Tag Archive for: Splash

MM50 makes a splash

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MM50 makes a splash: Gordon Gill, Head Groundsman at Bath Cricket Club, has praised the qualities of MM50 grass seed with the speed of germination being a standout feature.  

Gordon has been the Head Groundsman for close to twenty years at Bath Cricket Club. Recognising his passion for grounds management at a young age he started as a part-time volunteer at his local recreational cricket club in the autumn of 1980, before embarking on several relevant courses.

MM50 makes a splash

MM50 makes a splash

To help pay the bills he also worked as a class one lorry driver but after being made redundant, it was all the motivation he needed to pursue a career in grounds management. Therefore, he attended day release and completed his NVQ2 at Hartpury College before landing the job at Bath Cricket Club during the late summer of 2002.

It was during his time at Hartpury College that he met Matt Gresty (MM & Designer sales and brand manager for DLF UK) who was working in the sports turf department. The two struck up a long-standing relationship and it was Matt that introduced Gordon to the range of MM seed.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry and its extensive product portfolio guarantees 100% performance proven mixtures. All the varieties in the MM mixtures are thoroughly tested at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) – ensuring that the finished product will meet your requirements for play, appearance and maintenance.

In particular Gordon has been using MM50 for some time now and has always been pleased with the germination speed from renovation and repair work.

Over recent years, MM50 has been the number one choice for cricket groundsmen. Those representing grass roots, schools, local clubs and international test venues have all benefitted from using MM50. It possesses exceptional shoot density and wear tolerance plus great recovery, making it particularly suitable for all cricket squares.

MM50 is also treated with HEADSTART® GOLD – a unique seaweed based seed treatment which ensures rapid and even germination. This revolutionary grass seed treatment helps your grass get off to a great start and is ideal in the less than favourable conditions that can sometimes be found on cricket squares.

Gordon explained the benefits of using MM50.

“The speed of establishment and also recovery of existing pitches after use plays an important role in maintaining consistent even grass coverage across the square, this is important with a very busy fixture list where we can host up to 100 days of cricket a season.

“The colour it produces is fantastic, and it has high disease resistance too. Regardless of my friendship with Matt, I would still be using MM50 because it is such a good seed.

“We have to be 100% confident in the products that we use, to absolutely know that we are going to get the best results and MM50 gives us that reassurance.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing

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Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing: A range of Limagrain UK’s Colour Splash flower mixtures have lifted community spirits and made the London Borough of Ealing a brighter place to live in more ways than one.

The London Borough of Ealing is one of the 32 London Boroughs and is the third largest in population. Ealing has long been known as the “Queen of the Suburbs” due to its many parks and tree-lined streets and this is reflected by the tree emblem seen on the Ealing Council logo.

Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing

Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing

Ealing continues to live up to its regal nickname and after seeing over 200,000 sq.m of the borough covered in an array of magnificent colourful flower species – it could well be the most majestic of them all.

Bradford Decker, contract monitoring officer for the Ealing borough, claims that he was inspired after seeing how local authorities transformed various areas around London in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games.

“This wildflower project started back in 2013 and it was for both visual and bio-diversity reasons,” said Bradford. “We trialled various mixtures in a few different areas, which included a poppy mixture at some of our World War memorials, and I believe in that first year we had around 8,000 sq.m of flowers.

“We were getting some really good feedback from residents, park users and some war veterans – so we increased the flower mixtures to a few other sites the following year and it just went from there really.”

Limagrain UK’s range of Colour Splash flower mixtures are used in a broad range of landscape and amenity areas throughout the UK. The much-loved brand was first established over ten years ago where the development of the mixtures were created in the beautiful county of Loir-et-Cher, in the centre of France. With nine mixtures in the Colour Splash range there is a floral arrangement for every requirement such as the Festival mixture which can easily be seen from a distance; the New Wave mixture which is perfect for locations needing an abundance of flowers; the Celebration mixture which has a wonderful pastoral effect; and even a Poppy Mixture which offers a fabulous show of vivid red flowers, providing a fitting and poignant display to our fallen heroes.

Since launching the project in 2013, Bradford and the park service team have continued to add more mixtures each year and there are now a total of 91 sites around the Ealing borough which have Limagrain’s wildflowers equating to over 200,000 sq.m.

Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing

Colour Splash lifts spirits in Ealing

The stunning flowers are not only catching the eye of the Ealing residents as Bradford explains.

“We have seen so much wildlife it is unbelievable,” he said. “They are attracting a lot of insects, butterflies, ladybirds, grass-hoppers and bees and that in turn has brought bigger species to our parks such as kestrels, woodpeckers, badgers, shrews and little owls. The flowers really have lifted the mood in Ealing and they are getting people out of their houses.

“Social media has exploded with various people photographing them, we are receiving positive emails all the time from people who are commuting through our parks saying that it makes their day; even a number of local groups have emerged such as wildlife groups and beekeepers. It really is wonderful to see.”

The Colour Splash range of mixtures are extremely easy to sow and the resulting vigorous plants are more than capable of competing with weeds. Their vigour is equally matched by robustness; resisting long periods of drought. They are also fast flowering and cost effective.

Local contractor Andrew Hawes, from AJ Hawes and Family, has been instrumental in helping Bradford to sow the flower mixtures around Ealing and he believes that the results speak for themselves.

“It is a high-quality product and over the years we have seen some seed that isn’t up to scratch but the Limagrain seed is fantastic. There is a very broad range of species that cover all kind of soil conditions and germination so whatever happens you will always end up with something that suits the ground.”

Due to the success of the Colour Splash areas, Bradford is looking at using even more mixtures and is intending on applying them to roadside verges as the next phase of his on-going project.

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Colour Splash Wows At Burnham

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Colour Splash Wows At Burnham: Lee Bishop, Course Manager at Burnham Beeches Golf Club in South Buckinghamshire, has said that Limagrain UK’s range of Colour Splash flower mixtures have helped him to transform an unsightly area into a stunning display of vibrant flowers – much to the delight of the members.

Situated in the Thames Valley in South Buckinghamshire, Burnham Beeches measures 6,458 yards, has a Par 70 and offers a true and challenging test of golf. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest club in Buckinghamshire after it was founded by a group of locals who called a public meeting in the village school.

Colour Splash Wows At Burnham

Over the years the course has gained a great reputation and has been graced with players such as James Braid, J H Taylor and Harry Vardon who, between them, won the British Open no less than 16 times, as well as other golfing legends such as Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer.

Lee has been working at Burnham Beeches for an impressive 20 years and has been the Course Manager for the last 10. Along with six other members of staff Lee tends to the course, which is located in a beautiful setting on the edge of the historic Burnham Beeches woodland and is framed by a large number of mature trees.

Surrounded, mostly, by natural beauty there was however one particular area of the course which Lee felt needed improving.

“There was a bit of a wasteland area around our nets and the clubhouse directly overlooked it,” he says. “To be honest it was very scruffy and it wasn’t a great view for our members. It definitely needed a makeover and that is why we thought we would try the Colour Splash mixtures from Limagrain.”

Limagrain UK’s range of Colour Splash flower mixtures are used in a broad range of landscape and amenity areas throughout the UK. The much loved brand was first established over ten years ago where the development of the mixtures were created in the beautiful county of Loir-et-Cher, in the centre of France. With nine mixtures in the Colour Splash range there is a floral arrangement for every requirement – whether it be a golf course, a local authority green space or any other establishment that has an area which needs brightening up.

For Burnham Beeches, Lee initially chose Aurora – a medium height mixture which grows to around a half-metre tall. It contains Sunbow Zinnia and Trianon Cosmos which provide more effective and long-lasting flowering. After using this mixture for two years running and receiving huge praise from club members, Lee decided to add the Festival mixture this year.

“The Aurora mixture was really successful and I wanted to enhance the area with another mixture. I used the Festival seed this year because it will add a bit more height and can be seen even more so from a distance. The area is visible from quite a few areas on the golf course so it will be there for everybody to see.

Colour Splash Wows At Burnham

“The members absolutely love it and have been really supportive. Once they saw the stunning array of flowers, and the potential it had, they started pushing for us to do more areas – hence why we are going to do even more areas with the Colour Splash next year.”

The Colour Splash range of mixtures are extremely easy to sow and the resulting vigorous plants are more than capable of competing with weeds. Their vigour is equally matched by robustness; resisting long periods of drought. According to Lee they are also a low cost option for those wanting an abundance of colour in fairly quick time.

“It is such a simple process. All I do is hire a rotorvator, use a small bit of weed killer and that is it. The seed mixtures are not expensive whatsoever – you get good, quick germination and I would encourage people to do it.

“I’ve also introduced bees to the area and have installed a couple of hives. There is a lot of press about bees and how scarce they are now so I think it is a great thing to do. We’ve got information boards about the bees on how we need to look after them and how the Colour Splash mixtures will help protect and make them flourish.

“My decision in choosing the Colour Splash was both because of the environmental benefits and the great aesthetics they provide – so if we can give something back to nature at the same time as the course looking great, then I think that is a job well done.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch

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Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch: Hamilton have splashed out £750,000 to ensure their plastic pitch does not come out bottom of the pile again in the new season.

The news comes 24 hours after the artificial turf at New Douglas Park was rated the worst surface among Scotland’s 42 senior clubs following a survey of players.

Accies Splash £750k On New Pitch

A study organised jointly by PFA Scotland, Sports Labs and the Scottish Football Association found top-flight professionals gave the 3G turf an average score of just 1.18 out of five – worse even than the rutted patch found at League Two minnows Albion Rovers’ Cliftonhill home.

That led PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart to renew calls for such pitches to be banned in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

But Accies say they are investing in a new Greenfields MX pitch to ensure they do not find themselves embroiled in another turf controversy.

The club stated on their website: “The hard work continues at New Douglas Park over the summer with the installation of a new FIFA-approved, state-of-the-art, 3G pitch in preparation for our 5th consecutive season in the top flight of Scottish Football.

“The club have made a significant investment of £750,000 on the pitch project, signalling a continued commitment to both our first team and well renowned youth academy in ensuring they are afforded the very best playing surface available.

“The 2018-19 season will see the New Douglas Park surface tailored to the same specifications as the Scottish FA’s 3G pitch at the Oriam, Scotland’s National Performance Centre – a facility the governing body itself describes as ‘world class’.

“The project is being completed in partnership with a number of the leading companies within the sports grounds industry to ensure the pitch is installed to the highest standards.”

Accies head groundsman William Watson added: “We have left no stone unturned in our drive to bring the best playing surface available to Hamilton Accies. Over the past 18 months we have gone through a thorough process of data collection and club visits.

“Greenfields MX is widely used in elite sport across Europe. It is used in Holland by various top tier clubs including Vitesse, by English Premier League side Arsenal at their state-of-the-art London Colney training centre and, in Scotland, by Alloa Athletic.”

Alloa’s Recreation Park was rated 10th overall of the 42 clubs in the SPFL.

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