Specialist Growers of Roses Ancient and Modern

Going Peat-free to Protect our Future Next generation: Trevor's grandsons explore the rose fields. Earlier this month, we welcomed the opportunity to speak to Ben Spencer, Science Editor at the Sunday Times, about the importance of going peat-free. The environmental damage of using peat in horticulture has long been documented, but a report published by the Wildlife Trusts in 2022 revealed that failure to instigate a ban on the use of peat resulted in around 31 million tonnes of CO2 being released between 1990 and 2022. We know digging up peatlands for use in gardens is both devastating for wildlife and a huge source of carbon emissions. However, the Sunday Times reported that despite an outright ban coming in for professional growers by 2026 (a deadline which has already been pushed back numerous times…), just 17% of nurseries are currently completely peat-free, with only half feeling they are on track to be peat-free by the new extended deadline. Making the change Having been peat-free for five years, we understand the financial, and practical, challenges of making the change. The alternatives are still, disappointingly, expensive, and it can take some trial-and-error to find the right compost-mix for your plants. Roses are naturally very thirsty and need plenty of nutrients so finding ways to sustain water-retention, while maintaining good nutrient levels in the soil, was key. We found a mix of bark, wood chip, coir and a wetting agent - H2Gro - worked brilliantly. The costs of potting-up our roses are now considerably higher than they were half a decade ago. But considering the environmental cost of the alternative, it was clear we couldn’t continue to contribute to the loss of such a vital natural habitat and key resource in the fight against climate change. Future-focused thinking It's a somewhat bewildering juxtaposition that plant growers and garden lovers are contributing so heavily to the loss of our precious peatlands. But prohibitive costs, lack of clear policy, and a knowledge-gap about alternatives, are all sadly hindering many from switching to substitutes. And of course, the longer we hesitate the more irreversible damage is done. Professional growers and horticulturalists need to be leading the way, to show that we can grow and garden without peat. There are great alternatives out there and, five years in, we are proof that even the most fastidious roses can – and do! – thrive in other soils and composts, as they have done for millennia. Growing roses doesn’t have to cost the earth. If we want our gardens to be enjoyed by future generations, we need to make the changes necessary to reduce the environmental impact of what we do, and safeguard these essential natural habitats - and the wildlife that flourishes within them - by cutting out peat for good. Top tips for 'Growing Green' From going peat-free, to using recyclable taupe pots and compostable natural packaging - ensuring our roses are grown, packed and distributed in as environmentally friendly a way as possible [...]