12 minute read
HoRTICuLTuRE NEwS
GLDA announces sPeaKers For 2017 seMinar
An important diary date for everyone involved in the landscape and design sectors is the GLDA’s annual seminar which will take place on 11 February 2017. Two speakers confirmed for the event so far are Thomas Doxiadis and Noël van Mierlo. The full programme is currently being finalised. Check for updates at glda.ie ✽ NEW suPPlier and services directorY launched in hc Magazine
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We now have a dedicated supplier and services directory for HC, which you will find on the inside back cover. A useful tool for trade buyers of all sizes, there is a range of suppliers for plants, sundries etc currently promoting themselves. If you are a business looking to promote your service or product offerings, the directory gives you a budget friendly way of reaching out to a dedicated readership of horticulture businesses and trade professionals in both the public and private sectors. For more information or to be included in the spring edition and throughout 2017 please call Annemarie on 042 966 3532. More at horticulture.ie ✽ horticulture industrY gettogether
Following on from previous years' successful industry get-togethers, it's all happening again, on Saturday 26 November 2016, 3 to 5pm in Overend's Cafe, Airfield, Overend Way, Dundrum, Dublin 16. It's informal and open to all garden designers, landscapers, nursery growers, suppliers etc etc - anyone connected with the industry. There is plenty of free parking, and the coffee and cakes are delectable. And if you haven't yet seen the lovely new Airfield, allow yourself the pleasure of spending a little time in the gardens beforehand.
Bring your business cards. Do some networking and meet some new friends. There is no charge and all are welcome. ✽
HORTICULTURE NEWS
NeW venue For exPanded hardWare shoW 2017
The Hardware Show 2017, Ireland’s premier trade event for hardware/ DIY retailers and builders merchants takes place on Sunday 5 and Monday 6 March at the new larger venue of RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin. Off the back of increased confidence in the industry, the show is set to be the biggest event of its kind next year.
Organised by Hardware Association Ireland (HAI), the industry’s trade association, the biennial show is already 85% sold with over 2,900m2 sq taken and has capacity to go to 3,600m2. One of the key attractions for visitors to the show is that it caters for two sectors of the industry that have acted as a boon in the difficult years postconstruction crash – home and garden. An improving economic environment with plans for significant investment in social housing and an upward trend in house building will provide further impetus to the market.
The Hardware Show is recognised for bringing together leading brands across the retail and merchant sector and the extra capacity at the RDS means more opportunities for suppliers and visitors alike. Companies who supply garden and outdoor related products including Ames True Temper, Bord na Móna, Crown Paints, DS Supplies, Dulux, Jefferson Tools, Kilsaran, McLoughlins RS, N&C enterprises, Ronseal and Westaro Hosing have already booked space.
Annemarie Harte, CeO of HAI said: "Garden and Outdoor Living is an important feature to many retailers businesses and is a growing market. They come to the Hardware Show not just to look for new products but for advice and support in developing this part of their business.”
Among the exhibitors taking part are Bord na Móna, Ames True Temper, Kilsaran, McLoughlinRS, BetterGrowing plus many more new exhibitors being announced weekly. HC will be there on the day and can recommend a visit. More at thehardwareshow.ie ✽
ReNTeS sPring Fair
Persican Hybrid Bush Roses
NEW VARIETY EYE OF THE TIGER
The magic of the east brought to your garden
• Strong, very healthy, easy to grow scented roses that have distinctive flowers with contrasting vivid centres. Ideal for pots, tubs and garden beds. • The result of over 30 years of plant breeding, using modern varieties crossed with original wild persican roses found in
South East Asia to Western Siberia. • Flowers continually from summer through to late autumn, year after year. • Grows up to 70cms x 70cms width.
BRIGHT AS A BUTTON ANGEL EYES FOR YOUR EYES ONLY SMILING EYES EYES FOR YOU (BLUE EYES)
The annual spring fair at Rentes Plants takes place over two days on 15 and 16 February 2017. The nursery itself contains over 200,000 plants. In the covered area at the show there will be over 15,000 plants on display, consisting of 1,000 individual varieties and sizes including a new variety of Persican hybrid bush rose ‘eye of the Tiger’. It takes over 100 man days to change the dispatch area into a plant retailers paradise. There will be over 200 plant buyers attending over the two days who will consume several roasted hogs. It is a visual spectacle providing great buying and planning opportunities for the coming year, and a useful networking and social event. More at rentes.ie ✽
CHeLSeA gold Medal Winner JennY MurPhY launches FloWer acadeMY
Jenny Murphy has announced the opening of ‘The Flower Academy’ at Flowers by Moira. It is a warm and friendly flower school that will teach you how to create floral displays, inspire you to create beautiful designs and a space for you to learn the skills and techniques of floristry. The Flower Academy will be led by Jenny Murphy, one of Ireland's most noted floral designers with many award and accolades including Best in Show and RHS Chelsea Gold Medal. Jenny will be on hand to guide you through the process, help you along the way with your creation and provide lots of floral tips and inspiration throughout your class. The Academy is located above the existing retail store Flowers on the Main Street of Dunshaughlin. Phone 01 825 9948 or email jenny@flowersbymoira.ie ✽
CITy centre FloWer & Plant MarKet ProPosed For teMPlebar
established in 2003 The Temple Bar Company is unique within Dublin as it provides the democratic voice for all business, cultural and voluntary sectors within Temple Bar. They have engaged HortiTrends to research the viability of a monthly flower and plant market to serve residents and visitors to the city centre. If you are interested in a stand at this new market please get in touch with joseph@hortitrends.ie ✽
NEW children's resPite centre garden seeKing donations oF Materials & Plants
The Maria Goretti Children’s Respite Centre in Lordship, Co Louth was built by the Maria Goretti Foundation and is managed by RehabCare in conjunction with the HSe. A project to design and build a garden for children and families using the facilities is currently underway. They are seeking manufacturers and suppliers to donate various landscape materials and plants for the build. If you would like to get involved and are interested in supporting this worthy cause please contact joseph@hortitrends.ie for a list of materials they need. ✽
ITB acadeMic ‘excellence in horticulture’ aWard Won bY PatricK sMith
This award, consisting of a bog oak perpetual trophy, cash prize and certificate, is presented to the student in the final year cohort, with the highest overall GPA in their year. The recipient, Patrick (Paddy) Smith completed his honours year (BSc Horticulture) on a part time basis over two years with ITB. He was awarded his prize by Assumpta Meally (Westland Horticulture Ireland sales manager) at the ITB graduation ceremony held on 11 November. Paddy has recently been appointed lecturer at the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture, Glasnevin. Potential future students of ITB horticulture can find out more at the upcoming open evening on Tuesday, 29 November between 5pm - 7pm. ITB’s open evening is ideal for second level students, mature students, guidance counsellors, teachers, parents and guardians. Talk to them about their full time, part time, post graduate and online courses in horticulture. More at itb.ie ✽
World soil daY 2015
Soils have been neglected for too long. We fail to connect soil with our food, water, climate, biodiversity and life. We must invert this tendency and take up some preserving and restoring actions. The World Soil Day campaign aims to connect people with soils and raise awareness on their critical importance in our lives. World Soil Day 2015 will be celebrated on 4 December at the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) headquarters in Rome and FAO regional offices. National events will also be organised, so make sure to regularly check the map of events and/or register your event. The theme for this year will be “Soils: a solid ground for life”. More at fao.org/global-soil-partnership/en ✽
Want to know what’s forecast for garden and lifestyle trends in 2017 and beyond?
Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry will for the first time enjoy unrestricted access to the latest global trends, research, consumer insights and industry innovations thanks to a new integrated, state-of-the-art consumer research and market insight centre.
Bord Bia is delighted to officially launch their new insight centre – The Thinking House – to the Irish amenity horticulture industry. The Thinking House is an immersive, creative learning environment which puts the consumer at the heart of creating and building brands, and bringing new products to market. The highlight of the day will be a presentation, Garden Lifestyle Trends 2017 and Beyond, by Lisa White, head of WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, followed by an overview of their service which will be a new facility available to the industry at The Thinking House. The event takes place on Thursday 1 December between 8.30am to 1.00pm and includes a light lunch. Register and find out more at bordbia.ie ✽
GARDENFx launches neW range oF anti-sliP Products
Slips, trips and falls not only cost millions of euro each year through claims and increased insurance premiums, but can also have a devastating impact on those who are injured. GardenFx is offering a number of solutions such as retrofit insert strips which can help keep users safe by preventing accidents. One of newest products is an outdoor mat that can be used to create an anti-slip walkway or laid in strips to cover an entire patio area. This easy to install mat can be loose laid for areas over 3m², glued or screwed. Available in eight colours that can be cleaned with a power hose if needed. Due to its foam like core, even a light cover of ice will creak underfoot ensuring you have contact with the anti-slip surface. More information at www.gardenfx.ie ✽
CoMMERCIAL horticulture grant scheMe oPen For aPPlications
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently launched the 2017 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. The closing date for receipt of applications is 16 December 2016.
The scheme is open to all sectors within the horticultural industry making capital investments in new specialised buildings and/or equipment which meet at least one of the following scheme objectives: ● promote diversification ● improve quality ● facilitate environmentally friendly practises ● improve working conditions Funding is allocated at a rate of up to 40% (50% in the case of young growers / farmers) for approved investments. The scheme is a competitive scheme where applicants compete with each other for the available funding. With this in mind, Minister of State with responsibility for Horticulture, Andrew Doyle TD, has urged those interested in applying for the scheme to contact their independent Teagasc advisor as early as possible to ensure they are in a position to lodge a well prepared application prior to the deadline of 16 December 2016.
Over the period 2008-2015, €5.6 million in grant aid was paid under the scheme to applicants from the nursery stock and related ornamental sectors. This supported investment of €14 million by the sector. In 2016 a further €0.75m was allocated to the nursery stock and related ornamental sectors. The Department has advised payments of 2016 grant aid are ongoing at present. More at agriculture.gov.ie ✽
IALI SECURES Funding to develoP a landscaPe qualitY ManageMent sYsteM
The Irish Association of Landscape Industries (IALI) was established two years ago to explore how the wider horticulture community works together to address shared issues. With representation from all of the key sectors and professional bodies, the group set about focusing its energies on addressing well documented and pervasive issues relating to the specification, tendering and delivery of landscape schemes in Ireland. Following the completion of a number of landscape audits and the production of an audit report, the group concluded that the most effective strategy to address the wide ranging issues was to develop a practical and Irish specific landscape quality management system (LQMS). While the proposed system will include the development of a specific set of contracts, standards and related documents its core rests on a simple concept: Landscape architects will have a formal signing off role throughout all stages of landscape projects and landscape works are to be carried out by appropriately qualified landscape contractors. In addition, assessment by the appropriate landscape professionals such as arborists for tree works will form part of the LQMS.
Having explored a number of funding options, the group approached Bord Bia who recognised the long term potential of the scheme to increase the quality of Irish landscapes and the role played by various stakeholders, particularly Irish ornamental plant producers. Bord Bia has provided funding for phase 1 of the project, which centres on the development of the documents and processes surrounding the proposed system.
Phase 1 is expected to take 12 months and is being led by former president of the Landscape Institute, Tony Williams. Working directly with Tony is landscape architect, eoghan Riordan Fernandez who is being employed to undertake much of the production tasks. Guidance and input will be provided by a steering group with representation from the Irish Landscape Institute, Irish Hardy Nursery Stock Association, the Garden & Landscape Designers Association, the Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland and the Arboriculture Association (Irish branch). At the end of phase 1, a review will be undertaken and phase 2 which involves further work on the LQMS will begin. Phase 2 requires the implementation phase of the LQMS and will require dialogue with statutory agencies and the enactment of appropriate regulatory instruments and systems.
Updates on the project will be shared through various channels and on the group's website, www.iali.ie. ✽
