Peat-Free: All plants grown at Careys Secret Garden are cultivated using peat-free compost. This decision helps protect vital peatland ecosystems which play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

Sustainable Growing Practices: We employ gardening practices to ensure our plants are healthy and our soil remains fertile and productive without the use of harmful chemicals.

Poison free: We don’t use any harmful chemicals or man-made pesticides, herbicides or fungicides in the garden, instead relying on natural remedies and organic methods.

• Zero waste plants: To minimise plastic waste, all plants leaving our premises are
  re-potted in recyclable cardboard pots. These pots are biodegradable and can be
  composted, further reducing our environmental footprint. Our plastic pots are then reused on site.
• Waste Separation: We meticulously separate all waste generated on-site into four categories: compostable, recyclable, reusable, and general waste. This process ensures that waste is managed responsibly and efficiently.

• Compostable Waste: Organic waste is composted on-site to create nutrient-rich
  compost for our garden.
• Recycling: We have dedicated bins for recyclable materials, ensuring they are
  properly processed and do not end up in landfills.
• Reusable Waste: Items that can be reused are carefully sorted and repurposed
  wherever possible.
• General Waste: Waste that cannot be composted, recycled, or reused is
  disposed of responsibly.

• Eco Waterless Toilets: Our garden features two eco-friendly waterless toilets, reducing water consumption and minimising our environmental impact. Waste from toilets is dessicated and processed into ‘humanure’ for safe use.
  
• Rainwater harvesting: We harvest rainwater from our roof tops for irrigation use as well as designing areas of the garden to be drought tolerant or utilise passive water harvesting.
  
• Safe use: Our cleaning products are safe to use with wildlife and our minimal
  wastewater is collected for safe disposal off site.

• Local Provenance: Our coffee shop is dedicated to sourcing food and beverages from local suppliers wherever possible, and our cakes and light lunches are all supplied from local restaurant “The Salt Pig” in Wareham.
• Local and Independent : We have a preference to work with local businesses. Either through our retail offering, workshops and courses or Market fairs, we aim to work with and support independent and local operators first.

• Wilding: We are dedicated to continuously improving our environment beyond the walls of the garden to support a wilder world. We support organisations whose programmes bring back wild species to the area and encourage others to do the same.
• Education and Awareness: We actively educate our staff and visitors with inspirational models of best practice - encouraging them to adopt environmentally friendly habits in their own lives.Through our partnership with charities we support both social and conservation initiatives that respond to the climate crisis.
• Plant based Menu: We offer a plant based and vegetarian menu, reflecting our commitment to sustainable and ethical food choices that have a lower environmental impact.