Horticulture Connected Winter Volume 4 Issue 3

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

Winter 2017

News, analysis and trends in landscape, garden retail & edible horticulture

NO REGRETS

INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP MOREAU

GROWTH IN FRESH PRODUCE

MIKE NEARY RESEARCH INTO CONSUMER ATTITUDES

CENTRING THE FRINGE

BLOOMFRINGE TEAM ON HORTICULTURE, ART & COMMUNITY

Volume 4 Issue 3

Price: €12 ROI, £10 GBP

Nangle&Niesen wholesale nursery

Irish grown mature & semi-mature trees

c: 64

c: 44

Font: Agenda

5 REASONS TO MAKE NANGLE & NIESEN YOUR

FIRST CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO SOURCING TREES Quality - We pride ourselves on the quality of our trees and operate to the highest horticultural standards. We operate rigorous quality control systems throughout every stage of the growing process.

Range - Over 40,000 trees with more than 200 varieties to choose from including a large stock of mature and semi mature trees.

Experience - A history of over 40 years of growing and supplying trees provides a wealth of knowledge and experience unsurpassed in Ireland.

Reliability - Our proven track record means we can be trusted to give the best advise and service.

Price - All of the above allied to competitive prices and great value.

www.nangleandniesen.ie Rathcullen, Aherla, Cork Tel: 021-733 1126 l Fax: 021-733 1663 l Email: info@nangleandniesen.ie 2

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

EDITOR'S LETTER

SEND

EDITOR BARRY LUPTON

REINFORCEMENTS

I

©SERGII PATALAKHA/123RF.COM

often wonder if people of the previous generation simply had more time on their hands. They built our industry from scratch. They created associations, professional bodies, institutions, cooperatives, they built trade links, infrastructure, wholesale operations, retail outlets and everything in between, and they still managed to raise their families, pursue interests and find time for a few pints. Where did they get the time, or the 4, m: 23, y: 90, k: 41 motivation for that matter?

I worry that the spirit of the previous generation has dissipated. I attend meetings for industry groups and the 4, m: 16, y: 90, k:next 0 generation is notable in its absence. In fact, the attendees are largely made up of the previous generation, who, despite years of setbacks, continue to input for the greater good. a-Light Where is the next generation? Aren’t they interested in developing their sector? Why aren’t they participating in the working groups, or starting their own? Where are the bold and the brave, the visionaries willing to take up the mantle from those who made something from nothing? Has the increasingly relentless nature of our commercial environment stolen a generation of altruism? Perhaps we’re simply becoming more selfinvolved, far too busy? Maybe work is just too busy and the pressure of finances and home life just don’t allow for extra-sector activities? I suspect the truth is in there somewhere. Unfortunately, time waits for no man, or woman, or…I’m not up to speed on correct gender terminology, but you get the point. We need new blood, new ideas, new energy and a commitment stronger than that of the previous generation.

Our industry faces unprecedented threats relating to climate, the environment, global economics, changing consumer behaviour, disease and perhaps most

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

News, Analysis and Trends In Landscape, Garden Retail & Edible Horticulture

HorticultureConnected.ie

for daily news updates

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

Winter 2017

News, analysis and trends in landscape, garden retail & edible horticulture

NO REGRETS

INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP MOREAU

GROWTH IN FRESH PRODUCE

MIKE NEARY RESEARCH INTO CONSUMER ATTITUDES

CENTRING THE FRINGE

BLOOMFRINGE TEAM ON HORTICULTURE, ART & COMMUNITY

Volume 4 Issue 3

Price: €12 ROI, £10 GBP

Unit 3, CTEK Building Riverside Rd, Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Ireland +353 (0)42 966 3532

significantly, from its disjointed structure. Despite our small size, we still cannot unite under one professional umbrella. As was demonstrated after the freezing winters, storm and disease damage, we have no single voice looking out for our needs. Our sector has paid a huge price.

If you are a young horticultural professional, I urge you to become active in the trade, join professional bodies, volunteer, participate and make things happen. If you find yourself in ten years’ time wondering why the industry is disseminated, it won’t be down to the generation that came before you.

I am delighted that the team behind Bloom Fringe has joined the HC contributor team. For me they represent much of where our sustainable futures lies.

They are creative, collaborative, passionate, energetic, hard working, willing to fail and most of all, they get off their arses and make stuff happen: we all need a little BloomFringe passion. I am also delighted to have interviewed Philip Moreau, who despite having lost his hugely successful business, remains as positive and committed to change as always.

In this issue we also feature commentary from Terry O’Regan, insight into retail trends from Liam Kelly, and Colm Kenny shares his experience of using subcontractors.

Eamonn Kehoe and Andy Whelton bring us up to speed on important peony and strawberry research in Kildalton; John Mulhern and Rachel Freeman reflect on the academic year so far, and Drs Darach Lupton and Noleen Smyth share their thoughts on widening horticultural perspectives. Also in this issue, Neville Stein reports in from the recent study tour, Donall Flanagan details the potential impacts of Xyella and Stiofan Nutty brings us up to speed with the latest from the Horticultural Trade Forum. ✽

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

News, Analysis and Trends

Editor: Barry Lupton Printers: Turners Printing In Landscape, Garden Retail & Edible Horticulture editor@horticulture.ie Print Run: 3,500 copies News Editor & Advertising: Joseph Blair joseph@horticulture.ie - 087 921 2044 Distribution: Readership of 10,000 across Creative Director: Tanya Gilsenan Ireland to businesses and professionals in tanya@horticulture.ie the following sectors: Editorial Assistant: Koraley Northen Landscape Architects / Garden Retail / Sales & Subscriptions: Florists / Nurseries / Greenkeepers / Anne Marie Browne Sports Surfaces / Local Authorities & annemarie@horticulture.ie Parks Departments / Machinery / Emma Blair / emma@horticulture.ie Education / Edible Horticulture Cover image: Vladimir Kishko/123rf.com Publishers: Horticulture Connected Ltd HorticultureConnected.ie Photos: Koraley Northen & Joseph Blair

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

1

CONTENTS

CONTENTS NEWS

03

Storm Ophelia & Hhorticulture News

EVENTS 08 H orticulture trade events BORD BIA

10 All the latest news from Bord Bia

INSIGHT

26 P LASTIC BLACKBIRD CATCHES PLASTIC WORM Terry O’Regan explores how the National landscape Strategy can be brought back to earth

RESEARCH

28 P EONIES MIGHT MAKE THE CUT Andy Whelton, explores the potential for Peonies for the cut flower sector emerging from current applied research work being undertaken at Kildalton College on the crop

TEAGASC 12

All the latest news from Teagasc

RETAIL

EDUCATION 14 O N TREND 30 C ULTIVATING A WIDER PERSPECTIVE Liam Kelly disseminates the recent Red C report on Two of Ireland's foremost botanical experts, Dr Noeleen Smyth and Dr Darach Lupton share their global plant journeys so that Ireland’s next generation of plant lovers might broaden their perspectives

Irish gardening trends into tangible actions

16 W HAT’S HOT? Two of Ireland’s leading plant sellers, Niamh Tully of Tully Nurseries and John Miland of Miland’s Garden Centre, shre their thoughts on current plant trends

33 LEARNING STRATEGY John Mulhern, and Rachel Freeman bring us up to speed on the latest developments in Irish horticultural training

NURSERY

17 BORD BIA STUDY TOUR TO THE USA Neville Stein shares his insights on the recent industry study tour to the east coast of the US

19

X YLELLA Dónall Flanagan, details a worldwide threat to plant health which has been identified in Europe and risks spreading if serious action is not taken

21

P RODUCER ORGANISATIONS ...THE WAY FORWARD? Stiofán Nutty, introduces plans for producer organisations to underpin the future vision for amenity production in Ireland

IN PICTURES 22

GLAS, Saltex, CIH conference & Teagasc Nursery Stock & Ornamentals Seminar

FRINGE HORT

24 CENTRING THE FRINGE In an exciting new series of collaborative articles, the team behind the hugely successful BloomFringe share their thoughts on how horticulture, art and community can come together to bring sustainable and positive change to our lives

2

FRESH PRODUCE

35 ‘ MALLING CENTENARY’ SHOWING GROWTH POTENTIAL Dr Eamonn Kehoe, provides an update on the introduction to the Irish market of the newest strawberry ‘Malling Centenary’

37 OPPORTUNITIES

FOR GROWTH IN FRESH PRODUCE Mike Neary, highlights potential opportunities in fresh roduce emerging from recent research into consumer p attitudes and behaviors

INTERVIEW

38 N O REGRETS Barry Lupton talks with Philip Moreau about new opportunities opening up after the loss of his business

CONSTRUCTION

42 E FFECTIVE OUTSOURCING Landscape estimating specialist, Colm Kenny digs into the pros and cons of using landscape subcontract

JOBS 44 H orticulture jobs from JobsinHorticulture.ie

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

01 / NEWS

HORTICULTURE NEWS STORM FRONT The wind may have died down, but the negative impact of storm Ophelia on our fragile nursery sector will be felt for years to come The impact of the storm was felt across the country, but those most severely affected were in the South West of the country. “Gusts more than 130 km per hour ripped through rows of trees with devastating damage,” explained Joe Ahern, owner of Fana Nurseries, Co Cork . “Everywhere we looked there were trees down and bamboo broken. There could be as many as 10,000 trees with broken bamboo, and another 1,400 to 1,600 trees totally broken off at the base or half way up the tree. My estimated cost of the damage at the moment is between €50,000-€60,000, ” he added. Joe has spent the last number of weeks repairing damage and getting on with lifting and planting. “All I can do is focus on the quality trees I have for sale, and with the upswing in the economy I remain positive that the future is looking brighter”.

“The way the wind moved directions so quickly seems have done more damage than regular storms. New and old plastic were damaged equally,” commented Teagasc nursery stock advisor, Dónall Flanagan. “I spoke with one grower who lost a tunnel that had been reclad just six days previously, another who lost a multispan and three polytunnels, and another who sacrificed the plastic covers to save the structures.” In his capacity, Dónall has been able to get a broad insight into the nature and scale of the immediate and subsequent impact. Although he feels that structural damage was limited because of the forewarnings, the impacts are substantial and ongoing.

“Labour access was a real challenge in the aftermath, caneing and tieing trees is a skilled job, tree lifting was starting the same week so pressure came from both sides”, he added.

One nursery significantly impacted was Annaveigh Plants, owned and operated by John and Grainne Murphy.

The nursery is one of the largest tree growers and suppliers in the country.

Commenting to RTE, Grainne said, “It will require significant labour input. We're talking in the hundreds of thousands to sort the whole thing out, when we work out the losses and the trees that are now unsaleable. In addition to that, we had many prebooked orders for these trees and we've had to disappoint our customers.”

Grainne also threw light on the wider concerns, highlighting the potential impact of changing weather patterns due to climate change.

Storm Ophelia is the latest in a succession of natural and manmade disasters, and she may well be remembered for revealing just how exposed the sector is. Not only are we exposed to negative economic, geographic and environmental factors beyond our control, the sector is afforded zero governmental support or protection. The sector was literally left swinging in the wind. The answer?

A sustained, relentless, persistent and industry wide collaborative lobbying campaign which articulates to policy makers just how important horticulture is. Don’t join a movement, start one. ✽

IN BRIEF CONDOLENCES ARE OFFERED The team at Horticulture Connected would like to express condolences to Angela Binchy on the sudden death of her husband, Peter Murray-Hayden on 19 November.

Angela has been a regular and much valued contributor to the magazine since its beginning. Our thoughts are with you.

✽

FRANK QUINN OF TURNER’S PRINTING STEPPING DOWN AFTER 31 YEARS SERVICE TO THE PRINT INDUSTRY The HC team would like to wish Frank Quinn of Turner's Printing a happy and healthy retirement. He will be retiring in December, after 31 years in the print trade. HC has worked closely with Frank since its inception in 2014. Frank tells HC, “It was a pleasure working with you and seeing the magazine get stronger and stronger; it’s a great credit to the team and their resolve”. Like Frank and the 10,000 current readership, all agree that a printed magazine is and will remain important.

✽

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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NEWS / 01 CHRISTMASWORLD & FLORADECORA EVENTS SET TO INSPIRE GARDEN RETAILERS The world’s biggest trend and order platform for seasonal decoration opens its doors from 26 – 30 January 2018. Christmasworld, held in Frankfurt, is the premier exhibition to start the new business season.

Hosting over 1,000 exhibitors, the exhibition will showcase a wealth of seasonal and festive decorations, trends and innovations for all occasions throughout the year. The exhibition boasts lectures, workshops and guided tours to explain how you can utilise seasonal decoration to attract new customers and maximise sales.

Floradecora will be held concurrently presenting fresh flowers, ornamental plants and readymade floral arrangements. The perfect combination to complement your product range and enhance your seasonal decorative displays. Also not to be missed is Paperworld, the industry leading trade fair for office supplies and stationery; and Creativeworld, the world’s biggest trade fair for hobby, arts and crafts. One ticket permits access to all events. More at christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com ✽

AWARDS WIN FOR KAVANAGHS CHRISTMAS TREES At the Irish Christmas Tree Growers recent annual competition, Christy Kavanagh of Kavanagh Christmas Trees won two out of a possible three categories. The competition was fierce among the growers, with some of the best quality trees seen in Europe this year. Christy won the Best Noble Fir award with a beautiful specimen.

This open strong branch, excellent needle retaining species has a beautiful smell. In the alternative species section he won with a Korean Fir. This tree has a naturally fuller and slender conical shape. It is an excellent retainer with white buds and beautifully aromatic foliage. Congratulation to all the team. ✽

GARDEN RETAILERS LOOK TO THE FUTURE AT BORD BIA SEMINAR & PHOTOS

THE GLDA PRESENTS ITS 22ND INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR THE DESIGNED GARDEN: AN UNFINISHED CANVAS Who controls the evolution of the living garden?

Speakers include: James Basson (France) Douglas Hoerr (Chicago USA) Peter Korn (Sweden) and Ireland’s own June Blake. Book and pay for your ticket online through PayPal at www.glda.ie where you can also avail of their pre-Christmas offer. We look forward to seeing you there. More at glda.ie ✽

At the recent Garden Industry Workshop presented by Bord Bia and hosted by Carol Marks, one could be reminded of the saying "Lies, damned lies, and statistics". Thankfully for the audience of mainly garden retailers and nurseries, the information from the most recent Bord Bia ‘Lifestyle Trends’ research was brought to practical life by the presenters including Bord Bia’s own Grace Binchy and Romeo Somers, the internationally renowned trend watcher, green stylist, and creative director of the Retail Lab at Glee. The event was interesting to cover for HC and it was informative to sit at the table among the participants from businesses both big and small who worked and shared ideas together. Of the 60% of gardeners in Ireland aged between 18 and 54, how can the trade connect? The attendees on the day now have some of those answers. More at bordbia.ie ✽

IRISH COMPANIES LEADING THE WAY AT INTERNATIONAL IPM ESSEN FAIR FitzGerald Nurseries, Bord na Mona, Forest Fresh Ireland and Kelly’s Nurseries will be part of nearly 1,600 exhibitors at the upcoming international fair in January who are flying the flag for Ireland. Upwards of 57,000 visitors will converge on Essen, Germany for the fair, which runs from 23 to 26 January 2018. It is the world's leading trade fair for horticulture. It is the only specialist trade fair of its kind to cover the entire value chain of plants, including production, technology, floristry, garden features, and the point of sale. HC will be reporting live at the event as usual. See you there. More at ipm-essen.de ✽

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

01 / NEWS SANCTUARY SYNTHETICS TOPS YEAR WITH KILDARE CHAMBER SME AWARD Congratulations to Mark O'Loughlin and the team at Sanctuary Synthetics. business. They have just received the SME of the Year Award at the annual Kildare Chamber Business Awards 2017. County Kildare Chamber Business Awards 2017 are county wide awards recognising the entrepreneurialism, innovation, diversity and talent of businesses across all sectors. 110 applications were received with finalists selected in each category.

Mark tells HC, "This is a fitting way to end an incredible year for us at Sanctuary Synthetics. Since its inception the business has been rewarding but highly challenging. I have a really great team in place, and together this year we opened GRASSLAND in my own home town of Naas.” This has been a busy year for Mark and his team as they have recently

opened a the new interactive showroom with the aim of reflecting the versatility of artificial grass in a technical but fun and engaging way for the trade and their customers.

The first of its kind in Ireland, the GRASSLAND innovative outlet has replicating pieces from their Bloom winning gardens, the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and the Secret Lives of Pets. Mark is always interested in engaging with the trade and recently hosted a group of designers from the GLDA. The fruits of this engagement with the landscape sector could also be seen at the recent ALCI awards where a range of gardens had utilised Sanctuary’s products in their winning gardens.

Alongside this, Mark has been seen an increase of installation of synthetic grasses across the sectors of over 40% in the past 18 months, which is set to increase even further with Lucy Kennedy now acting as a brand ambassador for the company. ✽

ALCI BOG TROPHY JOINTLY AWARDED FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY OF THE AWARDS There was a large turnout at the recent awards ceremony and keen competition for the coveted awards. It was the first time in the ALCI’s awards history that the Bog Oak Trophy was shared by two companies north and south of the border. Clive Richardson Ltd won for their work on the pitch at King Abdullah Stadium, Saudi Arabia, while Saxa Landscapes won for the roof garden at Arthur Cox Solicitors in Dublin, designed by Paul Martin. Representing Bord Bia on the judging panel and at the awards was Gary Graham ably assisted by Kerrie Gardener, who now brings a Landscape Architect's eye for detail to the judging. Gary told the large audience that, “We should never underestimate the value of the work undertaken by landscape contractors. Not every entry in the ALCI competition can be a winner but every piece of quality work adds to the quality of life for someone or some group of people living on this island and indeed everyone who visits here for business or pleasure. So ultimately we all win.” The category winners along with photos are on the following page. More at alci.ie and alci.org.uk. ✽

MONAGHAN MUSHROOMS WINS SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

punnets as a packaging material. The company has also: ●c onducted feasibility research and trials to recycle used

Monaghan Mushrooms received the Sustainability, Project Impact Award for successfully demonstrating that their company is at the technical and environmental forefront of the mushroom business.The results of their sustainability efforts have led them to develop a vitamin D enriched mushroom which benefits both the customer and environment simultaneously. Monaghan Mushrooms is one of the world’s largest fresh mushroom companies, supplying a full range of top quality fresh mushrooms to leading national and international retailers. The Monaghan Mushrooms group currently employs almost 3,500 people across its facilities in Ireland, the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Canada. Since becoming a verified Origin Green member, Monaghan Mushrooms has achieved a 12.5% reduction in the volume of plastic used in a typical mushroom punnet, and is working with customers to introduce fully recyclable paper

peat in the growing process in a bid to reduce the demand for new peat; ●a chieved between 33-55% reduction in the volume of waste sent to landfill across all Irish sites; ●c onducted biodiversity surveys and developed biodiversity action plans; ● i nvested in six new energy efficient lorries

JUDGES’ COMMENTS - SUSTAINABILITY, PROJECT IMPACT Monaghan Mushrooms successfully showcased that they’re clearly intent on staying at the technical and environmental forefront of the mushroom business. The results of their sustainability efforts have led them to develop a vitamin D enriched mushroom and add another health angle to their business – benefiting the customer and environment simultaneously. ✽

SODSHOW REACHES FINALS OF THE GARDEN MEDIA GUILD AWARDS 2017 The Savoy Hotel London saw Ireland's longest running garden podcast and former radio show The Sodshow, reach the finals of The Garden Media Guild awards (UK) 2017. It was the first ever Irish broadcast to reach the shortlist for Radio Broadcast of the Year.

Whilst former winners have included The Royal Horticultural Society, The Guardian Newspaper and The BBC Gardeners’ Question Time (first aired in 1947), Dublin based award winning landscaper Peter Donegan's unsponsored production this year was up against The Sun newspaper’s Peter Seabrook, former Guardian editor Jane Perrone and the overall winners of the prestigious accolade Marian Foster of the BBC. With two live podcasts this year (one from Salt Lake City, Utah) and noted by Gardenista in the Best Garden Podcasts of 2017, it may be fair to suggest you watch this space.

The Sodshow is available every Friday in iTunes, all good podcast stores, and at www.Sodshow.com ✽

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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ALCI / 01

ALCI AWARDS

SAXA LANDSCAPES

JOINT WINNER: BOG OAK TROPHY EARTHLINKS

WINNER

PRIVATE GARDENS €5,000-€10,000 DONNYBROOK LANDSCAPE CO

WINNER

PRIVATE GARDENS MAINTENANCE CREATIVE PLAY SOLUTIONS

WINNER

THE PAVILION

WINNER

SILVERSTREAM LANDSCAPES

WINNER

PRIVATE GARDENS OVER €30,000

PRIVATE GARDENS UNDER €5,000

LUXURY LANDSCAPES

SAP LANDSCAPES

WINNER

WINNER

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

PRIVATE GARDENS €10,000-€30,000

GARRY FLOOD LANDSCAPES

SAXA LANDSCAPES

WINNER

WINNER|

SPORTSGROUNDS CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

ACORN LANDSCAPES

RYE RIVER LANDSCAPES

BRACKLEY LANDSCAPE SERVICES

WINNER

RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & PUBLIC AUTHORITY MAINTENANCE

PUBLIC AUTHORITY

WINNER

SPECIAL AWARD - INTERNATIONAL

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

WINNER

SPECIAL AWARD - DESIGN & BUILD

01 / NEWS

JOB NEWS FITZGERALD NURSERIES INCREASING WORKFORCE ON BACK OF CONTINUOUS IPM SALES SUCCESS FitzGerald Nurseries will be exhibiting at IPM Essen (23-26 January, 2018) for the 12th time. Pat FitzGerald tells HC, “Over the years IPM Essen has been a great show for the company and we have made many new customers, friends and colleagues through it. We are looking forward to catching up with existing customers and industry colleagues from all over the world. Before participating at IPM, FitzGerald sold young plants in three countries and now the company sells its young plants in 27 countries. During these years the company has each year launched its new products at IPM Essen and this year is no exception.” Find out what's new at stand E18 Hall 2. If you are interested in joining this rapidly expanding business with an international focus they are currently hiring for the positions of Laboratory Supervisor, Dispatch Manager and a General Manager. More at Horticulture.Jobs ✽

NAD EXPANDS SALES TEAM WITH NEW SUPPORT ROLE New products and exclusive agencies for the ornamental, edible, landscape and garden retail sectors mean that business is booming for this long established horticulture supplies business. Colm Matthews tells HC, “We are proud of both the practical and technical horticulture skills and knowledge among all of our sales and support staff. They are passionate about providing individual solutions for each of our clients, which can range from a sole landscaper to a whole local authority”. If you’d like to join the NAD team or know more about this exciting new role, find out at Horticulture.Jobs or JobsInHorticulture.ie ✽

SAP NURSERIES LOOKING TO ADD SENIOR SALES POSITION TO THE EXISTING TEAM Based in Cahir, Co Tipperary, SAP Nurseries is one of the leading nurseries in Ireland. They supply a wide range of stock to landscape contractors, local authorities and retail outlets across the country and abroad. They are currently looking for a senior sales professional with superb plant knowledge and experience within the amenity or landscape markets to join their team. The candidate will be based at the head office in Cahir, Tipperary. However, nationwide travel will be involved to meet new and existing clients. Reporting to the nursery managing director, the role is to sell hardy plants to existing and new customers in the landscaping and local authority markets throughout Ireland.

To find out more about the role and company view their profile and current roles at horticulture.jobs. ✽

SUMMERHILL LANDSCAPES DOUBLES HIRING CAMPAIGN WITH HORTICULTURE.JOBS Following the interview with Declan Blackmore of Summerhill Landscapes in the spring 2017 edition of HC, considerable interest has been shown in the 12 positions Summerhill is currently hiring for on Horticulture.Jobs The successful applicants will be joining a team of over 100 who have a reputation for excellence and pride in the projects they undertake. Declan tells HC that, “One of the main benefits to the site is that prospective employees can register their interest in working with us throughout the year, even when we have no active roles available. They can sign up to get alerts for any new roles as we add them, so we’re never going to miss out on prospective applicants.” Flights, visas, assistance with accommodation, a competitive salary along with the adventure and exciting that comes with working in the Hamptons, New York are on offer to all successful applicants. More at horticulture.jobs/company/14/summerhill-landscapes. ✽

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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EVENTS / 02

EVENTSDIARY 23 JANUARY BORD BIA SMALL BUSINESS OPEN DAY

EVENT PROMOTION Promote your event to a wide network of Horticulture businesses and professionals Inprint, Online & Social. Find out more at www.horticultureconnected.ie/events

DON’T MISS!

Bord Bia’s Small Business Open Day is an important date in the diary for any small food or drinks business looking to grow, be this locally, nationally or internationally.

Venue: Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield bordbia.ie/industry/events ✽

23 - 26 JANUARY IPM ESSEN

26 - 30 JANUARY FLORADECORA

This 4 day event showcases products like greenhouses Technical equipment for heating, irrigation, fertilization and plant protection Store construction and equipment Machines and tools for horticultural production Technical equipment and requisites etc. in the Agriculture & Forestry industry.

Venue: Messe Essen, Germany ipm-essen.de ✽

Take advantage of the IPM ESSEN, the indispensable meeting place for the international green sector.

IPM ESSEN is the No. 1 in the sector, providing fresh and trend-setting impulses, and is the only trade fair of its kind to represent the entire value chain. Use the strong innovations, diverse new-to-market products and extremely high internationality for your business success.

Some 1,600 exhibitors from 45 nations will present the latest plant cultivations, innovative technology, sales-boosting floristic trends and target grouporiented marketing concepts for the POS: tangible, comprehensible and viable for your business.

We’ll see you in Essen.

DON’T

Floradecora, the new fair for ordering immediately MISS! available cut flowers and decorative plants, picks up on this trend. The innovative exhibition concept, which takes place at the same time as Christmasworld, creates a perfect link between fresh flowers and seasonal decoration.

Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany floradecora.messefrankfurt.com ✽

THE WORLD’S LEADING TRADE FAIR FOR HORTICULTURE 23–26 January

DON’T MISS!

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FE D EN

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O LO

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PL AN

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www.ipm-essen.de

IPM 17.049_AZ Besucher Allgemein_Horticulture Connected_180x129_en.indd 1

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

24.10.17 14:30

International Trade Fair for Seasonal and Festive Decorations. Christmasworld offers classic handicraft to meet the highest quality standards, as well as impressive concept decorations, original florist supplies, unusual ideas for the garden, trendy gift ribbons and wrapping, superior candles and scents and brilliant light shows.

Venue: Messe Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com ✽

Irland

26 - 30 JANUARY CHRISTMASWORLD FRANKFURT

Inspire your customers with fresh trends

MERRY BUSINESS!

DU: 24.08.2017

DON’T MISS!

Seasonal Decoration at its best 26. – 30. 1. 2018

The Designed Garden - An unfinished canvas Who controls the evolution of the living garden?

Speakers include: James Basson (France) Douglas Hoerr (Chicago USA) and Peter Korn (Sweden) Venue: The Crown Plaza Conference Centre Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9 glda.ie ✽

Your ticket to the top suppliers of seasonal and festive decorations, florist supplies and garden decorations: christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com

02 MARCH TEAGASC KILDALTON COLLEGE OPEN DAY Kildalton is the largest agricultural college in the country. It is a leading provider of training in Machinery, Agriculture and Horticulture.

Venue: Kildalton Agriculture College, Pilltown, Kilkenny ✽

info@ireland.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 14 83 48 39 83

08 MARCH TEAGASC COLLEGE OF AMENITY - BOTANIC GARDENS OPEN DAY Find out more about what the college offers to prospective students.

Venue: National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, D9

65787-015_CW_Gruene_Branche_Horticulture_Connected_88x262_IE • FOGRA 39 • CMYK • jw: 23.08.2017

17 FEBRUARY GLDA 22ND INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

✽ Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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BORD BIA / 03 BORD BIA BREXIT BAROMETER In June Bord Bia released the Brexit Barometer: Industry findings report, route to market, supply chain management, customs & trade and currency were highlighted as key issues for the 139 Irish suppliers that completed the Barometer.

In direct response to the findings of the Brexit Barometer and the recommended actions articulated by the Barometer’s supporting document, Bord Bia hosted a Brexit Workshop Day in September. This addressed the key risks facing Irish manufacturers exporting to the UK and outlined practical, grounded steps companies can take to mitigate these risks. A plenary session included presentations on currency strategy, buyer price negotiation, supply chain logistics, and customs and market diversification. This was followed by structured breakout sessions where clients discussed issues and strategy in depth with experts. For updates on Brexit go to bordbia.ie ✽

LEAN INITIATIVE FOR HORTICULTURE In September The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed TD announced additional funding for Bord Bia. Included in this funding is an initiative towards implementing lean initiatives in the horticulture sector which is commencing this autumn. This activity will build on the pilot lean project which was carried out with the mushroom sector earlier this year and will include further pilot initiatives with the mushroom as well as other selected horticulture sectors. The pilot mushroom industry lean project was completed in April with very positive outcomes for the participants. ✽

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POTATO PROMOTION

NATIONAL POTATO DAY

Bord Bia’s joint industry and EU funded potato promotional campaign Potatoes: More Than a Bit on the Side, continues in 2017. The key burst of advertising took place during June and into early July. The promotional activity featured print, out of home and digital advertising focused on driving consumers back to the campaign website potato.ie. The out of home posters included coverage on bus shelters, as well as DART and Luas lines in the Dublin area. There was also a photo shoot and PR around the new season potatoes launch. A consumer evaluation of the latest burst of activity was carried out which indicates that the visibility of the range of advertising across various channels and the cut through of the campaign messages are performing well when compared with earlier evaluations. Burst 5 of the campaign commenced at the end of September and ran throughout the month of October. Key activity included outdoor and digital advertising. ✽

National Potato Day took place on Friday 6 October. On that day there was a potato supplement in the Irish Independent celebrating the day and highlighting the potato campaign activity, recipes and key messages around the convenience, health and versatility of potatoes.

In addition, campaign ambassador Aoife Hearne also featured in the supplement highlighting among other things the nutritional content of potatoes and their role in a healthy balanced diet. National Potato Day activity was supported by PR and online promotional activity which achieved significant coverage. The industry and campaign stakeholders were provided with digital assets to use on National Potato Day to promote the day and the potato. In addition promotional activity on TV3 included chef Padraic Og Gallagher (owner of the Boxty House Restaurant in Temple Bar) featuring on the Six O’Clock Show cookery slot, and Aoife Hearne (who is also a dietician and nutritionist) was interviewed on the Ireland AM programme on National Potato Day, while the programme resident chef cooked a potato recipe. ✽

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

03 / BORD BIA MUSHROOM PROMOTION The current mushroom promotion activity is a social media campaign aimed at 25 to 35 year old women in the UK and Ireland. Five new how-to videos were published in September focusing on mushroom recipes that can be cooked quickly after school. The paid campaign for these focused on Instagram as well as Facebook channels. Going into the sixth month of the campaign makes it possible to re-target new content to users who have engaged with other content previously such as the previous how-to videos.

Using Facebook’s advertising software the campaign is therefore constantly building on the learnings of each post.

There was a big focus on Halloween in October with the following topical recipes being promoted: screaming pizza, skull salad, spooky mushroom pie, and a Jack-o’-lantern soup (mushroom and pumpkin). Search word advertising drove 18,000 clicks to the website in September, the highest result recorded so far. ✽

THE DAVID ROBINSON MEMORIAL LECTURE The hosting of this year’s David Robinson Memorial Lecture was timed to coincide with the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, which was held in Ireland this year. It was a good opportunity for the 175 attending students from the horticultural colleges both North and South to meet and learn about the different facets of horticulture.

There were two key speakers including Dr Tom Young, a consultant in green roof design and planting, who spoke on design considerations for different green roof situations. and Mark Rendell who spoke on gardens for dementia care. Mark runs the Step Change design company, a garden design and horticulture business based in North Wales. His expertise is in the role of the grounds around hospitals in aiding recovery and healing. ✽

MAKING GARDEN PLANTS TRENDY – HOW TO USE TRENDS TO IMPACT POSITIVELY ON YOUR BUSINESS It is becoming more and more apparent that trends impact all areas of life, and can be used to improve uptake of all consumer goods, which includes garden plants.

By keeping up with trends and understanding what’s coming next, companies can better prepare for the future needs and wants of their consumers. Bord Bia’s consumer lifestyle trends has been tracking consumer attitudes, values and behaviours globally since 2006, and explores how these developments are driving trends in consumers’ lives. This, coupled with Bord Bia’s recently completed gardening in Ireland study, can provide insights on opportunities for nursery businesses to market their plants in a more user friendly way.

With a view to exploring these trends further and their potential impact on the gardening market Bord Bia hosted a trends workshop day for growers and retailers of garden plants in early November in the Bord Bia Thinking House. It included a presentation by Romeo Somers, an internationally renowned trend watcher and green stylist, and creative director of the Retail Lab at GLEE. The positive outcomes of the GroMór gardening promotional campaign in 2017 were also presented at the workshop and there was exploratory discussions around the possibility of Bord Bia in conjunction with the industry applying for EU funds in 2018 to support gardening promotion in the following years. This discussion was in the context of other successful EU funded campaigns in the edible horticulture sector that Bord Bia is currently coordinating with industry support. If secured, such EU funds would require some matching funding from the industry and further discussions are planned with the Industry stakeholders. ✽

MARKET INTENSIFICATION PROGRAMME Another round of the Bord Bia market intensification programme was rolled out this autumn with applications from qualifying companies submitted by the end of September. This programme provides grant aid which is designed to specifically support those companies that are facing significant challenges from Brexit.

The programme provides support to companies to undertake intensive marketing activities in the UK market or to identify opportunities in other markets. The programme is open to food, drink and horticulture (edible and amenity) companies (t/o €1m to €40m) that satisfy the programme’s requirements and export at least 15% of turnover to the UK market. ✽

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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TEAGASC ezine / 04

TEAGASC’S NEW MUSHROOM FACILITY AT ASHTOWN Teagasc’s new mushroom growing facility at the Ashtown campus is now completed and the first experimental crops are being conducted. Dr Martin O Donoghue is researching how to get the most out of mushroom substrate with the aim of improving yields, and ultimately the efficiency and profitability of mushroom growers. Martin is using the latest molecular technologies to understand how the mushroom breaks down the compost. All fungi use enzymes to break down the complex food sources present in organic matter. In his DAFM funded research project entitled ‘AgGenes’, Martin is identifying all the genes that are switched on and off in the mushroom over the course of a crop. This will enable him to identify key genes and enzymes involved in the process of substrate utilisation and mushroom production. Mushroom breeders are very interested in knowing what these key genes are so they can select for them in their breeding programmes, ultimately producing more efficient mushroom strains for the sector.

GCSAI EDUCATION DAY AT TEAGASC ASHTOWN Colm Dockrell (Teagasc) addressing the delegates

There was a large attendance last month at Teagasc AFRC Ashtown for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland's education day. Topics for the morning seminar included; managing turfgrass root systems, golf course tree management and the use of neonicotinoids in turfgrass management.

In his presentation, Colm Dockrell from Teagasc National Botanic Gardens outlined the main functions of the turfgrass root and how the grass plant reacts to various environmental conditions and stresses.

Neil MacCrimmon from Grasshopper Tree Care outlined the importance of having a tree maintenance plan for both old and recently planted trees on a golf course. He also addressed the legal obligation for golf course owners to carry out regular surveys on their trees. The last speaker was Dr

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Colin Mumford, technical advisor to Bayer Crop Science. His topic was the use of neonicotinoids and in particular imidacloprid for controlling leatherjackets on turf.

Because of the danger to bees and other pollinating insects, the use of imidacloprid on flowering crops has been withdrawn. Dr Mumford stressed the importance of timing when using this product to control leatherjackets in turf. After lunch, the delegates were brought on a tour of the new turfgrass training academy at Teagasc Ashtown.

Construction work on the facility began in March and the grass was sown in early June. The facility, which comprises three golf holes with tee boxes, greens and bunkers constructed to the most modern specifications, highlights the commitment of Teagasc to turfgrass training in the future. ✽

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

✽

TEAGASC TURFGRASS TRAINING ACADEMY

04 / TEAGASC ezine CARROT HERBICIDE TRIALS 6 JULY T3 PROMAN 2L + STOMP AQUA 2.9L + GAMIT 0.2L (GOOD WEED CONTROL WITH JUST PRE-EMERGE APPLICATION)

22 JUNE T1 CONTROL PLOT

Carrot, celery and parsnip growers are due to lose linuron in the middle of 2018. This has been one of their key herbicides for the past number of decades. What’s proposed to take its place is Proman (metobromuron), a product from Belchim that is already registered for use on potatoes.

Earlier this year Teagasc set up a series of replicated trials at Kinsealy to test out the product against the industry linuron standard, Afalon. The results were encouraging. Proman seemed to work well across all the treatments with no evidence of any damage to the carrots from any of the applications. It also gave excellent results when tank mixed with Stomp Aqua and Gamit. The bottom line is that Proman will turn out to be a suitable substitute for that old stalwart, linuron. Full details are on the Teagasc website under Crops > Horticulture> Vegetables. ✽

DAFM SCHEME OF INVESTMENT AID FOR COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE SECTOR 2018 As part of the recent October budget a provision was made for a horticultural grants scheme for 2018. This scheme is a significant driver of change in the horticulture industry but you need to be quick out of the traps to complete the application process. At time of writing, communication from DAFM is that the scheme will be launched by 8 November, with a probable closing date of 19 December 2017. Approved investments should be completed no later than 29 September 2018 for larger capital investments that need to be staggered over a longer period; it is advised to avail of the additional year of approval period, which permits an extended period to carry out works up to September 2019. This option should be applied for at the time of application and is outlined in the terms and conditions on the DAFM website.

It is likely that the overall aims of the scheme will not differ from last year, but you should read the terms and conditions and application form when released to ensure your proposed investment fits the scheme. Please contact your Teagasc adviser for assistance in completing the application process.

Some key points: ● (New) Planning permission is now a requirement for all building projects. Previously it was enough to have applied for permission. Now a grant of permission is a condition of approval so this should be in place at time of application. ( New) We understand from DAFM that the application form and business plan have been amalgamated into one document. In other words, the business plan template which we would have supplied to growers to capture key information is now integrated in the application form. ● I t is worth remembering that the scheme is a competitive scheme. All eligible items may not necessarily attract investment aid or may attract reduced aid in certain instances. ● Quotations should be recent and need a signature (electronic signature is acceptable). ●E nsure that quotation has adequate information to describe the proposed investment and that VAT is clearly itemised. ●P lease consider the priority order of investments, if multiple items are being requested. ● Please

ensure that the proposed investment or equipment is horticulture specific. ● Under no circumstances will late applications be accepted by DAFM so contact your Teagasc adviser as early as possible if you require assistance. ✽ ●

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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© FEELART/123RF.COM

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ON TREND Independent retail consultant, Liam Kelly disseminates the recent Red C report on Irish gardening trends into tangible actions

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t seems that every year retailers are inundated with more and more reports from consumer agencies, government bodies and every manner of guru and consultant that sees themselves capable of producing something of interest. They are full of statistics, numbers and marketing babble. Many of these lie unopened and forlorn in computer inboxes, flagged as ‘important’ but not quite important enough, as they drop below the taskbar on the computer… a little red flag forever condemned to live among the undeleted emails from suppliers who you must order from again and those must-subscribe-to newsletters that don’t get read anymore, but will someday.

For garden retailers the problem is doubled, because as well as the retailing reports, a host of gardening sector and plant based articles are added to the already creaking load of must-reads, to the point where all information is either just ignored or suffers the humiliation of being immediately shunted to the junk folder, not even worthy of that helpful ‘unsubscribe’ that the originator at the very least deserves.

But it’s hard to put the blame totally on the retailers as many of these documents are too long, too confusing or too full of words such as ‘paradigm’, ‘synergy’ and ‘brand essence’, which immediately cause the reader to tune out and click that little ‘x’ in the top right of the screen. More often, they can contain lots of useful material but the retailer is still left with the head scratching thought of, ‘Great but what do I do with all this information?’. There is a deep gulf between the collection and circulation of that data and the retailers’ ability to apply any of it to their businesses.

This year Bord Bia, in conjunction with RED C Research & Marketing, published a report on gardening in Ireland based on information gathered during March and April. At 91 pages it’s quite a long and detailed report that deals with different demographics of gardeners, their purchases and what their thoughts are with regard to different aspects of gardening in general and plant and garden related product buying in general. Those who missed the presentation at Glas have probably received an electronic copy, now flagged and

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forgotten, or have given it a quick look through with a couple of muttered, ‘That’s interesting’ comments before forwarding it to someone else in the business, to which much of the same apathy, lethargy and shoulder shrugging will also apply.

This is unfortunate if it happens, as the report contains a wealth of interesting and useful information, but of course that gap between having the information and using the information is not being bridged. This is hardly Bord Bia’s or Red C’s issue as it is not really in their remit. And so it falls on the shoulders of the garden centres themselves to find points they can apply to their business and this can be where we hit another hurdle, providing of course we cleared the one mentally marked ‘I must read this report’.

So what can be gained from all of these 91 pages? Well, a lot actually but let’s focus on just five points and see how they can be applied at a practical level in a retail environment.

1 - Container Gardening The report tells us that 87% of ‘enthusiastic’ gardeners enjoy the creation and making up of window boxes, hanging baskets and – we presume – pots in general, and 52% of ‘fledgling and developer’ gardeners want to do so in the future. But from my observations this is an area that many garden centres don’t capitalise on as much as they should, or could. Although there has been visible growth in the sales of pots in general, especially plastic and lightweight ones, for many retailers this is more of a reaction to customers’ requests and the proactive nature of a handful of suppliers than any concerted effort to plan and drive this important category.

But here we have black and white figures telling us the importance of this category, and it should make retailers ask the question, ‘Am I doing enough?’ As I see it, the answer is invariably a resounding ‘No’.

Look at the range you carry, how and where it is merchandised, what link sales are available – compost, fertilisers, pot toppers, saucers, etc. Especially saucers - a pot supplier recently told me a third of their sales is in saucers.

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter Winter 2017 2017

05 / RETAIL 2 - Low Maintenance When you see statements such as ‘… If it was low or no maintenance it would encourage 75% of people to garden more and this is higher among younger demographics...’ then it tends to reinforce the idea and should make retailers examine how they are marketing plants, particularly with regard to labelling, bench signage and categorisation of product.

The report reinforces my belief in an ‘Easy Care’ section within the plant area of garden centres, but it goes beyond simple arrangement by ‘Customer Needs’ that’s such an overlooked aspect of layout and merchandising. It calls for a different thought process capturing purchasing, sales and aftercare, or lack of it in this case.

How about flagging a whole selection of plants as ‘EasyPeasy’, so that whether they are grouped together or merchandised within more theatrical displays they will still be obvious to the customer? This is an easy to tackle task for any garden centre, though it might see the return of the much maligned dwarf conifer.

3 - Gardening in Small Spaces Statements like ‘...While higher amongst those living in urban areas, there is an interest in gardening more if people could do it effectively in small spaces ...’ and ‘… 59% say that if they could do it in a small space it would encourage them to garden more …’ are important for a few reasons, chief among them is this recognition that city gardeners with small spaces want to garden and that as we become more urbanised this will become more important, albeit to those retailers close to or in these urban areas.

Much of what can be done by retailers to capitalise on this relates back to my points above on container gardening, but goes beyond that to the need to stock containers and systems which make it easy for customers to create vertical gardens in a practical and safe way. It’s all very well to see something on social media that looks good but the practicalities of the concept itself must be shown by retailers in a way that makes it easy for these new gardeners to apply it to their own spaces, and for it to actually work.

Look at how you are marketing and helping these potential gardeners, by encouraging them to your store via images on social media and then helping them create this urban balcony paradise with in-store displays.

4 - Premium Options When asked the following question, ‘When it comes to buying plants and flowers, you sometimes pay more for certain features. Which of these do you think are worth paying a little more for, if any?’, those interviewed answered ‘That they look healthy’ and ‘That they are more mature’ as by far being the most important issues.

Maybe this goes to show that the focus on selling most plants in two litre pots for under €10 could be holding back sales. For a while now, I’ve advocated the whole upselling concept of having a larger/better/dearer plant alongside those normally stocked by garden centres, and this view seems to be vindicated up to a point. Plants still need to have a perceived value to the customer but quite often that value

is at odds with what the retailer thinks. Larger, healthier plants sourced from a good supplier can provide a great way to increase revenue. Unfortunately many growers are stuck in the two-litre-doldrums.

Seek out those who are not, or alternatively work with existing suppliers to specify what you want to sell, based on what the customer wants.

5 - GYO ‘Over 4 in 10 adults express an interest in GYO... That’s a whopping 1.4 million people… Interest peaks at 35-44 years old.’

When put like that, it should cause us to pause for thought.

The so-called height of the GYO phenomena is behind us according to many retailers but that’s because most have given up on this category. The truth is this sector didn’t peak. It plateaued, and providing you are proactive with your stocking, promoting and selling this can be a lucrative and high-margin category with a myriad of add-on purchases to raise the average sale. The question you need to ask yourselves is, ‘Did we give up too easily?’

So, those are just five points that I’ve plucked from the report to show how valuable this information is and how important it is that it doesn’t pass retailers by, which it unfortunately has based on the conversations I’ve had with retailers over the last while. For sure, there is an onus on those who create these reports to get them into the hands, inboxes or to-do trays of everyone in the horticultural sector but there is a greater importance for this data to be acted upon by those who receive them. They contain a wealth of information and if you can extract just five points out of any of these documents and act on them, then they will have been a worthwhile task for all involved. Ignore them at your peril.

The full report can be found on the Bord Bia website. ✽

LIAM KELLY - Since establishing Retail Services & Solutions in 2007, Liam has become one of the most influential people within the retail side of Irish horticulture.

His knowledge of the mindset and ethos of those in this sector, combined with his problem solving ability, experience and hands-on work ethic make him uniquely placed to offer advice and help to those who need it most.

Key to his success is his knowledge of purchasing, pricing and sales combined with his understanding of layout, signage and merchandising, and how the interaction of these can lead to increased sales and profits. His focus is on garden centres, nurseries, hardware and DIY stores, where discretion, honesty and unbiased opinion are crucial and appreciated by those who secure his services.

Liam Kelly, Retail Services & Solutions, Garden Centre Design & Consultancy, 086 822 1494, 059 913 0176, lksolutions@eircom.net

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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RETAIL / 05

What’s Hot? While we don't doubt the veracity of the Red C research reviewed in the previous article, we decided to to ask two of Ireland’s leading plant sellers for their thoughts on current trends. Niamh Tully is head of marketing at Tully Nurseries and John Miland is owner and operator of Miland's Garden Centre, Galway

The Instant Irish Impulse, Niamh Tully

More and more retail customers are engaging the services of landscape professionals.

Consumers are still looking for instant colour, so sales of perennials continue to thrive.

For Tully Nurseries, communicating the message that it’s not just about the plants, it’s also about the benefits of the plants that will be paramount. This theme was very apparent at the recent HTA futures conference in the UK. The link between health and horticulture is becoming stronger with more people engaging in mindfulness in the garden. At the Institute of Horticulture’s annual conference in October, Bord Bia reported that future trends show plants for balconies, patio gardening, compact gardening and vertical gardens will increase in popularity as more people are preferring to live in cities. While there has been a move to supply more ‘impulse type’ patio/bedding plants over the last few years, this is risky business if it rains for two months. We still need to focus on our core categories: shrubs and perennials.

Landscape contractors are demanding more shrubs, particularly bigger sizes for instant solutions. Our customers are telling us their consumers want bigger screening plants, and espalier forms are very popular. We are also being asked ‘Are these plants grown in Ireland?’ so having the origin Ireland Bord Bia quality mark on our point of sale is important in getting this message across. In summary, the future is bright and we are confident that despite the challenges that Brexit will bring, the gardening market will continue to grow where there is an appetite to garden. The end consumer wants to get out into the garden more and more and enjoy the many benefits that gardening will bring. ✽

Fairies and containers, John Miland

The big trend that is a continuation of what has been happening in the last number of years is container gardening. So many of our customers just want to walk in and pick up a container which is already planted in full colour and ready to go. Gardening needs to be easy. When it comes to shrubs and trees the same is true. No longer do we face the lady with the Hillier’s manual in one hand and the RHS book of unusual shrubs in the other, marching towards us looking for the obscure and unusual.

The plants need to be compact and low maintenance with very clear and colourful care instructions. Plants have started to become disposable. When I first started here, plants came in black polythene sacks. You were advised to buy the ones with a layer of moss and algae on the top as this ensured they were well rooted in. The packaging and presentation continue to improve year on year. The coloured pots, colour labels and POS material all help to sell plants. A healthy well presented plant will sell itself.

One of the more unusual trends this year has been the sale of fairy related goods. Kids have gone stone mad about fairy doors, fairy gardens and all things fairy related. ✽

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

06 / NURSERY

Bord Bia Study Tour to the USA

Neville Stein shares his insights on the recent industry study tour to the east coast of the US

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any horticulturalists value the opportunity to travel overseas on an educational trip, not only because a study tour provides a welcome break in routine, but also because it provides an opportunity for a rich immersive experience of horticulture. As a frequent study tour leader and business consultant, I also believe that getting away from a business in the company of other like-minded people can provide a much needed opportunity to reflect on what’s happening back at home, create and develop networks and be a fun bonding experience for everyone involved.

So, recognising that study tours can be a useful tool in assisting the development of the nursery sector in Ireland, market development executive at Bord Bia, Gary Graham, along with 16 delegates from across the Irish amenity horticultural sector, embarked on a five day study tour to the USA in October. Led by myself and Gary, the tour involved visits to nine wholesale nursery production units, three retailers and two world class gardens, located in Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Those familiar with this region will know that the climate for growing nursery stock provides some significant challenges. With winter temperatures

dropping on average to -5°C and typically accompanied by significant snowfall, designing growing structures that can withstand heavy snowfall is really important. Likewise, with summer temperatures rising in some areas to 30°C with 100% humidity, ensuring that crops have adequate water is essential.

A responsible approach to this issue is evident by nurseries such as Centerton Nurseries and Overdevest Nurseries who, despite the plentiful supply of water, have developed sophisticated recycling measures.

Whilst there are some climatic challenges to producing plants in the region, the proximity to a large market does, of course, provide an enormous opportunity for growers. As Robert Blew, owner of Centerton Nurseries says, “We have 50 million people within an eight hour drive of our nursery”.

Blew also stated that, “There are 14,000 independent garden centres in the USA plus another 40,000 big box stores”.

No wonder then that the value at farm gate prices of nursery stock produced in New Jersey alone is $2bn.

Significantly, many of the nurseries visited on this tour choose to focus on selling to independent retailers or indeed to those landscapers supplying the high end domestic market rather

than big box stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. Being proud of your price seemed a common theme and importantly many producers did not seriously discount their stock when the recession hit in 2007; rather they chose to maintain their price, focusing instead on the value message. Michael O’Connor, an independent business consultant in Ireland who attended the study tour, believes that for him one of the key lessons from visiting growers on this trip is to “always frame the debate about price in terms of value rather than cost” and as O’Connor suggests, “We need to educate clients as to the true cost of producing quality plants, emphasise the knowledge within our organisations and focus hard on delivering a superior service”.

Like any labour intensive operation, nurseries the world over are not immune to the challenges of ensuring a regular supply of good quality labour. International IPPS president, Alan Jones and owner of Manor View Nurseries said, “Horticultural education programmes in the USA are in decline and there is a real concern where the next generation is going to come from”.

“We have 50 million people within an eight hour drive of our nursery”

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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NURSERY / 06 ethos with US style positivity, energy and enthusiasm, then it is no wonder that business owners like George Lucas of Lucas Greenhouses and Brad Thompson at Foxborough Nurseries have a very low marketing spend, instead relying on their ability to provide superior customer service. As sales manager Ed Kiley of The Perennial Farm says, “The people we have in our business are all people pleasers”.

DELEGATES VISITING THE PALM FARM

MODERN PROPAGATION FACILITIES AT CENTERTON NURSERIES DISPATCH ON A HUGE SCALE AT LUCAS GREENHOUSES

Jones is optimistic though that a new programme aimed at encouraging young people to learn about horticulture will help. Part sponsored by Ball Horticulture and involving key players in the horticultural industry, managers on this programme entitled ‘Seize Your Future’ have already produced a video promoting horticulture as a career choice. Jones, like many other nurseries, participates in the government’s H-2A and H-2B programs, which allow USA employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the country, and it seems in the case of the nursery industry in the region. The majority of these foreign nationals are from Mexico. Despite these government programmes, the nursery industry still struggles to recruit unskilled labour.

In common with the UK and Ireland the cost of employing people in the USA continues to rise. North Creek Nurseries, who specialise in the propagation of eastern USA native plants, cite labour as their biggest issue in their business.

To mitigate at least in part the rising cost of employing unskilled workers, the senior management have embraced lean production concepts, basing a lot of their production processes on lean processes developed by Toyota. Lean management combined with innovative software for labour planning has resulted in significant cost reductions.

Commenting on the lean management principles, Teagasc nursery stock advisor Dónall Flanagan noted that, “Some simple changes in production processes can give quick wins”.

Likewise, Flanagan also noted that many of the companies visited had flat management structures, with all owners, whatever the size of the business, being very hands on.

We all know that successful businesses are those that are able to cultivate and build good relationships. Combine this

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Their house brand, Blew Label Perennials, is just one of 10 brands created, as Bob Blew of Centerton Nursery describes it, “to try to find ways of keeping the little guy competitive”.

With the box stores selling a significant number of plants it is become increasingly important to help retailers differentiate their offering from the multiple retailers. Blew has gone one stage further by printing bespoke point of purchase material for his retail customers.

Having experienced a nursery stock industry in fine form, what does the future hold in this region? Who knows, but the attitude displayed by every nursery owner will see them through future challenges. A willingness to invest even in a downturn, thinking big and not being afraid to make decisions, plus a passion for delivering a superb service should help nursery producers fare well. As Ronan Nangle says, “We have learnt from this trip that we need to have confidence, that there is a market for our products, and we do not need to compete on price”.

Travelling with one’s colleagues to a different country to visit nurseries brings fresh insights, new production techniques and processes and renewed enthusiasm. But perhaps more importantly, travelling with one’s contemporaries has additional benefits. Commenting on the benefits of this trip, owner of an online hedging business Adrian Byrne, said, “This trip has enabled me to establish contacts with Irish people that I haven’t seen for a while, find new suppliers and get some different ideas. In addition to learning from USA nurseries I have also been able to learn from my colleagues”. Perhaps most significantly everyone on this trip returned home with the salient reminder that every business needs to have an edge and be different from its competitors.

Bord Bia will be producing a detailed report on this trip, available in December. ✽

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

Xylella

06 / NURSERY

Dónall Flanagan, Teagasc nursery stock and ornamentals advisor details a worldwide threat to plant health which has been identified in Europe and risks spreading if serious action is not taken

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he worrying disease Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) has been in Europe for more than five years. It has been causing problems in the Americas for many years, and has been on the watch list for plant health officers for a long time. Coffee and olive plants coming to Europe have been closely inspected for Xf since becoming a notifiable disease in 2000. Without decisive action, Ireland faces its most serious plant disease threat yet.

and sycamore. This is significant because there is a very active trade in ornamental plants all across Europe. In Ireland we are familiar with many plants sourced from Italy and France (e.g. lavender, rosemary, and the Celtic Tiger trophy plant, olive). Other countries like these plants too and there is a steady movement of them from market to market across Europe. Xylella is only a truck journey away from any country in Europe.

UNDERSTANDING XF

EU and private companies are taking action. Since the first detection of the disease, the EU has had a strict eradication policy which starts with identification and the establishment of an eradication zone. Once established, all host plants and vectors within 100m of the diseased plant are destroyed. A buffer zone of at least 5km in width surrounding the infected zone is set for five years, where movement of host plants is strictly controlled. Under certain conditions, which would guarantee that no further spread of Xf has occurred, the buffer zone may be reduced to a width of at least 1km around the infected site and be maintained for at least one year. Increased control measures were agreed by the EU at the end of October this year. DAFM played an important role in securing these stronger controls to protect our environment and our trade. Annual testing, likely to begin in March 2018, will now be required for the

Xf is a bacterial infection and causes wilting and death of plants. It enters the water-conducting xylem vessels where it multiplies and blocks the transportation of water. As spittle bugs feed on the fluid from the plant xylem they can become infected by the bacteria and pass it on to other plants. The three different subspecies of Xylella present in Europe are fastidiosa, pauca and multiplex. The bacteria are very specific in their hosts and may not infect closely related plant species or even some varieties.

The bacteria is a major concern for a few reasons. It is likely to be fatal to its host. It has a very wide host range of 60+ plant species that show symptoms and more than 240 that can carry the disease without symptoms. Its vectors, spittle bugs, can be found all across Europe so it can easily be spread. Most worrying is the fact there is no cure.

The disease is currently in a number of confined areas in southern Italy, Spain, France and Corsica and on one site in Germany. The three different species of Xylella have different host ranges and favourable conditions. Xf has the potential to survive in a wide range of climates in Europe including Ireland. Xylella fastidiosa sp. multiplex has the widest range of hosts and survives in cooler climates. Some of the species attacked by multiplex include oak, elm, ash

CURRENT ACTIONS

What are you doing to stop the disease coming in to your nursery and consequently infecting mine? Graham Spencer

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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NURSERY / 06 most highly susceptible plant species; Coffea, Lavandula dentate, Nerium oleander, Olea europaea, Polygala myrtifolia and Prunus dulcis. These plants plus about 55 more susceptible hosts will require plant passports, most likely beginning before the end of 2017.

The disease has already had a big impact on trade in Europe. Some businesses have switched suppliers or stopped carrying stock that is sourced in identified countries. Growers and traders are looking for reassurances that everything possible is done to avoid the disease coming to their nurseries. The knock-on effect is that there is surplus stock in unaffected areas in Italy.

Close to home, the RHS has banned the 12 most disease susceptible plants from its garden shows and plant centres unless it has been grown in the UK for more than 12 months.

The HTA has set up a voluntary scheme where growers have agreed not to import stock knowingly from affected areas. I hear there have been a good number of UK plant buyers in Ireland in the last few months finding alternative suppliers.

Those buyers are also looking to know what we are doing to prepare against the disease. Speaking with numerous Dutch nursery men in the past month, it’s apparent they are very anxious that it be kept out of the Netherlands.

Many reputable nurseries have taken action and changed suppliers or dropped lines altogether.

DAMAGE ON OLIVE LEAVES (PHOTO BY EPPO)

ERADICATION OR CONTAINMENT? Thinking about possible control of the disease, it helps to consider it as part of the disease triangle: pathogen, vector and host. By removing any one of the corners it is destabilised and chances of successful eradication increase.

The vector that spreads the disease is an insect like the native cuckoo spit. The insects can spread the disease as soon as they come in contact with it. Removing the vector is difficult but some continental growers are beginning to use netting/screens on tunnels ends. Control of the pathogen is effectively impossible. Control of hosts means destruction of nearby susceptible species. Future spread could be reduced by making careful selections of non susceptible genus, species and even varieties.

This has already happened with grapes and no doubt recommended ornamental varieties will develop in time.

Where eradication becomes impossible, containment is the next option. Corsica and the Balearic islands now join the Italian region of Apulia where the bacteria has established beyond possibility of eradication; they are now working on containment. The EU has sanctioned control measures here that still include the destruction of all infected plants. Testing for the disease here is more focused to protect plants of cultural significance and plant trade.

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THE FUTURE Invasive and destructive species are nothing new to Ireland. In reality we have been less impacted than many other countries, but change is constant and new threats will always be on the horizon. German nursery stock advisor Dr Heinrich Loesing says, "There will always be new diseases, we have survived previous ones and we need to prepare for the next ones as they will arrive”. As an island with a natural water barrier I think we could plan and hope for a better outcome. Dr Richard O’Hanlon AFBI NI recently made a presentation to The Society of Irish Foresters highlighting threats to our forests. Of the known pests and disease that pose threats Phytophthora as a species appears to be growing and many forms are highly pathogenic. Dr O’Hanlon’s list of incoming threats on the near horizon includes acute oak decline, Asian longhorn beetle, Castanea blight, the great spruce bark beetle, Phytophthora austrocedri (attacks juniper), Phytophthora siskiyouensis (attacks alder), and oak processionary moth.

There are more threats out there, just a little further away e.g. emerald ash borer. Their threat is serious but not on our doorstep just yet.

Speaking at the recent Teagasc nursery stock seminar, Graham Spencer (Plants for Europe) strongly recommended growers talk to their neighbours to ask, "What are you doing to stop the disease coming in to your nursery and consequently infecting mine?”. We have a clean, green image on our island – we can do a lot ourselves to protect it. As the saying goes, you must be the change you want to see in the world.

More information and factsheets can be found here: DAFM www.agriculture.gov.ie Teagasc www.teagasc.ie Richard O’hanlon www.rohanlon.org

EU PLANT HEALTH AND BIOSECURITY https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_ biosecurity/legislation/emergency_measures/xylellafastidiosa/latest-developments_en

EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY (EFSA) http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/xylellafastidiosa Thanks to DAFM for contributions on updated controls. ✽

ó

D NALL FLANAGAN has been teaching with Teagasc for a number of years. Before this he worked with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co Parks Department, landscaping and in protected crops. He will be based with the Teagasc Horticulture Development Department in Ashtown, serving the nursery stock and ornamental sector.

Dónall Flanagan, Ashtown Food Research Centre Mobile: 087 703 5823; Tel: 076 111 4021 Email: donall.flanagan@teagasc.ie

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

08 / CONSTRUCT

PRODUCER ORGANISATIONS ...the way forward?

Independent consultant and Horticulture Industry Forum (HIF) coordinator, Stiofán Nutty, introduces plans for producer organisations to underpin the future vision for amenity production in ireland

M

inister for Horticulture Andrew Doyle TD and HIF chairman Brian O’Reilly co-chaired a Full Forum meeting of the HIF on 18th October. The meeting considered a new report compiled by the HIF, the horticulture industry’s vision report.

The report sets out the current state of the industry, outlines the challenges facing it, and comes with 24 recommendations.

The key strands of the report’s focus are greater grower collaboration; securing the required resources; exploiting market opportunities; advancing public policy initiatives to tackle below cost selling; labour shortages etc.

Many of the producers attending the meeting were surprised to learn that horticulture is the fourth largest agriculture sector with only beef, dairy and pigs being bigger. In 2016, the estimated farmgate value of horticulture was €433m, which is significantly higher than that of sheep (€256m), cereals (€236m) or poultry (€157m).

After thorough discussion and consideration, the report was approved unanimously. The meeting allocated responsibility for the management of each of the four strands and the leaders of each of the strands will report back regularly on progress to the governing committee. The recommendations in the vision report now form the work agenda of the HIF. The committee will coordinate and prioritise this work in the weeks and months ahead. Updates on progress will be provided to the next Full Forum meeting in the spring.

Given the fall in commercial grower numbers over recent years and the increasingly competitive nature of retail markets, the report highlights the need for much greater collaboration amongst growers to combat the power of the multiples and to exploit market opportunities. To support this, one of the recommendations is to establish a three year Accelerator Induction Producer Organisation programme (AIPO). Such a programme would involve information sessions on how PO’s work and facilitate producers to embark on a staged process to join a PO. This ‘suck it and see’ approach would allow producers to experience what it is like to operate within a PO without having to commit fully to joining a PO. Producers would be free to leave the process but it is expected that

many would choose, in time, to fully commit to a PO. POs have the potential to reduce input costs for producers and deliver more effective distribution and marketing of produce. This also means that producers have more time to concentrate on growing.

The report states that the supply of education and training to the industry is not sufficiently focused to meet the needs of existing or potential new commercial operators. The report recommends that delivery of commercial training should be concentrated in one centre.

Better resourced R & D is also viewed by the report as being crucial to future development of the industry.

A joint industry and government approach is recommended by the report to exploit existing and emerging new market opportunities. The report highlights the potential of the horticulture industry to collaborate with health practitioners to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables to boost public health and combat obesity. In addition, the report identifies the potential for the amenity sector to also work with health professionals to promote the role of plants, flowers and trees to improve mental health.

Major industry challenges such as below cost selling, the current crisis in labour supply and succession planning have to be addressed according to the report. Finding effective solutions to these issues will be a priority for HIF. A number of Forum members were unable to attend the meeting due to the after effects of Storm Ophelia. The horticulture industry has endured a number of economic storms over recent years. The vision report sets out how we now must work collaboratively together to first repair the damage to our industry and then move on to develop a vibrant, more prosperous horticulture industry in Ireland. ✽

STIOFÁN NUTTY has been involved in commercial horticulture for nearly 30 years. In that time he has built an expansive experience and knowledge base across the horticultural spectrum. He has owned and operated a nursery business, an award winning garden centre, worked extensively in education and TV and was appointed as special advisor to the Minister for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent. In 2010 he was appointed as special advisor to the Minister for Sustainable Transport, Horticulture, Planning and Heritage Ciaran Cuffe. Over the past four year Stiofan has facilitated and moderated fourteen European and global conferences in Ireland, Brussels and the UK, he was appointed as coordinator of the Horticulture Industry Forum.

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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GL AS

PHOTOS: KORALEY NORTHEN

IN PICTURES / 07

2017

LEFT: MIKE NEARY (BORD BIA) & STIOFAN NUTTY (CONSULTANTBROADCASTER) ABOVE: JOE & MARY AHERN WITH GEDIMINAS KASPERAVICIUS (FANA NURSERIES)

ABOVE: HAROLD LAWLOR (ITB) MIDDLE: KATHLEEN & CHRISTY KAVANAGH WITH SON CON & DAUGHTER NIAMH (KAVANAGH CHRISTMAS TREES) RIGHT: PAUL KUNKELS (IRRITEC)

LEFT: JOE & NUALA YOUNG WITH DAUGHTER RACHEL & SON JOE JR (YOUNG NURSERIES) ABOVE: (O'CONNOR NURSERIES) MICHELLE ALLEN & MIRIAM SHEEHY FRONT ROW; JIM O'CONNOR & GERALDINE JENNINGS BACK ROW RIGHT: SUSAN BRERETON (RETAIL EXCELLENCE)

ABOVE: JOHN KILCORAN & PAT MCCANN (CROPCARE) MIDDLE: MICHAEL MCCONVILLE, JOE MCCONVILLE & FELIM SHERIDAN (ARBORICULTURAL ASSOCIATION) RIGHT: DÓNALL FLANAGAN (TEAGASC)

22

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

07 / IN PICTURES

TEAGASC NURSERY STOCK & ORNAMENTALS SEMINAR

NURSERY STOCK SEMINAR SPEAKERS & TEAGASC ORGANISERS: DR TOM POPE, GRAHAM SPENCER, DR. HEINRICH LÖESING, BARRY DELANY, DERMOT CALLAGHAN, DÓNALL FLANAGAN (TEAGASC)

SHANE BUGGLE, INSTANT POTS & PLANTS, DANIELLE BOLAND & JOHN MULHERN (TEAGASC); LEFT: MICHAEL HAGAN (ITB), OLIVER SHERIDAN (TEAGASC), DOROTHY HAYDEN (INSTITUTE OF HORTICULTURE), ANDY WHELTON (TEAGASC)

SALTEX 2017

PHILIP TUTTY (SOUTHERN MACHINERY) & ROBERT PAGE (HUSTLER)

GREG COLLINS (BAYER)

TRISTAN COUPER, NIGEL LYSTER & KOJI TANI (LYSTER LAWNMOWERS)

PHOTOS: JOSEPH BLAIR

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF HORTICULTURE CONFERENCE

CAROLINE KEELING CEO AT KEELINGS & OWEN DOYLE (CIH PRESIDENT)

ANDREW CAVERLY & MICHAEL HAGAN (ITB)

CIT STUDENT & TEACHER ATTENDEES

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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FRINGE HORT / 08

CENTRING the

FRINGE

In an exciting new series of collaborative articles, the team behind the hugely successful BloomFringe share their thoughts on how horticulture, art and community can come together to bring sustainable and positive change to our lives

T

he BloomFringe focus has been across the city of Dublin, in public spaces, in community gardens, at ambiguous forgotten junctions and places we particularly love - what we term impoverished corners of our city. Our bi-line is ‘making the gritty city pretty’. BloomFringe hosts talks and tours and curates a series of temporary pop-up gardens and events. We link communities together and foster collaborative projects, which make long term connections and help to change people’s perceptions and experience of the city.

BloomFringe is echoing a global urban greening zeitgeist.

Inspirations like pocket parks in 1970s New York, Danish urban playgrounds of the 1960s, community gardens in Berlin and Havana, beehives on Paris rooftops, flower-filled verges and roundabouts in Sheffield, have for us formed a green map of nature across the world’s cities. As urban populations grow, humans are calmer and happier if they have a green space to retreat to, even if it’s only for a sandwich at lunchtime. It really is a case of putting the jungle back into the Urban Jungle.

Prompted by the plight of the honeybee and other serious global environmental concerns, the BloomFringe mission has evolved over the past four years forming our core principals now of making cities more livable through greening projects that bring neighbourhoods, communities and people together. We have connected too with others making similar changes in their own cities right across the world. They have spoken at our conferences, spreading the story of the effect urban greening projects have had internationally. It

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was very powerful for a community gardener in our north inner city to meet the Gangsta Gardener Ron Finley from LA last year and to make genuine friends and share stories, seeds and growing tips together. Practitioners of the power of gardening to ease mental health issues were thrilled to meet Sara Venn of Edible Bristol this year to hear about how her greening project in the Bear Pit drew out the anti-social behaviour that dominated their city centre public space for decades. In Dublin Castle this year Ulla Maria Aude’s presentation of Aarhus city’s Green Embassy and Green Wedge projects gave Dublin’s decision-makers an excellent view of a potential urban greening templates.

All of this BloomFringe energy coupled with a city council who is adopting forward thinking planting schemes for our urban public spaces and more innovative use of the public realm makes for a dynamic combination. Other public and business support mechanisms enable the Festival and our other periphery events throughout the year. This all builds a great community between ourselves and the other stakeholders and supporters at the same time as facilitating us to make connections to people in our city through greening projects. It’s pretty cool stuff! We have ideas and inspirations coming out of our ears and we have only scratched the surface so far. Watch this space to see what we get up to and who we’re bringing to town next to tell us their tales of more international urban greening.

BloomFringe uses the power of art and creative projects as a tool to engage different communities in the Urban Greening conversation. We have worked with artists and craftspeople to make street art, children’s workshops and interventions, sculpture installations and design prototypes.

Using simple ideas that are fun, brings people together and creates a friendly, accessible atmosphere where conversations can develop easily.

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

08 /FRINGEHORT

example, growing something on your windowsill, providing drinking water for bees, painting a dingy corner of a disused space, or talking to your neighbours, can help to bring humanity to city streets. Showcasing how easy it is to plant a seed, change a derelict space or inspire some small actions that lead to greater ones, is part of the BloomFringe vision.

As an industry professional you can do much to propel the BloomFringe movement. Some ideas we are always looking for are people to volunteer at the Festival, we always need lots of flowering plants so we can gift them to passers-by, materials to reuse so we can make raised beds and innovative planting containers, skills we can harness to turn something like old pieces of timber into a giant Jenga set for kids to play, disused objects such as wheelbarrows or wheelie bins which we can turn into new planters for food growing or pretty flowers to enhance a gritty disused corner of a derelict site. To contact us find us online so you can join us in the real world. www.bloomfringe.com Twitter: @BloomFringe Facebook: BloomFringe Instagram: @bloomfringe ✽

PHOTO: BETA BEJGART

Using particular themes such as bees, nature, or food growing, our children’s workshops are simple and very low cost and explore experiences that can be repeated at home. We use natural or recycled materials and while children take part we chat to them and their parents about the ideas we are promoting.

Growing food was the theme of a recent workshop at Savour Kilkenny, where new varieties of vegetables and fruit were being showcased by The School of Food.

We partnered with them to make a funny monster workshop, giving us a chance to let kids discover lemon cucumbers, courgettes, occa, sweet potatoes, and squashes. They made ‘Vegbuster’ characters, learnt about the vegetables and then brought them home to eat later.

It continues to astound us how a simple wheelbarrow loaded with frothy dreamy flowers can draw the attention of the busiest shoppers in the city. Our intervention of ‘Wheeling a Wheelbarrow’ through Dublin’s hard landscaped streets drew many people, unprompted, to chat to us about flowers, planting and how much they wanted to see more green in the city.

Small actions can make a big difference to living in an urban area. For

BLOOMFRINGE was founded by Landscape Architect and project manager Esther Gerrard, award winning garden designer Marion Keogh and glasswork artist Róisín de Buitléar (creative director)

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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INSIGHT / 09

Plastic Blackbird catches Plastic Worm:

bringing the National Landscape Strategy down to earth?

I

n 1964 when I decided to study horticulture at University College Dublin, I had a dream of a career linked to gardens of verdant lawns, flowers, rose gardens, kitchen gardens overflowing with ripe fruit and leafy vegetables, butterflies flitting through sunny glades, birds singing and nesting in the trees, ladybirds sunning themselves on warm stone walls, bumblebees amplified in Canterberry Bells, all ultimately dependent on rich loamy organic soil full of worms and other beneficial creatures. I was also aware of the darker side of this pastoral vision lurking behind every leaf: sucking aphids (green, black and wooly), munching caterpillars, blights, mildews, leaf spots, rusts and viruses and those aggressive weeds. But fear eased as I was reassured by our wise college lecturers in the Albert College that thanks to the genius of mankind there was a chemical on the way for every threat to my pastoral vision. Agent Orange, a cocktail of garden chemicals raining decades of

death, agony and destruction down on the verdant forests of Vietnam, was not then on the curriculum.

Have we moved on? The EU is slowly weaning us off our arsenal of garden chemicals, but my pastoral vision has now taken on a distinct plastic hue. The grass is still green but it no longer needs mowing; in fact it needs neither soil or worms or other little creatures. Just as well maybe, as the worms and little creatures are no longer in the soil. The blackbird may be in the tree but it no longer sings. But fear not, Diarmuid Gavin has been here. He has installed a switch at the garden gate, and not only will the garden revolve and go up and down, but also a dawn chorus of bird song will gush from discreet speakers in the trees and a plastic blackbird will catch a plastic worm on the plastic lawn!

HAS THERE BEEN ONE WRONG TURN TOO MANY IN A MERE 50 YEARS? Reflecting on how to help us grasp the reality of deep landscape, I happened on the concept of the Ancient Acre, probably subconsciously suggested by the thought provoking song Ancient Rain by Cork’s own Jimmy McCarthy (best sung by the earthy Mary Coughlan).

Rain is very ancient, pouring down long before man arrived and as it will do long after Trump Man has burnt out his reign.

The landscape under our feet consists of many ancient acres, each with a story to tell of the game of nature and man, and of man and nature.

Every ancient acre of land/water is subject to competing demands and the most overbearing, if not aggressive, relate to human land or water use. The history of the human race is a story largely spun around the use or abuse of the land/ water resource of our planet. In its earlier millennia the human bipeds used to be just one part of nature – another species,

“Agent Orange, a cocktail of garden chemicals raining decades of death, agony and destruction down on the verdant forests of Vietnam, was not then on the curriculum”

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

09 / INSIGHT admittedly still exploiting nature but in a manner where nature had the reserve capacity and deep power to rebalance things.

Nature is a believer in large safety margins, so if it wants to sustain a certain population of a species it reproduces at large multiples of the target population. Similarly it has tended to have the numbers to bounce back in the face of natural and early man-made catastrophes.

Take a time machine trip. You are back in Waterford in 1955, dawdling along the Waterside. On the left of the street there are terraced houses, and on the right there’s The Pill, a tidal tributary of the River Suir. The Gas Works are beyond.

There’s a high spring tide almost close to peak, and the water is clear. There is a curly headed little boy lying on his belly on the cut stone river wall. He senses your presence, turns his head and blurts out, “Look, look, there’s loads of baby eels down there!”

I was that little boy and I can still visualise the continuous wave of elvers flowing along the river wall. Today the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a species very much under threat with numbers in catastrophic decline. The EUfunded Eeliad project is investigating its marine migrations for answers.Within the last century we would appear to have reached if not passed through a profound crossroads where the man-road is running amok and the nature-road is running out of reserves.

In 1974 The Hollies had a hit with the Albert Hammond song The Air that I Breathe. As they sang “All I need is the air that I breathe” they were not counting trees. Recent calculations suggest we might need to start counting. Today there are some 3 trillion trees on the planet, the human population is 7.3 billion, thus each of us has 411 trees to provide the air we breathe. By 2056 the world population is projected to be 10 billion. If the tree population (by some miracle) holds at 3 trillion then we will be down to 300 trees per person. Don’t hold your breath!

Back in 1989 Francis Fukuyama published The End of History whilst Bill McKibben published The End of Nature.

Human society has since been more concerned about the end of history than the end of nature. In 2010 Professor Frank Fenner predicted the end of the human race within 100 years due to population explosion and unbridled consumption. In 2016 Stephen Hawking also gave us 100 years, in his case blaming artificial intelligence.

Those of us who have lived through the past 60 years in Ireland have certainly seen the possible end of nature coming down the track. In the words of Ray Davies and The Kinks, we are Dedicated Followers of Fashion, and a part of us needs the Gavin-style imaginative if disposable bling designs, but shouldn’t we also be delivering more sustainable designs informed by the realities of impending environmental disaster and the end of the human race? It is a global issue but we must act locally and also participate in global initiatives. You are unlikely to listen to Terry O’Regan – he has been crying ‘wolf’ for too long. Might you heed your elected leaders?

If we accept that we depend on nature, its care and protection should be widely integrated and deeply embedded in our legislative framework and our politicians should be patently aware of and responsive to the related issues, threats and challenges.

DOES THE NOISE EMANATING FROM LEINSTER HOUSE GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE? You will not find a specific mention of nature in our underdeveloped constitution. A visit to the EU environment nature and biodiversity web pages could do for your green hormones what Viagra does for others. But you will wilt again when you remember that it is up to the member states to legislate and act.

The European Landscape Convention should give you a lift, though the preamble and indeed the whole document leans a bit too much towards the cultural; but it does clearly reference the Paris, Berne and Rio conventions, all concerned with nature. The word ‘landscape’ means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.

The Irish National Landscape Strategy is a bit vague on nature but it has the potential to provide us with meeting places and action ‘rooms’ where we might locally come to grips with the nature of nature, and begin to provide for its needs in order that it not only survives but also thrives. We just might ensure that Stephen Hawking and Professor Frank Fenner were a little too pessimistic. But we will need to think well outside the very constrained and under-resourced NLS box. We may even need to think well beyond biodiversity, native species and so-called invasive aliens. It’s a very big picture and all too easy to end up in blind alleys.

The National Landscape Forum is one small drumbeat to help communities to march for nature and culture in harmony and balance. After a very successful forum this year in Abbeyleix it will move elsewhere in 2018 – venue and dates to be decided over coming weeks. Be there and together we will make a difference. ✽

TERRY O’REGAN , B Agr Sc Hort(Hons), FILI, MIoH, founder of Landscape Alliance Ireland, has served the landscape industry in Ireland for some 45 years and promoted the intent and aims of the European Landscape Convention, Florence 2000, for some 22 years.

In recent years he has divided his time between his landscape services/consultancy enterprise in Munster and working as a Council of Europe international landscape and heritage expert in Southeast Europe.

He continues to promote and refine his ‘jargon free’ landscape circle methodology and modified it for use at local and regional administrative levels in Kosovo, Croatia and Cyprus.

The LAI website www.lai-ireland.com will shortly be relaunched with exciting news of National Landscape Forum 2018. Contact Terry at terryjoregan@gmail.com or 021 487 1460.

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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PEONIES MIGHT MAKE THE CUT

RESEARCH / 10

Andy Whelton explores the potential for peonies for the cut flower sector emerging from current applied research work being undertaken on the crop at Kildalton College

T

here continues to be a growing demand for Irish sourced cut flowers by both the supermarket trade and high street florists as alluded to by florist Ruth Monahan in the summer 2017 edition of Horticulture Connected. In response to this increased appetite, Teagasc has been conducting trials at Kildalton College, County Kilkenny over the past few years. Peony cultivars being screened in a trial planted in 2014 are now showing promise as a potential cut flower crop in Ireland.

The herbaceous peonies are the most useful for cutting and have increased in popularity in recent years owing to their hardiness, large size, colour and fragrance of flowers. They are a long term crop and once planted they do not like to be disturbed. They can crop for up to 15-20 years.

While the primary aim of the Kildalton trial is to evaluate a range of cultivars in terms of flowering date and stem yield,

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information on other key agronomy aspects of production is also being gathered.

Peonies require a sheltered site from prevailing winds. While a south facing aspect is desirable, it is not essential. The south east of Ireland appears to be a very suitable production area due to the somewhat drier climate and good, free draining, deep mineral soils, which they enjoy. However, they will tolerate a wide array of soil Ph with the ideal range between 6.0 to 7.0.

Source of plant material is crucial to success and rootstock is available from specialist producers in Holland. The crop is generally planted on single ridges, not too dissimilar to potato ridges. They can also be planted on beds. In the Kildalton plot 18’’ (45 cm) ridges are adopted and crowns are spaced to give a plant density of 1.5 plants per square meter. Closer spacing can affect longevity and quality. Planting is normally carried out in late autumn to allow good root establishment before the winter. It is important to not set them too deep (30-35mm of soil over the crowns is sufficient). It is critically important to keep plantations free of weeds. The site should be first cleared of perennial weeds by spraying off. Residual herbicides such as Stomp Aqua and Butisan S have label recommendation.

A soil test is necessary to accurately determine rates of phosphorus and potash. A balanced compound should be

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

10 / RESEARCH used as a top dressing in the spring. The judicious use of nitrogen will result in good growth response in spring and up to 100 kg/ha of nitrogen can be applied to a mature crop.

CHOICE OF CULTIVAR College amenity technician, Catherine Gavin oversees the cultivar trial work at Kildalton and she has been monitoring up to 20 cultivars of peonies, keeping records on emergence, flowering date, stem yield, pest and disease susceptibility.

All growth originates from an underground crown. The stem buds or eyes are formed at the top of the crown and are the beginning of the next year’s growth. Single and double flowering cultivars, early, mid and late flowering cultivars are being screened. The trial, while only in its third season, is already showing differences between cultivars. The table below shows features of some of the range being trialled in Kildalton.

COLOUR

CULTIVAR

FORM

TIMING

White

‘Duchess de Nemours’

Double

Medium

Pink

‘Monsieur Jules Elie’

Double

Early

Pink

‘Sarah Bernhardt’

Semi-double

Late

Pink

‘Alexander Flemming’

Double

Medium

Salmon orange

‘Coral Sunset’

Double

Early

Red

‘Karl Rosenfield’

Double

Medium

‘Command Performance’

Double

Dark red

issue with the crop and a programme for control has to be implemented from emergence in the spring. The programme should be maintained throughout the growing season through harvest and should extend out to early autumn.

CATHERINE GAVIN AND ANDY WHELTON The Kildalton programme EVALUATE STAGE OF HARVEST OF PAEONIA ‘SARAH BERNHARDT’ – A POPULAR HIGH consisted of alternating systemic YIELDING LATE FLOWERING CULTIVAR IN fungicides such as Rovral WG THE KILDALTON TRIAL and Switch which have full label recommendations with protectants such as Amistar and Signum which have off label approval.

CUTTING STAGE IS CRUCIAL Harvesting can commence from from late April to early May and continues through to mid June. Stems are ready when the bud feels soft to touch and the first petal (flag) is just showing signs of colour and lifting. Cut off preferably above the first set of leaves from the base, remembering that to rehabilitate the plant for next year’s production, a good cover of leaves must be left. Generally stems are cut early in the morning and moved to the cold store as quickly as possible to maintain quality. Buds must be dry on harvesting. Once in store the stems are graded, removing the lower spare leaves leaving two or three sets on the stem. They are usually sorted into lengths 50-60cm and 60-70cm. Stems are bunched in five’s of the same sizes. Chill at 1-3°C. Peonies store dry for up to three weeks in a cool store. Prior to shipment, they are put into boxes with 50 stems per box.

Foliage is normally cut down in the autumn when it turns colour and not before. Cut to 10cm of ground level and dispose of foliage. A cleanup herbicide such as Retro can be used to maintain plantations free of weeds.

PROFIT AFTER FIVE YEARS

Early

Choice of cultivar will ultimately depend on market outlet and specification. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ is a well known cultivar widely grown commercially in Holland and popular amongst the supermarket trade and is by far the highest yielding even after three seasons, but is later flowering compared to most others. Monitoring will continue on an annual basis in the trial, the results of which will then be collated and presented to the industry in the future.

SLUGS AND BOTRYTIS Slugs were problematic in Kildalton in 2017 and certainly in wet season’s damage seen from early spring right through to the autumn. They can damage the young shoots as they emerge, affecting flower quality by distorting buds and stems and ultimately reducing stem yield.

Stem and bud botrytis (grey mould) is the main disease

A minimum of five years is needed before peonies become profitable. Capital during the first three years is spent on plants, soil improvements, establishment, cultivating and overhead expenses. Only in the following two years will plants produce sufficient stems to realise a profit. New plants produce three to five stems in the second year with full cropping potential reached by year five when an average of eight to 12 blooms are produced from a well managed crop (120,000 blooms/ha). Growers can expect €0.35 to €0.45 per stem, depending on market and quality grade. From an initial investment of €12,000 per ha, a gross return of €42,000 per ha is achievable from the fifth year onwards. Net return can be in the region of €24,000 per ha. ✽ Contact ANDY WHELTON by email andy.whelton@teagasc.ie for further information on cultivation of the crop or Catherine Gavin at Kildalton College (Catherine.gavin@ teagasc.ie) to view the crop during the growing season (by appointment only).

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PHOTO: J. CORDON

CULTIVATING A WIDER PERSPECTIVE

LEFT: RHEUM NOBILE AND N. SMYTH BHUTAN; RIGHT: DARACH LUPTON PRESIDING OVER WILD COLLECTED PLANT CUTTINGS IN THE NURSERY AT THE OMAN BOTANIC GARDEN - 2017;

Two of Ireland's foremost botanical experts, Dr Noeleen Smyth and Dr Darach Lupton share their global plant journeys so that Ireland’s next generation of plant lovers might broaden their perspectives

FROM PIERIS TO PITCAIRN DR NOELEEN SMYTH

I got my first job in horticulture in Doran’s Heather Nursery in Kildare, the colours, exotic names and varieties astounding to my young eyes, but when I really look back the journey into plant obsession and interest started much earlier. My Nan was a plantswoman and had a lovely garden full of beautiful shrubs and flowers. She would root plants in jars of water sitting on the window sill and the smell of southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) brings me back to those happy days with her and my aunt. Nan brought some sneaky slips or new plants back with her from every journey she made.

The garden was adjacent to an area of peat, clay and gravel hills, with slopes sweeping into the once amazing dome of Hodgestown bog. It was on these slopes, meadows and on the margins of the boglands that I had my first experience with wild orchids (Dactylorhiza spp. Plananthera spp. Listeria spp), sundews (Drosera spp.), wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca), flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) and frochan berries (Vaccinium myrtillus). Little did I know that I was getting to see a wide variety of Irish plant habitats in one space.

Our school sat next to the horticultural oasis of Coolcarrigan Gardens, and nature walks with our teacher brought me face to face with Pieris ‘Forest Flame’. I still remember being awestruck by the colour. While my school friends and I planted a leylandii hedge at the boundary of our school my friend Yvette and I named ours “Freddy Evergreen”! Well, Freddy Evergreen and his buddies have long since fallen out of horticultural favour, since they started to grow a bit wild and our Freddy has since been felled. The bog

30

pools and humps of Hodgestown bog have become a Bord na Mona peat harvesting station and a brown desert, and my Nan, her garden and the land have since passed on. But Coolcarrigan Gardens and Doran’s Heather Nursery continue to thrive to inspire the next generation.

Plants have taken me to every corner of the globe. My first job after qualifying with a Diploma in Horticulture from the National Botanic Gardens was in the exotic Talbot Botanic Gardens at Malahide Castle. Here I was given a glimpse of the southern hemisphere and its wondrous exotic plants. Little did I know that this job paved the way for many plant journeys and explorations to come. I returned to the National Botanic Gardens to work as a gardener and that’s when the opportunity to travel to see plants arose. The Botanic Gardens Education Society organised regular trips to gardens around Dublin in the summer evenings and around the country and even abroad in those days. I got to see Helen Dillon's amazing garden in Ranelagh, the tree ferns in Glanleam Gardens in Valentina and Himalayan blue poppies in Scottish gardens all in the one year.

I couldn’t get enough of such diversity, the amazing colours and wondrous sights, with inspirational plants people leading the way.

It was also at the Botanic Gardens that the first opportunity to travel on a Glasnevin expedition arose with Brendan Sayers, the glasshouse foreman. Brendan had taken over the orchid collection, I had an interest in orchids, and with an ex-Glasnevin student Brendan O’Donoghue living and working in Belize, the opportunity arose with funding from Botanic Garden Trust Fund and the Merlin Trust to mount an expedition to Belize in Central America to collect orchids. Horticulture, what a profession! I was in heaven with a real job that offered me the

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

11 /EDUCATION chance to be a child again and go exploring.

Once I got to see the rainforest - a jungle, a living, breathing, exotic wonderland - there was no going back to deadheading.

I wanted to explore and discover new plants as a career and signed up for botany at Trinity along with one of my fellow expedition team mates Darach Lupton, my brother in blossoms.

Since then it has been a whirlwind of places and plants. The Royal Horticultural Society, the Merlin Trust, the Stanley Smith Trust, the Mohammed Bin Zayed Trust, the UK Overseas Territories Environment Fund, the Irish Research Council, the Heritage Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service have all funded various plant expeditions and missions. It turns out that combining horticulture and botany is a very good idea.

The unique combination of horticulture and botany led me to set up a nursery on one of the remotest islands in the world, Pitcairn Island, where I saved an endemic species from extinction and introduced it into cultivation, the yellow fatu (Abutilon pitcairnese). After exotic adventures I returned to Ireland and set about taking out horticultural weedy species from the wild Irish landscape, for example Hottentot fig (Carpobrotus edulis) from the Howth cliffs and giant rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) from Clare Island. I like to think my gardening has expanded beyond just walls and I now see the whole world as a large garden.

There are huge opportunities that I don’t think horticulture in the narrow sense of the word is seeing. Some of our biggest global efforts to save and enhance our burgeoning planet include restoration of forest, boglands, fens etc.

Who better to grow and know plants than horticulturalists?

Some successful translocations of rare Irish species such as great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) and meadow barley (Hordeum secalinum) carried out by BEC consultants who employed Darach and I could not believe we had a 100% success rate with some of these rare populations which we moved. We could believe it because we had been trained in how to manage, move and plant properly.

My work these days is focused on monitoring global plant trade in everything from orchids and cacti to large timber trees. My focus is on rare wild plants used in trade and ensuring that they come from sustainable sources, and that they will still be around for generations to come. It also involves ensuring that local communities who rely on and sell wild plants will still have an income in the future. Horticulture helps to take the pressure off wild populations through artificial propagation, the amazing ability of plants to be able to reproduce themselves from seeds and cuttings.

Nature needs this helping hand and the planet needs healing and a sustainable future. Horticultural brings all the necessary skills to the table. ✽

NOELEEN SMYTH PhD. Dip. Hort. Dip. Stats CITES UK Scientific Authority for Flora & Policy Advisor Office of the Science Directorate Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, United Kingdom Email: N.Smyth@kew.org Website: www.kew.org

A GLOBAL PLANTING PLAN DR DARACH LUPTON

It is said that the gardener is part scientist, part artist, part philosopher, part ploughman. John R Whiting -1955.

The curiosity of the plant world provides endless intrigue to the scientific mind. The rich pallet of colour, form and shape allows the gardener to express their artistic visions and flare; quietness, solitude and the changing seasons encourage the philosopher to wonder; connection to the soil through turning, grasping, smelling and observing makes a ploughman of the gardener. Since starting my career as horticulturalist and botanist I hold all of this to be true. 24 years working with plants has opened up opportunities with learning, travel, people, wildlife, culture, creativity and self-discovery. I am convinced no other career would have ever provided me with such a wealth of experience personal fulfillment.

So how did this journey begin? People ask, were you always interested in plants?

The truth of it is, no – not on any conscious level at least.

Unaware of it at the time, my career began after leaving Ireland the early 1990s with high minded ideals of travel and adventure, picking up work here and there and moving on whenever it felt right. In retrospect, of course, it was a fanciful notion, reality was a different matter. During this time I often found myself working in the horticultural trade – from picking flowers in the Netherlands to pruning roses in Israel, horticultural work kept me afloat and subconsciously set the scene for my future career.

After a number of years of this charmed life I returned to Ireland with one burning question: what will I do now?

Realising that I found great joy and curiosity from my time working with plants, the answer seemed obvious. I set about finding out how to gain horticultural qualifications in Ireland. The three year diploma in Amenity Horticulture, which at the time was run by Teagasc at the National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin in Dublin, seemed like a good option. Not having the necessary experience to enter the Glasnevin course on my first attempt I undertook a 12 month horticulture course with FAS, which was a fantastic experience and fundamental to my successful application for the diploma course. The subsequent three years, which included a one year placement at the RHS Garden Wisley in the UK, changed my life irrevocably and set me on a thoroughly rewarding path of personal development, learning, travel and exposure to the absorbing world of plants, gardens and the broader natural world.

Without any doubt the foundation of my career was set in the unique facilities and people at the NBG Glasnevin.

The NBG Glasnevin like many botanic and large gardens are wonderful places of natural and constructed beauty, enormous botanical diversity, community, learning and respite. As a student there I was immersed in these elements. Plants from around the world were at my fingertips and garden staff were always on hand to share their horticultural wisdom. I still remember the first botanical Latin name I heard; it was that doyen of suburban gardens, Griselinia littoralis. I was dumbfounded

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PHOTO: M. JEBB

PHOTO: M. JEBB

EDUCATION / 11

TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: NBG GLASNEVIN EXPEDITION - PLANT SURVEY OF JORDAN (N. SMYTH & D. LUPTON) TRYING TO IDENTIFY JORDANIAN NATIVE PLANT SPECIES; NOELEEN, DARACH, COLIN KELLEHER AND COLLEAGUES ASSESSING HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS ON THE SITE OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN JORDAN - 2008; PITCAIRN ISLAND NURSERY – 2005. N. SMYTH, ISLANDERS WHO WORKED ON THE PROJECT AND RARE NATIVE TREE SEEDLINGS;

by this seemingly incomprehensible mouthful, how on earth was I going to remember that, never mind the 29 other equally tongue twisting names I would have to learn and identify almost every week for the next three years? With time and experience this task become less daunting. As students we quickly became adept at identifying hundreds of plant species and cultivars. Leaf shape, texture, smell, flower colour and so on opened up a whole new world of detail and diversity. This early exposure to plants and knowledgeable gardeners was absolutely critical to fostering my enthusiasm.

Without such a solid grounding I am sure things would have been far less fulfilling.

Over the last 24 years, including eight years of botanical undergraduate and postgraduate study, I have travelled and worked in many far flung, exotic locations: collecting orchids in Belize, recording epiphytic ferns in Guyana, surveying tree ferns in Tanzania, collecting sedges in Cameroon, developing botanic gardens in Uganda, plant surveying in Jordan to my current role in Oman Botanic Garden as Senior Botanist and Curator of Living Collections. Everything can be attributed to the type of teaching, training and experiences I was exposed to during my early years.

At the Oman Botanic Garden, we are documenting, collecting, propagating and cultivating the native plants of Oman. This ambitious and rewarding task has given me the opportunity to utilize the full breadth of the horticultural and botanical training I received in Ireland. Those early, terrifying plant identification exams, mentoring by helpful gardeners, the exposure to a wide variety of plant species, plant cultivation techniques and scientific observation and investigation have given me a very unique skill set which has

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PHOTO: M. JEBB

PHOTO: J. MORRIS

MAYSA AND N. SMYTH TAKING TIME OUT FROM THE SUN ON THE NBG GLASNEVIN PLANT SURVEY OF JORDAN

allowed me to marry the practical and theoretical in such a useful and fulfilling way.

In the time since my student days the emphasis on horticultural training in Ireland appears to have shifted away from developing a passion for plants, gardens and botanical diversity to a focused study of garden design and business management. There are individual exceptions to this but as whole this appears to be the trend. While this approach, of course, has its place I fear it is limiting the training and subsequent opportunities for the passionate Irish gardeners, horticulturalists and botanists of the future. The rigorous immersive, plant based training that I and many others were so lucky to receive must be re-emphasised in Irish horticultural training opportunities.

With re-emphasising and reigniting the passion for and curiosity about plants I have no doubt that Ireland’s budding horticulturalists will make significant contributions to Irish and global horticulture. Horticulture is a wonderful, curious, rewarding and life-long profession that both enriches the individual and community. It promotes patience, observation, sharing, biodiversity, and a fascination with nature and directly improves the wellbeing of people and the planet.

Good gardeners are essential. ✽

DARACH LUPTON PhD., BA Mod. (Bot.), Dip. Hort.

Senior Botanist & Curator of Living Collections Oman Botanic Garden, PO Box 808, PC 122 Sultanate of Oman Email: dluptonian@gmail.com

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

© ZHU DIFENG - FOTOLIA

Learning Strategy

11 / EDUCATION

There are a lot of changes taking place in Irish horticultural education. To get a view on current development, we asked principal of the College of Amenity Horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens, John Mulhern, and assistant lecturer in horticulture at the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown Rachel Freeman to bring us up to speed NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Courses are up and running in the Botanic Gardens and full-time student numbers in the college are approximately in line with last year. We have an increased uptake on the part- time component awards. Areas like fruit and vegetable production are now being heavily sought after in QQI Level 5 as minor component awards. This trend is also apparent in the Level 7 degree programme with sustainable food production being the most popular elective choice in the college this year. Nursery stock and landscape design also remain popular choices.

This autumn we will be starting our Level 6 courses in landscape design, nursery stock production and turfgrass.

These courses are designed for people who have already completed a full Level 5 award in horticulture or are currently working in the relevant industry.

We are also gearing up for next year’s spring careers event (Thursday 8 March 2018), with the current students taking a lead role in contacting horticultural businesses in the Leinster area. Last spring we were delighted to host 13 individual horticulture companies in the Botanic Gardens for an afternoon of networking whereby students could interface with employers face to face and chat to them about careers opportunities in the different horticulture sectors.

In terms of new course development we have two apprenticeship proposals in applied horticulture and turfgrass currently with SOLAS. As I write, a Teagasc team is defending the apprenticeship proposals to SOLAS. We will have more information on this development over

the next six to 12 months. This development will hopefully pave the way for a new training model which has been investigated and pioneered by Teagasc between its two horticulture colleges in Botanic Gardens and Kildalton and with input stakeholder partners in horticulture.

The Botanic Gardens College is now using the food campus in Teagasc Ashtown, Dublin 15 as a new hub for our practical horticulture training in the greater Dublin area. Here we have access to a greater land area for our practical activities in landscape construction, fruit and vegetable production, turfgrass and nursery stock.

Ashtown has also provided us with a new three hole turfgrass academy, which has already hosted several continuing professional development (CPD) industry events for the industry. A new research glasshouse (1700m²) was commissioned this summer and will be used to raise plant material for the student practicals and the landscaping work on the campus. The facilities also include a new conference facility, mushroom unit, student laboratory, utility building and access to an increased

JOHN MULHERN has worked with Teagasc for more than 17 years, primarily in an educational capacity. He is the current principal of the College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin.

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EDUCATION / 11

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown We've had a busy September in the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown with the start of both full-time and part-time courses in horticulture.

Student numbers remain roughly the same as last year, with turfgrass, food, social and therapeutic horticulture remaining the most popular subjects. Our second year students are gearing up for placement, which this year sees students joining companies such as OPW and Ratoath Garden Centre, and we also have student participating in Ohio State internships and a number of students pursuing options in Holland.

Future course developments are centred on options within the part-time programme. This year we were delighted to welcome a new cohort to our part-time BSc Horticulture year 3. This takes graduates from our professional certificate in

science in horticulture and other QQI Level 6 students to the next stage of qualifications, i.e. the BSc in horticulture.

This means that in conjunction with our existing option of an add-on part-time 4th year, we are now in a position to offer our BSc (Hons) Horticulture on a part-time basis.

Anyone wishing to complete an honours level degree can now do so, on a part-time basis, over a total of six years.

The development of these part-time offerings to honours Level 8 is based on a strong demand for QQI accredited parttime programmes, both from within and outside the sector.

As always, working closely with our industry partners, we strive to provide options for continuing education and CPD for students at all levels. ✽

PHOTO: KORALEY NORTHEN

grounds area for student training. Teagasc Ashtown is situated six km from the Botanics Glasnevin. These new facilities complement the new classroom development that we opened three years ago in the Botanic Gardens and are a strong testament to Teagasc’s commitment to horticulture education and development. We welcome industry participation in our new facility in Ashtown at all levels for conferences, demonstrations and workshops. Please contact us for details. ✽

RACHEL FREEMAN is an assistant lecturer in horticulture at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown, where she is also placement coordinator. In addition to teaching practice.

Rachel has completed an MSc in social and therapeutic horticulture at Coventry University, UK. She can be contacted at rachel.freeman@itb.ie

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

12 / FRESH PRODUCE

‘MALLING CENTENARY’

T

© PAKTAOTIK2/123RF.COM

SHOWING GROWTH POTENTIAL

Dr Eamonn Kehoe, Teagasc soft fruit specialist provides an update on the introduction to the Irish market of the newest strawberry ‘Malling Centenary’

he ‘Malling Centenary’ strawberry was bred and released for the Centenary celebration of the East Malling Research (EMR) Centre, in Kent. The centre was founded in 1913 by an association of over 600 fruit growers, and is most famous for its work on apple rootstocks.

As well as soft fruit the research centre was also responsible for breeding a whole host of fruit cultivars including apples, pears, cherries, and hops.

Extending the strawberry fruiting season was a primary driver for the strawberry breeding programme. The strawberry cultivar ‘Pandora’ was released in 1988. This bridged the gap between the main and late season cultivars.

Some of these included the raspberries (‘Malling Jewel’ and ‘Malling Juno’) and strawberries (‘Elegance’, ‘Judibell’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Vibrant’ and ‘Sweetheart’).

On the day of the Centenary celebrations a bowl of ‘Malling Centenary’ strawberries was presented to HRH the Princess Royal when she opened the celebrations. So these really are strawberries bred for royalty! The cultivar was also shortlisted for the plant of the year award at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show.

JUNE BEARING STRAWBERRY The cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ is what’s known as a ‘Junebearing’ strawberry or, according to scientific lingo, a ‘short day’ (SD) plant. This means these plants initiate flower buds on short days; the day length needed for such initiation is not fixed, but is modulated by temperature. The lower the temperature, within limits, the fewer the days needed. These June-bearers fruit naturally in June and hence the name. The strawberry cultivar ‘Elsanta’, which is still the most popular cultivar grown here fits into this category. June-bearers are the most popular amongst commercial growers and are the result of decades of breeding for productivity, size, flavour, disease resistance and other attributes.

BENEFITS TO THE GROWER ‘Malling Centenary’ is classed as an early-midseason cultivar,

making it suitable for early and extended season production.

The main benefit is the very high percentage of Class 1 fruit with more than 90% being the norm. Whilst the yield so far is a little lower than ‘Elsanta’ the increase in operational efficiency, e.g. picking and pack house speeds, easily makes up for any shortfall in respective yield. The fruit shape, size and quality including shelf life are all excellent. Retailers in Ireland are very happy with the new strawberry. Customer feedback is very positive.

CROP HUSBANDRY It’s important to remember also that this is a new strawberry cultivar. We have been growing ‘Elsanta’ predominantly in Ireland for almost 40 years. We are still learning new things about ‘Elsanta’ so we are not going to learn everything about ‘Malling Centenary’ overnight.

This also goes for the strawberry plant propagators, most of whom are based in the Netherlands.

They are equally on a steep learning curve with regard to perfecting plant propagation. Therefore, there are bound to be issues with plant quality, but they should be ironed out as we become more knowledgeable.

WILL THE CROP OVERWINTER? So far the answer is generally positive. The plant’s leaf canopy is denser than ‘Elsanta’, which makes it more prone to grey mould (Botrytis). Any crops overwintered in glasshouses or closed plastic tunnels must be ventilated as much as possible to reduce the risk of this happening. From a crop production point of view, the yields and fruit quality from the second season of cropping are excellent.

The plant is also much less susceptible to powdery

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FRESH PRODUCE / 12

mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) infection. This was demonstrated in our strawberry cultivar trial in Teagasc Kildalton College during the summer. This is a huge benefit for growers from both an agronomic and an economic perspective.

TEAGASC RESEARCH The work in Teagasc Kildalton continues. Whilst the results of the research are important for the industry, what is even more important here is the ‘diffusion of knowledge’ to the current horticultural students. Most will never have seen applied research at work. Now they have their chance to see how horticultural research is undertaken and to participate in the process.

We have recently completed a new state of the art

glasshouse unit (5.5m high) in the Teagasc Horticultural Centre at Ashtown in Dublin. I will start a new strawberry research trial here beginning in January, focusing on possible ways of extending the season of production of ‘Malling Centenary’. Even though ‘Centenary’ is a SD plant its flowering characteristics are quite different to that of a typical SD plant. In fact, some of the plant’s genetic makeup includes crosses from the east coast of the United States. These genes may be switched on in certain environmental conditions. I will manipulate the environment and try to extend the plants flowering and thus fruit production. This is an Aladdin’s cave for a horticultural scientist! ✽

EAMONN KEHOE is a soft fruit specialist based at Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford, whose research is conducted at Ashtown Research Centre, Co Dublin. His primary focus is on providing a technical and business advisory service to Ireland's soft fruit growers and conducting an applied research programme for the industry. He can be contacted at eamonn.kehoe@teagasc.ie

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

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12 / FRESH PRODUCE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH IN FRESH PRODUCE

Mike Neary, Director of horticulture at Bord Bia, highlights potential opportunities in fresh produce emerging from recent research into consumer attitudes and behaviors

Bord Bia has recently completed new research on the fresh produce market, which was carried out with the aim of understanding the attitudes and behaviours of consumers around the purchase and consumption of fresh produce and using the research findings to explore the opportunities for growth in the fresh produce category. The findings of the research will be presented to the fresh produce industry in the Bord Bia Thinking House Insight Centre at the end of November. This article gives a summary overview of some of the key topline findings that have emerged from the research. The research included a national face to face survey of 1,000 adults, five focus groups discussions, home visits to explore what was bought and how it was used, and an online questionnaire designed to segment consumers and establish how they could be targeted in the future.

KEY FINDINGS:

Consumers who eat some fresh produce at least once a week ●F resh fruit 96%; fruit juice 68%; smoothie 35% ●F resh veg 96%; frozen veg 46%; tinned veg soup 31% ● Fresh potatoes 96%; frozen chips 50% ● Salads 69%; prepacked chilled leafy salad 47% prepacked chilled wet salad 35%; prepacked chilled mix tray salad bowl 29%

Daily Consumption by consumers ●F resh fruit 45% ● F resh vegetables 51% ● F resh potatoes 34% ●R esearch clearly shows that consumers consider that fresh

fruit and vegetable consumption are central to a healthy and balanced nutritious diet.

Portions consumption ●A s a nation we are improving marginally on the number of

portions consumed. ●A wareness of the number of portions that we should eat

was measured at over 5 portions with respondents claiming to eat over 4 portions daily. ●F ruit is primarily consumed at breakfast (45%) and snack time (68%) with vegetables mainly consumed at lunch (47%) and dinner (78%).

The research reported some key similarities across the life stages in the purchasing of fresh produce including pre-family, early family, mature family and empty nesters life stages.

These included: ●A vailable budget to spend is a focus for all life stages. ●U se of special offers is a factor to guiding purchases.

●M eal planning was evident and influences produce

selection and purchase. ● Standard fruit and veg were evident in all shopping baskets

viewed as part of the research.

The fresh produce purchase journey for consumers which influences their behaviour in store revealed the following: ●5 4% know before they go shopping what they will purchase. ●5 2% select from the display. ●5 1% select by checking the special offers. ●4 8% look for fresh and good quality. ●3 9% compare prices. ●3 3% select the same produce each week. ●2 8% select what they think will taste best. ●2 8% select what they think is in season.

There are four consumer segments identified in the research, detailed below which all have different characteristics and growth potential for increasing fresh produce consumption: 1. Mainstream value segment (44%) has lower growth potential and is heavily influenced by price/promotion.

2. Mainstream disengaged segment (31%) has the lowest growth potential and over indexes on the need for cheaper prices.

3. Health and wellness segment (18%) has higher growth potential. They are the heaviest consumers of fresh produce and want to consume more.

4. H ealth and image segment (7%) has high growth potential and a strong desire to increase portion intake.

This summary outline from the research clearly identifies that there are opportunities to increase the consumption and market for fresh produce. Targeting those segments of consumers who are very open to increasing their purchase of fresh produce from current levels is an important starting MIKE NEARY, point. This potential can be Director of realised in part with sustained horticulture messaging and promotional at Bord Bia. activity around the category, For further particularly in the contribution information it makes to a healthy balanced contact the Bord diet. Bord Bia and the fresh Bia Horticultural Division at email: produce industry are currently Agripromo@agriculture.gov.ie exploring the possibility of applying in 2018 to seek EU co-funding to implement a long term sustainable promotional campaign around fresh produce. ✽

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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INTERVIEW / 13

’m fascinated by passionate people. People who persevere, who ignore the naysayers and the begrudgers and overcome challenges in the pursuit of what they believe. Dynamic people with seemingly unending energy, determination and enthusiasm. How could you not be fascinated by such people? They are the drivers of innovation and change.

Philip Moreau works in a garden centre in Limerick.

He’s helping the owners develop the business. He also does some lecturing to year four horticulture students in Limerick University and is currently considering a variety of exciting future options for his career.

Up until a couple of years ago Philip was the owner and operator of Glenbrook Nurseries, one of Ireland’s most successful plant producers and exporters. Having gone into receivership, Glenbrook is now up for sale.

Rather than the end of a story, the closing of Glenbrook is merely the completion of another chapter and the commencement of another.

I first interviewed Philip Moreau over a decade ago for Horticulture and Landscape Ireland. I was finding my feet at the time and seeking out people of passion and knowledge to help shape my understanding of the sector.

I was directed to speak to Philip. He didn’t let me down. In fact, he had such an impact on me that when Horticulture Connected was launched, he was the first person I turned to for a second interview. He was the only person I ever interviewed twice. When I heard of Glenbrook’s closing I was saddened but also cautiously hopeful. Having had several opportunities to speak with Philip over the years I knew the closing of the business must surely be the start of something new. Despite me hassling him over the year I was delighted that he agreed to speak with me once again, but some context first.

Philip has been involved in the production and sale of plants since his early teens. Having made a profit selling off his first crop - the seeds being purchased with his pocket money and cultivated in the back garden of his family home - he was hooked. After graduating from the National Botanic Gardens, he moved to Cork where he maintained a four acre garden, producing vegetables for several local hotels. Although he had grand plans for an African adventure, a number of things conspired to keep him in Ireland. After a short and unsuccessful move to Waterford, he returned to Cork to work for the County Council but was soon offered a position of nursery manager at McLysaghts, where he spent the next 11 years.

With the help of his friend and neighbour, Paul Brooks, he established Glenbrook in 1990.

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HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

BARRY LUPTON INTERVIEWS PHILIP MOREAU

PHOTO: KORALEY NORTHEN

I

NO REGRETS

While I want to understand the story behind Glenbrook’s closing, I’m genuinely more curious about what you have planned for the next Moreau chapter.

Can you let us in on your plans?

At this point of time I have not really come up with a plan for the future. However, I am involved in the running of Busy Bee Garden Centre on the Ennis Road, Limerick. There is a great deal of work necessary to bring it up to standard and we are putting up a covered area in the back and refurbishing the display area.

This task will take me through the winter and into spring. From there I have no great plans, a few ideas but nothing concrete. I must say working in the garden centre has given me a great insight into the other part of the industry. It is amazing how the public have very much their own individual demands in terms of plants, pots, accessories etc. It is a very difficult task to cater for and stock the right items for sale. What you like may not be pleasing to the customer. One aspect I really enjoy is giving advice and talking about the plants, their origins and general needs. The banter one can have with the customers is great. Light hearted chat is good for the heart.

13 / INTERVIEW You are known for being vocal and active on industry issues. Now that you are no longer consumed by your own business, how do you think your experience and knowledge can be put to work to address these problems?

That’s a very interesting question. I would think I will still be vocal should the occasion arise; however, knowledge is a different issue. Our industry has changed so dramatically over the past decade, not to speak of the 50 years I have spent in it, every aspect has changed so dramatically that in a very short space of time one is out of date. I continually read up on the scientific developments, political issues, marketing trends and general horticultural opportunities. Only the other day I was wondering if the residue of the rape seed oil industry might offer a cure for weevils. If you added the haulms to the substrate, the isothiocyanates in the residue might deter weevils. A paper was written on the control of weevil eggs using the chemical. Isothiocyanates are found in plants of the Cruciferae family (cabbage, sprouts, turnip, kale, mustard etc) and in mustard seed and rape used as a biofumigant. It will control nematodes in open ground and other pests, so is it worth a try. I do think of very strange things. Thanks to Dr Alan Hunter in UCD I have had the opportunity to give a few lectures to the 3rd and 4th year students on nursery marketing and the principles of selling. I do enjoy teaching and I may seek work as a guest lecturer to horticulture students in the colleges if required.

Why did Glenbrook go into receivership?

It all started in the bad year of 2009-2010. We lost €750,000 in stock that year and from then on it was a struggle. We put more personal monies, bank finance, and family funds into the business, but we could not pull it around and debt built up. In the end we went for voluntary liquidation as the banks had closed our accounts and called in their loans. The following year 2011 the spring was very wet and miserable and our biggest customer cancelled their Easter allocation, which again left us with €100,000 of prepared stock on the ground.

They did take it eventually but at discounted prices, giving us the option of either dumping it or accept lower prices with the stock being put on sale. For cash flow purposes it was better to accept the lower prices and bear the loss rather than totally writing it off. A colleague of mine said, “Philip, a nursery does not die. It withers away slowly”. Well, it took seven years to wither away until all life was lost. But my wife and I still have our health, DG. Can you take us through the lead up to the winter of 2009 (general operating conditions/business etc)?

These were the halcyon days of Glenbrook Nurseries. The nursery was packed with stock, 75% sold. In the early 2000s we had built up a very good business both in Ireland and the UK, and 2010 was to be our best year. We were projecting sales of over €2m and the great pity was, the frosted plants were all sold with an allocation going to Wyevale and Dobbies the first week of the year for putting on shelves in week 4.

At that time of year there would be very little business in Ireland so it was great to have the UK business. We have to remember at that time we were in a very bad recession and the building industry on which we relied for winter business

was almost at a standstill. There was just no planting either before Christmas or after. We had reduced staff over the winter months with the demise of the Celtic Tiger but we were still paying out €500,000-€600,000+ on wages for 25 staff.

It was a very big contribution to the local economy as jobs were scarce with emigration and the recession.

What action did you take following the decimation of your stock holding?

Apart from the stench of ethereal gas in the glasshouse one might not have been able to recognise the devastation. The tops above ground looked good but when one examined the roots and lower stems the damage was plain to see. Of course we were not the only nursery hit. Most badly damaged did not get snow cover so the -17°C was deeply felt by the plants. That temperature was inside in the glasshouse; it was like a deep freezer. It just got colder and colder. Anyway we, the affected nurseries, clubbed together and sought adverse weather compensation from the Department of Agriculture, which was blankly refused to the nursery stock industry although it was given to potato and vegetable growers. This was, of course, very discriminatory of the government of the day. Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael turned their backs on us all. It was a disgrace and I must say that was the biggest let down of my career.

Adverse weather compensation is an EU emergency package, which gives member states the authority to compensate the agricultural sector in times of destruction of crops by adverse weather, whether that is for farmers or horticultural crops, and has been done in many EU countries, especially Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland. The group tried and I tried to get some hearing but to no avail. The Minister of Agriculture Simon Coveney and his predecessor Brendan Smith just did not want to know, nor did his private secretary. The comment passed was, “We were just trying to jump on the potato and veg bandwagon”. What an insult when you consider what these boys were earning themselves! Every year I raised the subject at the plenary session of An Bord Bia with Minister Coveney but it just fell on deaf ears and on my final plenary session I said nothing, and Simon joked on how he had not been questioned by the horticultural sector this year. Laugh.

We dumped the dead plants, which cost us as much as processing them for the market.

What was your experience of dealing with the banks?

At that time in 2010 we were capitalised enough to move on for a few years but as things got tighter, so did the banks. You know the adage about banks giving you the umbrella on a fine day but as soon as it rains they want it back. In hindsight, maybe we should have closed five years earlier.

What spurred you to close the doors for good?

Since January 2017 we have had several meetings with the bank. We had put the nursery up for sale as a going concern some time ago. I suppose I knew the writing was on the wall, However, they gave me six months to get our act together.

But we failed and the rest is history. We went for voluntary liquidation instead of letting the bank put in a receiver who

Winter 2017 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

39

INTERVIEW / 13 would just close the gate and throw away the key as they did with others in the industry.

I often think of the nursery sector as a family, competing, fractured and dysfunctional, but caring nonetheless. What was the reaction of your nursery colleagues when they heard you were in trouble?

I must say they were very supportive. The hardest day was when I went to GLAS in City West to face the industry, but everybody was great to me and that is what this industry is all about. We are all characters in a play, each playing their own part in supporting each other, and hoping for a full house for the benefit of our industry.

You had a small, but loyal and highly experienced team at Glenbrook. What are they doing now?

Sadly, they have gone their different ways. I had great time for all our staff and we were one of the first to employ the eastern Europeans before they joined the EU. Without question, they were all very good, whether they came from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Czechoslovakia or Ukrainia. Good to work with, they all had a great sense of humour. Many referred to me as their Irish father. What a nice compliment.

Our nursery was also a training nursery for the students from the Fachhochschules in Germany. We had students from Weisbaden, Osnabruck, Weihenstephaner, The INRA Angers in France and the Hochschule in Austria. They brought great light, culture and friendships which we still value to this day.

So what happens to the nursery now?

It is basically up for sale and the proceeds will pay the bank and Revenue if it is sold. Otherwise I just do not know.

Looking back, what would you do differently?

Nothing. You cannot look back in anger, to quote the song. You know, Barry, even if the business was extremely successful what was I going to do with it? Neither of my children has any interest. They are both happy doing their own thing, so a closure was inevitable in the heel of the hunt but maybe not this way. C'est la vie. That’s life.

There is one thing I would like to say; whatever job or career we chose in life, the office, tools, computers, premises etc. are just a way of making a living. These are the tools which we use to develop our careers and are the means to work, rear our families, pay our mortgages. They are all material goods which we use to achieve that goal, and then it is time to part company.

There are some things nursery owners can control, weather is obviously not one of them. Having suffered the worst consequences of Irish weather, what advice would you give to the rest of the sector?

It is high time the industry in general including all primary sectors of horticulture forced the government into adverse weather compensation support. The farmers involved in the mainstream sectors (pigs, grain,cattle) get support, whether for dioxin poisoning, weather related fodder crises, foot and mouth etc.

40

You’ve previously made some dark predictions about the Irish nursery sector; there won’t be one in 20 years and that if there is one, it’ll be more like that of the 1970s, with small, adaptable business with general offerings. What do you think now?

My views have not changed. On a general issue of multiples participation in selling plants, the wastage is incredible. I do not understand how they can carry such losses. Ireland may be heading for the Tiger’s back again in the larger population areas like Dublin, Cork and Limerick but the housing is still in disarray. The smaller towns and areas have not come out of recession. Just look at the number of vacant premises in rural Ireland. No jobs, no housing, no money flowing around.

I am involved in the Credit Union movement and I can say the average take home pay of Joe Soap is about €450 a week.

Therefore you need two wages per house to pay mortgages and rear children, and there is very little change left. One foreign holiday per annum sees the leisure euro eaten up.

From an international perspective, the garden centre chains are struggling. In my opinion, they have poor directors and top staff who just do not understand the gardening psyche.

Wyevale Garden group produced a phenomenal loss yet again and had to be bailed out by private equity capital injection but what is changing? Nothing, just throwing good money after bad. We have to get back to basics where garden centres are local for the locals and have something else to offer apart from restaurant, furniture, barbies etc. Back to plants, plants and more plants, gardening and good advice. Nurseries can go back to having a good range of material. I notice there are no water plant producers in the country or producers of maiden fruit trees or soft fruit bushes. I do not mean people selling Dutch - we can all do that. This change starts in the classroom of our colleges, especially the Teagasc colleges.

Horticultural skills are lost forever.

What are the strengths of the Irish nursery sector which could be better exploited to build a more sustainable industry?

There is great knowledge out there at present within our industry but I worry about the next generation. The question I would ask is, “Is there a sustainable future in the industry when you see the customer only wants colour, colour, and colour?”

A high percentage of my garden centre customers watch Monty Don on TV. There is an opening for a good gardening programme on RTE or the other channels. We need to educate the public on plants, the stories behind them, their countries of origin and the best way of getting the best from them.

I’ve always had the sense that government intervention in the sector has served to undermine development. Perhaps I am wrong, but I feel the sector fails to fully engage with new ideas because they do not fully own them. It’s simply too easy to walk away when someone else is taking responsibility. If government intervention and support are to continue what form should they take?

I do not really know. Going back to the winter of 2010 issue I believe Teagasc was reprimanded by central government for introducing the devastation report to the Department of Agriculture instead of working together. Looking at the different government bodies there seems to be a no joined-

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

13 /INTERVIEW up thinking. There is very little connection between Teagasc, An Bord Bia and central government and the industry.

Symbiosis in the government sectors is non-existent, with everyone paddling their own canoe and minding their own job. Research is now very much determined by those who pay the most, whether in EU projects or private companies.

We forget that the taxpayer is the biggest payer and the industry being in that sector it should be given a first call on what is needed by the industry. There is so much work which can be done like my two pet subjects Silica as a beneficial element and what about my isothiocyanates!! Who is looking at these issues?

Grants are alright if you have capital, but there is little help for starter nurseries and beginners.

If globalisation were to continue on its current trajectory, what plant materials should we be growing and where should we be selling them?

We should reduce the carbon footprint and be more into import substitution. We still are promoting plants which just do not suit the Irish climate. I am as guilty as the next person for this misguidance. We have and had great plants which are colourful, easy and suit this climate which are gone out of favour.

Why? Because we are promoting plants from abroad which just hate Ireland.

What role do you think the nursery sector should play in protecting and enhancing the natural world?

Conservation is primary. I never thought I would admit that IPM and bio-cures are best. Keep it up and use more sustainable methods. I find the whole climate changing issue very interesting. The world has been changing, from the time we crawled out of the chemical sea to today. That is why we have had Devonian, Jurassic, Triassic, Cretaceous, and carboniferous periods and ice ages. We’ve not been around long enough to really understand climate, despite what you might hear in the media.

Back in the day, tomato and other greenhouse crop growers used to give carbon enrichment by burning propane gas. This brought up the carbon dioxide from 300ppm to 3,000ppm and the plants grew better. I do not see a huge flourishing of growth in nature with all the extra carbon dioxide that is supposed to be present. But that’s a debate for another day.

Your experience doesn’t seem to have dampened your passion for nursery stock production. How do you keep so positive and what words do you have to inspire the next generation of growers?

Study, study, study, read, read, read. Treat every day as a learning day, and aim to be the best that you can.

You told me before that you don’t regret one day of your life.

Does this still stand?

Absolutely. I may take up a new interest which was my second choice of career - geology and plant exploration. I would love to do a nature program dedicated to plants and pollinators. It is still a wondrous world. Any offers? ✽

EFFECTIVE

OUTSOURCING Landscape estimating specialist, Colm Kenny digs into the pros and cons of using landscape subcontracts

O

ver the last 10 years or so, the approach of landscape contractors in the way they operate and manage their businesses has changed dramatically. Much of this change came about from economic necessity: the recession demanded leaner businesses practices. For many, it was simply a matter of keeping spades in the ground.

During the boom times, businesses expanded at a rapid rate and operators found themselves having to make significant machinery and infrastructure purchases just to keep up with demand. These investments were - as time would tell - often ill considered, poorly planned and recklessly financed. As we have seen, a great many were caught with their pants down and exposed to unsympathetic banks.

With life now back within the industry, a lot of contractors are finding themselves rebuilding and restructuring their businesses and while things are most certainly improving, growth has been somewhat slow paced. The slow pace is giving contractors the opportunity to consider how best to manage and run their operations. Instead of hastily leaping on the next project like they did before the crash, contractors are looking back on the lessons learned. New leaner and more efficient systems are being implemented to ensure profitable business re-established.

A key component of this is proper use and management of subcontractors. The engagement of subcontracts provides specialised skills when required and a flexible solution to labour and additional machinery without being exposed to debt. It may not be cost effective to increase the size of full time staff because the workload in the industry is inconsistent due its very nature. While this has been a common practice in the construction industry since the beginning of time due to the complexity of construction projects, it is only now starting to creep into the landscape industry.

42

PROCUREMENT To have a symbiotic working relationship with subcontractors, it’s important for management to see all aspects of the subcontractors’ involvement.

Like your own operation, a business is only as good as its employees. Your subcontractors will be the face of your business whenever they are on a project for one of your clients, so you need to hire the best available. Word of mouth has always been the primary method of getting business because it means satisfied customers think well enough of a company to commend it to others. The landscape industry is no different. Since the industry is relatively small, it shouldn’t be difficult to find subcontractors by asking around. It’s always good business to never have to rely on just one subcontractor.

You should endeavour to build up a list of contractors that you could approach depending on the type, location etc. of the project you may need them to assist you with.

AGREE THE NUMBER The next area to manage is the price for the works. The best way to avoid conflict in this area is for a subcontractor to give you an estimate before you give the overall price to your client. You will have to add on your own attendances and profit before you revert to the client. To get an accurate cost and reduce the risk of a dispute down the line, give each contractor under consideration exact details of the project with as much information as is available to you.

Bring them to the site and show them the situation on the ground. Items like access, parking, storage of materials etc. are never fully explained on a drawing but can have a bearing on cost and timeframes. As a main contractor you should be prepared to pay a fair rate for doing the job. Of course you can negotiate a deal, but if you end up getting one over on the subcontractor, friction and disputes will more than likely

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Winter 2017

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CONSTRUCT / 14

14 / CONSTRUCT occur over the course of the project.

You will also be narrowing your pool of subcontractors the next time you need one. You can also run the risk of the subcontractor just cutting his losses and not turning up to finish off the job. This can have a long lasting effect on your business and may harm your reputation.

CONTRACTS Once you have been successfully appointed to a project, and in turn engaged a subcontractor, it is important, to get them to sign a subcontract agreement. Unfortunately the day of the handshake is gone. Far too often dealings with subcontractors are handled informally and, as a result, may even end up exposing the contractor to significant liabilities, financially or otherwise. An effective contract with a subcontractor can save a tremendous amount of time, money and frustration. These agreements can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them but the three key issues I always recommend including are insurances and the indemnification of the main contractor, project timeframes and deadlines, and payments. There are a host of additional items which can be incorporated but I believe these to be the three most critical to undertaking a successful project with subcontractors.

COMMUNICATION Once you have everyone signed on you need to make sure all parties involved in the project know how you want the site run and the standard of quality you require. This doesn’t just apply to subcontractors but also to your own employees. Everybody on the site should be clear what their role is and what is expected of them. Don’t just assume subcontractors know exactly what to do the first day they turn up.

You need to set the standard early in terms of quality and general rules on the site. Setting simple rules can keep the project running smoothly, for example instructing your subcontractor not to start a consaw at 7am and annoy the neighbours, and parking only in permitted areas.

WHAT TO EXPECT It is also important to set a high standard of workmanship from your

“If you end up getting one over on the subcontractor, friction and disputes will more than likely occur over the course of the project” subcontractors. If you don’t have any previous experience with the contractor the first project together may take up more resources until you get used to their approach to undertaking the work and build up some trust. You might have to literally hold their hand for the early part of the job until everybody is on the same page. On a recent project I was involved in, a sample area of paving was laid down to the approval of the main contractor and client. This one square meter became the benchmark for the remaining 400 square meters of the project. It took the subcontractor a number of attempts to get the jointing approved on the paving but it was time well spent for all parties.

Regular communication leads to better project outcomes too. It can be important when you have subcontractors employed as they need to be aware of your activities. You might need to have one area of the site cleared for the storage of plants and trees but your subcontractor wasn’t told that and has stored the paving there. Often main contractors will organise all the required materials with the subcontractor providing the labour. If the materials run out on site, it is a meaningless waste of valuable resources if the job is stalled on site and you have a few lads sitting around staring into their phones while waiting for the next delivery to arrive. Sit down with your subcontractor and create a plan of action.

PAYMENTS The old saying ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’ definitely applies to subcontractors. Treat your subcontractor as you would like to be treated, and by this I mean pay them on time. I think the most important thing about paying your subcontractors on time is that it creates trusting relationships.

Subcontractors who are treated fairly and paid on time are usually more responsive and obliging and willing to help you out on the next project.

As part of this, a payment schedule should be written down and agreed upon. This may require the subcontractor to give you a cash flow forecast to tie into your own.

Once everyone has a good idea of what they will be paid, it can benefit both parties.

This in turn focuses your own mind on getting paid from the client on time too.

THE WAY FORWARD The current shortage of skilled labour is another reason why contractors should look to working with other contractors. I work with a number of contractors who specialise in paving. They inevitably have projects which require soft landscaping.

Many of these contractors are quite willing to bring in another contractor, who has little interest in paving, to carry out the soft COLM KENNY, MSCSI MRICS landscaping on their MILI is unique in Ireland in that behalf. It benefits he is both a chartered quantity both contractors as surveyor and a Landscape both are working Architect. He provides cost in their areas of consultancy services to expertise. While this landscape industry professionals, approach may not technical advisors, contractors suit all contractors and facility management I am of the opinion companies. He can be contacted that all contractors on 086 874 4300 or by email would benefit in some info@landscapeqs.ie way from the use of subcontractors. ✽

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Right Tree, Right Place

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JOHN JOE COSTIN AND JIMI BLAKE ON BLOOM 2016 Maximising your surface

Growing Confidence

MIKE NEARY SHARES POSITIVE DATA ON THE IRISH GARDENING MARKET

EAMON KEALY ON ARTIFICAL PLAYING SURFACES

National landscape and garden design survey BARRY LUPTON REPORTS

IRELAND’S EXPERTS ON WHAT TO PLANT

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SUD AND YOUR GROWING BUSINESS

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HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

Spring 2017

News, analysis and trends in landscape, garden retail & edible horticulture

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

Autumn/Winter 2016

News, Analysis and Trends in Landscape, Garden Retail & Edible Horticulture

MIKE NEARY

THE GARDENING MARKET IN GROWTH

FRAZER McDONOGH

THE GREATEST LEVELLER

Facing charges

Patricia tyrell tackles a very difficult subject

What You see

ronan nangle on the benefits of hand Picking trees

BLOOM 2017

ANGELA BINCHY REVIEWS

MARIA ACHTIDA

Perennial Passion

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: HOW YOU CAN CREATE A SUSTAINABLE CAREER PATH

tim schram talks to barry luPton

DECLAN BLACKMORE

HIDDEN COSTS LOST PROFITS

PERSISTENCE PAYS: REALISING THE AMERICAN DREAM

COLM KENNY EXAMINES THE HIDDEN COSTS OF LANDSCAPE CONTRACTING

CORE BUSINESS

FRUIT GROWER CON TRAAS TALKS WITH BARRY LUPTON

Volume 4 Issue 1

Volume 4 Issue 2

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