The Scottish Parliament’s Gardening and Horticulture Cross-Party Group, which brings together industry professionals and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), hosted Rural Affairs Minister Jim Fairlie MSP on Wednesday evening for an engaging discussion on the sector's opportunities and challenges.

Also attending the session were Cross-Party Group Convener and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Rachael Hamilton MSP, Shadow Rural Affairs Minister Tim Eagle MSP, and Deputy Presiding Officer Annabelle Ewing MSP. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) serves as the group’s Secretariat. 

Minister Fairlie expressed the Scottish Government’s appreciation for the horticultural sector’s wide-reaching contributions, noting the role gardening can play in supporting mental health and recovery. Responding to concerns about funding for therapeutic gardens, he pledged to reach out to the Health Secretary on behalf of the group to advocate for increased support. The Minister also fielded questions on the devolved issue of peat and invited the group to provide feedback on what practical support could look like. 

The meeting featured insightful presentations from the University of Aberdeen on their school gardens project, David Lydiat from the HTA on horticulture sector statistics in Scotland, and a moving tribute by Stan Green of Growforth to the late Jim McColl, regarded as the “Grandfather of Scottish Horticulture,” who had been laid to rest earlier that day. 

Professors from the University of Aberdeen urged a renewed focus on outdoor learning in schools, calling for resources that enable schools to establish and maintain gardens for students. They advocated for gardening to be integrated into the curriculum across subjects and emphasised the need for teachers to have access to garden-based learning programmes. 

Rachael Hamilton MSP, commented: “It was a privilege to convene the Gardening and Horticulture Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament last night. We heard from Professors from the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh about the importance of incorporating outdoor education into the curriculum through school gardens and the benefits that this can have for young people in Scotland. I look forward to working with the industry to advocate for greater recognition of the benefits the sector can provide at future CPG meetings.”