Plants
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Seeds from an extremely rare plant at Highdown Gardens collected
Seeds from an extremely rare plant at Highdown Gardens have been sent to a special bank to help preserve the species. Experts from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens visited the Worthing gardens to train volunteers in how to collect seeds which could be used for propagation at later stages. The Kew experts are part of the Botanic Garden’s Millennium Seed Bank project at Wakehurst. There a growing collection of seeds from around the world, aiming to provide a safety net for species at risk of extinction. Saving the many exotics at Highdown is part of the new project…
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Hundreds of Houseplants Set To Invade RHS Garden Wisley
Hundreds of houseplants will be growing, overflowing and taking over the Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley from 25 January to 1 March 2020. A lost and abandoned Victorian house has been overrun by houseplants. Every room is filled with plants we know and love, grown wildly out of control. From a parlour palm lounging in an armchair to a giant fern taking a bath, this is a world where the plants set the rules. The exhibition Giant Houseplant Takeover, created by the Glasshouse team, is aimed at inspiring everyone to think about quirky and innovative ways to grow…
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Horse power arrives in Stanmer Park, Brighton
A team of heavy horses are the latest recruits to the council’s countryside team at Stanmer Park. Led by Dan and Jess Brown, the Comptois horses will spend the next three weeks helping to clear sycamore and ash trees thinned out as part of the park’s Woodland Management Plan. Horses have traditionally been used to move logs from woodland to avoid using heavy machinery and minimise damage to the other trees and the forest floor. The selective thinning of the trees will make space for planting a range of species and allow younger trees to thrive. …
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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh working to save rare and endangered alpine blue-sow thistle
Conservationists at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh working to ensure the survival of the rare and endangered alpine blue-sow thistle in Scotland are attempting to establish a new population of the species. The beautiful but elusive flower has now been planted along a small gorge at the Water of Clunie in the centre of the village of Braemar in Aberdeenshire, where it is hoped it will thrive. Alpine blue-sowthistle (Cicerbita alpina) is an extremely rare plant in the UK, with only four populations known to survive naturally in the wild, on ledges and in gullies on remote mountains in the…
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£1m project to rejuvenate Highdown Gardens due to begin
Highdown Gardens in West Sussex will be closing for improvement works to take place. In order to deliver on a £1m project to protect the fragile plant collection and enhance the visitor experience the Gardens will be closed from December 21 and will reopen in late summer next year. The improvements will be funded by the National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The work will include building new greenhouses to help the propagation and preservation of extremely rare plants from around the world, building a brand new visitors’ centre, explore and digitise the archive of this fascinating landmark, create…
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RHS tree scientist to advise on climate-proof species
As the UK works towards ambitious tree planting targets, the RHS has announced it is recruiting a tree scientist to advise gardeners on the species best suited to withstand and help minimise the impact of climate change. A five-year fellowship, jointly funded by the charity and by the horticulture industry, through the generous support of Frank P Matthews Nursery, will identify those trees that will perform well in the future amid more extreme weather events and a changing climate. The research conducted will provide gardeners, industry and policymakers with planting guides specific to varying situations. Mark Gush,…
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The Woodland Trust restores arboretum in Wales
The National Lottery support has enabled the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) to bring the historic gardens of Cefn Ila back to life, restoring wildlife habitats and creating acres of new native woodland. Cefn Ila near Usk in Monmouthshire was once the site of a 19th century mansion and gardens. It belonged to the novelist and adventurer Edward Trelawny and was later acquired by Gerard Gustavius Ducarel, the 4th Marquis de la Pasture, whose family had escaped from France during the Revolution. Between the 1940s and the 1970s it was used as a maternity hospital. The Woodland Trust acquired the…
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McLaren and Biotecture complete work on Europe’s largest living wall
In the July 2019 issue of Pro Landscaper on pages 84-85 we looked at Europe’s largest living wall that was underway to be installed. McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford has revealed its £90 million expansion, delivered by green infrastructure company, Biotecture, and McLaren Construction is now complete. The £1.5 million living wall, which measures 25,000 square feet and features 120,000 plants, reduces air pollution and aids biodiversity. Spanning the walls of the new entrance promenade, walkways and many of the 50 new stores, the vertical gardens make this one of the world’s greenest shopping centres. Richard Sabin, Managing Director of…
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Mobilane install ivy green screens at school in Sheffield
Mobilane were chosen to supply their ivy green screens to Hunter’s Bar school in Sheffield. Mobilane have been speaking with the University of Sheffield Department of Landscape Architecture on their air quality research and Mobilane living green screens have already been planted and are working hard against pollution around a number of other schools across the UK. At Hunters Bar, the screens have been planted as the first line of defence against air pollution in the school’s #GoGoGreen campaign. The #GoGoGreen project includes screening and planting and is the culmination of eight months of the school’s fundraising, community and…
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5,000 new street trees to be planted in Hackney
Hackney Council is set to plant 5,000 new street trees by 2022. This will increase canopy cover by 50% in the single largest investment in trees in the history of the borough. Also, the council will deliver an additional 1,000 high-quality trees in parks and green spaces, and work with local volunteers and the third sector to deliver many more. The new commitment expands the council’s existing promise to plant 1,000 trees by 2022. It will see the same number of street trees planted in the next three years than have been planted since 2000. The programme will take a science-based approach to tree…
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£50 million Woodland Carbon Guarantee scheme launched
The government today (Monday 4 November) launched a £50 million scheme to help boost tree-planting rates in the fight against climate change. The new Woodland Carbon Guarantee will encourage farmers and landowners to plant more trees and create new woodland in return for payments as those trees grow. It gives land managers in England the long-term financial income they need to invest in carbon sequestration – the process by which trees lock up and store carbon from the atmosphere. Successful participants will be offered the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government over 35 years…
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Anglesey Abbey’s Winter Garden prepares for three-year refresh
The National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey is marking the 21st anniversary of its renowned Winter Garden by embarking on a three-year project to refresh the popular feature. The garden features approximately 150 plant species chosen for their winter colours, scents and textures. Formerly named the Fairhaven Centenary Walk, the Winter Garden was planted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the first Lord Fairhaven, who went on to leave Anglesey Abbey to the National Trust in 1966. The then Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, officially opened the garden on 5 November 1998 by planting a…
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Tree Cities of the World programme unveiled
Trees for Cities leads the Tree Cities of the World programme in the United Kingdom The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) along with the Arbor Day Foundation have unveiled their Tree Cities of the World programme in the United Kingdom. It is an initiative to recognise cities and towns across all continents that meet core standards for the care and planning of urban trees and forests. Trees for Cities is leading the initiative to recruit and support cities throughout the UK to apply for designation. To achieve recognition, cities must meet the programme’s five…
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YouTube stars lead global tree planting campaign #TeamTrees
Hundreds of the internet’s biggest stars took to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Twitch over the weekend to unveil #TeamTrees. A massive crowdfunding campaign to raise $20M to plant 20M trees by 2020. The campaign raised a staggering $5M within 48 hours of launch. Over $1.75M was raised on YouTube alone, a new record for fundraising on the site. For every $1 raised, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant one new tree in a forest of high need. If #TeamTrees raises all $20 million, that means 20,000,000 new trees go into the ground. Visitors to TeamTrees.org can easily donate to plant…
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Perth wins RHS Britain in Bloom 2019
The Scottish city of Perth has been awarded top prize and crowned ‘Champion of Champions’ in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) 55th annual Britain in Bloom community gardening competition. The ‘Fair City’ wowed RHS judges with its urban green spaces, pollinator-friendly planting and campaign to raise awareness of and collect plastic waste. Sustainability is at the heart of Perth’s approach. Parks, gardens and biodiversity hotspots line the River Tay, some of which are designed to mitigate flood risk. Also many seasonal bedding displays have been swapped for plants including foxgloves, Salvia and flowering shrubs to provide year-round food…
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Liverpool’s Allerton Oak crowned England’s Tree of the Year
Liverpool’s lofty Allerton Oak has been crowned England’s Tree of the Year. The tree, which stands in the city’s Calderstones Park received 34% of more than 11,000 votes cast in the Woodland Trust’s annual competition. It will now represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year contest which begins in February 2020. Adam Cormack, Head of Campaigning, at the Woodland Trust said: “The Allerton Oak is a spectacular example of a city tree. It has stood in Calderstones Park for centuries and has an intriguing story. Trees are an important part of the urban landscape…
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Exeter to trial alternative methods of controlling weeds
Alternative methods of controlling weeds in Exeter city are to be trialled following concerns about glyphosate. A motion calling for a trial of alternative methods of weeds suppression and management has been backed by the City Council. The trials will be carried out over the next three years. The city council will assess the success or otherwise of the planned reduction strategy in glyphosate use with regular progress reports to the Scrutiny Committee. The motion that received unanimous backing from the City Council said that there was “increasing evidence of the dangers to both human health and biodiversity…
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Johnsons team up with Evoke to create an outdoor learning area in West Yorkshire
Johnsons of Whixley has recently teamed up with Evoke Landscape Design Ltd to create an outdoor learning area at Hightown Junior Infant & Nursery School, Liversedge. The junior school already has an extensive allotment and orchard on the grounds as well as an area for rearing chickens and ducks. The new area designed by Bradford landscape design business Evoke will further enhance the outdoor learning space and hopes to encourage wildlife. With 120 used tyres from a local garage added to create a living retaining wall around the new area, the tyres have been filled with sensory plants…
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Bernhard’s Nurseries keeps growing
Rugby based Bernhard’s Nurseries has had another big year supplying show gardens, with success in over 20 gardens across RHS Chelsea, Chatsworth, Hampton Court and Tatton Park and plans for an even bigger 2020 are already in place. Sales manager Lewis Normand, who coordinates all show garden projects told us: “We’ve really enjoyed working with some amazing designers this year, and we feel that we have produced some pretty special plants for them. Next year we have further expansion plans thanks to our general manager, John Marsden who is actively adding to our infrastructure.” This means that Bernhard’s…
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Planting Healthy Air in Schools scheme launched
Trees for Cities has teamed up with Mapping for Change and Lancaster University to launch an innovative new programme called “Planting Healthy Air in Schools”. This will help improve the air quality and outdoor experience of children and teachers in some of London’s most polluted schools. Through Planting Healthy Air in Schools, Trees for Cities will test green infrastructure, design and planting techniques to screen airborne pollution. The project will redesign parts of the playground where air quality is particularly poor. By planting trees and other vegetation to filter out airborne pollutants, as well as creating woodland shelters and…
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