What's all this DEFRA business about? Well it's important. Vitally important. Anyone who sells plants to make a profit needs to be registered with DEFRA. Some are. Some aren't.
And the reason that registration is important is to enable the origin of plants to be traced - and that's vital to protect plant health and to enable traceability in the event that there's a plant health outbreak.
That bargain plant at the local car boot sale or from someone on eBay or Facebook might turn out not be the bargain that you thought it was if it introduces a plant based disease into your garden. And your neighbour's garden.......
I'm registered with DEFRA as a professional plant supplier. I've even got a registration number that means you can check!
See? This is what the local DEFRA man had to say:
That registration allows me to source, supply and sell plants on a face to face basis. What it doesn't allow me to do is offer online sales where there's no personal contact or send plants through the post or use a courier. That traceability is vital and something that I take really seriously.
There is a higher level of registration if you import plants or if you sell and send your plants through the post. I don't import and I only sell on a face to face basis - one of the best bits about what I do is in meeting people and having a chat - so I don't need, or have, that level of registration.
I only sell to private customers. I don't sell to other gardeners or on a wholesale basis. What I do is personal!
Although Plant a Border might seem to be internet based it's actually far more than that. I like nothing more than having a chat about plants - whether that's in your garden or in mine, or at The Station in Frome at one of the regular plant sales.
If it's over a cappuccino and almond croissant from the Rye Bakery down at The Station early on a Saturday morning then even better!
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