BALI Landscape News Autumn 2018

THE THE OFFICIAL OFFICIAL JOURNAL JOURNAL OFOF THE THE BRITISH BRITISH ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OFOF LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES INDUSTRIES

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AUTUMN

2018

Use this button throughout to visit advertiser websites IN TE R AC T I V E ISSUE

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Introducing BALI’s new National Chairman LATEST NEWS

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Employing an apprentice TRAINING & TECHNICAL

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Announcing this year’s winners!

BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

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Revolutionary EGRP drainage system PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME Dear member This is my first article for Landscape News and the first since I was elected as your National Chairman in September. First, I would like to say how honoured and privileged I am to have been elected; I will be stepping into some big shoes and will do my upmost to ensure BALI continues to support, promote and inspire its membership. Our organisation is in great shape and is well placed to meet the needs of its members and those of our wonderful industry.

I would like to thank Paul Downer from Oak View Landscapes, who is now our Immediate Past Chair, and Bob Field from Robert Field Landscapes, who previously held the role, for the help, support and guidance they have given to me in my role as Vice Chair. I am delighted that Richard Kay from Green-tech was elected to the post of Vice Chair and we now look forward to working with Wayne Grills and the team at Landscape House, and our fellow BALI directors, to serve the needs of our membership. Richard and I have already met to discuss those areas on which we would like to focus. These must, of course, be led by the membership but those we considered important are:

GoLandscape, apprenticeships and training It is important that we continue to drive GoLandscape and apprenticeships to the top of the agenda as this is such an important area for our entire industry. For several years all sectors of the landscape industry have reported a skills gap or difficulty in recruiting skilled, quality staff. I have been impressed by how fast the GoLandscape initiative has gathered momentum and I want to see this continue, ensuring that Hort industries are promoted through the normal careers channels and that we have the right provision for good quality training and apprenticeships in place.

Regional committees We are looking forward to attending the regional AGMs and meeting and connecting with members old and new.

Our regional structure is how we keep BALI ‘local’ and it always provides a great place for networking and business opportunities. Over the years I have enjoyed attending the North Thames meetings and have always come away having learnt something, whether that be industry related or otherwise, it has always proved useful. We will work with Landscape House to make sure all Regional Chairs are provided with headline BALI news to ensure they are fully informed of any latest developments and initiatives. I want to ensure the Regional Chair and Vice Chair forums continue as a way of sharing best practice and replicating success. It would also be great if all regional committees could connect with local colleges and training providers, which would undoubtedly help with the promotion of GoLandscape.

Associate membership It is important that Associate membership is promoted as it can be used as a stepping stone for new companies aspiring to become full members. I feel that, as the GoLandscape initiative progresses, Associate membership may be an ideal way for student members to progress, enabling them to keep connected to BALI and its members and ensuring natural succession.

BALI National Landscape Awards BALI’s prestigious landscape awards event has become the biggest in the calendar and receiving a BALI Award is one of the industry’s highest accolades. We would like to ensure that everyone who wins fully maximises the PR opportunity and to this end we will consider what more can be done to assist our smaller or first-time winners, such as providing them with a marketing and PR toolkit.

BALI staying connected Over recent years BALI has done a tremendous job of connecting with associated and linked organisations, including the Ornamental Horticulture Round Table Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, as well as connecting with other associated organisations. As an industry we are stronger together with one voice and it is important that this continues.

Finally, I hope you enjoy this latest edition of BALI Landscape News. If you want more from your association, please talk to us and remember to complete the annual membership survey.

The team at Landscape House is poised and ready to help and support you, so please make full use of their services.

Best wishes.

Matt O’Conner BALI National Chairman

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CONTENTS Visit website

GARDEN STRUCTURES ARCHES • PERGOLAS • OBELISKS FRUIT CAGES • RAISED BEDS & PLANTERS FLOWER SUPPORTS • FENCING • GATES

Welcome At the risk of giving the impression that I spend all my time on holiday, I recently spent the month of July (OK, guilty as charged) travelling through France and into Italy during baking hot weather.

Much to my astonishment I found that many of the French towns and villages (even very small hamlets) through which we passed on the Routes Nationale had taken enormous pride in the planting alongside their main roads and public squares, on roundabouts, and in tubs and hanging baskets in pedestrian areas. Using a varied and interesting palette of plants, obviously selected to withstand the varied conditions as you drive from north to south of this huge country, the gardeners (some employed directly by the town authorities and some working for contractors) seemed to take real pleasure and pride in their work.

Stopping for a coffee in the beautiful medieval town of Loches we sat and watched as the gardeners went about their work, hand weeding the flowerbeds and pruning ‘to best horticultural practice’ the varied shrubs around the car park in one of the squares. In my best French I complimented them on the gardens and they, in turn, were courteous and ready to chat about the impact of the high temperatures and the necessity for regular irrigation.

We laud the UK as the ‘Garden Capital of the World’ but I think we should just keep an eye on our neighbours across the Channel. In my view, they could teach us a thing or two about providing adequate funding for public realm landscaping.

Editor Denise Ewbank BALI Landscape House Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2LG T: 02476 690333 F: 02476 690077 Editorial and News releases ubiquita@gmail.com Copy date for Winter 2018 edition Friday, 9 November

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Cover image:

The Gold medal-winning GoLandscape ‘Best of Both Worlds’ garden at the 2018 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

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Autumn 2018

CONTENTS

6

Quarterly Update

28

Designer Focus

8

Latest News

36

Events

40

Charity Update

42

Product & Affiliate News

16 20

Contractor News

Training & Technical

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QUARTERLY UPDATE

Summer with GoLandscape!

Wayne Grills (centre) with parliamentarians on the GoLandscape garden at Hampton Court

Well, what a summer we have been having. BALI has yet again managed to demonstrate its high standards by winning a gold medal at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for the GoLandscape garden ‘Best of Both Worlds’. And the amazing part about this is that the garden was built and planted by students and trainees - what a fantastic achievement!

Over twenty students and trainees were mentored by a number of BALI members to ensure that they were on track throughout the build and planting period at the show.

Some of the students were able to stay on for a few more days to take credit for their efforts and I was able to introduce two of them to the parliamentarians who visited the show early on the Tuesday morning and to Defra officials who came onto the garden in the afternoon. These two opportunities enabled us to highlight the issues that GoLandscape was set up to help address, namely the difficulty we have in recruiting people into the industry, and the industry’s chronic skills shortage.

In addition to the GoLandscape garden, a number of BALI members were active at Hampton Court this year and we offer our congratulations to all those who came away with medals.

Following GoLandscape’s fantastic launch at the RHS Garden Wisley earlier this year, Stephen Ensell (BALI’s Education Officer) has been motoring forward to form new links for GoLandscape and expanding the Ambassador network by conducting Ambassador training sessions in a number of regions. Schools are now becoming more interested in the initiative due to changes that Government has made requiring schools to invite in third party organisations to provide career information and advice directly to pupils.

Enrichment pilot The enrichment pilots are now underway at Capel Manor College and Bridgwater and Taunton College, with Level 3 students applying for additional industry tickets. The colleges will put the students through the training and

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the BALI Chalk Fund will sponsor the registration, assessment and certification, helping our students to become more work ready and therefore more likely to be employed on completion of their education. Our thanks to the BALI Chalk Fund and Richard Gardiner for their support.

Masterclass recruitment supported by BALI Affiliates Affiliate members have been approached to support our colleges and a list of those willing to showcase their products and services to students is being compiled. The aim of the masterclass is to cover aspects of the industry that colleges do not always teach and to build in demonstrations and presentations at the appropriate time within the course curriculum. All the colleges spoken to so far are keen to engage with this and some already do this to a limited extent. It is the intention to officially launch this in September with the new academic intake.

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Great summer - but what of our water resources?

What a year of varied weather conditions we have had so far. Landscapers, designers and suppliers have all had to deal with the effects of the recent protracted dry spell after what was a wet and bitterly cold start to the year.

Whilst Temporary Use Bans (TUBs) are currently being planned by a number of water companies, so far only the North West and Northern Ireland have made moves to implementing them. Whilst writing this piece, there has been some relief for parts of the country following heavy rainfall for the first time in weeks, with some areas reporting more than their monthly average rainfall in a matter of hours.

This varied weather brings with it many challenges; grass cutting in many places ground to a halt, which has a knock-on effect for contracts as grass is not cut as often as the specification requires.

Rather than utilise the cost saving elsewhere within the contract, many clients require financial adjustments to be made, which compromises contractors.

With this and other issues in mind, Owen Baker (Technical Officer) attended the Water UK meeting with a view to pressing the water companies for exemptions to TUBs if and when they are introduced. It’s an education process and vital that we put pressure on the water companies and authorities to ensure they see the value in allowing landscapes and landscaping to become exempt. As we know, in the North

West there has been talk about being able to water for 14 days to aid plant establishment but we also know that, in the case of turf, for example, a minimum of 28 days is required. We will continue to inform, educate and press home the need for these exemptions.

BALI Awards As you receive this edition of Landscape News the BALI Award Winners for 2018 will have been announced following the many visits of the judges who sit on the BALI Awards adjudication panel.

You can find all the winners listed on pages 26 and 27 together with details of how to book your tickets for this year’s ceremony on 7 December at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

Congratulations to all those BALI members who have won awards and we wish you all the very best on the day as the Special and Principal Awards and the Grand Award are announced.

Upcoming events Keep an eye on the BALI event calendar for what’s coming up in the autumn, including industry shows, exhibitions and events, and a whole range of BALI regional events already in the diary.

If you’re unsure of what your regional committee has planned, please feel free to contact them to ask, or simply call Emily or Kate, BALI’s membership team, at Landscape House. We look forward to seeing many of you at these events.

BALI Landscape House Since my last update we have a new starter here at Landscape House. Kate Grantham has joined as Membership Officer, working with Emily Feeney. I do hope you will welcome her to the team and that you find all the staff at Landscape House supportive to you and your businesses.

Finally, I just wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ on your behalf as members, and also personally, to Paul Downer who has been our National Chairman over the last two years. Paul stepped down from the role at the recent National AGM to make way for Matt O’Conner. Paul has been a great Chairman to work with and for. He has demonstrated that he has the ability to question in a constructive way whilst being totally supportive and available as and when needed - great traits that any Chief Executive would be happy to have in their Chairman. Thanks Paul, and, as we move forward, I look forward to working with Matt and with our new Vice Chairman, Richard Kay. As always, thank you to all our members for your continued support and promotion of BALI. Wayne Grills CHIEF EXECUTIVE

New members as at 12.09.2018 Registered Contractor

Registered International

Associate Contractor

Wales M Landscape UK Contractors

Xiamen Urban Environment Design Engineering Co.

Llwyn Landscapes

Tsinghua Holdings Human Settlements Environment Institute

South Thames Ryan Alexander Associates T/A Ryan Alexander Landscape Design & Build

South Thames Reformalawn Landscaping Midlands Instant Scenery Payters Facilities Management East Anglia Stewart Landscape Construction North Thames LockWood Landscapes Yorkshire & North East Eco Control Solutions

The parched lawn and shrub bed outside BALI Landscape House during the hottest summer on record.

Registered Affiliate Yorkshire & North East Composite Prime South Thames How Green Nursery Midlands CWS Recruitment HL Plastics North West SIS Manufacturing Co - BuzzGrass

Associate Designer South Thames Helen Parsons Anna Butterfield South West Bo Cook

Training Provider BALI & ROLO Wales Coleg Cambria

North Thames Practicality Brown

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LATEST NEWS

Designer of the GoLandscape garden Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD (centre) with BALI Education Officer Stephen Ensell (centre right)

Gold for GoLandscape

at Hampton Court

BALI’s GoLandscape careers initiative was given a massive boost when it’s show garden – ‘Best of Both Worlds’ - was awarded a prestigious Gold Medal by the judges at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Designed by BALI Registered Designer Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD, the garden was built by a team of 23 landscape students and apprentices who demonstrated to the many thousands of visitors to the show the rewards that a career in landscaping can bring.

As the garden’s name suggests, it was divided in two, one half traditional, the other contemporary, demonstrating the different skills, materials and techniques required by the two different approaches. Measuring over 100sqm, the garden featured a large variety of plants including types of agapanthus, buxus sempervirens, pachysandra, astrantia, geranium, lavandula, salvia and thalictrum. The garden also displayed a row of pleached carpinus, a Cretan terracotta water feature and a sunken seating area containing a cedar bench surrounding a granite paved fire pit.

The garden was jointly sponsored by BALI and the RHS to promote careers in landscaping through BALI’s GoLandscape initiative. BALI’s Education Officer Stephen Ensell, who helped lead the show garden project and who is driving GoLandscape’s roll out across the UK, commented: “By involving students and apprentices in the construction of the garden, including laying paving and planting over 1,000 plants, we are providing them with a platform from

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which to demonstrate their skills in front of the wider landscape industry. I can think of no better way of promoting the opportunities available in our industry than by showcasing a garden of this size to the thousands of visitors at the show.”

BALI’s Chief Executive Wayne Grills said: “BALI continues to receive a tremendous amount of support for GoLandscape, which was designed to promote landscaping as a viable and rewarding career option for students choosing their future career path. It was also set up to help students and apprentices already studying horticulture, from entry level through to degree level, to find employment within the industry, and to combat the current skills gap crisis faced by our industry.”

He continued: “By working with industry partners such as the RHS, BALI and its GoLandscape Ambassadors are working tirelessly to help promote and showcase the skills and talents of our students and apprentices, to really help get the message across that high quality landscaping is essential for improving our environment, health and wellbeing and for providing a sustainable future for all.”

Following a vote by the mentors, two of the students working on the show garden were presented with BALI awards for Top Hard Landscaping Student and Top Soft Landscaping Student, recognising their skill and professionalism. The prize package included a pair of Swiss made secateurs worth over £100, courtesy of Felco, and a certificate. The winners - Jamie Anderson of Southern Land Services and Natalie

Autumn 2018

Jamie Anderson and Natalie Fairs with their awards

Fairs from Capel Manor College – received their awards on the show garden in front of media representatives and journalists on Press Day. BALI and the RHS would like to personally congratulate all of the students who helped build the GoLandscape show garden and say a huge ‘thank you’ to the mentors who oversaw the design and build of the project, including BALI’s Education Officer Stephen Ensell, BALI Registered Designer Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD, David Dodd and Mark Britton of BALI Registered Contractor The Outdoor Room, Jake Catling of BALI Registered Contractor The Landscaping Consultants, and BALI Associate Designer Anna Butterfield.

LATEST NEWS

BALI leads evidence session for Government inquiry

Matt O’Conner, Managing Director, John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance)

The Government’s inquiry into the future of the gardening and horticulture industry concluded with a BALI-led evidence session at Portcullis House, Westminster, on 11 July 2018. Entitled ‘Educating, training and securing the future workforce’, this third and final session took place in front of a panel of parliamentarians from the AllParty Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, comprising:

Jeremy Kerswell, Principal, Plumpton College

Baroness Fookes DBE, Co-Chairman Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Co-Chairman Rebecca Pow MP, Secretary Rt Hon Lord Dholakia OBE DL, Member Baroness Watkins of Tavistock, Member

In advance of the session, BALI brought together expert witnesses from across the landscape industry to give evidence on education and training, including apprenticeships and traineeships; the impact of Brexit on workforce availability, including labour force and seasonal workforce availability; and careers advice and industry promotion. The witnesses who took part were: Ros Burnley, industry consultant and director of Adrow Suzanne Moss, Head of Education and Learning, RHS Martin Emmett, industry consultant and board member, AHDB

Baroness Barker, Member

2018 BALI National AGM BALI’s 2018 National AGM was held at Landscape House on Tuesday, 11 September and attended by 26 members representing 22 member companies, with apologies received from a further 68 members.

Outgoing National Chairman Paul Downer opened the AGM by welcoming members and asking for their approval of the previously circulated minutes of last year’s AGM held on 7 September 2017; these were duly approved unanimously with no matters arising. The National Chairman, Chief Executive and Honorary Treasurer then delivered their respective reports, contained within the 2018 Annual Report & Accounts booklet circulated in July to all full BALI members.

In his report, Chief Executive Wayne Grills updated members on activities at Landscape House, including marketing and PR, political lobbying, the BALI Awards, and the GoLandscape careers initiative. He solicited ideas from those present on how BALI could encourage more members to respond to the annual BALI Membership Survey, which provides vital information to help shape the future of the association. Ideas from the floor included prize draws, cash incentives, and more clarity on how the results are used to benefit members. In bringing his report to a close, Wayne gave those present a glimpse of the new-look BALI website.

Honorary Treasurer Richard Stone was pleased to report a net surplus before tax for the year to 31 March 2018 of £63,199, increasing the level of reserves to a total of £275,373. He congratulated the membership team at Landscape House

on the steady increase in members and a 15% net increase in membership fee income, from £552,191 in 2016/17 to £611,545 in 2017/18. Landscape House operating costs, although increased, were below the figures budgeted for, and the Balance Sheet shows the association to be in good health. He advised members that the 2019 accounts will look quite different as figures will reflect the fact that the BALI Awards have now been brought back in house. Expenditure will increase but so, too, will income from the Awards, which will now revert in its entirety to BALI. Only two Regional Chairmen were at the AGM – Pete Jones, South Thames Region, and John Moorhouse, North West Region; both delivered brief updates on their respective region’s activity over the past year.

Votes on the formal recommendations of the BALI Board took place as follows: • The audited accounts for the Year ending 31 March 2018 were duly accepted and approved by a majority; • The BALI Board received a majority mandate to increase membership fees by 2%.

The meeting was advised that David Dodd and Jodie Read would be standing down and not seeking re-election to the Board. The Chairman thanked them for their significant contribution during their time as Board members. Existing board members Neil Huck, Robert Field and Stuart Simpson were formally re-elected, in line with the requirements of the Articles of Association, by unanimous vote.

Wayne Grills, Chief Executive, BALI Phil Jones, Chairman, BALI-NCF National Contractors Forum

Lee Abbey, Horticulture Adviser, NFU The first evidence session – ‘Supporting the industry to grow’ – was held in April and led by the HTA, and the second session – ‘Nurturing innovation’ – was held in May and led jointly by the HTA and RHS. Newington Communications, who provide the secretariat for the APPGHG, are now compiling an inquiry report, which will be launched at the APPGHG Annual Reception in the Houses of Parliament in November and which will contain the industry’s key ‘asks’ of Government, supported by the evidence delivered at the sessions.

The proposition to accept the directors’ recommendations for the reappointment of the following to serve as Officers of the Association was unanimously adopted: Matt O’Conner National Chairman Richard Kay

Vice Chairman

Paul Downer

Immediate Past Chairman

Wayne Grills

Chief Executive

Richard Stone Honorary Treasurer Following a review of the Articles of Association, these were subsequently updated and circulated within the formal 2018 Annual Report and Accounts; they were unanimously approved and adopted by the members present.

The outgoing National Chairman, Paul Downer, closed the meeting and was then thanked by Wayne Grills, on behalf of the BALI Board and members, for his dedication and commitment during his two year tenure as National Chairman.

Members enjoyed a barbecue buffet lunch before receiving an update from Richard McIntosh, Assistant Chief Plant Health Officer at Defra, on the latest plant diseases and pathogens threatening our native species.

The minutes of the AGM will be available in due course from Landscape House.

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LATEST NEWS BALI’s new National Chairman Matt O’Conner of Welwynbased John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd

Matt O’Conner with his father, John

Introducing our new BALI National Chairman Matt O’Conner You know you’re getting older when you begin writing an article about the new BALI National Chairman and you get a strong sense of déjà vu!

Looking back at past editions of BALI Landscape News I found the article I had written, in the winter 2006 edition of the magazine, on the then National Chairman – none other than John O’Conner, Matt’s father.

So here we are, twelve years later, and the honour of representing the membership of the UK’s largest and most respected landscaping trade body has again fallen on the shoulders of a member of the O’Conner family. John O’Conner must be an extremely proud father.

It was inevitable, really, that Matt would follow in his hugely respected father’s footsteps and choose a career in horticulture. He had, after all, grown up as his dad, John, was building what is now one of the most successful family-owned and operated grounds maintenance companies in the UK – John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd. Having spent many a weekend and school holiday working for his dad when he was old enough to do so, in the early 1990s Matt left school and studied at Writtle College (now Writtle University College), leaving in 1995 with a BSc in Horticulture.

Matt returned to work in the family business, progressing through a range of operational roles before being appointed Managing Director in 2007. His dad became Chairman of the company and continued in the role of BALI National Chairman until his term of office ended in 2008.

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John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd has been based in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, since it was first established in the 1960s; it now services public sector and commercial clients across the UK. John O’Conner decided to target local authorities at the time when Compulsory Competitive Tendering was introduced and this saw the company winning more and more contracts. In the late seventies the company became a BALI member and, as their own business has grown and developed, both John and Matt have been instrumental, through their respective service as BALI board directors, in the Association’s development.

Matt has always been passionate about the importance of having a skilled workforce to deliver business success and since he took over the running of the company he has been the driving force behind its award-winning apprenticeship programme. His industry background and front-line experience of the pressures and challenges of delivering services to customers, balanced with a deep understanding of the systems and processes needed to run a successful business, make him the ideal advocate for meaningful and employer-led apprenticeship training. This is reflected in his appointment as Chair of the

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Apprenticeship Ambassador Network for East of England Region and his service as a board member on the Hertfordshire LEP Skills and Employment Board. He has also brought this particular expertise to his role on the BALI board.

As BALI National Chairman, Matt is committed to driving forward BALI’s GoLandscape careers initiative and to promoting industry apprenticeships.

But he is also mindful of the wider remit of his new role, which requires him to preside over the Association’s future development. He recognises that BALI must continue to meet the changing needs of its members in terms of business support and promotion; that it must continue to actively work with other industry organisations and with government departments to address the challenges and concerns of the wider horticulture and landscape sector; and that the membership must grow to drive standards up and to give the landscape industry a strong, united voice.

Matt is undaunted by the challenge: “It is a great honour to be elected as BALI National Chairman. The Association is in great shape and has many benefits for its members - but we must ensure it stays that way. I am committed to ensuring that BALI listens to its membership and is at the forefront on industry collaboration to represent members’ views, whilst continuing to focus on quality, standards and recognition.”

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LATEST NEWS

RHS announces National Lottery award for transformational gardening project The RHS has announced that it is to receive £4 million from the National Lottery towards a five-year project that includes developing the world’s first National Centre for Horticultural Science and Learning, at its flagship RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey. The new Centre, which will open to the public in 2020, will contain state-of-the-art research facilities and enable the RHS to conserve and showcase over one million nationally important science and heritage items.

Among the items to be revealed will be a Chilean potato plant brought back by Charles Darwin in 1834, from which our modern potatoes are derived, and lavender collected in France in 1731. More than 86,000 herbarium specimens, 24,000 insect specimens, 30,000 pieces of botanical art, 250,000 photographs and 100,000 books charting more than half a millennium of gardening history, will be moved to the new Centre and many shared online with millions of people.

Three new gardens - the Wildlife Garden, World Food Garden and Wellbeing Garden - covering almost three acres around the Centre will be created by RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal winning garden designers working alongside RHS scientists and act as ‘living laboratories’. In addition,

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RHS Garden Wisley’s iconic Grade II-listed laboratory will be restored and opened to the public in 2021 with interpretative learning areas that will bring to life a century-long history of research.

RHS Director General, Sue Biggs, said: “For more than a century RHS scientists have been working away behind closed doors in our modest laboratory conducting ground-breaking research that impacts us all. During this time, we have researched the best plants to soak up air pollution, to cool buildings and to help pollinators, and these new facilities will enable us to enter a new era of discovery.

“Over the next five years, thanks to National Lottery players, we will reveal incredible horticultural treasures to the public so people can experience the wonders of gardening and see why we need everyone everywhere to garden and grow plants for the good of people, plants and the planet; a massive and heartfelt thank you to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this huge donation and to all those individuals and organisations for your letters of support.

We are incredibly grateful.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “By supporting a state-of-the-art research

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The beautiful laboratory building and ornamental pond at RHS Garden Wisley

facility, world-class designers and hundreds of years of gardening history, this National Lottery funding will help ensure RHS Garden Wisley is not only a beautiful place to visit but also an internationally important centre for research into the role of horticulture in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing humanity.”

The funding will enable RHS Garden Wisley’s special heritage – its buildings, gardens, collections and its stories of horticultural science and experimentation – to be protected for the future and shared with everyone.

A key outcome of the programme of works is to inspire action in communities across the country. As well as the new developments, HLF funding will be used for a variety of volunteering, apprenticeship, education and community outreach schemes to develop knowledge and skills.

BALI is delighted that the RHS’s bid for HLF funding has been successful and was amongst those individuals and organisations that sent a letter of support. A further £2 million is required to complete the project; if you would like to support, please visit their website at rhs.org.uk where you can find information on how to donate.

LATEST NEWS

Landscape Institute launches new campaign to address skills shortage As BALI’s GoLandscape careers initiative goes from strength to strength as it rolls out across the country, landscape architect and BALI Registered Designer Adam White, the recently appointed President of the Landscape Institute (LI), has launched a new campaign to showcase the different career choices and opportunities in the landscape architecture profession - #chooselandscape - as it faces an urgent and growing skills shortage.

The LI’s new report - The Future State of Landscape – highlights the urgent need to appeal to people more widely about the opportunities available. It showed that 41% of landscape architecture practices stated recruitment was a key challenge as there are not enough people in the profession with the right qualifications.

On launching #chooselandscape in July, Adam said: “Good landscape plays such an important role in all of our lives. It is where people, place and nature connect.

It makes us feel good, improving our well-being through better planned greener cities and open spaces. But the nature neurons in our brains are flat lining as we become less and less connected to nature and there are some pretty big challenges ahead as our cities continue to grow and the environment comes under more pressure.

“That is why I am really pleased to be involved in launching this important campaign #chooselandscape at the start of my two-year tenure as LI President. It is vital we tackle the growing skills gap and inspire and encourage more young people to choose a career in landscape by working together across this exciting profession and I shall be championing the cause throughout my two years as LI President.

“The campaign makes clear the range of opportunities in landscape for all kinds of people – from someone who loves creative design to a science enthusiast, and from those that are passionate about tackling climate change or just love using the latest digital technology – all

of these passions and skills are needed in the profession. That is why, as part of the campaign, we have created a special new website to showcase the different opportunities all in one place. From matching hobbies and interests with potential careers, to information broken down by job roles, young people will be able to see at a glance the sorts of skills, background and motivations will help them. They will also be able to find out the qualifications needed for each role, the salary you might expect and what you could be doing on a day-to-day basis.”

LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE BRIEFING MAY 2018

THE FUTURE STATE OF LANDSCAPE EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITY

Poppy Smith, #chooselandscape campaign manager at the LI said: “The Landscape Institute will be driving forward this campaign over the next couple of years to make sure we join the dots between education providers, employers, professional bodies, and other organisations involved in landscape, so that everyone understands the exciting opportunities and skills needed for a career in the landscape profession. It is really important that we future-proof the skills needed by the profession to make sure we meet the needs of employers, clients and society.

That is why the LI will also be running a wider programme of activities, including briefing career advisors; getting its members involved as Ambassadors for the campaign out and about in their local communities; working on ensuring educational courses are fitting the needs of the profession and continuing to explore new routes into it, such as via apprenticeships.” chooselandscape.org

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LATEST NEWS

TREE SPECIES SELECTION FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: A GUIDE FOR SPECIFIERS How can we improve species selection so that we can provide our towns and cities with a diverse and resilient palette of trees capable of thriving in challenging urban environments? The Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) has published a new digital guide for specifiers on tree species selection for green infrastructure to enable more appropriate tree selection for a wide range of urban planting sites.

For the first time in the UK the guide offers arboriculturists, architects, civil and structural engineers, designers, landscape architects, landscape contractors, non-profit organisations, planners and tree officers a comprehensive, research-based decision-making tool on selecting appropriate species for a range of contrasting planting scenarios. It features some opening chapters capturing the latest evidence on how best to approach tree species selection to maximise the benefits bestowed on nearby communities while creating a more sustainable urban forest for future generations. The guide carries specific information on over 280 trees, including their use-potential, size and crown characteristics, natural habitat, environmental tolerance, ornamental qualities, potential issues to be aware of, and notable varieties.

Tree Species Selection for Green Infrastructure: A Guide for Specifiers was written by Andrew D Hirons, Senior Lecturer

at University Centre Myerscough and Henrik Sjรถman, Senior Researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden. It is the major outcome of a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Green Infrastructure Innovation Project (NE/ N017773/1) entitled Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure.

This project provided the opportunity to evaluate the current approach to tree species selection within the British Isles, conduct some original research on a sub-set of species and produce this guidance. In addition to the NERC sponsored research, data derived from studies funded by the Hyland R Johns Research Grant (TREE Fund), Fund4Trees and The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS) as well as a wide range of published literature has also been used to underpin the recommendations.

The guide can be downloaded, free of charge, at tdag.org.uk where you can also watch a short video on the guide content.

Issue 1.1/2018

Written by: Dr Andrew Hirons and Dr Henrik Sjรถman

Primary Project Funder

Academic Partners

Guidance Sponsors

TDAG

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Discussion point

Street decluttering Back in 2010, as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles (now Lord Pickles) made the news headlines by calling for councils to get rid of unnecessary street clutter in a bid to make streets tidier and less confusing for motorists and pedestrians; he claimed that our streets were becoming obstacle courses. As well as reducing street signage and traffic signal poles however, this also led some local authorities to remove metal railings and pedestrian guardrail.

Fast forward to 2018 and a number of towns and cities have found the need to install hostile vehicle fencing, railings and barriers as a way of preventing terror attacks such as the one that occurred on Westminster Bridge on 22 March 2017. The latest location to have hostile vehicle barriers installed is the area around Trent Bridge County Cricket Ground, Nottingham. This has caused lots of controversy amongst local residents who are annoyed at having to have what they consider to be ugly monstrosities spoiling their neighbourhood.

Birmingham city centre has also recently had huge yellow bollards and barriers installed to prevent vehicles accessing pedestrianised zones. This, too, has angered local residents. It would seem, therefore, that attractive pedestrian guardrail has to go, only to be replaced in certain high risk locations with huge and unsightly concrete or metal barriers.

Returning to the question of whether or not the street decluttering policy has worked, there is certainly growing evidence that the removal of too many signal posts at junctions has contributed to a reduction in accidents because car drivers and pedestrians are less likely to be distracted and are more aware. But could the policy have also inadvertently made it easier to launch an attack on innocent pedestrians, with the result that it is now necessary to install often unsightly heavy duty barriers?

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The professional choice for quality timber products

Hostile vehicle barriers in Birmingham (left) and outside Trent Bridge (right)

– but at what cost?

Phil Ball, Sales Director of BALI Registered Affiliate member Alpha Rail commented, “We are not suggesting that pedestrian guardrail is in any way a suitable replacement for the hostile vehicle barrier, as their specific purpose is to guide pedestrians to safe crossing points, not act as a crash barrier.

However, if pedestrian guardrail was installed, we believe that this would certainly deter a vehicle from trying to mount the pavement to cause injury to pedestrians.”

He added, “As you may expect, we believe pedestrian guardrail is a more attractive solution in situations where aesthetics really need to be considered without putting lives at risk. We’d like to see councils and highways planners consider pedestrian guardrail as an alternative solution to these unsightly hostile vehicle barriers.”

In summary, pedestrian guardrail won’t stop a determined driver from crashing their vehicle through at high speed but, as a deterrent, could it not be a more attractive alternative to the unsightly heavy duty hostile vehicle barriers that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous?

Unilog Pro machine rounded timbers offer an attractive, practical and cost-effective solution for landscaping projects. Unilog Pro is available in four diameters 100mm, 125mm, 150mm and 200mm, with standards lengths from 300mm to 4000mm.

Sleepers are manufactured using Radiata Pine, kiln dried and pressure treated with Tanalith E for durability and long service life. Available in lengths from 600mm to 2400mm and available as rough sawn or planed, eased edge and sanded.

Also available DuraEdge for corners used in conjunction with Unilog Pro.

Alpha Rail’s Sales Director, Phil Ball

The first choice for creating boundary markers or providing additional security. Bollards are manufactured using Radiata Pine timber, pressure treated with Tanalith E wood preservative and fully sanded to give a smooth finish.

Call 0333 0035133 E: sales@mmtimber.co.uk www.mmtimber.co.uk M&M Timber, Hunt House Sawmills, Clows Top, Nr Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY14 9HY M&M Timber is a Division of Forest Garden Ltd.

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Management buyout heralds new era for Frosts Landscape Construction After nearly sixty years, the Frost family based in Woburn Sands have decided to relinquish ownership of BALI Registered Contractor Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd to the existing management team, so that the family can focus all its attention on their four garden centres.

James and Jeremy Frost have facilitated and supported the management buy-out of the company by Managing Director Ken White, and Directors David Perry and Adrian Meeker, effective from 1 August 2018.

The MBO team are extremely optimistic about the future prospects for the company. During recent years there have been many highs working on prestigious projects such as Merchant Square, Vauxhall Sky Gardens, and the Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace. Sadly, however, there is an inevitability about the lows that have come from working in the construction industry and these have necessitated an element of restructuring and strategic adaptation ahead of the buy-out. The MBO team believe the changes will result in a leaner, more flexible and responsive organisation going forward.

Ken White said: “These are exciting times and we are extremely positive about starting our new year with the backing and support of our supply chain and we look forward to working with them to deliver landscape construction projects of the highest standard in the future.”

In the short term the company will continue to trade as Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd, a name that has become synonymous with quality, building on the original core values and high standards implemented by the Frost family. frostslandscapes.com

BALI membership brings holiday windfall for contractor Green & Gorgeous Little did Paul Hermon know that, when he approached BALI’s Membership Officer Carly Button at the 2017 Landscape Show about joining BALI, he would end up a few months later a BALI Registered member and Green & the lucky recipient of a £1,000 Gorgeous owner Paul TUI holiday voucher! He now plans to Hermon take his wife and two children on a special trip, courtesy of BALI’s trade promotion to encourage potential new members to sign on the dotted line and begin the vetting process.

Before entering the world of landscaping, Paul graduated with a degree in Marine Geography and then spent seven years working in the film industry in London.

Realising office life in the city wasn’t for him he decided to re-train and completed an RHS Level 2 in Horticulture through distance learning. He moved down to Frome in Somerset and, in 2006, started Green & Gorgeous, initially as a garden maintenance company.

Today the company employs 12 skilled staff and specialises in garden design and build, predominantly for the domestic market. Paul sees BALI Registered status as an important way of raising his company’s profile and giving him the opportunity to talk to other business owners, sharing experiences and ideas: “When I first started the company it had always been in my mind to join one trade body when the time was right. In November 2017 at the Landscape Show I was able to speak to BALI’s Membership Officer, Carly, and really find out more about the association. Following that conversation and subsequent communication with the staff at BALI HQ, I felt confident BALI had the right ethos for us. We are absolutely thrilled to have achieved BALI Registered Contractor status, and to be pulled out of the hat to win the holiday voucher was an incredible surprise.”

Managing Director Ken White, centre, led the MBO

Over the next five years, and with BALI at his side, Paul will continue to develop the business to deliver larger domestic projects, which are recognised for their plantfocused design, in and around the Somerset area. In the meantime, however, he has more pressing decisions to make – not least, where he and his family will choose for their ‘BALI’ holiday!

Frosts’ London Wall Place scheme

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greenandgorgeous.com

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Court case highlights need for eco-friendly weed killers The recent Monsanto court case underlines the importance of the BALI Registered Contractor TCL Group’s role in working towards greater use of environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional weed killer. One of its member companies, Royal Warrant-holding grounds maintenance specialist Burleys, has become one of the few contractors nationwide to use an award-winning system commercially that uses a combination of hot water and foam to ‘cook’ weeds on contact.

Burleys has been working with the charity Pesticide Action Network UK, which is campaigning to reduce herbicide use across the country. The company has successfully trialled the Foamstream system with Lewes District Council, which is working towards eliminating pesticides from all its public areas, including parks and social housing.

The use of Foamstream, produced

by Weedingtech, has been gaining traction in the UK as local councils search for green alternatives. It has also been proving a hit in France where pesticides are to be banned in gardens and green spaces from next year. The system is used on many parks and all children’s play areas across Lewes district. The Council is also improving biodiversity by employing Burleys to plant swathes of wildflowers and it is looking into biological slug control alternatives.

The Foamstream system recently featured on BBC Radio 4‘s Today programme and BBC regional TV, with the former Mayor of Glastonbury – another town using the system - saying he would be happy to drink neat Foamstream!

The foam mixture works by creating a thermal blanket, stopping the heat in the hot water escaping to the atmosphere and keeping it on the weed long enough to kill it. The thermal energy penetrates the weeds’ waxy outer leaf layer, rupturing the cells and killing them quickly. Some die within minutes, with others taking a day or two. A second application can eliminate taproots. It also sterilises seeds and spores, helping to reduce future weed growth.

The organic, biodegradable foam, which is made from a blend of natural plant oils and sugars including maize, wheat, potatoes, rapeseed

and coconut oils, is safe to use near children’s playgrounds, animals and watercourses. An unexpected bonus is that it can also be used for a variety of street cleaning tasks, including chewing gum removal from pavements, graffiti elimination and power washing, allowing the machine to be used all year round.

Simon Cashmore, CEO of the TCL Group, which was recently named one of the London Stock Exchange’s 1,000 companies to Inspire Europe, said: “Foamstream is great for weeds, small woody growth like ragwort, and for killing moss in places like tennis courts and play areas – it’s also excellent value.

We fully support Weedingtech’s global mission to help organisations and cities across the world provide safer, cleaner and greener environments for their residents.”

Latest News from BALI-NCF It has been a busy year so far for BALI-NCF as it works to support and progress initiatives that surround some of the key issues and challenges in the industry.

We have been collaborating with BALI in support of the GoLandscape careers initiative, designed to bring more recruits into, and grow careers within, the landscaping industry.

Our work has focused on developing the enrolment methods of potential new talent within the BALI-NCF member companies and acting as ambassadors to the some of the many events being rolled out at colleges and other institutions up and down the country.

The collation and benchmarking of our members’ accident statistics continues to move forward as we refine and add to our reporting

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streams to include a more detailed breakdown of cause in areas such as slips, trips and falls. Greater clarity will encourage more effective working methods and technologies to be adopted and create greater efficiencies by informing targeted training requirements.

Our analysis of the statistics has shown that strimmer use is one of the main causes of frequently occurring accidents in the industry and, as a result, BALI-NCF is in discussions with Stihl to formulate further best-in-class training to address the issue. This will follow on from our earlier success in January/February of this year when BALI-NCF and Stihl delivered hedge trimmer training to thirty contractor companies at four land-based colleges throughout the UK. We will provide a further update later this

Autumn 2018

year but hope to roll this initiative out in early 2019.

Members of BALI-NCF have recently contributed to the AllParty Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group Inquiry evidence session, co-ordinated by BALI and covering such topics as apprenticeships and the effect of Brexit on seasonal workers within the industry. This is just one way in which BALI-NCF ensures that our voice is heard.

As we move into the winter months we will continue to focus on industry training and promoting landscaping as a worthwhile and rewarding career.

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Domestic Contractor Forums — Roadshow Details of the BALI Domestic Contractor Forums mentioned in the summer edition of BALI Landscape News are now available and BALI members, and their guests, are invited to sign up quickly to avoid disappointment.

Organised by BALI board director and former National Chairman Bob Field, the events start at 4 pm (*5 pm for event on 10 October) and last approximately three hours; light refreshment will be provided. The cost to BALI members is £10 + VAT, and £15 + VAT for non-members. Book online at bali.org.uk/events

Tuesday 2 October

Thursday 11 October Venue: Landscapeplus, Unit1 Kemble Business Park, Crudwell, Malmesbury SN16 9SH Irrigation Speaker: Sam Cox (Landscapeplus), Contractor/client relationships and award-winning project Speaker: Mark Draper (Graduate Gardeners)

Monday 15 October Venue: CED Stone Group, 728 London Road, West Thurrock, Grays RM20 3LU Porcelain paving: choice, laying, cutting and pointing, and new products Speaker: Giles Heap (CED)

Venue: James Coles & Sons (Nurseries), Syton Nursery, Melton Road, Queniborough, Leicester LE7 3FN Demonstration and talk on new National Plant Specification Speaker: Vince Edwards (James Coles)

Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects Speaker: Bob Field (Robert Field Landscapes)

Tuesday 16 October Venue: Majestic Trees, Chequers Meadow, Chequers Hill, Flamstead, St Albans AL3 8ET

Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects Speakers: James Brash (Isola Garden Design) and Chris Gutteridge (Second Nature Gardens)

Trees, tree planting and support, and tree maintenance Speaker: Steve McCurdy (Majestic Trees)

Wednesday 3 October

Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects

Venue: Hardscape, Eagley House, Deakins Business Park, Egerton, Bolton BL7 9RP

Speaker: Dan Riddlestone (Bowles & Wyer)

New paving for domestic projects Speaker: Dave Butler (Hardscape)

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Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects Speaker: Bob Field (Robert Field Landscapes)

Thursday 4 October Venue: Green-tech, Rabbit Hill Business Park, Great North Road, Arkendale, Knaresborough HG5 0FF Winning awards and the importance of PR and Social Media Speaker: Richard Kay (Green-tech) Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects Speaker: Peter Cunliffe (Northumbrian Landscaping)

Monday 8 October Venue: Barcham Trees, Eyes Hill Drove, Ely CB7 5XF Trees, tree planting and support, and tree maintenance Speaker: David Johnson (Barcham Trees) Edging products and installation Speaker: Simon Arrowsmith (EverEdge)

From the smallest seeds...

Wednesday 10 October* Venue: Pots & Pithoi, The Barns, East Street, Turners Hill, Crawley RH10 4QA

Call us today on 01423 330234

Contractor/client relationships and award-winning projects Speakers: David Dodd (The Outdoor Room) All you need to know about plants but were afraid to ask!

www.nurserymen.co.uk

Speaker: Nick Coslett (Palmstead Nurseries)

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Top landscape students recognised

by BALI Chalk Fund 2018’s top landscape students, nominated by BALI Training Provider colleges, have been recognised with an award from BALI’s training charity the BALI Chalk Fund. The Student of the Year Award has been running since 2013 and this year the following students are celebrating winning this prestigious award: Joshua Slater, Reaseheath College City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma extended Horticulture, 2016-2018 Ryan Clark, Writtle University College Level 3 BTEC in Horticulture 2016–2018. Ryan has been offered a full time position upon completion of his course with BALI Registered Contractor Oak View Landscapes.

George Walmsley, Myerscough College City & Guilds Level 3 Advanced Technical Certificate Landscape 2017–2018. Applied for his second year of the Level 3 Landscape course.

EverEdge offer CPD presentations on steel edging

Gabriele Bucciarello, SRUC Oatridge Campus NC Horticulture with Landscape Construction, 2017–2018.

Lewis Day, Capel Manor College, receives his award from Nick Coslett, BALI Chalk Fund trustee

Ashley Zymanczyk, Merrist Wood College Level 3 Diploma Landscape, 2014-2015. Level 2 Diploma Horticulture, 2015-2016.

RHS Level 2 Theory and Practical, 2016-2018. Level 3 Diploma Landscape.

BALI Registered Affiliate member EverEdge is offering free CPD presentations on the benefits of using steel edging, how and what to specify, the styles and types of steel edging available, and discussion on the specification of bespoke planters.

EverEdge’s Technical Advisor, Simon Arrowsmith, has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and will illustrate his talks with the use of slides and case studies. To book a CPD presentation, please contact Simon directly on 01939 291110.

Lewis Day, Capel Manor College City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Hard Landscaping, 2017–2018.

Alexander Hale, Bridgwater and Taunton College Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Horticulture, 2017–2018. Starting Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Horticulture in September 2018.

Established in 1975 with a legacy from the widow of BALI founder member Geoffrey Chalk, owner of landscape and grounds maintenance contractor Gavin Jones Ltd, the BALI Chalk Fund receives bequests and donations to support education and training in the landscape sector and is one of two beneficiaries of the charity collection at the annual BALI National Landscape Awards.

The BALI Chalk Fund’s board of trustees is chaired by Peter Jennins OBE and includes former BALI national chairmen and board directors. The trustees’ remit is to help individuals who need financial assistance to pursue industry education and training, and to provide financial support to companies to encourage them to offer industry apprenticeships. The BALI Chalk Fund trustees also reward the overall UK Top Landscape Student of the Year, selected by them from the students listed above, with a certificate and a cheque for £500. The successful student will be presented with their award at the BALI National Landscape Awards ceremony in December.

Lantra appointed End Point Assessment Organisation for IOG apprenticeship standard The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) has announced that Lantra is the government approved End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) for the new Level 2 Sports Turf Operative apprenticeship standard developed by the IOG and a large employer-led working group. There are already more than fifty apprentices undertaking a learning journey to achieve this high-quality standard.

IOG Chief Executive Geoff Webb, added: “This announcement complements our work in developing a national natural turf Pitch Grading Framework, which charts how grounds personnel can progress from volunteer to professional level - by linking the standards of surfaces to

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the necessary skills needed to ensure surfaces reach their optimum levels through a blended learning approach to education and training.”

Lantra Marketing Development Manager Jo-Anne Bryan said: “Lantra is committed to supporting the development of skills in the land-based sector. Building for the future by developing the next generation of industry specialists is a fundamental business driver. We are therefore delighted to have been approved as an EPAO for the new standard and look forward to continuing to work closely with the IOG in helping to meet the industry’s needs.” iog.org

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Employing an apprentice Continuing our thoughts from the last issue of Landscape News where I discussed finding your next employee, let’s consider taking on an apprentice. There are mixed feelings surrounding apprenticeships, so is it beneficial to have one?

According to our new National Chairman, Matt O’Conner of John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance), there are many potential benefits to employing an apprentice: “The benefits that we have seen since introducing apprenticeships in our business have been improved productivity and improved motivation.

A combination of workplace learning and off the job training delivers training that is tailored to specific job roles and sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of our business, minimising disruption and maximising impact. This is all leading to skilled workers for the future.”

Half the battle of making a success out of an apprenticeship is being prepared and understanding what your commitment as an employer will be. There will be a cost, as with any new position, but funding can help offset this. You will also need someone in the company that can mentor the apprentice and help them get used to their role.

Stephen Ensell Education Officer

First off, the apprenticeship is a genuine job, not just the new tea maker! You will be paying an additional member of staff and so you need to have a specific job or role in your organisation that needs filling if the apprenticeship is going to be a success. Take the time to review your skill gaps and plan the position accordingly.

You must budget for the apprenticeship. If you are a levy payer you will have been paying into the levy pot since April 2017; this is only accessible for 24 months. Since April 2018 only 8% of levy payers have used their contributions towards apprenticeships; if you don’t spend it you lose it! Most, if not all, of the cost of training will be covered (depending on which band you fall into and the age of the apprentice), but you will need to budget for wages, the candidate going to college, sick pay and holidays.

Next, have a look at the qualifications and make sure they include the skills you are looking for in the new role. The new employer-driven apprenticeship standards have been designed to reflect current industry demand and follow either a landscape or horticulture route.

Meet with your local training provider to make sure they cover everything you need for the apprentice’s qualification and to meet your business’s skills gap.

You are now ready to recruit your apprentice. You can advertise for free on the government’s website gov.uk

and many training providers will help you put an advert together and post the position. Apprenticeships are open to anyone aged 16 or over and either a new or a current employee who is living in the UK and not in full time education.

Apprenticeships are not just for people new to the job or even new to employment but could be utilised by career changers and people already with the company. You may want to use an apprenticeship as a way of upskilling your current staff. This is a cost-effective way of giving them a qualification as they are already on the payroll. Think outside the box; it doesn’t just have to be an horticulture/landscaping apprenticeship, it could be any of the following apprenticeships: leadership and management, accountancy and finance, or digital marketing.

There is no limit to what you can spend on apprenticeships so even if you have spent your entire levy, it will only cost you 10% of the course cost for additional apprenticeships. This is a great way of making expensive qualifications more affordable.

Isn’t it worth taking a closer look at apprenticeships? For further information on industry apprenticeships, visit golandscape.co.uk/ information-for-employers/

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Japanese knotweed returns to court Owen Baker, Technical Officer

In the spring edition of Landscape News I discussed a legal case between Network Rail Infrastructure and two members of the public, Mr Williams and Mr Waistell, who own adjoining bungalows in South Wales. The land immediately behind their properties is owned

by Network Rail and contains an embankment with a significant infestation of Japanese knotweed.

Mr Williams and Mr Waistell took Network Rail to Cardiff County Court in 2017 on the basis that Japanese knotweed had 1) encroached on their properties, and 2) reduced the value of their homes. The court initially determined the claimants were entitled to succeed on the basis that, whilst there was no evidence of physical damage, the market value of their properties had been reduced by the proximity of the Japanese knotweed – caused

by Network Rail’s failure to act in an adequate manner.

At the Court of Appeal earlier this year the overall decision was upheld, albeit on completely different technicalities.

The court dismissed the notion that a home owner’s financial interests can be protected under the tort of nuisance and instead allowed the claimants to succeed in their claims for private nuisance because of the encroachment of Japanese knotweed rhizomes on the claimants’ properties. The court held that Japanese knotweed imposes an immediate burden on landowners who wish to develop their land, due to the difficulties in eradicating it. …but does it deserve its reputation?

Japanese knotweed has a fearsome reputation amongst the public, accused of destroying foundations, underground services and depressing house values.

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Mortgage lenders have been known to refuse applications following discovery of the plant at residential properties.

But is the vilification justified? How much of the risk is based on actual evidence rather than scaremongering?

A peer-reviewed academic paper published in July 2018 by ecologists at Aecom and the University of Leeds - Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica): an analysis of capacity to cause structural damage (compared to other plants) and typical rhizome extension - has questioned whether the perceived risk is proportionate to the actual damage the plant can inflict on the structure of a building. The paper considered the mechanisms by which plant types pose a risk to built structures: 1. Indirect damage, via subsidence or heave, caused by plant-mediated modifications to soil water content 2. Direct damage, due to physical impact, typically associated with falling trees, and 3. Direct damage, caused by physical pressure exerted through growth.

Through a literature review and field studies, the document compares Japanese knotweed with a range of plants ranging from native trees to other invasive species. Whilst it confirms the significant impact that Japanese

Autumn 2018

knotweed can have on biodiversity and ecosystems, it suggests F. japonica should not be considered any more of a risk, with respect to its capacity to cause structural damage in urban environments, than a range of other species of plant, and less so than many.

Whilst the report does not suggest removal of Japanese knotweed is a wasted exercise, it has helped dispel many of the myths associated with Japanese knotweed and removed some of the hysteria which seems to surround this plant.

This research will not change the verdict of the court case discussed earlier, nor should it change the requirement to manage Japanese knotweed, but hopefully it will introduce some balance and rationality. This report highlights the value of good quality, independent research, which is sadly lacking in so many areas of the landscape industry.

Research helps ensure the industry retains its credibility in the eyes of the public and other professionals and also pushes the industry in new directions.

Further reading: To access the judgement of Network Rail Infrastructure Limited v Williams & Waistell: judiciary.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2018/07/network-rail-vwilliams-judgment.pdf To access the Aecom/University of Leeds research paper: peerj.com/ articles/5246.pdf

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

A threat to trees in the UK The Red Necked Longhorn beetle (Aromia bungii) The Red Necked Longhorn beetle is not native to the UK and attacks many species of Prunus host plants used in forestry, horticulture and fruit production across Europe. The beetle is a native to Asia and there have been outbreaks in Italy and Germany. In Italy the beetle has become more established around Milan and both countries are aiming to eradicate the pest.

Lifecycle - The female Red Necked Longhorn beetle can lay many eggs in the host plant. The eggs hatch and feed as a larvae in the plant’s woody tissue, hidden away cryptically inside the plant for two to four years.

What you may see - The feeding larvae push digested food, called frass, out of the plant. This can be seen at the base of trunks and branches of infested plants, or, when carrying out tree work, you may see the larval gallery within the wood. These galleries weaken trees and cause yield losses in fruit

trees. You may also see the oval exit hole the adult makes when emerging from within the host plant; this is about 12mm in size. Or you may see adults, which have a black body with a red neck and can be 22-38 mm in length with long black antennae.

How might the beetle get here? The importing of Prunus plants such as cherry and plum, or wood packaging infested with eggs, larvae or pupae would aid the movement between countries as the pest is hidden away inside the wood.

For further information see the Red Necked Longhorn beetle fact sheet on the Defra Plant Health Portal planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/assets/ factsheets/Aromia-bungii-Defra-PPFactsheet-May-2017-2.pdf

What to do if you suspect Red Necked Longhorn beetle? Suspected outbreaks of A. bungii or any other non-native plant pest should be reported to the relevant authority: For England and Wales, contact your local APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspector or the PHSI Headquarters, Sand Hutton, York. Tel: 01904 405138 Email: planthealth.info@apha.gsi.gov.uk For Scotland, contact the Scottish Government’s Horticulture and Marketing Unit: Email: hort.marketing@gov.scot For Northern Ireland, contact the DAERA Plant Health Inspection Branch: Tel: 0300 200 7847 Email: planthealth@daera-ni.gov.uk

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

TO TRAIN OR NOT TO TRAIN… THAT IS THE QUESTION! Business owner: “What happens if I train them and they leave?”

Me: “What happens if you don’t train them and they stay?”

Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality Assurance)

Fortunately it’s rare these days that a business owner perceives no value in training but it’s also quite rare that in-house training and Tool Box Talks (TBTs) are used effectively and given the attention they deserve.

As I visit businesses across the country, one of the key aspects I look at is training and competence. Usually I’m handed a file full of certificates, from First Aid to Safe Use of a Chainsaw, and, if I’m really lucky, it’s organised by discipline or employee name. This does meet the minimum requirement in some ways but in the best businesses training is built within the culture of the organisation and is ongoing. “But that’s so expensive” I hear you chorus!

A good training culture doesn’t need to break the bank. Whilst there are a number of externally verified training requirements in our industry, such as First Aid and the appropriate certificates for pesticide application, in most cases the law requires ‘adequate information, training and supervision’ and leaves it to you to determine what ‘adequate’ means.

The example of a TBT Training Record would be a good start to help you and your team understand the hazards of vibration in the workplace. This guidance note, and many more like it, are free to download from the HSE website and might be considered sufficient awareness training for your team providing that you act on the new knowledge. This could be followed up at a later date by running through the operator’s handbook of a given piece of equipment to ascertain the vibration outputs of the equipment; and there you are in a cycle of learning. That’s what effective training is.

the success of the business, however, is training that focuses on craft skills and how you wish your staff to behave when representing your business; this may include dress code, driver behaviour, setting out, sub-base preparation, in fact anything you feel to be important. The number of times I’ve heard business owners say: “they just don’t do it the way I want it done”, yet can provide no evidence that they have set out, in clear terms, how they want it done!

Health and Safety Executive

What is hand-arm vibration?

BALI Landscape News

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Blakedown Landscapes (SE)

What is hand-arm vibration syndrome?

HAVS: ■ ■ ■

CBC Lands

affects the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and joints of the hand, wrist and arm; can become severely disabling if ignored; includes vibration white finger, which can cause severe pain in the affected fingers.

Caley Construction Ltd T/A Caledonian Landscapes

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve disorder which may involve pain, tingling, numbness and weakness in parts of the hand and can be caused by, among other things, exposure to vibration.

How can I help reduce the risks?

Serial Number: 074 ABC Landscapes It is your employer’s responsibility to protect you against HAVS and CTS, but you should help by asking your employer if your job could be done in a different way Training Record without using vibrating tools and machines. If this cannot happen:

Training Title: Vibration

Awareness

Training Date: 18-03-18

ask to use suitable low vibration tools; always use the right tool for each job (to do the job more quickly and expose you to less hand-arm vibration); Training Provider: ■ check tools before using them to make sure they have been properly Duration maintained and repaired to avoid increased vibration caused by faults or Details of Training: general wear; ■ make sure cutting tools are kept sharp so that they remain efficient; ■ reduce the amount of time you use a tool in one go, by doing other jobs in between; ■ ■

Big Boss Man

(M) 07715 654964

Ashlea

Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted into your hands and arms when you use this equipment. It can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The example given is for important safety awareness training, which is, of course, critical to a safe working environment. Equally important to

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This pocket card is aimed at people who use handheld powered work equipment or workpieces which vibrate while being processed by powered machinery, such as pedestal grinders.

This is a web-friendly version of leaflet INDG296(rev2), published 06/14

richard.gardiner@bali.org.uk

The following BALI registered Contractors have successfully completed their QSR:

Introduction Health and Safety

A guide for employees

Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality)

Quality Standards Reviews (QSRs)

Hand-arm vibration A guide for employees

Hand-arm vibration

There are of course some clear right and wrong ways to do things in our industry. Landscapers may not always agree on how to go about certain tasks and if your staff are not trained in your way, they will do it their way, and who can blame them? Some skills and attributes are learned by osmosis from skilled hands who they work alongside but it has been proven time and again that investing just a few minutes or so on a regular basis to communicate your requirements pays dividends.

20 mins

Issued HSE leaflet indg296 “Hand Arm Vibration, a guide for employees” to all staff, read through it together and discussed how vibrationPagemay affect us Hand-arm vibration 1 of 2 in our business, what actions we may need to take and who might be most at risk.

Dagenham Landscapes Greenmantle Hortech J Palmer (Landscapes) Karv Landscapes Land Design Partnership Landscaping Solutions

Attendees:

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Autumn 2018

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S AWARD WINNERS DON’T MISS OUT - TICKETS ON SALE NOW Awards luncheon: Friday 7 December, 11am - 4.30pm Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London

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BALI Landscape News

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ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS With the BALI Awards ceremony fast approaching, 67 BALI members have now been informed they have won a BALI National Landscape Award, with some members successful in more than one category.

This year’s Awards, which are now run in-house by the BALI team at Landscape House, sees 101 National Awards made by the adjudication panel, which is chaired by landscape consultant and former senior lecturer in landscape studies at Writtle College, Greg Allen.

Following a summer of visiting every entry, Greg and his team of judges – John Melmoe, Richard Barnard, Jason Lock, Robin Templar Williams, Steve Roberts, Andrew Legg and Mick Callahan – met at BALI Landscape House in late August for the adjudication process that selects the award-winning schemes.

Judges Madge Moore, Peter Jennins OBE and Nick Coslett also put forward their recommendations for the Affiliate Exceptional Service awards and the Employer Excellence awards, which were subsequently considered by the wider panel. Deliberations over the 127 entries took three days, at the end of which the list of winners was confirmed.

Reflecting on this year’s process, Greg said: “What a difference this year’s magnificent summer has made to the judges’ task of visiting the BALI Awards entries, albeit a real challenge for BALI members faced with drought conditions in many parts of the country. Keeping their schemes looking at their best for judging has certainly called on every ounce of their horticultural expertise!

“We have been delighted with the achievements of BALI contractors and designers this year and, as always, the hardest task has been to stick to our stringent criteria and only reward real excellence across the board. In previous years this approach has inevitably resulted in disappointment for a percentage of members who, although justly proud of their schemes, had yet to achieve the exemplary standard required by the BALI Awards.

This year 77 per cent of entries receive an award, which speaks volumes for the incredibly high standards BALI members are now achieving. We offer our very sincere congratulations to those who have attained that level and are on our list of winners, and would encourage those who have not been successful this year to strive again next year to make the list and experience the thrill and satisfaction of winning a BALI National Landscape Award.”

BBC Breakfast anchor and sports journalist Dan Walker will host the ceremony at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, on Friday, 7 December. Congratulations to all the winners, and good luck on the day when the winners of the Principal and Special Awards, and the coveted Grand Award, will be announced. Full details of the winning entries can be found at baliawards.co.uk along with booking details for the Awards Ceremony.

The 2018 National Award winners are: Domestic Garden Construction, cost under £30k sponsored by Derbyshire Aggregates Sandstone Design Solutions for Uplands Cottage Graduate Gardeners for Private Residence in Cheltenham Langlea Garden Design & Construction for Victorian Flavour

Domestic Garden Construction, cost between £30k–£60k sponsored by Gabriel Ash The Landscaping Consultants for Rose Bank PWP Landscape for Farm House

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BALI Landscape News

Land Design Partnership for Elm Park Gardens Domestic Garden Construction, cost between £60k–£100k sponsored by Johnsons of Whixley HG Landscapes for Private Residence in Kensington Graduate Gardeners for Yorkstone Terrace Land Design Partnership for Private Residence in Greenwich Graduate Gardeners for An Entertaining Courtyard Langlea Garden Design & Construction for Private Residence in Washington

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Autumn 2018

Domestic Garden Construction, cost between £100k–£250k sponsored by Van den Berk Nurseries Tony Benger Landscaping for St Michael’s Mount Northumbrian Landscaping for For Your Eyes Only Landscaping Solutions for Private Residence in Barnet Graduate Gardeners for Private Residence in Painswick PC Landscapes for Private Residence in Ashstead PC Landscapes for Private Residence in Winchester

Domestic Garden Construction, cost over £250k sponsored by Europlants UK Landform Consultants for Private Residence in Leeds Buckland Landscapes for From Pit to Picture Gavin Jones for Private Residence in Kensington Esse Landscapes for Tickerage Mill Clifton Nurseries for Private Residence in Woking Bowles & Wyer for Private Residence in the Chilterns Landscape Associates for Private Residence in London Soft Landscaping Construction (NonDomestic), cost under £300k sponsored by Adtrak Grace Landscapes for National Memorial Arboretum – Heroes’ Square and The Boyes Garden Goddards (Landscape Contractors) for Lillie Square Phase 1-1A Frosts Landscape Construction for London Wall Place Goddards (Landscape Contractors) for Olympic Way Zone A Tree Planting Soft Landscaping Construction (NonDomestic), cost between £300k-£1.5m sponsored by Todds Nursery Alfie Bines Gardens for Buxmead Kingston Landscape Group for Colindale Gardens Kingston Landscape Group for Streatham Hill Frosts Landscape Construction for Holland Park Villas

Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic), cost under £300k sponsored

by Vander Moortel NV Blakedown Landscapes (SE) for The Royal Ballet School Brambledown Landscape Services for Segendunum Roman Fort Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic), cost between £300k–£1.5m sponsored by CWS Group idverde for Theatre Square, Royal National Theatre Hard Landscaping Construction (NonDomestic), cost over £1.5 million sponsored by Bourne Amenity Endrick Landscapes for Structural Landscape Works Blakedown Landscapes (SE) for Natural History Museum Maylim for Rathbone Square Blakedown Landscapes (SE) for Queen’s Square Frosts Landscape Construction for London Wall Place Horticon for Knowsley Safari Park Tiger Trail Community and Schools Development sponsored by Wyevale Nurseries Ground Control for Calverley Adventure Grounds Bowles & Wyer for Trauma Rehabilitation Courtyard, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Valley Provincial Group for Star Primary School LockWood Landscapes for Earlsfield Primary School Nature Playground Regeneration Scheme under £500k sponsored by Tim O’Hare Associates Landstruction for Wild Worlds Garden Festival Whiting Landscape for The Petwood Hotel Regeneration Scheme over £500k sponsored by MCM (SE) Endrick Landscapes for Structural Landscape Works P Casey (Land Reclamation) for Cliffe Castle Park Restoration Blakedown Landscapes (SE) for Hunstanton Heritage Gardens Ground Control for Elephant Park idverde for Project Pilgrim, Gloucester Cathedral Horticon for Knowsley Safari Park Tiger Trail

Grounds Maintenance – Free Public Access sponsored by Rigby Taylor idverde for Colchester Castle Park Greenfingers Landscape for Cae Glas Park Grounds Maintenance – Limited Public Access sponsored by Reesink Turfcare John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) for The Emergency Planning College, The Hawkhills Gavin Jones for Brompton Barracks Grounds Maintenance – Private, value under £50k Rob Flavell Landscapes for Glenmorangie HQ Roof Gardens including Butterfly Conservation Project Clifton Nurseries for Private Residence in Wentworth Grounds Maintenance – Private, value over £50k sponsored by ICL & Round Up Gavin Jones for Virginia Park BALI Registered Designers and Contractors Joint Submission sponsored by Easigrass John Nash MBALI and Buckland Landscapes for From Pit to Picture Louisa Bell MBALI and Esse Landscapes for Woodside

Adam White MBALI and LockWood Landscapes for Earlsfield Primary School Nature Playground Sports Grounds and Leisure Facilities Talbot Farm Landscapes for Regent’s Park Hybrid Pitch Blakedown Sport and Play for Archbishop Park Interior Landscape – Installation only Nurture Landscapes for Deluxe Media Interior Landscaping Planters Horticulture for Aprons & Hammers, La Mer Scotscape Landscaping for Asics Living Ceilings Interior Landscape – Maintenance only Nurture Landscapes for Milton Keynes Winter Gardens Green Roof Installations and Roof Gardens sponsored by Green-tree Topsoil idverde for The Chocolate Quarter, Bristol Total Protection (Landscaping) for Riverside Studios and Queen’s Wharf Garden Club London for Jam Factory Design Excellence Award, Overall scheme under £50k sponsored by Provender Nurseries Elaine Rutherford MBALI for Private Residence in Worsley

Design Excellence Award, Overall scheme between £50k-£125k Matt Nichol MBALI for Tranquil Cheshire Garden Design Excellence Award, Overall scheme over £125k sponsored by Ground Control Marian Boswall MBALI for Sussex Farmhouse John Nash MBALI for From Pit to Picture Patricia Fox MBALI for Viburnum Gate International Award sponsored by CED Stone Group Acre Landscapes for VillersBretonneux Australian National Memorial, Sir John Monash Centre Atelier DYJG for Zhuhai Garden Atelier DYJG for Yunyang Beach and Water Garden Tsinghua Holdings Human Settlements Environment Institute for Renascence Water Bank – Dounan Wetland Park Tsinghua Holdings Human Settlements Environment Institute for Recovery to Return – Dongdahe Wetland Park Ecoland Planning and Design Corp. for Laoximen (Old West Gate) – Urban Transformation Phase One, Changde, China Ecoland Planning and Design Corp. for Gu’an Central Park

Affiliate Exceptional Service sponsored by idverde Eljays44 London Stone Coregravel T/A Core Landscape Products Talasey Group Makita UK Employer Excellence – Turnover under £2.5 million Leicestershire Garden Design Company Urban Landscape Design Employer Excellence – Turnover over £2.5 million sponsored by Fresh Horticultural Careers Green-tech Harrod UK

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Ecoland Planning and Design Corp. for Bamboo Garden in Luxelakes Eco-City Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute for Landscape Design of Baotou Olympic Park Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute for Design for Children – Ya’an Panda Green Island Park Landscape Design Xiamen Urban Environment Design & Engineering Co for Meiren Park Xiamen Urban Environment Design & Engineering Co for Xiamen Garden, Petrispark, Trier

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DESIGNER FOCUS

Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD, designer of the GoLandscape garden.

Rosemary Coldstream wins Gold with her first Hampton Court show garden Award-winning BALI Registered Designer and board director Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD was the designer of the GoLandscape ‘Best of Both Worlds’ show garden, which united country and contemporary styles and brought home a Gold medal for Rosemary for her first show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

The garden design was created for an imaginary couple who share a love of gardening but have differing design tastes. Divided into two equal parts, one side displayed a more traditional country garden style in a palette of blues, purple and pinks, while the other had a distinctly contemporary feel with a fusion of green foliage and splashes of bold colour.

A row of pleached Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus) formed a clever dividing line between the two plots creating a ‘hedge on stilts’ that unified the space allowing for easy access and the chance for conversation between the gardens.

Describing her design, Rosemary said: “I have always been struck by how many couples have wildly contrasting tastes in gardens so I couldn’t resist the idea of creating two very different garden spaces in a single show garden that would literally offer the ‘best of both worlds’. Each garden area has its own distinct personality but they are also connected in a way that feels very natural and together they make something greater than the sum of their parts.

“Geometry plays a key role in defining the garden spaces, with circular forms, a rounded water feature and soft

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BALI Landscape News

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planting beds in the traditional half of the garden juxtaposing with the clean symmetrical lines of the sunken seating area and balanced seating zones in the contemporary plot.

“Each of the gardens has a prominent water feature, chosen to reflect the style of the space, complimented by carefully chosen hard landscaping materials to match each scheme.

In one half, reclaimed Yorkstone and warm-toned bricks, typical of a traditional English garden, surround an urn-shaped terracotta water feature, while in the other half, sawnedged granite pavers form a reflective pool and rectilinear seating area, complete with a contemporary fire table and modern sculpture.”

At the show, the opposing planting styles could be seen in each of the plots. In the traditional side, three multi-stem Crab Apples (Malus toringo) were selected for their natural look while fastigiate Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’) provided an architectural backdrop for the modern sculpture in the contemporary side of the garden.

At ground level, perennials and shrubs that were soft and a little unruly were utilised to give the feel of an English country garden in tones of soft pink,

Autumn 2018

white and blue. In contrast, clipped hedging lent a minimalist look, brightened with simple splashes of colour.

Commenting on the garden’s sponsorship by BALI and the RHS in support of the BALI GoLandscape careers initiative, Rosemary said: “As a Director of BALI it is a privilege to promote the GoLandscape campaign through my first show garden and take the opportunity to bring greater awareness of the wide range of rewarding career opportunities in the landscaping industry.” golandscape.co.uk rosemarycoldstream.com

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DESIGNER FOCUS

Singapore Garden Festival 2018

Kate Gould and team win Gold and ‘Best Outdoor Lighting’

Kate Gould MBALI with Mr Jimmy Ng (Implementing Partner, ISS Hydroculture Pte Ltd) and Minister Desmond Lee.

BALI Registered Designer Kate Gould MBALI, along with her two project managers Keith Chapman MBE and Colin Evans, travelled to Singapore on 8 July 2018 to begin building a show garden for the Landscape Garden category at the bi-annual Singapore Garden Festival.

Kate teamed up with implementing partner ISS Hydroculture, based in Singapore, to bring her design to reality with hard and soft landscaping. Work began on 10 July and judging took place ten days later.

pergola and pool added drama to a predominantly foliage-rich planting palette, which was grown in a soil-free hydro system to minimise mosquito breeding in small, confined residential spaces.

In her design, separate seating and lounging areas provided the residents with relaxing spaces. One area, over a calm pool, was covered by a lightweight pergola, shielding those using the garden from windows and balconies above, offering both privacy and shade.

This courtyard space was designed for the use of a community living in surrounding apartment blocks.

With no access to their own private gardens, residents could garden here in small numbers communally, or on their own. Showcasing relatively small raised beds at different heights and hanging planters allowed each area to be gardened individually as and when time permitted. The plants and moving water feature were lit for effect at night and some of the cushions were made from glow-in-the-dark fabric, which requires no electrical input and creates effect without light pollution.

Materials took their reference from the assumed building facade and were intended to be sturdy for year-round use and longevity. A green wall faced into the courtyard to break up the vertical hardscape whilst static and moveable screens allowed flexibility of use by opening up the space if desired.

Colourful highlights provided by the

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Autumn 2018

Speaking at the Festival, Kate Gould said: “I am so pleased and overwhelmed at the chance given to be a part of the Singapore Garden Festival and to be able do justice to the show. We are extremely lucky to have worked with such an amazing group of people who have made our experience, especially in the extreme weather conditions, so pleasant and to help bring the garden to life in such a short period of time. Each job and show that you complete you learn something from, but this one particularly so, as the planting palette is unique to its hot tropical environment. This garden has to be credited to the ISS team who shared their vast knowledge of tropical plants as well as the hydro culture planting system. We would also like to thank [BALI Registered Affiliate] Landscapeplus for assisting us with the lighting equipment used within the garden.” kategouldgardens.com

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DESIGNER FOCUS

A Highgate garden

case study

Completed earlier this year by BALI Registered Contractor Landscape Associates, this family garden in North London, designed by Gavin McWilliam MBALI and Andrew Wilson, picks up on the themes of play and leisure embodied in the original brief. In addition, the design had to incorporate a new parcel of land, unifying the spaces so they read as one garden.

The design focused on pleasure, delivering more open spaces for flexible use. The additional garden space was dedicated for play with an all-weather surface and free-standing wall to hit balls against.

The main terrace areas were retained close to the house and pool. A pond fed by a rill formed a visual link with the new swimming pool. Boulders run throughout the scheme to provide informal seats, diving plinths and sculptural forms integrating with the proposed planting. Crosland Hill stone was used for both the terraces and the boulders. These were hand-picked in Huddersfield and sawn to shape before being shipped to site and installed using a spider crane and some masterful scribing by the team.

Pleached Ligustrum hedging was used to deliver privacy and to create spatial

screening through the garden.

Clear thoroughfares are provided but secret alternatives were also introduced to allow for wider exploration of the garden, both by children and adults. The borders were designed with ornamental meadow-style planting, with informal and naturalistic planting including colourful and textural perennials and grasses. Specimen multistemmed Amelanchiers were installed to provide seasonal interest and to deliver a sense of privacy near the house.

A productive garden was incorporated alongside the garden office, and orchard planting using characterful reclaimed Orchard stock surrounds the play lawn with mass planting of Molinia caerulea subsp. caerulea ‘Heidebraut’ and Alium sphaerocephalon beneath.

Subtle lighting was included throughout to allow the garden to be used after

dark, either for extended play or for more social or recreational use.

The project was delivered within a very short timescale in conjunction with the house build. As such it was a feat of logistics by Landscape Associates in addition to a technical build. Limited access meant that everything had to be craned over the building and the wet weather at the start of this year made everything just that little but harder. The team persevered, however, and the end result speaks for itself. mcwilliamstudio.com landscapeassociates.co.uk

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BALI Landscape News

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DESIGNER FOCUS

Instant gardens

immediate impact and use If you have a project where you or your client are seeking immediate impact for private use or for selling a property, Patricia Fox MBALI and her design company Aralia have a wealth of experience designing and installing high impact, mature ‘instant gardens’ for architects, developers and private clients.

An average bespoke features such as outdoor garden can kitchens, outdoor bars and living walls take several years to to create that high impact look. fully develop after the initial build Aralia’s ‘Lutterworth Road’ project has and install process, which means included an outdoor fireplace, lounge waiting for trees, hedging and and cascading water feature, all of shrubs to mature. A growing trend in which will be ready for the clients in landscape design, and something that September. On a commercial level, Aralia has practised for years, is the Aralia completed a series of instant ‘instant garden’. Rather than waiting gardens at Chelsea Creek Dockside for gardens to mature and flourish, Houses, London, where they were growers can now provide fully mature commissioned by developers St specimens for expert installation for George to create luxury roof terrace an immediate finished look. Aralia’s gardens to complement and add own supply structure, comprising value to their penthouse apartments growers and suppliers who are currently under construction. Aralia experienced in this specialized area, designed the roof terraces, including enable Patricia Fox and her landscape readily matured green walls and architects to design mature gardens planters, ready for the apartments’ that can also incorporate optional Landscape-News-JCN-qtr-210818.qxp_Layout 1 23/08/2018 10:21 Page 1

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sale. Though instant gardens have higher install costs, they provide commercial value and bottom line profit. These St George penthouses were sold at the height of the recession yet in record time, much of which was put down to the instant gardens that completed the package.

Aralia’s recent ‘Viburnum Gate’ project, where the clients wanted their garden to be completed in time to serve as a showstopping backdrop for their upcoming party, has been awarded a 2018 BALI National Landscape Award for Design Excellence. Aralia worked to create the perfect design for the clients, also designing the garden with the idea of creating property value and appeal for potential buyers at the clients’ request. The design includes a bespoke water feature, sunken garden areas, contemporary dining areas and a living wall alongside the mature shrubbery, ensuring the garden was at its full impact for the party. aralia.org.uk

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EVENTS

Events Calendar 2018

29-30 September 12 October

Malvern Autumn Show, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire threecounties.co.uk/malvernautumn 2018 Perennial Festival Dinner, The Langham Hotel, Portland Place, London perennial.org.uk

31 Oct-1 November

SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham iogsaltex.com

15-17 November

The Skills Show, NEC, Birmingham worldskillsuk.org

20 November

FutureScape 2018, Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey futurescapeevent.com

7 December

BALI National Landscape Awards, Grosvenor House, London baliawards.co.uk

2019 22-24 January 23 January 27 February 5-7 March

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, Harrogate bigga.org.uk

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Futurebuild 2019, ExCel, London futurebuild.co.uk

12 March

FutureScape Spring 2019, Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey futurescapeevent.com

22 March

The Skills Show, NEC, Birmingham greenfingerscharity.org.uk/gardenreleaf

12-14 April

RHS Cardiff Flower Show, Bute Park, Cardiff rhs.org.uk/shows-events

25-28 April

Harrogate Spring Flower Show, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate flowershow.org.uk/spring-show-2019

Designing with Maintenance in Mind 18 October 2018, 4pm-7.30pm at Provender Nurseries, Swanley, Kent BALI members and non-members are invited to BALI Registered Affiliate Provender Nurseries in Swanley, Kent, for ‘Designing with Maintenance in Mind’. Led by an expert panel of distinguished garden designers and landscape contractors with a wealth of experience and knowledge, the discussion will commence around 5pm after refreshments and formal introductions. BALI members £15 + VAT, non-members £20 + VAT. Students studying industry-related courses FOC. Contact Emily Feeney on 024 7669 8658 to book.

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EVENTS

SALTEX 2018

The exhibition shaped by the industry When the 73rd SALTEX opens its doors at the NEC, Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November, visitors can look forward to a comprehensive product display spread over three large halls and an unrivalled opportunity to gain a great deal of expert knowledge through the extensive education programme of CPD accredited seminars.

The exhibition is free to attend and is the longest standing exhibition of its kind in the world, having been held almost every year since 1938. Over the years the event has brought the industry together to network, learn and view the latest innovations and each year the show’s organisers listen intently to feedback to ensure that the event continues to grow and meet the industry’s expectations.

This year over 300 exhibitors and some 9,000 visitors are expected to be in attendance at the NEC with plenty to offer professional landscapers, garden designers and landscape suppliers. The show floor will be bursting with everything a visitor needs to increase their efficiency and improve operations and will contain a plethora of exhibitors showcasing turf maintenance machinery, fertilizers, wetting agents, seeds, turf, aggregates and treatments, weed control, facilities management services, fencing and landscaping. Outdoor demonstrations will be taking place on a grass area directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8.

BALI has supported the event for many years and for SALTEX 2018 it will again have its own dedicated area – the BALI Zone - that promotes a level of excellence in quality that only comes from fully vetted landscape professionals and product and service suppliers. Green-tech, EverEdge, Boningale Nurseries, Makita UK, YMCA Training and British Sugar TOPSOIL have already confirmed their

presence and a number of other BALI Registered Affiliate members will be exhibiting elsewhere in the SALTEX halls.

As part of BALI’s involvement with SALTEX 2018, the association has invited two guest speakers to present two topical subjects. On Thursday 1 November at 10.40am, Dr David Greenshields of BALI Registered Affiliate member Barenburg will speak on the subject of breeding sustainable grass varieties, and Henry Bechelet, Technical Sales Manager for ICL Turf & Landscape, will be looking closely at the development of fertiliser technologies used in landscaping.

Henry’s session is currently scheduled for 31 October, with an exact time slot still to be confirmed at the time of writing. Both seminars are free to attend.

A new feature entitled Lawn Care Legends LIVE will offer fantastic networking opportunities. Lawn Care Legends, a Facebook group created in July 2016, is a thriving online community with over 3,000 worldwide active members. It is primarily a group for landscapers and gardeners to showcase their work and knowledge and ultimately support one another.

Now the Legends are coming to SALTEX. Group founder John Ryan says: “The event is open to everybody – the solo operator, the small to medium business owner, anyone who is following what manufacturers are doing, or following what their peers and colleagues within the industry are

doing. By bringing Lawn Care Legends LIVE to SALTEX, it creates a go-to event that people, not just members of Lawn Care Legends, can look forward to in connecting with other like-minded individuals.”

Elsewhere the Innovation Hub will feature interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations such as cordless/environmentally friendly equipment, robotics, GPS control machinery and pesticide alternatives and visitors will be able to listen to research and trial work findings.

There will be a number of education opportunities through Learning LIVE - SALTEX’s all-encompassing, free-toattend education programme. This takes place in four dedicated seminar theatres situated on the show floor and will feature a wide range of topics of interest to professional landscapers, garden designers and landscape suppliers.

Those looking to take the next step in their career can visit the Job Clinic located on the IOG Hub. Industry expert Frank Newberry will be hosting 15-minute one-to-one sessions to help with CV writing and interview techniques. Those keen to take advantage of Frank’s help are advised to book early by going to the IOG information desk on the IOG Hub to avoid disappointment. iogsaltex.com

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EVENTS

FutureScape 2018 set to be bigger and better than ever Over the years, FutureScape has continued to play a major role within the UK landscaping sector. The single day event last year had over 2,000 visitors and 200 different exhibiting companies and this year’s show, on Tuesday 20 November at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, promises to be even bigger with one of the largest gatherings of BALI Affiliate companies at any UK trade show.

This year’s new and exciting seminar programme and live events have been launched and registration online for your free ticket is now open.

There are few major changes this year; the entrance to the event has moved to Esher Hall (nearer to the car park), the equipment demonstration area is outside the Surrey Hall, and the Pro Landscaper Café will this year be in the sports bar. The Pro Landscaper theatre will be in the Esher Hall, which will also be packed with exhibitors.

The Surrey Hall will again host around 150 companies and the remaining seminar rooms are on the first floor – all this will be clearly signposted and communicated prior to the day. The seminars this year will have a strong focus on business advice and help with inspiration coming from the everpopular live debates.

FutureScape plays host to exhibitors from all aspects of the landscaping sector. It has the biggest collection of nurseries, paving suppliers, equipment manufacturers, service and other suppliers from a whole range of sectors. A full exhibitor list can be found on the website.

When registering for your free ticket, make sure to select the relevant seminars and live debates you wish to attend but don’t forget to leave some time to network, browse products on the exhibitor stands and of course visit the Pro Landscaper and BALI stands. futurescapeevent.com

2019 Palmstead Soft Landscape Workshop Wednesday 23 January, Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, Kent Plans are well underway for the 11th popular Palmstead Workshop where landscape professionals gather to discuss current topics and hear from experts in their field.

The 2019 event is looking at biophilia - the benefit that plants bring to our environment and to our sense of well-being. Although it has become something of a buzz word, in simple terms it’s saying ‘green is good’.

We’ll be asking if some green is better than others, especially in our urban spaces.

Successful gardens and landscapes are created and maintained by collaboration between the client, designer, contractor and supplier; we will also be looking at the key to successful collaboration across the landscape industry.

Our speaker panel includes: John Wyer, the landscape architect and ‘thinker’ behind the multi-award-winning landscape contractor Bowles and Wyer, will consider the collaboration needed to make things work and give his views on how planting in urban areas will have to compete with the demands of delivering housing for a growing population.

Adam White, recently elected President of the Landscape Institute, whose energy and enthusiasm wowed delegates at the last workshop, is returning to report on cross-industry collaboration and the representations being made on its behalf.

John Adlam of horticultural consultancy Dove Associates will discuss the shape of UK horticulture in the light of Brexit, covering changes and predictions about pesticides, glyphosate, plastics, growing media and biosecurity.

Palmstead is in discussion with several other speakers to incorporate design and to disseminate relevant scientific research on planting. Several selected and respected industry suppliers will be exhibiting and giving short technical presentations.

Delegate booking will open online at palmstead.co.uk before the end of September. The delegate fee for this informative and renowned networking event is great value at £36 + VAT.

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CHARITIES

Perennial bursaries and budgeting tool offer a helping hand As the cost of living continues to rise more quickly than real wages, more and more people in the landscape sector are finding their income squeezed and are unable to put money by for savings or emergencies. Perennial has introduced two new initiatives to help ease some of that financial pressure.

Child Bursary scheme For those that need help funding their children’s educational needs, Perennial has launched a new Child Bursary scheme.

It is designed to ensure children are not missing out on educational opportunities if their parents cannot afford them.

This might include funding for equipment such as laptops, tablets or other electronic equipment essential for school use, extra curricula activities, sports equipment and school trips.

This type of grant can also help those struggling with the extra cost of school meals and feeding their children during the school holidays.

Alison*, a self-employed gardener and her husband Stuart*, who works at a garden centre, have two school-aged children.

Their take home pay has not increased for several years but all of their bills have continued to rise. After a cold winter when Alison had been out of work for a period, they were really struggling to pay their bills. They contacted Perennial who were not only able to provide advice and assistance but

immediately credited school lunches for the children for a half term and paid for a school trip for one child from the Child Bursary scheme.

Budgeting tool The other new initiative from Perennial is a new budgeting tool to help people manage their money. It is available via to use on the Perennial website, completely confidentially.

People can use it anonymously or register to allow them to revisit their budget at any time. This comes as part of Perennial’s move to work with people to help them better plan their finances and avoid reaching crisis. Those with urgent debt issues, however, can still seek help from Perennial’s qualified debt advisers. Perennial also offers direct financial help in some circumstances, including help for spouses or partners and dependent children. Find out more at perennial.org.uk * Names have been changed

Perennial changes venue for revived Festival Dinner Following a fire earlier this year at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kensington, London, Perennial has announced a change of venue for its revived annual Festival Dinner. The event will now take place at The Langham Hotel, the celebrated luxury 5-star hotel on Portland Place, near Oxford Circus in central London and will be hosted by James Alexander Sinclair. Tickets cost £150 each and are available individually or in tables of ten.

Chris Crooker, Events Manager at Perennial, says: “Although the Ballroom of the hotel wasn’t directly affected by the fire, damage elsewhere has impacted crucial utilities and the hotel’s management has deemed it impossible to host an event of this size.

They have been incredibly supportive in helping us secure an alternative venue and we are thrilled that the Langham was available.”

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The 2018 Perennial Festival Dinner, which is sponsored by the London College of Garden Design (LCGD) and the Landscape Show, promises to be a fantastic evening of fundraising, with the help of partners and supporters from across the industry. Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Director of the LCGD, says: “We are thrilled to be supporting the revival of a great Perennial tradition and know that money raised from ticket sales, and on the night, will help this wonderful charity continue to offer its essential welfare services, which are needed by horticulturists of every profession today more than ever.”

An auction will take place, presided over by Andrew and by Jeremy Storey Walker, with a host of fabulous lots to bid for on the night. perennial.org.uk/events/festivaldinner-2018/

Autumn 2018

Anna Baker Cresswell

Erratum – HighGround article, Landscape News, summer 2018 edition The image of Anna Baker Cresswell, Development Director of the charity HighGround, which accompanied the article on page 42 of the summer 2018 edition of BALI Landscape News was, in fact, an image of Carol Sales, the charity’s former horticultural therapist at Headley Court.

We apologise unreservedly for the error and are delighted to now include the correct image of Anna. For information on HighGround and its work, visit highground-uk.org

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

BALI Registered Affiliate member Talasey Group has been named Official Training Supplier for the UK Landscape Gardening Team at WorldSkills 2019 in Kazan, southwest Russia.

Talasey Group named Official Training Supplier for WorldSkills Team UK

Talasey’s Group Sales and Marketing Director, Malcom Gough, commented: “We are very proud to be sponsoring and training the UK Landscaping Team for the WorldSkills 2019 competition and sharing our wealth of industry knowledge and experience with young talent to improve the future of the UK’s landscaping industry.”

Being named Official Training Supplier for Team UK for the first time marks the diversification and development that Talasey Group, formally known as Natural Paving, has undergone over recent years and reflects the company’s commitment to quality and excellent customer service within the landscaping industry.

careers worldwide. The 2019 competition in Kazan will bring together participants from over seventy countries, competing in over fifty skills. The UK will compete in over thirty different skill areas at the competition, from landscape gardening through to engineering.

Through its sponsorship Talasey Group hopes to inspire more young people to take up apprenticeships and technical education and the company will use its industryleading expertise to accelerate their personal and professional development. talasey.co.uk

WorldSkills is a global hub for talent and development in vocational, technological and service-orientated

H2Pro key to Lansdowne’s moisture management programme The Lansdowne course at Blairgowrie Golf Club in Perthshire has seen huge benefits since using a range of H2Pro moisture management products from BALI Registered Affiliate member ICL, according to Course Manager Craig Stewart.

Craig is the man responsible for maintaining the magnificent championship course and has six full-time staff with two seasonal workers alongside him.

As a long-term user of ICL products Craig first started applying the H2Pro range of products five years ago after a successful trial: “Essentially, our aim was to keep the surface and

the profile dry on the greens and approaches throughout winter. We tried a few products and then Jamie Lees (ICL Technical Area Sales Manager, Scotland) suggested trialing H2Pro TriSmart. We trialed it for two months in the middle of that summer, saw great results and we just carried on from there. I like the fact that you can go from TriSmart to FlowSmart carrying on the moisture management programme all through the year.”

Craig first applies H2ProTriSmart in April at a rate of 10L/ha. He continues with monthly applications before switching to H2Pro FlowSmart in September or October depending on the weather conditions.

“As soon as the weather begins to change and it turns a bit cooler then we know that it is time to switch to FlowSmart. We then use that for as long as it’s needed just to pull the moisture through the surface and the profile to dry the greens out. It is such a flexible programme and you can tailor it to your everyday conditions rather than having a fixed plan. If we

Blairgowrie Golf Course

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Autumn 2018

get a wet spring or summer then we use FlowSmart until it starts to dry up a bit and then we switch back over to TriSmart, but it can work both ways.

“We’ve also noticed a big reduction in irrigation and hand watering. Since using H2Pro TriSmart we very seldom use another wetting agent because, quite simply, we have no need to. It is labour saving because we no longer have guys out with hoses looking for dry patches on the greens and, of course, we are saving money on water usage too.”

The H2Pro range of products are not the only ICL products that Craig uses and he gave his reasons why the company plays such big role in his maintenance procedures: “The majority of the products we use at Lansdowne are from ICL. Jamie helps me put a programme together every year and if we ever have any problems then he is always around for support. From a technical point of view, I just cannot fault the advice I get.

“We know the amount of money and research that goes into their products and I think that gives you confidence.

Every product is consistently good. For example, when we get a bag of fertilizer from ICL we know exactly what we are getting - it is always consistent.” icl-sf.co.uk

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

TIM O’HARE IN DEMAND FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Soil and landscape consultant Tim O’Hare, Principal Consultant at BALI Registered Affiliate member Tim O’Hare Associates (TOHA), is in demand to talk at symposia at home and abroad.

In September Tim will speak to delegates at the Arboricultural Association’s 52nd National Amenity Conference: Soils and Trees - Standing your Ground, at the University of Exeter. Tim’s presentation, ‘Technical soil challenges for tree planting in urban environments’, will feature in the ‘Rural into Urban – Effective Planning’ session.

which, at the time, was the largest regeneration project ever attempted in the UK. It remains an exemplar of how early involvement by soil scientists at the design stage and a coordinated approach between disciplines throughout the implementation and maintenance periods can deliver schemes that stand the test of time.

Tim has also been invited by Soils Science Australia to be a keynote speaker at the National Soils Conference in Canberra this November, when he will give a talk on Urban Soils in Practice: The Olympic Park Soil Strategy. TOHA was responsible for the design and implementation of the soil strategy for the Olympic Park,

No stranger to the conference platform, Tim is currently finalising plans for his own highly successful soils conference SoilsCon, which returns to Phyllis Court, Henley-on-Thames in October 2019. Full information on the theme and speakers will be published in the New Year. toha.co.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

case study

Research confirms younger, thinner-cut turf is the future Independent research by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) has underlined the credentials of younger, thinner-cut turf for its ability to root more quickly and vigorously than the traditional older, thicker-cut product, allowing faster establishment and a healthier and more attractive lawn.

The research comprised two trials conducted at the STRI headquarters in Bingley, West Yorkshire, in autumn 2017. The outdoor field trial saw the laying of both younger, thinner-cut Rolawn Medallion turf and older, thicker-cut Medallion turf side by side for fifty days. After just twenty days the younger, thinnercut turf showed deeper, denser and more vigorous rooting compared to the older cut turf. Surface appearance was also better throughout the trial, with its NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) score - a measure of turf health and quality - consistently higher throughout the fifty days of being laid.

STRI Research Manager Dr Tom Young commented: “Initial visual appearance of the younger, thinner turf was superior to the older turf, with this effect lasting at least twenty days after laying.

Furthermore, in the outdoor trial, rooting in the younger turf plots was more vigorous and dense compared to the older turf.”

The second trial went on to further confirm the notion of quicker, denser root growth for younger, thinner-cut turf. Samples of both were put side by side in the STRI’s rhizotron, a controlled environmental chamber, to view root growth over time under LED lights.

Almost immediately the younger, thinner-cut turf rooted more quickly

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and densely and continued to do so consistently throughout the two-week trial.

The unanimous findings of both STRI trials are also reinforced by several pieces of research going back as far as the sixties, which showed that younger, thinner turf displays better rooting capabilities, and that young roots are more likely to regrow after harvesting.

As the UK’s leading producer of high quality cultivated grass turf, with sales of over 165 million rolls in its more than forty year history, BALI Registered Affiliate member Rolawn now has scientific evidence to prove that focusing on a younger, thinner-cut turf, which is technically superior because of accelerated root establishment, is the future. This enables the turf to have increased adaptability with greater suitability for the wide range of growing conditions found across the UK. The move to the younger, thinner product was prompted by the company’s constant consideration for the elements that influence the market.

These include the steady withdrawal of certain approved herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and fungicides; the amplified extremes in weather patterns impacting both turf cultivation and the stress put on lawns; the need for customers to have technically superior product; and increased consideration for our environment and our impact upon it.

Customer feedback has further underlined the merits of younger, thinner-cut turf, with Rolawn seeing its already excellent customer satisfaction levels improved since the product’s introduction. Rolawn believes its Medallion turf to be probably the most healthy, adaptable and flexible turf on the market, whilst retaining its already well-known light weight and ease of laying, giving improved performance with better lawns useable within shorter time frames.

Autumn 2018

Younger, thinner turf does have the capacity to be more active and this is an important element in why turf is so highly perishable once harvested.

Active grass plants produce respiration gases that increase perishability, and this is where Rolawn’s holistic and planned approach to turf production kicks in. Introduced in 2014, Rolawn’s unique patented Profresh® system uses advanced techniques that extend the shelf life of its turf by up to three or four times within commercially viable constraints.

Paul Dawson, Rolawn’s Managing Director, commented: “The research and a time lapse video completed by the STRI once again show how we think ahead as a company. We have worked to develop a turf product that addresses the issues we face going forwards whilst giving customers a technically improved product better able to deal with issues such as more extreme weather patterns. We feel a heightened concern and sense of responsibility from consumers for where and how products are manufactured; modern Medallion harvested younger and thinner is a challenge that has taken years to develop but has addressed those concerns. The key is better lawns, more easily established with increased adaptability to individual on-site growing conditions, produced in a more environmentally sympathetic way due to a reduction in inputs.”

The research results are clear for all to see in the time-lapse video produced by the STRI where Dr Tom Young shows and explains the difference in the rooting characteristics of younger, thinner-cut turf versus older, thicker-cut turf. This can be viewed on the Rolawn website or YouTube channel. rolawn.co.uk/rolawn-tv/benefits-ofyounger-thinner-cut-turf

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

New amenity website from Germinal BALI Registered Affiliate member Germinal has announced the launch of a brand new, amenityspecific, website aimed at making it easier for landscape architects, specifiers, and sports turf professionals to get the very best results from their amenity spaces. germinalamenity.com – the new website, contains all the information landscape architects and turf professionals need to optimise the performance of their amenity facilities.

It includes complete specifications and usage guides for Germinal’s Grade ‘A’ range of landscaping and sports grass seed mixtures as well as full details of its grass and wildflower landscaping mixtures for everything from low maintenance reclaimed land to saline road verges, shaded habitats, fine lawns and an array of natural habitats.

All product details can be easily cut and pasted into external documents, making it simple for landscape architects to insert them directly into the appropriate project specification.

and video resources covering a range of useful topics, from simple overseeding and sowing ‘how-to’ guides, to more detailed explanations of the importance of key success factors such as soil pH, the use and application of macro and micro nutrients, and how to physically manage recently renovated and established swards and amenity landscapes.”

“As well as constantly investing in research and development to bring first class grass and wildflower seeds and turf care products to the landscaping and sports turf sectors, we are also conscious of the constant need to provide the industry with the latest news and advice,” explains Richard Brown, Germinal Amenity Sales Manager. “Our popular range of ‘Grade A’ grass seed mixtures is always evolving to ensure our sports and landscaping-specific products remain the best available. The new website has therefore been developed to make it easier for new and existing customers to keep abreast of our developing range of products and to enable them to specify the most appropriate products to suit each site’s individual requirements.

The new website also features a ‘Product Selector’ tool, which has been designed to make it as easy and simple as possible for landscape architects to find the most appropriate products for each project’s specific needs. “As well as our extensive Grade ‘A’ range of landscaping specific grass seed mixtures, our portfolio also includes a wide range of ‘Regional Environmental’ and ‘General Landscaping’ wildflower mixtures. These products, which contain only the very best quality grass and wild flower seeds – including an extensive selection of 100% native species – enable landscape architects to choose the most appropriate wild flower and/or grass seed mixtures to suit their

“We’ve also populated the new website with a collection of advice guides

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The website also contains a selection of standardised fertiliser plans – written and designed by Germinal’s FACTS (Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme) qualified experts – to enable everyone from novice gardeners to professional turf growers to get the best results from their amenity facilities.

Autumn 2018

specific project,” Richard Brown adds, “With such a wide variety of options to choose from, however, specifying the right products for each individual project can often be a time-consuming and, at times, confusing process. We’ve therefore developed an interactive configurator tool, which streamlines the process and makes it fast and simple for landscape architects to select the best products for each project. And, just as before, any orders placed before 2pm will be shipped and delivered the next working day.”

A new section, which contains details of a range of CPD resources and seminars, has also been added: landscape architects and specifiers can contact their local Germinal technical specialist who will be happy to visit them to provide more detail on a range of topics, such as how to establish and maintain wildflowers, and understanding the latest plant nutrition protocols. germinalamenity.com

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Website video shines spotlight on British Sugar TOPSOIL A new three minute video explaining the origin of British Sugar TOPSOIL products, the manufacturing process, and the stringent analysis and testing the products undergo, is now available on the company’s recently re-launched website at bstopsoil.co.uk.

Commissioned by National TOPSOIL Manager Andy Spetch, who provides the voice-over and who appears in the film alongside some of his TOPSOIL colleagues, the video gives a unique bird’s eye view of parent company British Sugar’s Wissington sugar factory in Norfolk and contains fascinating aerial footage of the lagoons that capture the prime arable soils washed off the sugar beet after it arrives at British Sugar’s factories. The video also shows how the soil is excavated from the settlement lagoons and dried before being screened and blended to produce British Standard topsoil, which is used in TOPSOIL’s award-winning products, including Landscape20 general purpose topsoil, HortLoam enriched planting soil, LawnDressing and Sports&Turf topdressing.

Andy hopes the video will educate and inform specifiers, designers and contractors who may not be aware of how British Sugar TOPSOIL obtains its soil or the process and stringent analysis and testing it goes through to create the products that are used by landscaping, amenity and sports turf professionals.

Filming took place in June, taking full advantage of the beautiful early summer weather, and used drone technology to capture the incredibly crisp aerial footage of the Wissington factory and the machinery used to dredge the lagoons and spread the soil for drying. Andy found the whole filming process fascinating and is delighted with the result: “Once we’d launched our new-look website it was obvious that we needed to create content that would complement it and give customers another reason to visit. The video explains in a nutshell who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why professionals should use TOPSOIL products. It also signposts our online product calculator, which is a really useful tool for working out product volumes.

“I’m not a natural performer but as I’ve been involved with British Sugar TOPSOIL from the very start, over twenty years ago, I was persuaded that I ought to be the one fronting it and communicating the passion the whole team has for the business.

I hope I’ve managed to do that, and given some of my customers and industry colleagues a bit of a laugh at the same time! I certainly won’t be applying for an Equity card just yet.”

To view the video visit bstopsoil.co.uk and click on the link on the Home page.

National TOPSOIL Manager Andy Spetch talking to camera in the new video

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS Taking Landscaping to the Next Level

VersiWall GP at Garnteg Primary School in Wales

The Urban Flow garden at RHS Chelsea 2018

VersiWall living wall system helps Armed Forces charity Dot-Pot, a division of BALI Registered Affiliate member Hy-Tex UK Ltd, specialise in modular vertical gardens and green roof systems. They offer unique innovative designs that suit all demands and budgets. Their new living wall product, VersiWall GP, has become extremely popular and has featured in numerous diverse projects in 2018.

Dot-Pot donated £2,000 worth of the VersiWall GP product to Armed Forces charity, Shoulder to Soldier.

The charity, based in Warrington, has a community allotment for veterans and has always struggled to accommodate disabled veterans when it comes to getting them involved with gardening at low levels.

With the VersiWall, however, they can now participate as the living wall can be at a height that is optimal for their needs.

Peter, a member of the charity and an amputee, praised the product for its uniqueness: ‘’I was so overwhelmed when Dot-Pot offered us this product. It will allow me to contribute to the allotment rather than just watching the other lads do all the work. As it is so simple to use and can be at a height ideal for me, it means I can do my planting of the pots in the shed and then transfer them onto the wall on my own without hurting myself. It’s an amazing feeling to know I can do something independently when it comes to gardening; it will improve my mental health and general well-being significantly as I will now be able to work just as hard as the others.’’

VersiWall GP was also used at Garnteg Primary School in Wales.

The school decided the

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product was the perfect fit as they wanted the pupils to reconnect with nature by transforming a concrete retaining wall that was situated immediately outside the classroom windows. It meant that an unsightly part of the school was converted into a visually stunning living wall showpiece. In addition to being extremely eye-catching it is also used for educational purposes as the pupils have been actively participating in growing edibles in the trays and then easily placing them on the wall. The feedback from the school highlighted how hugely beneficial it was for the children to get involved with nature and be outdoors together contributing to the construction of the living wall.

Back in May the product appeared at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. An edible living wall was created by awardwinning BALI Registered Contractor Garden Club London who used the VersiWall system as part of ‘The Urban Flow Garden’, which won a coveted RHS Gold medal and the Best Space to Grow accolade. Its creator, Tony Woods MBALI MSGD, director of Garden Club London approached Dot-Pot wanting to use their vertical wall tray as part of the show garden as he could see how versatile and easy it would be to use. In the event the company found the system very simple to install and they were able to create their stunning vision of an edible living wall very quickly. dot-pot.co.uk hy-tex.co.uk

Autumn 2018

Introducing How Green Nursery Motivated to set himself up in the garden nursery business, Tim Sutcliffe moved his young family to How Green Lane, Hever, near Edenbridge back in 1982. Starting from scratch and with (not inconsiderable!) help from his wife, Jenny, Tim went about building up trade whilst simultaneously constructing a house and creating a nursery business across a five acre site.

Over the years Tim and Jenny encouraged their son, Simon, and with his passion for all things horticultural it became a natural progression for the family business to pass from father to son. As time has moved on the nursery has grown and evolved and today provides a large range of perennials, shrubs and trees, supplying plants for landscape contractors, historic houses and gardens.

One client base Simon is keen to grow is garden designers. With clients such as award-winning designers Marian Boswall, Nic Howard and Jo Thompson, Simon has developed a keen understanding for the discerning designer and is intent on stream-lining How Green’s palette to support their ever-changing requirements. Simon’s vision is to provide quality plants at affordable prices, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all How Green clients, and looks forward to welcoming BALI members to the nursery, which is just 15 minutes from Junction 6 of the M25. howgreennursery.co.uk

Adam Dunnett leaves Wyevale Nurseries for new challenge Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director of BALI Registered Affiliate member Wyevale Nurseries, has left the company to take on a new challenge at Hillier Nurseries in Hampshire.

ECO-FRIENDLY DECKING HELPS FIGHT WAR ON PLASTIC

Andy Johnson, Managing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We would very much like to thank Adam for his contribution to the company during the past four and a half years. He joined us at a time of significant change as we restructured the company and he contributed in helping us with rebranding and repositioning the business within both the amenity and retail sectors.

Composite Prime® says demand for its decking range, made from the latest composite technology, has soared as consumers shun plastic. With around eight million tons of plastic polluting the Earth’s oceans every year, the race to protect marine life and fragile corals is growing ever more urgent every day.

Playing a part in tackling this challenge is one of the key priorities for new BALI Registered Affiliate member Composite Prime Ltd, a Yorkshirebased, eco-friendly decking firm.

Composite Prime’s concern for the environment is an ethos shared by employees who are passionately committed to tackling dangerous environmental changes both globally, and locally. This priority is reflected in the company’s work processes and the results can be seen in its composite decking range, which is attracting growing interest.

The company’s HD Deck ® Dual and HD Deck ® XS products combine FSC® 100% certified hardwood timber from well-managed, sustainable sources, and recycled plastics, seen as a crucial consideration in the current global campaign to reduce plastic waste. Composite Prime takes great pride in its environmental credentials - using sustainable friendly materials throughout the manufacturing processes of its entire range of decking products.

One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world — and that number will top half a trillion by 2021. Less than half of those bottles are recycled. In the last six months alone, Composite Prime has saved the equivalent of 9,520,000 plastic milk bottles from landfill and recycled the

equivalent of 121,500,000 plastic bottle caps.

Starting from scratch just two years ago, Composite Prime® now has over seventy stockists nationwide and has seen business performance double in the last twelve months. Sales Director Charles Taylor says: “Our entire ethos is centred around a range of products that offer low maintenance and long life, are socially responsible and kind to the environment, safe and child-friendly. Not only is our slip-free composite decking comfortable to walk on barefoot but it’s also naturally splinter-free.

“Adam has helped build-up a really strong, capable team and we are completely confident that they will pick-up his workload in the short-term while we continue to take the business forward and appoint a successor. We have built great momentum in developing our product range and service in the amenity and retail sectors and this process will continue in the year ahead.”

“Sustainability is a by-word. Both stockists and end-users have the satisfaction of knowing that they are selling and buying a product that’s great for the environment. Consumers are increasingly switching to composite materials instead of plastic and as global challenges around plastic waste and the ability to plant forests to meet future timber demands increase, composite provides a sustainable and genuine alternative to timber. There has been extraordinary growth and very positive feedback in the last twelve months alone, which suggests there is enormous potential for expansion into other sectors.”

Adam explained: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Wyevale Nurseries and we’ve seen lots of positive developments throughout the business. I feel now is the right time to move on to a new challenge. I leave knowing that the team will continue to go from strength-to-strength. There are exciting times ahead.”

composite-prime.com

wyevale-nurseries.co.uk

Autumn 2018

Andy added: “We would like to wish Adam the best of luck for the future. He has been an asset to our company and a dedicated member of our team, and on a personal note, he will be missed.”

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Steve Green (left) and Andrew Green

Revolutionary drainage system reduces pitch misery Wandsworth Council’s perennial misery of cancelled football games due to waterlogged playing surfaces on its Wandsworth Common pitches could soon be a distant memory. The revolutionary, non-obtrusive Groundwater Dynamics system – based on the use of vertical plastic pipes (EGRP) that draw in excess water horizontally – is being trialled on three of the most troublesome of the council’s seven winter pitches and, depending on their success, the system could be extended across more of the 96 winter pitches that are under the borough’s care.

Steve Green, who is the Principal Parks Officer – Operations for Enable Leisure and Sport, the organisation that delivers Wandsworth Council’s leisure services, explains: “Being on a clay base these pitches are forever flooding whenever we have excess rain and while the installation of traditional drainage would have been cheaper by up to around 20%, we wouldn’t be allowed by Thames Water to link the new drains to surface water outlets [storm drains and sewers, for example].

This alternative system not only means the water can be dealt with ‘at source’ but also that current infiltration rates can be increased by at least seven times [in some cases far higher]. And the installation hardly impacts surface appearance - indeed, looking at the work, I reckon we could easily play on the pitches within hours of installation.

In addition, the system will last over 25 years with regular vertidraining and earthquaking [twice per annum for each operation].”

The system – which is suitable for all soil types and is in use on a number of sports surfaces, including at Edgbaston Cricket Club – was installed on the Wandsworth Common pitches by

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BALI Landscape News

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drilling a series of bore holes in a grid pattern across the playing surfaces.

Central rows of 3m deep holes (of 89mm diameter) are flanked by 1.5m deep holes of 62mm diameter, at 1.5m spacings. The sequence was repeated at every 5m along the length of each pitch. There are also adjacent bores to depths of 6m and 12m.

Each borehole accommodates an Energy-passive Ground water Recharge Pump (EGRP) pipe, the top of which sits 300mm below the surface. The hole is then simply ‘plugged’ and top-dressed. The innovative five-chamber EGRP design with its mild vacuum draws in water horizontally (to the deeper 89mm diameter EGRP pipe) and this then drains away into the lower unsaturated strata/water table.

“We have a myriad of users including private schools, academy squads as well as local teams using these pitches, which are among the 1,600 acres of open space we maintain,” adds Steve. “The winter pitches are booked for seven days each week, so any cancellations always create headaches – and disappointed players!

Autumn 2018

A series of bore holes are drilled in a grid pattern to receive the EGRP pipes

“We started to investigate possible solutions and having such a good relationship with Rigby Taylor, from which we source (via idverde) a lot of products, including R14 perennial rye grass seed, which we use across all the pitches, as well as selective herbicides, fertilisers, aggregates and topdressings – the Groundwater Dynamics’ system was presented.

“We looked at the system in use at a football training ground (Fulham FC’s) and on a rugby pitch (in Bushy Park, Hampton Court) and spoke to the groundsmen there before going ahead with the trial.”

Steve has been with the council for 38 years and includes cemeteries, litter clearance and buildings maintenance in his remit, which embraces the management of three direct staff and around 100 indirect.

He and colleague Andrew Green, who oversees and manages the council’s wide range sports surfaces, both agree that the former methods of earthquaking and vertidraining couldn’t cope with the waterlogging caused by severe rainfall.

“Nowadays,” says Andrew, “extremes of weather are becoming more common, but we’re totally confident that this new system of drainage will go a long way in reducing a problem we’ve had for years on these pitches.” rigbytaylor.com

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Left to right: Stoke CBD, Nottingham Trent Uni, Southwater One, Telford

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21/08/2018 10:54