HTA’s Plants in Parliament returns to Westminster with a message to stop the squeeze and start the growth

Samantha Smith, Public Affairs Manager | Horticultural Trades Association

On 19 November, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) brought a riot of colour to Westminster with 250 indoor plants for its biannual Plants in Parliament event. Sponsored by Ben Goldsborough MP, the event saw more than 100 MPs, Peers, and their teams from across the political spectrum come together to hear how environmental horticulture can drive green growth, support jobs, and help deliver a healthier and more prosperous UK.  

As well as Monstera (Swiss cheese plant), Dracaena (Snake plant) and Boston Ferns, poinsettias and cyclamen provided striking pops of colour in a nod to the upcoming festive season. These wonderful plants – brightening up offices around the Parliamentary estate – were supplied by HTA member Aylett Nurseries, a family business from St Albans.  

The snaking queue that filled the corridors in Portcullis House demonstrated how highly valued our plants, flowers, and trees are. Plants are lovely things that bring joy. That much was clear from the response as people entered the room. But they’re also more than that – they’re environmental, wellbeing, and economic powerhouses.    

Our green infrastructure – trees, lawns, plants, gardens, and green spaces – help cool our cities and provide effective flood mitigation, increasingly important in a changing climate. A study in Manchester found that in full sun, concrete surfaces reached 40°C, whereas grass only reached 23°C. Adding an element of tree shade reduced the concrete temperature by 12°C and grass by 9°C.¹   

Plants are also good for our health. Being in nature boosts cortisol and serotonin release, reducing mental fatigue. Little wonder that eight in 10 UK adults feel that gardens and green spaces benefit their physical health (80 per cent) and their state of mind (85 per cent).² Natural greenery also boosts office productivity by 15 per cent.³ 

The Environmental Horticulture sector contributes £38bn to the UK economy and employs 722,000 people.⁴  With the right support, the sector could grow by 45 per cent, to over £51bn, by 2030. But that means having the right policy landscape to support small businesses which make up 90 per cent of the sector.  

Since April, in our sector alone, National Insurance and wage bills have gone up by £134m – just because of the policies announced in the 2024 Budget.⁵  On 26 November, the Chancellor missed the opportunity to undo some of that damage, with businesses, once again, facing increased wage bills. This will result in less recruitment, less investment, and less growth. Further, the lack of any meaningful action to reverse or review inheritance tax changes – particularly detrimental for a sector like ours, with 85 per cent family-ownership – combined with rising costs and the Employment Rights Bill, creates an uncertain future for many of our beloved garden centres, landscapers, and growers.  

Environmental horticulture isn’t just about beautiful plants, gardens or green spaces – it’s about the businesses behind them and the benefits they deliver – jobs, health, wealth, biodiversity and environmental solutions. If you enjoy coming to our Plants in Parliament events, then we ask you to encourage government to work with our sector to drive green growth. That starts with reviewing proposed changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief. We need to stop the squeeze and let those sectors who can deliver real green growth do it.  

References

1. HTA, The Value of Gardens, 2025, https://hta.org.uk/industry-data/market-sizing/the-value-of-gardens  
2. Ibid  
3. HTA, Environmental Horticulture and Industry Insights 2025, https://hta.org.uk/news-events-current-issues/industry-data/market-sizing  
4. Oxford Economics for Environmental Horticulture Group, The economic impact of environmental horticulture and landscaping in the UK, 2024, https://hta.org.uk/missiongreengrowth 
5. HTA member survey, 2025 

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