RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Yorkshire has become the first public garden in England to be certified as Plant Healthy, in recognition of its work to stop the spread of plant disease and invasive species and promote good plant health.

It is the latest move by the RHS as it works towards being biosecurity neutral by 2025 and comes at a time when the threat to gardens has never been greater.

As part of the certification process, existing records, processes and infrastructure at RHS Garden Harlow Carr were reviewed by auditors, highlighting good practice and identifying areas that could be improved. RHS staff were congratulated on their commitment to plant biosecurity, comprehensive written procedures, plant health training and extensive contingency planning for outbreak scenarios.

The team will continue to focus on communicating the importance of biosecurity measures to the public as part of their commitment to outreach.

A blaze of Autumn colours at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate. Pictured Mandy Goodman, from York, taking pictures of the magnificent colours on display within the garden.

Protecting plant health has a wide range of benefits to the environment, biodiversity, the economy and food security but threats are increasing as climate change and globalisation facilitate the spread of plant problems.

The RHS is also encouraging others to become certified as Plant Healthy to help safeguard our cultivated and natural landscapes, which provide multiple benefits to the environment and human health.

Actions taken at RHS Garden Harlow Carr will help safeguard against the spread of global diseases such as Xylella fastidiosa, which has not yet reached the UK but has significantly impacted the horticultural industry and crops including olives and citrus in parts of mainland Europe, and non-native invasive species like the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) which could severely damage crops, fruit trees and lawns should it reach the UK.

The RHS will now move to secure Plant Healthy certification for its remaining four gardens by 2025.

Russell Watkins, Floral Team Leader at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, working within the grounds.

Sara Redstone, RHS Biosecurity Lead, said: “Actions to improve plant biosecurity and achieve Plant Healthy certification affirm our high standards when it comes to plant health and reassures gardeners of our commitment to protect against the introduction and spread of preventable plant problems. As the first public garden to be certified in England, we hope it will also strengthen the approach to biosecurity across the UK, helping to protect plants in the horticultural supply chain, in cultivation and in the wild.”

Harlow Carr’s Plant Healthy certification comes as the UK government today unveils its new Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain. The strategy aims to bring Government, industry and the public together to reduce and manage plant health risks and facilitate safer trade through improved intelligence, monitoring and domestic production, including a biosecure supply chain and greater use of citizen science.

RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Yorkshire is sowing the seeds for healthy plants in a nationwide first