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Going Green

Our Environmental Policy

Plants4Presents is a family business and we all believe that it is important to balance a quality service with a commitment to a sound environmental policy. Since the very beginning we have opted for cardboard and paper wraps and ribbons that can be recycled rather than plastic and polythene that ends up in landfill sites. But over the last couple of years we have been striving ever harder to reduce the impact of our business on the environment.

Our Plants

Unfortunately due to the shorter day length in the winter and of course the colder weather, some of our tropical plants and citrus cannot be raised commerically in this country and therefore we do import these by road from mainland Europe. However wherever possible we use Sussex and then British growers to supply our plants. Our grapevines and blueberries come from Dorset and our cyclamen, hyacinths, poinsettias and primulas travel just 10 miles to reach us in Sussex.

Packaging

All our plants are gift wrapped in recyclable gold kraft and unbleached recycled tissue paper, boxed in 80% recycled cardboard, decorated with paper and raffia ribbon instead of plastic and cellophane. Our care instructions are printed on recycled paper and our Plants4Presents greeting cards are unlaminated and printed on 100% recycled card using vegetable inks. As part of our ongoing commitment to recycling we have now switched all of our office paper and envelopes to 100% recycled and we segregate and recycle all our office waste as much as possible (right down to the teabags!)

Organic Status

At our Glasshouses in Sussex we also grow organic vegetables for local farmshops and box schemes and in September 2008 we acheived organic status with the Soil Association for our vegetables and homegrown herbs and peppers. The plants we buy in are not certified "organic" but we do use only organic methods of pest control once they reach our nursery.

Compost

As well as composting all plant waste we also segregate all office and packhouse cardboard and paper waste. This is then shredded and added to our growing compost heap for use in our vegetable area. In line with soil association standards all our peppers and herbs are now grown in peat free coir potting compost.

Fertilizer and Feed

Although our citrus trees do still receive a balanced chemical supplement all our other pot plants are fed using a nettle and comfrey 'tea'. Nettles and comfrey are collected from around the site and allowed to steep in a large tank, to produce a dark brown smelly liquid which is diluted and watered on to the plants either automatically or by hand. The benefit of this nitrogen rich 'brew' has been well documented and we have been really pleased in the boost to general plant health since we introduced this in July 2007.

Pest Control

We don't use any chemical pesticides in our nursery and we think this is particularly important as we send so many edible plants and trees. Instead we use a combination of horticultural soft soap, natural predators and sticky traps. You can find out more about natural predators and pest control at our sister site www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk

But natural predators doesn't just mean nematodes and ladybirds. We actively encourage a range of beneficial wildlife within our nursery. Bees to aid pollination, Finches, Sparrows, Wagtails and lizards who help control slugs and caterpillars. We have a resident slow worm couple and our secret weapon against the mice and rabbits is our handsome black cat Merlin.