At Glendoick we believe that gardening is or should be an activity which is good for the environment. Plants are essential for bees, birds and other wildlife and add to the wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Source Locally 

Plants

Unlike the Garden Centre chains who source little or no plant material from Scottish Growers, Glendoick grow many of their plants on site in their two nurseries. Our bedding plants are grown 3 miles away near Errol, our Heathers are grown locally, our Poinsettias from Edinburgh, Cyclamen from the Clyde Valley, perennials and alpines from near Inverness and so on.

Food

By sourcing local produce as much as possible, we cut down on food miles and support local farmers, growers and producers. We compost, recycle and have a bio-friendly septic tank. 

Legal and National Guidelines

We will uphold the laws and regulations relating to the Environment, and also will respect its sensitivities.

We will work to reduce energy and resource consumption, adhering to industry and good practice and seek prevention of pollution at all times.

Recycling and Waste management

• Waste product management and a recycling policy will be pursued vigorously and we will fulfil obligations and, where possible advance initiatives in this area.
• All cardboard is recycled
• We have on site recycling for glass.
• We have a bio-friendly sewage treatment plant.

Timber Sourcing

Glendoick furniture is purchased, wherever possible only using sustainable timber: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

What does FSC Mean?

• It means that the wood used in your furniture is extracted with minimal environmental impact.
• The FSC label guarantees that the trees that are harvested are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally. 
• Parts of the forest are protected entirely, in order to protect rare animals and plants.
• FSC is the only wood certification scheme endorsed by the major environmental charities, including WWF, Greenpeace and The Woodland Trust.
• FSC protects the rights of indigenous people to use the forest.
• The forest owner must use local workers to run the forest, and provide training, safety equipment and a decent salary. 
• The FSC label is found on wood and paper products. All the wood used is tracked from the forest to the store. Every link between the forest and the consumer is certified to make it clearly identifiable which wood is FSC certified and which is not.

Glendoick 2020 Update

Glendoick Garden Centre strives to be Scotland's leading and most innovative garden centre in terms of environmental impact. New initiatives this year include

1. Installation of Electric charging points for cars (installed Autumn 2019). We have both rapid and slower charging points. We will install more when the electricity supply can be upgraded. We are at maximum capacity.

2. Installation of Solar Panels to reduce electricity consumption (August-September 2019. Our solar array covers much of the total south and west facing roof. Glendoick can generate up to 100% of its electricity requirements when the sun shines. Next stage will be to install battery storage for duller days. We aim to be energy self sufficint by 2030.

3. Recycling of plastic pots. All Glendoick's major suppliers are switching in 2019-20 to taupe rather than black pots which can be recycled. Perth and Kinross Council need to be persuaded to offer this locally and we are hopeful that the pilot projects underway in Worcestershire will roll out nationally. Please help us by asking Perth and Kinross council to recycle plastic plant pots.

4. Plastic packaging. Glendoick recycle plastics where ever possible and are looking at all opportunities to reduce the use of plastic packaging. We are looking to sell more and more loose (unpackaged) product. For example we sell 80% loose bulbs which are sold in paper bags rather than packaged bulbs in plastic wrappers.

Going forward all our major suppliers are being asked to audit their packing, recycling and waste. Our major sundry supplier Westland has already implemented the required policy illustrated here.

 

5. Peat use.    Glendoick's rhododendron and azalea production uses reduced peat compost in propagation and containers and very low peat use in open ground production.

The wider horticultural industry and its trade body the HTA takes its environmental responsibilities incredibly seriously on the use and selling of peat.

Peat has been, and continues to be, a staple of successful gardening due to its physical properties. The industry has made significant progress in regards to bagged growing media in developing peat-free and peat-reduced alternative products. More products are coming on to the market all the time.

Soon HTA will be launching a responsible sourcing scheme. This will give consumers more information about the environmental impacts of all the materials in their bags of growing media. There are some great alternatives, but it will take time to secure the volume of alternative materials needed to meet the overall demand of bagged growing media.

5. Plant Imports

Glendoick MD Kenneth Cox has been lobbying and campaigning for greater pest and disease control by the restriction of import of plants from the European continent. DEFRA have recently tighted restrictions on oak imports. Glendoick source almost all the plants they sell from UK nurseries. Only houseplants are imported, as most are not produced in the UK

Peat Policy at Glendoick Gardens

In line with UK government advice, Glendoick Gardens Ltd runs a reduced peat-use policy for its nursery stock production. Unlike almost all other UK rhododendron and azalea growers, most of Glendoick's stock is grown in the open ground, requiring almost no peat to be used. Following extensive trials, in Glendoick's open ground production, less than 10% peat is used as a planting medium. The remaining 90% consists of top soil,  loam, composted bark and composted conifer needles and chipped trimmings. We estimate that our open-ground rhododendron production is the most peat-friendly in the U.K. At Glendoick Gardens, peat is used mainly in propagation and container production. Most peat used is from renewable sources in Scandinavia and the Baltic states. (see below).

Glendoick still uses peat in propagation and in its container mixes (50% peat) as we believe that Ericaceous plants (which grow naturally on peat) require at least some of it for best results.

For more information See The Peat Debate  by Ken Cox