National Trust for Scotland’s roots manouevre

The National Trust for Scotland has launched a new gardening subscription that offers a monthly delivery of gardening goodies, including Scottish seeds to plant at home.

From green-fingered gardeners to those who are just beginning their gardening journey, Roots is a celebration of Scotland’s flora and has been designed to help people reconnect with nature.

Subscribers will receive 10 gardening packs every year which will include stories about Scotland’s plant life and expert tips from Trust gardeners. Six of the packs will also contain Scottish seeds, like Violet and Bluebell, to grow at home.

The Trust is the largest garden owner in Scotland, cultivating over 100,000 individual plants and protecting more than 76,000 hectares of countryside and gardens.

The charity also cares for significant horticultural landmarks, like Inverewe Garden in Wester-Ross, which was created by Osgood Mackenzie – one of Scotland’s more famous horticulturalists and the grounds of Brodie Castle, which are home to a world famous daffodil collection.

Roots subscriptions will support the charity’s work to protect and care for 38 gardens and designed landscapes across Scotland, ensuring they continue to flourish for people to enjoy for future generations.

The gardens at Crathes Castle (Photo: National Trust for Scotland)

Chris Wardle, regional gardens and designed landscapes manager for the National Trust for Scotland said: ‘The great thing about gardening is that anyone can enjoy it, whether you’ve got a large plot or a small window box. It can be so rewarding to see seeds that you’ve planted and nurtured with your own hands flower and thrive.

‘With people having spent more time at home over the last year, gardening has become a lockdown hobby for many and others will have used this time to learn even more about their gardens and get more experienced. It’s important that we continue this positive attitude towards our green spaces.

‘As brighter days are coming, people will be watching their gardens or window boxes come to life and a Roots subscription is a great way to bring people closer to Scottish flowers, with expert advice from Trust gardeners giving people will have the confidence to try something new while learning about Scotland’s plants.

‘It’s important to think about our natural world too. If every one of us in Scotland sowed one square meter with the wildflower seeds from a Roots subscription, there would be six million square metres of plants that will have a positive impact on our environment.’

A subscription to Roots is £6 per month, with subscribers receiving their first pack in May 2021. Find out more at www.nts.org.uk/roots.

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