Local Gardener Newspaper

Organo-mineral fertilizers page 10

EGO launch New range page 3

Lockstar goes to Ireland page 10

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FRONT PAGE

ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE IN A TOP HANDLE CHAINSAW MACHINERY

Cobra has launched its first ever battery powered lawn scarifier furthering its position of expertise in the lawncare market.

The brand proudly boasts the title of having the UK’s largest range of powered lawnmowers and in recent years has continued to expand this with significant developments to its range of lithium-ion powered products. The new S3840V lawn scarifier is the latest extension of this and sees Cobra’s battery powered range extending beyond lawnmowers for the first time.

The 40v machine has a 38cm working width and a 45 litre grass bag capacity so is ideal for domestic lawns.

Depending on the conditions, it can run for upto 45 minutes. It comes with a 5Ah lithium-ion battery and charger, and can fully charge from flat in 90 minutes.

Peter Chaloner, managing director of Cobra, said: “Our petrol scarifier has been one of our best sellers, and our battery range continues to sell incredibly well so it made sense to unite the two.

When introducing new products, we always listen to customer demand and work with our 1500+ dealers to really offer our customers what they want and we felt that a battery powered scarifier was the next natural progression.”

Cobra is pledging its commitment to sustainability in 2020 and beyond and will continue to focus its attention on environmentally friendly solutions to create healthier, greener gardens.

The S380V, and the expansion of the battery range, is a key step towards this commitment.

Cobra products are available to buy online at www.cobragarden.co.uk or via a network of expert dealers across the UK. RRP: £299.99

Feast your eyes on the new DCS-2500T the first battery-powered top handle chainsaw from ECHO. Here is an electric saw to meet the needs of the arborist and tree care professionals who use top handle chainsaws daily for pruning and arboriculture.

Don’t let the light weight (dry weight 1.6kg) deceive you, this machine packs professional power with exceptional acceleration. In fact, the 50V Lithium-ion battery generates power and cutting performance equivalent to ECHO’s bestselling CS-2511TES petrol chainsaw; and it does it with low vibration and without the noise and emissions, making it perfect for use in

noise-sensitive areas. Well balanced and ergonomically designed for manoeuvrability and precision, the DCS2500T is the latest addition to ECHO’s 50V battery series and is part of their X Series of ‘best in class’ products. The superior, dependable tools are specifically designed for professionals who rely on their tools day in and day out.

Often leading in terms of power and performance, X Series products are tested in the most extreme conditions, says the manufacturer, to ensure flawless operation.

The DCS-2500T is certainly packed full of beneficial user-friendly features to complement its power and near noiseless operation.

Users will find the patented Quick Draw harness ring a real boon for hooking and

oil adjustment is situated on the top of the saw so it’s easily adjusted, while filling is equally simple with the flip lever cap opening. Last but not least is the internal air filter which prevents dust from entering the main board and motor.

unhooking the chainsaw in one movement. There’s a drop prevention lanyard hook for off ground safety and this is a truly easy to operate machine with an anti-slip handle grip and patented thumb rest adding to operator comfort. There’s a side-access chain tensioner

to allow quick chain adjustments. The driving force, the brushless motor, will ensure long-lasting maintenance-free operation, while the casing has an IPX4 rating for water resistance so the chainsaw is showerproof for protection against the elements. The all-important

Qualified top handle arborists and tree surgeons looking for ultimate power with quiet, low vibration and emissions-free professional-grade performance will find ECHO’s DCS-2500T just the ticket for everyday use.

Available from about mid2020. You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer.

You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information.

EGO PARTNERS WITH LANTRA TO DELIVER BATTERY-POWERED TRAINING COURSES MACHINERY EGO has partnered with training provider Lantra to deliver professional courses for batterypowered outdoor power equipment.

Lantra is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading awarding bodies for land-based industries, developing training courses and nationally recognised qualifications that are delivered through a network of 384 Training Provider Partners.

With the industry seeing unprecedented demand for alternatives to petrol powered equipment, Lantra has launched the course which teaches students how to productively use batterypowered equipment. The course will also cover the safe maintenance and use of hand-held battery-powered equipment such as mowers, chainsaws, pole saws, hedge trimmers, brush cutters, line trimmers and leaf blowers.

As part of the partnership, EGO is providing Lantra’s training partners with a range of battery-powered equipment including

lawnmowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws. These tools will be used as part of the course to teach users about safe operation and maintenance of battery equipment and satisfy the hands-on nature of Lantra’s courses.

David Fisher, Head of Industry Partnerships at Lantra: “Battery-powered

equipment is undoubtedly growing in its usage and appeal. This is why we felt it important to deliver a course that ensures users feel confident in using and maintaining these tools efficiently and safely. We’re delighted to partner with EGO and the equipment that has been provided will be of great use to our training

partners when delivering these courses.

Peter Melrose, Managing Director EMEA at EGO, said: “With the industry’s attitudes to petrol changing rapidly, we are proud to announce this partnership with Lantra as they aim to increase education on battery-powered equipment.

The switch to battery-

powered equipment naturally comes with a level of anxiety for many users, particularly those who have used petrol long term. This course enables both industry newcomers and seasoned industry professionals to gain a better understanding of the next generation of products.”

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EGO ANNOUNCES POWERFUL NEW LINE-UP FOR 2020 MACHINERY The cordless specialists in outdoor power equipment, EGO is expanding its range and its offer to make it even more relevant to both domestic and commercial users.

Across 2020, EGO is increasing the warranty on its Professional-X range from 1 year to 3 years (subject to product registration) on both the tools and battery; demonstrating its commitment and faith in the range, so that professional users put their faith in EGO in return, as described in the brand’s Challenge 2025 manifesto.

In its Power+ range, EGO is also launching a powerful new 10Ah battery and a range of equipment, including a new 42cm selfpropelled mower and a 45cm chainsaw.

Additionally, EGO is introducing new tools for its multi-tool – a Rotocut head, olive shaker, bristle brush and paddle broom, giving the company one of the most extensive product offerings in the cordless outdoor power equipment sector.

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager EMEA at EGO: “Our products are popular with both domestic and professional users, and as the range expands it’s important to help customers make the right decisions – including which product and level of warranty is best suited to their needs. By identifying three categories of use, we’ve now got a clear offer for our dealers and customers, as well as a solid platform for the future.”

medium-sized gardens. This includes the new 42cm selfpropelled mower.

The EGO Power+ Professional range covers larger gardens and heavier use, including professional applications. This includes the new 45cm chainsaw.

duty professional use as well as specialist users and applications. Products in this category include the new Rotocut attachment.

MACHINERY An EVO 165D from GreenMech has become the dominant machine on the arb fleet of Swansea-based Rooted Tree & Landscapes. Owner Craig Mylan has been a loyal user of GreenMech woodchippers since he started the company in 2008 with the EVO becoming his fourth machine, and it’s the most powerful yet – transforming the way they carry out both commercial and domestic tree works.

Finally, EGO Power+ Professional-X is for heavy-

To reflect this expansion and help customers and dealers to recognise the right tool for their needs, EGO is also creating three distinct product ranges.

“I first saw the EVO 165 at its launch at the 2019 Arb Show and the first thing that really hit me, or didn’t hit me more to the point, was the noise! We have a duty to our customers and our operators to look at things like reducing noise and this machine demonstrates real progress” explains Craig who heads up a team of six. “There are so many new developments on this machine – simple things like the foldable chute which makes storage of the unit that much easier.”

The EGO Power+ range includes tools suited for domestic use in small to

From a performance perspective, the re-designed flywheel and large infeed chute have resulted in labour and time savings when it comes to processing large volumes of woody waste. “The more powerful pull-through means we can feed in material without having to sned it down first.

It then chips whatever we feed in quickly and efficiently before throwing it out again cleanly. It is without doubt the most powerful machine we’ve used in terms of torque and bite.” With its 165mm chipping capacity, the EVO isn’t the largest machine in Craig’s fleet, however it has been used on a range of projects both large and small.

HAYTER HARRIER CELEBRATES ‘GOLDEN’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY MACHINERY

integrated heavy rear-roller and enabling the user to achieve the quintessential British, striped finish in their gardens.

The Harrier range, manufactured by Hayter, the makers of the finest mowers, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020.

The ever-impressive range of rear-roller lawnmowers have set the benchmark for this class of mowers since its original model in 1970.

The Harrier has won various accolades through the years, including the prestigious BAGMA award, which in 1998 the Harrier was awarded the ‘Product of the Decade’ title, after a nationwide dealership vote.

In 1960, the Hayter company received one of

EVO 165D DELIVERS FOR ROOTED TREE & LANDSCAPES

the country’s greatest accolades, when they were granted the Royal Warrant for the supply of machinery to HM Queen Elizabeth II – which is an honour that is still retained, 60 years later.

The Harrier range has always been synonymous with luxury and a premium mowing experience; being one of the first rotary-bladed lawnmowers to feature an

Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager at Hayter, said: “We are really excited to be celebrating 50 years of the Harrier. This machine has been a staple of British gardening ever since its initial release in 1970, and even today, it has proved to be more popular than ever.”

“As we look to the future of the Harrier, this year we have released a series of updates to the range, including new blades, improved engines and our

patented Crank-Safe Blade Brake Clutch (BBC) system on some of the Harrier models. We are continuing to take a pro-active approach to our products, and these updates to the Harrier mowers demonstrate just that.”

In recent years, the new additions to the Harrier range have seen continued success.

The Harrier 48 and 56 continue to provide highquality and highperformance mowing to people’s gardens all over the country. The Harrier Pro models also offer two-piece steel rear rollers to those using the mowers in a professional capacity.

Another factor that has kept Craig loyal is the superior back up support he’s received from those in the GreenMech dealer network. “I’ve worked closely alongside Julian Cullis of GreenMech since way back when, who has always kept me abreast of new and future developments. We’re also fortunate to have Chipper Hire South West not too far away who have a fantastic fleet of GreenMech machines to hire if we need them. With the EVO, the support we received from our local dealer Powercut in Carmarthen has again been first-class.”

“For us independent companies” Craig concludes, “our success depends on reliable and robust equipment that’s capable and working to its full capacity. The fact that the new EVO is a great machine is one thing, but the whole GreenMech ethos to support their users every step of the way is another to really be applauded.”

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SALTEX COLLEGE CUP WINNERS PREPARE PITCH FOR EL CLÁSICO SPORTS NEWS After winning the 2019 SALTEX College Cup, four students from Myerscough College recently enjoyed an unforgettable experience at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium.

The annual SALTEX College Cup, sponsored by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, is a student-led sports turf challenge – an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors who are enrolled at a college on a relevant course of study.

Myerscough College, located in Bilsborrow, Preston, entered a team into the competition solely consisting of apprentices.

Scott Danter (Warwick School), Ashley Hill (Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Ryan Harrison and Nick George (both from Leicester City Football Club) are all currently studying Level 2 or Level 3 sportsturf apprenticeships.

The competition consisted of paper-based multiple choice and short answer questions on turf management, plus a case study which required a more in-depth written answer. The students were also presented with live test samples in which they had to identify potential threats to the health of turf.

Myerscough College proved victorious and saw off competition from Askham Bryan, CAFRE, Bridgwater and Capel Manor to win the trophy. The Myerscough team was then presented with a prize that money can’t buy – a once-in-a-lifetime visit to Real Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, where they would get the opportunity to learn from

Paul Burgess, Madrid’s director of grounds and environment.

As part of the prize the four students enjoyed an invaluable groundscare work experience placement in the run up to one of the biggest domestic fixtures in world football, El Clásico, between Real Madrid and Barcelona. During their weekend visit the group enjoyed a full, behind-thescenes experience of just what it takes to prepare the playing surface for such a prestigious fixture, and even got the golden opportunity to be part of the team that maintains the Bernabéu’s hallowed turf.

It was an experience that will live long in the memory according to student Ashley Hill: “This was a real honour,” he said. “Seeing in detail what the grounds team do at the training ground and at the stadium was inspirational. Mowing the pitch at the Bernabéu was the icing on the cake.”

Ryan Harrison believes that opportunity to learn from Paul Burgess has helped to improve his skill set and will enhance his prospects in the grounds management industry: “Paul and the team were brilliant with us all and I learnt so much. Helping to prepare the pitch for the El Clasico was a real privilege

and I am going home a better groundsperson.”

The Bernabéu tour follows three extraordinary SALTEX College Cup prizes in previous years. In 2017 the winning students were part of the Wembley grounds team at the FA Cup Final and the following year the winners enjoyed an unforgettable experience of helping with pitch preparations at the 2018 Six Nations Championships at BT Murrayfield Stadium.

Last year saw the winning College win a behind the scenes tour at The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), Wimbledon in which the students received

an in-depth look at court preparations the week before The Championships 2019 took place.

The SALTEX College Cup continues to go from strength to strength and Dan Prest, head of technical and learning at the Institute of Groundsmanship, believes it is a fantastic platform to encourage and inspire the younger generation.

“This competition is all about raising standards in our industry. Young people should see this opportunity as a viable career option and that there is a progressive career path for them to follow,” he said.

All colleges interested in participating in the 2020 SALTEX College Cup should email Dan Prest at dprest@iog.org for more details.

SALTEX 2020 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 4 and 5 November.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGS ALTEX

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J NITRO 4TURF AND PM79 COMBINATION KEEPS FFOS LAS ON COURSE FOR YEAR-ROUND RACING requirements associated with equestrian use.

SPORTS NEWS The dual-purpose track at Ffos Las Racecourse in Carmarthenshire stages Flat meetings throughout the summer months and National Hunt meetings for the rest of the year.

The challenge of keeping the track fit for the yearround schedule falls to Estate Manager and Clerk of the Course, Dai Jones.

For Dai, the combination of Masterline PM79 and Johnson’s J Nitro 4Turf is the odds-on favourite for delivering hard-wearing, quick-recovery surfaces even under the most challenging of conditions.

Formally the site of an open cast coal mine, the location of the Ffos Las course leaves them exposed to strong south-westerly sea winds which, when combined with multiple years of heavy rainfall on the trot, causes challenging

The J Nitro 4Turf gives Dai and the team a mixture for divot repair and overseeding that delivers reliable results for racing throughout the challenging winter months.

“We used this on the takeoff and landing sides of the fences, the hurdles and the bends through the winter months and found it to establish well even in the cold and wet. The root growth is tremendous giving us great hardiness and wear tolerance.”

ground and growing conditions. “DLF worked in close counsel with the contractors throughout the construction process” explains Dai, who has been at the venue for two years.

“They recommended the ProMaster 79 mixture from

Masterline which was used to get the course ready for opening in 2009 and has continued to work well for us ever since.”

“With over 65 inches of rain falling here last year, I sat

down with our local DLF Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett to look at some alternative mixtures that would help to give some additional strength to some of the hardest hit areas.”

They opted for ProNitro coated J Nitro 4Turf from

Johnsons Sports Seed. 4Turf tetraploid rye ensures exceptional disease resistance and very rapid germination even at soil temperatures as low as 3oC. Its deep-rooted quality makes it ideal for the high wear

He concludes, “We’ve now got a combination that is really well suited to our conditions. Through the summer we get strong recovery, great colour and healthy surfaces for racing with the PM79 mix. We can now sustain this when the ground softens, with J Nitro 4Turf giving us that extra boost.”

INFINICUT® MOWERS HELPING TO REDUCE HAV FOR LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY SPORTS NEWS The Loughborough University Stadium is the jewel in the crown of the dedicated ‘football hub’ at the site’s Holywell Sports Complex. In June 2019, Team Leader of the complex Kris Nurse took delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX mowers, together with a set of TurfClean™ cassettes, which have been working hand-in-hand to keep the stadium’s brand-new SIS hybrid pitch in first-rate condition.

With such a wealth and breadth of sporting facilities at the University, the grounds department is split into teams – with the cricket division being the first to experience the INFINICUT®. “They’ve

used a fleet of 22” and 26” INFINICUT® mowers for a number of years and have always sung their praises” explains Kris, who has a team of three working with him in the football hub. “We obviously had an opportunity to use them too and were impressed with how lightweight they are and how simple the mower is to set-up and use, so I spoke to Oliver Hall at MTD about the 34” fixed head version.”

“Together with the quality of cut and finish they deliver, the University were also keen on the fact that they’re

standard required, the mowers are in use four or five times a week.

battery powered. Because of the amount of large machinery we operate on a daily basis, we have a real issue with Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) so taking

delivery of our duo of INFINICUT® mowers has been a fantastic step forward in improving that.” Since the new hybrid pitch was installed in September 2019,

it has hosted over 60 games for student teams, together with a number of external matches including Derby County Under 23’s. To keep the pitch playing at the

Helping with the postmatch clean-up, Kris also purchased a set of TurfClean™ cassettes from the renowned TMSystem™. “These have been a god send. We use these after play to rid the surface of any debris and stand the grass plant back up. It then takes less than 10 minutes to swap those out and put the cutting reels in, and we’re straight back out to cut. This has eliminated the wheel lines we used to get by using a rotary mower and gives us a quality of finish that is fitting to the arena and the fantastic level of play that we are lucky enough to host.”

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THE GROWING ROLE OF PGR’S IN MANAGED AMENITY TURF AMENITY Plant Growth Regulators (PGR’s) are a longstanding programme component for those maintaining all types of amenity grassland and managed amenity turf.

Clipless NT® from Headland Amenity’s is a Trinexapac-ethyl PGR, which is typically applied from mid-April on outfield or course turf and mid-late May on fine turf. Alex Hawkes, Headland’s Sports Turf Manager explores how PGR’s work and how many are now finding additional benefits of their use.

PGR’s effectively block the production of gibberellic acid – the plant hormone responsible for cell elongation. By lowering levels of the hormone within the plant leaf, PGR’s reduce cell elongation and vertical growth and, instead, redirect the energy within the plant to generate enhanced root development and lateral growth. In its simplest capacity, it can contribute towards a sward that

requires less frequent mowing, saving manpower and associated machinery costs. They can be particularly useful for reducing mowing in difficult or dangerous areas such as steep banks.

Because growth is redirected from vertical to horizontal, PGR’s are often employed by greenkeepers and groundsmen alike to increase the density of a given area. Moreover, they have also been shown to optimise the conditions for seeding operations – particularly those in or near competitive swards. With the regulated growth and lower energy consumption of the existing plant, nutrition from the soil profile is optimised for germination and establishment of the new seedling.

At Trent College in Nottingham, Head of Gardens and Grounds Peter Flewitt trialled Clipless NT® in this capacity, on the schools four cricket squares.

“In our environment, we are able to renovate the squares much earlier in the growing

season than perhaps other local clubs or the county grounds would. We applied Clipless NT® at the end of July, a week before we started our renovations and we nicknamed this area our ‘old grass’. We were interested to see if by regulating the growth here, the new seed sown in the

vicinity would germinate better due to lower competition – and it worked well.”

Peter continues, “We left the ‘new grass’ to grow through and the difference in their comparative growth speeds was evident – particularly when we mowed for the first

time that it was just this new grass being cut. With the Clipless NT®, used in conjunction with H-Cote™ (slow-release fertiliser) we were able to then manage and sustain the healthy, dense sward we achieved in our renovations through the autumn and winter period when our workload shifts

focus onto our winter sports areas. With the wet winter we had, the Clipless NT® application kept growth in check meaning we didn’t have to take any mowing equipment out onto the soft ground at any stage.”

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FANTASTIC SERVICES PREPARES FOR A BUSY GARDENING SEASON AMENITY

Fantastic Services, provider of property maintenance and improvement services, is expecting a busy gardening season despite the COVID19 pandemic.

The service provider is one of the few that has stayed operational amid the crisis by taking extra measures to ensure the safety of staff and even going further by introducing a new range of Antiviral Sanitisation services.

Now the company is expecting to meet the green space needs of Londoners in full. Luckily, the nature of gardening and landscaping is such that contact between customer and gardener is not required.

A customer can easily arrange to have their backyard cleared of overgrowth without even meeting their gardeners. All there is to it is a simple online booking and providing access to the green space when the time for the service comes.

Fantastic Services offers a wide range of convenient garden maintenance and improvement procedures that are suitable for any property.

Customers can book regular garden maintenance, clearance, lawn mowing, jet washing, and tree surgery. A quick visit to their website will reveal the company’s entire range of minimal contact services that are available to the public.

And when it comes to gardening, the company usually sends a team of two gardeners on-site to work together as a team and handle everything more efficiently.

They bring all the necessary tools and equipment for a swift and convenient gardening service.

Co-founder and acting CEO Anton Skarlatov said “Fantastic Services is known for its professional cleaning services but our gardening has also gained some popularity in recent years.

Luckily, most garden work can be arranged and carried out without any contact between the customers and the gardeners so the service is fully compliant with social distancing.”

Now that the warmer months of the year have arrived, an overgrown garden can quickly attract unwanted guests. Pest animals thrive in neglected areas and this comes with its own risks.

Those who need help taking care of their green space can turn to Fantastic Services.

Right now the company covers all regions within the

M25 London zone as well as some parts of England. Visit https://www.fantasticservice s.com for more information.

About Fantastic Services (https://www.fantasticservic es.com/): Fantastic Services is one of the leading services providers in London, the North West and the South East. With 25+ services in their portfolio, they are easily the “one-stop shop” for all home, garden, and office needs. As well as in the UK, Fantastic Services is already established as a leader in Australia and the USA. Currently, 530+ franchisees and over 2,000 Fantastic professionals operate globally under the brand name. Over 300 branded vehicles cross the streets of London.

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BUSINESS OF THE MONTHLEE HARVEY DESIGNS LANDSCAPE

For a lot of people toying with the idea of starting their own business, the thought of leaving a secure job for all of the uncertainties of working for yourself can seem a big gamble. So imagine having been in a secure job for 26

years and then going self employed! That was the position Lee Harvey found himself in when he finally took the leap to start his own hard landscaping business – Lee Harvey Designs.

With four national awards and enough work to employ his son as an apprentice, Lee

is now well established in the landscape world, but it was purely a chance event that sent him along the self

employed route. While still working as an employee, Lee was asked to do a bespoke paving design for a friend’s

garden. Lee posted the West Ham badge design on his facebook page along with some other work,

mentioning that he used Bradstone paving. As luck would have it, the post was picked up by Bradstone, who

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drove down from Derby to see Lee in Essex. They gave Lee five sets of slabs and said to Lee “be creative”. As you can see from the photo’s, he was!

It hasn’t been all plain sailing though, and there have been disappointments on the way.

One such instance was when Lee was asked by ITV if he would be interested in doing a dragonfly design for a garden makeover in their hit

show ‘Love Your Garden’.

Lee, being the well prepared tradesman that he is, designed and cut the slabs in good time to make sure he was ready for the show. At the last minute, ITV contacted Lee to say that the

client had decided to have a design in cobbles instead form another company!

A former winner of student of the year and designer of the year at Writtle college,

Lee does all of his bespoke designs by hand, Lee says “that way the customer knows exactly what they are going to get”.

Lee can be contacted via his facebook page – Lee Harvey Design or by the contact page on his website https://leeharveydesigns.c o.uk/

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Phone 07984 11 2537 email localgardenernewspaper@gmmail.com

Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

SMALL GARDENING BUSINESS SEES MASSIVE BOOST IN SALES

Very popular items this week have been Bio8’s award winning Seafeed Xtra Fertiliser and Compost Accelerator tablets. Sales of these products have grown 300% as more and more councils stop green waste garden refuse collections, meaning that householders need to look at how they can manage green waste.

SUPPLIER NEWS ICL’S LOCKSTAR AVAILABLE IN IRELAND

SUPPLIER NEWS LockStar – a new residual, pre-emergent total herbicide for vegetation management, is now available in Ireland.

This new herbicide will keep areas such as these weed-free, functional and visually pleasing.

Developed for use on natural surfaces not intended to bear vegetation, permeable surfaces overlying soil and railway ballast, LockStar controls a broad spectrum of weeds and has an innovative, longlasting formula which allows for professional and safe weed control. The formula contains diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methylsodium – the first herbicide to receive full approval in amenity and landscape situations for many years.

When applied before germination LockStar creates a dual barrier at the soil surface ensuring that soil is kept weed-free for up to four months. To control weeds that are already present, LockStar should be tank-mixed with glyphosate or a fatty acid. Plants can become resistant to active ingredients within products with the same mode of action, which is why LockStar features these two different active ingredients.

Affecting plants in multiple ways, they give increased longevity compared to products with a single mode of action – useful for users undertaking a resistance management programme.

LockStar, available in a 500g pack, uses the latest generation of water dispersible granules, which means the product quickly dissolves in water and remains stable in the spray tank for a minimum of 24 hours.

Compared to conventional weed management programmes, LockStar keeps surfaces clean and weed-free for longer, as well as reducing the number of applications and amounts of herbicide required.

A Chesterfield-based small business which employs 14 people and supplies innovative products such as probiotic fertiliser to domestic gardeners has seen such a massive increase in sales during the lockdown that it has had to warn Royal Mail to send bigger collection vans.

Bio8, founded by entrepreneur Andrew Hiron in 2006, created the envii range of organic garden products and, until this month, 90% of sales came from Amazon and the remainder from its own e-commerce website.

Last week the company had become concerned that Amazon had reduced the categories of garden and pond items to be restocked, focussing on household staples and medical supplies. On top of that, with gardeners UK-wide champing at the bit and

ready to garden, the availability of fertilisers and growing aids was suddenly and severely restricted, with garden centres and many DIY sheds closed until further notice.

Andrew said: “We noticed that gardeners were taking to social media to complain they couldn’t get the products they need.

In

response, we’ve increased our capacity to process and dispatch online orders through our own website, www.envii.co.uk.

“As a result, we’ve seen a dramatic upswing in online sales and are working flat out to keep pace.”

This past weekend the company processed nearly

500 orders through its website (a normal weekend would see about 90 orders).

Royal Mail then normally collects five sacks of parcels on a Monday. This Monday, 30 sacks were collected and over 50 individual parcels were despatched to homeowners eager to spend time in their garden.

Andrew said: “The increase in demand for Compost Accelerator has been phenomenal! We are flat out making product and as soon as we have it on the shelf it goes out as householders make the decision to home compost.

This saves householders money by creating their own free compost at a time when everyone is looking to save money.”

Andrew said that gardeners should be aware they can purchase essential items direct from the manufacturer.

It can be cheaper and, with Amazon taking between seven and 28 days to deliver, it can be much quicker too.

ICL LAUNCHES ORGANO-MINERAL FERTILIZER RANGE SUPPLIER NEWS ICL has announced the launch of Gronamic – a new range of organomineral fertilizers.

The Gronamic range comprises various analyses and particle sizes to suit the demands of all types of fine and coarse turf. The range combines the benefits of mineral and organic sources of nutrient to provide consistent and long-lasting growth responses.

The granulation process produces consistent, uniform and dust-free products. This range allows you to incorporate all the benefits of organic sources of nutrition into your fertilizer programme without compromising on quality or reliability.

Ed Carter, UK Sales & Development Manager is delighted with this new addition to the ICL fertilizer portfolio: “The introduction of the Gronamic range is a really positive step for ICL,”

he says. “We are world leaders in the production of mineral and controlled release fertilizers and adding organic technologies into our portfolio really broadens our reach.

“We know that our customers utilise organic nutrient sources within their management programmes and the Gronamic range now allows them to do this with ICL branded material.”

The Gronamic fertilizers utilise organic and mineral nutrient sources to provide a phased consistent release that creates consistent growth responses. The consistent granulation facilitates even spreading and ensures reliable performance.

There are four products in the Gronamic range: Gronamic Golf – “High N” 16-3-6 +2MgO +2CaO +0.5Fe

Gronamic Golf – “High K” 5-0-22 + 2MgO +1.5CaO +0.5Fe

Gronamic Sport – “High N” 16-3-6 +2MgO +2CaO +0.5Fe

Gronamic Allround – 10-4-5 +2MgO +0.5 Fe

All of the products have a low C:N ratio to ensure optimal nutrient availability (as C:N ratio increases plant nutrient availability in short term reduces).

The Gronamic range is also part of Turf Rewards – purchasing 25 x 25kg will earn 5 points.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.iclsf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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LIFESTYLEGARDEN DONATES PRODUCT TO THE NHS NIGHTINGALE HOSPITAL

THIEVES DESTROY THOUSANDS OF PLANTS AT COMMERCIAL NURSERY JOHNSONS OF WHIXLEY

SUPPLIER NEWS Set up as part of the ongoing fight against Covid-19 the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital at ExCel London has become ‘home’ to over 1,600 support staff bravely facing the virus head-on.

Thanks to LifestyleGarden® and a wealth of generous donors, these workers now have a stunning garden space in which to relax and find a moment of calm away from the frontline.

Co-ordinated by the superb team at Biotecture Limited, this new garden space came together in just a matter of days thanks to the hard work and dedication of the on-site team. Adding a splash of colour to proceedings and a much needed to rest weary bodies, is LifestyleGarden®’s limitededition Banyan Tree Cast Aluminum Chairs in pink, green and sunny yellow – reflecting the rainbow that has become the symbol of support for the NHS during these unprecedented times.

Paul Cohen, Sales Director at LifestyleGarden®, said: “We knew as soon as we were approached to help with the garden project at NHS Nightingale, that we absolutely had to be involved – it is the least we could do! The team at NHS Nightingale are true superheroes and we will forever be indebted to them for their bravery and

SUPPLIER NEWS Thousands of plants have been destroyed after a break-in at Johnsons of Whixley, a commercial nursery in North Yorkshire.

The plants were deliberately run over by a dumper truck which was stolen at Johnsons of Whixley between 10 pm, and 12 am on Thursday 26th March.

The stolen truck was used to remove a bowser containing 1,000 litres of fuel it was then driven through Johnsons perimeter fence and onto the A59 ploughing through the plants in the process. The truck was subsequently left, but the diesel was taken.

Managing director Graham Richardson said the vandals drove the truck over tens of thousands of plants which were growing in readiness for next year, “because they could and they felt like it”.

He said: “They deliberately drove over our production line of stock, damaging tens thousands of plants – hardy landscape plants of differing varieties, not saleable, but in production for the future.” unrelenting dedication to fighting against the corona virus. We hope that the new garden space created for them will provide a quiet place to rest and recuperate during their working day.”

Richard Sabin, Managing Director, Biotecture added: “During these strange times it was actually something of a relief to be able to work on something so positive. I was also so heartened at the response from the rest of the

landscape industry and a number of volunteers who worked on the project. This made it so easy to pull together in just three days and the reaction of the NHS staff when they saw the garden made it all worthwhile.”

In addition to donating product to the NHS Nightingale garden, LifestyleGarden® has also launched a special giveaway via its Instagram

(@lifestylegardenfurniture) and LinkedIn pages. This giveaway is designed to offer thanks to key workers, with 10 of its rainbow coloured Nassau bistro sets up for grabs. People need only nominate the key worker in their life with the hashtag #FeetUpwithLifestyleGar den.

Paul Cohen added: “It’s almost impossible to truly show our gratitude to those key workers that are keeping our country running during lockdown, but we hope that our giveaway might bring a little bit of sunshine into the lives of those have been working tirelessly since this all began. We’ve already had a great response, and we are really looking forward to announcing the winners in a few short weeks.”

Find out more If you want to find out more about LifestyleGarden® and its premium-quality outdoor furniture, please visit us at www.lifestylegarden.com and follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.

Johnsons is one of the UK’s largest commercial nurseries and is a three-generation family business that supplies 7 million plants each year.

Johnson’s employs up to 150 people but is currently operating on a skeleton staff due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Police are currently investigating and you should get in touch with them on 101 if you have any information.

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HOW THE HUMBLE HOUSEPLANT BECAME THE GARDEN INDUSTRY’S FASTEST GROWTH CATEGORY GARDEN RETAIL It’s official: – 2019 was the year of the houseplant according to the GCA’s Barometer of Trade (BoT) report.

Last year, the houseplant sector saw the biggest increase in sales at garden centres across the country with an increase of 17.6% compared to 2018.

It is estimated that the millennial generation is responsible for one third of all houseplant sales but how did they become so popular?

How the resurgence began One main element is the fact that bringing the outside in has become fashionable again. Particularly popular amongst “Generation Rent” and millennials, this urban trend for houseplants has taken off as residents with a lack of outside space start to create their gardens indoors.

According to the English Housing Survey, “Generation Rent” makes up 48% of households aged 25-34, up from 21% ten years ago. With many living in flats or houses with no garden, and the RHS revealing that city dwellers spend an average of 90% indoors, it is little wonder that this urban demographic are creating their own little green havens inside their homes. With the right plants and modern planters, tiny flats are being transformed into aspirational urban jungles.

Another reason why houseplants and lush indoor greenery have become so popular is thanks to their ease of care, and ability to add colour to interiors cheaply and easily. They have become the new ‘pet’ for many, or as many refer to themselves, ‘plant parents’. In a time when the traditional signs of adulthood seem out of reach, millennials have become obsessed with houseplants as they offer a sense of responsibility and home ownership without the

obligations of children and mortgages. Houseplants also offer instant impact, perfect for such a busy and timepoor generation.

Additionally, houseplants also tap into the increasingly important ‘wellness’ trend, as they work to purify the air that we breath and remove toxins and other chemical nasties found in furnishings, paints, detergents and cosmetics around the home.

The RHS lists several health benefits too, including reduced blood pressure and breathing problems and, if you work from home – as many of us currently find ourselves doing – studies have shown that houseplants increase attention span and improve productivity.

Plants also provide a sense of connectivity, with Wyevale Garden Centre Garden Trends Report 2018 finding that 43 percent of people questioned remarked that houseplants make them feel calm.

Social Media The GCA’s recent Barometer of Trade (BoT) report also revealed that houseplants topped the sales leaderboard for almost half the of the year, making it them a trusted and popular sales opportunity. One of the key drivers for this is said to be social media.

Visual platforms such as Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest have made houseplants so much more than a trend, they have become the must-have for millennials in the photocentric universe of social media.

Hashtags like #plantsofinstagram, # u r b a n j u n g l e , #plantparenthood, #plantsmakepeoplehappy or #succulentsunday adorn carefully crafted posts and are available to view in their millions.

And that enthusiasm for all things green and leafy is something that leading indoor pot supplier Ivyline is benefiting from. “People

tag us on Instagram all the time – they use #MyIvyline to be part of the community,” Ivyline Director, Scott Thomas explains. “Online and general retail have seen a huge upswing in the younger demographic. and we are also now seeing them being drawn into garden centres to shop for plants.

Interior plant accessories grew by more than 40% in like for like YOY sales in 2019, whilst 2020 Q1 growth is at more than 40% once again.”

This is echoed by air plant specialists, Key Essentials.

“Social media is one of the main drivers for houseplants.

A customer buys a houseplant, makes a display or terrarium, names it, takes a photo and puts it on Instagram. They don’t do that with a hydrangea or rose planted in the back garden,” said Director, Mark Smith.

“When we first started in 2013, air plants were a hard sell in a difficult market.

Today, the business is four times larger, with strong growth up 20% at the beginning of this year. We bring out new products on a regular basis to keep our range fresh but that is not the key to future success – we must make more people aware of the product and where they can buy them, give them the confidence to buy and to support them afterwards. The internet and social media are perfect for this.”

Technology With 95% of millennials now owning a smartphone (Statista), the garden industry is having to embrace the technology or risk being left behind. QR code technology has proven to be a fantastic aid for engaging the younger generation with horticulture, especially houseplants.

SmartPlant is an app launched in 2017, that is bringing the world of plant care into the digital age and making it accessible for both the younger generation and more experienced gardener.

With a simple scan of a houseplant’s QR code using the app, novice houseplant owners have immediate access to information on their new plant and monthly reminders on plant care, as well as access to horticultural experts for advice and tips.

Key Essentials is just one of many suppliers using this technology to help with sales. “The market for air plants is still very young with a huge proportion of customers finding them for the first time,” added Mark Smith. “This means we have to put more effort into education and promotion.

We have signed up with the SmartPlant app, and all our products now carry their labels which is a great way for customers to get specific care information.”

With millennials consuming more and more content through their smartphones or tablets in an instant, many want information and they want it NOW. Dobbies is just one garden centre chain that has acknowledged this thirst for knowledge and has partnered with SmartPlant to digitise its entire indoor plant ranges for Spring 2020. The digital initiative enables Dobbies customers to receive rich plant content either in-store or at home.

“The SmartPlant partnership is tremendously exciting for Dobbies garden centres both from an online and offline perspective and we see enormous potential going forward. This will help us to better inform and engage our customers whilst learning from unparalleled customer insights,” explained Marcus Eyles, Horticulture Director at Dobbies.

Trends Dobbies is also one of the pioneers of the houseplant trend and is constantly refreshing and adapting its range to appeal to the fastest growing group of garden consumers in the country as

Claire Bishop, Houseplant Buyer explains: “The millennial houseplant obsession shows no sign of slowing and Dobbies wants to be at the forefront to fulfil their indoor gardening obsession.

“Foliage is set to be big. One of the most popular selling houseplants are Calatheas, due to their many different textures and colours. With over 100 different cultivars, their bright, bold leaf markets and many shapes and sizes mean they cater for every houseplant enthusiast.

Smaller specimens are excellent picks for tabletop displays or windowsills; the whilst larger varieties make fantastic statement floor plants or on plant stands.

“Cactus and succulents are still bestsellers, but we are finding that collectors are looking for more special and unusual varieties to add to their collections, so we have been diversifying our range in-store. Our most popular varieties include Haworthia, Aloe and Echeveria which are easy to love and care for and perfect for well-lit interiors and windowsills.

“A big trend emerging is hydroponics. Growing plants in just water and nutrients has seen an increase in recent years as planters don’t take up as much space and can be grown in any shape to suit.

Ideal for the amateur garden, hydroponic plants are straightforward to care for and have now been made contemporary, thanks to LED lighting, ideal to brighten up a desk or any dark corner. Most plants can be grown in water as long as the base leaf is kept above the water line – Clusia are great, as are Monstera and Spathyphyllum with their lush green foliage, making

them ideal of those wanting to create a contemporary urban jungle.”

With sustainability in the forefront of the public’s minds, Dobbies has also recently introduced its fully sustainable EasyCare range, grown in recycled coir, and great for those with busy, hectic lifestyles as they can last up to 45 days without watering.

As more and more recognise the health benefits of having houseplants in the home, Dobbies new Air So Pure collection is scientifically proven to detoxify the air in living spaces and improve our wellbeing by reducing stress, enabling relaxation, as well as help improve mood and sleep quality.

Dobbies has ensured it is trendsetting and leading the way explains Claire: “We have been sourcing plants and products that will appeal to consumers for next season. Even the demand for the Phalaenopsis common orchid, the number one flowering houseplant is changing with customers now looking for something new. Dobbies has listened to demand and introduced longer flowering varieties such as Clivia, Cymbidium Orchids, Bromeliads. The houseplant trend is certainly thriving and looks to be going nowhere anytime soon.”

So, what next for houseplants?

New varieties? New ways of growing?

How will technology shape consumer engagement? Only time will tell……and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

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GIMA URGING RETAILERS TO KEEP CASH FLOW ACTIVE DURING LOCKDOWN GARDEN RETAIL

There is no doubt that the continuation of the Covid19 lockdown is placing significant and never before seen pressures on the garden retail supply chain, however the Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is issuing a call to action to retailers to ensure that cash flow continues to reach suppliers.

Pre-season deliveries in January and February would traditionally see payments reach suppliers in April and May, but in a world where Coronavirus is creating an unprecedented landscape, receipt of these payments are not necessarily a given as retailers tighten their belts. A troubling concept already, but as spring represents a time when cash is historically already limited for most suppliers, the issue is significantly compounded.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall, said: “The continued closure of garden retailers understandably leads to a need to control expenditure, however, halting the flow of cash through the supply chain is not the answer. There is no question that for some

suppliers, lack of payment could lead to their untimely demise; something that will be felt across an industry that often sells itself as one that supports one another. I urge retailers, on behalf of our members, to support your suppliers as you would your own staff. It’s so important, now more than ever, to speak to your supply customers and not leave them in the dark.

Please don’t dictate payment terms and definitely don’t take rebates off invoices that have not been taken.

“Sadly, we’re hearing that some retailers are starting to employ bullying tactics which we deem to be totally unacceptable, and we will not hesitate to publicly call out these retailers should these tactics continue.

Getting through this difficult time will only be possible if we work together, and thankfully not all retailers are responding negatively.

Many are already stepping up to the mark and are actively communicating with their supply partners, and I hope this communication continues to build over the coming weeks – after all, forewarned is forearmed.”

Pressures of home delivery & Job Retention Scheme

The switch to home delivery, coupled with significant uptake of the Job Retention Scheme, is also placing additional pressure. The entrepreneurial spirit of some retailers that have been quick to adapt to consumer demand should be congratulated, but it is also important to be aware that many suppliers are now operating a skeleton staff having furloughed much of their workforce. As a result, suppliers may be unable to respond to stock requests as quickly as they normally would, and contingencies need to be put into place to incorporate this longer lead time.

On the flip side, retailers should not berate suppliers who have reached out to the home delivery and internet channels. Vicky added: “Suppliers do not have the benefit of business rates holidays or cash grants. At a time of crisis, it is necessary to take advantage of any opportunities that ensure survival, and presently online sales are the biggest opportunity of all for the entire supply chain. For most suppliers the income generated from their online customers will help, but it certainly won’t fill the

massive void left from the loss of their garden centre trade. This isn’t about replacing retailers, it’s about adapting and ensuring a healthy supply chain will emerge from this gloom.”

GIMA – here for its members Since the outbreak of Covid19, GIMA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to offer a range of services and support tools for its members.

Initially, the trade association kept its members informed about the financial support available, including the Job Retention Scheme

and wider government initiatives. The team also maintain a direct dialogue with the Confederation of British Industry, ensuring member concerns are being heard at the highest level.

Meanwhile, daily cross dialogue with other trade bodies such as the HTA, LOFA and BHETA is maintained to share information and to create a cross-sector support network.

GIMA has also made sure that industry specific issues such as cash flow seasonality, pressure from national retailers overpayment terms, ornamental horticulture and

increased demurrage and detention costs at the ports, are also recognised.

Finally, the importance of providing a community for its members has never been so inherently necessary.

This community of GIMA members is enabling a safe place to share best practice and ideas on how to handle the current crisis.

Find out more Find out more about GIMA and its many benefits for members by visiting www.gima.org.uk or call 01959 564947.

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Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

GARDENING IS DEEMED ‘CRITICALLY IMPORTANT’ TO PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DURING #STAYATHOME DON’T MISS

LOCKDOWN MAKES PEOPLE TURN TO GARDENING!

DON’T MISS Paving suppliers, Primethorpe Paving, has analysed the Google search trends for the garden DIY jobs that have seen a significant uplift in people searching for during the UK lockdown.

Those of us with established gardens have no doubt used the enforced home time to crack on with some of those long put off gardening jobs. You know, that half dead shrub that should have come out years ago or sorting out that once chronologically perfect compost area. But it would seem from research on google search figures that we are being joined by eager newcomers determined to use their forced home imprisonment to have a go at gardening for the first time. The search term ‘how to grow vegetables’ for instance has seen a massive 400% increase during this March compared to March of last year! Hopefully this new crop of gardeners will still be baring fruit well after this virus business is long forgotten. Let’s look for a positive outcome to the current movement restrictions with more food being grown locally and domestically in the future!

The Google Trends data used is from between March 17th 2020 to March 31st 2020 with a year-onyear comparison.

With the nation currently isolating in their homes and facilities shut down, we have little choice but to try and enjoy this enforced staycation.

Maintaining mental and physical wellbeing during this time will be of paramount importance as so many areas of our lives feel very much out of our control. Thankfully the sun is beginning to make a more regular appearance, which means the garden is finally open for business. Here, leading garden PR agency, Hornby Whitefoot PR, explore the vital role gardening has for mental and physical wellbeing – as if we needed any further excuses to get out there!

Just what the doctor ordered…..

The physical health benefits of digging borders and growing fruit and veg are well documented, while the medical profession is increasingly recognising horticulture’s pivotal role in therapy and tackling mental health issues, including stress and anxiety Media reports citing medical experts have claimed that the NHS could make considerable financial

savings if horticultural therapy is prescribed instead of traditional health treatments. As one leading doctor pointed out: “Since about £60billion is spent on

long-term conditions, 80% of which could be prevented by a healthier lifestyle, there is a significant incentive to develop a programme that includes horticulture.”

As the benefits of gardening rise up the medical agenda, studies are confirming the link between horticulture and wellbeing. A report commissioned by the National Gardens Scheme, called ‘Gardens and health, Implications for policy and practice’, hit home the benefits that horticulture can bring. Author David Buck summarised: “Increasing people’s exposure to, and use of, green spaces has been linked to long-term reductions in overall reported health problems (including heart disease, cancer and musculoskeletal conditions). It has been linked to reduced levels of obesity and high physical activity, and higher selfrated mental health. Living in areas with green spaces seems to weaken the effect of income inequalities on health.”

The report described the mental health benefits of gardening as “broad and diverse”, pointing out that studies have shown “significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and improved social functioning”.

Benefits to older people, the core customer demographic for garden centres, were highlighted, too: “Surveys suggest that gardens become more important to us as a source of physical activity, but also in terms of our identity and independence, and in ameliorating loneliness.

There is emerging evidence that gardening may be important in falls prevention (helping to maintain good gait and balance) and in dementia prevention and cognitive decline.”

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It added: “The effects of gardens in care homes and hospices have been well studied, especially in dementia care.

Most dementia studies report that exposure to gardens reduces agitation, aggression and other symptoms. Qualitative studies point to improvements in concentration, connection with past memories, and access to natural light.”

Recognition gardening’s benefits

of

AXA PPP Healthcare is a leading private medical insurer that recognises the benefits that gardening can have on physical and mental wellbeing. In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, it says gardening achievements result in “satisfaction and empowerment” that can “improve self-esteem and confidence”. The resurgence of grow-your-own has implications for healthy eating.

The garden trade can take advantage of facts about physical benefits of gardening released by AXA PPP, to potentially boost sales of tools, products and plants. According to the insurer, heavy landscaping can burn 400-600 calories per hour, followed by raking leaves (350-450 calories), clearing the garden (400 calories), mowing the lawn (250-350 calories), weeding (200-400 calories), planting flowers (200-400 calories) and watering the garden (120 calories).

Businesses looking to spread the word about gardening for physical health should also note the “body benefits” of gardening highlighted by AXA PPP. Gardeners are claimed to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to improved sleep patterns, while outdoor physical activity naturally helps to strengthen the heart, building endurance and increasing stamina, reducing the risk of a heart attack and stroke. Activities such as raking and collecting-up leaves involve constant bending, twisting, lifting and carrying, all of which strengthen muscles. Finally, squatting, lifting and

pushing helps to build and tone gluteal muscles, hamstrings and quads, improving balance and even helping to prevent falls in older people, according to the insurer.

Exploring holistic benefits Gardening for health charity Thrive delivered 9,000 therapeutic gardening sessions last year at its centres in London, Birmingham and Berkshire, with 94% of its client gardeners saying they “felt better” as a result of attending the programmes.

Thrive’s CEO, Kathryn Rossiter, says: “There is a lot of evidence for the holistic benefits of gardening,

particularly in therapeutic settings. Spending time in nature, being meaningfully occupied and being with people offers a powerful combination of physical, psychological and social benefits that enhance health, wellbeing and quality of life.”

Kathryn adds: “It has been encouraging to see how the health benefits of gardening have been increasingly prominent in conversations within the gardening sector over the last year or two, particularly the emphasis on mental wellbeing.” She is calling on the garden trade to provide financial support to those running therapeutic gardening programmes and

adds: “Support schools and families to help children to develop a love of gardening, which in turn will provide lifelong health and wellbeing benefits. They’ll end up being your next generation of customers.”

Social prescribing to boost health When it comes to tackling health issues, the Royal Horticultural Society says GPs’ surgeries are often the first place that people go when they don’t know where else to turn. It is estimated that 20% of people visit their doctor for “what is primarily a social rather than a health problem,” according to the

RHS, which is highlighting how “social prescribing” can relieve the burden on the NHS. It will introduce such a scheme at its new garden, RHS Bridgewater in Manchester, where gardening therapy is to be rolled out, while three gardens, The Wellbeing Garden, The World Food Garden and The Wildlife Garden are being created at its flagship estate, RHS Wisley in Surrey. RHS Director of Science and Collections, Professor Alistair Griffiths, said in a recent report: “A gardening green revolution has started – with increasing scientific evidence highlighting the

critical importance of plants, gardens and gardening benefiting our physical, mental and social wellbeing.”

As if we needed anymore excuses to get out in the garden! The team at Hornby Whitefoot PR is planning on getting out into the garden as much as possible over the coming weeks. We’ll be sharing our experience on Instagram – @HornbyWhitefoot – plus we’ll be sharing #gardeningismytherapy to highlight how others are using gardening as a way to relax and decompress during lockdown.

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Phone 07984 11 2537 email info@localgardener.org

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Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

HOME EDUCATION PACKS FROM LIFE AT NO.27 HOME GARDEN Gardening therapy enterprise, Life at No.27 has launched a series of free downloadable resources for educating children at home during lockdown.

MR FOTHERGILL’S SUPPORT CHELSEA PENSIONERS

HOME GARDEN 8th May 1945 – Victory in Europe Day – was one that remained in the memory of all those who witnessed it. It meant an end to nearly six years of a war that had cost the lives of millions; had destroyed homes, families, and cities; and had brought huge suffering and privations to the populations of entire countries. It marked an end of World War II. 2020 is the 75th anniversary of this momentous event.

Mr Fothergill’s will continue raising funds with its two special packets of the nation’s favourite Poppy Victoria Cross and Sweet Pea Scarlet Tunic. 25p from each packet sold will be donated to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Poppy Victoria Cross (RRP £2.15 for 250 seeds) is a popular choice among gardeners and makes a fitting remembrance symbol with its bold white ‘crosses’ across single red flowers.

Its distinctive ‘pepper-pot’ seed heads are also useful in dried arrangements when flowering ends.

Sweet Pea Scarlet Tunic (RRP £2.40 for 20 seeds) was named in honour of the famous Chelsea Pensioners red coats and is a delightful blend of red shaded blooms.

It can be sown where it is to flower, it’s an outstanding mix of large flowers. Ideal for garden displays and as a cut flower.

The popular activities, which are being updated weekly, have been created by the founder of Life at No.27, Annabelle Padwick, who runs regular gardening and wellbeing-based programmes within primary and secondary schools.

Each downloadable activity links into the UK National Curriculum, making them ideal for parents and carers to use.

“More and more people are utilising their gardens during lockdown, which is

great news for the environment and the gardening industry. It brings hope and reassurance that we as an industry can bounce back once the restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, it is important that we innovate and if we can, make resources and expertise available to as many people as possible at minimal cost.

“I have been working with schools for the past year incorporating gardening and the great outdoors with maths, science, literacy and art. I am pleased to be able to offer the free downloads to help parents and carers to engage our next generation of gardeners. The response to the resources has been incredible with many schools, clubs and parents getting involved and sharing the activities.”

Annabelle founded the social enterprise, Life at No.27 in 2019 to provide gardening and wellbeingbased therapy for children and adults struggling with low confidence, isolation and mental health illness.

She is creating a bespoke

allotment-based support network to help change lives across the country, accessible through selfreferral, GP’s, psychiatrists and local councils.

In addition to her work with schools, Annabelle has written a book for children called You Can Grow Your Own Food, which aims to encourage and teach youngsters to grow edibles.

It’s packed full of fun gardening projects and guides on how to grow all kinds of fruit, vegetables and herbs outside and indoors, with plenty of space to scribble, draw, colour and track the progress of their growing adventures. The book is published by Harper Collins and, is available for preorder now via Amazon, Waterstones and all other major bookshops ahead of its launch on 11th June 2020.

Life at No.27’s children’s resources can be downloaded here https://lifeatno27.com/reso urces/

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TURN GREEN WASTE INTO HIGH QUALITY, RICH COMPOST IN JUST 12 WEEKS! HOME GARDEN An innovative new Aerobin Hot Composter has launched that turns can turn food and garden waste into a natural nutrient-rich compost and fertiliser in 12 weeks, possibly even sooner.

The Aerobin is simple to use and, unlike other hot composters, there is no need to turn the composting waste.

This is helped by the patented aeration lung which circulates air naturally throughout the depth of the waste in the Aerobin. Simply fill with a combination of food and garden waste and leave the Aerobin to do the rest.

As well as garden waste and grass cuttings, you can even add chicken bones and fish to further eliminate waste and reduce landfill. In normal operation, there will be no unpleasant smells from the Aerobin, and no risks of any unwelcome rodents!

A traditional composting bin can take anything from six months to two years to transform waste into compost. Aerobin hot composting drastically speeds up that process and can do it in as little as 12 weeks. This is achieved by the bacterial action and the thermal insulating properties of the Aerobin, which in turn produces a very high-quality compost and concentrated liquid fertiliser.

Liquid generated by the composting process drains down through the compost into the sump in the base of the Aerobin, which can be drained off via the handy tap and used at any time without affecting the composting process. The liquor is diluted at a ratio of 20 parts water to one-part liquor or less to provide a superb fertiliser for your plants and

vegetables. You need never buy fertiliser, or compost, ever again!

Temperatures can reach 4060° in a hot composter.

However, in the right conditions, an Aerobin Hot Composter can provide even faster results by reaching highs of 70°.

Compost can be accessed from both sides of the unit to allow it to be removed from the bottom of the pile, whilst leaving the upper material to continue to decompose.

Then the compost is ready to use again to grow food, any waste from which can go back into the composter – creating a sustainable growing cycle.

Not only is this a sustainable solution that saves waste from landfill, but with some councils beginning to charge for garden waste removal, it can be cost effective too! It also removes the need to buy compost altogether, helping to avoid harmful peatharvesting and reducing the need for single-use plastic bags.

The Aerobin Hot Composter is available in three sizes, offering something for every garden and household size.

The smallest can hold 200 litres of compost and is great for those with smaller households and gardens; the medium 400 litres is best suited for the average household, with a larger garden to store it in, or even for small to medium offices.

The 600 litre is for larger households, either with large gardens or large families, or both. The Aerobin also proves very cost effective for restaurants and offices where high volumes of food preparation and waste food disposal take place. Using the Aerobin will reduce the waste volume generated by approximately 75% and will generate a useful end product which can be sold or given away.

Aerobin Hot Composters are available exclusively in UK

and Europe via www.originalorganics.co.uk

Prices 200litre £169.99 Height: 117.5cm Width: 51cm Depth: 51cm

400litre £229.99 Height: 120cm Width: 74cm Depth: 74cm

600litre £331.99 Height: 170cm Width: 74cm Depth: 74cm

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We have a member’s directory where you can advertise your business. This is a free b2b directory with forums similar to twitter. You can even have your own shop with the products linked to your website. Go to WWW.LOCALGARDENER.ORG and add your business today.

THE KENSINGTON – DELIGHTFULLY POSH AND PROUD TO BE A TRADITIONAL SHED HOME GARDEN With the abundance of summer houses, log cabins and garden rooms now available to buyers, The Posh Shed Company is proud to launch its very latest product. A shed.

The Kensington, a sister product to the company’s stylish Chelsea model, is just a shed – but it’s a very proud and delightfully posh shed. And it’s available in three different build options – Posh, Very Posh and Unbelievably Posh.

The Unbelievably Posh Kensington is a palace of a shed. It includes guttering, a solar panel and a weathervane.

Whichever build model you choose, this attractive, smart, compact shed has a straight facia and plain glazed door. It is 6ft 6in

(2m) wide x 3ft 3in (1m) deep, giving plenty of space for storage of those garden essentials.

The shed comes with an incredibly solid 18mm weather-proof floor. A coat of wood preservative is applied on the top surface to give an extra layer of protection.

The key to all outside buildings and the associated damp issues is to ensure that there is a good airflow under the shed, and the support beams built into the floor can sit on a suitable solid surface.

The Kensington’s walls are built using a unique triple wall construction developed

by The Posh Shed Company and not available from any other shed manufacturer.

Redwood timber is used for its superior strength and quality of finish over the more often used white wood.

Each part of the shed is important, but the roof initially takes the most weather. The Posh Shed Company roofs are built to withstand the worst the weather can throw at us.

KEEPING RAINWATER IN WATER BUTTS CLEAN AND FRESH HOME GARDEN Collecting rainwater in butts is an environmentally responsible thing to do but, in the process, lots of organics and rubbish can run off roofs and guttering turning the clean, natural rainwater green, slimy, very smelly and entirely unusable in the garden.

The moss, rubbish and airborne pollutants that fuel this transfer from clean to filthy rainwater become the food for beneficial bacteria contained in a new product that cleans up the green stew, reversing it back into its original pristine state.

Water Butt Klear from envii is a 100% organic blend of naturally occurring, probiotic bacteria. It is in tablet form and one is dissolved in a litre of water before being added to the water butt and this treatment is each week throughout the year.

It is effective at temperatures as low as 4 degrees C. The packaging is entirely compostable and made from 100% plantbased materials. Each pouch has 20 tablets, sufficient to treat 4000 litres of water.

“An added advantage of Water Butt Klear is that the water itself will, after treatment, benefit the soil and plants because the

remaining bacteria will biologically condition the garden.

Conventional clearing products contain disinfectants and other sanitisers that kill all bacteria, even the beneficial ones. The water used around plants is still laden with disinfectants which continue their bacteria massacres, damaging the soil biology and composts,” says Andrew Hiron, founder and managing director of envii.

The retail price for one pouch of 20 tablets on the envii ecommerce website – www.envii.co.uk – is £10.49 including UK p&p.

The doors and windows are made in robust frames, which form part of the shed’s construction. The Posh Kensington build option comes pressure treated and ready for selfassembly. A Very Posh Kensington is painted in

your choice of colour, delivered and installed. An Unbelievably Posh Kensington is a shed fit for royalty.

The Kensington shed, as with every single product in The Posh Shed Company

range, is endorsed by The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), a badge only given to the Britishbased companies that offer some of the best handbuilt products available.

GREENKEEPER’S SECRET – IT HELPS LAWNS COPE frequent mowing as CLIMATE CHANGE more HOME GARDEN the foliage grows more We have all seen beautifully maintained area of grass at a sports club, stately home or hotel and wished our own lawns at home looked like that – well, now they can and thanks to a new product they will also be protected from the extremes of weather caused by climate change.

Greenkeeper’s Secret from envii is not a simple cosmetic product that, for a short time, will turn the lawn green, rather, it improves the health of the individual grass plants and, therefore, their visual appearance. Results are obvious in days but, more importantly, improving the health of the grass acts as a stress reliever. This enables treated lawns to cope with the extremes of temperature and weather conditions that are the side effects of climate change.

Most traditional lawn fertilisers focus on growing foliage quickly to make lawns appear lush and healthy. The downside is that this often mean the lawns immediately need

rapidly. Whilst the lawn may look in good condition, this treatment does not necessarily improve the health of the grass.

The approach of envii’s Greenkeeper’s Secret is a focus on developing the strength and health of the grass plant roots. This produces a stronger, more resilient lawn. Over time the treatment will increase the length of the grass but this is due entirely to the plants being healthier and not because of a short-term boost. A healthy lawn will naturally produce greener, strong grass that is resilient to extremes of weather.

Greenkeeper’s Secret contains seaweed, lignin salts, humic salts, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and a host of micronutrients.

The fully recyclable one litre ready mixed bottle is fitted with a hose-end adaptor that clips directly onto a hose pipe and is sufficient to treat 600 square metres or lawn or turf, including newly laid areas. Another benefit of Greenkeeper’s Secret is that any product that drifts onto

borders will be a benefit to the plants and causes no problems.

The retail price for a 1L bottle of Greenkeeper’s Secret on the envii ecommerce website – www.envi.co.uk – is £17.99 including UK p&p.

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ACCESSORISE YOUR HOME WITH HOUSEPLANTS HOME GARDEN Houseplants have been one of the biggest gardening trends in recent years. The impact of COVID-19 is predicted to see that continue, with people bring the outdoors in and introducing greenery to their inside spaces.

Houseplants are ideal for those living in flats and apartments that don’t have a garden as they still allow people to grow and be surrounded by greenery.

They brighten up a room and are even said to help with depression stress and anxiety, not to mention improving indoor air quality.

Leading plant pot manufacturer, elho, recognises the importance for house plants to have a stylish home too and sees plant pots as a vital home accessory. As such, its newest collections are created with aesthetics in mind to truly complement any interior design. The company collaborated with Daphna Laurens, a Dutch design duo, to create the b.for studio range which elevates plant pots with a stylish freestanding holder.

Made from metal and

recycled plastic, the b.for studio is available in three different heights to either stand alone or work in combination with each other .With the new pure beads collection elho introduces natural and organic shapes to embrace current trends, with three plant pots with soft curves and natural hues.

They are available in three

shades – pebble pink, balanced beige and walnut brown.

To mark the launch of these new collections for houseplants, elho, has partnered with plant expert, Michael Perry from MrPlantGeek.com who recommends his top houseplants to be growing now, as well as how best to take care of them.

“Cacti and succulents are ideal for people that want houseplants to be fuss-free.

You’ll only need to water them on average once a month, and they can be placed on sunny windowsills.

For a plant that really won’t fail, consider the Zamioculculus or the “ZZ Plant”. It’s happy in a poorly lit room, or in an everchanging air-conditioned office environment.

Kalanchoe is an 80’s favourite, but don’t overlook this easy-to-grow gem.

There are now many different colours, including stripes and picotee. The double forms are also a delight, you can find them under the name of Calandivia.

Alocasia. I often call this the Spider-Man plant. It’s gorgeous and very Instagrammable, but can be tricky to grow. Make sure it’s as warm as possible, water steadily, and let it rest in the winter. A tray of pebbles and a regular spray of water will also help to maintain its preferred humidity requirements.

Don’t forget that many houseplants we grow are actually tropical, so they will slow down their growth during the winter and cooler months. Let them rest a little bit, don’t be feeding or watering them excessively, trying to get them back to life! Additionally, indirect light is often quoted as an ideal position for houseplants. But what really is that? Indirect light is when the position is well lit, but out of direct beaming sunlight. Therefore, a dining table that gets light from the window, but isn’t right in front of it so make sure to keep this in mind!” elho also stresses that people shouldn’t buy novelty plants to dispose of, they should be an investment with a future.

The best way to ensure that is to take care of them. elho’s accessories range can aid

with this and features LED plant lights to help growth even in darkened corners, as well as self-watering accessories for those that don’t have green fingers!

For more information please visit www.elho.com, or to receive more tips from Michael visit www.mrplantgeek.com.

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April 2020 How to contact us at the editorial office:

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Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

INTERPET & BLAGDON OFFICIALLY LAUNCH FREE ONLINE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR AQUARIUM & POND KEEPERS POND/AQUARIUM SUNFLOWERS MAKE PEOPLE SMILE AND BIRDS HAPPY!

COMPETITION In these present, gloomy days Able Community Care is hoping to raise smiles of satisfaction as people of all ages enter their Sunflower Competition and watch their sunflowers grow from a tiny seed to a beautiful flower several feet high.

Their competition to grow the tallest sunflower offers a prize for adults and for children up to sixteen years of age.

The adult prize is a bouquet of flowers, each month for six months either for yourself or for someone you would like to receive them.

For children under sixteen years of age, the prize is a £100 Amazon Voucher To enter the competition, email to info@ablecommunitycare. com and we will send you your little seed pack with further details.

After receiving this and deciding you would like to enter, email again giving us your name and address which can be as little as: Anne Lincoln. Just so that they can send you updates and notify you if you win.

You will not be sent any other material which is not related to this competition.

So, try to see if you can grow the tallest sunflower.

August 31st is the last entry date and the winners will be announced in September.

Able Community Care is provider of Live-in Care Services for older people and for people who have a disability. Established in 1980 their services are available in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands. www.ablecommunitycare. com

TWO OF THE UK’S leading aquatic brands have officially launched online diagnostic tools for people social-distancing and self-isolating at home to get expert advice from the safety of their sofas (April 2020).

Aquarium specialist Interpet and its sister brand, Blagdon, which creates products for garden pond keepers, have formally unveiled tools designed to help people cutdown on non-essential trips away from home.

Adrian Exell, Development and Marketing Manager at Interpet, says: “Our indoor aquatics’ tool has been designed to help users diagnose common fish and aquarium problems with ease in their own homes, reducing non-essential trips.

“Meanwhile, the Blagdon tool does a similar job for anyone who has an outdoor pond and fish.

“Spring is the start of the pond season when everything is waking up after the winter. It is traditionally the time when pond keepers have a bit of a clear out. This includes cleaning and kickstarting filters to ensure they are working well, as fish need feeding again after the winter dormancy. As fish start to move about, it can become apparent if there have been any issues or ailments that need dealing with and this is when people need to ensure all their equipment is running properly too.

“We understand that while many pet and aquatic stores have closed, some are trading online with mail order and click and collect options, or are taking orders over the telephone and delivering them locally for those needing essential items, such as food and medication.

We also appreciate that aquarium and pond owners may not wish to, or be able to, go out.

“So, if they have an issue with their aquarium, pond or fish, they can use whichever brand’s free online ‘Diagnose What’s Wrong’ tool that is appropriate to their needs to help them resolve any urgent problems.

If they, then need any products, many local stores will deliver or have an online shopping option.

“We want people to remain and stay safely at home during this time, so we feel tools like these are invaluable. Plus, they are also essential in our ongoing support of the retailers that sell and stock our products.

They can recommend the tool to their customers and this will help them free up their time to keep up with demand for

goods and other advice online and in-store.”

For more information and to use the tools, aquarium owners should visit www.Interpet.co.uk/diagn ose, while pond keepers can go to www.BlagdonWaterGardeni ng.co.uk/diagnose.

Both brands are also increasing the

support they are offering via their Facebook pages, https://www.facebook.com /BlagdonWaterGardening/ a n d https://www.facebook.com /interpet, if people wish to follow them for ongoing advice and assistance.

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LEADING UK GARDEN CENTRES OFFER FREE BBQ COVERS WITH ONLINE ORDERS OF CHAR-BROIL TRU-INFRARED GRILLS

OTHER NEWS This May, anyone who buys a Char-Broil TRUInfrared Gas or Electric Grill will be offered a free BBQ cover, worth between £34.99 and £59.99, depending on the model.

The online promotion runs from 1st to 31st May 2020 with www.Notcutts.co.uk, www.robertdyas.co.uk www.bbqworld.co.uk and www.bedsbbq.co.uk.

Char-Broil’s innovative TRU-Infrared cooking system gives a perfectly

even distribution of heat across the grill, without any flare-ups, delivering up to 50% juicier results. TRUInfrared is available on a wide range of Char-Broil BBQs, including the Platinum, Professional and Performance models, and the flexible, portable All-Star which is convertible from a standalone to tabletop grill.

Examples of BBQs featured in the promotion include: The Char-Broil Platinum Line: the ideal choice for BBQ-ers demanding highend performance, design and

innovation. The Platinum Line offers solid, premium stainless steel construction (304 type) with cast aluminium end caps and premium stainless steel cooking grates and warming racks. The collection of robust and beautifully designed 2-, 3-, or 4-burner grills make more than just a visual statement.

The performance is professionallevel and the feel is pure quality. On top of the beautiful new design, the clever zonal cooking and the grate-level temperature gauges for perfect temperature control, there’s

also the reassurance of CharBroil’s TRU-Infrared system to prevent flare-ups and keep meats up to 50 percent juicier. Platinum 2200S (silver, 2 stainless steel burners), Platinum 3400S (silver, 4 stainless steel burners).

Prices from £1199.99.

The Char-Broil Professional range is for serious BBQ-ers.

The most recent addition to the range is the 4600 which has 2 separate fireboxes and lids for maximum cooking versatility – makes it ideal if you want to cook fish on one side and meat on the other,

or keep one side completely vegetarian. The hood is made from double-hardened coldrolled steel, giving a quality look and feel. There are 4 stainless steel burners, and burner ignition is at the touch of a button with Surefire® electronic ignition. RRP for the Professional 4600 is £899.99.

For those who only have a balcony or small garden but want the performance of a premium grill, the new CharBroil All-Star BBQ is the ultimate versatile and portable solution. The AllStar can either be placed in

its stand – with foldable side shelves for extra workspace – or it can be detached from the stand to place on a tabletop. Cast iron grill grates make it durable, rust resistant and easy to clean, and the All-Star delivers the trademark Char-Broil TRUInfrared cooking performance using indirect infrared heat to evenly cook producing 50% juicier results every time. Now comes with an optional charcoal tray for the ultimate in flexibility.

Available in a gas or electric version. RRP: £379.99.

DAVID DOMONEY TAKES ON ROLE OF PATRON FOR GREENFINGERS CHARITY OTHER NEWS TV gardening personality, David Domoney, has recently been confirmed as the Greenfingers Charity’s newest Patron.

The role will see David support the charity’s work in building magical and therapeutic gardens for life-limited children in hospices across the country.

David has been a great supporter of Greenfingers for many years, giving his time to support for the charity’s and initiatives, including Garden Re-Leaf Day, where he has raised

awareness through social media, given gardening talks and hosted children’s workshops at garden centres to raise vital funds for the charity.

David is an ITV television presenter, and co-presents with Alan Titchmarsh on Britain’s most popular TV garden show ‘Love Your Garden’ over the last 10 years. He is also the resident garden presenter on ITV’s

This Morning and presents on Saturday Morning with James Martin. In 2018, David was selected by HRH Prince Edward to receive the Excellence in Horticulture Award. David has also won 30 RHS Medals for garden design, horticultural displays and science exhibits.

A strong believer and prolific public speaker on the benefits of plants and gardens on our mental and physical wellbeing, David has also created educational exhibits, presented on TV shows and regularly written on the topic, promoting the positive power of plants to international audiences.

Speaking about the role, David said; “The positive impact these beautiful gardens have on families at the most vulnerable and emotional times of their lives is a credit to Greenfingers. The charity’s tireless work in fundraising and landscaping is mirrored by the generosity of the horticultural industry and I have always found this deeply moving. I have enjoyed supporting this marvellous charity over the years and I am very honoured to take this role of Patron. I look forward to supporting the Greenfingers team in their future activities.”

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers Charity said: “We are delighted to welcome David as our Patron. David is passionate about helping families through Greenfingers and has already done great work to raise awareness of our campaigns and the work the charity does for children’s hospices. David’s public profile and his enthusiastic approach to gardening will really help us to reach out to garden lovers across the UK and increase awareness of the charity’s mission”

David stands alongside an impressive team of Greenfingers Charity Patrons who all play a part in helping to raise the charity’s profile and supporting its ongoing initiatives to build inspirational outdoor spaces where children and families can spend precious time outside together, enjoying the relaxing and sensory benefits of a garden. Other patrons include actors Jim Carter OBE, Imelda Staunton CBE, awardwinning garden designer, Anne-Marie Powell, as well as garden and landscaper and television presenter Adam Frost.

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April 2020 How to contact us at the editorial office:

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Phone 07984 11 2537 email info@localgardener.org

Phone 07984 11 2537 email localgardenernewspaper@gmmail.com

Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

Write to Local Gardener Newspaper, Kemp House, 152-160 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN GARDENING TO COPE WITH ISOLATION OTHER NEWS

The global pandemic is confining many of us to our homes and means that we are looking at periods of isolation. Naturally, we need to be vigilant about both our physical and mental health at a time like this, when our usual support systems might be out of reach. If you’re looking for healthy ways to spend your time at home, gardening is the perfect solution. You can garden alone or with your family, without needing to leave the house.

We all know the benefits of taking regular screen breaks, but those benefits are even more important now that our screens are a continuous source of news, which can be causing further anxiety. Turn your attention to your garden, leave your phone inside and take the opportunity to switch off. The mental health benefits of gardening, or ecotherapy, can be enormous. It’s a tactile activity and demands a degree of mindfulness – the perfect activity to quiet an anxious mind.

If you are at home, you’ll want your garden to be looking its best so you can enjoy it during these times of confinement. Spring will keep showing its hopeful signs whatever happens, so get outside and enjoy them.

Watching the plants waking up is the perfect time to get outdoors and get growing.

Vegepod is offering its five top tips for making the most of the garden during selfisolation.

1.

Spend time with your family in nature’s classroom. Take your children outdoors and teach them about the plants in their garden and give them simple tasks they can do to help, like watering and

planting seeds. It’s the perfect way to spend time with them, while they’re learning and exploring the natural world.

2.

Grow something with relaxing benefits. With so much negative news and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel unsettled and anxious. The garden can be a very sensory place and many plants have soothing properties. Try growing some lavender, for its calming scent, or grow some chamomile, to make into a relaxing tea. The fragrance of rosemary is said to be grounding too.

3.

Grow your own. With supermarket shelves emptying at an alarming rate, the prospect of selfsufficiency has never been so appealing. With a Vegepod, you can grow crops quickly – you could be harvesting salads and herbs in just a couple of weeks!

Planting edible crops and watching them grow will bring a huge sense of satisfaction and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labours. A Vegepod makes growing your own easy and rewarding, with great rates of growth and yield.

4.

Start a new project.

Now is the time to embark

on that garden project you’ve been thinking about for a while, that you’ve never had time for. Dig a bed and plant it with your favourite flowers. Build a shed as a utility or a retreat. Or start planning a pond or water feature to attract wildlife to your garden.

5. Tidy up. This period of time presents the perfect opportunity to make sure your garden is neat and tidy.

Get to work on that long list of garden jobs you’ve been putting off. You could fix fences, tidy your borders, mow your lawn and tackle that dreaded weeding so you

can sit back and enjoy the great outdoors.

Neil Urry, head of UK sales and operations for Vegepod, commented: “In times of fear, all we can do is focus on what we can do for ourselves to calm the panic and to quieten the noise.

Gardening is a great way for this. Vegepod’s ethos is focused on creating gardening communities, we’re proud to have created a customer base of likeminded people that all enjoy the benefits of “Grow Your Own” and self-sufficiency.

With that in mind, we ask all our customers to think about how they can be a positive

influence on their community at this time. If you have an abundance of produce, consider giving some to your neighbours, particularly those who are elderly or less mobile or who may have struggled to get what they need at the shops.”

As well as being available in garden centres across the country, Vegepods are available to purchase online, so present an ideal way to get growing without having to leave the house.

For more information and to purchase, please visit www.vegepod.co.uk

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‘GROW YOUR OWN’ SALES SHOOT SKYWARD OTHER NEWS As Britain settles into lockdown, gardening supply companies are reporting dramatic sales increases in products essential for ‘growing your own’ salad and vegetables for the table.

Worcestershire-based Forest Garden, one of Britain’s leading suppliers of raised beds, planters and greenhouses, has recorded an explosion of sales: more than 50% of its anticipated annual sales for some of these products in just one week.

Derbyshire-based Bio8, which employs 14 people and supplies innovative products from its envii range, such as probiotic fertiliser, to domestic gardeners, has been overwhelmed with orders on its e-commerce site and has had to ask Royal Mail to send bigger collection vans.

On an average Monday, Royal Mail would collect five sacks. This Monday, 62 sacks were collected.

Suffolk-based online retailer Green Gardener, which specialises in environmentally friendly pest control products for the garden has been receiving an ‘unprecedented’ level of calls and email orders. Sales of Nemaslug, which uses nematodes (microscopic worms) to target slugs, have increased around 100 per cent compared to last year.

Country Smallholding magazine, a stalwart of the ‘grow your own’ community, has had a spike in sales due to people’s interest in returning to the land, whether through gardening, which it features monthly, or growing on a larger scale.

April subscriptions were up nearly 150% on the past year.

Andrew Hiron, founder of Bio8, said: “Gardeners should be aware they can purchase essential items direct from the manufacturer. It can be cheaper and, with Amazon taking between seven and 28

days to deliver, it can be much quicker too.”

Jon Manners, owner of Green Gardener, said: “I have honestly never known it be so busy. We are rushed off our feet.”

“It’s great to see that UK gardeners are using their extra home time in such a sustainable way,” said Lynsey Grinnell, Forest Garden’s head of marketing.

“Timber raised beds are massively popular closely followed by other planters and garden accessories. Our ever-popular Victorian Tall Wall and Walkaround Greenhouses have also seen an uplift. Now is the ideal time to sow salad crops and, once the danger of frost has passed, it will be time to plants outside a wide range of vegetable plants and outdoor tomatoes.”

‘Grow your own’ products currently selling like hot cakes: Forest Garden Builder Pack assembly)

Bed (self-

The Bed Builder Pack is perfect for use as a kitchen

garden, the large size and 21cm depth means it can hold approximately 380L of compost for growing vegetables, herbs or simply decorative plants. It has an attractive half round timber design. The Bed Builder Pack is delivered flat packed with fixings and easy to follow instructions for a simple build. The total height of the bed is 41cms which includes the height of the pre-fixed spikes for sinking into the ground to ensure a sturdy structure.

in your garden. It has a unique design that lets the gardener access their plants without going inside the greenhouse. Designed to be positioned in an open space or against a wall or fence, the four opening doors can be hung depending on the access required. Combined with its relatively small footprint, this greenhouse is suitable for all sizes and styles of garden. Supplied unpainted, the Forest Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse is made from smooth-planed timber giving it a natural timber finish but can be painted to create a decorative feature in your garden.

Nemaslug

Nematodes are microscopic worm-like creatures that occur naturally in garden soil. Each different nematode species has its own unique prey and Nemaslug attacks slugs. Most slugs live in the soil and rarely, if ever, come to the surface. Therefore, surface-only controls will only ever deal with a minority of the population.

Nemaslug is watered around plants from a watering can or hose feed and the nematodes go down into the soil seeking out their prey.

21(h) x 204(w) x 104(d)cm

40 square meter pack, £13.49

From £83.99

www.greengardener.co.uk

www.forestgarden.co.uk

envii Activearth

Forest Garden Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse (self-assembly)

Heavy rainfall will deplete soil nutrients and compact the surface. Activearth is a probiotic organic soil fertility activator that transforms soil from biologically dormant and compacted into biologically active, fibrous

The Victorian Walkaround Greenhouse is a beautifully designed grow house that will become a real focal point

228(h) x 96(w) x 126(d)cm £559.99 www.forestgarden.co.uk

and nutrient-rich.

It delivers four essential minerals, magnesium, hydrogen, potassium and calcium in a carefully calculated formulation. It will significantly increase earthworm activity, speeding up faster organic matter decomposition and microbial biomass. Tests carried out by six independent laboratories over 672 soil profiles and 18,000 measurements have shown increases in visible fauna and earthworm activity by 55.5%. The retail price of a 1.2kg compostable carton of Activearth on the envii ecommerce website – www.envii.co.uk – is £19.99.

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April 2020 Add your business to our member’s directory

We have a member’s directory where you can advertise your business. This is a free b2b directory with forums similar to twitter. You can even have your own shop with the products linked to your website. Go to WWW.LOCALGARDENER.ORG and add your business today.

HILLIER ANNOUNCES FIVE NEW PLANTS FOR 2020 OTHER NEWS Hillier Nurseries has revealed details of the five new plants the company was going to unveil at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Although the RHS took the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the show, following the outbreak of COVID-19, Hillier hopes to still bring these new amazing new plants to the public this year, offering inspiration for every garden.

All plants will be available from Hillier Garden Centres from May this year. The five plants are Lysimachia christianiae ‘Sunburst’, Salvia x jamensis Vibe™ Ignition – Purple, Leycesteria formosa ‘Little Lanterns’, Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Bannow Bay’ and Hydrangea x multiflora ‘French Bolero’.

A particularly special one of the new plants is Lysimachia christianiae ‘Sunburst.’ It has been developed by Hillier Nurseries from a plant originally grown by famed plantsman Roy Lancaster, who has a special association with the company, having worked under Sir Harold Hillier for many years and helped collate the original Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs.

L. ‘Sunburst’ is a trailing perennial that can grow over 1.5 metres in a season. It has dark green foliage, and in early summer produces a stunning mass of vibrant golden yellow flowers for four to six weeks.

The new Salvia x jamensis Vibe™ Ignition – Purple

boasts exceptionally bright flower colour, richly aromatic foliage, and a long flowering season. S. ‘Vibe Ignition’ is a fantastic plant for a sunny spot in the garden. It is drought tolerant and very easy to grow so is perfect for gardeners and gardens of all varieties.

Leycesteria formosa ‘Little Lanterns’ is perfect for the smaller garden. In spring it offers lime-coloured growth and red shoots, in midsummer bright golden yellow foliage and pendant

racemes of white flowers then in autumn deep purple, almost black, ornamental berries. It was bred and selected by Hillier Head of Wholesale Nurseries, Charles Carr.

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Bannow Bay’ is ideal for patio containers and continues the Hillier ethos that everyone should be able to create a piece of a Chelsea exhibit in their garden. It

grows to form a dense mound of deep purple foliage, tinged pink, in the winter months and is pale green with flashes of white in spring.

The final Hillier plant introduction is Hydrangea x multiflora ‘French Bolero’.

This is a truly distinctive plant that boasts masses of blue or pink flowers, dependent on the soil type.

Thanks to its unique habit,

every bud, including all the side shoots will produce flowers.

Discussing the new varieties, Charles Carr, who has overseen the breeding commented: “We are all of course disappointed that Chelsea Flower Show won’t be going ahead this year, but that needn’t mean that people aren’t able to enjoy our new plants. Our fantastic growing team on our nurseries have

been tending to them for months, keeping it all top secret. We have been very excited about unveiling them, particularly as we have so many this year and we look forward to hearing what people have to say about them.”

For further information, visit www.hillier.co.uk, find Hillier Garden Centres on Facebook, or @HillierGarden on Twitter and Instagram.

THE TORO COMPANY GIVES $500,000 TO GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF OTHER NEWS The Toro Company (Parent company of Hayter Limited) yesterday announced that it is giving $500,000 to assist families and communities worldwide that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funding from the Toro

focus on providing food, health and humanitarian assistance to helping people adversely impacted.

Foundation will span all regions where The Toro Company operates, and will

“Supporting our customers and communities is an important part of our culture and core to who we are as a company,” said Rick Olson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Toro Company. “Now more than

ever, it is critical that we come together to respond to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 and to support those most vulnerable in our communities.”

The contributions include commitments to several global nonprofits that are assisting in the relief efforts.

This includes the American

Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feeding America, the World Food Program, the United Way Worldwide, and United Way organizations in communities where The Toro Company’s employees live and work.

An additional element of the global giving effort includes

a special program for its employees who wish to personally give to designated COVID-19 relief organizations. Under the program, The Toro Company will match employee contributions to a nonprofit organization of their choice in support of relief efforts.

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APF 2020 TAKING PLACE ON THE 24-26TH SEPTEMBER, IS OFFERING EXHIBITORS A BOOK NOW -PAY LATER OPTION EVENTS The current Covid-19 crisis affecting all of us is causing significant financial hardship for many businesses with orders drying up, the loss of income, being forced to lay-off staff and having difficulty in paying bills.

At such times paying for something over five months away is not a high priority.

APF 2020 is seeking to encourage exhibitors to look forward to the show, book their site and enable them to start planning for the event.

To this end they are giving any new exhibitor the opportunity to book now and reserve their site for just £100 + VAT and delay paying the balance until the 1st September, by which time we all hope that the world will have returned to something like normal and businesses are up and running again.

Exhibition Secretary commented “With so many shows being cancelled there is an understandable reluctance by businesses to commit money too far in advance and limited cash flow making this a real problem in any case. Many exhibitors rely on the show season for sales and many

of these opportunities have now gone. APF 2020 is still set to take place on the 2426th September and we want to help exhibitors by encouraging them to book

now and extending our normal 30 day terms. We hope this will give confidence to exhibitors and allow them to start planning for APF 2020. Already over

170 exhibitors have booked to exhibit with us this year.

We hope that both visitors and exhibitors will relish being released from lockdown and come together

to make this a great industry event.”

For further information, booking forms, maps, a list of current exhibitors and

much more can be found on our website www.apfexhibition.co.uk, e m a i l : info@apfexhibition.co.uk Tel: 01428 723545

LANDSCAPE LAUNCHES #GROWHAPPY INITIATIVE EVENTS With all the uncertainty during these challenging times, the team at the LANDSCAPE Show has been hugely motivated by the huge display of community spirit in recent weeks and are eager to play their part in helping everyone through the difficult weeks ahead.

Inspired by this, the #GrowHappy initiative was born, in conjunction with the Landscape Institute, The London College of Garden Design and Davies White

Landscape Architects to create a fun and exciting challenge for all the family.

It goes without saying that we all need a ray of sunshine in our lives right now and what better way than with a Giant Sunflower!

It’s really easy to be involved in #GrowHappy and don’t worry if you don’t have any sunflower seeds to hand, LANDSCAPE will send you some.

Simply email info@landscapeshow.co.uk with your name, address and social media details (so LANDSCAPE can help you share your progress!) and

you’re on your way! Be really inventive in how you start out, where can you plant the seeds? An old shoe, a teapot, a small bowl or perhaps just an actual pot!

Remember, after about 7 to 10 days once the leaves start to appear, you’ll have to plant them in something larger to give the sunflower the chance to grow bigger.

Why not challenge your friends, neighbours, family and work colleagues too?

Tag all of the people you would like to nominate to take part with you; they can then nominate and so on and so on to keep the chain

going! Who can share the best pictures, tallest sunflower or the most impressive nomination chain?

Remember to share your progress along the way on social media from planting your seeds all the way to measuring your sunflower!

next 100 days, plant them in a pot or in your garden and brighten up your neighbourhood!

The measure-up date of the sunflowers is on the 31st August and the winner will

be announced one week afterwards. Make sure you get ahead of the competition today and plant your seeds today.

More information about the challenge can be found at www.landscapeshow.co.uk/g rowhappy.

Stay safe and keep on

#GrowHappy and @LandscapeEvent

tag

#GrowHappy and @Landscape.Show

tag

The #GrowHappy Challenge: To grow the tallest sunflower over the

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HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIERS Midlands Garden Furniture Up The Garden Bath Elite Ground Support Suppliers of recycled baths as garden planters

Agralan

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Suppliers of conservatories and outdoor cane furniture TEL: 0116 2796582

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Lumena Lights

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Bestco Surfacing

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igrass

Wonderlawn install premium artificial grass in domestic and commercial lawns the UK

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Reachitmoveitcrushit Compact equipment sales, hire and advice in Chesham

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Environet Artificial grass suppliers dedicated to trade customers – landscapers and landscape gardeners

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http://www.igrass.co.uk

Rock Unique UK Supplier of Exterior Natural Stone Patio Paving Slabs Cobblestones , Porcelain & Interior Tiles

TEL: 01959 565608

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Organeco UK’s leading specialist in Japanese knotweed removal from residential and commercial property

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Berkshire Stump Removal Stump removal service and advice in Berkshire

Ecological and sustainability consultants

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NAP Brands Landscaping Tools and Machinery Distribution

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Easy Garden Watering Irrigation and pond equipment

http://www.easeygardenwatering.co.uk

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Premier lawns We cover greater Belfast. We offer a professional, friendly and reliable lawn care service that is of high quality

PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS AND DESIGNERS Garden Care Services The Wooden Fence Post Garden Care Services Serving the Bromley area

Providing general garden maintenance and landscaping in the Maldon area

Lustre Gardens Garden maintenance services in the Bromley area

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Simpson Garden Services

North Berwick Gardening

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So Green Lawncare

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EHCO Gardens Providing general garden maintenance in the Toddington area

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Brinel Landscapes Grounds maintenance services serving the Manchester area

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Trugreen

Idogardening4u Garden Care Services Serving the Bromley area

Cotswold Landscape Providing general garden maintenance and landscaping in Gloucestershire

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A.M.R. Landscaping

kingsbury Lawn Care

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We cover the Winchester area We offer a professional husband and wife team lawn care service

Lawncare and general garden maintenance in Worcester and Hereford

Burgess Gardening

Gardens Of The Future Providing landscaping in the Stratford area

Lawn Care Services Serving the Lichfield area

Burnham Landscaping Garden maintenance services in the Chertsey area

http://www.burnhamlandscaping.co.uk

Hampstead Garden Design Professional and friendly design service and will work with you to create a beautifully stylish garden space

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Tellus Landscaping Garden landscaping services in the Plymouth area

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Wildground

Tree Hunters

Wild Ground specialise in moss and weed control, ground maintenance and general gardening

Ground maintenance and general gardening Serving Pontefract

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TEL: 07812584703

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https://tree-hunters.business.site/

Garden Girl General gardening in Aylsham and Thanet and surrounding areas

Advertise your business here

TEL: 0757 9060629

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