Matthew Pottage has been a well-known name within the industry for the last two decades working with the RHS, now taking on his latest venture as Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategy at The Royal Parks charity. Pottage fell in love with gardening from an early...
Brighton and Hove is again having to fell a number of its trees following an outbreak of Dutch elm disease, known also as just Elm disease. Around 30 larger infected elms are expected to be removed, as well as several smaller elms which have grown from infected roots....
Blenheim Palace unveils a new look for its Butterfly House, revitalising the space in an aim to make it more accessible and immersive for visitors, as well as improving the environment for its winged inhabitants. Head gardener Andy Mills has collaborated with senior gardener Chris Horne, who has looked after the Butterfly House for over 10 years,...
Pro Landscaper launches a new guide for biodiversity net gain (BNG), offering practical guidelines and comprehensive insight on the new government legislation. The guide looks to offer practical insights into the rules and regulations of BNG, following its rollout last month, providing readers with an acute understanding of how to navigate this...
Studies show that the rate at which once-common British species of wildlife are facing extinction. Over a third (41%) of UK species have declined since 1970. The number of hedgehogs alone has fallen by a staggering 95% since 1950. However, with 87% of households across the UK having some form of garden space, domestic garden design can play a...
A Northumberland nature charity has been awarded £750,000 to restore habitats and enhance biodiversity across three of its reserves, creating new employment opportunities. Northumberland Wildlife Trust says the money awarded from Defra’s Species Survival Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Trust, will go towards restoring habitats, enhancing...
First-ever figures reveal that more than 2% of Scotland's land is now rewilding according to new figures from the Scottish Rewilding Alliance, as it launches a new Rewilding Nation Charter. The new Charter is calling for Scotland to declare itself the world’s first rewilding nation, stating that rewilding “offers hope for restoring habitats and...
In a letter addressed to the Environment Secretary, it was stated that urban green spaces were under “serious threat”, and little improvement had been made over the last seven years to halt their decline. In the letter, penned by Sir Robert Goodwill MP, chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, urban green spaces...
New natural habitats created through the new biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules could absorb over quarter of a million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, according to new research from Joe’s Bloom. The legislation, which was introduced last month, could see over 15,000ha of biodiversity established each year across England. The tech start-up’s...
A new book on the role shrubs can play in naturalistic planting schemes is being published this month. Written by naturalistic gardener Kevin Philip Williams and ecologist Michael Guidi, Shrouded in Light puts shrubs as key players for gardens amidst a changing climate due to their hardiness, adaptability and ability to thrive in arid conditions....
Images of the largest ‘green bridge’ of the HS2 infrastructure project have been released. It’s one of 16 bridges of its kind that HS2 says, alongside five ‘green tunnels’, will bring together 33km2 of new wildlife habitats alongside the railway. The 99m-wide bridge will cross the high-speed railway close to the village of Turweston near...
UK wholesale nursery Greenwood Plants has been awarded Plant Healthy certification as part of its ongoing commitment to biosecurity. An audit was conducted of the company’s six nurseries, which span more than 50 hectares across the UK, back in February. Greenwood handles around six million plants each year across all of its nurseries, as well as...
Horticultural conservation charity Plant Heritage has awarded National Plant Collection status to the UK’s first pub and prison. The White Hart, a village pub located between Bristol and Bath, and HMP Eastwood Park, a prison and young offender institution for women to the north of Bristol, hold prize collections of Crocosmia cvs and Tulbaghia...
More than 150 landscape industry professionals attended SoilsCon 2024, where the critical importance of soil health to a functioning global environment was highlighted by its nine speakers. Returning after a four-year hiatus, the fifth soils conference drew in delegates from various sectors, including landscaping, landscape architecture, civil...
Now in its ninth year, the National Tree Officers Conference will be returning on 6 November 2024, set to take place in Leeds, Yorkshire. The conference is being hosted by the Association of Tree Officers (ATO), Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF), London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) and the Municipal Tree Officers’ Association (MTOA)....
Originally a small group of enthusiasts and professionals, the previously named “Horticultural Society of London” was first established on March 7, 1804, and founded to advance horticulture through scientific methods and knowledge sharing. Now celebrating its 220th birthday as the Royal Horticultural Society, the RHS has evolved over the...
It’s no secret that the horticulture industry has a skills gap. On top of that, it’s facing up to the reality of an ageing workforce. Just 12% of the industry is aged between 25-34, according to a recent Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey, and a meagre 3% are 16–24-year-olds. Rubbing salt in the wound is the growing climate crisis, to which...
Quality and Service (Q&S) Ltd is striving to become “the landscape service provider of choice” but without compromising on its environmentally friendly approach. The privately-owned company works without the use of chemicals, implementing sustainable, biodiverse rich working practices that “aim to challenge the status quo.” With the wholesale...
Researchers at the University of Surrey have conducted a study to find the most effective plants to include on green walls to reduce air pollution. Green walls, also referred to as living walls, are capable of reducing air pollution, and have become an increasingly popular inclusion in modern architecture. Researchers from the University of...
The extinction risk of more than 300,000 plants has been predicted for a new study published today. A team of scientists at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have used artificial intelligence to predict the risk for every known flowering plant, totalling 328,565 species. The research, published in the New Phytologist journal, can be used by scientists...
Gwen Hines, current CEO of international children’s charity Save the Children UK, has been appointed new CEO of Plant Heritage. With 25 years of experience working on international development and campaigning to end child poverty, the switch to plant conservations comes as a result of an “increasing” obsession with plants in recent years, says...
Lee Connelly sees schools as the “epicentre of children’s gardening.” The podcaster, also known as the Skinny Jean Gardener, has been campaigning for horticulture to be part of the curriculum for years. He launched his own initiative to help make this happen – School Gardening Success – and was recently announced as the gardening and horticulture...
Work is set to begin on a new green wall in Gloucester aimed at reducing pollution and increasing biodiversity. The new green infrastructure is part of a £107m development by Gloucester City Council and its partners, Reef Group known as the Forum. In an effort to cool the city, reduce noise pollution and increase the city’s biodiversity, the...
The Landscape Institute is one of five built environment institutes to renew its pledge to tackle urgent global challenges. With almost 70% of the world’s population predicted to live in urban environments by 2050, members of the UK Built Environment Advisory Group (UKBEAG) commit to working together for at least another five years. The group,...
Planning permission is being sought for an ‘immersive’ new visitor attraction by the owners of a farming estate in the market town of Oakham. International landscape architecture practice Gillespies has been brought on board to restore an area of parkland landscaped by Humphry Repton in the 18th century and to create a nature and wildlife reserve...
SoilsCon returned this week after a four-year hiatus, much to the delight of its 150 delegates. Organised by soil scientist and landscape consultant Tim O’Hare, the one-day conference not only reaffirmed existing knowledge but also brought with it a whole host of new information on soil. There’s too much to list in one article – you’ll just have...
Islington Council calls for residents to “get greening” with new nature based initiative. The scheme, Islington Greener Together, encourages locals to put forward ideas to improve biodiversity, build climate change resilience and create more attractive neighbourhoods. Residents, businesses and community groups are eligible to submit ideas,...
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