A fifth-generation family firm in Street is leading the charge in sustainable gardening – and helping Somerset's wildlife thrive in the process.

Durston Garden Products, which has been rooted in the area for more than 150 years, has just launched a new peat-free compost that's not only outperforming professional mixes but is also part of a much bigger shift for the business.

The company has ploughed serious investment into a brand new production line and is stepping up its presence in the growing media market. But while gardeners are seeing the benefits in their veg beds and borders, it's what's happening out on the land that's turning heads.

Over the years, Durstons has restored more than 100 acres of former peatland into wildlife-friendly wetlands – with the area now home to over 18 species of birds, along with otters, deer, foxes, badgers and even beavers.

Director Dan Durston said: "We are committed to a peat-free future and take the restoration of our sites very seriously. We have operated in this area for more than 150 years, so the local environment and wildlife is extremely important to us as a family and as a business.

"Otters are back in the area now and beavers have even been spotted!"

Durstons' restoration process is meticulous: working with Somerset Council, Defra, the Environment Agency, RSPB and Somerset Wildlife Trust, they build clay banks, re-wet the land to create lakes, and plant Birch, Sallow and Alder trees to form natural wooded islands.

The results are already speaking for themselves. The company has recorded Great Bitterns, Water Rails, Bearded Tits, Kingfishers and Tufted Ducks on site – alongside butterflies, dragonflies and other returning species.

And it's not just about conservation. Dan says the business is now run with one eye firmly on the future.

"The heritage of our business has its roots in peat farming but our long-term vision is peat-free," he said. "With the sixth generation of the Durston family now in the business, we're fully committed to continuing this process."

The company's new peat-free compost has already been hailed as a game-changer by industry insiders, reportedly outperforming even top-end professional blends.

For a firm that started out cutting peat from the Somerset Levels, it marks a massive transformation – and one that's paying off for both the planet and local customers.

So next time you're topping up the flower beds or prepping your seed trays, it might just be Durstons' new blend giving your garden a boost – and giving back to the land it came from.