New £3 million Centre to help grow healthy gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will join forces on a new £3 million National Centre for Environmental Horticulture and Plant Health that will research and help mitigate existing and emerging threats to green spaces.

Funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), it will see the two organisations work together in collaboration with industry and others to help protect the UK’s 23 million gardens and burgeoning horticultural trade, which contributes £38 billion to UK GDP and supports 722,000 jobs.

The Centre, operated virtually by staff based at APHA and RHS sites across the country, will engage with industry to identify areas of focus according to potential impact before researching solutions and management practices and sharing findings.

Example threats include Bemisia tabaci, an insect which is a vector for a range of highly damaging plant diseases; Phytophthora spp., part of a group of impactful water moulds that rates as the RHS’ second most reported plant health problem annually; and Rose Rosette virus, an often fatal pathogen of roses.

The RHS will also lean on its 600,000 members to raise awareness of biosecurity and track priorities for both industry and home gardeners nationally. In 2025, honey fungus and phytophthora root rots were amongst the most prevalent plant health problems in gardens according to enquiries to RHS Gardening advice.

The announcement of the Centre falls during Plant Health Week which runs from 11-17 May. More information can be found at National Plant Health Week.

Defra Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence said: “Climate change and globalisation are increasing the range and diversity of threats to our plants and this groundbreaking new centre marks a significant step forward in how we protect UK biosecurity.

“Bringing together expertise to deliver innovative research and science will help us stay ahead of emerging threats and better protect the country.”

APHA Chief Executive, Richard Lewis said: “This is significant news as APHA, working with Defra and the RHS, continues to play a key role in maintaining the country’s biosecurity and protecting our borders from new and existing threats.”

RHS Director of Science and Collections, Professor Alistair Griffiths said: “Collaboration between the RHS and APHA, alongside Defra and the environmental horticulture industry, is a vital step in strengthening plant health. By combining cutting-edge science with real-world horticultural expertise, we can support an industry that delivers significant economic, environmental and wellbeing benefits for gardeners and society.”

The Centre aligns with the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain (2023–2028) and supports the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth through investment in innovation and technology.

Source: Government of the United Kingdom