The Landscaper Magazine July 2019

THE

LANDSCAPER

JULY 2019 | ISSUE 238

AVAILABLE ON SUBSCRIPTION

SPOTLIGHT ON MOWERS n ENVIRONMENT FOCUS n SUSTAINABILITY n BIODIVERSITY

CHELSEA TRENDS Iseki SF224 | www.iseki.co.uk

THE UK’S NUMBER 1 LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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EDITORIAL

&views

News

maggie.walsh@sheengate.co.uk @landscaper_ed



facebook.com/TheLandscaperMagazine

Editor’s letter For many of us, one of the joys of working in landscaping is that - albeit come rain or shine - we are lucky enough to work in the great outdoors. Our offices are the rolling greens, the plant nurseries and landscapes on which we toil. With such a fabulous backdrop to our working lives, we can be forgiven for not realising how the landscaping industry might be impacting our fragile earth.

High street retailers and supermarkets are increasingly under pressure to address their practices to lessen the impact of their business on the environment. Recently the BBC documentary "War on Plastic", with Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall and Anitia Rani, highlighted the use plastic in our every day lives. And while supermarkets are one of the worst culprits for producing these single use plastics, their use within the landscaping industry can not go unnoticed.

Taking note is Greg Bedson, who this month does a little digging himself (page 16) to discover how making small changes to working practices within the landscaping

industry can also help to have a positive effect on the environment.

And sticking to a similar theme, James Patmore of Bradley Murphy Design reports on how landscape designers need to also rise to the challenge of bringing more biodiversity to their sites, especially following on the Government’s Spring Statement on Biodiversity. Read more on page 21.

Also in this issue we take a look at some of the trends that have come from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show. We also shine the spotlight on the best of mowers - whether needed for cutting a garden lawn to tackling rough terrain, our feature on page 26 will hopefully bring solutions.

maggie.walsh@sheengate.co.uk www.landscapermagazine.com

@landscaper_ed /TheLandscaperMagazine

TH E

LANDSCAPER

JULY 2019 | ISSUE 238

AVAILABLE ON SUBSCRIP

TION

Cover Story: New ISEKI out-front mower, economical 22.5hp engine and storage box. www.iseki.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON MOWERS

n ENVIRONMENT FOCU n SUSTAINABILITY n BIODIVERSITY

S

CHELSEA TRENDS

THE UK’S NUMBER 1 LANDSCAPIN INDUSTRY G MAGAZIN E

Iseki SF224 | www.i seki.co.uk

We welcome any news, points of view or feature ideas. Please email maggie.walsh@sheengate.co.uk

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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CONTENTS editor Maggie Walsh 07787 555 798 maggie.walsh@sheengate.co.uk contributor Greg Bedson sales manager Jason Studd 0208 939 5600 jason.studd@sheengate.co.uk group sales manager Stewart Turner 0208 939 5600 stewart@sheengate.co.uk design and production Lucas-studio.co.uk

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circulation and subscriptions Maggie Walsh maggie.walsh@sheengate.co.uk

July 2019

The Landscaper is owned and published

by Sheengate Publishing Ltd.

Latest News ............................................. 09

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

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

Environment and Sustainability ....... 16 Biodiversity............................................... 21

21

Mowers....................................................... 30

managing director Alex Whitney

Groundscare and Turf .......................... 32

publisher Con Crowley

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.

Mowers: Promotional Feature........... 26

Horticulture ............................................. 40 Chelsea Trends ....................................... 42 Arborist ..................................................... 46

40

Copyright Š 2019

Next Month in The Landscaper Focus on Woodchippers Hardscaping plus regular columns Horticulture, Groundscare & Turf, Arborists

42

Editorial and advert copy deadline: 18th July

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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NEWS

Timberwolf strengthens customer support network with two new dealers

PHOTO: Timberwolf

Timberwolf the UK’s leading manufacturer of professional wood chippers has strengthened its unrivalled customer support network with the addition of two new dealers.

Masons Kings will offer sales and support to customers in North Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, whilst Tallis Amos Group (TAG) will serve customers in Bristol, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

In addition, Timberwolf’s long-term dealer Ben Burgess GroundsCare Equipment with its head office in Norwich, will extend its East Anglia coverage to include Bedford and Milton Keynes from a brand new, purpose built depot in Ellington.

Combining engineering excellence with the industry’s strongest support network, the Suffolk-based company has the largest selection of wood chippers on the market, manufacturing products for those working in arboriculture.

This latest business growth takes the number of its dealers to 17, working from 38 depots, and with over 225 Timberwolf trained technicians. The expansion cements the firm’s unique position within the industry, offering customers far more than a machine with the extra reassurance in the strength and support of the Timberwolf dealer network and trained technicians.

Guy Marshlain, Sales and Marketing Director, says: “We know our machines are a crucial element in the smooth running of businesses throughout the UK, which is why end-to-end support for our customers is something we provide with every Timberwolf product.”

The Masons Kings team of over 40 trained technicians will ensure parts are located even closer to businesses, reducing down-time required for servicing and providing quick access to spares, as well as an increase to the Timberwolf Sales and Demonstration teams in the area.

While the addition of TAG, to the Timberwolf dealer network, brings a roster of 60 qualified service engineers and technicians and four depots to customers in Bristol, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and surrounding areas.

A further enhancement to the Timberwolf dealer network is the territory extension of grounds care provider, Ben Burgess GroundsCare Equipment, to include the Bedford and Milton Keynes area from their brand-new, purpose-built depot at Ellington.

Guy Marshlain adds: “Our customer support network offers a unique service, unrivalled by any other UK based wood chipper manufacturer.”

• www.timberwolf-uk.com

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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NEWS

Season of seminars Dennis & SISIS have completed another successful season of insightful seminars which welcomed more than 500 attendees at venues across the UK. These free-to-attend educational seminars help educate groundstaff on a variety of topics associated with sports turf maintenance. High quality speakers and interesting subjects ensure these sessions have a reputation as ‘mustattend’ events with groundstaff travelling considerable distances attend.

Dennis and SISIS continue to evolve the seminars with the people of the industry in mind. This year they launched a multi-sport groundcare seminar, featuring a number of high quality speakers discussing subjects such as renovations, sports-turf construction, drainage, winter sports pitches and the future of groundcare maintenance.

This new event took place at St. Albans School, Woollam Trust Playing Fields where an incredible 220 delegates attended. It attracted grounds staff from across UK, both volunteers and professionals representing schools, sports clubs, local authorities and contractors.

One attendee, Nick Lockhart, cricket professional and head of grounds and gardens at Felsted School in Essex, suggests that the Dennis and SISIS seminars are essential for anyone who wants to take their sports surfaces to the next level.

“It has been thoroughly enjoyable, informative and thought provoking,” he says. “I would go as far as saying that it is a must-attend event for people in this industry.

Dennis & SISIS round-up successful season of seminars

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It has been incredibly interesting listening to all of the speakers who have all raised great points that we can take away with us and put into practice. Speakers aside, the networking opportunities are also important because it gives us a chance to speak to other delegates, find out what they might be doing differently to us and hopefully learn from them too.”

The ever popular Dennis and SISIS bowls seminars, credited for improving the greens at numerous bowls clubs throughout the country, offers tips on topics such as early spring maintenance of bowling greens, grant funding support, and choosing the correct grass seed, chemicals and fertilizers.

Kev Brazier, a contract greenkeeper working in partnership with Harpenden Bowls Club, attended a seminar at the Herts Bowling Club in Watford. He felt if offered a great opportunity to enhance his greenkeeping knowledge.

“It was an excellent and really informative seminar,” he says. “The speakers had great knowledge and they presented it in a way in which everyone could understand.

It was great for networking and there was a broad range of subjects. They were all incredibly relevant and I took a lot away from seminar.”

As well as hosting their own events, Dennis and SISIS are committed to supporting sports turf education wherever possible and this year they also offered their expertise at eight Rugby Football Union (RFU) Pitch Maintenance seminars.

• www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com

NEWS

Taking the stress out of summer holidays Perennial, the charity that helps those who work in the horticulture industry, is reaching out this summer to all parents who may struggle to cope with additional child care costs during the long school school holidays.

It costs families an average of £124.23 per week for full time holiday childcare and many parents pay more than twice as much during the holidays as they do for after-school clubs during term time. Most working parents are unable to take 13 weeks annual leave to look after children in holiday periods, so must incur childcare costs instead.

This Summer Perennial can help support people working in horticulture with childcare costs, holiday activities and clubs, so they can continue working, and help meet the costs of additional food required over the summer break. The team can also help people access other sources of support depending on their situation.

Julia Hayne, Director of Services at Perennial, is keen to remind people about how Perennial can help during these times. She says: “Every parent wants their child to enjoy

their summer break from school but for people working in horticulture, summer can be a busy season and it can be difficult to take time off work to look after children during the day.

“We understand that many parents and carers, despite careful budgeting, worry about the rising costs of raising a family, especially in the school holidays. We’re here to help alleviate some of the holiday stress with advice and financial support for families with at least one parent working in horticulture.”

For families whose children are in receipt of free school meals, which are not provided during the school holidays, the extra food costs associated with the summer break can put additional strain on already stretched budgets.

Almost two-thirds of children experience hunger during term time but some families have to find an extra £30 a week in holidays.

Julia continues: “It doesn’t take much to push a carefully planned monthly budget over the edge. Many of the people we help are successfully managing their money but we

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The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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NEWS understand how extra meals, holiday childcare and activities can cause additional stress and we’re here to help with that. I’d like to encourage anyone who is worried about the forthcoming school holiday to contact us to find out how we can support them.”

If you, or someone you know, works in horticulture and needs additional support over the summer break, call 0800 093 8543 or email services@perennial.org.uk or visit www.perennial.org.uk/holidayhelp

Children enjoying the summer holidays

Band of Builders bring the outdoors in for disabled tradesman A wheelchair-bound plasterer has spent time in his garden for the first time in years thanks to a band of kind-hearted tradesmen and women.

The group from charity Band of Builders, which was set up in 2016, spent five days making changes to help John Coburn move in and out of his home freely for the first time since December 2012, when he collapsed with a potentially fatal brain aneurysm.

They were even joined by TV presenter Nick Knowles and his team from DIY SOS, who visited the site in Holland-onSea in east Essex and helped out for a day.

John, known as Jonnie, 55, had been a self-employed plasterer for more than 30 years, before his aneurysm left him fighting for his life.

After 14 months in a hospital and then rehabilitation, Jonnie returned home in April 2014, but remained wheelchair bound. He received some funding to help adapt his home to accommodate his disability, but it didn’t quite stretch to landscaping to to allow Jonnie to be able to get outside into his garden. So Band of Builders, a charity set up to help other members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury, stepped in to help.

In May, nine volunteers from across the country

John Coburn with his Band of Builders

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descended on Jonnie’s home to start a five-day project to completely landscape the garden so Jonnie would have a safe passage in and out of his house to his garden something he also hasn’t been able to do since he fell ill.

Thanks to donated materials and free labour by the volunteers, the charity managed to do around £20,000 of work at a cost of just £2,000.

Speaking after the project, an emotional Jonnie and wife Jackie said: “We just want to say a heartfelt thank you to Band of Builders. What they’ve done is above and beyond what we were expecting.

“The whole project is heartwarming and so generous, it’s left us completely overwhelmed. Thank you.”

The group were supported by local businesses who donated materials and members of the community, who fed and watered them during the project.

Tony Everett, Band of Builders project lead alongside Tim Height, said: “It’s been an honour and a privilege to make changes that will have a huge positive effect for Jonnie and his family. We’ve had amazing support from the local community and are over-the-moon that Jonnie is pleased with what we’ve done.”

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NEWS

Identify Japanese knotweed with the Property Care Association (PCA) The national trade body the Property Care Association (PCA) has developed specialist training to support property and landscaping professionals in the identification of Japanese knotweed and other invasive species.

The ‘Invasive Plant Identification Course’ gives a comprehensive overview of the key issues surrounding certain plants listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Growth stages, biosecurity, ecology, habitat and UK

distribution are some of the areas covered by the one-day programme.

Participants are also able to see live non-native invasive specimens, which are being cultivated under stringent conditions in a specially created greenhouse environment on the PCA’s site.

Included in the list of non-native species covered by the programme are plants including, but not limited to American Skunk Cabbage, Rhododendron, Giant Rhubarb, Creepers, Buddleia, Hottentot Fig, Yellow Azalea, Giant Hogweed, Few Flowered Leek, Three Cornered Garlic, Bamboo.

The first course takes place at the PCA’s training centre, in Huntingdon, on Thursday, August 1.

The cost is £295 plus VAT for PCA members, and £345 plus VAT for those not in membership of the association.

Visit www.property-care.org

BBC’S DAN WALKER HOSTS 2019 IOG INDUSTRY AWARDS Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Industry Awards, which will be be hosted by BBC sports presenter Dan Walker. The event takes place on Wednesday October 30 at The Vox, located in Resorts World at the Birmingham NEC, on the evening of the first day of the SALTEX exhibition.

The awards – now in their 11th year - have continually grown in status for acknowledging the achievements of volunteer and professional grounds teams, as well as community clubs and national stadia. They recognise the passion, dedication and challenges faced by grounds staff at clubs of every size and from all corners of the UK. Dan Walker will bring a new dimension to this year’s event as the 20 award categories are presented. He currently hosts BBC One’s Award-winning Football Focus and regularly presents Match of the Day. He has also covered Wimbledon, The Grand National, Royal Ascot, The Derby and the Six Nations, as well as continuing to work on domestic, European and international football. And he has co-hosted Open golf coverage for the last 10 years and was an integral part of the BBC’s Olympic broadcasting team for both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

BBC’S Dan Walker

Ticket information £95 per person for IOG members; £190 per person for nonmembers. To secure a seat: email (awards@iog.org) or call (01908) 312 511 STOP PRESS: It’s not too late to nominate an individual or team for a 2019 Award. Visit: www.iog.org/awards and click the nominate button.

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Greg Bedson discovers how changes of practice on-site and behind the scenes with the landscaping industry can help to support the environmental movement Sustainability. Other than perhaps Brexit, this has become one of the biggest discussion points over the past few years. How can we lower greenhouse gasses?

How can we reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill?

Whether it be eliminating single-use plastic bags from the high street or encouraging greener methods of travel, changes are being encouraged across the board.

But what changes are we seeing within the landscaping industry? Are there changes that we can make to ensure we are supporting the movement?

One area that is receiving particular attention at the moment is the ‘war-on-plastic’ or more accurately, singleuse, non-recyclable plastic. There’s no denying that plastic has revolutionised the industry we see today; commonly used for growing materials, lightweight packaging and in the manufacture of tools and building materials, however the widespread use of it does have its drawbacks.

Plastic plant pots According to a study in 2018, it has emerged that as many as half a billion plastic plant pots are thrown away every year in the UK alone. By design, black plastic pots are a great choice for plant-growers. They are lightweight, low in cost, can survive being outside and most importantly, they prevent light from reaching the roots of the plants.

Although most plastic pots from nurseries and garden centres are made almost entirely from waste plastic from car manufactures, the kerbside recycling cannot cope with the black plastic pots, nor can most other re-processers.

This is because standard sorting machines struggle to detect the carbon pigment used to colour the pots which subsequently get categorised as waste and are sent off to landfill or incineration.

This is a problem recognised within the industry and in 2018 The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) announced

Flower’s planted - now what to do with the pots

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ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY plans to replace the traditional black plastic plant pot with taupe. The taupe pot is made from 100 percent recyclable material, with as high a percentage of recycled polypropylene (PP) as possible, frequently from a UK source, with little or no virgin material. These pots are already being used by nurseries and retailers across the UK, with many other retailers pledging to make the switch from black to taupe within the next two years.

Most of the leading brands now have their own cordless power tool range, competing with petrol in terms of price and performance, giving professional users the peace of mind that not only can the the tools last all day, but they are doing their bit to help lower emissions.

“Companies can operate more sustainability behind the scenes in the daily of running a business” So there’s some changes already happening ‘on-site’ but what about the work behind the scenes of the industry?

According to the British Association of Landscape Industry’s (BALI) Marketing and Communication manager, Darren Taylor, the daily running of a business can also be addressed in terms of a greener future and he explains how companies and individuals could be doing more to operate more sustainability in all aspects of the business.

“Just some of the ways could include producing promotional literature using chemical-free inks and FSC compliant paper sources, or not producing them at all,” suggests Daren.

“Smarter use of transport to attend client meetings, insulating your premises or installing LED lighting, which generates less wattage and lasts longer or invest in your own source of renewable energy, including solar panels.”

Taupe Pot (picture credit: Horticultural Trades Association

Battery powers forward So what other areas are affected by the appeal for a greener future? In June’s edition of the Landscaper, we discussed whether plug-in vehicles are yet a viable option for those within the industry, but it’s not just our vans that are putting a drain on the earths resources. The use of petrol power tools is also an issue that needs examining.

A report carried out in the United States by the Union of Concerned Scientists, found that a petrol lawn mower running for one hour emits the same amount of pollutants as eight new cars driving at 55 mph for the same amount of time. Until recently however, these high emission tools were the only viable option for professionals. The good news for our planet is that as with plastic plant pots, the issue has been acknowledged and the trend has started to change.

Environmental workshops In the coming year, BALI is also planning on launching a series of strategic actions, working towards a more environmentally friendly future by offering guidance for members to educative workshops.

There are also other trade associations taking steps towards a more sustainable future. The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) have employed a dedicated ecologist and sustainability expert James Hutchinsion to advise Greenkeepers and other industry bodies on how to become more sustainable and holistic in their approach.

Speaking to the Landscaper Magazine, James talks about some of the differences he is starting to see. “The biggest thing I’ve seen is golf courses are now allowing rough to grow in,” he says.

“Previously golf courses would just mow from wall to wall. I think it's only the past five years that golf courses have allowed the rough to grow in - saving on fuel and man hours, as well as encouraging more ecology and wildlife.”

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY He also comments on how green-keepers are now beginning to act more responsibly with the grass clippings.

“Historically green-keepers used to leave their grass clippings in the woodlands - its only in the past few years or so that we have decided to compost them with wood chips and the like to create compost and use them back on the golf course.”

“A report carried out in the United States by the Union of Concerned Scientists, found that a petrol lawn mower running for one hour emits the same amount of pollutants as eight new cars driving at 55 mph for the same amount of time” World’s greenest football club In pitchcare, Forest Green Rovers Football Club (FGR) is a company going one step further than most in terms of their policies. Described by FIFA as being the ‘world’s greenest

football club’ as well as being the only football club in the world to receive the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark, has sustainability at its heart. The football pitch they play on is completely organic and free from pesticides and herbicides, watered using rainwater collected from beneath the pitch and cut using a GPS-directed lawnmower, powered by energy harvested from the sun.

Speaking in the club’s 2018 Footprint report, Dale Vince, Chairman of FGR, highlights why the club have taken its stance on sustainability. “Because we know that a football club has an impact on the environment, we’ve implemented an Environmental Management System – to measure those impacts and target them for reduction.”

Vince also states that, “Within our Environmental Management System, we’ve set ourselves ambitious targets to continually improve performance and protect the environment, significantly reduce pollution made by all areas of the club, and ensure we’re compliant with environmental regulations.”

FGR is dedicated to becoming a truly sustainable football club: a world first. We aim to make the club a place where we demonstrate eco thinking and technology to a new audience: football fans. Indeed, we believe that we have the opportunity to introduce sustainability to the wider world of sport, not just football.”

Pitch at Forest Green Rovers Football Club (credit: FGR FC)

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ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

"Forest Green Rovers FC have set ambitious targets to significantly reduce pollution made by all areas of the club to be compliant with environmental regulations"

Solar panels amongst wildflowers at FGR (credit: FGR FC)

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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Sustainable soils, growing media and turf for the landscaping environment Green-tree Topsoil Light in texture with good water holding capacity. Ideal for environmentally conscious landscaping and construction projects.

Green-tree Amenity Tree Soil Load bearing, fertile planting medium.

Enables tree root infrastructure to develop under hard urban landscapes, such as pavements.

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BIODIVERSITY

From policy to practice – rising to the biodiversity net gain challenge March 2019's Spring Statement from Government announced that biodiversity net gain will soon be compulsory – the latest in a line of legislative measures focused on preserving “natural capital”. This will see developers required to prove an overall increase in the variety of plant and animal life resulting from new projects.

James Patmore, Director of Ecology at Bradley Murphy Design explains more suggests that the shift in mind-set is just in time with Chair of the IPBES Robert Watson declaring that loss of biodiversity is just as catastrophic as climate change.

“Consumers will pay a premium for properties that have environmental value”

There is an increasing understanding of the economic benefits of biodiversity, with property decision-makers seeing environmental metrics as not just hoops to jump through, but a source of long-term value.

Key to success is making green infrastructure and habitat enhancement integral at the planning stages, with all stakeholders united behind a common vision – setting up for results on the ground, rather than just on paper.

Mandating Net Gain – Priorities and potential pitfalls Plans to mandate biodiversity net gain, announced in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Spring 2019 Statement, are the culmination of a series of recent legislative and policy changes that have pushed ecology to the top of the agenda for developers and landscape architects. Hammond’s announcement follows the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affair’s (DEFRA) 25 Year Environment Plan and the recently updated National Planning Policy Framework. Both recognise the need to protect the environment for its economic, social and intrinsic value. The United Nation’s recent Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report

Many large-scale developers are already looking at biodiversity net gain, to meet corporate social responsibility targets and for its commercial opportunity. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for properties that demonstrate environmental value. The success of six local authority pilot areas paved the way for many master planners to adopt biodiversity net gain objectives early on, following trailblazers such as Warwickshire County Council in calculating and compensating for the net biodiversity loss for all developments in the county.

Yet, while original approaches have come under fire for this focus on offsetting – with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds warning against net gain strategy becoming simply a “licence to trash nature”– new requirements are likely to shift focus from mitigation to how biodiversity can be maximised from the outset. Mandating gives developers an incentive to consider biodiversity earlier in the planning process, encouraging them to think about retaining and enhancing existing biodiverse areas, a more effective approach in the long run.

Mandating is also likely to improve the quality of net gain strategy and the consistency. While developers can currently work with a range of metrics, based on DEFRA standards, we’re likely to see a shift from net gain dictated at this local level, to a nationally enforced approach. Though the wheels have long been in motion, changes in legislation should see implementation shift into the next gear.

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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BIODIVERSITY It is vital, however, that biodiversity emphasis doesn’t come at the expense of wider environmental preservation – with the Natural Capital Committee warning that biodiversity net gain’s focus on ‘habitat units’ and number of species risks overshadowing other forms of natural capital.

They cite habitats that may not be significantly biodiverse, but rich in value in other ways – improving residents’ mental wellbeing, for example, or playing a vital role in preventing soil erosion – emphasising that quantitative biodiversity gains are far from the be all and end all.

The most truly environmentally and ecologically sound developments, then, will not only rise to the biodiversity net gain challenge, but look beyond it. Planners should work to achieve net gain in practice rather than just as policy, while also keeping a constant eye on the bigger picture.

Intergration, Transparency and Collaboration Achieving biodiversity net gain is a multi-disciplinary task.

While ecologists may decide on biodiversity baselines and targets, landscape architects need to implement the vision, and local authority input is crucial for plans that work for people as well as wildlife – not to mention involving master planners, local conservation groups and land managers to ensure biodiversity is sustainable in the long-term. Effective biodiversity net gain strategies need collaboration and communication at its heart, working to ensure an open, honest dialogue between internal project teams and

external stakeholders from end to end.

Developers Urban and Civic showed how this is done effectivley when planning a new community at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Alongside consistent communication with local authority and neighbourhood working groups, the developers worked closely with the local Wildlife Trust, through a Memorandum of Understanding with the charity – recognising the importance of collaboration within the project and also being open to third-party involvement.

This resulted in a plan of action, from setting a vision through master planning and town planning and into delivery and long-term maintenance. The approach focused on enhancing existing natural assets on the uniquely green brownfield site and demonstrating how these connected core habitat and species priorities at a landscape scale. The developers were keen to preserve the former army barrack’s mature landscape of grassland, woodland and wetlands and to link blue and green corridors to the fen edge setting. Through setting core areas for preservation and enhancement at the earliest stage and working with them as fixes to be protected or celebrated depending on their nature and resilience, the design team were able to deliver net gain and create connections for nature and people, which will put biodiversity at the heart of the whole development.

Developers looking to follow Urban and Civic’s lead must work with the wider local context and partners to

Visual of proposed habitat focused parkland combining retention, enhancement and creation, offering strategic green infrastructure connectivity at Waterbeach.

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BIODIVERSITY identify existing areas of high biodiversity value and aim to preserve these from the outset, particularly if these involve irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland. However, when this is not possible, collaboration becomes even more essential, with developers and the relevant local authorities needing to work together on appropriate offsets for any biodiversity losses.

More than just a number With input from the relevant experts and a cooperative approach, developers are in the position to take biodiversity net gain one step further. This involves looking beyond immediate targets, to how habitat and wildlife targets can be met and sustained in the long term.

Bradley Murphy Design (BMD) have developed its own Biodiversity Impact Assessment, which uses the DEFRA metric to quantitatively assess how a development will impact existing biodiversity, mitigate impacts where possible and increase the biodiversity value or retained and created habitats wherever possible to ensure a net gain position is achieved as an outcome. It also recognises the importance of maintaining key species, ensuring they thrive in the long-term. This is where green infrastructure becomes crucial – with features such as hedgehog highways, newt corridors, bee lines, watercourses and hedgerows all ensuring that species will be able to move, forage, breed and shelter in a way that secures long-term survival and favourable populations.

Success also involves empowering communities and stakeholders to continue the work started by ecologists.

This involves paying equal or greater attention to the monitoring and maintenance aspect of plans as they are implemented - from mapping out sustainability principles for each housebuilder to achieve as they build on each plot, to working with the relevant parties to provide ecology materials for tenants and working to ensure a sense of ownership of local wildlife is inbuilt in communities.

Going the extra green mile Biodiversity net gain is a valuable tool for developers to demonstrate environmental credentials, making housing more attractive to consumers and driving the quality of their product – and in turn prices. With net gain becoming mandatory for all, conscientious developers must go further if they want benefits for the environment to function as a point of differentiation.

While this can take the form of long-term strategies to maintain habitat and species commitments, developers looking to stand out from the crowd with their

environmental focus must also look to other measures of benefits. Natural England and DEFRA have joined forces to develop an ‘eco-metric’, designed to measure habitats on their ability to deliver natural capital net gains beyond species increase. Currently in early planning stages, the metric would allow those who had already achieved biodiversity standards to then reach further, using the new metric to demonstrate additional natural capital benefits associated with their schemes.

Developers using the eco-metric can demonstrate how they can leave the environment better than it was originally: from maximising the health and wellbeing benefits of green space, to soil preservation and flood water prevention; from creation of productive landscapes such as farmland, to combating air pollution through planting. Though the formalised eco-metric is yet to be released, landscapers looking to not only meet but surpass targets need to get ahead of the game. This could include investigating the potential of urban trees to increase air quality, store carbon and reduce energy use in buildings – looking to the wider benefits provided by habitats and wildlife, beyond the intrinsic value of biodiversity gain.

Ultimately, with biodiversity net gain becoming a minimum requirement for all developers, those looking to blend environmental commitments into their commercial proposition must think beyond the basics to seem truly forward thinking – good news for groups such as the Natural Capital Committee, who see biodiversity net gain as not going far enough.

Next steps In line with this wide-view approach, the upcoming Environmental Bill will do well to avoid being hamstrung by numbers. If developers are required to demonstrate a predetermined, inflexible percentage biodiversity gain, the Government may risk simplifying the complex nature of environmental benefit.

Instead of ploughing resource into struggling to reach over-ambitious targets, new legislation should be designed to encourage landscape architects and planners to consider not only how net gain can be achieved, but how it can be implemented for lasting results, working in conjunction with wider measures to increase and preserve natural capital.

Bespoke, realistic and flexible targets will plant the seeds for long term success.

Mandating biodiversity net gain is a crucial starting point, but functions only as the first step in the longer, increasingly vital process of aligning developers’ point of view with environmental priorities.

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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MID-MOUNT ROTARY MOWER The GM1700 is the original, first slope mower and is the most universal rotary mower in the Baroness line.

The Baroness GM1700 is a 1.5m mid-mount rotary mower for rough and semi-rough mowing. Thanks to a very low centre of gravity and wide wheelbase the GM1700 is extremely stable when mowing all those awkward slopes and steep undulations. The switchable 2-wheel / 4-wheel drive system ensures maximum traction on the most difficult of terrain and is ideal for those contracts with hard to reach areas.

Rated according to ISO 5395 for slope mowing the GM1700 is equipped with a seat which tilts to 30 degrees to ensure the operator is sitting upright whenever slope mowing is the order of the day. The GM1700 comes standard with a 1.5m, 3 – part contour cutting deck or an optional 1.8m tough cut, rear discharge cutting deck. All mower deck options provide superior cutting performance and enable the GM1700 to be used in a very wide range of terrains around golf courses, parks, motorways, cemeteries, schools, fields and almost everywhere grass grows.

Please contact your local dealer via our website for further details.

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MOWERS: PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Best Mowers for 2019 Tame the jungle with brushcutter mowers Whether clearing an overgrown building site, clearing a meadow or cutting a pathway through undergrowth, the Billy Goat Brushcutter Mower is the ideal jungle buster.

The rigid or pivoting 66cm (26in) mowing decks combined with the heavy duty spindles and the powerful engines mean no job is too tough. Equipped with ergonomic controls, these brushcutters are a perfect partner in the harshest environments. A choice of standard or hydrostatic drive systems are available, along with fixed or pivoting decks and alternative engines.

See the range at billygoat.co.uk Robust and reliable - Pro Lawnmowers The Cobra Pro lawnmower range is designed for landscapers looking for high performance and reliability day after day. The robust aluminium alloy decks are durable, but lighter than many equivalents in the market. Blade break controls are standard with all models along with fan assisted collection, a must have for better grass collection even in damp conditions.

All the lawnmowers feature a direct shaft drive system which maximises power transfer and increases reliability compared to belts or chain alternatives. The hydrostatic drive option is a popular choice for commercial operators.

See the range at cobragarden.co.uk Solutions for mowing long grass and steep slopes For over 60 years, trusted German manufacturer AS-Motor have been producing professionalgrade mowing equipment with particular expertise in long grass and slopes. AS-Motor offer an innovative blend of experience and engineering with a mower suitable for every need and every type of lawn – helping to create the perfect landscape.

The extensive range of machines includes, mulching mowers, professional lawn mowers, pedestrian and ride-on brushcutters, pedestrian and ride-on flail mowers. In addition, the recent introduction of the AS 1040 YAK 4WD Ride-On Flail, with its 100cm wide flail mowing unit is a superior alternative to conventional rotary mowing.

For further information or to discuss your requirements contact: Tel: 01282 856819 Web: www.psdgroundscare.com or Email: sales@psdgroundscare.com 26

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MOWERS: PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

The Landscaper's guide to mowers to tackle all terrains Mower for all weathers There’s quite a bit of talk on various professional lawn care sites about modifying lawn mowers to achieve better results for cutting wet grass. Read what a professional gardener had to say about the Mountfield S501R PD.

“Well, I can safely say this Mountfield is factory standard and collects well in any weather. It packs a bag extremely well, and it’s taken just one pass over this lawn to remove over one cubic meter of wet grass. I would argue this mower works better than a lot of commercial mowers. If you’re looking for a new lawn mower for residential or even commercial use, you won’t go wrong with this.” – Wild Ground www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk A cut above the rest The new professional RM 655 RS rear roller mower from STIHL has been specifically designed to make mowing tasks across areas of up to 2500m2 quick and simple.

Designed with ease of use in mind, the powerful Briggs and Stratton engine is simple to start thanks to the autochoke mechanism. Offering full flexibility, the desired cutting height can be precisely adjusted. The high-lift blades and aerodynamic housing efficiently lifts the grass, cuts it efficiently and blows the cuttings into the 70 litre grass catcher box, which can be 100% filled.

The body design also allows for easy access and maintenance of working parts, and the comfortable mono handlebar is foldable for easier transportation and storage.

For more information please visit www.stihl.co.uk

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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GIVE YOUR BUSINESS MORE TIME

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HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER® "It’s great because it means we can keep a consistent cut throughout the week. It also saves us time on a large area, allowing the team to focus on hard to reach and trickier areas. One of the best things is how the micro-clippings fertilise the grass. The quality of the grass has improved massively in a very short space of time".

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22 YEARS EXPERIENCE. 12 MILES WALKED EVERY DAY. 500,000 FANS EVERY SEASON. 4 ACRES OF TRAINING PITCHES. 1 LAWN MOWER.

Ed Mowe Head Groundsman, Leicester Tigers.

When it comes to the challenge of looking after parks and pitches all year round, STIHL tackles it head on. With a range of tools designed to maintain grounds to the highest and most professional standards. Not only does STIHL set the standard for quality, efficiency and reliability, our tools are also easy to maintain and offer superb parts availability. All of which adds up to minimum downtime and maximum performance.

The new STIHL RM 655 RS powerful rear roller petrol mower with 53 cm cutting for larger lawns.

Find out more at your local STIHL Approved Dealer or visit

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MOWERS

New Iseki SF224 outfront mower ISEKI UK & Ireland, distributors of ISEKI compact tractors and mowers have launched a new out-front mower for the ISEKI range. Superior new features and market positioning offer this as a potential game changer for the brand to explore further avenues.

The new ISEKI 60” (1525 mm) outfront rotary deck with three blades ensures that no grass is left uncut even when undertaking tight turns. The cutting height can be adjusted from 25mm to 125mm (1-5”) in 12.5mm (0.5”) increments as required. A mulching kit is available to order if required.

Says ISEKI Managing Director, David Withers: “With the engine regulations coming into place shortly, we wanted to offer the customer a competitively priced out front mower, with the same ISEKI renowned quality and reliability alongside a new Stage V compliant 22.5hp diesel engine.

“The New ISEKI SF224 mower offers the most economical way to cut grass commercially with high productivity, plus the added benefit of the new 22.5hp engine enabling customers to save on fuel costs and initial purchasing costs of their machinery.

“Offering a range of decks to suit the various customer sites and cutting cycles, customers can choose from the tried and tested Wessex, ISEKI and Muthing flail decks, or the new ISEKI outfront rotary deck.

These high-performance out-front mowers are designed to facilitate grass cutting in difficult areas. The mowers are equipped with easy to use two-pedal hydrostatic transmission and automatic or selectable 4WD. There is also a lockable differential for use when conditions demand. To ensure efficient engine cooling the radiator is fitted with an automatic reversing an so preventing the blockage of the grill.

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Tackle dozens of jobs with this versatile and cost-effective tractor-mounted aerator and deliver healthy and professional turf all-year-round. With its unique universal frame system, extra shafts can be added to expand its capabilities, including a Multi-Tine, Multi-Slicer, Multi-Spike and a non-PTO Coring shaft. With the 1st Products add-on tractor tools you really can add more and do more. reesinkturfcare.co.uk Reesink Turfcare UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Images shown for illustration only.

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THE ETESIA RANGE OF PEDESTRIAN MOWERS

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Etesia pedestrian rotary mowers are designed to offer unique cutting capabilities, comfort and safety at work and unrivalled reliability and productivity.

The Etesia range of battery-powered and petrol mowers are extremely versatile and are capable of mowing with or without collection in all conditions, or allowing high-quality mulching – whatever the weather.

Available from 37cm-53cm cutting widths and push, single or variable speed options, there is an Etesia pedestrian mower for any use. All this adds up to machines that are purpose built professional mowers for professional use.

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GROUNDSCARE & TURF

Oldham Council turns to Charterhouse for maintenance of new sand-based surfaces A Verti-Quake® and Rink Topdresser have become the latest additions to the machinery fleet of Oldham Council. The redevelopment of a number of sports pitches has seen the purchase of machinery necessary to meet the maintenance specifications.

For District Supervisor David Barlow, the latest investment compliments his existing stable of Redexim Charterhouse equipment.

“We’re very fortunate as a council to be investing not only in our facilities, but in the machinery needed to keep them at their best” explains David, who together with another Supervisor, head up a maintenance team of 40. “Over the last 10 years, 13 pitches mainly used for football, have been redeveloped and converted from soil to sand-based surfaces.

This has changed the maintenance programme required to keep the pitches performing to a certain specification, and the machinery we had was struggling to do the job.”

With an Overseeder, Carrier and Verti-Drain® from Charterhouse already in their fleet, David knows it’s kit that can be relied on. “When funds became available, top of my list was equipment to assist with the tasks of slitting and topdressing the pitches, which we should be conducting at least once a year. I spoke with Richard Lucas of Charterhouse and Steve Massey at our local dealer Sharrocks and following

Oldham Council take ownership of a Charterhouse Verti-Quake® and Rink Topdresser

impressive demonstrations, and ruling out other machines, we purchased a Rink DS3800 topdresser and Verti-Quake 3825 earlier this year.”

“The Rink gives us a fantastic, even spread across the pitches, making the job much quicker and easier than it was with our previous spreader. It is also fitted with an agitator which prevents material sticking, ensuring a good flow of sand. This machine is already coming into its own as we undertake our football pitch renovations, helping us to fulfil the requirement of applying 50 tonnes of rootzone to each pitch, each year. The Verti-Quake meanwhile will become a key tool to help improve aeration not only of our new sand-based pitches, but across a range of surfaces under our remit.”

Johnsons J Premier Pitch delivers vitality to surfaces at AFC Bournemouth If it ain’t broken, then why fix it?! That’s certainly the motto of Ian Lucas, Head of Grounds at AFC Bournemouth, when it comes to the choice of grass seed across both the Vitality Stadium and two pitches at King’s Park training ground. When Ian joined the club 18 months ago, Johnsons J Premier Pitch mixture was the seed of choice across the two first-team facilities, and having delivered reliable coverage, colour and wear tolerance, it looks to be a decision that’s set to stay.

Supported by a grounds team of seven, Ian is now into his third season of using J Premier Pitch. He says: “I had obviously heard of the mixture, but had not used it previously, so when I inherited the seeding programme of my predecessor, it was my first real experience of the Johnsons Sports Seed mixture.

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It hasn’t disappointed!”

Ian oversows with J Premier Pitch at a rate of 45g/m2 during renovations in April and at a lower rate of 15g/m2 in October, depending on the weather conditions and how the pitch is wearing.

Through the season, they adopt a ‘pre-germinated seed’ strategy for ongoing recovery and repair of high wear areas.

“It’s a well-known-tactic but not one that seems to be frequently employed in the industry,” he explains.

“We fill a bucket ¾ full of Premier Pitch, then top it up with water and place it in a heated container for three to four days until it pops, before applying it to areas such as goal mouths and corner spots. This method shaves up to two weeks off Continued on page 35

GROUNDSCARE & TURF germination, giving us a real advantage especially during the colder months.”

“We’ve achieved good wear tolerance, disease resistance and the germination we need throughout the year. The colour is one of the main things for us, and the J Premier Pitch is unbeatable for this, backed up by the respective cultivar ratings in the STRI listings.”

Ian discusses requirements with his local DLF technical support advisor Ian Barnett, who keeps him up to date on new developments and provides guidance on seed selection.

“He’ll always pop in at key times, such as renovations, and advise us on current supply to ensure we get delivery in time vital to keeping us on track,” says Ian.

Vitality Stadium, AFC Bournemouth

New GKB Sandspreader SP100 for Parkers Pitches Renowned for their sports turf management services based in Woolpit, Suffolk, Parkers Pitches has recently added a GKB Sandspreader SP100 to their range of impressive and efficient machinery, through GKB’s distributor Ernest Doe. Will Parker, Managing Director of Parkers Pitches explains the build quality and simplicity of the machine were main factors when choosing the GKB Sandspreader SP100.

He says, “It’s easy to see just by looking at it just how well it’s built. With minimal electronics and simple adjustment

GKB Sandspreader SP100

there are very limited things to go wrong but it’s still be able to do very accurate quality work. We also went for the gator mounted option as it is so easy to get around to the many different sites and terrains we visit.”

Parkers Pitches prides itself on its high-quality work to improve and maintain pitches and surfaces, making the GKB Sandspreader SP100 the ideal fit. “This is our first GKB machine and we have been really impressed with the build quality, I have no doubts it will be a machine we will be using for many years to come and the service was top class, even arranging a demo prior to ordering the machine,” explains Will.

Enabling you to distribute a great variety of materials, in the appropriate quantities on your sports pitches or golf course, the GKB Sandspreader SP100 will be used over their six-week renovation period. Says Will: “We are looking to spread around 1000 tonnes with this machine and it has been faultless so far.

Through the rest of the year it will be used now and then for a bit of top dressing on golf greens.”

• www.gkbmachines.com

Headland programme tackles high-wear problems at Leicester Tigers RC Head Groundsman at Leicester Tigers Rugby Club Ed Mowe and his maintenance team are kept on their toes managing the grounds with its packed schedule of training and matches. The Oval Park training ground hosted more than 200 games last year and yet its pitches

are appearing to stay stronger for longer thanks to Headland Amenity’s input into the club’s nutritional programme.

When Ed took over as Head Groundsman in December 2016, he took a fresh look at the nutritional regime, with the

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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GROUNDSCARE & TURF “This proactive approach has not only reduced our requirement for reactive fungicide applications, but together with aeration, has given us a noticeable improvement in wear tolerance and coverage. Where previously training would begin in November and the pitch would be virtually destroyed by January, we can now train from August right through to the end of the season,” Ed explains.

“We’ve been using C-Complex® during renovations, which helps with microbial activity and root development and Leicester Tigers Stadium

aim of resolving a few key problems as well as improving overall plant health at both the Welford Road stadium pitch and the club’s training ground.

“Along with two soil-based pitches, we have one Desso surface at Oval Park, which was struggling to cope with the rigorous demands of winter training,” explains Ed. “Alex Hawkes, Headland’s Sports Turf Specialist, came in and conducted some tests and following this we structured an overarching feeding programme, along with looking at some specific products to target the problems we faced.”

To strengthen the plant and root development on the desso pitch, Alex recommended the Headland ‘20/20/30’ tankmix. This strategy combines Liquid Turf Hardener, Turfite® and Seamac® ProTurf Fe plant elicitors and protectants to maximise health and restrict the onset of disease.

Terafirm™ soil penetrant which has improved the moisture draw-down on the soil-based surfaces. We’ve also achieved great all-round plant health with Headland’s Seamac® Ultra Plus. For a particularly waterlogged patch we had behind the dead-ball area on the stadium pitch, Alex suggested we try Xpedite® which dramatically improved water infiltration.”

Following the success here, Ed additionally applied Xpedite® on some of the line-out and scrummaging areas at the training ground to good effect.

Final word from Ed, “While I hadn’t used Headland products previously, they have proved to be reliable and effective on their own or when used in combination with other products from the range. Alex has been a great help in formulating this programme and we will continue to work with him, fine-tuning the regime, to achieve the quality surfaces we’re looking for.”

Limagrain MM grass seed proves its worth Shrewsbury School grounds manager Andy Richards claims that Limagrain UK’s MM brand of grass seed has proved to be the best mixtures for the sports pitches at the leading co-educational boarding school.

Academic excellence aside, the school prides itself on a strong sporting ethos and boasts some of the finest teams in UK education. It is for this reason that Andy is very particular in choosing a grass seed that stands up to such high usage.

“Three years ago we made the decision to change to Limagrain’s MM60 on our football pitches,” he explains.

“We were experiencing a lot of disease, especially on our first team pitch, and I think we sprayed four times to tackle fusarium. With this in mind I thought it was worth trying something different to see if we could find a seed that was better for our site.

“We trialled MM60 on one pitch against the seed that we were previously using over the course of a season – to see which one was the best. Results showed that there was a lot less disease from using MM60 and it stood up a lot better to

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the really high usage that we have.

“It was an easy decision to change to the MM60 and we implemented it across all of the football pitches – we didn’t even need to spray it for any disease in that first year.”

Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface. It is a 100% Ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD®.

Developed using the latest scientific findings and field experience, Headstart GOLD® is a natural revolutionary grass seed treatment that ensures rapid germination and is perfect for enhancing performance on grass seed coatings for sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

For 2019, MM60 now includes Limagrain’s new Ryegrass cultivar Annecy which has outstanding disease resistance particularly against Leaf Spot. This along with excellent wear tolerance, density and recovery makes it a very valuable

GROUNDSCARE & TURF addition to the mixture at a time when plant health and disease management has never been so important.

In a similar move, Andy also decided to change to Limagrain’s MM50 for the school’s cricket pitches after his previous seed was not meeting his expectations.

“We were using a different seed on the squares but our recovery was so poor and the pitches were almost dead at the end of two or three games of cricket. We didn’t even trial the MM50 - we just went straight in on a whole square and the difference was incredible. The speed that it came through and the quality of the sward was really impressive. “ We had no disease through the winter and when we prepared our first wickets with MM50 the following spring – the denseness, the texture of the leaf and the way it cut down to the 6mm we aim for was amazing.”

MM50 is a hard-wearing mix that has rapid germination, very fine leaved appearance, high shoot density and is tolerant to very close mowing, along with high disease

MM proves its worth at Shrewsbury School

resistance. All these attributes together produce a fantastic sward that has great colour all year round with rapid recovery.

“With the amount of games we have here, recovery is a massive thing and we have to get them back quickly. MM50 has just proved time and time again to be the best cricket mix in the country.”

• www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

Championship-worth turf at croquet club A tank mixture from Sherriff Amenity is helping Richard Quelch, groundsman at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club, to improve the health of the eleven lawns at the East Devon club, which was founded in the late 1860s.

Richard maintains the lawns at the premier club to a high standard, so much so that the club is regularly chosen to host major British and International Tournaments, including the European Golf Croquet Championships.

“I’m trying to boost the overall health of the lawns and I would like to get more roots into the ground,” says Richard.

“The more roots I have, then the better the lawns can withstand a dry season and stresses. Plus, we are recently starting to have a few issues with leatherjackets and there are not many chemicals available on the market to solve this.”

Richard needed a ‘cocktail’ of nutrients, which he could apply to the lawns on a regular basis and after speaking to

The lawns at Budleigh Salterton

Sherriff Amenity he found the ideal solution.

He now applies a monthly tank mix consisting of E2Pro Liquid 12.0.12 (at 60 l/ha), E2Pro PhosRite (at 10 l/ha) and SeaVolution seaweed liquid (at 20 l/ha) and noticed an immediate improvement.

Sherriff Amenity’s E2 Pro PhosRite brings dramatic improvements to turf. Results from trials have shown improved turf quality and enhanced rooting. The benefits come from the plant’s improved ability to withstand stress conditions, allowing stronger, healthier grass to develop.

It is rapidly absorbed into the plant leaves where it translocates as phosphite within the plant cells. This stimulates strong, healthy growth and plants with a better root structure that are more able to withstand stress.

The phosphite in E2 Pro PhosRite is rapidly distributed throughout the plant using both upward and downward transport systems (xylem and phloem) ensuring that all parts of the plant are quickly affected.

The addition of E2Pro Liquid in the tank-mix works to provide rapid leaf penetration and quickly relieves nutrient deficiency symptoms while Seavolution encourages disease infected areas to recover, optimising turf quality.

“It appears to be the perfect tank mix for me and it has already created a good thickness of grass,” said Richard. “Very soon, we are set to host the European Championships and I’m confident that the lawns will be of a good enough standard to cater for some of the very best players in this sport.”

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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GROUNDSCARE & TURF

Terrain Aeration visit Cambridge University Botanic Garden Cambridge University Botanic Garden welcomes 300,000 visitors a year, making it the most visited university botanic garden in the UK. The Grade II listed Heritage Garden covers 40 acres and is home to a collection of more than 8,000 plant species to facilitate teaching and research.

The Garden boasts four show lawns and the combination of foot traffic, marquee trucks and ride-on mowers leads to compaction. The Garden has been using Terrain Aeration’s decompaction services and choses the deep aeration treatment for the high-profile area of the Main Lawn in front of the majestic glasshouses.

“We know Terrain Aeration’s work from years ago when development had been done at the Station Road Entrance and the lawn at the back of Cory Lodge,” says Adrian Holmes, Landscape and Machinery Supervisor at the Garden.

“The lawns had been re-built after the work, but were found to be compacted and the soil was not good. We had a waterlogging issue for a couple of years. The Terrain Aeration treatment rectified the problem and we know from experience it’s a long-term solution.”

This year, the Garden’s Main Lawn area was cordoned off again to carry out deep aeration treatment, to relieve compaction and waterlogging on the 2,500 sq metre area used for events.

The ground was worked easily using the Terrain Aeration’s Terralift. The machine’s probe is driven down a metre deep and highly compressed air released up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi) to fracture the soil, opening it up for aeration, drainage and to get oxygen to the roots of the plant. On the tail end of the air blast, dried seaweed is incorporated, which sticks to the walls of the fractures and fissures created by the main air blast.

As pressure drops, the seaweed is mixed in the hopper unit where it swirls around with the remaining air and is then released. The seaweed swells in wet weather and keeps the fissures open.

“The Terrain Aeration guys were very good, prompt and efficient and quite knowledgeable,” says Adrian. “They backfilled the probe holes with Lytag, lightweight aggregate and it was as if they had never been there. It was great to have everything back to normal so quickly.”

• www.terrainaeration.co.uk

Rigby Taylor clears the air With the extreme global weather events of recent years universally attributed to climate change and exacerbated by an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, there are progressive choices and positive actions the groundscare industry can take to help develop and sustain a more enjoyable and healthy green infrastructure, says Rigby Taylor.

Taking up the environmental reins the supplier to the sports and amenity turf industry has announced a range of Carbon4Grass grass seed mixtures. These combine increased levels of carbon sequestration potential with desirable amenity characteristics for a range of sports and general amenity applications – enabling turf professionals to reduce their carbon footprints while maintaining high-class playing surfaces.

The Carbon4Grass Sports Field Renovation and Super Root mixes demonstrate the potential to sequester at least double the amount of carbon over comparative mixes. Low Maintenance, which includes slower growing cultivars with higher carbon ‘scores’, have also been identified by Rigby Taylor to help decrease the frequency and therefore mitigate

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the impact of mowing.

Grass absorbs CO2 for use in photosynthesis and while it is known that one hectare of natural, open grassland can sequester (lock up) up to 2.5 tonnes of carbon per annum, these new amenity cultivars sequester relatively more carbon.

A Carbon4Grass study at the Top Green Breeding & Research Station in France commenced in 2005 with the initial aim of identifying differences in the carbon sequestration values of managed amenity grass species.

The study revealed significant differences between species in their capacity to store and sequester carbon under the same environmental conditions (depending on local environmental conditions and maintenance inputs). The study progressed to assess a range of cultivars within species and, over time, new cultivars from the breeding programme were entered into the study.

Rigby Taylor has used the knowledge gained to create a dedicated range of Carbon4Grass seed mixtures for sports, golf and landscape applications.

HORTICULTURE

Beth Chatto OBE awarded Horticultural Hero Award at RHS Hampton Court Gardening pioneer, Beth Chatto OBE VMH, is to be named 2019’s Iconic Horticultural Hero at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this July. Beth, who passed away in 2018, aged 94, was the founder of the Beth Chatto Gardens in Elmstead Market and her “right plant in the right place” ethos has inspired generations of gardeners.

The annual RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival revealed a drought-resistant garden in tribute to the late Beth Chatto.

The garden honours the hugely influential plantswoman as it champions her ethos of sustainable planting when gardening in difficult conditions.

Award winning Beth Chatto won 10 consecutive Gold Medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show during the 1970s and 80s. Over her lifetime she published several gardening

books, as well as writing and featuring in numerous books and articles, sharing her deep love and profound knowledge of plants and planting.

Her gardens and nursery are now one of the nation’s favourites and have influenced and inspired a generation of gardeners. They continue to grow and develop with dedicated and knowledgeable staff, many of whom learnt their trade working alongside Beth Chatto.

The drought-resistant garden being unveiled at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival has been designed by Beth Chatto’s Garden and Nursery Director, David Ward who worked alongside Beth Chatto for over 35 years, and features a range of drought-tolerant plants with the aim of encouraging the next generation of gardeners to consider a style of planting that will ensure our gardens are ready for the future.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2019: The last big show of the season

North of England Orchid Society. RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2018. Credit: RHS/Neil Hepworth

Date: 17 July – 21 July 2019 Time: 10am - 6.30pm Venue: Tatton Park, Mereheath Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire The most anticipated garden event in the north of England’s summer calendar returns to its stunning setting in the grounds of the 1,000-acre Tatton deer park in Cheshire. RHS Flower Show Tatton Park has become synonymous with ground-breaking new talent, a focus on urban greening and grow your own inspiration, all set within an

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inclusive, friendly and individual Show.

A host of feature favourites will appear at the 21st show, including glorious Show Gardens, RHS Young Designer Gardens, Back to Backs, School Gardens and an array of famous faces in the Talks Theatre, ensuring that visitors are sure to have a brilliant family day out in the last lazy, hazy days of summer at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

To buy tickets, please visit the RHS website: www.rhs.org.uk/tatton

HORTICULTURE

Healing garden Leading commercial nursery Johnsons of Whixley has teamed up with Sheffield-based Spa Landscaping to create a healing garden at the Royal Derby Hospital.

The new garden, located outside the coronary care unit, will create a beautiful, peaceful place where people can remember their loved ones.

At the opening ceremony, which took place during Dying Matters Week, families, friends and staff planted bulbs in memory of loved ones. Planting ceremonies will be held three times a year to ensure the garden is always in bloom.

Johnsons supplied plants and trees worth almost £3,000 to Spa Landscaping, including hedging transplants Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn), Acer Campestre (Field Maple ) and Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan). The supply also included shrubs Escallonia ‘Donard Radiance’, Viburnum tinus and Acer campestre and Pyrus Chanticleer trees.

Press officer, Mark Swift from Spa Landscaping says: “Naturally, we’re delighted to have been chosen to create such a wonderful and peaceful area for the hospital. It’s been

a joy to witness this project blossom into life and we truly hope the area offers comfort to those who need it most.”

Andrew Barker, amenity sales rep at Johnsons, adds: “As always, it’s great to see the end result of projects we are involved with, especially when it has such a lovely story behind it. We hope the garden brings comfort to those who have lost loved ones for many years to come.”

BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2019 awards BBC Gardeners’ World Live announced the winners of its prestigious Show Garden awards at the NEC which took place in June. Two gardens scooped Platinum Awards, the highest available at the Show.

Designer Alexandra Froggatt was given the top honour for her creation, ‘The Watchmakers Garden’. The garden pays homage to Birmingham, the Show’s host city, by recreating a garden typical of a historic Jewellery Quarter craftsman’s back yard from the 19th century. The build was also named as ‘Best Show Garden’.

Alex’s Watchmaker’s Garden features heritage vegetables in a kitchen garden traditional of the era, as well as cottage garden flowers, naturalistic grasses and rustic paths and fences. The interactive watchmaker’s workshop features artefacts sourced from working jewellers in the district, and

even from the city’s iconic St Paul’s Church, which is nestled in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter.

Worcestershire-based landscapers DesignIt, with designer Lucy Bravington, also picked up a Platinum Award for their ‘High Line’ Show Garden in APL Avenue. Lucy Bravington’s design was based on an elevated New York City park, and mixed naturalistic trees with industrial steel elements. The garden also won ‘Best Construction’.

Elsewhere in the show, both teams battling it out for the Young Landscapers Award, sponsored by Marshalls, achieved Gold Awards, with talented Warwickshire duo Matthew Wood and Sam Gordon narrowly winning the title.

There were other Gold winners across the competition including Gadd Brothers in APL Avenue and ‘Here We go Round the Mulberry Bush’, the Showcase Garden by Hana Leonard. The Home Solutions by John Lewis Garden, supported by The APL, also received a Gold Award.

Alexandra Froggatt, winner of Best Show Garden, said: “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing all your hard work and hours being recognised in such a way. I’m thrilled at how the Show Garden has turned out, as it was an ambitious design. But with the help of my team, my family and the Jewellery Quarter BID, which has supplied the artefacts, we’ve created something really special and I can’t wait to see the visitors exploring and enjoying it.”

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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FEATURE

Five Garden Trends to take from RHS Chelsea Flower Show Nicky Roeber, online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres shares some of his favourite trends that were spotted at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show Outdoor spaces that were almost exclusively green were created using an abundance of lush foliage and green flowers including Tellima grandiflora and euphorbias.

At least two gardens boasted the rare evergreen Trochodendron aralioides. It wasn’t just the plants that were green, either. For example, the Greenfingers Charity Garden had green tiles and pillars, which help to tie the space together beautifully.

To follow this trend, go light on the flowers and, instead, fill the outdoor space with shrubs, long grasses, and ferns.

Painting fences or garden benches green can also help create this monochrome look.

For keen gardeners in the UK, the Chelsea Flower Show is an absolute treasure trove of ideas and inspiration.

It’s something that we all look forward to each year because, not only does it give us a clear picture of which gardening trends are going to be huge over the coming months, but it can also get us very excited about being able to spend more time tending to our plants and lawns now that it’s getting warmer.

Following each Flower Show, I like to make a list of the trends that stood out to me and come up with ways in which I can incorporate my favourites into the design of my outdoor space. Here’s some ideas from this year’s show.

The more trees the better

Green is the magic colour

Of course, most gardens boast a lot of greenery by default. But, at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, the colour was used as more than just a backdrop for flowers and decorative elements: it was actually the hue of choice for many gardeners.

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Many of the gardens at Chelsea this year were inspired by woodlands. The Resilience Garden, designed by Sarah Eberle FSGD, used trees that are resistant to climate change in order to showcase what ‘forests of the future’ are likely to look like.

Andy Sturgeon FSGD also created a woodland look using young trees, ferns, and jewel-like flowers.

The flowering cherry tree Prunus mume ‘Beni-chidori’ makes a beautiful focal point for a small garden. In larger gardens, a native woodland area with a group of rowan or hawthorn trees, and a line of pleached trees around the edge of an urban garden offers an attractive way to mask fences and blur the boundaries.

FEATURE your a living wall is simply to cover it with climbers like ivy, clematis, or roses. Wall shrubs such as Chaenomeles (Japanese quince) or espaliered fruit trees also look lovely trained against a wall, or you can use pots or modular units fixed to the wall and planted with a mix of small evergreen and herbaceous perennials.

Just add water From waterfalls to streams and ponds, there were some impressive water features on show this year. Perhaps Dainty flowers are in According to this year’s show, when it comes to flowers, the daintier the better. In the past, show gardens have displayed large blooms, but now it’s the greenery that comes to the fore with slight accents of colour added using the tiniest blossoms.

Cow parsley proved especially popular this year, thanks to its white frothy flowers that are perfect for adding a charming element to any garden. Designer Andrew Duff combined cow parsley with delicate buttercups on the Savills and David Herber Garden, while Helen Elks-Smith used the ethereal plant to brighten the native hedgerows that wrapped around the central pavilion of her space on the Warner Edwards Gin Garden.

However, as anyone who’s seen it growing by the roadside will know, cow parsley spreads readily and can take over in small gardens so, for a similar effect, try the better-behaved annuals Orlaya grandiflora or Ammi majus.

There are plenty of other flowers that will help you to get this bloom-peppered effect - just remember to go heavy on the greenery and light on the blossoms.

Bring roofs and walls to life At this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, there were an array of living roofs and vertical gardens, as designers saw every surface of their spaces as an opportunity to create something beautiful. For example, Helen Elk-Smith’s garden for Warner’s Gin boasted a vibrant roof covered in sedums, euphorbia, and thyme, while the largest green wall the Chelsea Flower Show has ever seen could be found in Andrew Duff’s design. This was created using a mix of ferns, grasses, ivies, and herbaceous flowering plants.

The simplest way to turn an existing fence or wall into

the most dramatic example was in The Trailfinders “Undiscovered Latin America” Garden created by Jonathan Snow, who incorporated waterfalls that cascaded into a pool below into his design.

Elsewhere, Joe Perkins collaborated with Facebook on a garden to celebrate the positive side of social media, and he estimated that around 30% of the surface area of his garden was covered in water. Because of the subject matter of his garden, he used this water to create movement, and was also inspired by the eroding force of waves, which can change our coastline and the landscape as a whole.

Helen Elks-Smith was inspired by natural springs, which gave her space a calm and more relaxing feel. Her garden was peppered with little water features, and there were streams that flowed quietly throughout. She wasn’t the only gardener that created tranquillity with water, either: Andy Sturgeon also added clear trickling streams to his space, while Tom Hoblyn and Andrew Duff used oasis-like pools to encourage a feeling of calm.

For similar effects take notes from the Chelsea Flower Show’s gardeners by adding an element of movement.

Whether the tranquillity of a stream, or the impact that a waterfall can have, simply adding some water to a garden space gives a new lease of life.

While there were so many other trends that ran through this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, these are the five that stood out to me, and ones I think will catch on in the coming months.

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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ARBORIST

GreenMech Arb 130 proves ‘compact without compromise’ for Castle Trees

A GreenMech Arborist 130 woodchipper has become a key tool in the armoury of Ryan Evans, Owner of Edinburgh’s Castle Trees. Having left a career in the Army after 23 years, Ryan is embarking on a new venture, with his woodchipper delivering the versatility, manoeuvrability and reliability he needs for around-town tree work.

“When I knew I was approaching the end of my army career, I went and worked with another ex-army friend who had established his own tree surgery business - I knew straight away that the physicality and outdoor nature of the work was going to suit me” explains Ryan, who set up Castle Trees last year.

“I used a woodchipper during my time there and was going to invest in the same brand until I looked around, particularly on some online forums, and saw GreenMech machines often coming out on top.”

Ryan had a demonstration of the Arborist 130 model with GreenMech’s Peter Bagguley and was instantly impressed with the chipper’s capabilities.

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“I couldn’t believe the size of some of the material they were putting in, that it was taking so easily in its stride.

Had I not have seen this for myself, I think I would have been cautious processing similar material with a chipper of that size. That performance, combined with the price, meant the Arb 130 met my needs perfectly.” The back-up service from local dealer Henderson’s was the final factor to tip the balance for Ryan, taking delivery of his machine in March.

The chipper is now out most days, handling a variety of brash and woody waste from both large and small domestic projects. “The feed mechanism is great, and the buttons make it very user-friendly. As a small outfit, I can tow the chipper easily with my 4x4 getting in and around tight roads or restricted accesses without a problem.

Importantly though, the size of the machine doesn’t come at the detriment of the performance and to this date, it’s had the power to process anything and everything we’ve put through it. It’s truly compact without the compromise,” finishes Ryan.

ARBORIST

Green-tech supply materials for woodland creation project Wessex Woodland Management recently undertook the creation of a new woodland on the Conholt Park Estate in Hampshire, with the help of Green-tech who supplied the tree planting materials.

The contract was run under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which aims to provide farmers, foresters and land managers with a viable, long-term source of income for delivering environmental benefits on their land. This includes the creation of habitats for wildlife, pollinator plots and increased biodiversity.

Wessex Woodland Management set about to increase woodland cover on the estate and provide wildlife habitats, link together existing clumps of woodland, enhance the general landscape and to provide game cover for the estate shoot in the long term.

Green-tech supplied in the region of 15,000 Tubex tree shelters and 14 rolls of mesh tree guards to cover the project needs. The total area planted was 9.31ha, spread across eight compartments with planting density varying from 1100 to 1600 stems per hectare. The sites were planted with predominantly mixed native broadleaves, which were protected using 1.5m tall Tubex tree shelters. A small element of western red cedar and Norway spruce conifers

were included and these were protected using 0.75m tall Tubex. Holm oak and woody shrubs were protected by 1.2m tall mesh trees guards.

Wessex Woodland Management included hybrid walnut and wild service trees to enhance the species mix and biodiversity. The species mix varied and was dependent upon the soil type and exposure.

Says John Parker from Wessex Woodland Management : “Green-tech supplied the materials at the best price and delivered direct to site. They adhered well to our delivery schedule and met all of our timescales.”

STIHL updates the MSA 161 T STIHL has launched a series of updates to its cordless arborist saw, the MSA 161 T, providing professionals with a more ergonomic and robust tool.

The MSA 161 T is STIHL’s lightweight professional chainsaw that succeeds the MSA 160 T. As well as boasting a 40% higher chain speed (16 m/s), it also delivers a 15% increase in engine performance, making it ideal for removing deadwood, crown maintenance and light reductions. The cordless nature of the tool means that the MSA 161 T is so quiet in operation that any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum The improved MSA 161 T is now designed with three

different trigger combinations that can be used with the new ‘trigger switch lock out’ feature, including a combination ideally suited when performing multiple cuts consecutively.

These new uses have been created to be convenient to operate while also ensuring user safety.

On the updated version, the ergo lever – located under the palm of the hand – has also been enhanced, meaning it can now be fully pushed in flush against the handle, which prevents impact induced damage as well as improving user comfort. Other changes to the MSA 161 T include a revision to the chainbrake with new metal thread screw joints.

Powered by STIHL’s range of 36V AP batteries, the AP 200 battery and AP 300 charger are recommended for the MSA 161 T, which affords professionals an impressive run time of up to 42 minutes on a single charge whilst leaving the saw well balanced. Alternatively, when using STIHL’s AP 300 battery, users can benefit from a 50 minute run time.

• www.stihl.co.uk

The Landscaper | Issue 238 | July 2019

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