On the hunt for #PeatFree
WHEN you are in a garden centre looking for plants and compost to brighten up your garden, do you also think about saving the environment? Yes, you will be growing plants to create wonderful habitats and food sources for insects and the birds that feed on them. And maybe growing your own tomatoes and lettuce alongside some wonderful flowers to help boost your spirits.
But you could also be helping the environment by cutting down on the peat you use. Peat is a precious resource which we are losing around the globe, often as they are being dug up simply to fill a cheap bag of compost.
Our own nature reserves in Salford and Lancashire are some of the last major peatland areas in the UK, so they need protecting. But you can do your bit. It is all too easy to just grab the first bag of compost that you see, happy to save a pound or two with ‘three for the price of two’ offers.
And many garden centres and DIY megastores don’t exactly advertise peat-free alternatives, they always seem hidden in some dark recesses when I go shopping.
So, we are appealing to garden centres, nurseries and supermarkets.
Instead of making your customers hunt for peatfree, proudly display your peat-free products right at the front and why not add a great big sign proclaiming its peat-free credentials – check out the Wildlife Trust’s social media and we’ve even made one for you.
And what about all our fabulous gardeners out there? What can you do to help? Well you can do what many of us do best – make our voices heard.
Right now, many of us are sitting at home staring at our gardens, balconies and window boxes and planning how we can get them looking fabulous for summer.
So, when you are next allowed out to visit the garden centre, why not use your best, and loudest, voice to ask where the peat-free plants are? “Oh, you don’t stock any peat-free plants or compost?
“Well then sir, I shall take my business elsewhere!”
And for all you people that are self-isolating at home, you can vote with your online shopping basket and support the growing number of peat-free nurseries that are offering home delivery.
I recently took delivery of a number of the happiest and healthiest peatfree plants I’ve ever seen.
And finally, please don’t forget to take to social media.
Spread the word about the importance of going peat-free; share your sources of peat-free products, your peat-free gardening tips and even your peat-free successes with the #PeatFree hashtag.
You will be part of the Wildlife Trusts peat-free campaign to raise the profile of peat-free products, there are some brilliant alternatives out there.
You can learn more about the campaign on our website