THE LANDSCAPER SEPTEMBER 2018

THE

LANDSCAPER

SEPTEMBER 2018

ISSUE 230 | £3.95

THE UK’S NUMBER 1 LANDSCA PIN INDUSTRY G MAGAZIN E

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EDITORIAL

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maggie@sheengate.co.uk @landscaper_ed

Publisher’s letter

Front cover image supplied by Quartix: Real Time Vehicle Tracking

David has grown the magazine in both popularity and size, taking it from a bi-monthly to 11 issues a year and honing its editorial to cover all aspects of the trade. Under David the magazine has achieved an international reputation as the leading title within its field.

But after a long and illustrious career in publishing that started on Farmer’s Weekly, and led to him to become publisher of The New Musical Express in its hey day, and then on to launch a number of his own titles, David has decided to now tend to his own garden.

So while he might not quite have hung up his wellies altogether - we hope he will continue in an ambassadorial role visiting shows, covering the odd press trip and advising us on content, and writing the odd feature - he has handed over the commercial baton in order to allow the magazine to take advantage of the resources of a large established publishing company that sees huge potential in the business of landscaping our environment.

Con Crowley Publisher, Sheengate Publishing

LANDSCAPER

TH E

There’s no doubt it’s been a real scorcher of a summer and preserving all that flora and fauna in the heatwave has been the biggest challenge for sure. But while attention may have switched from grass cutters to irrigation systems and soft to hard landscaping, the good work on the great outdoors continues unabated.

Indeed the mission to provide beautiful open spaces in a country that has always been at the forefront of its game, can only get bigger. From Capability Brown and Gertrude Jekyll to Percy Thrower and Monty Don, the UK is a nation of gardeners that remains the envy of the planet.

And for almost two decades The Landscaper has done its bit to support, embellish and nurture that great cause which God, Allah, Buddah and countless other Dieties entrusted us with - to work hand in hand with Nature and, to steal a line from Diana Ross, “make this world a better place.”

Next year The Landscaper turns 20 and as the long hot summer gives way to cooler and thankfully wetter weather, and as one season slowly merges into the next, so this magazine begins a new life.

From this issue the magazine comes under the ownership of Sheengate Publishing – joining its large portfolio of lifestyle titles in Surrey, Berkshire and South West London.

Sheengate, which itself turned 20 this year, and its team - editor Maggie Walsh and sales manager Cristina Arcay - have exciting plans to take The Landscaper into its third decade increasing its circulation and voice in this important growing UK sector.

For the past 10 years the magazine has been run by editor David Curtis, first under the auspices of the publisher Metropolis and more recently his own company Curtis Media.

SEPTEMBER 2018

ISSUE 230 | £3.95

THE UK NUMB ’S LANDSC ER 1 AP INDUSTR ING MAGAZINY E

THE LANDSCAPE SH

TRACK YOUR WOR

OW

KFORCE WITH QUA

RTIX

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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xx CONTENTS editor Maggie Walsh 07787 555 798 maggie@sheengate.co.uk features Ffion Llwyd-Jones sales manager Cristina Arcay 07460 309333 landscaper@sheengate.co.uk design and production Lucas-studio.co.uk circulation and subscriptions Maggie Walsh maggie@sheengate.co.uk The Landscaper is owned and published

by Sheengate Publishing Ltd.

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The Landscaper is an entirely independent magazine. It is not a member of any trade association or society.

September 2018

Sheengate Publishing Ltd Unit A4 Kingsway Business Park Oldfield Road, Hampton TW12 2HD 0208 939 5600 www.sheengate.co.uk www.landscapermagazine.com managing director Alex Whitney

Latest News ............................................. 06 Lighting ..................................................... 31

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publisher Con Crowley

Landscape Show 2018.......................... 32 Mowers....................................................... 37 RHS Hampton Court Show ................. 44

Nothing in this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers.

Readers intending to purchase goods or services from advertisers should make their own enquiries if in any doubt. Every endeavour has been made to ensure that all the information published in this magazine is as accurate as possible. Neither the publishers nor their agents can be held responsible for any errors or omissions; nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to any person acting on the information contained in the magazine.

Arborist ..................................................... 48 Horticulture ............................................. 52

Copyright Š 2018

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Hardscaper ............................................... 55

Next Month in The Landscaper Saltex 2018 plus regular features: Arborist, Horticulture, Hardscaper and Mowers Advert copy Deadline for October issue: 28 September, 2018.

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Editorial copy deadline: 20 September, 2018.

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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NEWS

Moisture management

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

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

As a long-term user of ICL products, Craig first started applying the H2Pro range of products five years ago after a successful trial: “Essentially, our aim was to keep the surface and the profile dry on the greens and approaches throughout winter. We tried a few products and then Jamie Lees (ICL Technical Area Sales Manager, Scotland) suggested trialling H2Pro TriSmart. We trialled it for two months in the middle of that summer, saw great results and we just carried on from there. I like the fact that you can go from TriSmart to FlowSmart carrying on the moisture management programme all through the year.”

Craig first applies H2ProTriSmart in April at a rate of 10L/ ha. He continues with monthly applications before switching to H2Pro FlowSmart in September or October depending on the weather conditions: “As soon as the weather begins to change and it turns a bit cooler then we know it is time to switch to FlowSmart. We use that for as long as it’s needed,

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just to pull the moisture through the surface and the profile to dry the greens out.

“It is such a flexible programme and you can tailor it to your everyday conditions rather than having a fixed plan.

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

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

The H2Pro range of products are not the only ICL products that Craig uses: “The majority of the products we use at Lansdowne are from ICL. Jamie helps me put a programme together every year and if we ever have any problems then he is always around for support. From a technical point of view, I just cannot fault the advice I get. We know the amount of money and research that goes into their products and I think that gives you confidence. Every product is consistently good.” www.icl-sf.co.uk / www.icl-sf.ie

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NEWS

Flower show displays HTA and APL members showcased garden and plant displays at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in July 2018, with many winning top awards.

SHOW GARDENS GOLD - The Landform Garden Bar Designed by - Rhiannon Williams Built and sponsored by - Landform Consultants & London Stone GOLD - Breckland Beauty Designed by - Jody Lidgard, Nick Fryer and Tim Lidgard Built by - Bespoke Outdoor Spaces and Nicholas Edwards Gardens SILVER - Secured by Design Designed by - Lucy Glover and Jacqueline Poll Built by - Capel Manor College students Sponsored by - Secured By Design, Capel Manor College, Smartwater LIFESTYLE GARDENS SILVER-GILT - The Family Garden Designed by - Lilly Gomm Built by - Bespoke Outdoor Spaces Sponsored by - Practicality Brown WORLD GARDENS SILVER - Rías de Galicia: A Garden at the End of the Earth Designed by - Rose McMonigall Built by - Bowood Landscapes Ltd Sponsored by - Turismo de Galicia SILVER-GILT - Great Gardens of the USA: The Charleston & South Carolina Garden Designed by - Sadie May Stowell Built by - Landscape Associates Ltd Sponsored by - Brand USA, Charleston Area CVB, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism CONCEPTUAL GARDENS SILVER-GILT - Apeiron: The Dibond Garden Designed by - Alex Rainford-Roberts Built by - Bowood Landscapes Ltd & Edwards and White Ltd Sponsored by - Dibond® GARDENS FOR A CHANGING WORLD SILVER-GILT - A Very Modern Problem Designed by - Pollyanna Wilkinson

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Built by - Burnham Landscaping & Conquest Creative Spaces Sponsored by - Worx Landroid HTA Members who won medals in the Floral and Roses Marquees include: GOLD & BEST ROSE EXHIBIT – David Austin Roses Ltd GOLD - Hart Canna GOLD – Cook’s Garden Centre GOLD – Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants GOLD – Lime Cross Nursery GOLD – Peter Beales Roses SILVER-GILT – Burncoose Nurseries SILVER-GILT – Desert to Jungle SILVER-GILT – Fryer’s Roses, part of the Blue Diamond Group SILVER-GILT – Newlands Nursery SILVER-GILT – Seale Nurseries SILVER – Blackmoor Nurseries www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-courtpalace-flower-show

Love where you live Squire’s Garden Centres is working with local councils to make parks and green spaces even more attractive, by donating thousands of daffodil bulbs in its ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign.

Throughout September, for every pack of bulbs (of any variety) that customers buy, Squire’s will donate 10 daffodil bulbs to local councils, hospitals and community gardens.

Squire’s hopes to donate around 150,000 daffodil bulbs.

Sarah Squire, deputy chairman at Squire’s, commented: “We feel very much part of the local communities in which our garden centres are located and we are very grateful for the support our family business receives from local

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NEWS spaces and contributing to Karbon’s sustainable vision and resident satisfaction.”

Kelly Taylor, assistant director of specialist housing at Karbon Homes, said: “We’re pleased to be working alongside Glendale to provide this important service to our customers. We are hopeful this will be a very positive relationship and the communities served will appreciate the level of service provided.” www.glendale-services.co.uk

Exhibit at Rail Live 2018 Green-tech recently exhibited at Rail Live 2018 in Warwickshire. The event was organised by RAIL people. We wanted to give something back to say thank you. Autumn is the perfect time to plant bulbs. They need that winter chill in the ground before they break dormancy and begin growing. We are very excited to contribute to filling our local parks and open spaces with beautiful yellow daffodils come the springtime.” www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk

Social housing contract awarded National green services provider Glendale has been awarded a contract to deliver grounds maintenance services for Karbon Homes.

Glendale specialists will do grass and hedge cutting, shrub and bed maintenance, leaf clearance, arboriculture Dave Curry, contract manager works, chemical treatments, weed killing, litter collection, snow clearance and gritting on behalf of the organisation. Work will be delivered throughout communal areas of properties in Corbridge, Prudhoe, Heddon, Stocksfield and Wylam over the course of the two-year contract, which has the potential for two one year extensions.

Dave Curry, contract manager at Glendale said: “Karbon is one of the largest housing associations in the North and, being aware of its vision and values, we knew it was an organisation we wanted to work alongside to benefit local residents and enhance the environment for them to enjoy. We’re committed to providing good quality green

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magazine in partnership with Rail Alliance, and unveiled many new developments for 2018, including live demonstrations from 400+ exhibitors and sponsors.

Green-tech specialises in tree planting, vegetation management, biodiversity and conservation solutions and showcased their gt Green Screens, chemicals, wildflowers and tree planting products.

Sales Director at Green-tech, Richard Gill commented: “We attended this event for the first time in 2017 and were really impressed. It proved to be really valuable to Greentech – the opportunities were endless. The Rail market is a huge growth market for landscape companies as their needs range from erosion control, vegetation management, wildflower and tree planting contracts. We found the show provided a great opportunity to understand the supply chain; as well as the challenges and opportunities available within the rail industry. There was a lot of interest in our products and I am confident that we will be able to build some good relationships and secure some good orders on the back of it.”

NEWS

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Stourhead location courtesy of the National Trust

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The team behind the distribution of Jensen woodchippers in the UK has launched a website showcasing the range of chippers available to industry professionals across the country.

Business Manager Bill Johnston using the new Jensen website

With a simple-to-navigate structure, the website enables users to view details on all the Jensen machines available to the UK market in towable, tracked or PTO configurations, ranging from sub- 750kg towable 6” chippers right through to powerful 12” models on hydraulically adjustable tracks. Visitors can also find out more about Jensen’s ability to custom build chippers to individual specification featuring cranes, conveyor belts, chip storage containers and much more.

Booking a free, on-site demonstration is easy with an online form available on every page, which sends requests to the Jensen UK team for a quick response. Alternatively, call and speak to a Jensen representative in the UK, with contact numbers available for the team.

The ‘Find a Dealer’ page provides addresses, telephone and email details for each of the current Jensen dealers, a list which will continue to grow with new dealers sought to increase support and sales coverage for customers in new areas.

Bill Johnston, Business Manager for Jensen UK, said: “This new website is a really useful resource for both Jensen chipper users and for our dedicated dealers.”

Cees De Kock, Export Area Sales Manager for Jensen in Germany added: “Jensen’s portfolio of machines is very extensive, and a good website is very important to share information on all of the options available to customers.” www.jensenchippers.co.uk

NEWS

Organic Consumers Association statement The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) issued this statement in response to the verdict in the case of Dewayne Johnson vs. Monsanto Co., awarding $290 million in damages to plaintiff Dwayne Johnson, a former school groundskeeper who, after being required to spray Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is terminally ill with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“This verdict proves that when ordinary citizens, in this case a jury of 12, hear the facts about Monsanto’s products, and the lengths to which this company has gone to buy off scientists, deceive the public and influence government regulatory agencies, there is no confusion,” said Ronnie Cummins, OCA’s international director. “This is a company that has always put profits

ahead of public safety, and today, Monsanto has finally been held accountable.

“We hope that this is just the first of many defeats for Monsanto, and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will pull this product off the market immediately.

In the meantime, OCA looks forward to the next steps in our own lawsuit against Monsanto, for misleading consumers about the safety of Roundup for humans and pets. And we are grateful to Mr. Johnson for bravely facing down the “most evil corporation” in the world.”

Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization representing a network of more than 1 million consumers in the U.S. www.organicconsumers.org

Tackling lawn damage

The persistent drought of the past few months is causing lawn and turf headaches as the combination of drought and unusually high temperatures, causes a lot of grass plants to die off.

As soon as the familiar rainy weather returns, the stronger plants that have withstood the drought will soon recover, which will reveal the real damage to the lawn. There are many options to offer a quick solution with a well thought out renovation plan, including: • Clean the lawn. The brown dead grass will not grow back, but it also will not disappear from the lawn. The withered grass will remain dormant in the turf and form a suffocating layer in the grass. For a rapid lawn recovery, this dead grass needs to be removed quickly.

• Sow through the lawn. High grass mortality means the lawn is very thin, and the less-resistant grass species have

disappeared. To quickly replenish the open space between the grass plants before weeds and other parasites immigrate into the lawn, sow new seed. The ELIET DZC600 overseeding machine sows new seed with an interline of 2.5 cm, 35 gr/ m² between the existing grass. This gives young grass plants density. With the right seed, the new grass will appear within 14 days after sowing, provided the right weather conditions are in place.

• Strengthen the lawn. To get a properly rejuvenated lawn, ensure it can quickly develop a firm root set, so the lawn is more prepared for future stress and damage. To further stimulate root growth, additional fertilizer should be applied after sowing and the latest generation ELIET DZC600 sowing machine is equipped with a fertilizer spreader. A slow-acting fertiliser can also be spread during the sowing process. www.psdgroundscare.com

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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NEWS

Record breaking year for new starters

Alumni membership

Leading landscape supplier Green-tech recently welcomed two new starters, taking the company’s number of new recruits in this financial year to a recordbreaking 16.

Green-tech has experienced significant growth, hitting sales targets every month to achieve the highest turnover in the company’s 24-year trading history. The sharp increase in the number of employees was planned for, with two new positions currently being advertised.

The two new starters are Dan Hildreth who joined as a Dispatch Coordinator in the Operations department and Sam Roddam who strengthens the warehouse team.

Both positions result from the significant increase in daily orders that need to be processed. Earlier this year Greentech restructured its warehousing team and processes to accommodate this increase.

Green-tech has also announced that Lizzy Rose has been promoted to Marketing Manager, taking over from Kate Humes who now takes the position of Marketing Director.

These promotions reflect the commitment and drive both have demonstrated and their contribution to helping the company achieve its unprecedented growth.

Marketing Director Kate Humes comments: “We have grown substantially, but it hasn’t happened by accident. It’s as a result of a clear strategy, hard work and sheer determination with a little bit of luck thrown in. We continually strive to understand and identify the needs of the marketplace; to invest in R&D, to offer the best products, to provide outstanding service; all at the most competitive prices.” www.green-tech.co.uk

The sky is the limit for drone enthusiasts and professionals as the UK’s leading drone training experts launches its membership package.

Rusta’s ‘Alumni’ membership offers exclusive benefits and discounts across a range of drone Sion Roberts training services.

Sion Roberts, managing director of Rusta, said: “We’re very excited to launch our Alumni membership package. Anyone who takes part in one of our courses and decides to join the Alumni, will now enjoy a number of amazing and exclusive benefits. As well as future discounts and additional support services, Alumni members will also be invited to our special networking events, where some very exciting celebrity speakers will share their experiences of using drones across many different industries, including the TV and film industry.”

Established in 2014, Rusta was one of the original drone and UAV academies in the UK, training operators to use drones for commercial purposes.

All instructors have a Royal Air Force or Army Air Corps background, with thousands of hours flying experience on both manned and unmanned platforms. No UAV training academy in the UK has more experience and is better qualified in training operators.

Training courses can be tailored to customer requirements and cover a wide range of industries and backgrounds, including photography, journalism, conservation, surveying, pest control, emergency and security services, lifeguards, builders and farmers.

Sion added: “Whether it be for the pure thrill of drone flying or for your profession, our online and classroom courses are unrivalled and will set you on your way to a lifetime of safe and enjoyable flying.”

Rusta will be exhibiting at the Commercial UAV Show, at the ExCel London, in November and the UK Drone Show, at NEC Birmingham, in December. www.rustauas.com

L-R: Dan Hildreth, Lizzy Rose, Sam Roddam

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Workforce productivity: What makes a good GPS tracking system?

“If a GPS system helped you take on one extra job per week, and if overtime payments could be reduced by a couple of hours per week, what would your return be per employee?”

Landscape contracting is labour intensive. With many vehicles, drivers and sites to manage, and customers spanning a wide radius, a popular tool for improving workforce productivity is GPS tracking. A good tracking system doesn’t just tell you where your vehicles are, it provides information that is directly relevant to your business operations. The following points will help you choose a system with the strongest reporting capabilities: 1. W hich reports will I need to improve productivity and operating costs?

Accurate timesheets teamed with late arrival and early departure alerts will reduce undue overtime claims and ensure your customers get the hours of service that they pay for.

For park supervisions, tracking reports provide proof of attendance. Quartix vehicle tracking APIs allow you to feed all these reports into your own business systems, including payroll. The data should be accessible by any team, with the ability to drill down into individuals or groups of drivers and create custom reports. Reports can be accessed via email and on a mobile device, helpful for managers who are often out of the office.

2. Which reports can identify actions needed to lower fuel costs?

Reports that include daily route logs, driving style reports with acceleration and braking metrics and geofencing alerts to flag unauthorised journeys and unwarranted use of company fuel can help. “It doesn’t happen often, but if a driver does use our vehicle at a non-agreed time, we will see that on the system,” says Julie Renshaw of John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance. Helping a driver to improve their driving style can lower fuel costs significantly. Maintaining a good driving score has been shown to reduce fuel consumption by up to 25% (Frost and Sullivan 2015).

3. What other fleet insights can help reduce costly overheads?

Real-time vehicle utilisation reports, often extending to ride-on equipment, ensure fewer vehicles are out of action and reduce unnecessary costs. Keeping all your fleet on the road helps increase capacity to service and charge

customers. Some tracking systems also offer vehicle MOT, service and maintenance reminders.

A good tracking system helps to plan, react and validate. Worcestershire-based Whiting Landscape opted for Quartix vehicle tracking so it could monitor staff remotely.

With the majority of work completed off-site, the company could be unknowingly losing a lot of money if staff were leaving early or arriving late.

Another feature to look out for is the ability to identify your nearest vehicle to a postcode, so that you can best deal with requests in real-time.

4. H ow will a GPS tracking system support and help my drivers?

Landscape contracting is competitive, and it’s critical to keep operational costs low and ensure quotes are competitive to help the business grow. Share these motivations with your workforce and encourage them to embrace GPS tracking by introducing incentives for exemplary driving behaviour, e.g. most improved driving style or most jobs completed on time. With the safeguarding of a tracking system, your drivers are also well covered when it comes to false claims about their driving or punctuality.

5. How can I justify the investment in GPS tracking?

With Quartix, short-term and rolling contracts offer optimum flexibility - should your number of vehicles change, you aren’t tied in for several years. If you have a fleet of 40+ vehicles, special rates and longer-term contracts are optional. It’s not hard to see how a small monthly payment can lead to a large return per driver. If you focused on their driving style and eliminated private usage to reduce fuel consumption by, say, 70 litres per month… We’ll leave you to do the maths.

To learn how Quartix can help your business visit www.quartix.net, email enquiries@quartix.net, or call 01686 806 663.

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

15

NEWS

Keeping grounds growing Plants and trees are expensive to replace, and it’s crucial to keep greenery hydrated.

Keeping plants, trees and grass healthy is the passion and expertise of SCH Supplies; as manufacturers of waterers, no one understands the importance of adequate hydration better.

SCH manufactures essential plant-saving watering units, with capacities from 50-900 litres. These watering units are typically towed behind a ride-on lawnmower or a small tractor, while some can be pulled by hand, allowing plants far from a fixed water source to thrive.

Most watering units are fitted with either an electric - or petrol-powered pump, giving a significant flow rate to save time, and allowing water spray over a vast area or reach plants at the back of the flowerbed.

SCH has seen a huge increase in demand from individuals who want to keep grounds growing this summer. By designing and manufacturing equipment, SCH has great flexibility when it comes to customers requesting variations to standard products. The company’s watering units, trailers, grass-care systems, sprayers and other products can be customised to suit user requirements, keeping greenery looking beautiful as efficiently as possible. www.schsupplies.co.uk

RHS funding for plant hunters The RHS has made more than £100,000 available to gardening professionals and keen amateurs who want to combine worldwide travel and horticultural learning this year.

The funding, which comprises a series of bursaries and will see around 100 applicants receive amounts ranging

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between £200 to £3,000, is intended to grow the UK’s horticultural skills and knowledge. This might include – at home or abroad - the study of a particular plant or growing technique, conference attendance or help funding a voluntary work placement.

A fellowship programme also offers one applicant an all-expenses paid opportunity to study at an American University or gain practical experience at Pennsylvania’s botanical Longwood Gardens.

Previous recipients of RHS funding have investigated unique flora in Korea’s Demilitarised Zone, researched plants in the Caucasus Mountains and followed in the footsteps of famed horticulturist Harold Comber in Tasmania.

Chris Moncrieff, Head of Horticultural Relations, said: “Hundreds of people have already benefitted from RHS funding; supporting their professional careers, confirming their passion for gardening and bolstering the UK’s horticultural know how. There’s still much to be explored so we’re encouraging anyone with a passion for plants to apply.”

The next round of funding applications closes on 30th September. More information is available at www.rhs.org.uk/bursaries

Multi-purpose mini tractor Spaldings has introduced a remote controlled mini tracked tractor with a built-in logging winch that can be replaced by a flail mower for vegetation control, following the company’s appointment as national dealer in the UK and Ireland for Pfanzelt forestry and estate management machinery.

The Pfanzelt Moritz Fr50 rubber tracked vehicle is designed for easy mobility and working in locations that are difficult to access, too delicate for full-size machines or where there are dangers for an on-board operator.

The vehicle weighs 1400kg, is 2.2m long and 1.2m tall, and is powered by a 35hp diesel engine and has hydrostatic drive.

“In standard form, the Moritz carries a two-speed cable winch with a heavy-duty logging plate,” points out Paul Denton. “But the winch can be replaced by a 1.2m flail mower on the Cat I linkage to extend the machine’s workload.”

The relatively low weight and 1.1m overall width means the Moritz Fr50 can be transported by trailer behind a 4x4, pick-up or van to work sites such as steep

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NEWS

woodland or grass embankments where the track spacing can be widened hydraulically by up to 400mm for maximum stability.

“We envisage a contractor using the Moritz for woodland and embankment vegetation control or to provide tension for controlled direction felling where trees have to be cut down in a confined location,” says Paul Denton. “Skidding felled trees from woodland and dealing with light brash and vegetation are also within its scope, and Pfanzelt is planning a stump grinder attachment.”

Remote control of all functions means these tasks can be carried out with maximum safety for the operator, who also has the convenience of a large storage compartment within the chassis for all the tools and equipment needed for each job.

German manufacturer Pfanzelt is a family-owned concern that specialises in forestry and woodland equipment; it also manufactures timber cranes and trailers, forest tractors and self-propelled timber harvesting forwarders.

Pfanzelt’s tractor-mounted and self-propelled winches have been selected by Spaldings, the direct sales specialist, to complement the TMC Cancela heavy duty scrub mowers and forestry shredders that the company also distributes.

In the UK and Ireland, Pfanzelt machines will be supported by Spaldings’ service back-up team.

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Sow now for Spring Colour later Rigby Taylor has recently released The Euroflor urban meadows, Autumn sowing leaflet. Containing eight pages of information on what mixtures are available for colour, height, attracting pollinators as well as advice on site, and soil preparation, when to sow and weed suppressant measures. The result will be a stunning display of flowers from early June through to the first frosts of the following autumn. www.rigbytaylor.com

Landscape THE I NDUS T RY T R A DE SHO W

Tuesday 18 & Wednesday 19 September 2018 Battersea Park, London The LANDSCAPE Show returns to Battersea Park in London on Tuesday & Wednesday the 18th & 19th of September 2018.

Over 200 manufacturers and suppliers, over 2,000 visitors and over 40 CPD accredited seminars.

www.landscapeshow.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7821 8221

@LandscapeEvent #Landscape2018

NEWS

Spot on Suffolks’ Thorpeness Golf Club lost all its equipment, valued at £355,000, in a massive fire in January 2015.

For Course Manager Ian Willett, the replacement of his fleet has been gradual, ensuring that each new machine is spot on for the current requirement of the course.

In 2017, it was the turn of a new topdresser, and a Rink DS800 from Charterhouse Turf Machinery was bought after advice from local dealer Tomlinsons.

“We tend to stick to regular light dressings to keep things balanced,” explains Ian, who is supported by a team of six full-time, and two part-time, greenkeepers. “I spoke to our local dealer and they brought the Rink over for a demonstration. It’s a great piece of kit that’s quick and easy to use. The size of the unit is just right and, when mounted on our ProGator, can do greens, collars, approaches as well as tees – it can get just about everywhere!”

The Rink DS800 Topdresser can be trailed behind a 30hp compact tractor with the benefit of 4 wheels on an articulating axle, or fitted to a John Deere ProGator or Toro Workman truck for a lighter footprint. It has a variable spread pattern up to 12m (36ft) and delivers an accurate finish

S P E C I A L I S T

L A N D S C A P I N G

AND

thanks to the dual spinners that can apply precise amounts of material, even if the material is wet.

Keeping operations simple, at the start of the season Ian will work out the set up and adjust the Rink accordingly, so for the occasional heavier dressing only a small adjustment is required: “With one hopper of sand we can dress two greens and can get around all 18 in as little as four hours.”

The topdressing work, in conjunction with vibrate rolling the greens has helped the team create a course with true putting

T U R F C A R E

E Q U I P M E N T

www.blecmachinery.com

The all-new BLEC range is ready to deliver.

With updated products, a streamlined range and new innovative equipment on the horizon, BLEC continues to impress.

Grading & Levelling Soil Preparation Seeding Soil Cultivation Renovation

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NEWS surfaces: “We’re not aiming for extremely fast greens. We want people to enjoy playing here so my aim is to create a fair, but challenging experience. Now that we have the Rink, the regular and accurate dressings around the course are already making a big difference to the overall playability.”

Free-draining, green sward Pontarddulais Bowls Club and Graig Merthyr Bowls Club share the same council-owned green in Coedbach Park, Pontarddulais, Swansea. The green has seen around ninety years of play and until early in 2018 had always been free draining, with regular treatment such as Vertidraining, although it had become noticeable the green was changing. Built on shale, as is typical of many greens, the gradual compaction was taking its toll.

Club Treasurer Bryan Gillard remembers standing under the canopy by the Clubhouse and watching what happened to the green when it rained heavily. “The green was filling with water before my very eyes,” he says. “And after the heavy showers, it remained quite sodden and unplayable.

It seemed no amount of work could get it back into shape.”

This left members without playing facilities until it dried out.

Bryan remembered reading about Terrain Aeration’s treatment for bowling greens and sports pitches in Bowls magazine and he invited the specialist aeration company to come along and advise on the situation. It became immediately clear that much deeper aeration was needed than the usual Vertidraining, to relieve the compaction and panning beneath the surface. Bryan sought approval from Swansea City Council and with the help of two local councillors the funds were raised to do the work in March 2018.

Terrain Aeration’s deep penetration aeration system uses its Terralift machine to drive a probe one metre deep into the soil, through the compaction, where it releases a blast of compressed air, fracturing the soil. Dried seaweed is then injected, which sticks to the walls of the fissures, and the probe hole is filled with porous Lytag aggregate and topped with the usual top dressing. The seaweed swells and contracts with the moisture in the soil, maintaining the aeration, drainage and allowing oxygen to get to the roots.

In some instances, water-storing polymers may also be added with the seaweed.

The process is repeated over a staggered grid every two metres to ensure the fissures are fully interlinked. The result is immediate and vastly improved draining, allowing play to commence straight away. The problem for Bryan was

there was no rain to speak of for a long period and no one was able to judge the results. Until the first heavy rains that is, when the car park at the club became totally awash. The

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NEWS bowling green remained free of water and the success and improvement to the sward became even more evident during the long summer drought. Torrential rains left no evidence as they passed, with the green remaining freedraining and the surface vastly improved.

“It’s fair to say everyone has been well pleased with the result,” says Bryan, who though now retired as Treasurer, remains a part of the long tradition of bowling in Pontarddulais. www.terrainaeration.co.uk

Eco-friendly alternatives The recent Monsanto court case underlines the importance of the TCL Group’s role in working towards greater use of environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional weed killer.

One of its member companies, Royal Warrant-holding grounds maintenance specialist Burleys, uses a commercial award-winning system with a combination of hot water and foam to ‘cook’ weeds on contact.

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

Foamstream, produced by Weedingtech, has gained traction in the UK as local councils search for green alternatives. The system is used on many parks and all children’s play areas across Lewes district, which is also

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improving biodiversity by employing Burleys to plant swathes of wildflowers.

Simon Cashmore, CEO of the TCL Group, said: “Foamstream is great for weeds, small woody growth like ragwort and for killing moss in places like tennis courts and play areas – and is excellent value. We fully support Weedingtech’s global mission to help organisations and cities across the world provide safer, cleaner and greener environments for their residents.”

Getting together Green-tech’s events calendar shows the company’s attendances at landscaping exhibitions and events across the UK in 2018, including: • Amenity Forum Conference, Burton-on-Trent | 9 October • Saltex, NEC | 31 October & 1 November • SGD Autumn Conference, London | 17 November • FutureScape, Surrey | 20 November • LI Awards, London | 22 November • BALI Awards, London | 7th December Green-tech has confirmed attendance at BALI NE and Yorkshire networking dinner in Harrogate in October, and delivery of eight CPD presentations across the country.

Sales Director Richard Gill commented: “The next quarter is always the busiest period for Green-tech, but we’ve raised the bar even higher this year. Each year, the number of events we support increases, but 2018 has been an all-time high, attending 52 separate events or exhibitions.

We are fortunate that the industry has some great quality events that work really well for us. We appreciate the opportunity they provide to get together with customers, suppliers and industry colleagues, as well as meeting potential new customers and seeing first-hand the latest landscaping trends.” www.green-tech.co.uk

URBAN MEADOWS

Now is the time for an autumn sowing of Euroflor flower seed for the following year’s spring and summer flowering. An autumn sowing of perennial flower mixtures allows the winter 12 hardy species in selected Euroflor mixes time stunning to establish over winter when competition is mixtures for weaker and the seed bed will have sufficient autumn moisture. Also, flowering the following spring sowing will commence much earlier in the season than spring-sown mixtures. This provides a hugely beneficial food source for early pollinating insects and the added value of an extended flowering season, providing enjoyment until the first frosts.

Ask for the 60-page Euroflor brochure showing comprehensive details of the complete range

Rigby Taylor Limited Freephone 0800 424919 Website: www.rigbytaylor.com e-mail: sales@rigbytaylor.com

NEWS

Tractor investment With the imminent opening of its new stadium in North London, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club continues to invest in its world-class training centre with the recent purchase of additional attachments for its Ventrac 4500 compact tractor. Darren Baldwin, Head of Playing Surfaces and Estates at the club, has taken delivery of two Ventrac Power Brooms for maintaining the pathways, car parking areas and synthetic pitches around the 77-acre training facility.

Commenting on the new equipment, he said: “These brooms are excellent. They simply blitz any moss on our standing, which also helps with the yard management of our tarmac pathways, remove moss, weeds and leaves from equipment. Once you have a Ventrac tractor unit, you just the block-paved areas and we use one on synthetic grass keep on finding more things that it can do; it’s certainly a pitches. The height adjustment is simple and quick and it versatile piece of equipment.” gets the debris out, where other brushes have failed.

The Power Brooms can be hydraulically angled left or “Our second broom has more flexible and less aggressive right and lifted up or down from the seat of the tractor. bristles and this is used on the synthetics; it helps us relieve An electric actuator allows the operator to adjust the the compaction of the rubber crumb infill and is an integral speed and direction of the broom rotation, maximizing part of our synthetic turf maintenance programme. Like our its effectiveness. A self-leveling feature keeps the broom mower attachments and trencher, the brooms are quick horizontal at all times, and the nylon bristle broom cores can Theeasy Landscaper 1 03/09/2018 and to change2018.qxp_Layout and when not in use they are free-12:40 Pagebe1 changed in just a few minutes.

THE POWER OF DEEP AERATION e ssed air and

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Terrain aeraTion’s TreaTmenT is long-Term for parks, Trees, sporTs piTches, golf courses, bowling greens and gardens. ask The experTs. we have 25 years of experience of making The earTh move.

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SEE THE POWER AT WORK W: WWW.TERRAINAERATION.CO.UK T: 01449 673783 24

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NEWS

‘Smart’ choice

Following the successful performance of their first four Isuzu Grafters, Midlands’ sister companies Smart Cut Ltd and TFN Landscapes have purchased a further 10 of the latest Isuzu Grafter Green 3.5 tonne rigids, joining the 40-strong combined vehicle fleet on a progressive basis from May to October.

Now representing more than 35 percent of the Smart Cut and TFN fleets, the Isuzu N35.125 Grafter Green rigids have become the ‘go to’ marque for commercial vehicles at these Midlands companies, progressively replacing the incumbent Nissan Cabstars. According to Smart Cut and TFN, their aim is to become an exclusively Isuzu fleet by the end of 2019.

“Our initial attraction to Isuzu was prompted by the payload achievable from the impressive 7 tonne GTW Grafter as a result of its 3.5tonne gross towing capacity,” said Tom Rimell, director, Smart Cut Ltd. “This combination makes them ideal fleet vehicles as we transport a range of heavy plant equipment from job to job. Following on from the original four Grafters ordered in 2017, we are now taking another 10 new Isuzus for our 2018 fleet replacement programme, while shortly we will be placing a follow-up order for a further 10 new Grafters for delivery in 2019.”

All 10 Isuzu N35.125 Grafter Greens feature the Isuzu Driveaway TGS dropside body configuration.

Tom Rimell explains why they chose this option from Isuzu: “We only keep our vehicles for a two-year period, so we go for their Driveaway models bearing in mind the vehicle can then be easily resold in two years’ time, since

it is a popular, in-demand specification. In addition, by choosing the Isuzu Driveaway models, the trucks arrive at our premises ready to go to work. This specification includes items such as seat covers, towbar fitment and lighting kits that previously we used to fit ourselves. Driveaway takes these time-consuming jobs off our hands, both from fitting initially as well as at removal at the end of the two-year period. Most importantly, we have the trucks out there working, and earning, without any delay.”

The new Isuzu Grafter Green rigids are expected to cover a maximum of 40,000 miles in their two-year working life within the fleet at Smart Cut and TFN Landscapes and have been supplied by local Isuzu dealer Aquila Truck Centre in Worcester.

“Aquila fully understands our business model for vehicle acquisition and we now have a really good working relationship with them. Their support during the truck replacement programme has been first class,” commented Tom Rimell.

Smart Cut Ltd has been in business for over 30 years primarily as a ground maintenance company servicing businesses, housing associations and local authorities across the West Midlands, from Birmingham in the north to Gloucester in the south. Alongside this long-established business is sister company TFN Landscapes, which provides soft landscaping, turfing and tree planting services for all the main national housebuilding organisations in the area.

“We are really pleased with our decision to switch to

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NEWS Isuzu,” said Tom. “The latest Isuzu Euro VI Grafter Green is indeed an excellent working truck. Its new 6-speed gearbox is significantly better than its predecessor, whilst most importantly it does not require Ad Blue, which is a major plus factor giving us reduced maintenance costs. The heavy duty chassis ensures that the towing capacity and payload is excellent for such a versatile 3.5 tonne truck.” www.isuzutruck.co.uk

Less disruption on greens Set within Scotland’s Golf Coast, the 18-hole links course at Dunbar Golf Club demands accuracy and judgement as play follows natural contours and a rocky shoreline. Currently in the middle of a sward-conversion programme, Course Manager Paul Armour recently took delivery of a BLEC Multiseeder, allowing him to increase the frequency of overseeding whilst leaving minimal disruption on the greens.

“At present the greens are a mix of fescue/bent and poa, and our aim is to increase the fescue population,” explains Paul, who has been at the club for just over two years. “We were previously using a disc seeder, which left lines in the

greens meaning we were restricted to only overseeding between competitions.”

On the back of recommendations from his colleagues, Paul had a demonstration of a BLEC Multiseeder with Ian Lauder of Charterhouse Turf Machinery and local dealers Henderson Grass Machinery: “The main idea of moving over to Multiseeder was that it’s a dimple seeder which leaves much less disruption on the greens, keeping the golfers and visitors happy. This means we can get out with it more frequently throughout the season.”

Though restricted by the unusually dry weather throughout the summer, Paul and his team of eight have already covered all 18 greens since they took delivery of the Multiseeder in April, with imminent plans to cover eight again when the weather allows, and all 18 once again at the back end of the year.

“With this machine we get fantastic accuracy with the quantity of seed distribution, so by simply adjusting the rate I know exactly what I’m going to get. The spiked rollers follow the contours, and with the precision of seed delivery, we’re achieving good levels of germination. The installation and training delivered by Henderson’s was fantastic and we know they’re at the end of the phone if we need them – but so far we’ve had no need to call.”

Less reliance on chemicals A ‘historic and inspirational cathedral setting’ provides the backdrop for studies to the pupils at The King’s School, Gloucester.

Head Groundsman Richard Bowman is in charge of maintaining the three hectares of gardens and sports grounds across multiple sites. When he re-joined the school for his second stint in 2011 (having originally started as an apprentice in 1999), Richard made the switch to seed from DLFs’ Johnsons Sports Seed and Masterline ranges.

“Sport is an important part of life for pupils at King’s and we’re fortunate to have two and a half hectares of sports fields and facilities across the school’s sites,” explains Richard who is supported by a team of five. “I’ve worked on our seed programme with Ian Barnett, now of DLF, for a number of years and have valued his input and advice. He suggested we try Johnsons J Premier Wicket for our cricket ground, with which we achieved great success. This opened our eyes to what other mixtures were out there.”

Ian recommended they trial PM79 from Masterline on one of the schools three cricket outfields.

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Stock available for immediate dispatch from our UK warehouses for all applications including landscaping, sport, commercial and play.

Trade prices starting at ÂŁ7.50 plus VAT with further discounts available for volume orders.

More than 10 different landscape products available in full rolls and cut lengths.

Dedicated trade account managers and technical expertise from our installation managers.

All ancillary products and 18mm, 25mm and 35mm shock pad also available.

NEWS

The King’s School, Gloucester

“We gave it a try following the launch of DLF’s 4Turf Tetraploid Perennial Ryegrass, and specifically the PM79 mix because of the darker sward colour it delivers meaning less reliance on chemical inputs. It’s also known for its hard-wearing qualities which is important for our outfields, which also play host to rugby.” Pleased with the results of the trial, Masterline’s PM79 is now used across all of the cricket outfields, with wicket mixture PM36 employed on the junior and second squares.

“Our junior and second team facilites are in use five or

six days a week, for training and matches at weekends, and then convert to rubgy on a similar play schedule. Because of the high-use on these surfaces, they require more frequent overseeding to keep these looking and playing well so budget-wise, the Masterline seed becomes a better option here. Meanwhile J Premier Wicket is delivering the topquality surfaces we require on the first team square.”

Final word from Richard: “A lot of our decisions come down to a combination of budget and performance – if something works then we’ll stick with it, and this is one of those cases.”

Urban biodiversity

FOR HIRE Call us today for more information Telephone: 0118 940 1740 Email: info@dbm-hire.co.uk Web: www.dbm-hire.co.uk

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A focus on urban biodiversity is at the forefront of an ecologically friendly landscaping project recently completed at Brunel House in Bristol.

Formally offices and now a new Unite Students property, Brunel House will house 246 students who will enjoy a landscape that offers an urban habitat for insects, bats, swifts and other wildlife.

Key to the central landscaping design of this new development is the incorporation of a wildflower meadow, supplied by Wildflower Turf Ltd at the request of construction specialists the RG Group.

Following the RG Group’s winning submission at the 2017 CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, award sponsors Wildflower Turf Ltd was contacted by Sustainability Consultant Colorado Goldwyn with a view of utilising the RG Group’s prize to enhance the Brunel House project.

As well as donating 200m² of Wildflower Turf Landscape Turf, the Hampshire-based wildflower experts also assisted the project with specialist consultancy, recommended and supplied additional turf to meet the project’s requirements, and provided Accredited Partner training to the project team.

EDUCATE EXHIBIT EVOLVE BTME 2019 | 22‑24 January 2019 Harrogate Convention Centre | btme.org.uk

With 5,000 visitors from across the UK and Europe, BTME provides the best turf industry link between the manufacturer, distributor and end user.

BTME visitors are educated, ambitious and eager to discover more, making BTME the place to be for exclusive product launches and the latest innovations.

NEWS

Colorado Goldwyn of EQ Consultancy said: “The combination of Wildflower Turf Landscape Turf and Species Rich Lawn Turf has pulled the landscaping scheme together beautifully and allowed for a flow of biodiversity throughout the differing levels of the landscape design.”

The wildflower-led landscaping initiative has focused on assisting rare invertebrates such as the rare Carrot Mining Bee and Small Blue Butterfly. Additionally, and in collaboration with the RSPB, a number of other recommended ecological initiatives were also defined and adopted as part of the landscaping design.

As well as providing an aesthetically pleasing landscape for the incoming student population, local

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wildlife habitats have been protected, with the project on track to receive an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.

James Hewetson-Brown, Managing Director at Wildflower Turf Ltd said: “The ecological prosperity that a wildflower meadow can bring cannot be understated, and urban biodiversity projects such as this stretch widely to encompass both social and health benefits.”

Hewetson-Brown continued: “It is anticipated that the local student population will benefit, not only from the beautifully landscaped areas that will promote wellbeing and social interaction, but by gaining a sense of responsibility as they become interested in, and involved with, the protection of local wildlife.” www.wildflowerturf.co.uk

LIGHTING

Take Care of Glare Many Garden Designers and Landscapers now source outdoor lights for their projects, and so have the responsibility to ensure fittings have the desired illuminated effect for the client Enterprise Glare Free Spreadlights

‘Glare’ should be avoided wherever possible. This is a common, undesirable consequence of using lights that are simply too bright, not positioned correctly or do not direct light. Several factors reduce the problem of glare, which should be considered at product buying stage.

Here are some helpful hints for Anti-Glare Lighting: • Purchase fittings that accommodate a replaceable LED light source. This way, if illumination is too bright, try a bulb with a lesser lumen output. If the LED bulb ever fails, save a major re-install by simply changing the lamp rather than the whole fitting.

• Try removable accessories such as frosted glass lenses or honeycomb louvred filters. Frosted lenses with a spotlight, soften the beam effectively producing more of a ‘wash’ effect. Using a honeycomb filter will modify and diffuse a straight ‘spot’ beam.

• Use adjustable fittings for choice and direction. By installation stage, position of lights has been decided, but it’s best to use fittings that adjust to shine at various angles such as Spikelights for added versatility and to avoid glare.

• Choose well-built uplights with integral ‘covers’ or glare shields. These are particularly effective at focusing light towards one feature such as a statue. Larger professional path lights and bollards should have louvres or slats in the head to direct light downwards. Some also have frosted diffusers.

• Use Spreadlights - specialist low level pagoda shaped lights mounted on a pole. They provide a glare-free pool of light to illuminate a path, deck, terrace or low planting. The light

Litecast Wall Washer

source is hidden under the ‘shade’ which distinguishes it from other Path lights and prevents light pollution.

• ‘Wash’ Walls in light with floodlights for an even coverage and to define a space softly or create a backdrop. Coloured floodlights can make for some beautiful effects in a walled garden or patio area.

Lumena Lights stock a wide range of Anti-Glare lights and accessories. These include removable frosted lenses and professional Spreadlights such as the Charleston designs and the larger ‘Enterprise’. Many products are ‘Plug and Play’ such as the Litecast Wall Washer Kit, so incorporating anti glare lighting into your plans couldn’t be easier. www.lumenalights.com, 01327 871161 Find Lumena on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

In Built Brass Louvres on Teak Path Light

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LANDSCAPE 2018

Industry professionals gather at Battersea Park for Landscape 2018 Battersea Park once again opens its gates for the annual Landscape Show this September. More than 200 new and returning exhibitors will descend on the Evolution Centre at this riverside location on the 18th and 19th September to display everything from their bestselling products to their latest releases, innovations and technologies.

As always Landscape promises to deliver a range of products from stone, paving and aggregates to CAD services and software, tools, machinery and vehicles.

The show has become the go to event for professional designers looking to source new product ranges.

This year, Landscape is bringing back its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Accredited Seminar Programmes, introducing some of landscaping’s most

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prominent names. The sessions, designed to touch on pivotal topics from a variety of sectors of industry, will allow attendees to earn up to 11 CPD points. There is something for everyone looking to learn!

These CPD sessions include talks by Landscape Institute’s Adam White discussing ‘The Future State of Landscape – People, Place, Nature’; CGD Landscape Design Company’s Sally Court who’ll be discussing ‘Tales of the Unexpected: Glitches Working Overseas’ whilst Material Council’s Ian Hunter will be discussing ‘Innovative Materials for Landscape Projects’.

Other exciting events include the return of the enlightening ‘PechaKucha’ session featuring many acclaimed Landscape Architects such as Carolyn Willitts from CW Studio, Ceylan Ombregt and Charlotte Wilberforce

LANDSCAPE 2018

from Martha Schwartz Partners, Robert Myers from Robert Myers Associates and Andrew Wilson from Wilson McWilliam Studio.

Finally Landscape will be launching its Meet the Designer sessions this year, drawing together the industry’s

legendary garden designers to share their insight and experience with visitors of the show. Featuring in these sessions are Luciano Giubbilei from Luciano Giubbilei Garden Design, and Aralia’s Patricia Fox and Julie Toll from Julie Toll Landscape & Garden Design.

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LANDSCAPE 2018 Both the exhibition and all seminar sessions are free to attend. Simply register in advance & to keep updated on seminar programmes visit landscapeshow.co.uk A taste of some of Landscape 2018 highlights in more detail: PechKucah 20 x 20 For the second year running Landscape will be hosting a PechaKucha 20 x 20. Drawing from the Japanese tern of “chit-chat”, it will be a lively and simple presentation, where landscape architects will showcase 20 images for 20 seconds to enlighten and inspire the audience.

Time: 5.15 pm : Central Bar Area Ready Steady Draw This year Landscape introduces the Ready Steady Draw competition. In conjunction with the Society of Garden Designers (SGD), the competition will allow visitors to showcase their drawing talent. Winners will receive a ticket to the coveted SGD Autumn Conference 2018.

Time: Time slots available on both Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th. Winners announced at end of each session.

Best in Show: Landscape gives exhibitors the chance to highlight and

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showcase a particular product from their innovative ranges.

Visitors will be able to vote for their preferred shortlisted finalist and the Best in Show 2018 winner will be announced on Wednesday 19th September. The shortlist will be displayed at the Show across both days.

Meet the Designer Ever wondered how the biggest names in garden design got to where they are now? Come meet them at the show! These 15-20 minute presentations, will take place on Wednesday 19th September at the Central Bar as follows: 11.15 - 11.30 am - Patricia Fox of Aralia, known for her creative, innovative and award-winning gardens. Also a wellknown writer and commenter, Patricia is ready to spill the beans on her experiences.

12.30 - 12.45 pm - Julie Toll of Julie Toll Landscape & Garden Design, who has been designing since 1982. With the natural world playing a huge part of her design philosophy, Julie is ready to share her passion for gardens and horticulture.

1.45 – 2 pm Luciano Giubbilei of Luciano Giubbilei Garden Design, is the name behind some of the most beautiful gardens. World-renowned he is ready and willing to answer any questions put to him.

LANDSCAPE 2018

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LANDSCAPE 2018

Key Details: When: 18 September 10am-6pm 19th September 10am-5pm Where: Battersea Park, London Website: landscapeshow.co.uk Email: info@landscapeshow.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)20 7821 8221 Twitter: @LandscapeEvent @Landscape.show 36

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MOWERS

Versatile and compact The Club Company, which owns and operates 13 country clubs across the UK, has taken delivery of two Ventrac 4500 compact tractors with Contour mowing deck and blowers attachments.

Chris Brook is the Group Courses Manager, with responsibility for all greenkeeping activities across the company. He is also the Course Manager at the company’s flagship property, Castle Royle Golf and Country Club near Reading. He said: “I’ve known Rupert Price, the owner of UK distributor Price Turfcare, for many years from his time at Ransomes Jacobsen. I will admit I was quite sceptical when he arrived with the machine for a demonstration at Castle Royle. I invited a small group of my course managers and was amazed and surprised at the machine’s capabilities.

Considering it is under 25 hp, it is remarkably powerful and can go anywhere. It really is the industry’s best kept secret.

“The climbing ability is excellent, far superior to any other machine in its class and it’s brilliant in wet conditions. It’s versatile with numerous attachments and I quickly realised that it could do a job for us within the group, especially at Nizels Golf and Country Club in Kent, which sits on an underlying clay soil and can be quite wet in winter. Also at Meyrick Park where the soil is a stony brash and its light footprint helps protect the finer grass species. I put the business case to my CEO, it was quickly approved and the two machines were delivered in November 2017. Future purchases will include the ToughCut deck, Trencher and Stump Grinder.”

Paul Shepherd is the Course Manager at Nizels Golf and Country Club and has been with The Club Company for 10 years; the past four years as Course Manager at clubs across the group. He was previously Estate Manager for David Gold,

one of the co-owners of West Ham FC and also worked at Wisley Golf Club. At Nizels he is responsible for a team of six greenkeepers and a gardener.

“This is a phenomenally good machine,” he said. “Because of its versatility we can use it for various operations around the course. We use it on tee banks and for stripping the carry areas from tee box to the beginning of the fairway. The Contour deck is also used on the bunkers and we can move the jockey wheels to give us a greater overlap around the edges. The height of cut can be adjusted for use on both the rough and semi-rough and it’s great in wet conditions. I’ve driven it through waterlogged areas with no marking and on slopes the stability is reassuringly excellent.

“The Power Blower attachment is very good; unlike a lot of blowers that change the direction of the vortex through a vertical axis, in an up and over action, this works in a 180 degree horizontal axis, which enables more control over the direction of the material being dispersed. Great when blowing leaves from greens and, being front mounted, visibility is second to none.”

DANequip uk Ltd Tel: 01420 474600

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www.danequip.co.uk

Narrow Access Pedestrian Stump Grinders.

Celebrating 25 Years

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s at See u 018 x2 Salte

d Stan H075

The INFINICUT® line of precision mowers was designed to be user-adjustable to match the conditions of any given day. From the dynamic return floating head mechanism to the variable clip speed, height of cut adjustment, moveable bedknife and swappable dual power source, the INFINICUT® provides more functionality than any other pitch mower. Combine that with today’s highly technical approach to pitch construction and unpredictable microclimates, the INFINICUT® ensures a healthy turf while providing an unrivaled quality of cut.

www.cubcadetturf.com @InfiniCut

MOWERS

Major upgrades

steel from corrosion in most atmospheric conditions for 25 to 30 years.

Major has also introduced a three-year professional warranty for all models in its Swift Roller Mower range, and the roller mowers’ custom-designed gearbox has been upgraded for improved and consistent mowing, even in the toughest conditions. High-speed blade tips on the Major roller mowers offer higher output with a professional cylinder mower finish every cut. www.major-equipment.com

Major Equipment has announced a series of upgrades to the tractor-mounted Swift Roller Mowers. These mowers are available in working widths from 1.9m to 5.4m.

Built light to allow for use on smaller compact tractors, there is no compromise on strength with the use of Strenx™ 700 MC high-yield steel, which is stronger than steel traditionally used in machinery.

Fantastic fairways Lawrence Ryan, course manager at Overstone Park Resort, believes the SISIS tractor-mounted Flexibrush delivers fantastic results on the fairways at the Northampton-based golf course.

The course is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the premier golfing venues in Northamptonshire, which is testament to the work of Lawrence and his five members of staff who ensure that the course is kept at a consistent quality all year-round.

The mower bodies are galvanised using zinc hot-dip galvanisation for added protection from harsh exterior conditions. Hot-dip coating of the metal doubles the life span compared with painting and, Major says, will protect

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09/05/2018 10:22

MOWERS

Making the cut

With a vast selection of turf care equipment in his armoury, Lawrence is particularly impressed with his SISIS Flexibrush – a tractor-mounted brush ideal for both synthetic and natural turf surfaces. Featuring a 5.35 metre working width, its brush sections ‘float’ to follow ground contours providing maximum efficiency on large areas.

“It’s a great piece of kit which is extremely versatile,” Lawrence said. “Primarily, we use it prior to cutting, which ensures a quality cut every time. In the mornings, we will go out with the Flexibrush to remove the dew from the fairways.

Also, because we block cut them, we will use it to stand the grasses up before cutting. We simply run the brush in an opposite direction to the way we block cut which results in a nice and even cut.

“The Flexibrush provides us with fantastic striping, which the members really like and appreciate. We can follow up with it behind the fairway mower, enhancing the presentation. This summer, due to the dry weather we’ve experienced, we’ve reduced the amount of cutting and used the Flexibrush for striping instead. It means we can skip cuts which saves a significant amount of time for the team as it’s quicker than mowing and gives us the presentation that is expected by the members.”

The SISIS Flexibrush, which is also commonly used for effectively dispersing top dressings, has hydraulically folding outer sections for storage and movement between areas and Lawrence claims that this feature provides him with even more versatility: “You’ve got the hydraulic arms on it as well which means you don’t have to have all three of them down at the same time. Therefore, if you want to work on smaller areas with it then you can. It’s very versatile, offers extremely low maintenance and it fits onto our tractor incredibly well. The Flexibrush is also a time saver when you need a quick turnaround. You can whizz round the fairways with it within a couple of hours, whereas you could spend all day cutting and striping them beforehand.” www.sisis.com

Home to both Rugby Union and Rugby League, the Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds is in the midst of a £41m redevelopment and the Cub Cadet INFINICUT purchase is a ‘first’ for a rugby club in the UK. Head Groundsman Ryan Golding said: “Myself, and my team of three, have our work cut out with a busy schedule of play as we’re home to both Leeds Rhinos rugby league, and Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union clubs. We also host academy games, externals events, training and more.”

While the facility is happy to invest where it’s considered to be required, when it comes to new machinery, Ryan must justify a solid business case.

“Our previous mowers were starting to cause us a lot of problems, so we looked at some alternatives. I’ve demonstrated the INFINICUT previously and had been impressed with it, and after a few conversations with Vinny Tarbox of MTD, it was evident the mowers could make a big difference to the quality of our playing surface. The fact the INFINICUT’s can be powered electrically went a long way in making a viable case. The reduced noise and emissions meant that despite our inner-city location, we have been able to mow earlier in the mornings and therefore cope better with the recent hot conditions.”

The mowers are in use three to four times a week, including in the build-up to games. Ryan says: “It’s the simplest of things, but the Cub Cadets have quick-release, demountable wheels that are a godsend when transporting the mowers 300yards from our stores to the pitch. Now, even navigating through a building site, has not been a problem.

“Presentation and quality of cut have improved, with the back-up from Vinny and Jonty great, too. The lads have liked the mowers ever since they tried them on demo, so together we’re all delighted with our decision.”

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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MOWERS

Racing green Daytona International Speedway, the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR, is using a Spider ILD02 remote-controlled slope mower on the steep sided banks of the worldrenowned motor racing circuit in Florida.

The Spider mower, built by the Dvorak company in the Czech Republic and distributed by Orlando-based Slope Care LLC, is just one of the tools the Speedway has employed over the years to keep the grass in place and growing on the steep surface outside the turns at Daytona. The high banks are one of the bigger challenges for the grounds maintenance team that spends all year keeping the Speedway turf groomed and green. Other issues include drought, pestilence and water restrictions that govern how much water they can use to keep the grass looking good.

Jason Griffith, Head of Facility Grounds team said: “The Spider ILD02 has an integrated winch, which allows it to be operated on banks up to 60 degrees and ground anchor. One of my team, Emory Renfroe,

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manufactured a special frame attachment for a tractor, which acts as a mobile ground anchor, allowing the machine to track across the slopes with the operator manoeuvring it with his remote-control unit.

“With four mulching blades, the mower definitely makes the task easier on the high banks and the grass is a lot healthier than before. To keep the grass looking fresh we mow the grass in three different directions; a new one every third time it is mowed, never the same direction twice. It makes it look better and kind of puts things in perspective. It takes four days for us to mow the entire surface.”

Andrew Gurtis, Senior Vice President of Operations is equally impressed: “The old Spider mower has performed admirably in the past 8 years, but we’ve worked it hard and it has over 3,200 hours on the clock. It certainly needed replacing.”

Stephen Tews is the Sales Manager at Slope Care in Orlando and was part of the team responsible for the negotiations that has resulted in a new Spider ILD 02 being delivered recently: “We recognise what an iconic brand Daytona is, not only to NASCAR, but also to world motor racing in general, and we felt it would be a great marketing tool if we could establish an association with the Speedway. We entered into negotiations with the Daytona management team, which resulted in us having 14 minutes of exposure on the digital screens around the stadium at the recent Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend in July. We featured our Mow-na Lisa video, which shows a Spider mower cutting a giant portrait of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting onto a hillside in the Czech Republic. The entire weekend was a great success.”

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RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) awarded 154 prestigious medals to the gardens, floristry and floral and plant exhibitors at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, sponsored by Viking Cruises. Words and images David Curtis

In addition to 64 Gold Medals, 38 Silver-Gilt Medals, 42 Silver Medals and nine Bronze Medals were also awarded across the world’s largest annual Flower Show.

Two coveted titles were presented to the eye-catching ‘B&Q Bursting Busy Lizzie Garden’, with surrey based designer Matthew Childs earning Best Show Garden and contractors Tecwyn Evans scooping the award for Best Construction. Created using a range of affordable B&Q products, the garden demonstrates an inspirational and

achievable space to entertain, with powerful injections of colour provided by the new breed of Busy Lizzies at its heart.

Other gardens among the Gold Medal winners included ‘The Landform Garden Bar’ by Rhiannon Williams, ‘The South West Water Green Garden’ by Tom Simpson and the ‘Breckland Beauty Garden’ by Jody Lingard, Nick Fryer and Tim Lingard. Also awarded Gold was the ‘Best of Both Worlds Garden’, designed by Rosemary Coldstream and built alongside students and apprentices.

Best of Both Worlds, designed by Rosemary Coldstream

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RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

The Viking Cruises Nordic Lifestyle Garden, designed by Contour Garden Design

Breckland Beauty, designed by Fryer & Lidgard

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

B&Q Bursting Busy Lizzie Garden, designed by Matthew Childs Design

Anton Chekhov’s garden, designed by Anna Benn and Hannah Gardner

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RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

The Children with Cancer UK Mr Happy Mr Worry Hill, designed by Reed Studio

The Family Garden, designed by Lilly Gomm

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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ARBORIST

Performance wins After learning about the numerous benefits of the Först ST6P, The Tree Feller Ltd has invested in its first Först woodchipper for its growing fleet.

The tree surgery business has been established in the North London and Hertfordshire area for almost a decade.

Charles Fowler, managing director of The Tree Feller Ltd, said: “One of the main factors behind the decision to purchase a Först machine was because the team and I were so impressed by the throw of the chippings, which is considerably superior in comparison to any other machines we have used in the past. We’ve always been faced with the problems of clogging and having to shovel wet conifer towards the back of the van, but the Först ST6P comes with an open top flywheel system with large gusseted fraught fins at the rear, combatting the cause of blockages and firing it to the back of the van, subsequently allowing the team more time to focus on the job at hand.

“As well, the level of control we’re able to have over the roller speed and also the size of the woodchip is seriously impressive, considering the compact size of the machine.

The one touch operating buttons are also much more user friendly as they’re located on both sides of the hopper.

The fact that you can lock the hopper down makes it more secure too – it really is a great piece of machinery that offers everything you could ask for from a robust woodchipper. In addition, the machine is powered by petrol, meaning lower emissions and cleaner burning, which is a nice added benefit.”

Charles concluded: “When we initially purchased the ST6P, we only used it on basic tree reduction and garden clearances, but after being so impressed with the performance of the machine, we now use it for the bigger jobs as this machine handles anything we throw at it.”

Root of the issue

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With growing concerns around the rise of climate change and its effects on everyday life, the demand for future planning is paramount. Recent protests in Sheffield displayed the public’s concern for urban horticulture.

Between January and May 2018, UKDN had 175 jobs involving tree root issues. This averaged more than one per day.

‘Drain maintenance: getting to the root of the issue’ explores the prevention of issues in existing structures and when planning to build.

“With the onset of climate change, better understanding of the risks trees pose for buried water utility assets is vital to asset maintenance,” says UKDN Waterflow (LG) Ltd Director Richard Leigh.

The paper highlights surprising findings from Swedish

ARBORIST & UK researchers and the Arbroricultural Adivsory and Information Service (AAIS). Common perceptions suggest tree roots directly cause damage to pipes. Yet research discovered that in the majority of cases, roots take advantage of only previously damaged or vulnerable pipes.

Tree roots can exert a pressure of up to 20 bar per sq. cm, far greater than the 6 bar per sq cm that most rubber seals can resist. While it might take up to 20 years for root ingress to occur, they can eventually break into a pipe by displacing a seal. Meanwhile, if a water pipe is leaking into the ground, tree roots can grow around it to absorb the moisture. This can cause soil drying and subsequent pipe movement, exacerbating cracks and gaps in joints. Additional nutrients and water in pipes encourage rapid growth to the point where the roots can fill the pipe.

UKDN suggests the best way to guard against tree root ingress is to put in place a rigorous planned and preventative drainage maintenance system. Key elements include: • Reviewing tree planting plans and avoiding species that have particularly vigorous root systems.

• Carrying out regular CCTV drainage surveys to check for Profihopper Landscaper 108x150.qxp:148x210 defects and signs of root ingress.

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•R emoving tree roots with the most appropriate, cost-effective no-dig method. This may involve high pressure water jetting, electro-mechanical cutting, or robotic cutting.

• I nstalling glass reinforced plastic liners to create a strong barrier for pipes most at risk. www.lanesfordrains.co.uk

10/3/17

15:52

Page 1

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The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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ARBORIST

Trees and development award

Treework Environmental Practice, along with the developer Lendlease and the London Borough of Southwark, recently won the Trees & Development Award at the London Tree and Woodlands Awards for its work on successfully integrating trees into the landmark project.

The awards, made in partnership with the London Mayor’s Office, recognise excellence in the field of trees and woodlands in London.

Treework Environmental Practice has consultants and technical advisors on the £3bn regeneration project in Elephant & Castle, which aims to change the landscape of an iconic part of Central London, providing around 3,000 homes, 50 new shops, and a two-acre park, the largest new green space in central London for 70 years. It is being led by multinational construction and infrastructure company Lendlease and is expected to be completed by 2025.

The award for Treework Environmental Practice marked the company’s contribution to the first phase of the project Trafalgar Place, which was completed in 2015 and aimed to create quality homes within an open and mature landscape defined by its trees.

The collaboration led to an extensive and ambitious tree strategy which retained more than 140 mature

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trees across the whole scheme and was followed by the planting of over 1300 trees across the whole development and in the surrounding area.

The company’s managing director, Luke Fay, said: “Part of the challenge was to identify where tree roots were located to ensure mature trees could be retained close to and in harmony with large buildings.”

Ten trees were removed from the Trafalgar Place site and the timber from these was used for public art that is now located in the development, and also to facilitate public carving workshops.

A further 80 trees were planted on-site to deliver the quality of landscape that was envisaged and a further 30 in nearby streets and parks to replace the Capital Asset Value of the trees that were removed over time.

Since completion in 2015, a tree management strategy has been followed, including annual inspections by an arboricultural consultant, and both planted and retained trees are thriving.

Luke Fay said: “The urban vision for the Elephant Park project is literally living and growing. We’re absolutely delighted to have won this award, because it shows that by working in partnership with the construction industry it is possible to deliver bold new development in a sustainable and sensitive way.”

Anna Charles Head Ranger, Forest of Marston Vale.

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HORTICULTURE

Calm in Chaos Max Harriman, junior designer at landscape company Bowles & Wyer, is one of five new designers who exhibited at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show as part of the Young Designer Competition, with a garden designed to help city dwellers escape the stresses of urban life.

Titled ‘Calm in Chaos’, the garden uses design elements to encourage visitors to slow down and spend more time looking, touching and interacting with the natural environment, in order to reap the restorative benefits of being in a garden.

Max Harriman said: “I’m thrilled to have been selected as a finalist in the Young Designer Competition. Modern life, particularly in urban environments, is increasingly deprived of green space. The connection between horticulture, or being in a green space, and improvements to mental wellbeing has long been documented in scientific literature.

Gardening reconnects us to nature, keeps us active and takes us outside.”

Following the show, the garden will be relocated to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge where it will be given a permanent home as the ‘NHS 70 Garden’ celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS and offering a calm and restorative space away from the main hospital for patients and their families. The garden will be the fifth garden designed by Bowles & Wyer for the Cambridge University Hospitals.

John Wyer CEO at Bowles & Wyer said: “Max is a hugely talented member of the team at Bowles & Wyer, whose ability and ambition has been evident from the start. Nuturing talent within the industry is central to what we do at Bowles and Wyer and we’re thrilled that one of our young designers was chosen as a finalist in such a prestigious competition. Having the opportunity

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to relocate the garden to a permanent location at Addenbrookes Hospital is also a wonderful opportunity for him. I wish him the best of luck and look forward to watching his progress as his career develops.”

Multi-million pound redevelopment Notcutts has secured planning consent for a major redevelopment and upgrade of its Woodbridge garden centre. It will include: •A new restaurant with 260 indoor and outdoor covers, increasing from 100, plus a new purpose-built kitchen and counterflow system.

•A near-doubling of internal retail space and the introduction of a new twin bay planteria canopy.

•N ew customer toilets.

• E nhanced landscaping throughout the garden centre and a new entrance directly into the canopy.

•A dditional car parking.

•N ew storage and goods-in facilities.

• T he addition of a new concessions village with capacity for several commercial partners.

• F ull rebranding with the new Notcutts brand identity.

Nick Burrows, CEO said: “We are delighted to have received consent for this major redevelopment of our Woodbridge garden centre. This is where it all began for Notcutts. Not only was the Woodbridge garden centre a first for Notcutts when it opened in 1958, it was also a significant and pioneering move for garden centres in the UK. It started a trend and model subsequently followed by many others.”

Caroline Notcutt recently opened a year-round show

HORTICULTURE garden at the Woodbridge garden centre in the company of many local community figures. “Our show gardens are now becoming a feature in all our garden centres,” commented Caroline Notcutt. “They are all part of our strategy to give our customers an ever wider visitor experience – another reason to stay longer and visit more often. The show garden is just the beginning and with our exciting new development plans for our Woodbridge garden centre we intend to become the prominent gardening, hospitality and leisure destination in the east of England. A true cornerstone of our community bringing both pride and a boost to the local economy.”

Taupe is the new black

alternative to the traditional black pot that could be widely recycled through kerbside schemes and be easily recognisable by the gardening public.

David Chilvers from The Bransford Webbs Plant Company, who chaired the meeting comments: “Following discussions at the HTA National Plant Show, it was evident that many growers and retailers were all talking about plastic pots and this meeting was the obvious next step to keep the momentum going and work towards a solution.

“Black plastic plant pots have a bad press because as it stands they can’t be picked up by near infrared (NIR) recycling schemes and most local authorities encourage consumers not to include them in their kerbside recycling bins. As an industry we are in a strong position to change this by adopting an alternative coloured pot with environmental credentials that can be recycled.”

Following presentations from leading manufacturers about development work to find alternatives to the black plastic pot, the group discussed the options available for the industry. The consensus was to move away from black to taupe and use a carbon black pigment-free polypropylene, made of household waste where possible, that can be identified by NIR and recycled through kerbside schemes.

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Key UK growers and representatives from the HTA recently discussed the future of plastic pots within the garden industry. Allensmore Nurseries, Darby Nursery Stock, Double H Nurseries, Farplants, Hill’s Plants, Johnsons of Whixley, Lovania Nurseries, New Leaf Plants, The Bransford Webbs Plant Company and Wyevale Nurseries were keen to find a sustainable

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www.artificiallawnwarehouse.co.uk The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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HORTICULTURE Taupe was the preferred colour option, being a neutral tone that is also on trend and sufficiently different from black, although the most important factor in the choice of colour was that it would be easily recognisable by consumers as suitable for kerbside recycling.

Martin Simmons, HTA Director of Operations comments: “We need to work towards a common replacement colour for the industry that growers can adopt and roll out. Couple this with the addition of a recognisable recycling symbol or logo to add to the specified pot type and we can work towards a system which consumers understand and act on. This issue has great momentum and the growers attending are keen to spread the word and get the wider industry involved. The industry has a real opportunity to lead on this issue.”

Growers are looking to phase in the new pots as soon as practically possible. www.hta.org.uk

Most beautiful ground The Wormsley cricket pitch in Buckinghamshire is often referred to as ‘the most beautiful ground in Britain’.

When Mick Jagger introduced Sir Paul Getty to cricket, the latter formed such an affection for the sport he had a replica of The Oval built on the grounds of his estate.

The pitch was completed in 1992 and the first match played was attended by Her Majesty The Queen Mother, the then-Prime Minister John Major, Sir Michael Caine and cricket legends Denis Compton and Brian Johnston.

Wormsley has played host to England Women’s test matches against Australia and India.

Cricket Manager and former head groundsman for the Wormsley estate, Simon Tremlin heads the team responsible for maintaining the ground. He’s selective about the machinery he uses and a requirement for a scarifier and seeder led him to official GKB dealers RT Machinery near Aylesbury.

“We do a lot of contracting work as well as looking after Wormsley,” says Simon “It’s important to know the machines we use are sturdy enough to meet our needs. Last year we did 42 cricket squares as well as rugby and football pitches.”

RT Machinery arranged with GKB Machines’ Tom Shinkins for demonstrations of GKB’s VStrong and Combiseeder at Wormsley.

“We wanted a scarifier that collects as well and the

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VStrong showed us it’s ideal for that, leaving a tidy finish and saving time, especially in damp conditions,” Simon adds.

The VStrong follows in the tradition of GKB’s Combinator and employs generically developed 3mm carbide scarifying blades attached to the rotor using their Quick-Lock system.

An operating depth of 5cm is easily attained without missing any areas. The operating speed of up to 12km/h is a benefit for the professional contractor, with fast removal of thatch and weed with the ability to collect at the same time.

The GKB Combiseeder can be used for overseeding and initial seeding and features two spiked rollers that open up the soil for the seed to then be spread accurately across the full width, in and around the holes. Creating over 1500 holes per m² the Combiseeder provides accurate seed application at various rates to suit different seed mixes, with drag brushes to incorporate seed and topdressing for minimal surface disruption.

“We’ve gone with the GKB machines for the way they perform and they are robust enough to withstand the punishment of contracting work,” says Simon. www.gkbmachines.com

HARDSCAPER

New turf for children The Early Years Foundation Stage outside environment at Bedale Church of England Primary School in North Yorkshire has been given a luxurious finish with some help from Green-tech.

The children’s outside playground and learning zone was already well equipped, but the school wanted to make it even more comfortable for them with the addition of soft artificial grass.

Assistant Headteacher and Early Years team leader Michelle Ball approached Green-tech who donated a roll of luxury artificial turf. This will provide a hard-wearing, maintenance-free soft surface, ideally suited for school play or heavy-use areas.

The Reception children wrote a beautiful letter to Greentech to express their gratitude for their new grass. Class teacher Mrs Ball said: “We operate a free-flow environment so the children are continually learning through play. The donation of this artificial grass has allowed us to make our outside ‘classroom’ area even more appealing and comfortable for the children.

“We are lucky to have a large outside space and some fabulous resources and have fit the grass in numerous places so that the children can enjoy a warmer, drier and cosier environment when they are doing their activities, which is especially important during the colder and wetter months.

It has been a huge hit with our pupils and they are really enjoying sitting and learning outside, so a big thanks to Green-tech for their kind donation.” www.green-tech.co.uk

Battle of Britain bunker Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has supported the development of a popular visitor attraction, helping to shape the new Battle of Britain exhibition and visitor centre in Hillingdon, Greater London.

The project, part of a £6 million investment in the borough’s heritage, saw a state-of-the-art building become a brand new interactive visitor centre that tells the story of a top secret plot to defeat the German airforce in the Battle of Britain.

To enhance the visitor experience, 500m2 of Andover Textured Paving in Silver Grey and Light Grey was specified for the hard landscaping around the perimeter of the exhibition, as well as special step units. This exceptionally durable yet stylish paving incorporates uniquely formulated Cornish aggregates to provide enhanced performance and aesthetics, perfect for high-volume pedestrian areas.

Martin Mullan, Territory Sales Manager at Charcon, said: “We are so pleased to have been able to offer our knowledge and product proficiency to a project of national, and even international, significance. Charcon is delighted to be supporting the London Borough of Hillingdon by providing a positive visitor experience that will ensure the heritage of the site lives on.” www.charcon.com

High-profile garden debut Composite Prime’s outdoor decking solutions made a high-profile garden debut in Hampton Court Palace, with the RHS Flower Show the perfect launch pad for Composite Prime’s HD Deck Dual.

It featured on the show stand of Northamptonshire summerhouse and garden buildings manufacturer, Scotts of Thrapston.

“We were very pleased with the installation, and that our exhibit seemed to reflect the mood of the show,” said

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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HARDSCAPER

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Composite Prime’s commercial director Rudy Micallef.

“People were upbeat; they were looking for innovation and quality, as well as designs that were pleasing on the eye.

Judging by the feedback we received from so many of the visitors who spent time studying our products we seem to have ticked all the right boxes.”

Securing visibility at the Royal Horticultural Society’s showpiece event was seen as a major coup for Composite Prime, and the company, based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, was equally keen to stress its environmental credentials at Hampton Court. Its entire product range combines Forest Stewardship Council FSC® 100% certified hardwood timber from well managed, sustainable sources, and recycled plastic: “This is a really important consideration for both commercial and residential customers and it is obviously a major theme for the RHS, which is why we are so proud to have been able to play a part in this important event.”

No more ‘fade to grey’ Surface care specialist, LTP has introduced a new outdoor sealer and restorer to its ECOPROTEC® range. Developed for dark natural stone and artificial stone surfaces, new Blackstone has an eco-friendly water-based, impregnating formulation that restores the appearance of faded limestone, marble, slate and concrete.

Like all LTP products, the new treatment is manufactured in the UK and is offered alongside expert advice from the ECOPROTEC® technical team.

HARDSCAPER

Ideal for external hard landscaping, ECOPROTEC® Blackstone is fast and safe to use and the permanent finish created provides protection against the elements.

It can be applied in multiple coats until the desired colour effect is achieved. On honed surfaces, it is applied with a cloth or sealant applicator and, on rough cut/textured surfaces, with a foam roller or paint brush.

Surfaces can be walked on four hours after the final application and can be returned to ‘heavy use’ after 24 hours.

New Blackstone is available in one litre and five litre units and is offered as part of LTP’s extensive range of ECOPROTEC® surface maintenance products. www.ecoprotec.co.uk

Eco paints New Glastonbury-based paint company Thorndown has developed two new unique paint ranges for the home and garden.

The non-toxic, water-based Peelable Glass Paint is made using a 100% recycled plastics resin, is virtually VOC free and perfect for greenhouse shading, and inside the home for conservatory shading or privacy screening on overlooked windows.

Thorndown’s new high-performing water-based Wood Paint has an advanced water-repellent resin plus exterior-grade colour pigments that are VOC free and long lasting. Developed for all types of exterior timber, it can be used anywhere and on anything out in the garden or inside the home. www.thorndown.co.uk

How long does a living wall last?

The answer is quite simple: A living wall will last as long as you want it to. Longevity is dependent on: • the maintenance schedule • the living wall system Ansglobal living walls at the Côte Brasserie in the Mailbox, Birmingham and at the Megaro Hotel are two of the company’s oldest walls, and they get better with age. When maintained by the specialist team to a dedicated schedule, a living wall will last forever.

Using an organic substrate soil system allows a plant to continue its natural life cycle. Ansglobal understands that nature’s way is the most resilient, meaning its living walls last longer. www.ansgroupglobal.com

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HARDSCAPER

The Pasture rejuvenated The Pasture (Fairways) Sports Complex’s astroturf surface is a hub for sport in the community of Sherburnin-Elmet, North Yorkshire. A true multi-functional pitch, the hours of play per week takes its toll on the surface condition. Synthetic specialists Replay Maintenance was called in to conduct its Rejuvenation process.

The daily running of the site is controlled by Parish Council Clerk Margaret Gibson: “The Pastures is a great asset and hosts a variety of sports including hockey, football and tennis. The upkeep of the pitch, together with the surrounding park, falls to a contractor, but this is really just on an ad-hoc basis and following months of poor weather, and high play usage the pitch was in need of a more thorough deep clean.”

The services of Replay were recommended by a local England Hockey representative, to which Replay is the sole official maintenance partner.

Replay’s unique Rejuvenation process uses constant airflow plenum technology and compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of sand, restore the pile to vertical and fill again with new clean infill. It can restore a surface to an ‘as new’ condition for appearance, drainage and performance and often double the playing life of a pitch for

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a fraction of the cost of a replacement carpet.

Following the successful Rejuvenation®, the Parish Council made the decision to appoint Replay on a service agreement basis, for a twice-a-year deep-clean.

Sales Director of Replay Maintenance Nick Harris reiterates the importance of planned maintenance: “Choosing regular, arranged maintenance gives you peace of mind that your surface is getting the treatment required, at a fixed amount and at intervals that suit the needs of each individual facility. With Replay, we also conduct preand post-maintenance testing to show the difference the maintenance regime is making, enabling you to plan future requirements far more effectively.”

HARDSCAPER

Screening Black Rhino enclosure Chester Zoo enjoys visits from more than 1.9 million people every year, many of whom will see the Black Rhino enclosure on their way into the zoo.

The zoo wanted to visually cover the enclosure from the public at the perimeter to minimise potential distress and distraction to the rhinos.

Green-tech supplied 50 gtGreen screens, installed around 60 metres of the Black Rhino enclosure to give some privacy while being pleasing to the eye. The gtGreen Screens create an instant, established ‘hedge’ in keeping with the existing surroundings.

Taking only days to install, the 1.2 long by 1.8m high Ivy gt green screens provide ‘green’ coverage, quick establishment and the versatility for inclusion in a number of different applications.

Each gtGreen Screen contains eight pots holding Hedera ivy plants, a particularly reliable climber known to be especially frost resistant. They are ideal as an outdoor

REMOTE CONTROL SLOPE MOWERS

privacy screen to hide unsightly areas, security fencing, balcony screens or to add interest to an outside space.

Biodiversity can be added to the gt Green Screens with the addition of climbers, to give more impact and colour, and attract wildlife.

Stuart Ball from Green-tech said: “We are delighted with how the gtGreen Screens look. They offer an ecologyfriendly solution and blend in so well with the surrounding environment. They screen the Black Rhinos from the road really effectively. gtGreen Screens are ideal for any project that requires a ‘natural’ barrier or fencing.” www.green-tech.co.uk

Leading by design

FOR THE TURF OR LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL

McMurtry Ltd, Park Farm, Stancombe, Dursley, Glos, GL11 6AT www.mcmurtryltd.co.uk www.mcmurtryltd.co.uk 01453 544135

The Landscaper | Issue 230 | September 2018

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