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Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

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Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising: Perennial is once again bringing the horticultural community together to celebrate our supporter’s efforts and to ask you all to dig deep to raise vital funds for your industry charity.

From arborists, foresters and tree surgeons to gardeners, growers, landscapers, garden centre employees and nursery staff to greenkeepers and grounds staff the aim is to raise funds to support you and your family’s future.

Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

With one million people working in or retired from horticulture across the UK, Perennial’s services are in considerable demand. The shared goal at this event is for everyone to raise essential funds so Perennial’s services can continue to provide a lifeline to those who dedicated their lives to growing and caring for the green spaces that enrich our lives.

Whether you’ve already held your own fundraising activity, or you are planning to this year, we encourage you to celebrate your efforts and network together with other like-minded supporters at Perennial’s fundraising lunch.

Join colleagues, fundraisers and supporters and feel proud of your good deeds on Friday 10 October from midday to 4:30pm (…feel free to cheer yourselves on into the evening!) at The Cumberland, London. The ticket price of £145 per person includes a glass of “cheers to you” fizz on arrival and a celebratory three-course meal with wine, plus a heartfelt “thank you” from Perennial President Alan Titchmarsh CBE VMH.

This year’s event will be hosted by award-winning garden designer and TV gardener Manoj Malde, who will be joined by professional gardener and radio personality, guest speaker, Matthew Biggs. We will once again be celebrating the efforts of those who have gone above and beyond for Perennial with our Silver Shovel Spotlight Awards and of course asking you to dig deep during the envelope raffle and in our live auction led by The Charity Auctioneer, Mark Head. This year’s auction includes some old favourites and exciting new lots such as a day’s consultancy with horticultural business consultant Neville Stein, an Exclusive Hotel Group package, a Wembley Stadium Hospitality package and many more. The Plantman & Co. are supporting the event once again by supplying fabulous floral table centrepieces.

Jamie Gault, Perennial’s Chief Executive comments: “Every year, our supporters dig deep, taking on challenges, hosting events, opening their gardens and much more to raise funds. People should feel so proud of their fundraising efforts which help Perennial deliver our vision to build better futures for people in horticulture and their families. Our fundraising lunch and awards recognise all their wholehearted contributions and commitments and keeps up the momentum by raising even more funds. Let’s come together as a community for this fundraising lunch, which will go towards helping people during the winter period and beyond. Tickets are on sale now, so please put the date (10thOctober) in your diary, dig deep all year and join us!”

Every time Perennial’s supporters dig deep, they make a real difference to the lives of people in horticulture and their families. There are lots of reasons why people turn to the charity, such as bereavement, the impact of an accident, health issues or a family breakdown. As the only UK charity helping everyone working in or retired from horticulture and their families, Perennial relies on support from the industry.

This is the event of the year to get together with friends and colleagues for a lively afternoon of anticipation, bidding banter and networking, all in support of your community.

Book your spot at perennial.org.uk/lunch – book a table of 10 and get the 10th place free!

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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns: For many years, home builders haven’t appreciated the value of good quality lawns, not only for the benefits that a lawn brings to the environment & personal well-being, but also the impact that a nice lawn has on the kerb appeal and saleability of a new home.

Most new homes are sold with a newly turfed lawn, but as the demand for affordable housing increases, and development land is at an all-time premium, lawns are shrinking! Analysis in 2023 estimated the average English garden space to be 255m2. New build homes are required to provide a minimum of 30m2 of amenity space, and thankfully, most garden areas are bigger, but the Turfgrass Growers Association estimates that the average size of a new-build lawn is just 55m2.

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

In addition to the shrinking size of new lawns, homebuilders are squeezing budgets so much, that landscapers are forced to do minimal preparation on, what are often small, enclosed garden plots, with poor drainage and reduced light from high fences. The low landscaping budget forces landscapers to use the cheapest turf available, often a “contractors’ grade”, rather than a good quality premium turf, from a reputable, accredited supplier.

Using a lower grade of turf, combined with poor ground conditions, and minimal preparation is inevitably going to result in a substandard lawn, and this common practice is putting people off natural grass, and all its benefits!

Regretfully, it is common for Landscape Architects to unwittingly, specify turf containing plastic net and for some landscapers to consciously chose it as a way of cheapening cost. The Turf Grass
Growers Association which represents most of the turf grown in the UK, has actively moved to ban plastic net by October 2026, and in the meantime, any turf containing plastic net will not meet the TGA specification. The industry should remain vigilant against the prospect of gardens being contaminated with unnecessary plastic. Natural turf has good ‘green’ credentials that should be promoted when considering the use of alternatives such as hard landscaping and in particular artificial grass.

Artificial turf is quickly going out of favour as the public become more environmentally aware. However, there are lots of other lawn alternatives being used because homeowners are frustrated with poor quality lawns. If a lawn is created with good quality turf, grown to the TGA standards, laid on a well-prepared bed of free draining topsoil, there are huge benefits to a natural lawn, including carbon sequestration, oxygen production, flood reduction and air cooling as well as the positive impacts on mental health and well-being for homeowners and their pets.

Increasing the lawn budget by £100-£150 for the typical 55m2 lawn could ensure that premium turf can be used, and that landscapers have the budget to complete the ground preparation to a good standard. The average price of a new home in the UK is reportedly £422,000, and even if that figure is skewered by some high-end homes, and premium locations, there should be enough in a developer’s margin to cover the additional cost. Even if the developer won’t pay, at least offer the new homeowner the option of a premium quality job at a fair additional cost.

Developers should also be ensuring groundworkers save the very best soil on site, to be reintroduced into gardens, and that soil is not contaminated with subsoil when excavated. There should be no excuse for bricks, tiles and other building materials to contaminate gardens. What’s the point in thorough site contamination investigations if tradesman contaminate the soil during the building process.

Of course, there will be many new home builders, landscape architects, groundworkers and tradesman that take all the right steps to ensure the best possible lawns, but it’s about time that the value of a good quality lawn was appreciated throughout the industry.

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The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

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The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers: Reesink Turfcare is delighted to announce the return of two of the popular Toro grounds mowers – the Groundsmaster 7210 and the Groundsmaster 1200.

Jon Cole, Business Development Manager at Reesink Turfcare, says: “Customers of the Groundsmaster 7210 will be pleased to hear it is now available with an engine upgrade and the Groundsmaster 1200 returns after a post-pandemic production pause.”

The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

The Ree.Turn of two popular Toro grounds mowers

As a versatile zero-turn, the Groundsmaster 7210 has always impressed customers with its

dependable and economical diesel engine performance, this was something verified by independent machinery tester James de Havilland, so the news of an upgrade to a powerful Yanmar 36.8hp (27.4kW) 3-cylinder engine, which brings a 48.38 percent increase in power, will certainly ensure a continued decent performance.

The rest of the features customers liked so much about this machine remain: a tight wheelbase, power steering and individual steering brakes allowing for expert handling and increased productivity.

The durable, heavy-duty seven-gauge welded steel cutting deck construction and the industry’s toughest spindle assembly ensure a long life while tackling the toughest of groundscare jobs with ease.

It is the small area zero-turn rotary mower that doesn’t believe in a day off and is now available from Reesink with the option of either a 62- or 72-inch deck.

Making another welcome return is the Groundsmaster 1200. This pull-behind rotary mower didn’t need any upgrades, it was already the perfect solution to leverage other equipment and add versatility to a tractor.

Productivity is at its core offering the mowing ability to cut up to 8.73 acres/h at 6mph per hour. And the cut is consistent and even across the entire width of the mower while distributing clippings evenly, which is especially important in areas with taller grass which are not mowed as often. When combined with the dual roller design it delivers a high-quality cut and rich turf striping in most conditions.

Size is a key advantage of the Groundsmaster 1200. Together, three independent contour-following cutting decks offer a 12-foot (3.66m) width of cut to mow more grass in less time than it would take with a smaller mower. And transport between sites is convenient and fast with the wing decks folding up for faster transport to reduce machine width to a narrow 88 inches (223.5cm).

Jon continues: “These models were popular for good reason. They are productive, durable, and offer a superior cut. We’re delighted to now have them available again for our customers.”

For further information, or to place an order, call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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Darren McMahon Joins Howardson Group as Head of Marketing

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Darren McMahon Joins Howardson Group as Head of Marketing: Howardson Group is pleased to welcome Darren McMahon as the new Head of Marketing.

Darren’s career has spanned several industries, with roles at Aga-Rangemaster, Valor Fires, and, most recently, Viessmann, a family-owned German company where he spent 14 years leading UK marketing, training, and public affairs. His extensive background in high-quality product manufacturing and customer-focused marketing makes him a perfect fit for Howardson Group, which includes the Dennis, SISIS, Hunter Grinders, and Syn-Pro by SISIS brands.

Darren McMahon Joins Howardson Group as Head of Marketing

Darren McMahon Joins Howardson Group as Head of Marketing

Speaking about what attracted him to the role, Darren said:

“As a family-owned business, decisions are made for the long term. There’s a very high drive for product quality, which I believe is extremely important. Customers should receive the very best product that we can manufacture, and the product should do the job for which it’s purchased. To support these products in the Dennis, Hunter Grinder, SISIS, and Syn-Pro ranges, there’s a crystal-clear focus on delivering the kind of service our customers would expect from a premium business.”

Since joining, Darren has already had an immersive introduction to the industry. Within his first five weeks, he attended three major exhibitions in the UK and USA, met with dealers, customers, and industry experts, and even got hands-on experience using Dennis and SISIS machines on both natural and synthetic surfaces.

“I think I joined at the best time to get a good feel for the company and the industry,” Darren said. “It’s been incredibly busy, but I have a growing appreciation for the hard work that goes into the preparation and maintenance of playing surfaces by groundscare professionals and how difficult the job is.”

Darren’s vision for the role focuses on two key objectives:

“I can break my objectives down into two areas,” Darren explained. “First, is to protect the historic legacy that’s gone into building the brand perceptions and reputations of today as a result of the hard work of others up to this point. Second, it’s to use that strong base to support further expansion of the Howardson Group, both locally in the UK and Irish markets and more internationally around the world where there are further opportunities for high-quality machines coupled with superior service.”

Away from work, Darren is an avid cyclist, finding peace in long countryside rides.

“There’s nothing I enjoy more than getting on my road bike on a crisp day, heading into the countryside, and enjoying the beautiful country we live in but usually take for granted rushing from one place to another,” he shared.

Howardson Group is excited to have Darren on board and looks forward to his contributions in driving the company’s growth while upholding its legacy of quality and service.

For further information visit www.howardsongroup.com

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‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

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‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course: The Spring edition of Your Course magazine will this week appear in golf courses across the country and there’s a somewhat prominent star gracing the cover.

Standing at 6ft 7in tall, Peter Crouch made a name for himself as an outstanding striker for the England Men’s football team, Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspurs FC and others, but since retirement has turned his attention to broadcasting, podcasting and golf.

‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

‘Crouchy’ features on the cover of Your Course

In the latest edition of Your Course, the twice-yearly publication from the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), ‘Crouchy’ talks about his appreciation for the hard work of greenkeepers and groundsmen, who enable elite sportspeople such as himself to perform, whether on the football pitch or the putting surface.

“Without greenkeepers and groundsmen, certainly at grassroots level, we wouldn’t have anything to play on,” Crouch says in the magazine’s lead feature. “It’s a great job they do and they make it incredibly enjoyable for the rest of us.”

Your Course is an in-print magazine distributed twice a year to golf clubs across the United Kingdom alongside National Club Golfer. The magazine is produced by 18Players in collaboration with BIGGA and is supported by a growing array of online features, able to view on the BIGGA website.

Also featured in the magazine are conversations with the course management teams at The Belfry and St Andrews Links Trust, as well as extended sections looking at greens maintenance and the growing use of autonomous technology on golf courses.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “At BIGGA, we’re big on spotlighting the incredible work of our members and the entire greenkeeping profession. That’s why we produce Your Course, a magazine and online resource designed to help golfers appreciate the skill, dedication and innovation that go into maintaining their courses.

“This latest edition is packed with fascinating insights, from Peter Crouch’s love of the game to the cutting-edge technology shaping its future, including autonomous mowing. Whether you’re a weekend golfer or a club captain, Your Course will give you a fresh perspective on the people and practices that make the sport we love possible.”

Your Course is intended to raise awareness of the greenkeeping profession and the vital role greenkeepers play in the ongoing success of the game of golf. In highlighting the expertise, training and ability of today’s course professionals, BIGGA seeks to redress the balance that has often seen greenkeepers overlooked within the sport, from major championships through to grassroots levels.

The Your Course resource library including previous editions of the magazine is available to view on the BIGGA website.

For more information about BIGGA and its various activities including how to become a member, visit www.bigga.org.uk.

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