WE REGRET THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED - PLEASE SEE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY 13 MARCH AT 7.30PM ‘BETH CHATTO - MY LIFE WITH PLANTS’
Harriet Thompson is one of the new generation pursuing a career in horticulture to fulfil her passion for houseplants and sustainability. She says ‘it’s my dream to bring peat-free, pesticide free and UK grown houseplants to as many areas in the UK as possible’.
Harriet is keen to share tips and tricks for growing houseplants as well as her enthusiasm for a whole range of subjects that are very close to her heart - the importance of growing peat free, biological pest control, organic growing and the importance of supporting UK growers to shorten supply chains and reduce our carbon footprint.
Harriet started growing houseplants when she moved back to the UK, after living abroad in Australia and New Zealand. Having worked with farmers and growers overseas, she brought the regenerative farming ideolgy back home but at this stage she was specifically food orientated.
Whilst studying for a degree in Plant Science at the Eden Project in Cornwall, her passion for propagating houseplants grew and she had soon taken over every inch of her own home and had bought a polytunnel to squeeze into her back yard.
On completion of her studies, she moved back her home town of Lichfield and rented a glasshouse and Harriet’s Plants was born - which she believes is the first and currently the only small scale commercial grower of peat free houseplants in the UK. She now supplies independent houseplant shops including Kew Gardens, and has many more stockists coming in this year.
You can find out more about Harriet and Harriet’s Plants:
