James Groves
- Highlight
Wildlife Trusts “bitterly disappointed” as Defra sets 2030 peat-free ban
The Wildlife Trusts said it was “bitterly disappointed” after the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs set out plans to ban all peat products by 2030. Defra confirmed that while some peat products will be banned in 2027, others will be exempt for a further three years. Last year, the government pledged to ban the sale of bagged peat compost in England by the end of 2024, and the Trusts had hoped that this would lead to a ban on all peat products “shortly” after. Ailis Watt, peat policy officer at The Wildlife Trusts said, “The destruction of irreplaceable…
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London Stone goes carbon-neutral
Carbon Footprint has accredited London Stone as a carbon-neutral company. Back in 2021, the business, which claims it is the first UK hard landscaping supplier to achieve carbon-neutral status, began working with Carbon Footprint to “identify areas for improvement, which were then rectified, and resulted in the company running as sustainably as possible”. London Stone managing director Steven Walley said, “The thought of leaving the planet in a worse shape than when we inherited it, with fewer sanctuaries and less habitat for wildlife, is unthinkable. We have a duty to slow and ultimately reverse the environmental destruction that humans have…
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fabrik becomes employee-owned trust as Rath confirms sale
fabrik Limited is now a 100% employee-owned trust. Founding director Johnny Rath confirmed the sale this week after 20 years at the helm. In a LinkedIn post, Rath stated, “fabrik is changing and evolving. Key to me from day one of setting up fabrik was the emphasis we placed on the people within the business. At the top of our core values is, and always has been, the principle that first and foremost, we respect and value the people who work for us. Those people are now the owners of fabrik.” He added that as part of the sale, an…
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HTA appoints new media relations lead
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has named Melissa Gerbaldi as its new media relations manager. Gerbaldi joins from the Royal Meteorological Society, where she served as communications manager. She has also previously worked for English Heritage. According to the HTA, her “wide range of experience and personal passion for plants” will “further boost the HTA team and “strengthen its commitment to increasing communications and cut-through of the voice of UK environmental horticulture”. Gerbaldi said, “I am excited to be joining the HTA at a critical time when there are so many stories to share from our members and industry as…
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SGD, RHS and LI team up for artificial grass campaign
The Society of Garden Designers (SGD) has joined forces with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Landscape Institute (LI) as the trio look to tackle the “extreme environmental damage” and “decline to wildlife” caused by artificial grass and plants. The ‘Say No to Plastic Grass & Plants’ campaign is calling on homeowners, gardeners and garden designers to return to traditional laws or look for alternative natural solutions “to help cut down the pollution and ecological destruction caused by plastic grass and to create more habitats for birds, bees and other wildlife”. Citing Google Trends, the SGD stated that interest…
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Green-tech appoints business development manager
Green-tech has appointed Adam Topliss as its business development manager. In a newly-created role, he will be charged with supporting the Green-tech sales team and “help deliver the next phase of business growth”. Topliss arrives following a decade at Berry, most recently serving as key accounts manager across brands such as Tubex and Terram. Green-tech sales director Richard Gill said he was “thrilled” to have Topliss on board. “Having worked with him as our major supplier of tree shelters and Terram products over the last ten years. I know he will be a perfect fit for Green-tech,” said Gill. “This…
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RHS Chelsea: Women-led design teams dominate small space category
RHS Chelsea will host a third Balcony and Container Gardens category at its 2023 show in May, with all of the design teams headed up by women. The category, which “brings the beauty of gardens to unused spaces on train platforms, and the cosy feel of a pub to an inner city balcony”, aims to assist emerging designers raise their profiles. All of this year’s entrants have been mentored by RHS Chelsea designer Paul Hervey-Brookes. The RHS said, “[The entrants] have incorporated some of the biggest issues facing the nation into their designs, with a wealth of ideas for how…
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