AS Britain’s garden centres go through their busiest period of the year, aided by a huge boom in vegetable gardening, the Government is urging garden centres to use better labelling to that environmentally aware customers can refuse to buy peat-based composts.

Conservationists have been campaigning against the destruction of peat bogs for at least 20 years because they are important breeding grounds for rare birds and insects but now scientist at the environment department Defra have spotted a new threat: Peat “traps” millions of tonnes of greenhouse gasses which could be released into the atmosphere if extracted to make garden composts. Scientists say that the amount of greenhouse gas released by such garden composts could be the equivalent of 100,000 cars on Britain’s roads.

As a result, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn is to visit the Chelsea Flower Show to spread the word that compost bags should be clearly labelled so that customers can reject those which are peat-based and go for peat-free mixtures instead.

He says: "Peat harvested for gardening seriously damages rare wildlife habitats and contributes to climate change.

"Gardeners care about the environment. All compost should be labeled clearly so that they can make informed choices about what they use.

"Species such as the curlew and white-faced Darter dragonfly find their homes on our peat bogs, over three quarters of which have already been permanently damaged.

"There are many alternatives to using peat in the garden, and for the first time over 50 per cent of the compost market is peat free. If compost is not clearly labeled, people should ask retailers what type they sell, and ask for alternatives."