Plants with Purpose is a specialist nursery based in Perthshire, Scotland, for unusual and overlooked herbs and useful plants.

I’m Margaret Lear and I started the nursery in April 2001 on the back of a garden design and consultancy service aimed at making gardens and horticulture more sustainable. Since when the range of weird plants held in the nursery has increased dramatically, as have the weeds in the garden and the reproductive exertions of the slugs in the undergrowth. But while the slugs aren’t allowed to have things all their own way, what is a weed? I continue to discover bizarre and thought-provoking uses (ancient and modern) for ALL my plants, while more and more people are finding their way to us and demanding more edible plants, more wildlife gardening information and, sometimes, recipes for weed stew!

With our interest in edible plants (wild and cultivated) spinning out of control, we joined forces with Appletreeman in 2010, and now supply an ever-widening range of fruit trees, nut bushes and fruiting shrubs. In 2011, we expect to have many home-grown historical and traditional Scottish varieties in the catalogue – with names to conjure with (the Bloody Ploughman dancing with the Lass of Gowrie).

Together we run workshops, courses, training days and events, from apple identification to pruning, from wild food foraging to wildlife gardening, and provide a unique consultancy service. We do not use chemicals (and are working towards full organic status for the fruit); we specialise in plants, advice and techniques which enhance biodiversity and encourage local resilience; we aim to avoid waste minimise use of non-renewable resources.

Find out more about us and what we do at www.plantsandapples.co.uk

We’d love to hear from you!