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Garden For Life Forum

The Forum

Garden for Life is a partnership of organisations working in Scotland. Its key aims are:

  • To increase enjoyment and understanding of biodiversity
  • To support action by gardeners for the benefit of Scotland's biodiversity.
  • To promote the benefits of gardening for health and well being

What does the Forum do?

We believe we can achieve these aims by:

  • Promoting sustainable gardening as a way of increasing people's enjoyment and understanding of biodiversity and our wildlife.
  • Encouraging and enabling more people to garden with sustainability and wildlife in mind.
  • Supporting the environmental and health benefits of people growing their own food.
  • Encouraging research which can inform and support public policy at all levels, for the benefit of biodiversity and public health in Scotland.
  • Sharing good practice between the member organisations of Garden for Life, so that we can work together to achieve our aims in the most effective and efficient ways.

What else is the Garden for Life doing?

The organisations listed under related links are currently members of the Garden for Life Forum.

The Forum meets regularly to discuss and decide on activities and consider ways of supporting the programme. 

What does the Forum do?

Organisations belonging to the Forum meet on a regular basis to agree plans and strategies, share information and to work together on projects. They have produced a series of seven free Garden for Life leaflets which are distributed to the public both through garden centre plant promotions, as well as at shows, schools, community events etc. They are also available to download:

What else is Garden for Life doing?

Gardening Scotland, Ingliston 31-May 2 June 2013.

Garden for Life will be present on the Living Garden stand. This year the display garden will have Year of Natural Scotland as the main theme. Again the garden will be designed by students from  SRUC Elmwood supervised by Sheila Filsell. 

Last years display garden was designed by  a student from Elmwood college and built by students studying HNC Horticulture from Elmwood college.  The design won a silver award and was enjoyed and appreciated by large number of visitors.

There were also three workshops a day on: Orchard trees for Scotland; Creating a Bug Friendly Garden; Keeping the Buzz Buzz in our gardens;Outdoor kitchen cupboard:native plants in the garden;Plants with Purpose- Forest Gardens in Scotland.

Beautiful Scotland

Beautiful Scotland Awards Ceremony & Annual Seminar 2012.

The last Beautiful Scotland Biodiversity Award was on the 11th September 2012 at Motherwell Concert Hall North Lanarkshire. Scottish Natural Heritage board member Patrick Hunter Blair was there to present the winners with the Biodiversity Award.

The Scottish Natural Heritage Biodiversity Award for 2012 was presented to Wigtown in Bloom. The aim of the award is to raise awareness to community groups the benefits of gardening for wildlife.

The award is given in the form of vouchers for specific outlets so the winners can continue the good work.

Engaging with Industry 2013

The Forum held an Engaging with Industry event on the 26th February 2013 at Victoria Quay Edinburgh. There were speakers from,Scottish Government, Plantlife Scotland and the HTA.  Items raised and discussed were, Invasive Non - Native species: Code of Practice WANE Act 2011; Potentail ban on aquatic plants; Wildflower seed: Plantlife policy about seed provenance and use; HTA Policies and Fodder seeds regulations. The minute of the meeting is available.

Peat and Sustainability Seminar RBGE November 2010

Garden for Life has been promoting peat awareness for some time and encouraging gardeners, recreational and commercial, to reduce /avoid the use of peat and to use alternatives.

At a strategic level it is hoped that these initiatives will contribute significantly to the implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.


Last updated on Tuesday 30th April 2013 at 10:27 AM. Click here to comment on this page