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January 10, 2010
Still time to enter the 2010 Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition
Still time to enter the 2010 Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition
This year’s Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition is well under way with heats taking place across Great Britain and Ireland, but there’s still time for anyone who hasn’t yet entered to take part in one of the heats which will continue throughout February and March.
The competition is open to horticulturists below the age of 30 on July 31 2010 who are studying horticulture or working in the horticulture industry. Entry is free and the winner gets a Percy Thrower travel bursary of £2000 sponsored by the Shropshire Horticultural Society, but there are lots of other prizes to be won at the heats, regional finals and the Grand Final. Together they’re valued at more than £10,000. Past winners have also found it a great boost for their CV and career prospects.
Whilst most of the heats are held at horticultural colleges for student entrants, the Institute is keen to encourage young people working in all sectors the industry to enter. Special open heats are being held for them in each region. Anyone interested in the open heats, or making a late entry to the competition, should contact the IoH office on 01992 707025 or email info@horticulture.org.uk . Entries for the open heats will not be accepted after February 28.
Once all the heats are completed, regional finals will follow in March, and The Grand Final will be held at Kew Gardens (Jodrell Lecture Theatre) on Saturday 15 May. With the world famous gardens as the backdrop, this culmination of the 2010 competition promises to be an event not to be missed. The winner at Kew will be looking to emulate the success of Alex Summers, who won the 2009 Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year and used his bursary for a trip of a lifetime to Borneo to study the native flora of the region.
Sponsors for the 2010 competition, in addition to the Shropshire Horticultural Society, include the recruitment company MorePeople, the R&D levy body the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) and tool company Bulldog Tools.
New website celebrates horticulture in the Lea Valley
A new website has been launched to celebrate horticulture in the Lea Valley and record its social and technical history. Contributions are invited from those how worked in or with Lea Valley growers, and the organizers are particularly keen to hear from those involved in the nineteen fifties and sixties. See the website for details www.theleavalley.co.uk
29 November 2009
Garden Media Guild’s Young Gardener Award
Each year The Garden Media Guild (formerly the Garden Writers' Guild) rewards the cream of plant and gardening communications in its Annual Awards. These include every facet of our industry from books, magazines, photography, radio, television, websites and blogging
In 2008, the Guild introduced a brand new category into its line up of awards to focus on encouraging the young gardener to get outside and growing. We take the view that unless we do this today, then tomorrow’s gardens could be vulnerable. We needed to ensure that whatever scheme was dreamt up, it had to stand the test of time.
The actual kick-start to this award came from an email I received through the Guild’s website from a mother in Wales who wanted to say a special thanks to our patron Alan Titchmarsh. She had been at one of Alan’s book signings, and the brand new tome was ‘allowed’ to be taken into her son’s primary school. We can only guess at the line of conversation, as teachers and pupils pored over the trophy ….‘Oh, what a great book, oh what great ideas, we could do that, etc …...’ but the upshot was that a section of school ground was given over to a garden.
It didn’t stop there.
The same small boy knew that the ground needed digging over, and on visiting his local Sainsbury’s spotted just what was needed, and successfully appealed to the site manager for the loan of his mechanical digger. When a senior manager at Sainsbury heard the sequence of events, it appears he stepped up with the promise of £500 per year to cover the cost of seeds, plants and tools.
We knew that if this was happening in Wales, there must be other plots a-plotting around the country, and we needed to find them. The RHS generously sponsored our first ‘Best Initiative to Encourage the Young Gardener in 2008’, and none of us were quite sure what to expect.
The Guardian’s Dominic Murphy and the Edible Playground garden at Thornford School in Dorset won it jointly. The project is chronicled in Dominic Murphy's book, The Playground Potting Shed: A Foolproof Guide to Gardening with Children (Guardian Books) and in his blog - www.edibleplaygrounds.co.uk/blog/. As all of the vegetables grown are used in the school canteen, we now understand that Thornford School has become a beacon in the county, and other schools have followed suit.
The 2009 winner will be announced at the Guild’s Awards lunch on December 3. Watch this space, it really is exciting stuff!
Valerie Munroe
November 2009
18 November 2009
Outbreaks of Phytophthora ramorum confirmed on conifers in South West
The Forestry Commission is investigating a recent outbreak of a disease affecting a number of trees on sites in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
The disease, Phytophthora ramorum, (also known as Sudden Oak Death) has been present in the UK for a number of years but, to date, has been largely associated with Rhododendron ponticum. These new finds are in Japanese larch. This is the first time that conifer species have been found with stem lesions caused by P. ramorum. Many of the infected trees are not growing in close proximity to rhododendron, which raises the question of how they have become infected.
Scientists from the Forestry Commission’s Forest Research agency have isolated P. ramorum on these sites and are investigating further. As a priority they are now carrying out more extensive tests and research to determine whether P. ramorum is the main cause of the outbreak. Apart from a number of Japanese larch and Western hemlock trees, some broadleaf species (beech, birch and some oaks) growing in the same area are also infected.
Roddie Burgess, head of the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service, said:
“This new find could represent a significant step change in the susceptibility of our trees to this disease, so we are very concerned about this development. With our partners in the Food & Environment Research Agency (Fera), as well as scientists in our Forest Research agency, we are working extremely hard to learn as much as we can, as quickly as we can, about what’s happening. We can then consider what we need to do to manage the situation, building on the current programme of work to manage risks from this pathogen.
“It is important to stress at this time that much more research is needed to give us a full picture and allow us to assess what the potential implications are. Once we have done that we will share our findings with local woodland owners and managers.”
Defra announced it would provide £25 million to fund a five-year programme, which started on 1 April this year, for research, development and further disease control measures. Lord Davies, Defra Plant Health Minister, said:
“This latest find reinforces the need to press ahead with the £25 million of work we’re doing to reduce the disease’s spread through the removal and destruction of rhododendrons from the most at-risk areas across England.
“It’s important that we continue to manage the spread of this disease to ensure our woodlands stay pristine and healthy so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.”
Affected woodland sites include woodlands managed by the Forestry Commission as well as forests in private ownership.
Local forest and woodland managers who wish to be kept informed should contact the Forestry Commission’s South West England regional office at Mamhead Castle, Mamhead, Nr Exeter, Devon EX6 8HD; tel: 01626 890666; fax: 01626 891118; e-mail: fc.sweng.cons@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
Further information about the disease can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum.
November 5 2009
2010 IoH Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition gets underway
The IoH has signalled the start of the competition to find the 2010 Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year with the announcement that the Grand Final will be held at Kew Gardens in May 2010. The competition promises to be bigger and better than ever with over 1500 students and young people working in the industry from across Britain and Ireland expected to take part. They will be competing for more than £10,000 worth of prizes courtesy of a wide variety of generous sponsors making this the biggest and most prestigious competition for young people in horticulture.
The competition will kick off in January 2010 with regional heats based on the Institute’s eight Branch areas. These will be held in colleges in each area, but competitors unable to get to a college heat will also be able to enter on-line. The heat winners will go forward to Regional Finals in February and March 2010.
“We know we have a great many very high calibre people coming to work in horticulture,” said Institute President, Heather Barrett-Mold. “Through our Young Horticulturist of the Year competition we can recognise the most talented and reward them for their effort. We are also very lucky to have some very generous sponsors in horticulture who make it even more rewarding for the many entrants who are successful at all levels of the competition.”
Sponsors for the 2010 competition include the major sponsor, The Shropshire Horticultural Society, who, through the Percy Thrower Trust, provides the £2,000 Travel Bursary for the overall winner. Other sponsors include the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) who are providing £1,000 worth of prize money for the Grand Final, Bulldog Tools (Regional Final Sponsors) and MorePeople, who provide sponsorship for the scores of Regional heats.
The winner of the 2010 competition will be looking to emulate the success of Alex Summers, who won the 2009 Final at The National Botanical Garden of Wales in May this year. He is using his bursary for a trip of a lifetime to Borneo to study the native flora of the region.
The 2010 Grand Final is to be held at Kew Gardens (Jodrell Lecture Theatre) on Saturday 15 May 2010. With the world famous gardens as the backdrop, this culmination of the 2010 competition promises to be an event not to be missed.
Anyone wanting to enter the competition or companies interested in sponsorship at any level of the competition should contact the IoH Administration Team on 01992 707025 or email: info@horticulture.org.uk.
Horticulture essential to renewal, says Lord Heseltine at IoH conference
Horticulture is an "essential ingredient" in schemes to drive economic renewal in areas of dereliction, Haymarket Media Group chairman Lord Heseltine told delegates to last week's Institute of Horticulture 25th anniversary conference, held at Askham Bryan College in York, reports Horticulture Week.
In the keynote speech to the conference, Lord Heseltine stressed that there is no point in governments spending huge sums of money revamping an area without ensuring conditions are such that residents will choose to stay.
"This won't happen unless the environment is competitive with the suburbs. This is what urban regeneration became - a means to create the conditions to get people to stay," he said. "It can't be done without horticulture. It's not the lead role - but it is an essential ingredient."
Lord Heseltine, who pioneered the National Garden Festival programme in the 1980s as part of a strategy to clear up contaminated land with the aim of encouraging new development in key areas of deprivation, told delegates of his disappointment at the one "undesirable" consequence of the hugely popular Liverpool festival on the banks of the Mersey.
Instead of bringing in the housebuilders as soon as the festival was over, the event was such a huge success that a decision was taken to run it again, when "the whole point of clearing the toxicity was to get the land developed", he said.
"People are only now beginning to develop the site. It was a terrible mistake - we should have got the house-builders in straight away."
Looking to the present, Lord Heseltine said he would like to see the adoption of a similar programme to the City Challenge initiative - a scheme he introduced in 1991 when he was secretary of state for the environment and which saw local authorities bidding to improve, through partnerships, areas of urban deprivation.
Institute of Horticulture conference identifies need to influence decision makers
The Institute of Horticulture held its anniversary conference and AGM at Askham Bryan College, York on September 18 and 19, with over 100 delegates in attendance and a packed programme of high profile presentations, including a keynote address from The Right Honourable The Lord Heseltine CH and Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE, Shadow Minister DEFRA.
The key priority that emerged from the conference was the need for the Institute to influence decision makers in horticulture; the public, consumers, regulators and Government. Heather Barrett-Mold, President, said that working in partnerships was a key role for the Institute in seeking to inform and influence decision makers.
David Gwyther CBE, CEO Director of the Horticultural Trades Association emphasised the need for a currently fragmented industry and vulnerable horticultural industry to unite and create a strong voice to lobby policy and decision makers.
Speaking to the conference about government strategies and initiatives, Helen Woolley a CABE Space enabler, said it was up to the Institute and its members to inform themselves of these and get involved, by engaging with industry bodies, to inspire the government, their agenda and their next initiative and before someone else does!
Dr Bill Parker, Director, Horticultural Development Company, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board highlighted the importance of research in horticulture. He said research equals knowledge, which equals power and therefore influence.
Meurig Raymond MBE Deputy President of the NFU spoke of the choices and the things that influence of the public and told the conference that “the decision makers are British consumers”.
Education in Horticulture was also a burning issue. Dr Steve Dowbiggin OBE launched the Institutes’ consultation document ‘Priorities for Education’. He set out the vision for a holistic education and training system for the future in the UK, to encourage co-operation and co-ordination between partners active in the horticultural sector. He said “we need to be proactive not reactive and influence joined up thinking in the horticultural education sector’. Liz Philip Principal of Askham Bryan College emphasised the importance of encouraging young people into the industry saying “Young people think differently, they will be bring the innovation we need for the future”.
Both John Watkins Head of Gardens and Landscape at English Heritage and Olivia Morris, External Affairs Officer National Trust, emphasised the need to inspire green thinking at all levels and that local champions are needed to ensure public spaces receive their fair share of local investment.
Simon Thornton-Wood Director of Science and Learning at the RHS, stressed the inclusive nature of horticulture for everyone and urged the conference to inspire and inform people about the industry, in order to maximise the opportunities to bring people together.
Lady Salisbury becomes first patron on the Institute of Horticulture
The Institute of Horticulture is delighted to announce that in its 25th Anniversary Year, The Marchioness of Salisbury is to become the first Patron of the Institute.
The Marchioness of Salisbury will be Patron of the Institute for three years. Lady Salisbury is a keen and knowledgeable plantswoman who takes an active role in managing Hatfield House and the family gardens. Lady Salisbury is already active as a Governor and Trustee of a major horticultural education corporation and is actively engaged in promoting horticultural careers, education, training and the professionalism of the sector.
Lady Salisbury in the garden at Hatfield House
Institute Award winners announced
At the recent conference and AGM at Askham Bryan College, York the Institute announced and presented its annual horticultural awards.
The Norah Stucken Award is made annually for outstanding projects which have made a significant impact on horticulture. This year’s award went to Thanet Earth, on the Isle of Thanet in Kent. It is the largest greenhouse complex in the UK. Owned by Fresca Group, a consortium of Dutch growers, Thanet Earth uses combined heat and power, and hydroponic growing systems to increase the UK’s salad vegetable production by 15%. Thanet Earth is committed to sustainable production techniques, contributes to UK food security and employs 550 people locally.
The Aberconway Medal is presented annually for a written project, dissertation or thesis of excellence. Eva McCarthy’s excellent undergraduate dissertation entitled Pollen viability and performance in everbearing strawberry plants exposed to high temperature conditions was chosen to receive the medal this year. Eva studied at Reading University and since graduating has secured a post as soft fruit breeder with Edward Vinson, soft fruit growers, breeders and propagators.
The James Bruce Prize is awarded annually to the student with the highest marks in the RHS Diploma practical examination. The winner this year was Nick Lightfoot. He began his working life as an archaeologist. He switched careers, working for Lord Leverhulme at Thornton Manor on the Wirral for seven years before becoming Head Gardener at The National Trust property The Vyne in 2004 where he currently works. He studied the RHS Advanced Certificate and Diploma at Sparsholt College in Hampshire. Nick is particularly interested in plants and their evolutionary relationships, and garden history and conservation.
The President’s Medal was presented to Charles Notcutt. He joined the family firm of Notcutts Ltd of Woodbridge, Suffolk, in 1958, becoming Managing Director 1964 – 1999 and Chairman 1974 – 2006. He completed 50 years with Notcutts and then retired from their Board and became Non Executive President with the role ‘To advise, encourage and warn’.
Charles has had a long connection with the Horticultural Trades Association. Research and education have also been a strong interest of his and he has served on a number of college governing bodies and is a Fellow of Writtle College.
He is currently Vice Chairman of Perennial, formerly the Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society, and chairs their Marketing & Fund Raising Committee. Charles was a member of the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society 1989 – 99, receiving their Victoria Medal of Honour in Notcutts’ Centenary Year of 1997, and chaired their Audit Committee 1999 – 2004.
Charles was a member of the steering group for the formation of the Institute of Horticulture in 1984, its first Treasurer and President 1988 – 1989. He was President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association in 1997 and is still on their Council.
30 August 2009
UK landscape pair bid to win WorldSkills final
Two students, Luke Denby from Yorkshire and William Gadd from Suffolk travelled to Calgary in Canada this week to represent the UK in the landscape section of the World Skills Championships.
Luke, 18, is from Skipton works for Roderick French Groundworks and is studying for a National Diploma in Horticulture at Craven College and Will, is from Thurston and works for The Country Life Landscapes and is taking a National Certificate course in arboriculture at Otley College. Thay came through rigorous regional and national competitions to be selected for the competition.
The championships will take place from September 2 to 5 when Will and Luke will be up against teams from over 20 countries in a challenge to build identical gardens in a marquee set up for the contest. The progress of the competition can be followed at www.worldskills2009.com/
The next WorldSkills competition will be held in 2011 in London.
William Gadd and Luke Denby with Skills Minister, Kevin Brennan, before they left for Canada
30 August 2009
Marshalls profit down 60 per cent
Landscaping materials company Marshalls has reported that its first-half pretax profit for 2009 fell 60 per cent as market conditions remain volatile.
It said the short-term outlook continues to be challenging in the public sector and commercial market "although lead indicators predict a levelling out during the final quarter."
The company, which manufactures and sells a range of products from mortar and paving to street furniture, posted a pretax profit for the six months of £9.0 million compared with 22.7 million last year, while revenue dropped 21 per cent to 166.0 million.
Marshalls raised 34 million pounds from shareholders in May, to help shore up its balance sheet and reduce debt. The group reduced its interim dividend to 1.75 pence from 4.07 pence last year and said it has significantly reduced its costs.
30 August 2009
£2.1m facelift for Liverpool's garden festival site
Some of the formal gardens and features at Liverpool's 1984 International Garden Festival site are to be restored to their formal glory and reopened, thanks to a £2.1 million grant from the North West Development Agency.
The long-neglected site in south Liverpool will see its Chinese and Japanese gardens restored, along with its numerous pagodas, lakes, water features and sculpture trails, after many years campaigning by Liverpool City Council, the Land Restoration Trust and Mersey Waterfront.
Council leaders are now seeking a further £1.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund, which would allow further restoration to the surrounding lakes and woodland.
The site was first opened in 1984 by Her Majesty the Queen as the first National Garden Festival as one of the initiatives to regenerate neglected parts of the city following the Toxteth riots in 1981. Ironically, the site fell into disrepair after the end of the Festival and has been closed to the public on health and safety grounds for nearly twenty five years.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: "The Agency is working closely with our partners to take forward the redevelopment of this site, which has the potential to create a major visitor attraction of international significance and enhance the wider Mersey Waterfront programme to maximise the potential of Merseyside’s waterfront areas.
"We are currently in the final stages of negotiations regarding our investment into the project to enable Langtree to take forward the regeneration of the site."
Councillor Flo Clucas, Deputy Leader Liverpool City Council, said: "This is very good news. It has been a matter of real shame that these formal gardens were allowed to get into such a poor condition following the International Garden Festival but now they will be restored and, importantly, there are plans in place to maintain them.
"In our Year of the Environment it is highly encouraging that more green space is to be opened up to the public."
Euan Hall, Chief Executive of the Land Restoration Trust, continued: "The former Garden Festival site has been a blot on Liverpool’s landscape for 25 years – finally a solution is in sight that will help make this the community asset it always should have been."
30 August 2009
Consultation on biocontrol agent to control Japanese knotweedDefra and the Welsh Assembly Government are seeking views on the possible release of an insect, a psyllid species Aphalara itadori, as a control for Japanese knotweed, Fallopia japonica. This joint consultation is aimed at all those with an interest in the impact of Japanese knotweed on the natural and built environment, including the horticulture industry, landscape managers and contractors and people interested in the control of invasive species. If approved the release of this organism would be the first use of a non-native insect species to control a plant species in the UK and Europe.
There are two regulatory processes involved – release of non-native bio-control agents is controlled under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, while there are restrictions on the import and release of non-native plant pests under the Plant Health Order 2005.
The closing date for the consultation is Monday 19 October 2009.
The consultation letter reads:
I am writing to invite your view on whether the non-indigenous biological control agent Aphalara itadori should be released into the environment to reduce the vigour of Japanese knotweed; a widespread and invasive non-indigenous weed.
Japanese knotweed is an invasive alien plant which has spread widely in the UK since it was introduced as a garden plant in the early 19th Century. It now causes significant environmental damage and imposes major control costs on land managers, developers and gardeners.
A consortium of statutory bodies and land managers has funded work to identify a suitable biological control agent. This research has identified two candidates - Mycosphaerella polygoni-cuspidati, a fungus which causes a leafspot, and Aphalara itadori which is one of a group of sap sucking insects called psyllids. The research has been carried out by CABI, a non-profit, intergovernmental organisation, that applies scientific expertise to solve problems in agriculture and the environment www.cabi.org/japaneseknotweedalliance.
Organisms which are potentially harmful to plants and which do not normally occur in Great Britain are regulated by the Plant Health Order (2005), made under the Plant Health Act 1967. When a new plant pest is found in the UK a “Pest Risk Assessment” or PRA is carried out to identify the risks. The PRA is then placed on the Defra website and comments invited from stakeholders to establish whether official control measures should be taken. A PRA has been completed for Aphalara itadori and a summary report of the PRA is attached to the consultation paper. Further research is being carried out on the leafspot fungus, and any decision on release of that organism as a biological control agent will be the subject of further consultation.
Release of the psyllid (as a non-native animal) is also regulated by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Ministers have consulted the statutory conservation bodies and the independent Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) on this release and ACRE has supported issuing a licence, dependent on certain licensing conditions. The Committee’s comments can be seen in full at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/meetings/08/min081204.htm. A further independent peer review also concluded that the scientific content of the PRA and WCA application is sound. Its report is provided to support this consultation.
The enclosed consultation document seeks your views on an application to release Aphalara itadori as a biological control agent against Japanese knotweed, and in particular your observations on the PRA.
2. The following documents may be found on Defra’s website at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/japanese-knotweed/index.htm
* Consultation letter
* List of consultees
* Consultation document (PDF 230 KB)
* Summary of the Pest Risk Analysis (PDF 180 KB)
* Peer review of the research project (PDF 100 KB)
30 August 2009
HTA Salary survey reveals increase in wage freezesThe HTA’s annual salary survey for 2009 provides a breakdown of average wages in the nursery and garden centre sectors by post and geographical region. It reveals that over 40% of businesses in the sector have decided to freeze current wage levels and award no increase in 2009, compared with 10% of businesses in the 2008 survey.
The figure of 40% is higher than the nationally reported figure of 37% for UK businesses as a whole – demonstrating the challenges presented by the current economic situation. The survey also reveals that a number of businesses have agreed pay cuts with their employees, with the largest reported to be 10%, with others reducing between 3-5%.
There is evidence to suggest that there have been a reduction in the number of the posts of Sales Manager and Office Manager in 2009. It is likely that a number have been made redundant with owners, directors and senior directors taking over the work in order to save costs.
The salary of Sales Managers showed a marked decrease from an average of £28607 in 2008 to £26964 in 2009. By contrast the salary paid to Nursery Managers increased from £24348 to £26030. This brings the salary of a Nursery Manager much closer to that of a Sales Manager than in previous years, indicating how the specific skills of the Nursery Manager, which are crucial to the nursery, cannot be easily dispensed with. There are a number of post holders paid above the average figure with salaries in the range of £35 - £40,000 which indicates the considerable level of knowledge and experience required by the biggest growers.
Other key findings of the survey reveal that:
* The average wage paid to nursery workers in the southern region in 2009 is again significantly the highest with an average of £16046, showing the same trend as in 2008 and 2007.
* There is a significant rise in the level of wage paid to nursery workers in all four regions with the average rising to £15035 in 2009 from £14494 in 2008. Once again this is one of the highest percentage wage increases across all regions/posts reflected in the 2009 wages survey, and in part highlights the obligations of the Agricultural Wages Board Regulations.
30 August 2009
Japanese Garden at Horsforth Hall Park reopens
The Japanese Garden at Horsforth Hall Park in Leeds has now been reopened following a £90,000 restoration project. Originally opened in 1987, the Japanese Garden is a celebration of traditional oriental gardens, with various features and materials used to represent the mountains, woodland areas, waterfalls, lakes and open grasslands found in Japan.
Originally opened in 1987, the Japanese Garden at the park off Hall Lane is a celebration of traditional oriental gardens, with various features and materials used to represent the mountains, woodland areas, waterfalls, lakes and open grasslands found in Japan.
The garden was in need of restoration so the 'Friends of' group successfully applied to Green Leeds Limited and Biffaward for funding from their scheme which supports projects which enhance communities and biodiversity. Leeds City Council also added funding and the Parks and Countryside Service then carried out the improvement works.
It has taken nine months to restore the garden to its former glory. Leeds City Council executive member for leisure Councillor John Procter says: "This project has been a major success and the restored garden looks fantastic.
"The only one of its type in Leeds, the Japanese Garden provides a wonderful tranquil environment with its diverse and interesting features, and I am sure it will once again prove a very popular attraction at this well-used community park. Everyone involved in the project can feel very proud of their efforts."
Horsforth Hall Park and the Japanese Garden is open to the public every day of the year during daylight hours.
30 August 2009
Conference looks at gardens made in adversity
The Society of Garden Designers is holding a conference in early October on the problems many garden designers face when they are called on to create gardens in the most inhospitable places. Entitled ‘Heavenly Gardens in Hellish Places’ the conference takes place on Saturday 3rd October at Imperial College, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 1LU
Difficult sites such as steep slopes, exposed roofs, windswept coastlines and urban sites plagued by poor soils and pollution, create the greatest challenge but can produce the greatest creative response. Exploring the theme will be:
Lisa Delplace, Principal and CEO of the renowned Oehme van Sweden practice, has extensive knowledge of ecological processes and her deep commitment to their artistic execution inform her approach to landscape architecture. Her personal commissions include the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois, which incorporates the sculpted shoreline of the Great Basin.
Anthony Paul comes from New Zealand and now lives in the UK, and has been designing landscapes on slippery slopes around the world for 30 years. He is internationally recognised for his innovative and contemporary gardens and has just been announced the 2009 winner of the Torsanlorenzo International Prize for his Tony Stone Garden in Provence.
Declan Buckley is an Irish designer living in central London. He has tackled urban, rural and coastal sites in areas as diverse as Mumbai, Belgium and Kent.
Paul Dracott has won many awards for his clean, contemporary style with designs ranging from funky courtyards to elegant country gardens. He lectures in garden design and construction at the KLC School of Design.
Dr Nigel Dunnett combines a background of horticulture and ecology to undertake research, practice and teaching in the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield. His work focuses on innovative approaches to design and management of plantings in gardens, urban parks, and on and around buildings and in high-density built development. www.nigeldunnett.co.uk
Full details and a booking form can be found on the Society’s website at http://sgd.org.uk
August 30 2009
Flatford Mill garden design competition winnersGarden designers Alex Johnson and Catherine Heatherington won the competition to design a wildlife garden for the RSPB at Flatford Mill in Suffolk.
Alex and Catherine's team was one of four practices short-listed for the Flatford project in which the RSPB want to develop a wildlife garden to provide an opportunity for communicating with some of the 225,000 visitors a year that already visit the village.
The garden is very close to Flatford Mill on the River Stour, famed for its connections with the artist John Constable, in particular his painting The Hay Wain. The RSPB plans to revitalise the garden to provide an additional benefit to the area's existing visitors. The brief was to create a design with ideas that visitors could take back to their own gardens, big or small and create their own wildlife gardens.
As well as considering the wildlife, the winning designers focused on the local distinctiveness of such a special site. Their garden will provide a breathing space from the crowds at Flatford Mill and will allow visitors to relax and be inspired by a beautiful wildlife garden that, through good design and interpretation, provokes them to improve their own outdoor spaces for wildlife.
30 August 2009
30 year-old research favours an apple a day
Research done by Dr Ronan Gormley at the Teagasc Ashtown Food Research Centre in Ireland over 30 years ago first showed that eating two apples a day reduced serum cholesterol levels and raised the beneficial high-density fraction in humans.
Like many fruits, apples are also a good source of antioxidants, which could benefit consumers by scavenging free radicals, which have been implicated in the genesis of many diseases.
Dr Gormley’s current research project, which is part of an EU-wide fruit research study, found that Granny Smith apples had the highest Anti-Radical Power of the three cultivars selected. The other two were Golden Delicious and Braeburn. But Granny Smith apples were shown to be the least favoured in taste tests.
The higher Anti-Radical Power values found for skin-on apple wedges compared with skin-off indicate the benefits of eating apples with the skin attached. Some consumers peel apples because they fear surface contamination but may, as a result, be losing some of the health benefits of eating apples.
30 August 2009
Work begins on 270 year old plans for Kirkhale
Work has begun to fulfil a vision of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown 270 years ago but never implemented. The project is taking place at Kirkharle in Northumberland and is based on plans drawn up for the site by one of Britain’s greatest landscape gardeners.
The documents created by Brown, born at Kirkharle in 1716, were discovered by local landowner John Anderson among his grandfather’s papers. The plan was later authenticated by top landscape experts at Newcastle University, where it is now on permanent show in the library.
He set about obtaining funding for the project and was successful in getting support from Northumberland County Council, which is delivering the project using Rural Development Programme for England funding from One North East, Defra and the EU. Other finance has come from Northumbrian Water’, the 1990 Willan charitable trust, EC Graham Belford charitable foundation, the Sir James Knott trust, the John and Florence Adamson charitable trust, the Hugonin family trust and the Kelly family trust.
The project is being implemented at Kirkharle courtyard which is now a popular visitor attraction and home to 12 arts and crafts galleries and workshops. Work to dig the lake should take around four to six weeks following which the paths will be constructed and the planting done. That is being funded by the Forestry Commission which gave a grant of £4,000 for beech, oak, Scots pine, shrubs and fruit trees according to the original vision.
July 27 2009
New venue for Eastgro trade show
Eastgro 2009 is moving to a new venue at John Woods Nurseries, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 0HH this year. The show will take place on Wednesday August 5, 9am to 4pm.
A full exhibitors list can be found at www.eastgro.co.uk where visitors can also pre-register for the event. In addition there will be an HTA water workshop, for more details go to www.the-hta.org.uk/events
John Woods Nurseries, produces a wide range of hardy nursery stock and the nursery will be open for nursery tours on the day.
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July 27 2009
New gardens for Kensington Palace
A garden created more than 100 years ago at Kensington Palace has been restored to its former elegance with a design based on early photographs of the original garden.
The original garden at Kensington Palace, The Cradle Walk, known familiarly as 'The Bowery', was created in 1908 by the historian Ernest Law. The arched structure was planted with red-twigged lime (Tilia platyphyllos 'Rubra') and took visitors around the Sunken Garden, a flower garden with central pool, which they could look at through a series of arched viewpoints.
The Walk was badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1987 and for safety reasons the structure had to be dismantled, and the lime trees cropped back and trimmed into a hedge. Under the new design, by landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, the trees have been coppiced and new growth will be trained over a new metal frame to recreate the walkway. New views have also been opened up to allow visitors to look out towards the Palace of Westminster.
Meanwhile head gardener Paul Clark and his team have double-dug and replanted the Sunken Garden with bulbs, annuals and herbaceous perennials, following the original 1908 design.
“Having been here 20 years ago when we had to cut the structure down following the storm of 1987, it is lovely to see it going back,” said Graham Dillamore, of Historic Royal Palaces which looks after the site and is funding the restoration. “It will recapture the 'secret garden' atmosphere that visitors used to feel when they visited Kensington Palace.”
The redesign is the first stage of a major £12 million re-landscaping project to open up views to and from the Palace and restore links to neighbouring Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Work is expected to finish by 2012, in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
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July 27 2009
Plant Heritage leads hunt for lost cultivars
A project has begun to track down hundreds of plant cultivars which were once grown in our gardens, but which are now no longer readily available. Volunteers for Plant Heritage (fomerly the NCCPG) are carrying out detailed detective work to find old cultivars, identifying them from archives including back copies of the RHS Plant Finder as well as nursery catalogues, monographs and plant lists from National Plant Collections. Specialist groups such as the RHS Lily Group are also contributing their expertise.
“I think it's potentially vast,” says Mercy Morris, Plant Conservation officer for Plant Heritage. “We're a nation of gardeners and a nation of hoarders so I don't think we really know how much information is out there.”
From their research, Plant Heritage will draw up a 'red list' of plants which are threatened in cultivation – that is, only grown in a handful of gardens or specialist nurseries. From the list, experts will then select cultivars which are considered worth conserving - those which have valuable genetic characteristics, for example, or historical or horticultural significance. It's hoped that with the help of collection holders, specialists and partner organisations like the RHS and the National Trust, such plants can be brought back into our gardens to grow again.
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July 27 2009
Review of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Defra has announced the start of a review of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The review will assess Kew’s scientific research functions, how Kew supports Defra’s objectives and whether it has the resourcing and infrastructure necessary to carry out its statutory functions.
Hilary Benn said: “Kew is a world class organisation – an iconic part of the nation’s cultural heritage and a scientific institution of global renown. Its contribution is more significant than ever given the importance of conserving and harnessing biodiversity and our natural resources against the challenges of climate change.
“This Review gives us a valuable opportunity to reflect on Kew’s knowledge and expertise, how these can be used and maintained, and the best ways to ensure a sustainable future for a body which is already celebrating 250 years of success.”
The Review will be lead by Professor Sir Neil Chalmers, Warden of Wadham College, Oxford and former Director of the Natural History Museum and Dean of Science at the Open University. Users, customers and stakeholders of Kew will be consulted, and the Review’s findings will be published.
Kew is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body. Defra provides an annual grant-in-aid of around £25 million towards its running costs and capital programmes. The review is expected to be completed by 31 March 2010.
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July 27 2009
Company buys land for private allotments
A group of business people in the Midlands has formed a company to buy land for converting into allotments, in an attempt to relieve the pressure on waiting lists for plots in the area and at the same time offer investors a good return on their money.
The company is looking for investors to put up between £2,500 and £50,000 to buy agricultural land in the area, and estimates the likely return on the investment to be about seven per cent. Specially-created clubs will rent the allotments to gardeners for between £80 and £120 a year – considerably more expensive than a council-run plot but, says Roger Blears, one of the company’s founders, still a reasonable price.
The company is hoping to raise a minimum of £100,000 by the end of October to get the first two five-acre sites up and running by next spring.
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July 27 2009
Global warming means new crops for Britain
A report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), suggests there could be unexpected benefits to climate change with exotic fruits and vegetables thriving. But familiar crops such as potatoes could suffers as average temperatures rise by around 2C by 2030.
Experts predict that within two decades, southerly counties like Devon and Cornwall will be warm enough to support dates, chickpeas, figs, aubergines, peppers and chillies.
"Farmers won't abandon old crops, but at the same time UK agriculture can seize the opportunity to grow new crops. I want British farming to produce as much as possible," said Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.
Rice, usually imported from Thailand, China and the Philippines could become a staple crop for British farmers while the south coast could even support olive and apricot trees.
Lavender fields, which are currently blooming in East Anglia, could also become a common sight throughout the rest of the country as summers become longer and drier.
British vineyards are also expected to flourish in the next 20 years, with varieties like Pinot Noir and Tempranillo, varieties usually associated with the south Mediterranean, becoming commonplace.
However warmer temperatures could also bring new pests such as wheat rust, and the Colorado beetle which attacks potatoes.
The Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee is expected to call for Britain to increase domestic food production to avoid food shortages and soaring prices by 2050.
The Defra report will be published in August.
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27 July 2009
Webbs students pilot new HTA garden retail qualification
Webbs Garden Centres in Worcestershire will be the first to pilot a new Diploma in Garden Retail. Carl Beiersdorf from Webbs in Wychbold and Tom Oliver from Webbs West Hagley will pilot the new year-long training diploma specific to the garden retail environment which has been launched by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA).
Unveiled by Skills Minister, Lord Young, at the launch of the Retail Skills Academy in London, the HTA’s Diploma in Garden Retail will provide successful candidates with a nationally recognised qualification and because it is properly accredited, candidates will have access to Government funding to help pay for the course.
The qualification, which has been developed in association with Skillsmart Retail and Lantra Awards provides ‘bite sized’ modules which build up to a nationally recognised qualification in Retail Knowledge at level 3. The content and learning materials reflects the challenges and opportunities facing the garden centre retail environment in the 21st century.
Jayne Green, Webbs Training Officer said, “We are very much looking forward to being at the forefront for this new diploma. It’s a great opportunity for Tom and Carl and for Webbs as a whole to benefit from their learning. We hope they will be the first of many at Webbs to undertake the diploma.”
The diploma has been designed to give candidates a broad understanding of the retail operation, applied to the garden centre. It is delivered through an interactive workbook, to give maximum flexibility and avoid disruption to the workplace.
Tanya Robinson, HTA’s Training and Careers Manager said, “This bespoke diploma for garden retail, the first of its kind, provides garden centres with a significant opportunity to develop the skills of their shop floor teams and we welcome the staff from Webbs on board as the first candidates to undertake the course.”
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July 27 2009
Trade represented at European Workshop on invasive plants
The UK garden trade was recently represented at the EPPO/Council of Europe Workshop on developing a Code of Conduct on Horticulture and Invasive Alien Plants, held in Norway.
The purpose of the meeting, which brought together forty participants from 21 countries, was to draft a set of guidelines for national governments to use when developing codes of practice on the production and sale of invasive plants. In Europe it is estimated that 80% of the invasive alien plants are voluntarily introduced for ornamental purposes, and international trade is increasing yearly. With few legislative and management programmes in place the promotion of voluntary measures in individual countries are considered a priority.
Commenting on the meeting Martin Emmett, who attended on behalf of the HTA said, “As one of only two trade delegates attending the workshop it was important to take part in the discussions to ensure that viewpoints of the trade are taken into account.”
He adds, “As well as hearing the opinion of the International Association of Plant Producers (AIPH) the group also heard about lessons learnt on how such a code of conduct has been implemented in North America.”
The value of having a trade representative present was invaluable. For example, the group were considering requiring the labelling at point of purchase of potentially invasive plants. Without sufficient information for the consumer this could damage sales unnecessarily so following input from the trade representatives EPPO will amend the code accordingly.
The UK was also represented by the RHS, FERA and DEFRA.
The recommendation on drafting and implementing national codes of conduct on horticulture and invasive alien plants which was produced at the meeting can be viewed at http://www.eppo.org/
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July 27 2009
Over 1,000 UK parks receive Green Flag Award
More than 1,000 green spaces have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award. The Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales and recognises and rewards the best green spaces in the country.
2009 has seen the standard of green spaces in England and Wales reach a landmark high with an increase of more than 200 new winners. The awards were made on July 22 and 23 by TV presenter Michaela Strachan at the Pavilion in Bournemouth. In total 917 Green Flags and 96 Green Pennant Awards were presented.
Housing Minister Ian Austin said: “I want to congratulate everyone involved in the creation and upkeep of these award winning green spaces. It’s obvious from the number of winners we have this year that green spaces across England and Wales are continuing to improve at an impressive rate. I’d also like to thank all the volunteer judges who continue to make this scheme possible.
“Green spaces provide us all with some free space to have fun and relieve the stresses of modern life whether we want to enjoy a picnic, play some tennis or just sit back and relax. The Green Flag Award scheme is rewarding our best green spaces and encouraging others to achieve the same high standards.”
The Green Pennant Award is presented to green spaces that are managed by voluntary and community groups. These parks are judged on similar criteria to the Green Flag Award applications although special consideration is given to their achievements.
The North West has the highest number of winners this year with 225 Green Flag Awards and 12 Green Pennant Awards. The winners include Truffet Park in Rochdale and Clayton Vale in Manchester.
The Greater London area has the second highest number of winners with 192 Green Flag Awards and 25 Green Pennant Award winners. It also boasts the highest increase of winners as 41 new green spaces were awarded, including Colliers Wood in Merton and Blackheath in Lewisham.
Phil Barton chief executive, Keep Britain Tidy said: ”The record numbers are a testament to the efforts of parks and green space managers, their staff and communities throughout the country.”
Paul Bramhill chief executive at GreenSpace said: “It is excellent to see an increase in Award winners this year. The Green Flag accreditation is becoming key to attracting visitors and local people to parks and promoting them as a high quality leisure destination. Our volunteer judges report a year on year improvement.”
Other winners include 46 Green Flag Award winners who have also won a unique Green Heritage Site accreditation, that distinguishes them as sites of historical significance that provide visitors with effective information about the park’s past.
The Awards have been such a success in England and Wales that they are being piloted in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Holland, who already have 17 awards between them, and brought the total number of winners to over 1,000.
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July 27 2009
Defra minister questioned on horticulture R&D funding
Horticulture industry leaders have told new Defra minister Jim Fitzpatrick that the future of horticulture research is threatened unless his Department acts now.
Chairman Andrew Colquhoun of the National Horticultural Forum (NHF), HTA director general David Gwyther, NFU chief horticulture adviser Phil Hudson, Horticultural Development Company (HDC) chairman Neil Bragg and NHF senior executive Susan Woodhead met Fitzpatrick at Defra's offices in London.
At the meeting, reported by Horticulture Week, the group told Fitzpatrick there was a "bottleneck in the pipeline" between theoretical research and research the industry can turn into "product, process and business", as well as highlighting the financial fragility of horticulture's research stations.
The group also highlighted Horticulture Week’s Save Our Science campaign, calling for match-funding for the HDC levy at its meeting with the minister.
Colquhoun told Fitzpatrick the research problem was in the areas in which the old Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (MAFF) and Defra used to operate and fund, such as the former MAFF PhD studentships. "The money MAFF and Defra used to devote to research that was intended to turn into pre-commercial research, Defra has cut away," he said.
“We encouraged Defra to take a strategic leadership role if he really wants to deliver on food production, health and environment government objectives." Fitzpatrick was told there were worries about funding running out for Stockbridge, East Malling and Wellesbourne research station.
Colquhoun said Fitzpatrick "listened sympathetically" but was "clearly not in a position to make a commitment at the present time".
Alex Summers wins Grand Final of Young Horticulturist of the year
After reaching the final twice in the last three years, Alex Summers finally achieved his goal of winning the Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year competition. He did so in convincing style in the Grand Final, held at the National Botanical Garden of Wales on May 9.
Alex is currently studying at Kew Gardens and the depth and breadth of his horticultural knowledge as well as his identification skills helped him to keep his nearest rival, James Hearsum, currently studying for a BSc at Writtle College, at bay from the first round.
This year’s eight finalists had come through the heats and branch finals and beaten off the challenge of over 1500 other students all eager to take the coveted award. In the final they had to face another eight rounds of directed and first-to-the-buzzer questions and three further identification rounds.
As well as the title, Alex carried off the first prize of a Percy Thrower Trust £2000 Travel Bursary. He is planning to spend his bursary money on the trip of a lifetime to Borneo to study the native flora of the region. Other prizes included £100 worth of book tokens and a Rosewood bowl for each contestant.
The finalists, from the eight Institute of Horticulture regions were:
South East Branch – Alex Summers – (1st place)
Eastern Branch – James Hearsum (2nd place)
West Midlands and South Wales Branch – Faye Steer (3rd place)
Scottish Branch – Adam Bowley (4th place)
North West and North Wales Branch – Sam Turner (5th place)
Northern Branch – Sally Johnson (6th place)
Irish Branch – Jennifer Reilly (7th place)
South West Branch – Ross Tapley (8th place)
The Institute of Horticulture is particularly grateful for the continued support of key sponsors of the competition including:
• Shropshire Horticultural Society / Percy Thrower Trust, which funds the Percy Thrower Travel Bursary and the Grand Final.
• Horticultural Development Company (Grand Final)
• The National Botanical Garden of Wales (Grand Final)
• Bulldog Tools (Branch Finals)
• MorePeople (Heats)
April 28 2009
Last eight battle for IoH Young Horticulturist of the Year title
On May 9, eight of the top young horticulturists from across Britain and Ireland will be facing up to each other in a battle of horticultural knowledge for the coveted title of Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year 2009. The competition is now in its 18th year, and this year’s Grand Final looks set to be one of the most eagerly contested ever.
The eight finalists have already come through gruelling heats and regional finals, and beaten off the challenge of over 1500 other entrants to get to the final. Scene for the battle of horticultural wits on May 9 will be Britain’s newest botanical garden, the National Botanical Garden of Wales, opened in July 2000.
There the finalists will face another eight rounds of individual and first-to-the-buzzer questions and three further rounds of identification involving plants, pests and diseases, weeds and horticultural equipment before one of them can carry off the title Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year 2009 and the prize of a Percy Thrower Trust £2000 Travel Bursary.
The eight lining up for the challenge and representing the eight Institute of Horticulture regions are:
South East – Alex Summers
East – James Hearsum
North – Sally Johnson
Scotland – Adam Bowley
Ireland – Jennifer Reilly
North West and North Wales – Sam Turner
West Midlands and South Wales – Faye Steer
South West – Ross Tarey
The winner of this year’s competition will follow on from the 2008 winner, Patrick Wiltshire, who is currently completing his studentship at RHS Gardens Wisley before taking off to study the native and cultivated flora of the USA, using his £2,000 Percy Thrower Trust travel bursary.
“The Young Horticulturist of the Year Grand Final is one of the highlights of our year,” said Institute of Horticulture president, Dr Heather Barret-Mold. “The Institute is keen to promote excellence in all aspects of horticulture, but it is particularly worthwhile to be able to recognise outstanding achievement among those just starting their careers in the industry.”
March 13 2009
Tesco slams Defra over research cuts
TESCO director Lucy Neville-Rolfe has criticised Defra for letting spending on research and development slide when food production needs to increase. She made her comments to MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee investigating how food supplies can be secured up to 2050.
“Public funding into research and development has fallen back by some 45 per cent over the last few decades – that is a pity because the challenge we have is to produce more food,” she said.
March 13 2009
Parks and gardens seen as antidote to recession
A National Trust survey shows that people in the UK are turning to simple pleasures such as spending time in beautiful surroundings to get them through the gloom of the recession. 84% of those surveyed said that days out would be as or more important to them this year. And simple pleasures were at the top of the list of choices with walks in the park (64 per cent), visiting galleries (36 per cent), historic buildings (34 per cent) and beautiful gardens (30 per cent) all more popular than the quick but more costly thrills offered by theme parks (26 per cent) and sporting events (13 per cent).
Asked what types of day out they were likely to choose this year, almost two thirds (64 per cent) chose visiting a historic building or beautiful garden, with a similar number likely to go for a walk in the countryside or nearby park.
March 13 2009
£25m from Defra to combat Phytophthora diseases
Defra Minister Jane Kennedy has announced £25 million to help eradicate Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae, the diseases which threaten a wide range of trees and shrubs in historic gardens, woodland and heathlands across England and Wales.
The funding will support a five-year programme to manage and contain the risks of two diseases from spreading further, following a scientific review and stakeholder consultation. Ms Kennedy said: “Defra, the Forestry Commission and local authorities are currently tackling outbreaks across England and Wales including the New Forest, the south west of England, and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. These are significant tourist hot spots that could face a drop in visitor numbers if we don’t act now.
“If these diseases spread, it could mean parts of the countryside being cordoned off, and more limited public access – in addition to further loss of our precious woodland.”
March 13 2009
Waitrose sponsors School Gardening Campaign
Waitrose has announced a three-year sponsorship of the RHS's Campaign for School Gardening.
The campaign, which teaches pupils about plants and gardening and provides the resources to help teachers gain the skills to teach the National Curriculum outdoors, has already reached more than one million children in 7,000 schools. This new sponsorship deal will help the RHS to reach 80 per cent of the UK’s primary schools by the end of 2010 and encourage them to use school gardens to grow fruit and veg.
Through this first year, Waitrose will be raising awareness for the RHS Campaign with a series of events across the UK. With food, education and nutrition at the heart of each event, pupils will learn how to care for the environment as well as fuelling their curiosity about growing, cooking and healthy eating.
Waitrose Managing Director Mark Price, said, “With concerns about childhood obesity at their highest now, it’s essential that we all take steps to tackle the problem. Showing children where food comes from and helping them to enjoy vegetables and eat healthily is essential.”
March 13 2009
RHS winter hardiness survey
Recent mild winters have encouraged the planting of more exotic and possibly less-hardy plants in gardens and the landscape. The 2008/09 winter, the coldest in many areas of the UK for 20 years, has provided a stern test of the winter hardiness of these plants and the RHS is using this opportunity to capture information about plant damage.
The survey will be online on the RHS website in the spring, but gardeners are being asked now to make observations and record plants damage in readiness. Anyone wanting to be alerted to when the survey is live should e-mail hardiness.survey@rhs.org.uk.
The results of the survey will be collated for publication in 2010.
March 13 2009
New head of NFU horticulture board
A Lincolnshire based grower of field vegetables has been elected the new chairman of the NFU’s Horticulture Board. Sarah Pettitt, a partner in the family farming business growing sprouts and purple-sprouting broccoli takes over from retiring chairman Richard Hirst
Norfolk.
Commenting on her election to chairman, Ms Pettitt said: "I want to ensure that the voice of the horticulture and potatoes industry is heard loud and clear. We deserve greater support from packers, processors, retailers and politicians as without us they would have no business.”
The NFU horticulture board has also appointed a new vice chairman, Gary Taylor, from Nazeing in Essex who grows sweet peppers at Valley Grown Salads.March 13 2009
Wide support for Greening the UK
The Environment Agency, and a number of other key organisations, are backing The Horticultural Trades Association’s Greening the UK campaign following the publication of its report, ‘Local Authorities’ Commitment to Urban Planting’. As well as the Agency, CABE Space, the Planning Officers Society and Design for London have all expressed their support for the campaign’s aims and objectives.
The campaign highlights the 50 percent reduction in planting on approved planning applications in the last decade. A further 50 percent of this planting is never actually delivered by developers and goes unenforced by Local Authorities.
Greening the UK believes that developers have traditionally seen green planting as an expense that can be trimmed rather than a commercially necessary investment. In the coming year the campaign will produce further concrete actions to support councils in tackling this problem, with an amenity guide produced by Chris Baines and training sessions designed to help Local Authorities make their areas reach the highest environmental standards.
The full report can be downloaded from www.the-hta.org.uk/greeningtheuk
February 28 2009
Sudden oak death case on bilberry
It has been confirmed that Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) has been found on a sample of bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus from a site near Biddulph in Staffordshire. This follows closely on the news, reported here last month, that the related disease Phytophthora kernoviae had been found on bilberry on two sites in Cornwall.
The Staffordshire finding is the first case of P . ramorum on Vaccinium myrtillus. It is significant because it is outside the main disease areas and re-emphasises the potential of the disease to spread beyond the south and west of the country and into the countryside on a widespread native plant.
A further suspect sample from Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is also under investigation by Defra.
February 28 2009
Plans for Olympic Park approved
The largest new urban park to be created in the UK in the last 150 years moved a step closer today after the parklands that will host the London 2012 Games were approved by the Olympic Delivery Authority planning committee.
London Delivery Authority group director for Olympic legacy Tom Russell said: “The Park will be the centrepiece for east London’s regeneration. Our legacy masterplanning team have been working closely with the parkland design team to ensure that parkland facilities are developed alongside the overall legacy plans to serve new and existing communities in east London.”
Bam Nuttall was appointed last year to manage the delivery of the northern section of parklands and procure packages for the whole of the park including 2000 mature and semi-mature trees and plants for the wetlands and river edges, with suppliers due to be appointed for both packages in the coming months.
In the next few months the contractor will begin procuring soft landscaping, hard landscaping and ground works contracts.
This spring a contractor will be appointed to deliver the regeneration of the Greenway, a 3km walking and cycling route which runs from Victoria Park to West Ham and a contract to manage the delivery of the south of the park will be issued at the end of this year.
February 28 2009
Crown gall survey on-line
Crown gall has become an increasingly prevalent problem in a range of ornamental plants, but at present there is no control product is available. As a result of discussions within a technical group formed by the Horticultural Development Company, a grower survey has been set up which aims to provide guidance on how the problem might be tackled by HDC.
The survey, which can be found at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB228SLWFYLZH is supported by the Horticultural Trades Association and Horticulture Week.February 28 2009
Nicotine ban by June
The Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) has announced that from June 8 2009 it will be illegal to advertise, sell or supply all pesticide products containing nicotine. This decision results from the evaluation of the active ingredient under EC legislation where the active failed to achieve the appropriate authorisation.
Users of products containing nicotine have a further year when approval for the use and storage will be allowed, but this will end on June 8 2010.
February 28 2009
UK’s tallest tree named
A team of arborists from Sparsholt College in Hampshire believe they have located the UK’s tallest tree – a Douglas Fir in Argyll. At 63.79m (209ft) the Stronardon Douglas Fir near Dunans Castle beat the Grand Fir at Blair Castle in Perthshire to the title by more than a metre. To verify its height a member of the team climbed to the top of the tree.
The team, led by Mark Tansley, measured four trees picked out by the Tree Register as possible contenders for Scotland's largest tree. The others were the Blair castle tree, a Douglas Fir at The Hermitage, Dunkeld, Perthshire, which measured 61.31m, and the UK's previous tallest tree, the Douglas Fir at Reelig Glen, Inverness at 62.02m.
The team are moving on to measure trees in England but are confident Argyll's Douglas Fir, which stands about 12m (40ft) taller than Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square, will retain its title.
February 24 2009
Training Council launches careers DVD
Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries has recently released a careers DVD which looks at a day in the life of someone working in a number of horticultural and other jobs: arborist, farm manager, florist, equine stud hand, equine veterinary nurse, garden designer, horticultural production manager, wildlife warden and zoo keeper.
The sections of the DVD dealing with each jobs can be viewed at http://www.lantra.co.uk/young-people-and-parents/afuturein/afuturein-dvd/ .
The DVD is part of Lantra’s Afuturein careers initiative, the details of which can be found on the website http://www.afuturein.com
February 12 2009
New Jobsearch facility launched on IoH website
The Institute of Horticulture has joined forces with Horticulture Week to bring a valuable new Jobsearch service to the Institute’s website. The link from the IoH website opens up access to details of a wide range of jobs across all sectors of the industry – from nursery manager to tree surgeon, and parks manager to college lecturer.
All the jobs listed – there are 94 on the site at the moment – are currently vacant and employers are actively seeking to fill these posts. Full details are provided for each post and facilities are provided to make application easier.
There’s a full search facility on the site and those actively seeking employment can register with the site and receive priority email alerts of suitable jobs as soon as they become available.
“The Institute is starting out on a new era of change and progress. This is just the first of a number of exciting new services we are developing for members across all sectors of horticulture,” said Dr Heather Barrett-Mold, President of the Institute. “In these difficult times, anything we can do to make it easier for members to find employment has got to be good news.”
The Jobsearch link can be found at http://www.jobshorticulture.org.uk/
February 15 2009
Lottery funding needed for parks
Greenspace, the organisation that promotes the economic, social and environmental benefits of better planned, designed and managed parks, gardens and green spaces, is calling on its members and supporters to campaign for more lottery funding for parks and green spaces.
BIG Lottery is holding a consultation on how lottery funding should be spent between now and 2015. The consultation period ends on February 27. The GreenSpace statement on the BIG Lottery consultation points out the importance of parks to people’s everyday lives as highlighted in the findings of GreenSpace’s 2007 Park Life report, with 83% of respondents viewing their parks and green spaces as being the focal point for their communities.
The Heritage Lottery Fund and BIG Lottery have recognised the significance of parks to communities, and have combined funds over the past three years to award over £150m to parks and green space. But to date only around 1- 2% of UK parks have benefited.
GreenSpace says this is an excellent chance to prove the demand for funding for parks and green spaces, and to ensure that the public’s lottery ticket money really is spent where it will benefit everyone.
Full details of the consultation can be found at www.big-thinking.org.uk
February 15 2009
Director of Horticulture for HDC advertisedThe post of Director of the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is currently being advertised in the New Scientist. The post will be at the AHDB offices at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire.
The AHDB is a new Non-Departmental Public Body created last year when a number of statutory levy boards funding R&D within different sectors of agriculture and horticulture were brought together in a single body. The post is described as full-time and with excellent salary and benfits.
More information can be found at www.newscientistjobs.com
February 12 2009
New logo to identify UK-grown plants
A new logo is to be used by garden centres this spring to help gardeners identify which plants have been grown in the UK. The 'Home Grown' symbol will appear on labels and advertisements to mark out plants which were raised from seed, grafted, or produced from cuttings on British nurseries.
Market research funded by the Horticultural Development Company found that over 90% of gardeners would be more likely to buy plants they knew were grown in Britain. Yet until now, gardeners have had little chance of telling where the plants they buy come from, whether they were grown in a UK nursery or imported from Europe or further afield.
January 30 2009
WATCH OUT FOR ALIENS
The GB Non-native Species Secretariat has produced a set of valuable information sheets to help in the identification of some of the most troublesome non-native species in gardens and the landscape.
As well as photographs and key features to help in the correct identification, the sheets also provide helpful maps of current distribution and notes on habitat and other species which may cause confusion.
There are sheets on Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), and Rhododendron ponticum as well as plants that are invading the waterways such as water fern (Azolla filiculoides) and Parrot’s Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum).
The sheets can be downloaded for free from the Secretariat’s website at http://www.nonnativespecies.org/
JANUARY 30 2009
WORLD STAGE FOR YOUNG LANDSCAPERS
Young landscapers are being invited to enter a competition to show off their skills in creating garden. And the reward could be representing their country at the 41st WorldSkills Competition in London in October, 2011, an event which involves 50 competing countries in different sectors.
The British Association of Landscape Industries is urging landscaping businesses with trainees studying at NVQ levels 2 or 3 to take part in the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Competition. Teams of two will compete to construct a garden designed by Chelsea gold award-winning designer Andy Sturgeon. Venues for the competition include the RHS Malvern spring and autumn gardening shows, Gardening Scotland and IoG SALTEX and competition entry is free.
For more information contact Angela Radley at aradley@bali.org.uk. Entries close 9 April 2009.
JANUARY 30 2009
NEW DISEASE THREATENS GARDENS AND HEATHLAND
Serious concerns are being expressed that Phytophthora kernoviae, a relatively new disease to the British Isles, could cause serious damage to plants in gardens and the countryside unless efforts made to contain it are successful. This follows the news, confirmed by Defra, of the first finding of P. kernoviae in the wild on bilberry plants on heathland at two sites in Cornwall.
The fungal disease is known to kill trees and there is evidence that it has the potential to kill native heathland species and cause serious disease to certain garden shrubs. Defra is carrying out further investigations to confirm the heathland outbreaks are isolated incidents.
The National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland have sent a joint letter to Environment Ministers in London and Edinburgh warning them of the serious consequences to gardens and heathland if the outbreaks go unchecked. Both organisations have considerable experience of dealing with the related disease Phytophthora ramorum, known as Sudden Oak Death, which continues to pose a threat to a number of ornamental shrubs and trees.
But there are indications that P. kernoviae is more virulent as it appears to be causing more serious damage to rhododendron. It has also been found causing potentially lethal infections on two English oaks and forty-five beech trees, as well as infecting other ornamental trees and shrubs.
The full host range of this organism is not known and its biology has yet to be fully investigated. However, so far the organism has been discovered mainly on beech (Fagus sylvatica) and on rhododendron (mainly Rhododendron ponticum). New hosts reported in 2004 were a single specimen of Chilean hazelnut (Gevuina avellana), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), at least four species of magnolia and Michelia doltsopa (similar in appearance to magnolia). Two English oak trees (Quercus robur) and Holm oak (Quercus ilex) have also been found with foliar infections.
January 30 2009
NEW PRESIDENT FOR RHS
Following the death of Peter Buckley, the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society has announced the appointment of Giles Coode-Adams as President. Giles Coode-Adams joined the RHS Council in 2002 and became Treasurer in 2006. He also serves on the Woody Plant Committee and is Chairman of the Gardens Advisory Committee and Picture Committee.
Giles Coode-Adams said: “I’m greatly honoured to be entrusted to maintain the strategy for the development of the RHS on the course set by Council under Peter’s able stewardship. It is important that we continue to build the horticultural appeal and relevance of the RHS in the modern world. Only by continuing to adapt will we do justice to our rich heritage and serve the needs of gardeners.”
Andrew Sells has been appointed by the trustees to take over as Treasurer. Their appointments are until the AGM on 2 July 2009 when both offices will be filled by election by the RHS membership.
JANUARY 30 2009
LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE FORCED TO CUT SERVICES TO SURVIVE
Faced with a huge revenue deficit of over £200,000 last year, and the expectation that this will escalate to over £300,000 this year, the Landscape Institute has put a set of cost-cutting measures in front of its membership. A measure of the problem the Institute faces can be seen in the motion put before a General Meeting of members last week by the Executive Committee of the Institute which stated that unless expenditure was cut by a third the LI would go bankrupt in the coming year.
Relocating the Institute’s offices outside London, cutting staff and transferring the library and archives to another organisation are among the measures being suggested to meet the shortfall. Further meetings of members are planned for the coming month to hammer out an agreed programme of cuts.
JANUARY 30 2009
DEFRA LAUNCHES NEW FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT AGENCYDefra has launched a new national research centre for food and the environment. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) will bring together Defra’s Central Science Laboratory, Plant Health Division, Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate and the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division as one agency.
Defra argues this will strengthen Defra’s work in plant and crop protection, food chain safety, environmental risk assessment and crises response, and promote better integration between policy development, scientific evidence and inspection services.
Professor Bob Watson, chief scientific advisor at Defra said: “We have positioned excellence in science at the top of Defra’s agenda to make sure we are producing the best evidence to develop appropriate solutions for problems occurring in ecosystems, water supplies, the climate and food. The creation of Fera is a landmark step in taking the best research forward and making our systems as streamlined as possible.”
Adrian Belton, chief executive of The Food and Environment Research Agency, said:
“The Food and Environment Research Agency puts Defra at the heart of the debate on food security and the science behind environmental issues. By combining policy development, scientific evidence and risk assessment Fera can play a full role in addressing challenges in the natural environment.”
JANUARY 30 2009
PESTICIDE LONG TERM ARRANGEMENTS – DEADLINE EXTENDED
For a number of years, growers of minor horticultural crops have relied on what is known as the 'Long-Term Arrangements for Extension of Use' (LTAEU) system. This permitted any pesticide with a full or off-label approval on an edible crop, to be extrapolated for use on a non-edible, ornamental or top/soft fruit propagation crop, subject to certain restrictions.
As a result of the European Pesticide Review, which seeks to harmonise the use of pesticides throughout member states of the European Community, these long term arrangements are to be discontinued (and already have been discontinued for edible crops). To resolve the problem, the Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) instigated procedures for transferring pesticides currently used under the 'Long Term Arrangements on these crops into new Specific Off-Label Approvals' (SOLAs).
Last year, the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) compiled a list of the most commonly used pesticides on ornamental and soft/top fruit plants in propagation and the results were submitted to PSD. In effect, it was a wish list of SOLAs for these sectors of the horticulture industry. During the past year, PSD have been working through this list in phases, with the result that many new SOLAs have already been issued, but the work has not been completed.
As the 'Long-Term Arrangements' are due to be withdrawn on 1st March, 2009, growers could be left with insufficient SOLAs to allow the industry to operate effectively. Whilst a decisions are being made on the rest, PSD has agreed to extend the date for the continuation of 'Long-Term Arrangements' until 1st June, 2009.
JANUARY 30 2009
JCB BOSS CALLS FOR UK FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Farmers and growers should be encouraged to make the UK 100 per cent self-sufficient in food production, according to Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman and owner of JCB, the troubled excavator manufacturer. In a letter to the Financial Times last Thursday he argued it would create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
He expressed concern that Ministers seem to be complacent about the decline in food self-sufficiency from 68 to 61 per cent in the past 10 years.