For truly guilt-free gardening, buy from the green scene
Go local – or support the growers producing eco-friendly plugs, seeds and bulbs – says Cinead McTernan
Most of us are gardening with the environment in mind, whether choosing nectarrich plants, making compost or ditching the chemicals. This year, why not go one step further and source seeds, bulbs and plug plants from growers with impeccable eco-friendly credentials, such as the 10 listed right? In terms of carbon footprint, you can’t beat buying seeds and plants locally; visit farmgarden.org.uk to find a community project based in your area.
WALCOT NURSERY
This Worcestershire-based nursery offers organically grown fruit trees and bushes, including wellknown traditional apple varieties such as Ashmead’s Kernel, James Grieve and Bramley, as well as more recent introductions such as Fiesta and Rajka. We love: Perry pear trees so we can have a go at making home-brewed perry cider.
Keep it green: Certified organic. Rather than growing and removing their trees every year, which isn’t sustainable, land is left fallow for five years, before cropping again. Native trees are planted around the nursery to benefit the wider environment (walcot nursery.co.uk).
ORGANIC PLANTS
It’s reassuring to know that each type of vegetable, herb, salad, fruit and flower that features on this site is tested by husband and wife team John Overvoorde and Jill Vaughan in their vegetable plot and potager. Top pick: The collections of grafted plants (e.g. grafted, blight-tolerant outdoor tomato collection, including Mountain Magic, left), perfect if you are growing glasshouse plants in the same soil each year. Keep it green: Certified organic, plants are grown in peat-free compost or plugs; the nursery has its own biomass boiler that burns wood chips made from forestry trimmings, and all their packaging is 100 per cent biodegradable (organicplants.co.uk).
ROCKET GARDENS
If you don’t have time to raise seeds, this range of veg, herb and fruit plug plants will get you off to a flying start.
Top pick: The veg patch collections are designed around family size or preferred growing season (taking the guesswork out of how many plants to order). Keep it green: Certified organic, plants are grown in peat-free compost and are raised without fossil fuels to heat tunnels or greenhouses. Sustainable pots and packaging; 70 acres of their Cornish farm is planted with bird seed and pollinator mixes to increase biodiversity (rocketgardens.co.uk).
JEKKA’S
A true eco-warrior, Jekka McVicar has been growing organic culinary and
CUMBRIA WILDFLOWERS
If you’re looking to create a green roof, wildflower meadow or bog garden, this Cumbrian nursery grows a range of British wildflower plants, perfect for a wildlife haven.
Top pick: Their small, but perfectly formed, native bulb range includes English bluebells.
Keep it green: Seeds are sustainably sourced and plants are grown in peatfree soil. All packaging and boxes are compostable. The team collects rainwater to water plants, runs solar panels for power, uses a biomass boiler to heat the greenhouse and has a biodigester/ reed bed for the “smelly stuff ” (cumbria wildflowers.co.uk). medicinal herbs in south Gloucestershire for more than 30 years. Most are available as seeds or plants. Top pick: More than 40 different mints to choose from. Herbal tea, anyone? Keep it green: Certified organic, all plants grown in peat-free soil and recyclable pots. Jekka’s son, Alistair, has recently joined the business with a PhD from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, so expect exciting new initiatives ( jekkas.com).
SEED COOPERATIVE
A community benefit society, this is the John Lewis of the horticultural world. Membership is open to all, whether farmer or home gardener. A wide range of veg, flower, grass, herb and green manure seed is produced with total transparency – so you know who grew it and where.
Top pick: The range of green manure seed to improve soil health.
Keep it green: Certified organic, open-pollinated seed; organic plant breeding (seedcooperative.org.uk).
BEE HAPPY PLANTS AND SEEDS
A not-for-profit that specialises in wild herbs, perennials, trees and shrubs. The message is simple: help save bees by growing nectar and pollen-rich plants.
Top pick: A classification system that allows you to buy by soil or plant type. Keep it green: Certified organic, all seeds and plants are raised in 100 per cent biodegradable plug-pots. They have pledged to make
THE AGROFORESTRY RESEARCH TRUST
A charity that conducts research into agroforestry (in which trees and crops are grown together). Offers courses, and a range of plants, seeds and trees. Top pick: Chinese date plants – for healthy home-grown snacks. Keep it green: A carbon-negative organisation, storing more carbon than it produces (agroforestry.co.uk). all production plastic-free (beehappyplants.co.uk).
ENCHANTED GARDENS
A small nursery based in Whitstable; specialises in bee-, butterfly-, moth- and bat-friendly plants, mostly native British perennials. We love: The wildflower mix, from 25 plants, all grown at the nursery. Keep it green: Certified organic; uses biodegradable bags, introducing biodegradable pots and wooden labels this year (enchanted gardenskent.co.uk).
THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE
The mail-order love child of Garden Organic and Chase Organics, this one-stop shop offers everything for the eco-friendly grower. As well as veg and wildflower seeds, they also offer organic bulbs.
We love: Tiger Nut plants – an easy-to-grow grass that produces an abundant crop of sweet “nuts”, which taste like almonds and coconut combined.
Keep it green: Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library protects the UK’s vegetable heritage for future generations (gardenorganic.org.uk).