Privacy Policy

🌿 Introduction

Welcome to the privacy policy for Hortus Viridis

As a sole trader, I am committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how I collect, use, and look after your personal data when you visit my website or use my garden design, planting design, and / or gardening services.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the data controller is Ian Thomson, trading as Hortus Viridis. ian@hortusviridis.co.uk

🌿 The Data I Collect About You

I may collect, use, and store different kinds of personal data about you, that you share with us via our online enquiry form, visiting our website or via direct communication, including:

• Identity Data: Your first name, last name & company name - if relevant.
• Contact Data: Your billing address, garden address (if different), email address, and telephone numbers.
• Technical Data: Your internet protocol (IP) address, browser type, and location data when you visit this website.
• Project Data: Photographs of your garden, site measurements, and design preferences.
• Website Usage Data: Our website uses the Google Tag Manager, Google Tag and Microsoft UET Tag in its header code to collect visitor data. Collectively, these technologies track how you arrived at our site (such as via a specific Google or Bing advertisement), your approximate geographic location, browser type, and device information. They also monitor your on-site behavior, including pages visited, time spent, and completed actions like form submissions. This data is used to optimize our website performance, analyze traffic, and deliver personalized remarketing ads based on your inferred interests, age group, and gender. You can manage your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time through our cookie settings banner.

🌿 How I Collect Your Data

I collect data from you when you:

• Fill out the contact or inquiry form on this website.
• Contact me directly via email, phone, or social media.
• Book a garden consultation or contract my design and planting services.
• Use the website

 🌿 How I Use Your Personal Data

I will only use your personal data when the law allows me to. Most commonly, I use your data to:

• Perform any contract we agree to enter into or have entered into with you (e.g., creating a garden design or delivering planting services).
• Respond to your inquiries submitted via the website contact form.
• Comply with a legal or regulatory obligation (such as keeping financial records for HMRC taxes).
• Optimise my website and any marketing activity undertaken.

🌿  Data Sharing

I do not sell your personal data. I may only share your data with trusted third parties to run my business, such as:

• Subcontractors (e.g., landscape contractors, nurseries delivering plants to your site).
• Professional service providers (e.g., accounting software or my accountant).
• IT and website hosting providers.

🌿  Data Security

I have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, or accessed in an unauthorised way. Access to your data is strictly limited to myself and any essential business partners who have a legal duty of confidentiality.

🌿 Data Retention

I will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes I collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. By UK tax law, I must keep basic information about my customers (including Contact, Identity, and Financial Data) for six years after they cease being customers.

🌿 Your Legal Rights

Under UK data protection laws, you have rights in relation to your personal data, including the right to:

• Request access to your personal data.
• Request correction or erasure of your personal data.
• Object to or restrict the processing of your personal data.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details below.

🌿 Contact Details

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or my privacy practices, please contact me:

• Email address: ian@hortusviridis.co.uk

You also have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. Hortus Viridis would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact us first. Thank you. 

Hortus Viridis