- 20/05/2025
- Posted by: Valerie Vaz MP
- Category: News
As the Co chair of the Gardening and Horticulture APPG I attended the Chelsea Flower Show. This annual event is well attended and popular.
The Royal Horticultural Society RHS puts together different gardens Show, Sanctuary All about plant and balcony and container gardens. This year the BBC Gardeners World presenter Monty Don designed a garden for Dogs and it was designed by using his dog to run through the area.
Some statistics relating to the industry are:
£38billion GDP contributed to the UK in 2023; 722,000 total jobs supported by the environmental horticulture and landscaping industry in 2023; £8.4b tax revenues linked to environmental horticultural and garden tourism; £1.9billion total GDP contribution of garden goods manufacturing to UK GDP in 2023 supporting over 29.000 jobs.
It was good to see David Austin Roses (main picture and below)
Above (l and r) is a garden which uses plants which can clean water. natural filtration systems are constructed which use microorganisms, plants and soil to clean water naturally.
Using the plants listed above right, eg the Common reed which removes Nitrogen and phosphorus. By incorporating these species into constructed wetlands or natural filtration beds systems can be designed which, mimic natures own cleaning process, improve water quality without chemicals, enhance biodiversity and offer long term sustainability.
The RHS is hoping that all nurseries will be peat free to protect the peat bogs which are vital for our fight against climate change. This year nearly 50% of exhibitors are using peat free compost.
The RHS said they would to become 100% peat free and will not include any exhibitors who use peat compost next year.
