On Monday 17 July the City Council’s Cabinet were presented with a report outlining the possibility of Newcastle’s parks and allotments being transferred to a new Parks Charitable Trust, set up specifically for Newcastle.

Cabinet gave their permission for the Council’s parks transformation team to continue working up detailed proposals for a final decision in October 2017. This allows the team further time to scrutinise the financial and operational aspects of the plan.

Earlier this year the council held a comprehensive public consultation and engagement programme that successfully received 4,300 responses online, by post and face-to-face. The proposal is responsive to the views of the public and stakeholders as well as the objectives of the council.

The initiative is an innovative response to a crushing 90% reduction in the council’s parks budget as a result of massive and prolonged Government cuts.

Newcastle City Council are one of the first councils in the country to consider exploring the idea of transferring its parks to a charitable trust. The sole focus would be to provide quality parks for the people of Newcastle. If approved in October, the proposal could attract fresh investment for the city’s parks, recreation grounds and allotments.

The work is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Trust, who would like to explore options for positive long-term solutions for the funding and management of parks and green spaces.

A report will be presented to Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet in October where a final decision will be made about whether to transfer the city’s parks and allotments into a parks charitable trust.

If the proposal is approved then the Charitable Trust could be in place by the spring of 2018.  The Trust would have an openly recruited board to lead and govern the new Charity.

For further information about the work of Newcastle City Council please visit www.newcastle.gov.uk. You can also follow the City Council on social media via @NewcastleCityCouncil (Facebook) and @NewcastleCC (Twitter).

Also to learn about the work of the Heritage Lottery Fund please visit www.hlf.org.uk and for the National Trust please click www.nationaltrust.org.uk

TV legends John Craven and Charlie Dimmock are to open the 2017 Southport Flower Show, partnered by Everest.

The popular broadcasters will formally declare the start the four-day seaside event on Thursday 17 August.

They join a line-up of celebrities at Southport which includes some of Britain’s best-known gardening experts and stars of Children’s TV Justin Fletcher and Mr Bloom.

Both John and Charlie are household names with careers spanning decades and are still entertaining audiences on top-rated TV shows.

John has been a regular fixture on the BBC since he first presented John Craven’s Newsround in 1972. He started presenting Countryfile in 1989 and still hosts the programme today.

He said: “This will be my first time at Southport, and I’m thrilled for the opportunity to speak at the Celebrity Theatre.

“I have always heard wonderful things about the show and the quality of the gardens and displays, so I also can’t wait to see what Southport has to offer.”

Charlie shot to fame in the 1990’s as part of the presenting team for the hit BBC show Ground Force.

She went on to star in a string of gardening programmes and reality shows, and returned to TV screens last year with a new BBC1 show Garden Rescue.

Charlie will be returning to Southport for the first time in 18 years as she was a celebrity guest in 1999 when she was presenting Ground Force.

More than 50,000 visitors are expected at Southport, the UK’s largest independent flower show, which runs from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 August.

As well as the famous floral displays, the show has a packed programme of family entertainment including a Minecraft fan convention and top stars from children’s TV.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park is taking place this week (19 – 23 July) and HTA and APL members have been showcasing their skills in the floral marquee and gardens.

APL members Warnes-McGarr finally got the coveted GOLD that they have been working towards, and also took home the Best Future Spaces Garden and Best Construction Awards.

The awards are as follows:

GOLD, Best Future Spaces Garden and Best Construction Award

Cactus Direct: 2101

Designed by Michael McGarr

Built by Warnes-McGarr

Sponsored by Cactus-Direct.co.uk

GOLD

Business & Pleasure

Designed by Jake Curley

Built by Evergreen Cheshire Ltd

SILVER

Gabriel Ash Greenhouse Garden

Designed by Lilly Gomm

Built by Urban Landscapes

Sponsored by Gabriel Ash

SILVER

Arrange: Rearrange Countryside Garden

Designed by Young Planting Designer – Anna Rhodes

Built by Young Landscape Contractor – Joshua McDonnell, Bespoke Outdoor Spaces

Sponsored by BALI

HTA Members who have won medals in the Floral and Roses Marquees include:

GOLD – Cook’s Garden Centre

GOLD – Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants

SILVER-GILT – Fryer’s Roses of the Blue Diamond Group

Fryer’s Roses also launched a new rose at the show on behalf of the former and current Mayor of Knutsford, Councillor Jan Nicholson and Councillor Neil Forbes. The rose celebrates the continuity of the Mayoral role, not only in Knutsford, but in the UK.

For more information on the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park and to view the full list of award winners, visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-flower-show-tatton-park

Stewart Plant Sales, the construction and ground care equipment division of Scot JCB, has been appointed as the Baroness UK dealer for central and southern Scotland.

Based in Glasgow and run by Groundcare manager Richard Green, the company also distributes Kioti compact tractors and utility vehicles, Trilo collection systems and blowers as well as Atlas Copco products. It provides technical support via a team of mobile engineers, providing a comprehensive service and parts back up from five local depots across the territory.

Commenting on their appointment, director Iain Bryant said: “We are delighted with our appointment as Baroness dealers for central and southern Scotland as the equipment is highly regarded within the industry and we look forward to growing market share within the territory.”

Baroness UK business development manager Jim Whitton added: “Scotland is a tough and demanding market and we were looking for a dealer partner that had a proven track record of delivering unrivalled service support across Scotland and the sales expertise and market experience to offer a truly consultative approach to the golf and sports ground customers.”

“We are fortunate to be able to partner with Stewart Plant Sales whose significant aftersales resources will prove to be a key differentiator in the professional groundscare industry in Scotland”.

Baroness’s core brand values are simplicity of design, functionality, focus on materials, manufacturing quality control together with an emphasis on machinery strength and reliability; the result is that Baroness units have the lowest whole life costs of any unit in the market. A fact underpinned by a full three-year manufacturer warranty on all ride-on units and a five-year warranty on all hand mowers.

A declaration has been signed by the City of London Corporation and the Ancient Tree Forum to promote the conservation of the UK’s ancient trees and encourage others to do the same.

The declaration was signed at Epping Forest, which was hosting the Ancient Tree Forum’s annual summer conference [13/14 July], where experts discussed how to protect the UK’s ancient trees through legislation and new strategies for fighting the country’s tree diseases and declining soil health.

Epping Forest itself is home to 55,000 ancient trees, more than any other single site in the country. They are centuries old and some of its Beeches may have been growing there since Anglo-Saxon times, representing some of the oldest living plants in Europe, irreplaceable and rare.

Philip Woodhouse, chairman of the Epping Forest Management Committee said: “The conference was a great success and it was an excellent opportunity to discuss the health and well-being of these hugely important trees.

“The timing of the signing of the declaration couldn’t be better because the City of London Corporation is celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Forest Charter this year. This Charter protected ancient rights of ordinary citizens in the Forest, which helped to maintain the ancient trees for centuries and eventually ensured the survival of the Forest in the 19^th Century, when the City of London stepped in to save it for the nation.

“The Epping Forest and Commons Committee are planning a float at the Lord Mayor’s show to further raise awareness of the Forest Charter and the trees.”

Some of Epping Forest’s ancient trees were around when Magna Carta and its sister document, the Forest Charter were signed, through the Reformation; the Spanish Armada and the English Civil War and, of course two world wars. Some of the ancient Oaks would have even “witnessed” Henry VIII visiting his new hunting lodge in Epping Forest over 450 years ago.

The City of London Corporation manages over 11,000 acres of green space across London and south east England, including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath and Burnham Beeches, with many of its sites designated National nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest for their unique ecology and rare plant species.

Epping Forest is London and Essex’s largest open space, attracting nearly 5 million visits a year.

re-form Landscape Architecture is set to expand into new office space in Manchester on the back of a series of new project wins and the promotion to director of David Livesey, who heads up the Manchester studio.

David will now be a shareholder in the company, which formed in 2011, with a remit to grow the Manchester team which is set to move from The Hive on Lever Street in the Northern Quarter, to 921ft² space at Beehive Mill in Ancoats.

Andrew Price, director at re-form, commented: “David’s promotion is both in recognition of his contribution to the practice to date, and our commitment to our Manchester studio. We’ve established a fantastic team in the city who are working on some great projects in the city centre and across the North-West, and now is the right time to move into a larger space which can accommodate our future growth.”

re-form recently celebrated a number of major project wins in the North-West. It has been appointed as part of the design team to create a development framework for the University of Salford and Salford City Council which includes a future vision for the wider area.

Working alongside 5plus Architects, the team will review the university’s entire estate at Peel Park and develop a vision for one city district covering 244 acres, connecting with surrounding neighbourhoods.

re-form also helped Belgravia Living and Evans Property Group secure planning for the next phase of Piccadilly Basin, including a luxury nine-storey hotel, residential building and large public space adjacent to the Rochdale Canal. The scheme will improve pedestrian links between the canal and Ducie Street, and create a new communal place at the canalside with seating, shared spaces and a series of ‘rain gardens’ to sustainably manage surface run-off. Work is due to start on site in August 2017.

Work is also set to start on two new public spaces for Wigan Council which will deliver a major part of the authority’s long-term streetscape improvement strategy, and on new public realm at Lawson’s Quay, a new high-quality village environment for students and a new gateway at the northern edge of Lancaster.

David Livesey, director at re-form Landscape Architecture in Manchester, commented: “Moving into new office space will enable us to harness opportunities presented by a growing number of major projects in the region. More than ever, developers and those working in the built environment realise the benefits of incorporating high quality public realm to create a place, and not just a building, for the people who live, work and play in our cities and towns. “

RMA has been selected as part of Caroe Architecture’s multi-disciplinary team for the delivery of an exciting project at St Marylebone Church, London.

The £8.5 million, Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)-supported scheme, which is in the early stages of development, provides new community facilities through enlargement of the crypt space, and a new pavilion entrance opening on to the public gardens. St Marylebone is a Grade 1 listed historic building, dating from 1813 to a design by Thomas Hardwick.

Our landscape design will create a flexible, welcoming green space that transforms the churchyard garden into a more useable place relating better to the church building, with opportunities to wander through it and linger.

Robert Myers said: “Besides providing settings for significant buildings, these precincts are used for informal recreation, quiet reflection, outdoor liturgy and walking routes through the city, as well as larger events and gatherings. As a result, there are many day-to-day, practical demands on the space. RMA is experienced in resolving these issues in an inspirational and original way.”

Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most harmful bacterial plant diseases in the world. It can cause severe losses in a wide range of hosts and there would be a massive impact on the plant trade across all business sectors in the event of an outbreak in the UK.

An outbreak of this disease, where several different plants are infected, will trigger immediate stock destruction within 100 metres and a movement ban of host plants within a 10km radius for up to five years. This will dramatically and immediately affect most plant selling operations, as well as impacting on all businesses dealing in plants within the 10km zone. Gardens could also be affected.

What should businesses do to stop it coming into the UK?

Only buy potential host plants from trusted plant passported suppliers who know where their plants come from. We strongly recommend that potential host plants are not sourced from or near regions where there have been findings of Xylella fastidiosa. Current demarcated areas can be seen at: http://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/plant/docs/ph_biosec_legis_list-demarcated-union-territory_en.pdf

The list of host plants is growing and includes many popular garden and landscape plants, such as lavender, rosemary, oak and many others. The current list of confirmed hosts is at: https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/legislation/emergency_measures/Xylella-fastidiosa/susceptible_en

What happens if the disease is found in the UK?

The full emergency measures imposed at EU level are only triggered when the disease has spread and there is an outbreak. The full emergency measures are not triggered if the disease is found on a single plant or within a batch of plants and is diagnosed and contained before it spreads. This is known as an interception. Stock will still be destroyed in this circumstance but the movement ban is very unlikely to come in force.

Several wholesale nurseries have signed up to plant sourcing statements such as the one below:

“The following nurseries have taken the decision NOT to knowingly purchase any host plants originating from regions where the disease Xylella is known to exist. The decision has been taken after detailed consideration as to the potential catastrophic impact the introduction of the disease could have to the UK environment, coupled with the ever increasing number of host plant genera of this disease. This is in line with DEFRA’s good practice recommendations.”

For the full list of nurseries signed up to the statement, please click here.

Wicksteed Park, near Kettering in Northamptonshire, has received initial support of £1.89m, made possible by National Lottery players, to transform the historic heart of the Park, showcase its heritage, and enhance the enjoyment of play in line with the original vision of its founder, Charles Wicksteed.

Wicksteed Park was originally established as a safe and free park for the families and children of Kettering, a philanthropic gesture by engineer Charles Wicksteed during the First World War. It was one of the UK’s first leisure parks and continues to be operated by the Wicksteed Charitable Trust.

In the past, lack of funding has prevented the Park from reaching its full potential as a heritage and learning resource for the local community and the large number of visitors who use the Park. The intention of the @Play project is to restore it to its former glory.

Thanks to the support from National Lottery players the @Play project will invite people to learn about the heritage of the park and the importance of play. The project will complement the restoration of the central Piazza and Precinct which will provide an improved welcome to the park. A substantial education and learning programme will also be delivered in the form of inventive events and activities.

Jonathan Platt, head of HLF East Midlands, said: “As one of the UK’s first leisure parks Wicksteed has a particularly interesting history, and has played a significant role for the local community over the years. This latest investment, made possible by National Lottery players, builds on a previous HLF project to restore the Lake and we are delighted to support the Park’s latest exciting project.”

Oliver Wicksteed, chairman of the Wicksteed Charitable Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has recognised the potential of Wicksteed Park and has signalled its intention to offer grant support for our project. We know from our own surveys that over 90% of visitors rate the importance of the history and heritage of the Park as high or very high.

“Our project builds on the extraordinary legacy of Charles Wicksteed and extends beyond the Recreation Park he created. As an entrepreneur and innovator Charles was also an inventor and respected successful engineer.

“The @Play project not only secures this legacy but creates new opportunities to engage both existing and future generations with the park and its place within the local community and the history of play.”

The plans also include:

• Conservation and capital works, including restoration of the Pavilion, Verandah walkway, and Rose Garden;
• Returning inappropriate paths and access roads near the Pavilion to parkland and pedestrian areas;
• Creation of a Heritage Play Area, featuring original or replica Wicksteed play equipment;
• Delivering a Festival of Play with a national focus to celebrate play in all its forms;
• Introduce new volunteering activities through the development of our Volunteers network and a new cohort of volunteer Park explainers and hosts to tell people about the history of the Park;
• Run an Innovation Awards competition for inventions with a social or environmental benefit;
• An annual programme of engaging heritage and community events diversifying audiences and animating the park’s rich cultural and social heritage;
• Creating a sculpture trail (recreating iconic images from the park’s archives), with interactive sculpture and way markers.

This announcement follows the news that both Northamptonshire County Council and Kettering Borough Council have also confirmed funding support for the project.

Home to a large lake, sports pitches, a rose garden, play areas, an animal farm and even its own herd of Highland cattle, Graves Park has been a joy for Sheffielders for almost a century.

And now, improvements are well underway at Graves, Sheffield’s largest park, following the sale of a derelict cottage on the edge of its boundary.

The sale of Cobnar Cottage, plus additional funding, meant that Sheffield City Council had almost £300k to spend on making Graves Park the very best it can be. Meanwhile, the cottage – which was formerly in a very poor state of repair – has now been sympathetically restored.

Improvements in progress across the park include creating new outdoor field shelters at the animal farm, installing new play equipment, revamping toilet facilities near the bowling green, and upgrading the tennis courts to make them fit for use once again.

Councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure at Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s great to hear that the money from the sale of Cobnar Cottage is already making a big difference to Graves Park.

“It is no secret that we as an authority are under huge budget pressures, and we are very limited in the money that we can put into our city’s much-loved parks.

“This money is improving Graves Park and making it an even more enjoyable and accessible place for people of all ages to enjoy.”

Works on the tennis courts are being carried out in conjunction with the Lawn Tennis Association, and will see the courts brought up to the standard of other recently-revamped tennis courts in the city, such as those at Hillsborough and High Hazels parks.

It is hoped that improvements at the courts, free tennis coaching sessions and an accompanying new booking system, will encourage more people from across Sheffield to take up tennis.

Meanwhile, improvements to play facilities at the Cobnar Road playground – also known as Woodseats Playground – and also near the Rose Garden Cafe, will provide better-quality facilities at Graves for all the family.

David Kemp, chair of the Friends of Woodseats Playground – Graves Park, said: “We’re very pleased to see the improvements that Sheffield City Council has undertaken in Graves Park.

“The Friends of Woodseats Playground – Graves Park has been formed with the aim of developing Woodseats Playground into a friendly, fun area that will benefit everyone in the local community.

“We are committed to further park improvements, and look forward to continuing to work with Sheffield City Council and in engaging with other partners and supporters, to create a local park that we can all enjoy and be proud of.”

At Graves Park Animal Farm – which has sadly been the victim of criminal damage in recent months – new field shelters have been built to give the animals somewhere warmer to sleep.

Graves is the largest of more than 90 parks in Sheffield. Together, the city has 800 or so green spaces, making up more than 3,602 hectares of open space.

This is in addition to the announcement earlier this year that Sheffield is investing a huge £1.5m in its parks over the next three years, against a national background of austerity and budget cuts.

The money, £500k a year for the next three financial years, will go towards improving parks and play facilities in the communities that need it the most. Some of the money will also go towards recruiting four new apprentices, to work across Sheffield City Council’s parks and countryside service and learn the job from the ground up.

Councillor Lea added: “We in Sheffield are proud of our green and open spaces. From huge city parks through to ancient woodlands, open fields and urban playgrounds, we have much to cherish and enjoy.

“We also know that green spaces are important for people getting out in the fresh air and becoming active, whether that’s through walking, running, cycling or just playing.

“And that’s why we’re putting this extra money into parks and green spaces in the areas of the city that most need it.”

At RHS Tatton Park Flower Show this year, Hartley Botanic’s beautiful, handmade (and RHS recommended) greenhouses and glasshouses are framed by romantic, orderly plantings evocative of grand stately gardens and estates. The Lancashire-based manufacturer’s tradestand has been designed and built by landscape and garden maintenance company Base Squared who took inspiration for the external plantings on the stand from Tatton Park itself, and from the gardens of large family homes surrounding the Italian lakes.

As well as fitting in seamlessly with the backdrop of Tatton Park, the beautiful theme provides a distinct gardening style which joins three equally individual planting schemes within the greenhouses themselves; including an edible display, a colourful bedding plant design and a tropical ‘hot house’ collection. The distinct themes are all unified by a single objective, to inspire current and potential greenhouse owners about the growing potential afforded by this most expansive of gardening tools, which can be tailored to personal gardening styles or planting passions.

The Hartley Botanic tradestand features five handmade greenhouses and glasshouses with an external planting scheme designed to reflect a structured, formal garden. Topiary specimens and carpinus betulus fastigiata gives structural definition to the overall scheme infilled with lower symmetrical planting (including lavender, hydrangea and roses.)

Dressed to reflect a greenhouse enjoyed by a potential foodie and edible grower, the Hartley Planthouse features a mix of salads, herbs, tomatoes, fruits and vegetables. The scheme includes plants at different stages of development and offers a snapshot of a working, practical greenhouse.

The Hartley Botanic Grange glasshouse on the tradestand features a colourful display of bedding plants, including geraniums, gazanias and begonias. The look is both vibrant and focused, suggesting a greenhouse owner with a passion for growing bedding plants to dress, not only their home, but also their glasshouse with varieties trailing artistically over staging and shelving (petunias and lobelias.)

Green-tech has announced that it has a new distributor agreement with Belchim Crop Protection to sell Katoun® Gold; an innovative product to the weed management market.

Katoun® Gold contains Pelargonic Acid; which is found in plants and naturally dries out weeds. It works by destroying the cuticle and damaging the cell membrane, causing dehydration within hours – a really effective natural weed management solution.

This new product complements Green-tech’s weed management product range which includes a wide range of herbicides and fertilisers; and offers their customer base even more choice.

Katoun® Gold is a contact product for use on amenity vegetation (bare soil around trees and woody shrubs).  It can be applied throughout the year, although optimum results will be achieved when the weather is bright with higher temperatures.

Chris Swan, technical and training manager commented: “I am delighted to be working with Belchim Crop Protection and the addition of this product further enhances our distributor agreement with them. We are continually looking for new products and solutions that are effective, cost-saving and above all meet our customer’s needs and support the landscape environment; Katoun® Gold fits this criteria perfectly.”

One of the UK’s leading specialist design and build play company, TouchWood Play, has completed a three-year project to create bespoke play equipment for William’s Den, a brand new, £3m indoor-meets-outdoor play adventure, in North Cave, Yorkshire.

Believed to be the UK’s largest-ever bespoke indoor timber play experience, owners Christian and Tor Carver, who both grew up on farms, describe William’s Den as a ‘nostalgic nod’ to a bygone era of child’s play where children were free to explore and play in natural surroundings.

William’s Den includes a 475m2 play barn in which TouchWood’s specialist design team has brought the outside-in, to enable children to play, whatever the British weather has to offer. The bespoke play features include a 25m granite installation, complete with a cascading stream and pool, a rainmaker to simulate a rain shower, a unique six metre high Ancient Oak linked to a tree house, which incorporates swings, balancing pole branches, bridges and a three metre slide off a deck down into a sandpit below. To emulate the great outdoors, the barn is filled with natural light from huge windows and plenty of fresh air from huge sliding doors.

In the extensive outdoor play area, kids have plenty of space to jump and roll around freely. They can choose to fly on a 50m zip wire, get practical in the den making area or get musical on pieces of sculpted wood, which TouchWood’s team has carefully carved and tuned to a pentatonic scale.

Touchwood’s founder Joe Cooper said: “This has been the most incredible, large-scale project we have ever worked on.  Our team has had their own three-year creative adventure to help Tor and Christian fulfil their vision.  We are all extremely proud to have been a part of this ground-breaking, multi-sensory project and are delighted it has been so much enjoyed by the first children to visit.”

Tor Carver, William’s Den co-founder said: “TouchWood’s team of designers and craftsmen have enabled us to realise our dream to create something very special, which will help children learn through active play. William’s Den inspires and challenges children with a natural play experience, giving them freedom and space to play inside and out, whatever the weather. It’s the stuff our childhood memories are made from.”

Christian Carver co-founder, said: “William’s Den will be a place where children can run, splash, jump and climb their way to the ‘best day ever’. We want kids to have freedom to play outside, get lots of fresh air, always finishing their day at William’s Den with rosy cheeks and big smiles.”

Williams Den opened at the end of June and is already attracting visitors from around the UK and overseas.  For more information about William’s Den visit www.williamsden.co.uk.

Garden design and landscape consultancy Warnes McGarr & Co won a coveted gold medal, as well as the Best Future Spaces and Best Construction awards at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, held from 19-23 July.

Its eye-catching futuristic show garden – known as the Cactus-direct.co.uk 2101 garden – features 150cm high cactus and 60cm wide barrel cactus, as well as corroded steel structures.

The garden was launched 18 July, on press and judging day, with a set from rock band Deep Shade, before BBC Gardeners’ World presenters Monty Don and Joe Swift took over the garden to do some filming for their RHS Tatton special.

Set in the Future Spaces area at RHS Tatton Park, 2101 raises awareness of global warming by highlighting how our gardens will change in the future. By planting desert and drought-tolerant planting, the garden demonstrates how native British plants could become extinct very quickly, with our traditional gardens resembling those of Southern California.

Director and garden designer Michael John McGarr, who is opening a new studio near Knutsford later this year, said: “We’re incredibly pleased to have achieved a gold medal, as well as the Best Future Spaces and Best Construction awards. Our team has worked so hard for the last three weeks, so it’s fantastic to see the garden look exactly as we imagined it, and even better to see how much everyone enjoyed it.

“The Cactus-direct.co.uk 2101 garden demonstrates everything we are as garden designers – we like to think a little differently, we always want to create something awe-inspiring and we only work with the absolute best products and the best craftsmanship, so we’re incredibly pleased this was reflected in our awards.”

The garden design and message has been supported by Dr Carly McLachlan, director of Tyndall Manchester, a climate change research centre at the University of Manchester. She said: “The 2101 garden offers an alternative and exciting way to engage visitors with the impacts of climate change as well as providing a space to reflect on what we can all do now to limit the worst impacts of changes in the future – including modifying our own behaviours and pressing for local, national and global action through our councillors and MPs.”

Stand-out large specimen desert planting includes 150cm tall Polaskia Chichipe cacti, and large 60cm-wide Echinocactus Grusonii planted in discarded chemical barrels.

Trees that are flourishing in the warmer climate include: Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine); Alnus glutinosa (Common elder) and Betula nigra (River birch).

Tropical trees and large plants that are growing and thriving in 2101 include: Yucca filifera; Yucca rostrata; Yucca glorisoa; Trithrinax campestris; Nannorrhops richinana and Butia odorata. In addition to this, drought-resistant meadow planting provides colour and texture.

A corroded steel spherical structure creates shade for grapevines to grow, in contrast to today where they would require a greenhouse to create warmth. Another conical corroded steel structure also houses edible planting to create shade and shelter for the plants.

Large cactus supplier Cactus-Direct.co.uk is the headline sponsor, and other supporting sponsors include Casa Ceramica, Rectory Plants, The Tropical Plant Company, Brooks Brothers and the University Technical College Wigan with Farm Urban.

http://www.warnes-mcgarr.co.uk

Image credit: RHS / Tim Sandall

The benefits of battery powered garden equipment are endless, particularly when it comes to the professional sector. They are the less noise, fuss and fumes alternative and are tackling their petrol rivals head on.

For professional users, perhaps one of the greatest benefits is reduced vibration, making gardening tools more comfortable to use, particularly when operating for extended periods of time. They are, therefore, rapidly becoming the power source of choice for landscapers and local authorities in parks, gardens and golf courses, to name just a few.

Faced with a rising tide of litigation from sufferers of Hand-Arm-Vibrations (HAV), white finger and other vibration causing conditions, an increasing number of major ground-care professionals are switching to battery power and shunning traditional petrol engines.

“Contractors have been talking to us in increasing numbers as they identify the fact that our equipment vibrates at considerably lower levels than many of the petrol alternatives currently being used. In fact, for most of our tools the vibration levels are under the 2.5m/s2 exposure action value limit (EAV) limit, and well below the exposure limit value (ELV), allowing for all day safe use by a single operator,” says Steve Roskell, European marketing director for EGO Power+.

Aside from the health benefits, battery powered products also create a more enjoyable workplace. Extended usage of noisy equipment can lead to an increase in work-related stress.

“Our innovative products offer a host of additional user benefits such as lower noise levels, zero emissions, ease of starting, long run times, and lower running and servicing costs. It is the combination of these and the virtual elimination of vibrations that makes EGO the products of choice for professionals. Cordless technology is the future in the wider amenity sector that involves operators using or working with hand-held vibrating machinery; all with the added freedom to work exhaust and emission free,” continues Steve.

To support its professional users EGO has strengthened its offering to them. Alongside its core products for domestic users, EGO has introduced an innovative backpack battery that keeps working relentlessly all-day long. It can provide a full day’s usage off a single charge, and recharges from flat in just four hours. Also benefiting from a backpack for comfortable extended usage, is the EGO LB6000E blower for big jobs that require big power. The backpack blower has the incredible ability to blow over 1020m³ of air per hour so leaves won’t stand a chance! It can run for up to two hours and has a padded adjustable harness for maximum operator comfort.

EGO’s intelligent battery has a unique design, giving the user all the power to get the job done, whilst freeing users from health, musculoskeletal and hearing problems caused by exposure to vibrations, noise and petrol fumes. All EGO batteries are interchangeable across the entire EGO range and feature the brand’s innovative patented Arc-Lithium design and “Keep Cool” cell technology.

The EGO Power+ range is available through Henton & Chattell’s nationwide dealer network.

For more information visit www.egopowerplus.co.uk.

A brand new English-medium primary school in Tenby is approaching the end of its first year after being officially opened by the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Welsh Assembly.

Kirsty Williams AM officially opened the new Tenby Church in Wales VC Primary School, which, with the new Welsh-medium Ysgol Hafan y Mor nearby, represent an £8.4 million investment in education in the town.

Both were built under the 21st Century Schools Programme – a collaboration between Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government, who are splitting the funding.

They replace the Tenby VC and Tenby Junior schools and cater for children aged between three and 11.

The Tenby Church in Wales school has 54 nursery and 252 reception to Year 6 pupils on roll, but can accommodate up to 380 under head teacher John Palmer.

The council’s own in-house architect team designed the new state-of-the-art school, which was built by West Wales contractor Andrew Scott Ltd with fencing from Wolverhampton manufacturer Zaun Ltd, installed by Binns Fencing.

The school contains a Learning Resource Centre for specialist provision in the Tenby area and a spacious playground and school field to develop the strong traditions of sporting provision and achievement at Tenby.

Zaun supplied its Duo8 fencing to make a secure perimeter, sports fencing and decorative Bowtop Play railings around the playground, which adhere to RoSPA standards.

On Wednesday 16 August 2017 HMYOI Polmont will host Cultivating Futures, a national exhibition of decorative planters and pallets on the theme of the environment, aimed at showcasing the creativity and horticultural skills of individuals in custody across Scotland. This inaugural and innovative event is presented in partnership with Trellis, the national Scottish charity for therapeutic gardening.

Prisoners from 10 Scottish Prison Service prisons, from Grampian in the north to Dumfries in the south, have developed a range of high quality exhibits using a wide variety of skills gained whilst in custody. These skills include gardening, wood work, metal work, recycling, numeracy and literacy.

The Cultivating Futures project has also allowed participants to increase their confidence and self-esteem, improving their social and emotional health through the creation of finished products which are practical, of strong design and composed predominantly of living plant material. Prisoners have been fully involved in the planning, design and construction of all exhibits to be shown on the day, including the title(s) of the individual exhibits.

Each of the 10 prisons will display 1 planter and 1 pallet in line with a design drawn up by the Scottish Gardeners Forum. The exhibits will:

• be 1m in width x 1m depth x 2m in height,
• contain overhanging plant material of no more than 15cm,
• be designed to be viewed from a distinguishable front,
• comprise predominantly living plant material with minimal hard/soft landscaping components, and
• provide a brief overview of the exhibit including the names of plants used.

The event will be formally opened by SPS chief executive Colin McConnell at 12.00 on the above date. The event will be attended by management and staff from the SPS and Trellis, as well as representatives from a wide range of partners who support both organisations in their work.

Thereafter, the exhibits will be on show in a prominent location within HMYOI Polmont to allow the widest range of fellow prisoners, visitors and staff to view them before they are donated to public and third sector organisations (such as schools and care homes) in the localities of the prisons taking part in the exhibition.

The event will be attended by national and local media/press and will feature on SPS and Trellis Twitter and Facebook sites.

In view of the anticipated success of this, the first, Cultivating Futures event, it is expected that other SPS prisons will host similar events in future years.

LazyLawn^® carried out an extensive transformation which included 300 square metres of Wonder Yarn 26mm, the winner of the Which? Best Buy Award for artificial grass in 2016, along with fencing, a sand pit, a dog pond and a dog tunnel at the Berwick Animal Rescue Centre.

The new play area was opened last month and has so far been a great success with the rescue dogs.

Jan Ross, manager of the Berwick Animal Rescue Centre, said: “Before the installation it was like a waste land, rough grass, very muddy and unsuitable for use for most of the year. The new play area looks fantastic. The dogs enjoy rolling around on the soft artificial grass and there is also the benefit of lots of regular off lead exercise, no matter what the weather.

“Having such a lovely place for potential owners and dogs to meet can only help the rehoming process along. Being able to disinfect the area is a huge asset and will help in reducing the spread of diseases.

“We chose LazyLawn® because of their reputation as a professional artificial grass installer. Their service, advice and guidance have been excellent throughout the whole process.”

Billy Steedman, from LazyLawn® Scotland who designed the area and worked closely with the rescue centre on the project, said: “This was a large and fun project to work on and the end result looks fantastic. We were pleased to attend the launch day at the centre where we could see first-hand the dog’s phenomenal reactions to their new and exciting play area.

“LazyLawn® is perfect for pets as it is non-toxic and hygienic. It does not discolour as a result of urine and waste. LazyLawn® is also resistant to damage by animals compared to natural turf.

“LazyLawn® only requires low maintenance, so it is an easy solution to replace muddy worn out areas. This makes it ideal for play and exercise areas at animal rescue centres and kennels, as well as gardens, to allow pets to play all year round and keep indoor areas and houses free from mucky paws. But most importantly the pets love the artificial grass!”

LazyLawn® also supplies its own non-toxic deodorizers called Peeclenz and Poopclenz, which are ideal for pet owners and animal rescue centres to neutralise pet odours.

This LazyLawn® project in Berwick-upon-Tweed was installed by the LazyLawn® Scotland team. LazyLawn® is available throughout the UK.

For more information about LazyLawn®, please call 0800 023 2343 or visit www.lazylawn.co.uk. Alternatively, visit the LazyLawn® Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lazylawn/, or follow @lazylawn on Twitter.

The National Trust at Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey near Ripon, North Yorkshire, is preparing to restore an important element of its 300-year-old Georgian garden with the help of a local nursery.

Since 1983 Johnsons of Whixley, based in York, has been supplying specimen container grown hedging plants to the World Heritage Site to replace its yew ‘bosquet’ hedges which have become overgrown causing them to lose their formal appearance.

The work is part of a massive programme of works that has been taking place at the Studley Royal water garden. Since taking over the site from North Yorkshire CC in 1983, the estate has invested millions of pounds in its work to safeguard this unique garden which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.

The first phase of work in the water garden started in 1985, working to restore the Moon Ponds and Grand Canal. After working in other areas of the site the Trust has returned to the central water garden area to reinstate some of the detailing which has been lost to the passages of time.

Following 18^th century precedent seen in paintings from that era and visitor accounts, the Trust has just repainted its suite of lead statues; it will also be re-instating large planters, commissioning new seating for the temples and carving out shell-shaped gravel scalloping in the lawns.

A bosquet is a group or plantation of trees and shrubs, often planted in straight lines or geometric shapes; they can be but not always are surrounded by formal hedges (green walls) or paths of gravel.

Influenced by late 17^th century French fashion for formality the garden makers at Studley Royal used bosquets throughout the water garden using English yew as their favoured hedging plant.

The current overgrown, and in some places dying yew ‘bosquet’ hedge which is just over 800 metres in length, will be removed from the garden in autumn/winter 2018 and replaced with specially selected 125cm specimen container plants, which will be planted in the garden in 2019.

The specimen container plants, which were planted in October 2016, are currently growing and being nurtured at Johnsons’ Newlands nursery, and have already started to take shape. At the end of April the plants were shaped and another trim will be undertaken later this year.

If required, stock may be transferred into air pots to stimulate root development and returned to Johnsons’ Thornville site.

Group director Graham Richardson from Johnsons of Whixley, said: “We’re delighted to be working again at Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey, and are excited to be helping to restore such a beautiful garden which has so much of Yorkshire’s history behind it.

“We have a long history of working closely with the National Trust and a proven track record of delivering to a precise specification that produces an effective result. Growing large hedges is a genuine horticultural challenge where attention to detail is critical throughout the process.”

Head of landscape at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Michael Ridsdale, said: “The yew bosquet is a key feature of the landscape here in the water garden. We’re pleased to be working with Johnsons of Whixley to grow new yew trees specifically for the project we have in mind, it means we can grow them to an appropriate size off-site before planting, which significantly reduces the impact of the work on the landscape.”

The new luxury £4m touring and glamping resort Love2Stay, near Shrewsbury, has opened to guests from around the UK and Europe, who are taking advantage of the summer weather and enjoying the stunning, state-of-the-art, natural, chemical free, swimming pool at the heart of the development.

The Love2Stay is owned by Salop Leisure, one of the UK’s premier caravan and leisure companies. The resort, situated on the edge of the market town of Shrewsbury in 22 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, offers visitors a luxurious natural retreat, with accommodation in either glamping Safari style lodges or 120 touring caravan pitches. There are panoramic views across to Wales from on one side and over to the Shropshire Hills from the other.

The 432m squared natural swimming pool at the centre of the resort has been designed and built by Poolscape Ltd in collaboration with multiple RHS Gold Medal winning landscape design practice, MOSAIC.

The team used the very latest pool technology from Austrian natural pool specialists BIOTOP, whose founder and chairman Peter Petrich, flew in to see the finished pool and perform the official opening for swimmers.  The bespoke pool design provides swimmers with crystal clear, chemical free water, which is naturally filtered by BIOTOP’s market leading skimmer and filtration technology.

Creating a public space natural swimming pool requires considerable expertise to ensure the clarity of the water for a larger number of swimmers. BIOTOP was the company that invented the first commercial natural swimming pools in Austria more than 30 years ago.

The company is the world’s market leader, having built more than 5,000 private and public natural swimming pools around the globe, including the UK’s first public one in 2015, at the King’s Cross Development in London.

The natural pool design also incorporates a stunning 230m square planted regeneration zone filled with more than 250 mature water lilies and a naturalistic marginal zone, which has been planted with more than 400 native reeds and rushes to create the appearance of a natural lake at the centre of the resort. The pool is flanked on three sides by spacious cedar decking edged and surrounded by soft, textural herbaceous borders.

Poolscape is a UK partner of BIOTOP and its team worked with Mr Petrich to design a completely new, concealed deep water chamber which enables the swimming area to remain at a safe 1.4m deep.

Peter Petrich said: “We are delighted to see the finished pool which looks incredible within this innovative glamping concept which has the environment at its core. We worked alongside our partner Poolscape to create this stunning design, using our latest natural filter technology, which was tailor-made to work with the water volume and the larger number of swimmers for a public space.

“The water is crystal clear and is naturally reaching temperatures of around 20 degrees already. It’s great to see swimmers enjoying the feeling of swimming in a natural lake and being at one with nature.”

Mark Bebb, Salop Leisure’s managing director, said: “The BIOTOP pool was always going to be a stunning centrepiece at the heart of this state of the art glamping and caravanning resort.  The ethos of Love2Stay is focusing on health and nature, but in a luxurious way!

“The pool has created a real wow factor for our guests as it is already looking beautiful. And what’s great is it will continue to get evolve over the years as all the plants around it mature. We wanted the Rolls Royce of natural swimming pools for our guests and we are delighted with it and so pleased Peter Petrich was able to come over and officially open it for us.”

For further information about Love2Stay visit www.love2stay.co.uk or for BIOTOP Natural Pools please visit www.bio.top