They often also use more water after transportation and in normal use. It’s a delicate balancing act. I believe that the horticulture industry provides a very positive environmental impact overall. Generally people enjoy gardening and it is beneficial for physical and mental health.

Home-grown produce uses less road miles, is fresher and tastes better. Most plants will have a positive impact on wildlife and on CO2 levels and the air that we breath. So much is now recyclable – and more importantly re-usable. I hope we can all embrace the changes that are coming whilst acknowledging the efforts being made to “save the planet”.

David Hogg Buckland Nurseries