rhs-logo

Latest News

Information for gardeners about the harms of using peat and the reasons for being #peatfree

Posted:

We’ve produced this information board to set out the facts about the environmental damage which extracting peat does and the case for being #peatfree. In preparing it we’ve been greatly assisted by Richard Lindsay who is Head of Environmental and Conservation Research at the Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London. (https://www.uel.ac.uk/SRI)  Richard is an internationally respected specialist in the ecology and conservation of peatland ecosystems. We’ve also been helped by...(more)

Conservation Action at Squires Down in Dorset report a good year for Barn Owls

Posted:

As always it was good to hear from the volunteers at Conservation Action at Squires Down in Dorset who we help with a little bit of sponsorship. The land called Squire’s Down was purchased in 2007 and was originally a stubble field. Planning permission was given to change the use of the land to encourage wildlife. Ground work was carried out during October and was completed by the end of the...(more)

Trade show and other dates for 2020: come and see us if you can.

Posted:

It's important to us that we attend as many trade gatherings as we can. It's the ideal opportunity to see customers face-to-face and to learn more about their businesses. So, this is the list for 2020: do come and see us if you're attending. One word of warning though: the list is likely to grow as the year goes on! Event Location Date Garden Press Event London 4th March BALI SW...(more)

The year of peat-free gardening starts with us increasing capacity to meet demand

Posted:

This year is the first of the target dates for the elimination of peat use from horticulture and demand for Melcourt products which has been increasing year-on-year for the past 5 years or so has never been higher. We're expecting it to go on that way as the nation's gardeners turn to peat-free material. With that in mind..... • we're investing yet again in increased production capacity with the installation of...(more)

There’s gold in them there blooms

Posted:

It was lovely to hear from Liz Steele of Nailsworth in Bloom to whom we donated some bags of our award-winning peat-free compost compost earlier in the year - and to receive these pictures of their stunning showcase waterwheel display which celebrated their local heritage theme of 'Wool and Water'. It's just the thing to brighten up a dark December day. It probably won't surprise you to learn that they achieved...(more)

#peatfree and #plasticfree are gaining ground

Posted:

Gardening's green credentials are increasingly in focus these days so it's great to see that the gardening press is offering practical advice to gardeners on how to eliminate single use plastic and on how to garden peat free. The latest is a piece by our friend David Ware of edible culture in the much respected Gardens Illustrated which flags up Melcourt peat free products and our Bag for Life. You can...(more)

If you want to reduce single-use plastic in your business here’s how Melcourt can help you.

Posted:

We've all seen the issue of plastic use in UK horticulture take a far higher profile over the last 12 months. At Melcourt we take this seriously and are looking to play our part in reducing the amount of single-use plastic. For those customers who want to do the same, we have developed a unique system to suit some of those retailers which builds on the experience of  edibleculture The big...(more)

How do you turn a tree into a tent?

Posted:

On the face of it this just the kind of challenge that members of the 5th Kettering Scouts might face during some kind of survival training but these tents came from a tree in a more indirect way. We gave the 5th Kettering some bags of award winning SylvaGrow peat-free compost (main ingredient tree bark!) they grew and sold some plants and put the proceeds towards these new tents - as...(more)

Two great new peat-free ideas to look out for at GLEE

Posted:

  SylvaGrow® Tub and Basket launches at GLEE and, for next spring, garden centres can sell RHS Endorsed Melcourt products in a re-usable Melcourt Bag for Life Like all of the products in the award-winning Melcourt SylvaGrow® range, new SylvaGrow Tub and Basket is a peat-free blend of fine bark and wood fibre. To meet the particular demands of plants grown in tubs and baskets, it contains a water-retaining aid to...(more)

Cutting back on single use plastic, peat-free deadlines, people and plants: it’s all in grower solutions

Posted:

Growers purchasing Sylvamix® in 50 litre bags may be interested to know that an equivalent amount of product bought as a maxi-bale would use a massive 5 times less plastic. No special machinery is required to handle our maxi-bales as Sylvamix® is free-flowing and doesn’t become compacted in the bale. There's more information on this, on the Melcourt Bag for Life scheme, and on peat-free deadlines in the new issue of...(more)

Taking tea at Nailsworth

Posted:

We've been giving Nailsworth Rotary some free bags of SylvaGrow in which to plant their floral displays for a few years now so it was an absolute delight to meet up with some of them in the town the other day and see the results of their efforts first hand. As you can see, the displays transform the town and give enormous pleasure to residents and visitors alike. Nailsworth has a...(more)

Reassurance for vegan gardeners

Posted:

We receive a growing number of enquiries from vegan gardeners about the suitability of our products for them. In fact, all but three of our products are suitable for use by vegans. Suitable products for vegans are; SylvaGrow® Sustainable Growing Medium SylvaGrow® Multi-purpose Compost with added John Innes SylvaGrow® Ericaceous Compost Topsoil™ SylvaBark® Pine Bark Flakes Spruce Ornamental™ Ornamental Bark Mulch™ Pine Mini Chips™ Bark Nuggets® SylvaBark® Pine Mini Mulch All-Purpose...(more)

Nailsworth set to bloom again

Posted:

It was good to hear from our friend Thorald Cox of Nailsworth Rotary Club about this year’s floral display. “We planted out on 5th June into SylvaGrow® which you so generously provided,” he writes. “I was assisted by Jonathan Bowen-Davies and Christine Prest both fellow club members who are shown in the photo.” Thorald notes that it is now much easier for local people to buy SylvaGrow since Blue Diamond have recently...(more)

Peat-free sales just keep growing!

Posted:

Sales of our SylvaGrow® Peat-Free Planter for Organic Growing have exceeded all expectations since its launch this spring: little wonder when it's this simple to use. It's hugely gratifying to think of the thousands of salads, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes being served in homes across the land having been grown in these, the UK's only RHS Endorsed, Soil Association approved, peat-free planters. It has been another, remarkable and record breaking...(more)

A breath of youthful fresh air

Posted:

All too often these days it seems that when young people are featured on the news it’s to do with knife crime or cyber bullying. How refreshing to hear once again from the 5th Kettering Scout Group who held their 2019 fundraising plant sale on Saturday 25 May.  “We had a fabulous turnout and gorgeous weather,” writes Assistant Beaver Leader Vicky Geary. “We made a profit of around £1800, which will...(more)

Vertical veg man spreads the gardening word

Posted:

In a week when the eyes of the world are on RHS Chelsea Flower show here’s a reminder of less rarified but no less vital gardening: Mark Ridsdill Smith (aka the Vertical Veg man) passing on basic skills to residents in Newcastle, with a little help from Melcourt SylvaGrow. Mark's passionate belief is that communities can be brought together by helping them learn and share the joys of growing. Looking at the...(more)

SylvaGrow on the move

Posted:

Sales of Melcourt SylvaGrow® are already at record levels but our guess is that they’ll increase even further now that this trailer has hit the road. It will be based near our Tetbury production facility, bringing raw material from nearby sawmills which will be graded and composted to form the basis of our different #peatfree products. The tractor unit and trailer are owned by A.W. Jenkinson Transport Limited, one of the...(more)

The Melcourt stockist family keeps on growing

Posted:

It’s hugely gratifying to see the number of Melcourt stockists growing. Since the start of this year alone we’ve added 51 bringing the total to over 500 across the UK (compared to less than 100 just five years ago).  This means it’s easier than ever to buy our #peatfree products - although we still want more and better coverage to fill in the geographic gaps. For those without a local stockist...(more)

Melcourt from the air

Posted:

This video clip gives a drone's-eye view of our production facility at Long Newnton near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, as evening falls. The footage was taken by Darren Vertessy (who took the still we posted the other day) and shows our deeply rural location to great effect. Fitting, isn't it, that products which hold such sustainable credentials are produced in such a setting?(more)

Here’s hoping for a cracking Easter

Posted:

The Easter week-end is fast approaching so time to remind everyone that the office will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. We're keeping everything crossed for a cracking week-end: the forecast is good so we hope that garden centres are busy, that our professional grower customers get lots of calls to send more plants, and that we get lots of calls to send more #peatfree product!(more)

Our work doesn’t stop when we’ve sold the product

Posted:

All Melcourt Garden & Landscape products are tested continually. These pictures show our recently launched SoilAssociation approved SylvaGrow® peat-free planter for organic growing doing its stuff brilliantly. Left to right: herbs one month after planting, strawberries full of tasty promise, and peas, 29 days after sowing which will soon be good enough - to eat!(more)

Boldridge Brake at sunset

Posted:

This drone picture by lorry driver Darren Vertessy shows our production facility in all its rural splendour. The large building in the foreground houses our bagging lines. The office is towards the centre of the image. The white objects are poly-wrapped product awaiting delivery. What a sight...and what a site!(more)

Melcourt Industries feature in The Parliamentary Review

Posted:

An important event in the diaries of both politicians and business leaders, the March release of The Parliamentary Review sees the document highlight the best practice of organisations across the private and public sectors, sharingsome of the most exciting and forward-thinking work that has occurred in the country over the last year. The Review is edited by former minister The Rt Hon David Curry. Melcourt Industries are the UK's leading manufacturer...(more)

Please bear with us if you can’t get through to the office…

Posted:

We've been notified of some possible power outages this week as work is undertaken to improve the local electricity distribution network. This might affect your ability to contact us and our ability to deal with emails quickly. There could be an outage today and again on Thursday 4th April, both for indeterminate periods. We'll be diverting the land line to a mobile but this will restrict the number of calls we...(more)

Melcourt SylvaGrow® Multipurpose Peat-free Compost and SylvaGrow® with added John Innes are Gardening Which? recommended peat-free composts….yet again!

Posted:

SylvaGrow® has been a consistently high-scoring compost in Gardening Which? trials since its launch, whilst SylvaGrow® with added John Innes is regularly among the top-scoring peat-free composts for sowing seeds and raising young plants in their annual trials.* “There’s a commonly held but mistaken view that peat-free composts don’t produce the same results as peat-based products,” says Melcourt Technical Director Catherine Dawson. “These and other independent tests conducted over the years...(more)

Sir Geoffrey does the honours

Posted:

We were delighted to welcome MP for the Cotswolds Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown to unveil our new Royal Warrant plaque on Friday 1st March. Melcourt was awarded a Royal Warrant from HRH the Prince of Wales for the supply of peat-free organic growing media last year and Friday’s unveiling by Sir Geoffrey was a fitting celebration. In front of assembled staff Managing Director Andy Chalmers welcomed Sir Geoffrey and gave a short resume...(more)

Neil shows the #peatfree way

Posted:

If you live in the Horsham area try to make time to visit the 'Growing Together' event at Kinder Living Home Show organised by Friends of Horsham Park on 2nd March. The event includes talks and workshops with proceeds from many of the activities going to Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice. One of the talks will be given by Melcourt’s very own Senior Technical Sales Manager Neil Grey in partnership with...(more)

Bradfords Building Supplies Landscaping Event today

Posted:

*****POST-EVENT UPDATE***** The event was everything it was built up to be. The Bradfords team are thoroughgoing professionals and it was a pleasure to be part of it all.     We're at Bradfords Building Supplies Landscaping Event at Haynes Motor Museum Sparkford today. We're expecting lots of interest in our new range of Natural Choice Decorative Aggregates, Topsoil, and Bark Mulches: the professional's choice!(more)

Floral creativity from our friends in Nailsworth

Posted:

We were delighted to receive the picture above from Liz Steele, Planting coordinator for Nailsworth in Bloom, not least because it reminds us that while winter drags on, spring and summer and all the colour that they bring, will surely follow. The plants in this astonishing display were grown in SylvaGrow® and are a credit to those who grew and nurtured them Stunning as the piano and chess set is, we...(more)

The investment in our peat-free production goes on

Posted:

We're constructing a new mixing line to dramatically improve our capacity and ensure that - even at the busiest times - we can maintain our short turnaround times from order to delivery. If truth be told it doesn't seem five minutes since we installed our previous mixing line although it was almost 10 years ago. Where did that time go? The new line, like the one it replaces, will automatically monitor the...(more)