Pro Landscaper’s Most Influential Nurseries Climate Resilience winner, Bernhard’s Nurseries on how it incorporates sustainability at every level.

Founded in 1948, Bernhard’s Nurseries has a long preceding reputation for being ahead of the environmental curve; the UK wide distribution nursery began its transition to using a peat free growing medium back in 2013, a choice sales manager, Lewis Normand says wasn’t driven by demand but rather the company’s own personal desire to protect the environment and offer its like-minded customers the same, a desire that Normand says has influenced all of the nursery’s sustainable business practices.

John Marsden (managing director) and Lewis Normand (sales manager) at Bernhards Nurseries

He does however note that there has clearly been a substantial shift in the way people are now seeking more climate resilient products from environmentally sound sources, noting; “we’ve got people designing not just beautiful spaces, but beautiful spaces with a message about sustainability and about the environment and about rewilding – all these kind of buzz subjects which are important.”

Alongside its timely transition to peat free, the nursery also made the switch to use taupe recyclable pots “as soon as they came to market,” says Normand.

As well as operating a rainwater capture system across its site, the nursery also uses minimal chemical intervention and instead uses bark toppings in its pots to reduce weed growth – which Normand notes also helps the soil retain moisture and has led to the nursery lowering its water usage; “these are all sensible decisions that are good for the environment – environmentally sound decisions are just sensible.”

Many of the sustainable practices currently in place were established by managing director, John Marsden, prior to Normand’s joining; as the two share similar if not identical ideals for the best environmental practices; “the general idea is you grow plants, so your focus is on improving the environment one way or another.”

As the climate crisis goes on, the need for more climate resilient planting on both a domestic and commercial scale is only heightening. We expect our schemes to enhance biodiversity, support wildlife, and improve overall ecosystem health, and this ultimately falls to our nurseries, and as Normand says making those ecological decisions and being transparent in your environmental considerations, “is not rocket science and more people will want you for it.”

On a global level Normand says the “sustainable element of horticulture can be amazing”, and the buildup of that “natural capital is a phenomenal resource.” And it’s nurseries like Bernhard’s that are facilitating this capital and making the climate resilient and awe-inspiring projects and green spaces we see today possible.