Member News

Business blogging – why do it?

Notes from Helen Scott, Business Development Manager at The Garden Company

Helen Scott A t the Garden Company, Managing Director James Scott produces a bi-monthly blog post which we publish on our website. Why do we take the time to do this?

Blogging helps us to explore topics of interest to our clients and colleagues in a way that isn’t possible in a short Tweet or Instagram caption. We work in a fascinating industry, and there is lots to discuss! We enjoy reflecting on what is on peoples’ minds and sharing thoughts and ideas based on James’s in-depth experience. We brainstorm topics based on client conversations, networking events, sales enquiries … and any other source of ideas. We genuinely feel that through blogging we can add value, help our readers and raise the profile of professional garden design and landscaping.

In our experience, business blogging is also a cost-effective marketing tool, for the following reasons:

• It helps us to demonstrate our relevance and authority. By creating useful content, we build our brand and our presence in the marketplace. Obviously, this is not about a

‘quick sell’; it’s about boosting awareness of The Garden Company and interest in what we have to say • It drives traffic to our website. Every time we create and publish a blog post, it becomes one more indexed page on our website, helping us to appear on search engine results pages. It also lets Google know that our website is active, so that they keep checking for new content.

Following this through, we always include inbound links and links to other reputable websites in our blog posts, to improve search engine optimisation. The Google algorithm ‘likes’ links

Blog: How to build a wildlife garden Credit: Clive Nichols

Carefully managing costs more vital than ever

Club’s first lease deal brings in Toro fleet for less

Burford Golf Club gets its hands on 16 new Toro machines in its first ever Toro lease deal. This renewal deal with distributor Reesink Turfcare proves to be a cost-effective solution to replacing old machines while carefully managing expenses in the current climate.

Coming up on his 19th year next month with the parkland course at the heart of the Cotswolds, head greenkeeper Richard explains how when it came time to update equipment, a Toro lease deal was a great • Our blog content also strengthens our social media presence: • as soon as we publish a new blog post we promote it on our social channels - inviting people to have a browse, and (through links) delve further into other website pages • over the following weeks, we use short extracts as posts on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn (which is much easier than trying to come up with new content constantly!) In the spirit of showing you what we mean, rather than just telling you, here’s a link to our blog page, we’d love you to have a browse:

thegardenco.co.uk/blog

Burford Golf Club gets its hands on 16 new Toro machines in its first ever Toro lease deal

option for the club. He says: “We had six bits of equipment that were part of an aging fleet, some machines were up to 25 years old, and needed repairs. Eventually it ended up that we started thinking how can we buy new ones? When we went to Accredited Supplier Reesink Turfcare we were able to look at a lease deal. Instead of just replacing the six machines, with the lease we could get 16 new bits of kit.” As part of the renewal deal, Burford Golf Club has picked up two Greensmaster 3150-Q, two Greensmaster 3250-D, two Reelmaster 5610 fairway mowers with cabs, two Reelmaster 3100 cylinder mowers, two Greensmaster 3300 rotary mowers, two Sand Pro 2040Z rakes, two workman HDXD utility vehicles, a Pro Core 1298 Aerator and a Pro Pass 200 top dresser. The ability to have so many new machines as part of the lease deal means a greater level of flexibility for the club. Richard says: “Having two of everything gives us a bit more flexibility. We can be working in different areas and not have to hinder the golfers and that’s always the most important thing.” Richard plans on using Toro to get the best finish on the course, but first the club is undergoing an exciting round of construction, says Richard: “We’re in the middle of installing PC drainage. We’ve done seven greens so far and are hoping to do about two more every year until they’re all done. When we’re presenting the course, we’ll use the Toro machines – they produce the best finish.”

To see how the Toro range could suit your course, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

Andy Spetch

BRITISH SUGAR TOPSOIL Sustainable from the beginning

British Sugar TOPSOIL, a division of British Sugar and subsidiary of Associated British Foods, was formed over 25 years ago, developing a range of topsoil products from the soil washed from the beet as part of the sugar production process. What started as a response to a change in waste legislation has resulted in environmental and sustainable practices being at the heart of British Sugar.

Landscape News met with Andy Spetch, National TOPSOIL Manager and an agronomist to find out more about the company’s sustainability agenda and how this has become one of the core values of the business.

British Sugar has been producing sugar from sugar beet for over 100 years. When new waste legislation was introduced, the company needed to find a different solution to its waste management requirements.

Andy comments “We originally used to distribute the waste soil across the site as well as return a portion to the agricultural land. The new legislation prevented us from continuing this practice so, as a wider business, a review was taken across all the business streams to identify what products could be developed from what was considered waste. And so the TOPSOIL division was created.”

At the same time that British Sugar TOPSOIL was formed, so too were several additional divisions, all created to deal with the waste from the production process of the core product - sugar.

So, how has what started out as a legal and commercial decision to create new divisions within the organisation, moved to the core focus being environmental and sustainable solutions?

Andy explains “We were exceptionally lucky. We had a director - Carl Carter - who was a man ahead of his time. From the outset he could see the opportunities from the waste we created, both from a commercial and a sustainability viewpoint. One example was to use the excess heat generated from the sugar process to heat 30 hectares of greenhouses and grow tomatoes. I remember Carl saying ‘we have to become a sustainable business’ - this was his vision.”

British Sugar has developed numerous by-products from the waste created by its core business - topsoil from the cleaning stage, animal feed from the pulp, Limex from the purification stage, heat from evaporation supporting greenhouse plant growth, bioethanol from the fermentation and distillation stage to fuel vehicles, and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants, making the sites completely self-sufficient.

Andy describes“We have come a long way in the last 25 years and continue to try and improve. Water usage across the whole process has reduced, mainly through agronomy practice and the soil type the sugar beet is grown in - developing the best ‘recipe’ for sandy clay loam soil to hold the water better. Irrigation practices have also improved, using more managed irrigation solutions. On our sites, we have reduced water usage by 26%

The terms ‘sustainability’ and ‘environmental’ are banded about a lot but not always backed up by actions. At British Sugar we can evidence everything we do and the processes we’ve implemented across the whole business are there for anyone to see. “

since 2014, through reusing and repurposing the water from our lagoons, increasing on-site water storage, and putting water back to the local rivers.”

Across this same time period, energy usage has reduced by 12.3% and CO2 emissions by 17.8%.

“By refining our processes we’ve been able to bring both water and energy usage down, which not only benefits our environment but also ensures the commercial viability of the changes we’ve made to achieve this - we are a business after all! But this doesn’t detract from the environmental and sustainability impact. We have been working with the Carbon Trust for the past 10 years, focusing on the whole life carbon footprint of our operations. Our parent company British Sugar has a dedicated Environmental Manager whose sole purpose is to ensure we operate to environmental best practice across all the business streams” says Andy.

Cementing its commitment, British Sugar has most recently signed up to the Science Based Targets (SBI) initiative. By 2030 it commits to reducing its carbon footprint and water usage by 30%, and ensuring all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. For more information visit britishsugar.

co.uk/sustainability/our-approach/

New tree-lined plaza welcomes new arrivals at Bridlington

Background

Bridlington is on Yorkshire’s East Coast, sited 15 miles south from Scarborough, and just a mile from the dramatic cliffs of Flamborough Head. Bridlington offers a charming mix of traditional seaside attractions, as well as an incredible 15 miles of stunning golden beach, stretching as far south as Hornsea.

Phase Two of the £13.3m Bridlington Integrated Transport Plan, included a total redesign and transformation of the frontage of Bridlington’s railway station. The new Station Plaza features improved access roads, new short-stay and disabled parking, a taxi rank and coach drop-off point, as well as an inviting pedestrian area with contemporary seating and tree planting, to provide not only shade but also vital storm water attenuation – a green and welcoming first impression for visitors to the seaside town.

Green-tech involvement

The contracting work was awarded to Hullbased PBS Construction, who are a family business with strong ties to Bridlington. PBS asked Accredited Supplier Greentech to provide a structural tree pit system that would enable the trees planted within the hard landscaping around the plaza to establish without risk of soil compaction.

A total of twelve trees were planted - eight on the pedestrian plaza area immediately outside of the main entrance, and four sited alongside the taxi rank. To help the trees achieve their full potential, we wanted a good organic topsoil for them to grow in, as well as enough rooting volume. The challenge with planting in any hard landscape is how to use the good stuff underneath the paving, without the paving sinking and compacting the soil. This is where Green-tech’s ArborRaft geo-cellular sub-base replacement system comes into its own.

Rather than using a traditional deep-pit crate system that fills the tree pit down to the base, ArborRaft works on a combined raft/bridging principle, and sits across the top of the tree pit, leaving the rooting area itself completely free of plastic. Not only is this better for the tree, but it also means there is no conflict with underground services such as water, gas, electric or communication lines.

The ArborRaft can take a static vertical loading of 70 tonnes/m2, so can be used under vehicular or pedestrian paving with no concerns about the paving sinking, or the soil underneath becoming compacted. This means that we can use a soft, friable, organic topsoil in the tree pit, rather than a heavily sand-based structural tree soil.

The trees were planted in individual tree pits, and over 300 tonnes of Greentech’s manufactured Green-tree soil was delivered to site in stages as required. Green-tech also supplied each tree pit with tree anchors, Mona irrigation rings topped with aluminium Piazza filler inlets, and Fortress tree grilles, which are designed to take paving sets for a flush surface finish with the surrounding paving.

Alasdair Innes, Green-tech’s Specification Advisor comments “This great looking project makes a good impression to anyone arriving at Bridlington by train. Green-tech has worked with PBS Construction since 2006, and it was a pleasure to be able to be part of something so transformative for one of Yorkshire’s favourite seaside resorts. ArborRaft is so easy to lay, and even though it has been tried and tested over ten years or more, it’s always nice to see a finished project with the trees looking so healthy. It is early days but once mature they will give welcome shade for commuters and visitors alike.”

No slowing down

Arbor celebrates 70 years with expanded, greener lorry fleet

Arbor Forest Products - the UK’s leading independent timber importer and processor - has put sustainability at the heart of its new fleet of lorries, highlighting the company’s drive for greener thinking and its ambition to help customers meet ever-increasing environmental targets.

Driving down emissions: 4,090 road miles reduction

Successfully in business for over 70 years, Accredited Supplier Arbor supplies over 500,000m3 of quality timber to the building, DIY and construction trades every year from its 90-acre site in New Holland. It’s the largest dedicated timber terminal and processing facility in the UK. With 100’s of orders to process daily, and large-scale logistic challenges a mainstay of the industry, Arbor has continued to look for greener solutions that optimise fleet utilisation, reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiency levels, and replace existing manual processes.

One of the results has been the creation of ‘Warehouse on Wheels’, a one-stop shop concept that delivers products at the right place and time, and in the precise volumes required. By providing mixed product deliveries nationwide (removing the need to use separate suppliers), Arbor is using fewer vehicles on the roads, making fewer deliveries and reducing its carbon footprint. In addition, transport planning is automated through routing and scheduling software, further maximising efficiencies.

Since launching, Warehouse on Wheels has helped Arbor to: • Travel 4,090 road miles less each week • Save 2,237 litres of diesel every week • Improve trailer fill rates by 25% • Eliminate 70 customer deliveries each week

Experience counts: 70 years of doing the right thing

With fresh panel designs, Arbor’s new-look lorry fleet is ready to take the Warehouse on Wheels concept to the next level and help the company’s customers enhance their green credentials. This will become increasingly important as businesses strive to meet ever-increasing sustainability targets, meaning innovative thinking will be needed to reduce environmental impacts across the supply chain. Find out more at

arborforestproducts.co.uk

Alpha Rail support Penny Pie Park Development

Accredited Supplier Alpha Rail have been involved in supplying metal railing for the Penny Pie Park improvement project, designed to improve the environmental surroundings of a neglected park located on Dodworth Road, Barnsley.

Penny Pie Park was originally a landfill site, developed into a recreational park. To ease congestion between the M1 motorway and Barnsley town centre, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council developed a new road scheme creating a gyratory through the park.

As part of the scheme, a focus was placed on developing the parks facilities, with the council working with tree specialists and landscape architects to identify trees to be preserved and transplanted, a new play area for children and relocated outdoor gym.

Landscaping contractors P Casey & Company appointed Alpha Rail to supply the new metalworks required for the project, including decorative railings and a large decorative archway to improve the environmental surroundings of the park, with the aim of minimising the negative effects of having a road placed through it.

Alpha Rail supplied and installed a number of products, including:

• Decorative Flat Top Railings • Decorative Gates • Arches • Pedestrian Guardrail All products supplied were bespoke made for the project, and the park now has an impressive gated entrance, new signage, notice boards, and new railings to provide a safe and welcoming environment.

alpharail.co.uk

The Fauna & Flora International Garden illustration

A partnership of sustainability

Jilayne Rickards MBALI and Tecwyn Evans of Living Landscapes to provide a spotlight on Project Giving Back’s charity work at RHS Chelsea 2023

Accredited Designer and Chelsea award-winning garden designer, Jilayne Rickards, will be working with sustainability-focused landscaper Tecwyn Evans, from Accredited Contractor Living Landscapes, to create the Fauna & Flora International Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

Sponsored by Project Giving Back, the show garden will mark the Chelsea debut of Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and will provide a spotlight on the wildlife conservation charity’s work with the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) in Central Africa - an initiative originally established by FFI in 1978 as the Mountain Gorilla Project.

Determined to make her own positive impact on the planet and biodiversity, Jilayne Rickards sees partnering with FFI as the perfect match; and, in this vein, Jilayne and Tecwyn have set out on a mission to make the show garden as sustainable as possible. Zero waste will be sent to landfill, 95% of building materials will be sourced from the UK and as many materials as possible will be recycled or reused. For example, the boulders, supplied by Accredited Supplier CED Stone Group

Hy-Tex UK introduce Eco-Haven™ tree guards at APF 2022

Accredited Supplier Hy-Tex UK, was delighted to exhibit back in September at APF 2022 - the UK’s largest forestry, woodland, arboriculture, fencing and biomass event.

After a 3-year absence from trade shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kent based company showcased their comprehensive range of products for biodegradable tree protection, silt pollution control, wildlife protection and biodegradable erosion control.

Over 20,000 people attended the popular exhibition, with Hy-Tex’s new Eco-Haven™ Tree Guards debuting at the show. The entirely new range of fully biodegradable - but highly durable - tree guards, shrub shelters and vine sleeves were particularly well received by visitors to Hy-Tex’s stand. The product launch during the show was a great way to re-engage and interact with their valued customers on a more face-to-face basis after such a prolonged time of not being able to do so.

Eco-Haven™ Tree Guards incorporate a unique flat pack modular design that makes them simple to transport and are easy to install and re-use. The product is a plant based sustainable solution which is fully biodegradable in-situ, so no need to remove and compost.

Other notable Hy-Tex products on display at the exhibition were Hy-Tex’s in-demand Ecotex™ 100 Tree Mats and the market leading Terrastop™ Silt Fence range.

To further emphasise Hy-Tex’s environmentally friendly approach, the company has also recently launched a new fully biodegradable product - Biobrane™ Dewatering Bags. The bags provide an effective way to collect harmful sediments from dirty water pumped out of excavation to create the garden boundary, are a waste product from agricultural farming. A highlight - and a real rarity at Chelsea – is that the garden will be entirely cement- and concrete-free construction.

When it comes to the plants, the garden is set to be a treasure trove of unusual species typical of the Afromontane landscape of Central Africa. Imagine a medicinal garden, including plants such as Brillantaisia, Moringa and Leucas, all shaded by Eucalyptus and banana trees; a true-to-life gorilla nest set amongst bamboo and other typical gorilla food plants; and a waterfall and viewing rock surrounded by plants commonly found at high altitude. A large proportion of the plants are being grown in the tropical biomes at the Eden Project, where the garden will also be relocated following the show – solidifying Jilayne’s and the garden team’s commitment that nothing will go to waste.

jilaynerickards.com livinglandscapesuk.com

Young Mountain Gorillas © Angelique Todd Fauna & Flora International

works and are exclusively made from a special plantbased biopolymer. The product is a 100% bio-based solution using sustainable materials that are fully compostable and biodegradable at end of use.

Eco-Haven Tree Guard - Ecotex Tree Mats

To kick off the Christmas season, Hy-Tex gladly donated £1,000 to a local children’s Christmas box appeal charity for the second consecutive year. The 400+ Christmas boxes and gifts will again help provide the essentials, as well as Christmas presents, for vulnerable children in the Kent area.

For further information and updates on Hy-Tex UK, visit hy-tex.co.uk

Single polymer, 100% circular: ONE-DNA artificial grass is here

Futureproofing the artificial grass marketplace means facing the challenges of circularity and recyclability head on. The pioneers in this field at Accredited Supplier Evergreens UK Group are again leading the march forward, as they reveal their UK-exclusive collaboration with LimeGreen® and the launch of ONEDNA™ artificial grass for 2023.

Its launch makes an important statement and is a conversation starter for those in the development, manufacture, supply, installation and recycling of artificial grass. This is one more bold, innovative move by Evergreens UK and forms just one step in their Evergreener™ sustainability initiative.

Made from just one raw material, the new ONE-DNA™ formula has a significantly lower carbon footprint, using less energy in production and hitting the ultimate goal in recyclability when cleaned at ‘end of life’: 100%. A single polymer means a single recycling method at a single recycling facility, using less energy. This unique formulation means clean single DNA lawns can be recycled at local facilities and reused as artificial grass or similar value products, time and time again. Any cut waste from the new installation can go straight back to the manufacturer to be recycled and reused afresh.

Evergreens UK Group Sales and Marketing Director Andy Driver is eager to extend the company’s sustainability commitment and is formulating a number of additional initiatives moving forward. “We are really excited to be able to share our plans for products with 100% circularity, launching in collaboration with partners LimeGreen®. This new range resolves end-of-life issues and opens a whole new dialogue across the industry. But we acknowledge there is more to be done - this is just the first step in our mission for change as part of our Evergreener™ programme for 2023.”

www.evergreensukgroup.com