Horticulture is bigger than football, Parliamentary reception hears + VIDEO

Speaking before Parliamentarians and sector leaders, Boyd Douglas-Davies, chair of the Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) said Government must top treating gardening as a minor pastime and recognise it as an essential, multibillion-pound industry in its own right.

He urged the Government to overhaul its policy approach to green spaces, water rights, and workforce training. He insisted that ornamental growing and landscaping must be acknowledged as a distinct economic power, entirely separate from traditional agriculture and food farming.

Douglas-Davies began by dismantling the perception that horticulture is a fringe hobby, pointing to footfall figures that eclipse the nation’s favourite sport.

"We sometimes talk about horticulture as a niche interest. The figures, though, say otherwise. At the recent HTA conference, we heard that 42 million people visited a garden centre last year, and more than 30 million people own plants. By comparison, only 15,5 million people attend the entire Premier League’s matches of the year. Now I won’t try to compete with Harry Kane, but we don't always get ourselves enough credit for our reach, do we?"

Pointing to the National Garden Scheme’s upcoming centenary in 2027, which has raised £78 million for nursing and healthcare charities through private openings, Douglas-Davies noted that the public already understands the true value of green spaces. The challenge, he said, remains in Westminster.

"Our challenge is making sure government understands it just as clearly, because environmental horticulture is not simply a pastime; it is a major British industry. It contributes £38 billion to the UK economy, generates around £8.4 billion in tax revenues, and supports 722,000 people in jobs today. Behind those numbers are nurseries, garden centres, landscapers, arboriculturists in rural communities, market towns, suburbs, and cities alike. It is 'economic growth in every postcode' to use the Prime Minister’s phrase. Yet we still find ourselves making the case that horticulture is a serious economic sector. That needs to change."

A central demand of Douglas-Davies’s address was the need to stop viewing horticulture merely as a subsidiary branch of agriculture or food production. As the Government develops its long-term industrial and environmental policies, EHG is pushing for dedicated recognition.

"All of this points to the need for a more joined-up approach across the industry and government. We welcome the Horticultural Sector Growth Plan, and we ask that it recognises environmental horticulture as a sector in its own right, not an extension of food production. We don’t need a whole new set of policies or spending commitments. Much can be achieved by aligning existing ambitions with the industry’s capabilities, including through better use of public procurement to back British growers."

He warned that ministers frequently focus on technological sectors when discussing net-zero targets, while neglecting the living infrastructure that underpins climate resilience.

"Government rightly emphasises green industries, particularly renewable energy and clean technology. But we should remember that we are the green industry. We grow the plants, we produce the trees, we design, establish, and maintain the landscapes. We provide the living infrastructure that makes communities greener and more resilient in every part of the country."

This living infrastructure, Douglas-Davies stressed, cannot survive without systemic reforms in urban planning and resource management. He criticised developers and local councils for treating trees and landscaping as cosmetic afterthoughts rather than structural necessities: "Green infrastructure is infrastructure. When we plan a road, a school, or a housing development, we think about construction and long-term operation. But planting is too often a finishing touch, considered once everything else has been decided. That is the wrong way round. Trees, hedges, and gardens need soil, space, and water, and ongoing maintenance to establish and survive. Otherwise, we spend public and private money on green spaces that never deliver the benefits promised."

Highlighting data from the Office for National Statistics, which estimated that urban cooling from green and blue spaces saved £233 million in heat-related costs in 2021, and Forestry Commission research showing tree canopies can lower surrounding air temperatures by up to 8°C, Douglas-Davies brought forward an urgent plea regarding water policy. Following severe summer heatwaves and concurrent flooding risks, he called on water regulators to introduce common-sense distinctions during drought restrictions.

"After this summer, I think we all reach the same conclusion: we need water. Without reliable access to it, we cannot grow the plants or establish the green spaces government wants to see. We all recognise the need to use water responsibly, but the regulatory system must distinguish between essential and discretionary use. Watering a newly planted tree to keep it alive is not the same as watering for recreation. Letting new stock die in a drought wastes the water and labour already invested."

He called for clear statutory drought guidance, explicit exemptions for commercial plant maintenance, and government-backed grant support for on-site water harvesting and reservoir infrastructure across smaller independent nurseries.

Douglas-Davies also voiced significant alarm over recent reforms to agricultural and business inheritance tax reliefs, noting that the overwhelming majority of British nurseries and growers are multi-generational family enterprises.

"We are an industry of family businesses. Many are family-owned, with considerable capital tied up in land, machinery, and growing stock. Changes to inheritance tax reliefs have caused real concern, particularly for nurseries with long growing cycles. We understand that government faces difficult decisions, but a business can be valuable on paper without having cash to hand, and succession can determine whether it stays intact for the next generation. We are not asking for preferential treatment; we are asking for a proper understanding of how these businesses operate."

Turning to education, he pointed out his own journey entering a garden centre role at the age of 16, urging Skills England to establish practical horticultural apprenticeships that allow independent growers to recruit without unmanageable administrative burdens.

"When we talk about green jobs, horticulture should be one of the first industries that comes to mind," Douglas-Davies concluded. "Our industry is ready to deliver. We need government to recognise the value of this industry and work with us to realise its potential." 

Defra minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock praised the horticulture sector's scale at the Parliamentary event and underscored Westminster’s commitment to turning evidence into practical economic growth.

"This is a substantial industry that we are talking about, with a serious contribution to growth, and it's important that government fully understands, appreciates, and supports that contribution."  

She emphasised that Defra is working closely with industry leaders on a comprehensive horticultural sector growth plan: "Just recognizing that value isn’t enough. What I want to understand as a minister is what is standing in the way of businesses investing, becoming more productive, and building resilience."

Hayman quoted data from the RHS State of Gardening report which showed that 77% of gardeners experienced positive mental health impacts, while gardens nationwide nurture more than 50 million trees. In addition, HTA data highlighted that over 80% of UK adults credit gardens with benefiting their physical health and state of mind. Hayman said the UK Government has pledged deeper cross-departmental collaboration with the ornamental horticulture and gardening industry, as landmark sector research revealed the industry contributes £38 billion to the national economy and underpins over 722,000 jobs. 

Addressing droughts, Hayman said: "Building long-term water resilience will become increasingly important, and that is going to require government, industry, and water companies to work together."

Trade and biosecurity also took centre stage ahead of 20 November European Union discussions on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. Hayman confirmed negotiations aim to cut red tape and reduce export costs while enforcing robust biosecurity standards to shield British plants and landscapes from invasive pests and diseases. 

"And as minister for biosecurity and trade, I also want to emphasise the importance of plant health. I'm sure people here have heard the fact that we are negotiating an SPS agreement with the EU; one of the advantages of that is to reduce costs, it's to reduce red tape for horticultural businesses. I was very pleased that Jennifer joined us at the business roundtable that we held this morning to discuss that, because we see horticulture as having an important voice as we move forward with those discussions. And importantly, once we have the agreement on the table—the summit is the 20th of November—what we want to do is then look at how we can strengthen cooperation with the European Union on biosecurity, and also support safe trade in plants."

Sarah Russell MP hailed the horticulture sector as the nation's core foundation at the All Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group annual gathering, following a race against the clock between House of Commons votes.  

Arriving directly from legislative duties, the APPGHG chair apologised for the brief appearance due to "back-to-back votes in the Commons," while paying tribute to the evening’s guest speakers, particularly Baroness Fookes.  

She championed the broader impact of gardens, well-being, and the horticultural industry across the UK:   "It is, in my opinion, truly the absolute backbone of Britain and of how we think about ourselves as a nation. People talk a lot about pride in place. Actually, the green spaces around us—in our homes, in our gardens, in our streets, in our parks—are just so fundamental to the heart of that."   The speaker urged authorities to keep nature central to future public infrastructure and building development to preserve the country's beauty."

Greenfingers ambassador Jim Carter hailed National Trust's Sheila Das and Royal Parks' Matthew Pottage, particularly for their work at Wisley, Regents Park Queen Elizabath Garden and Munstead Wood, set to become an educational facility. He also lauded the work of the Greenfingers charity for creating 70 children's hospice gardens.

He said the leading horticultural figures are the nation's vital “health-givers”, adding: “Sheila is someone, if you want to talk about soil, Sheila’s the woman for it.”

He added: Get people into gardening, give them the training, give them the training, and also pay them well.” 

Pottage was likewise hailed as an “inspirational teacher” balancing historic preservation with vitality. Recounting regular visits to the newly developed Queen Elizabeth Garden, Carter described the space as an “object lesson in how to plant,” where existing materials were crushed and repurposed on-site.

Beyond public spaces, the evening spotlighted domestic gardeners tackling harsh conditions, such as drought and hosepipe bans. The speaker shared an anecdote about actor and event guest David Haig, who, despite severe back pain that prevented lifting watering cans, persevered through the dry spell. “He was doing over 10,000 steps a day with a saucepan watering his azaleas and his rhododendrons,” the speaker revealed. “That’s dedication for you.”

Closing the speech, attendees were urged to back the industry: “Support the gardeners. These are the people that are the health-givers. They’re the people that we rely on for the future.”  

Guests included representatives of HTA, RHS, BALI, Plant Healthy, Westland, Provender, Rochfords, GIMA, GCA, BGC, Greenfingers, Gardens Trust, NGS, HRP, MorePeople, Wyevale, Johnsons, National Trust, Royal Parks, plus MPs and peers.