A farmer-developed peat-free compost range made from sheep's wool, bracken and comfrey has been shortlisted for a major award championing sustainable products.
Dalefoot Composts, a company owned by a Lake District farming couple, is being recognised for their green credentials.
They have spent five years perfecting the addition of comfrey - a plant superfood - into its peat-free Wool Compost range.
Comfrey has high levels of potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen for healthy plant growth, larger flowers and bigger crops.
The plant is now grown at the Heltondale farm as a commercial crop allowing it to scale up peat-free compost production to supply garden centres across the UK.
The farm says that blending comfrey into the composts complements its on-farm approach to no-till soil management, adds structure and additional flowers and biodiversity to the landscape.
The Wool Compost range has now been shortlisted for the first ever RHS Chelsea Sustainable Garden Product of the Year Award.
Jane Barker, of Dalefoot Composts, said the Lake District farming team were 'believers in true sustainability'.
"We take real care to employ environmental best practice at Dalefoot, from the sourcing and harvesting of ingredients, to packaging and delivery," she added.
"Our premium products also provide gardeners with a sustainable alternative to using environmentally damaging peat in their outdoor spaces.”
The farm also sources bracken from Cumbria, Exmoor, Northumberland and Wales, which it says helps a 'diversity of farming communities and local landscapes'.
Sheep farmers are benefitting too as supplying undipped wool for the compost means they have a market for a product they struggle to sell.
