The National Trust has opened our first garden centre at Morden Hall Park in south London, with the 5,000 square metre centre being the only outlet in the UK to be completely peat free, selling a range of plants and shrubs in line with our conservation principles.
Small, specialist nurseries that are passionate about their plants are among the six main suppliers of the plant range from around the UK and the garden centre will also sell plants grown at Lanhydrock in Cornwall, which is well-known for its vibrant garden.
Ed Ikin, general manager at Morden Hall Park, said "Opening the garden centre in the walled kitchen garden is the final piece in putting this 125 acre (51 hectare) country estate back together.
"Morden Hall Park is an extraordinary place considering it is so close to central London and also features a rose garden, meadows, an arboretum and wetlands."
The National Trust says being able to sell peat-free plants and shrubs is important because of the work they do as a conservation charity to protect the UK's natural resources. Peat is important to UK landscapes because it is a carbon store, it is also a habitat for wildlife and helps with water management.
"By using other environmentally-friendly alternatives such as Sylvafibre® and high-quality green waste there really is no difference in plant performance," said Ed Ikin. "We look forward to demonstrating to our customers what success they can enjoy in their gardening by switching to a different growing material."
Any profits from the garden centre will go back directly to Morden Hall Park to help pay for conservation work, learning opportunities and community resources.
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