Green-tech proud to donate to Best Show Garden

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Green-tech proud to donate to Best Show Garden: Green-tech donated the PlantBox Green Wall system which makes up two walls within the Constructing Minds Show Garden designed by Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis.

The biggest and officially ’the best’ show garden at RHS Tatton 2023 is the brainchild of Garden Designer Carolyn, and Jon the Construction Manager for landscape contractor Ashlea Ltd. The garden was awarded a silver medal.

Green-tech proud to donate to Best Show Garden

Green-tech proud to donate to Best Show Garden

Built by The Landscape Academy, the garden has been designed to raise awareness of mental health within the construction industry. Construction has the highest suicide rate of all industries, where an average of two workers take their own lives, each working day. The garden is designed as a calming space to help those struggling with their mental wellbeing.

The show garden was built using sponsorship donations and volunteers. Green-tech donated the Plantbox system to provide two 2.4metre high walls. The system creates a clever vertical garden, with a unique watering system that makes looking after plants easy.
The walls formed part of the Inner Sanctuary of the garden to offer a semi-enclosed private space that respects confidentiality and provides a degree of emotional security and a different environment whilst retaining the connection to nature. Seating and wildflowers assist with contemplation.

The overall design is based on the Japanese idealism of Shinrin Yoku and the benefits to our health through passive engagement to nature. With over 30 trees, 800 ferns and 100²m of wildflower turf, this is the biggest show garden. After the show, the garden will be moved to Clatterbridge Hospital, Wirral where it can be a place of tranquility for patients, visitors, and staff.

The garden has been designed to support and promote construction industry charities Band of Builders and Mates in Mind. Both Carolyn and Jon are fully committed to raising awareness of the mental health crisis within the construction sector and have worked on the design over a seven-month period.

Jon Comments, “This is a cause close to my heart and I appreciate Green-tech and all the sponsors that have enabled our vision to become a reality. Having Green-tech as national suppliers to the landscape world involved gave our cause traction and raised awareness in the market.”

Green-tech’s Andrea Questari manages the Ashlea account and adds, “This is such a worthwhile cause and great initiative to help raise awareness that we were delighted to help in any way we could. The Plant Box living wall system really does create a quick and easy instant green wall so was the perfect product for the inner sanctuary of the design.”

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Lantra new nembers to Board of Trustees

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Lantra new nembers to Board of Trustees: Lantra is delighted to be using this year’s Royal Welsh Show as the perfect opportunity to announce the appointment of three new trustees. 

After more than 40 years helping land-based and environment businesses to attract talent and develop workforce skills, Lantra has built a strong reputation for quality and for its commitment to the sector.  As a not-for-profit charity the Board of Trustees is a vital part of the organisation, instrumental in setting the strategic direction and overseeing performance.

Lantra new nembers to Board of Trustees

Lantra new nembers to Board of Trustees

The new trustees are…

Trefor Owens is an experienced chartered forester and senior leader in sustainable land management.  He has extensive experience working with and sitting on land-based industry committees and advisory boards for organisations such as Forestry and Land Scotland, DEFRA and Welsh Government. Trefor’s expertise in workforce skills planning and his passion for woodland and the natural environment will be invaluable.

Euryn Jones, another proud Welshman, brings to the Board a wealth of experience in agricultural education where he has worked as both an Agricultural Lecturer and Farms Director.  His current role as a Regional Agricultural Director for HSBC, sees him working closely with farmers to develop and grow their businesses.  Euryn’s experience in education and his grass roots appreciation of farming challenges, chime perfectly with Lantra’s business objectives.

Helen Taylor is a committee advisor and Chartered Surveyor with governance experience across the UK’s public and private sectors. Her experience in compliance and regulation, governance and risk, and stakeholder engagement will all be critical skills as the Lantra Board of Trustees prepares to help the senior management team achieve its short and longer-term goals.

David Llewelyn, who took over as Lantra Chair of Trustees in 2022, commented…

“Lantra works tirelessly to address the needs of the land-based and environment sector, anyone working in the sector will appreciate these needs are ever changing and often complex. It is critical that we have the breadth of skills and experience on the board to guide and support the staff team in delivering the charity’s purpose.  I’m confident that the new trustees joining us today bring expertise and knowledge to complement our existing members and contribute to Lantra’s continued success”.

Lantra CEO Marcus Potter, said…

“We are confident that the three new appointments bring a diversity of experience and a genuine enthusiasm for the sector, that will make an invaluable contribution to the Board’s future activities”.

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The best bits from SAGE

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The best bits from SAGE: With blue skies (mostly!) beaming down over the Three Counties Showground, SAGE 2023 was an event to remember for exhibitors and visitors alike. Held on 19th and 20th July, the event featured interesting talks on a variety of subjects, a Learning Hub designed for those entering the industry, and of course, the UK Loggers National Championships – demonstrating feats of precision and skill.

As part of the packed agenda, market leaders shared their thoughts on the future of chemicals in grounds maintenance, exploring the pros and cons of a zero-chemical future.

The best bits from SAGE

The best bits from SAGE

Mark Tomlinson, Head of Environmental & Sustainability Stadia Projects at Bio-Circle Surface Technology Ltd also shared his wisdom on the importance of washdown systems. Visitors also enjoyed meeting with experts who came together to provide support, assistance and expertise on how businesses can best get started and progress on a sustainable journey.

Market leaders also shared their thoughts on electric machinery, while over at the Green Business Expo, Alex Pearson from Midlands Net Zero Hub and Dominic Lavelle, Managing Director at Go Green Experts discussed whether going green is viable for a business, delving into the details of equipping a business with strategy and practical knowhow on moving forwards.

An expert-led panel talked about creating a successful tender bid, after which Fusion for Business discussed managing rising energy costs. Also at the Green Business Expo, visitors had the opportunity to meet a panel of innovators who talked about how pioneering methods can challenge the norm by tackling market leaders and traditional methods.

In the Learning Hub, visitors were able to join experts for live workshops, talks and interactive knowledge sharing and competitions, as they delved into the challenges land-based colleges face.
Guests enjoyed a live panel talk on Wednesday and an open workshop on Thursday.

Vicky Panniers, organiser of SAGE, said: “We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who attended the event – both exhibitors and visitors. We know that many of our exhibitors made some big-ticket sales and that lots of hot leads were also taken, which is fantastic to hear. Watch this space to hear more about details for next year!”

Please visit https://sportsandgrounds.events/ for more information.

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Amenity Specialist joins Origin Amenity Solutions

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Amenity Specialist joins Origin Amenity Solutions: James Wright has joined Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) as their Technical Sales Representative for the South Yorkshire region, following the retirement of widely respected and long-standing predecessor, Mike Brear.

James returns to the company having previously worked for the Rigby Taylor brand (now part of OAS) some 8 years ago. He re-joins following his most recent role at Agrovista Amenity as a BASIS qualified Amenity Specialist

Amenity Specialist joins Origin Amenity Solutions

Amenity Specialist joins Origin Amenity Solutions

With a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion to bring to the OAS team, James is currently finishing his BSc (Hons) in Sportsturf Science & Management at the University of Central Lancashire.

Phil Dewhurst, Northern Area Sales Director comments on the appointment, “I am delighted to welcome James to OAS. His practical experience coupled with his wealth of technical knowledge will make him a valuable resource for our customers and the rest of our team.”

Origin Amenity Solutions brings together market leading companies, Headland Amenity, Rigby Taylor, Symbio and Turfkeeper. Together the business has over 60 Technical Sales Representatives across the UK.  The Amenity Division has grown significantly over recent years and continues to do so; If you feel you have the skillset to add to the group, email a covering letter and your CV to recruitment@originukoperations.co.uk

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DLF host the UKLCA

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DLF host the UKLCA: DLF Seeds recently opened the doors of their research & development centre in Didbrook, Gloucestershire, to host more than 20 members from the UK Lawn Care Association (UKLCA).

Following presentations from the DLF team on current and future challenges in seed selection and turf management, attendees were treated to an informative tour around the trial plots to see and compare the cultivars of both today and tomorrow…

DLF host the UKLCA

DLF host the UKLCA

The event in early July opened with a presentation from Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett who delivered an introduction to DLF, their brands and methodology in producing pure quality seeds for every bag. Dog patch resistant mixtures were also discussed which was a popular topic with those in attendance – primarily working with customers from the domestic market. Technical Manager David Rhodes then followed with a useful session on species identification, followed by a presentation on the development and benefits of the BSPB seed guide.

Visitors were then treated to a tour of the trials area, where attendees could put the mornings theory into practice. The DLF team remained on hand to discuss the various pros and cons of the many different seed varieties in different environments and situations, whilst keeping an eye on new potential developments with a glimpse at some of the cultivars currently being trialled.

Jim Hewlett, UKLCA Vice Chairman said “It was a fascinating day, and there was much to learn from the presentations and test site – which clearly demonstrated the differences between varieties and informed attendees on what goes into research and production of the popular Johnsons, MM and Masterline ranges. Seed selection is extremely important to professional lawn care companies, and seeing this first-hand means we can be sure to choose the right and best cultivars to meet our customers’ requirements.”

Derek Smith, DLF Amenity Sales & Marketing Manager added, “It was a real pleasure to host members from the Lawn Care Association. It’s fantastic to be sharing our knowledge of turf grasses and wildflower meadows and is testament to the membership of the UKLCA that they are investing their time to ensure their knowledge is completely up to date with the latest technical data.”

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