Privacy Policy
Last updated: 07 March 2026
Hortory ("we") respects your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.
For more information about how content and derived datasets are handled, see our Content, Data and Deletion Policy.
Who We Are
Hortory is operated by:
GDH VENTURES LTD Company number: 16308756 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street London, England United Kingdom EC2A 4NE
Contact: support@hortory.com
Information We Collect
Account Data
When you create an account we collect:
- Email address
- Password (stored securely and never in plain text)
- Account timestamps and identifiers
Profile Data
You may choose to add:
- Display name
- Profile image
- Bio
- Gardening experience details
Garden Data
Your garden archive may include:
- Garden titles and descriptions
- Scene images of your garden
- Plant tags
- Plant notes and observations
- Soil and garden conditions
- Dates planted or plant health information
Location Data
To improve gardening context we may collect:
- Broad region (for display)
- City, region, country and postal code
- Optional precise location if you allow browser geolocation
Precise location data is never displayed publicly.
Only broad region information may appear in public garden views.
Community Contributions
You may submit:
- Plant identification proposals
- Votes on proposals
- Cultivar suggestions
- Comments
Feedback
When you submit feedback we collect:
- Message text
- Optional contact email
- Context of submission
Feedback records may be retained in anonymised form for product improvement.
Contact Form
When you use our contact form we receive:
- Name
- Message
This data is sent via our email provider (Resend) and is not stored in our database.
Resend may retain data according to their privacy policy.
Analytics
We use:
These services provide page-view statistics and performance metrics.
Any custom events use event names only and do not include personally identifiable payloads.
Error and Performance Logging
We may send error reports and performance data to trusted services (such as Sentry) to help operate and fix the app.
These logs may include identifiers like user IDs when necessary for debugging.
How We Use Your Data
We use your data to:
- Provide and operate the Hortory service
- Store and display your gardens and plant records
- Improve search and plant identification systems
- Maintain platform security and reliability
- Respond to support and feedback requests
- Develop new features
- Produce anonymised or aggregated horticultural insights
Where required by law, we rely on appropriate legal bases such as contract, legitimate interests, or consent.
Derived and Aggregated Data
Hortory may generate new information from platform activity, including:
- Cropped plant photos
- Plant-photo datasets
- Identification metadata
- Trend and popularity information
- Aggregated horticultural insights
Where possible, this data is anonymised or aggregated so individuals cannot be identified.
More detail is available in the Content, Data and Deletion Policy.
Data Sharing
We may share data with trusted service providers that help operate the Service, including providers of:
- Hosting and infrastructure
- Authentication and storage
- Email delivery
- Analytics and performance monitoring
- Anti-bot protection
- Error monitoring
We may also disclose information:
- If required by law
- To protect our legal rights
- In connection with a business transfer such as a merger or acquisition
Data Retention
We retain your data for as long as your account remains active.
Examples:
- Garden data remains until you delete the garden
- Scene images are deleted when a garden is deleted
- Some derived materials may remain as part of shared plant datasets
- Feedback may be retained in anonymised form
Details are explained in the Content, Data and Deletion Policy.
Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request deletion of personal data
- Object to certain processing
To exercise your rights contact:
You may also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Cookies and Sessions
Hortory uses essential session technologies required for authentication and core app functionality. We may also use privacy-focused analytics and performance tools provided by Vercel, which are designed not to rely on cookies. We do not currently use non-essential advertising or tracking cookies.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Updated versions will be posted within the Service.
Contact
For privacy questions contact:
or write to:
GDH VENTURES LTD 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street London, England United Kingdom EC2A 4NE