News from the gardening world
New plan warmly received by the Scottish Parliament
Abold vision to significantly boost horticulture and celebrate gardening in Scotland has been given a green thumbs-up by Scottish MPs. An action plan has identified 10 objectives, focused on the key themes of education and skills, economy, health and wellbeing, the planted environment and tourism.
The plan was developed by the Scottish Horticulture Panel (SHP), composed of key members of the country’s horticultural community, who came together to pledge support for the initiatives building on their ‘world-leading status in garden design, construction, horticultural production and education’. UK-wide industry body the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) was also heavily involved.
Important aspects of the plan will be to promote the importance of horticulture in schools and as a credible career, support services and training for therapeutic horticulture practitioners and boost the amount of green space in Scotland’s towns and cities. Researching how plants and horticultural activity can contribute to the quality of life will also underpin future developments. Garden tourism is currently booming in Scotland, thanks to existing initiatives such as VisitScotland’s ‘Discover Scottish Gardens’ and the 1,500 gardens that open under Scotland’s Garden Scheme. The plan is to build on this by founding a National Garden Week and promote Scottish gardens abroad. A copy of the plan was given to all members of the Scottish Parliament. “The SHP will now work in partnership with Scottish government,” said SHP chair and HTA business manager Neil Cummings. “Together we will help move horticulture to the forefront.