Environment Policy
L'amour Botanique's Environmental Policy/Audit
Our Environment Policy is a working document that is continually being updated whilst we improve and refine environmental and ecological practices that are carried out as part of our horticultural, food and garden supply business.
In Our Nursery and Garden Shop
Compost:
Our plants: Our growing medium is peat-free and has not been chemically interfered with. The coir based compost (derived from coconut husks) is obtained from Fertile Fibre and ordered by the pallet every 3 or 4 months; minimising transport costs and reducing our carbon footprint. Initially the compost is contained in reusable seed plug trays; we use both a seed mix and potting mix. All our herbs are hand potted on into pots or baskets/planters whereby we add an organic slow realease feed which is derived from plants (see below). Our Garden Shop: All the compost that we supply is peat-free and from small businesses that are based in the UK.
Water:
Our Plant: Capillary matting is used for watering the seed trays and pots; this minimises wastage as the plants only ‘take up’ that which they require. The matting is made from 100% recycled wool fibre and when it is sunny it sparkles as some glittery thread from an old jumper must have been used! Periodically the trays and pots are individually watered in the traditional fashion with a small watering can!
Seeds:
Our Plants: The seeds have not been chemically interfered with and produced in a sustainable and traceable fashion. The culinary herb seeds are carefully hand sown. Seeds are purchased from Tamar Organics based in Launceston, Cornwall. Our Garden Shop: We offer organic seeds from Tamar Organics to our customers as they are very reliable (both the seeds and the company!) and very local. We will be expanding our range that we offer to include other brands too!
Plants: Fot the moment L'amour Botanique doesn't offer plant for sale online. However Rocket Gardens, based in Cornwall, have a fantastic range of young vegetable, fruit and herb plants and their company has a similar envronmental ethos therefore we are delighted to be able to offer their Instant garden's in our online shop!
Plant Nutrients and Minerals
We add an approved ,for organics growers, organic slow realease additive to our potting compost that contains only ingredients from plant origins (mainly soyameal, cocoa shells, seaweed) and doesn't contain any animal or chemical additives. In addition we apply an organic comfrey feed and seaweed extract when the small seedling's are potted into the flowerpots. We are in the process of making our own additive free comfrey concentrate.
Beasties, Bugs and Ailments:
When necessary, biological and barrier methods of pest and disease control are used together with a keen eye and making sure the herbs are as content as can be.
Temperature:
Our seed house is lined with, yes!, bubble wrap!! for insulation; this is taken down and stored for using again each Autumn/Winter; perhaps only possible because of the small scale of this nursery. We have exciting plans being developed for a new nursery space that will, if it works!, regulate the temperature using natural systems. Due to growing in an unheated environment our plants are therefore seasonal!
Wastage
Our Nursery: Any herbs and compost that do not 'make it' are composted in our small nursery and used in 'the garden',or kitchen recipes or available to close-by neighbours. At present, even the slightest blemish/tear on one leaf would mean that our potted cooking herbs for retail deliveries would fall into the wastage category; shame!
Location
Hawthorn Cottage Nursery is, at present, a home based nursery therefore our growing houses are within a short walk to our seeeds houses;. Once the seedlings are ready to be potted on we take them 4 miles away to our larger Nursery at California Cross.
Traceability and Records
All our culinary herbs and plants are traceable from the moment they are sown in the seed trays. At the base of each flowerpot for example, there is a code relating to sowing date and herb variety. That date relates to the batch of compost and seeds used together with operational records /notes in relation to that particular plant. Likewise our planters and baskets have a similar code (not in view) linked to each invoice/sales receipt; which contains information on which batch of plants have been used.
Pot and planter labels:
The wooden labels are made from thin strips of beech wood; they are untreated and fully biodegradable. Other paper labels are made from recycled paper, acid and lignin free and the round sticky labels used a water based adhesive. All our wooden labels, at present, are hand written.
Delivery boxes
Once a week we make a trip whilst on route delivering our herbs and collect delivery boxes of various sizes from retail outlets; they are usually made from re-cycled paper products and we re-use them to deliver. We only choose the cleanest ones that have been used for fresh food products. Friends and neighbours also collect boxes for us. Postal delivery boxes are purchased new as many of our online purchases are sent as gifts however they are made from re-cycled paper materials.
Paper carriers
Re-cycled paper carrier bags or cardboard boxes are used when selling our plants direct to the public and we use large garden wet-strength paper sacks for posting our compost to customers.
Potted Culinary Herbs
We encourage businesses to order the biodegradable flower pots as they are fully able to be either re-used or broken up and added to the compost heap. They are a by-product (waste) of the coconut and grain industry; their small additional cost is directly passed on in our prices. The green wrapping paper is florist Kraft paper that is made from re-cycled paper and can be composted or re-cycled in the paper re-cycling bin/bag. Materials used in our gift design planters are made of paper or fabric which also biodegrades.
Paint
Some beautiful colours can be found using paint derived from natural pigments. L’amour Botanique therefore uses paint from the companies ‘Fired Earth’ and ‘Nutshell’ when decorating window boxes. These companies produce paints and products that have a low environmental impact and we feel that their paints support the ethos of L’amour Botanique whilst their colour range is wonderful.
Suppliers
L’amour Botanique chooses suppliers that are local to the West Country wherever possible. This not only reduces our carbon footprint but also supports the local economy. We have met nearly all our suppliers either at trade shows or they have visited our nursery; we only choose items for our garden shop that that are environmentally friendly, preferably based in the South West and that we feel our customers would be delighted to receive.
Deliveries
L’amour Botanique delivers to East, West and South Devon using particular routes to minimise the use of fuel and increase the efficient use of time. With the latter, we try and incorporate other operations such as promotion, admin and purchasing within those delivery routes.
L'amour Botanique's Garden Range
Many of the ideas for L'amour Botanique's retail garden range have been designed and developed as a result of using those items in our nursery and then offering them to like minded gardeners so they can use them too! Lisette, the founder of L'amour Botanique designs develops and creates all the products offered including presentation and marketing. All products are trialed direct to customers at shows and markets before they are put into our online garden shop! This is brilliant as it allows us to gain direct feedback from customers as when they come back the following week they let us know their opinions about their purchase which, so far, has been always positive!
Development and Design
Every effort is made to follow the three R’s: Reduce, Re-cycle or Re-use together with materials that will biodegrade and are as chemical free as possible. We choose new planters/baskets and window boxes that are made of natural products that biodegrade mainly; with the exception of thin wire, on occasion, in order to support the weave of the baskets and waterproof lining for our planters.
Expansion of our nursery and garden supplies business will include the development of our horticultural practices, plant range and garden shop operations that further supports sound environmental best practice for people passionate about cooking and gardening.
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