Horticulture Connected Summer Volume 1 Issue 3 by Horticulture Connected

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

June/July 2014

News, Analysis and Trends in Landscape and Amenity Horticulture

MAKING MEADOWS

SANDRO CAFOLLA PROVIDES EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT

HOW THE BEST MAKE HARD DECISIONS

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAVING FOR IRISH GARDENS

BLOOM IN PICTURES

PHOTOS AND COMMENTS FROM BLOOM 2014

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EDITORS LETTER

INTEGRITY COMPROMISED

EDITOR BARRY LUPTON

ook around you. That furniture, the light, the car, the clothes you’re wearing, the screen you’re watching, the mug you’re drinking from, they all came into being through some variation of the design process. The process of solving problems. It is extremely unfortunate that the gains made in raising public understanding of the value of design in relation to gardens and landscapes have been eroded in the last few years. I’ve heard many commentators say design has been relegated to a worthless commodity. I agree, to a point. There are many factors which undermine perceived value of design in relation to gardens and landscapes; our lack of historical appreciation sits at the root and growing from it are a non-existent regulation, poor levels of public and professional expectation, a weak academic and training foundation, and a hesitancy by many well-informed professionals to place an appropriate monetary value on their knowledge. Bloom in the Park is a good gauge of Ireland’s design status and 2014 was no exception. I was delighted to see an increase in the quality of planting and

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED

News, Analysis and Trends In Landscape & Amenity Horticulture

Qualified, passionate and informed staff always available to assist you

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20 The Cutlers 33 to 34 Parliament St Dublin 2 Ireland +353 (0)87 921 2044 www.horticulture.ie

detailing in gardens, and if Ireland’s top designers are to be believed, there is a tentative sense of optimism in the air. People are spending again. As a designer what struck me most about the show gardens this year was a sense that Ireland’s designers have lost some confidence. In my opinion, some, not all, need to step back and re-evaluate what it is they do, particularly in relation to what they do for sponsors. A confident and credible designer has one thing to sell: the integrity of their knowledge. This should never be compromised. When it is compromised it undermines design value in the public’s eye and denigrates the pageantry and delight of events like Bloom to a cynical marketing exercise. If you are a designer considering a submission to Bloom 2015, I urge you to do three things: place a deserved value on the integrity of your knowledge; stand by your convictions and don’t compromise your brilliance; and finally, don’t wait until December to put your submission together, do it now and do your ideas justice by giving them time to evolve. Picking up on the design thread in this issue, I’m delighted to feature input from several of Ireland’s top garden creators on what paving materials they like to use. In this issue’s interview, renowned designer, Angela

Editor: Barry Lupton editor@horticulture.ie News Editor & Advertising: Joseph Blair 087 921 2044 joseph@horticulture.ie Subscriptions: subscriptions@horticulture.ie Design & Layout: Tanya Gilsenan tanya@horticulture.ie Design Concept: Faye Keegan www.fayekeegandesign.com Editorial Assistant: Koraley Northen Publishers: HortiTrends www.HortiTrends.ie joseph@hortitrends.ie Cover image: Sandro Cafolla

"Place a deserved value on the integrity of your knowledge; stand by your convictions and don’t compromise your brilliance"

Binchy shares her thoughts on the evolution and future of Irish design. Colm Kenny also addresses paving but with a technical slant on quantifying and pricing. Thomas Crummy offers some pointers on how landscape professionals can maximise the Home Renovation Initiative. On the retail front, award winning retailer Rachel Doyle presents the upcoming Garden Centre Congress, while Peter Dowdall shares his personal experience of building and losing a retail business. Also in retail, Liam Kelly explores how events can increase footfall and profits. In Rediscovering Biophilla, Joe Clancy explains how the future of the industry might lie in gaining a greater understanding of how we relate to living things, Sandro Cafolla details how to create successful wildflower meadows and Eamon Kealy shows how golf course managers can make the most of financial cutbacks. If you feel there is an issue or a story which should be shared with the wider industry then drop me an email at editor@horticulture.ie ✽

See www.Horticulture.ie for more news

Photos by Koraley Northen & Joseph Blair Printers: Turners Printing. Earl Street, Longford. Distribution: Readership of 10,000 across Ireland North and South from Businesses and Professionals in the following Sectors: Landscape / Architects / Garden Retail / Florists / Nurseries / Greenkeepers / Sports Surfaces / Local Authority’s & Parks Departments / Machinery / Education

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

CONTENTS

CONNECTINGHORTICULTURE

Contents NEWS

Horticulture.ie

Portal Site for Horticulture in Ireland

HORTICULTURE NEWS

Thomas Crummy provides some insightful detail on how to utilise the government’s Home Renovation Initiative

RETAIL

HortiTrends.ie

Daily and Breaking News. Events and Tenders

JobsInHorticulture.ie

Latest Amenity & Fresh Produce Jobs

PlantConnector.ie Connecting Ornamental Plant Growers with Plant Retailers GardenGuide.ie Consumer Website Promoting Horticulture Businesses FreshProduceNews.ie

CONGRESS IRELAND

LANDSCAPE

Rachel Doyle introduces a stunning line-up for the upcoming International Garden Centre Congress

INSIGHT 38

EVENTFUL PROFITS

Latest News for Edible Horticulture in Ireland

HOW THE BEST MAKE HARD DECISIONS

IN PICTURES

UK News, Events & Trends.

SPORTS TURF

PHOTOS

Pictures and comment from Bloom 2014, Garden Show Ireland and The Botanic Gardens

Business Suphort Services

Branding Brochures Logos

Web design eCommerce Adwords

Social Media for Business

INprint

ONline

SOcial

A DESIGNER PERSPECTIVE Design perspective: Barry Lupton talks with one of Ireland’s most well established and respected designers, Angela Binchy

CONSTRUCTION 31

PAVING YOUR WAY TO PROFIT Landscape cost estimating expert Colm Kenny explains how contractors can avoid having their profits buried on paving projects

CREATIVE CUTS Turfgrass expert Eamon Kealy describes the ever changing role of the modern golf course superintendent and sets out a number of strategies for how they can innovate around cutbacks

INTERVIEW 28

MAKING MEADOWS Renowned wildflower specialist, Sandro Cafolla shares some insights on how to successfully establish wildflower meadows in Ireland

Insight from Ireland’s top garden creators on how to choose paving materials for Irish gardens

HorticultureConnected.co.uk

REDISCOVERING BIOPHILIA Landscape Architect, Joseph Clancy shares his knowledge and recent research on the most important subject in contemporary horticulture

Retail consultant, Liam Kelly explores how garden centres can exploit events to generate footfall and profit

DESIGN

GREEN ROOFS AND FLOOD MITIGATION: AN IRISH CONTEXT Landscape Architect, Lucy Carey reviews the recent Irish Landscape Institute’s lecture on green roofs and flood mitigation.

WHERE ONE DOOR CLOSES Peter Dowdall tells a story of passion, hard work, success, failure and new horizons that will be familiar to many in the industry

MAKING THE HRI WORK FOR YOU

EDUCATION 46

UNLEASH THE IONS! Kevin Cahill reports on research he undertook to investigate the impact of wetting foliage with copper/ silver ionised water to preventz the establishment of powdery mildew

To find out more about our specialist marketing, business support & development services contact Joseph on 087 921 2044 or joseph@horticulture.ie June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

01 / NEWS

HORTICULTURE NEWS

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR GLAS 2014 SUPPORTED BY BORD BIA, GLAS returns to Citywest on July 24. This one-day event, now firmly established on the trade calendar, offers a valuable focal point for everyone involved in the horticulture, sportsturf, amenity and related industries. All the leading nurseries and commercial growers will be represented at the show, along with a large selection of ancillary suppliers. More than 1,000 visitors are expected and the organisers have added extra stands this year to accommodate growing interest in Ireland’s main event

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for the horticulture business. New this year, businessman Sean Gallagher will be hosting a morning welcome for visitors and exhibitors to kick off the event. A champion of small business and the entrepreneurial spirit, the popular investor from the Dragon’s Den will inform and inspire all those attending. For the first time, the event will feature The Retail Merchandising Showcase. This is an opportunity for suppliers to present their best-of-breed products, supported by merchandising designed to maximise retail sales and create new revenue streams for visiting retailers. The Sportsturf Village & Machinery Park, in association with the Irish Institute of Sports Surfaces, is the only event of its kind in Ireland that makes it easy for buyers and sellers

in this sector to gather under one roof. This popular feature will include meeting points, providing visitors with unique access to the most important suppliers in the sector, as well as the latest support and advice on everything from training, to the changes in pesticide legislation. Once again for 2014, the New Product New Plant Awards will take centre stage in the hall, while the Bord Bia Marketplace Meeting Rooms will assist exhibiting Irish nurseries to develop opportunities with buyers domestically and overseas. Another fi rst this year is the GLAS Trolley Exchange for visitors, in association with Container Centralen and Hannon Transport. www.glasireland.ie/pre-registration ✽

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NATURAL CAPITAL FORUM TO BE ESTABLISHED FOLLOWING CONFERENCE A NATURAL CAPITAL FORUM is to be set up to advance a comprehensive economic assessment of the whole range of resources, goods and services produced by the Irish environment, following a conference last month. More than 100 representatives of businesses, investors, state agencies, landowners, environmental NGOs and academics attended ‘Natural Capital: Ireland’s Hidden Wealth” at the National Botanic Gardens. The conference focused on finding ways to accurately measure, in economic terms, our ‘natural capital debt’ – the unacknowledged cost of environmental degradation and its impact on human wellbeing. ‘Contemporary taxpayers, future generations, and the world’s poor, all pay this debt, whether we realise it or not,’ Dr. Rudolf de Groot, a leading author of The Economics of Ecology and Biodiversity TEEB report, told the meeting, ‘We may think of nature as priceless, but we must learn to recognize all its values’.

The conference also considered the potential of restoration strategies to enhance and augment our natural capital, reversing the long, continuous trend of degradation in recent times. The conference was addressed by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, who said that during Ireland’s economic crisis we had lost our focus on biodiversity, and that this had been to our detriment. He welcomed the conference’s contribution to highlighting the economic and social value of goods and services provided by nature. After contributions from international and national experts in the field, the conference unanimously endorsed a proposal to establish a national Natural Capital Forum, which will be set up with the support of public and private agencies. EU member states have agreed to integrate Natural Capital Accounting into their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations by 2020, and the Forum will assist in meeting this goal. The independent organising committee for the conference, chaired by Dr Jane Stout of TCD’s Centre for Biodiversity Research, presented the following points to the fi nal discussion session as a summary of the points raised at the conference: ● Comprehensive Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) has the potential

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

to reveal the hidden wealth in our natural environment, ranging from the provision of flood control, fresh air and fertile land to health, recreational and aesthetic benefits. ● NCA can therefore better inform our policies, public and private, so that we can more effectively protect, promote, enhance and restore healthy ecosystems and the human wellbeing that depends on them. NCA expands our understanding of nature’s true value and reminds us that the health of our economy and society is directly dependent on healthy ecosystems. ● An independent natural capital forum should be established with two aims: a) To mainstream the concepts of NCA and ecosystem goods and services to the general public, commercial enterprises, landowners and public decision makers; b) Assist state agencies, private businesses and landowners in developing sound metrics for NCA. The conference was organized by Dr Jane Stout, Paddy Woodworth, Dr Declan Little, Dr Catherine Farrell and Dr Matthew Jebb. The event manager was Dr Cara Augustenborg. ✽

WORKING GROUP SET TO TACKLE LANDSCAPE QUALITY ISSUES A working group is to be established to tackle issues highlighted in a Specific Landscape Problem which featured in the last issue of Horticulture Connected. The group, which will include representatives from key industry bodies and invested stakeholders, is to meet on June 17 to discuss issues which impact all levels of landscape design and construction. Commenting on the group’s planned meeting, landscape architect and industry commentator, Terry O’Regan said “There is a wide range of issues facing the landscape sector. They are not new issues and this is not the first time an attempt has been made to tackle them. But this is perhaps the first time that the various landscape sub-sectors are genuinely interested in taking solid action.” News of the group’s meeting has been met with industry wide support. Horticulture Connected will

EXCITING OPEN DAY PLANNED FOR THE WILDFLOWER SEED HOUSE

continue to disseminate information from the group as and when appropriate.

If you have an interest in the CULTIVATIN OF IRISH WILDFLOWERS then mark Wednesday July 30 in your calendar. Renowned wildflower expert Sandro Cafolla will be hosting an open day at Urlingford County Tipperary. The day will reveal the most up to date experiences and results of 25 years of growing wildflowers and research in Ireland. Sandro will explain all about growing and maintaining wildflower meadows from the cultivation of individual species to building sustainable communities. For more information visit www.wildflowers.ie ✽

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CORRECTION In the feature Stripped Back in the last issue it was stated that Feargus McGarvey had overseen the installation of the Martha Schwartz project at Grand Canal Dock. Tiros was the name of the landscape practice that worked on the project. Feargus compiled the play space guidelines for Dublin Docklands. ✽

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

01 / NEWS

The REI Garden Group was set up to continue and enhance the work of the GCAI. The group functions to support the garden centre sector through garden centre specific learning events, and through reporting of garden centre sales trends and category performance trends. Led by a new committee, made up of small and large Garden Centres, they intend to take a fresh approach and deliver exciting events and practical solutions to issues raised. Fergal Doyle of Arboretum is the current chairperson of the group and also highlights the importance of market Intelligence. “REI will support the group by collecting, aggregating and reporting total garden centre sales trends and category performance trends.” Next Meeting: takes place on July 10th. Contact Sandra – 065 684 6927 ✽

News compiled by HortiTrends - All the Latest Daily & Breaking News on www.HortiTrends.ie

● Over 80,000 plants were sold at Bloom 2014 at an estimated value of €750,000 ● 116 Bloom medals and awards were presented over the five days to garden

designers, nurseries, floral artists, exhibitors and botanical artists. ● 130 food buyers attended Bord Bia’s business breakfast at Bloom on Friday morning for one to one meetings with the exhibiting artisan food and drink companies. ● GIY-ers bought more than 100 polytunnels valued at €850 each ● The Sculpture Garden featuring 50 pieces of Irish sculpture proved very popular with Bloom visitors, with almost half of the pieces selling during the show. Eight orders were placed for the ‘Apple Tree’ by Liam Butler, each valued at €800 ● A total of 4,000 people worked onsite over the 5 days including 170 volunteers ● It will take 14 days to clear the Bloom site (it took 31 days to build Bloom) The focus has already shifted to planning for Bloom 2015 which will take place from Thursday 28th May – Monday June 1st 2015. ✽

GARDEN CENTRE MANAGER

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RETAIL EXCELLENCE IRELAND GARDEN GROUP

Bord Bia welcomed over 106,000 visitors to its Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park, Dublin over the June bank holiday weekend. Last year, a Behaviours and Attitudes study valued the onsite sales at €5.5 million. Speaking at the event Aidan Cotter, Chief Executive, Bord Bia commented “Bloom is now firmly established in the parklands setting of the Phoenix Park and is regarded as the most important event in the Irish horticulture calendar.”

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This year the show celebrated 10 years as the premier event serving Northern Irelands 1.8million population, with a move to Antrim Castle. Northern and southern members of the GLDA were running free design clinics which were very popular. We are told by show ‘Gold Medal Winner’ Michael O’Reilly that it generated real business for members. Thousands of visitors from all over the world poured through the gates of it’s new venue at Antrim Castle Gardens. From Auckland to Orlando and local visitors too, flocked to enjoy an expanded new look Show which included appearances by Alys Fowler from BBC Gardeners’ World, Ireland’s and world-renowned plantswoman Helen Dillon. Commenting on a great Show, Garden Show Ireland Director Claire Faulkner, “Our new home has been a huge hit with exhibitors and visitors alike and has provided the perfect setting for our tenth year, and a great springboard for the Show’s exciting future.” ✽

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GARDEN SHOW IRELAND PUTS ‘ANTRIM CASTLE’ ON THE MAP

NOW HIRING

BLOOM 2014 IN NUMBERS

We are looking for an Exceptional Candidate to run our quality Garden & Lifestyle Centre, located at one of Irelands top tourist attractions. Email Cover letter & CV to Barbara.Smyth@powerscourt.net

We Are Growing!

B M

ILL ADDEN

NURS

E R I E S LT D .

Arboretum, Ireland’s first five star garden centre are delighted to announce that we are hiring!

REQUIRES

Experienced Grower/Salesperson

Potential to Grow into a Management Position

TEAGASC OPENS NEW EDUCATION FACILITIES AT BOTANIC GARDENS The official opening took place recently of a 2.5million investment in new education facilities that will double the number of students it can facilitate. Officially opened by Minister Hayes, he made reference to the fact that it was built and paid for by the OPW, but will be run by Teagasc and is a fine example of government departments co-operating and working well together. Congratulations were also due to newly appointed Botanic Gardens Director (previously acting) Matthew Jebb on the day.

BOXWOOD COUPLE RETIRE - BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY When Alistair and Rosie Campbell sold their Garden Centre 11 years ago, they considered themselves too young to put their feet up. They had a passion for topiary which has resulted in them having a commercial offering of boxwood shaped into cubes, cones, balls and various other shapes, now ready for sale. No new boxwood have been introduced to the original collection and existing stock is totally blight-free. They are now wishing to retire again! This is a unique opportunity to access this fine collection of 1800 disease and pest free plants. Enquiries rosemary.campbell@btinternet.com ✽

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

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FRENCHFORT, ORANMORE, CO GALWAY Tel: 091-788860 Email: maddensnurseries@eircom.net

We are now recruiting additional full-time staff to work in our plant area. The successful applicants will need to have excellent plant knowledge, the ability to communicate well with customers and other staff. They will need to have a genuine love of gardening and people. Retail experience would be desirable but not essential as full training will be given.

To apply please email C.V. to info@arboretum.ie

IRISH Grown FLOWERs & Plants Arbo Press Ad 88x65.indd 1

28/05/2014 16:52:01

POWERSCOURT RANKED AT 3 IN THE TOP 10 GARDENS IN THE WORLD TO VISIT The Wicklow Estate & Gardens are celebrating their inclusion in the influential National Geographic Rankings. Coming just behind Kew Gardens in England they are a big hit with international tourists and becoming ever more popular for ‘Garden Visit’ in the key american market. They are currently hiring a Garden Centre Manager for the Pavillion at PowersCourt, and are busy making preparations for the upcoming visit by the IGCA Congress group. ✽

Florists & Growers G ET I NVOLVED in our ‘Support Irish Horticulture & J o b s ’ C a m p a i g n Contact Arjan: Tel:087-241 5091 Email: Arjan@AquaflorFlowersDirect.ie

Quality Value Selection Service Always

www.AquaflorFlowersDirect.ie

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

02 / RETAIL

EVENTS / JOBS

EVENTS DIARY ✽ 10-12 JUNE GREENTECH AMSTERDAM GreenTech Amsterdam is the new platform of international horticulture technology. Venue: Amsterdam RAI Convention Centre, Europaplein 22, 1078 GZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.greentech.nl

DON’T MISS!

✽ 13-15 JUNE

DUBLIN GARDEN FESTIVAL BRINGING THE OUTSIDE INSIDE

Christ Church Cathedral will hold the fi rst ever fl ower and garden festival. Venue: Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland www.dublingardenfestival.ie

✽ 18-22 JUNE WAFA WORLD

FLOWER SHOW 2014 / A FLORAL ODYSSEY ➤

The event will showcase floral arrangements designed by over 600 artists. Venue: RDS Concert Hall @ Ballsbridge, Co Dublin, Ireland www.wafaireland.com

International garden centre Congress showcasing the best of our Irish garden centres, gardens and Irish hospitality. Venue: Carton House Hotel, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland www.igccireland2014.com

✽ 24-25 JUNE HTA NATIONAL PLANT SHOW 2014

✽ 02-03 SEPTEMBER FOUR OAKS TRADE SHOW

The HTA will showcase the very best of British plant suppliers all under one roof. Venue: Stoneleigh Park. Coventry, West Midlands, UK www.nationalplantshow.co.uk

The UK’s Premier Show for Ornamental Horticulture Venue: Farm Lane, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DU, UK www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com

✽ 24 JULY GLAS

✽ 14-16 SEPTEMBER GLEE BIRMINGHAM

Offering a unique business networking opportunity for Ireland’s horticulture, sportsturf and related industries. Venue: Citywest Hotel Conference & Event Centre, Saggart, Dublin, Ireland www.glasireland.ie

The defi nitive tradeshow for the garden industry Venue: NEC Birmingham, UK www.gleebirmingham.com

✽ 10-15 AUGUST INTERNATIONAL GARDEN CENTRE CONGRESS

FURTHER DETAILS and more event news, visit www.hortitrends.ie

Welcome to Ireland and the 56th

JOBS NEWS CURRENTLY HIRING

NEW ROLES ✽ James Byrne

Ecommerce & Retail Marketing Manager at Glanbia

✽ Patrick Casement

Growing Manager at Monaghan Mushrooms Carbury Farm

✽ Kristine Rozentale

Harvest Manager at Monaghan Mushrooms

✽ Barry Evans

Plant Area Manager at The Garden House

✽ Aine Patton

Landscape Architect at Brady Shipman Martin

✽ Rory Greene

Inspector at Forest Service Ireland

✽ Aaron Redmond

Business Development Manager at Redlough Landscapes Ltd

✽ Yvonne O' Conor

Horticulture Consultant at Irish National Stud

✽ Arboretum Retail Horticulturists

✽ Powerscourt Garden Pavillion Garden Centre Manager

✽ Bill Madden Nursery Eperienced Grower/Salesperson

✽ Sheridan Landscaping Landscape/ Maintenance Operative (Part-Time) See page 7 for full print job adverts.

All the latest jobs on www.jobsInHorticulture.ie

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

CONGRESS IRELAND 2014 Rachel Doyle, Ireland’s leading garden retailer, introduces a stunning line-up for the upcoming International Garden Centre Congress, which is being hosted in Ireland from August 10th to 15th

he International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) was founded 55 years ago and the first congress was held in Germany. We are an independent not-for-profit organisation committed to the continuous improvement of the garden centre industry worldwide. We are dedicated to supporting national garden centre associations and our members by providing the forum to promote business and networking opportunities, which includes an annual congress. The IGCA board consists of past President Nick Stodel, South Africa; President Rachel Doyle, Ireland (this is the first time Ireland has held the Presidency); First Vice President John Zaplantynsky, Canada; and Second Vice President Koichi Akatsula, Japan. The other countries with representation

on the board are Italy, UK, Denmark, and Australia. The board meets twice per year with other meetings held on Skype or conference call.

OVERVIEW The international congress is held each year between August and October in a different host country. This comprises of the business meeting and AGM where the officers are elected. The aff airs of the association are administrated from Canada. A concentrated business study tour for the next generation of garden centre owners was set up in the UK in 2009. This was an incredible success and provided a huge learning curve and networking event. For the Irish congress this is oversubscribed and we have a waiting list. Since 1960 the congress has been held annually in various countries around the

world, most recently in the UK 2009, Japan 2010, Italy 2011, Germany 2012, and in Australia 2013. This event allows garden centre owners to network and exchange business information and ideas, as well as visiting amazing garden centre in these countries. Each country also creates a wonderful social programme and visits to incredible locations. In Denmark in December we have allocated the countries that we will be visiting up to 2020. We are offering tours before and after the congress for delegates wishing to come early or stay after the congress has finished.

WHY BRING THE CONGRESS TO IRELAND? People travelling from all over the world won’t just come for one week but will

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

02 / RETAIL usually spend two to three weeks in the country, giving a boost to our economy. During the congress we can showcase the best our country has to offer in horticulture, in our garden centres, our wonderful home grown nursery stock, and our famous quality Irish food and drink. For example, we have 43 UK delegates registered and they are the crème de la crème of the English garden centres. This provides an opportunity for our nurseries wishing to export to network with these potential customers. I really believe that “people buy from people first” and once the introduction happens then the relationship and business follows. At Arboretum we always say it is as a result of our attending congresses around the world that we have learned so much from our peers. We have developed lasting friendships with leaders in the horticultural field and from their help have been introduced to important business contacts.

INFORMATION Each delegate is given information about the venue we are about to enter

JUST A FLAVOUR OF OUR ITINERARY We are based in the majestic Carton House in Co Kildare for the full week (10 to 15 August).

Saturday 9 August A game of golf is been arranged on one of the courses in Carton House.

02 / RETAIL and two people are asked if they would do a critique on the garden centre. There is no pressure on anyone to speak but most participants are happy to participate. They give a great overview which generates discussion. Each delegate is given a feedback form and asked to list three things they really liked and three things they think should be improved upon. On the feedback forms there is an option for more information. The feedback sheets are collected before the next stop and are given to the participating garden centre. The tour guides impart important information on the history, culture, landscape, countryside and economy as we travel around the country. Depending on the dynamic of each group healthy discussion can develop and we intend to have roaming microphones which make it easier for the shy people who may not be comfortable speaking in a group. The importance of this networking and information sharing cannot be overemphasised, it is tremendous! We have a number of press, media and authors registered who will return

Michael D Higgins in attendance

THE IRISH CONGRESS This would not have happened without the support of Bord Bia. We have now over 200 delegates from 18 countries registered. We believe we will make a profit, and the money will be ring-fenced to promote gardening in Ireland next year. We have had great support from the industry and we will be telling you more about this when all our sponsorship is sorted. Thanks to you all who have committed to sponsorship. ✽

Friday 15 August ● Orchard Garden Centre

Jones Garden Centre The Garden House Malahide Malahide Castle and Avoca Trinity College Jameson Distillery for an Irish night

● Guinness Store House for tour and a

Wednesday 13 August ● Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden Centre ● Altamont gardens ● Kilkenny Castle ● Gowran park for lunch ● Afternoon at the races in Gowran

taste of the black stuff ● Grafton Street for shopping ● Gala black tie event in Carton House

This is an action packed week! On Thursday afternoon the study tour will break away and do some team building having fun canoeing on the Barrow. For anyone wishing to join the congress we will have a limited number of day passes.

● Dinner and entertainment in

Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden Centre

Every few months I write about what is happening in Ireland. That information is sent to Leigh in Australia who collates the information from all the countries and sends it back to us. This will now be circulated through the new Retail Excellence Ireland Garden Group. It makes interesting reading and it is surprising how many similar challenges we all face.

● Japanese Gardens and National Stud

Another optional event is a trip to a corporate box in Croke Park to enjoy the all-Ireland hurling semi-final. Sunday evening registration and an informal get together in Carton House.

● Visit Johnstowm Garden Centre

Thursday 14 August

● Newlands Garden Centre

● Powerscourt Garden Centre

● Croke Park

ENEWS

Tuesday 12 August

Sunday 10 August

Monday 11 August

to their own countries and write about their Irish experiences. We will ensure that it will be very positive.

and gardens

● National Botanic Gardens

● O’Connors’ nursery and lunch

● Glasnevin Cementery and Museum

● Cois Na habhann Garden Centre

● Black tie dinner in the Mansion House.

● Killruddery House and Gardens

We hope to have our President

● BBQ and entertainment

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

Retail Excellence Ireland is working with us with a view to putting on an extra bus for the new garden group to join the congress for a day. I know the delegates from all over the world will have an amazing and memorable stay in Ireland. Rachel Doyle President IGCA

WHERE ONE DOOR CLOSES Peter Dowdall tells a story of passion, hard work, success, failure and new horizons that will be familiar to many in the industry.

n November 1997 I opened a garden centre in a green field on the outskirts of Cork city. I opened with about 10 timber display tables, pallets, some imagination and a shop which was a glorified garden shed. I still remember vividly the day I opened and the first few plants I sold (an apple, a plum and a cherry tree). Before opening Dunsland Garden Centre I had trained at Merrist Wood Horticultural College in the UK and worked in garden centres in Cork, England and Jersey. The job that started it all was a summer position with Dr Neill Murray at Regional Nurseries in Dundrum, Co Tipperary. I brought every bit of knowledge and experience I’d picked up to Dunsland, and through perseverance and hard work I developed it into a plant focussed garden centre of some repute. Turnover grew year-on-year and during the late noughties our figures were looking great, everyone was getting paid, the bank was happy and we were selling a lot of Irish, Dutch and Italian plants. It had always been my intention to develop a coffee shop and restaurant, but I never had the wherewithal to do it. I didn’t really want to go further into debt with the bank, and hoped the business would generate the capital. In hindsight this was a big mistake. In addition to increasing footfall, coffee shops are an important source of cash flow. For 15 years I put my heart and soul and every penny I ever earned into developing Dunsland; 12 to 15 hours a day and 7 days a week. Only other garden centre owners can really relate to what that means. It literally is constant, life consuming; even nurserymen can take weekends off. It’s what you sign up to though when you open a garden centre. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not moaning, I loved my job, everything about it. I loved the plants, sourcing them, ordering them, merchandising them, combining them with other plants on displays - and more than anything I loved selling them. I still get a great kick when I see plants selling from a good display. I also loved the back office, setting targets, watching the

percentages, customer numbers, average spend, number of visits per year and year-on-year figures, looking at any changes good or bad and the reasons for them. I loved the marketing side of the business too, developing new and unique campaigns to entice people in, and loyalty schemes to keep them coming back. Most folks know that you don’t pursue a career in horticulture for the money. I was building a business, this was to be my liveliehood and this is what would sustain myself and my family (if I was lucky enough to have one) in later years, it would be my pension. That would make it all worthwhile. It was this driving belief that made the business successful but it was also this unflinching belief that kept me going maybe too long. Towards the end of 2009 I took on a further development at Dunsland, restoring the Victorian Walled Garden as a visitor attraction in the centre.

“For 15 years I put my heart and soul and every penny I ever earned into developing Dunsland; 12 to 15 hours a day and 7 days a week” Then came that winter and in one fell swoop all the stock we were carrying was destroyed. Like many small to medium garden centres, everything was tied up in stock and then suddenly it was gone, load after load was dumped in the ditch. Turnover dropped during 2010 due to very bad weather along with the continued economic downturn. In my naivety I had thought that after a drop in 2009 we were over the worst of it. How wrong I was. Cashflow was crippled. I had always worked so hard to maintain cashflow, it was now proving more and

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“The money wasn’t there, and no amount of solicitor’s letters or threats to sue or get judgements made would magic up the money. It was time to call a halt.” more difficult. Then came the second hard winter which completely wiped out the stock all over again. Debts were mounting, payment plans and proposals were devised to try and get creditors paid so that stock would continue to come in and hopefully we would manage to trade out of the mess and get back on our feet once more. The noose was tightening however, cashflow was suffering, everything that was coming in was going straight out to service older debts. One bounce of the ball was all that was needed I kept telling myself, just one good spring and summer and the business was out of trouble. I came up with plenty of great ideas to increase turnover and profits but the problem with each idea was that it needed capital. In August 2010 I went to AIB for assistance. Every aspect of the business was there in forensic detail, historic figures, explanations for the trouble that the business was in and plans and forecasts to get the business out of trouble over three to four years. This wasn’t back-of-a-beermat stuff. This was detailed, sensible, realistic and structured backed up with figures from previous years’ trading. The business needed financial help. AIB did give me what I was asking for in December 2011. Read that again, December 2011.

15 months after I first went to them for help they made their decision. This is a business that was viable and successful but was suffering a serious cashflow crisis and they took 15 months to make a decision. The situation had just got worse and worse but still I kept trying. I was changing completely as a person as the extreme stress was taking its toll. The feeling of owing money to suppliers many of whom were in a similar situation to me was horrible. In truth this is one of the things that kept me trading for the last two years, trying to turn over money and generate profits to pay suppliers. In the meantime my doctors were worried that the stress levels would lead to a relapse of the cancer that I had fought for five years in my twenties and which I had beaten. My partner gave birth to our beautiful daughter and what should have been a wonderful time in my life was ruined by what was happening. During 2012 I kept fighting but it got to the stage where I could go on no longer, some creditors started to take legal action against the company. I had been doing my best but this was killing me. The money wasn’t there, and no amount of solicitor’s letters or threats to sue or get judgements made would magic up the money. It was time to call a halt.

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

I’m not crying, blaming the bank for taking so long to throw the lifebouy, I can’t cry about the weather, it was the same for all garden centres. No, I was the captain of the ship, I was responsible. And now we were going into liquidation and no one would get paid. How could I ever hold my head up in the industry again. It was an absolutely horrible feeling. I had lost more than anyone, I had put 15 years of my life, every penny I had ever owned and earned and now I was leaving with nothing. Did it break my heart to close? Yes. Was it a relief? Also yes. Closing the business meant that everyone who was owed by the company was not going to get paid because liquidating the assets was not going to raise enough to cover the debts. And I felt so bad that I had let so many people down. The business which was supposed to provide me with a payback for everything I had put into it was now derelict. What was I to do, how was I going to pay my bills? How was I going to put food on the table? How could I put diesel in the car? All I had ever really known was self employment, I didn’t know how to look for a job. Like a homing pigeon, I kept going back every morning at 8.30 to the now closed Dunsland. It’s what I had done every morning for the last 15 years, what else was I to do, where else was I to go? What else was I to do? Where else was I to go? During the same time that I developed the garden centre I had also been developing my own profile. I presented my first series on RTE1 television in 1999 and guested on several other programmes on RTE and BBC. I then joined TV3 and worked with them for five or six years as the gardener on Ireland AM, leaving when RTE came knocking to offer me the role of presenter with chef Richard Corrigan on the City Farm project which ran for two series during 2009 and 2010. I then went on to present two series of How to Create a Garden on prime time RTE1 television during 2011 and 2012.

Since 2000 I have been working with the great crew on C103 FM in Cork as the resident gardening expert, answering gardening queries and hopefully shedding light on matters horticultural. These gigs were always welcome but they were never my bread and butter. The way I looked upon them was that they would help my business. But now I had no business but quite a serious profile in the industry, what was I going to do with it? I knew that I could sell product by recommending it. I had helped several products launch and develop in the Irish industry and I had helped to promote several well established brands and again in my naivety I had receieved nothing for it, because I hadn’t asked for anything. Doing a good turn in the hope that it will be reciprocated isn’t the way it works. So now that I am reliant to a larger extent on my profile to earn a crust I have had to become more mercenary and business-like. 18 months later and I am working with Charlie O’Leary in the Pavilion Garden Centre in Ballygarvan in Cork. This is a fine centre with a thriving restaurant, home store and gift store and a lovely place to work. The plant area has developed into one of the finest in Cork and I am loving my work once again. I teach gardening to adults and children and this year I have started a new concept where I teach families in the Peter Dowdall’s Family Gardening Project at the Pavilion Garden Centre.

This has proved to be hugely successful with parents now learning with their little ones and bringing the bug home. Charlie gets the benefit of my 25 years experience, using my name and capitalising on my media work and I have the luxury of a paycheck each week. I am still rambling horticulturally every week on C103, I am now also the gardening columnist with the Irish Examiner writing what is the most widely read gardening page in Munster. I’m sure I could be doing more to promote myself and also new and established products through my media work and I am always open to new opportunities, suggestions and to being contacted by anyone. The last few years in business were pure hell. Looking back, I should have taken the decision earlier but I needed to exhaust every possibility first. There is life after liquidation, the stress is gone, I am beginning to recognise myself again I know that there are many other struggling businesses out there. I can’t tell you what to do obviously, but look as clinically as possible at your situation and just remember that if you do take the decision to close, it is not the end of the world-merely the beginning of a totally new chapter. For this industry to thrive in the future in Ireland without being consumed by the multiples and foreign imports, a total sea change in thinking is necessary. I see several opportunities for the industry, more on them at a later stage. ✽

“There is life after liquidation, the stress is gone, I am beginning to recognise myself again I know that there are many other struggling businesses out there” PETER DOWDALL is one of Ireland’s leading horticulturists. In addition to being the gardening columnist with the Irish examiner, a regular gardening TV presenter on such shows as How to Create a Garden, Nationwide, Ireland AM, BBC’s Groundforce and Channel 4’s Plant Life, he has also authored a book on gardening entitled Gardening with Peter Dowdall. Most recently he has joined the management team at the Pavillion Garden Centre and continues to deliver a weekly radio show on C103 FM. Peter can be contacted at peterdowdallgardener@gmail.com

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Retail consultant Liam Kelly explores how garden centres can exploit events to generate footfall and profit

here was a time not so long ago when garden centres were exactly that, places you visited when you needed something to sow or grow, a chemical to cure a problem, or just advice from a gardening guru on how best to look after camellias or other tricky plants. The business centred on gardening and the odd related product. Customers only turned up when they needed something, not generally speaking to browse and be inspired. Anyone who has visited a garden centre in the last few years can hardly have failed to notice how much the business has changed in relatively recent times. These retailers have been forced by their customers to change everything from how they display and merchandise product, to what they stock and how they operate. Garden centres have had to evolve in an almost Darwinistic way in order to survive. They have become department stores and consumer driven destinations where even the name ‘garden centre’ is relegated – perhaps understandably - to the end of their by-lines in many cases. It seems logical that the next phase of evolution for garden centres is to enter the world of events, festivals and fairs. An event used to be a rare occurrence in our lives. It was a wedding, a concert, a trip away or at the very least something that only happened to us once in a while. There was a sense of excitement and expectation in the build up, as there still is in some cases, but it seems to me that in the last few years the

word’s meaning has changed and become diluted, firstly as some large department stores’ new word for a sale and secondly by the sheer number of events happening each week around the country. There is no doubt that any event can bring more potential consumers in to your business; the trick is to make money from it either directly or indirectly. Plus a lot of extra thought and planning needs to be put into any event you plan to host, to make it to stand out above the myriad of others that are on at the same time.

“Retailers have been forced by their customers to change everything from how they display and merchandise product, to what they stock and how they operate” There are, broadly speaking, three main types of events that you can host or be involved in: open invitation, booked workshops, and a tie-in to a larger community event. All have their pros and cons - I’ll concentrate on the pros - and all can work to increase sales in your centre with a little effort and imagination.

THE COME-ONE-COME-ALL Open events such as rose talks,

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

tomato competitions or barbecue demo themed days, which are free for all to attend, can certainly draw in the crowds, but are they the right crowds? Or more importantly, can they be turned into buying crowds? The consumers who attend these events must be somewhat interested in the theme of the day but might not have the passion, knowledge or interest to buy in to the theme itself. They will wander in and out of talks and demos with an eye to seeing what else your store has to offer. Therefore it is important to have plenty of impulse offers in all departments to make the most of these often first time visitors. Image is important on these days as staff, stock and prices will be evaluated and discussed, Tweeted about and Facebook commented on by visitors. So make sure you look sharp but act friendly to gain positive marks by these social media reviewers, as they will become your marketeers. A key talking point will always be price and with many garden centres being perceived as expensive in the customer’s mind (I can never find the so-called cheap one they compare the others too, mind you!), it’s important to portray value for money – but not cheapness - from entrance to exit. Plenty of car park space is a must and space in your store for people to get around and, most importantly, to shop. Any talks given should be away from the till area and sales floor but in a location that necessitates the need to pass as much merchandise as possible. Open days such as these can be promoted on social media sites as well as the standard modes of radio and newspapers. (Although I am not a

THE CAPTIVE AUDIENCE Bookable workshops and courses on topics such as seed sowing, vegetable and fruit growing or how to barbecue for example, are probably the best ways of converting attendees in to actual sales. This is especially true of paid workshops as you have people who have a definite interest in the theme and have already paid money for the course in order to gain more knowledge. There will obviously be less attendees than at an open event but with the right person giving the talk there is huge potential for sales on the day and repeat business thereafter. A good lecturer will also act as your best salesperson on the day by highlighting all the needful things that you stock, which those who attend should all possess. These can be as small as a pack of seeds, which can lead to bigger sales of course, or as large as an all-singing-all-dancing barbecue. A ‘meet the grower’ style event can fall between this category and the previous one and can be quite successful. Just make sure that the grower the public will meet is an outgoing, gregarious character who is aware of the need to actually sell the product and not spend the day discussing the finer points of molybdenum deficiency or some similar issue. As in all events, image and perceived value are important but your focus is made easier by knowing the exact interests of those who turn up, so therefore you can tailor your offers, stock and displays to suit this captive audience. The marketing is similar to other types of events but the important point for you to emphasise is the need to book a place, as they will be

limited, and also so that you know you will have enough people attending to justify the ‘teacher’. Linking to specific Facebook pages or local horticulture groups (or cooking for barbecue events) is also a good idea. Not to mention in-store marketing and staff communicating the event to those they feel might be interested. As there will be only a relatively small number of people attending there is a need and urgency to achieve some level of sales, loyalty and commitment from all participants. A challenge for sure but as mentioned, they are a captive interested audience.

THE FRINGE CONNECTION Tie-in events are those that latch on to an existing larger community event such as a national or international

competition or large local festival. In this case you are trying to lure and entice people away from the larger event to visit your fringe festival. Although you can revert to the principles of the open-style event I mentioned first, insofar as the need to portray relevant stock, professional image and sharpness of staff, there are some big differences in what you are actually doing and how you achieve it. In reality you are trying to ‘steal’ money and time away from the main festival (although Although a less cynical person might say you are working in cooperation with it to achieve the dreadfully overused ‘winwin situation). To achieve this you need to use clever, colourful road signs to divert traffic, perhaps a ‘pop-up shop’ at the larger event to communicate PHOTO BY: ENZO FORCINITI

EVENTFUL PROFITS

major fan of these traditional marketing avenues, many businesses swear by them and I think it probably depends on how good these medias are in your area.) Of course events should also be promoted in store and on table talkers if you have a restaurant. These events work on the basis of volume, if you convert even half the visitors into buyers – in the short or long term - you will have achieved what you set out to do.

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04 / DESIGN

where you are, what you do and most importantly why people should visit you. Advertise yourself as a break from the main festival, as a chill-out zone amongst the plants. Promote your restaurant and display gardens. Open late in the evening when the main event if finished. What about bus tours to private gardens in the area, culminating at your garden centre? Think like the visitors. What would they want to do? Don’t forget that many of those attending will never have heard of you and might never visit you again, so make the most of them. A link to the main festival’s website or Facebook page might also be possible depending on how the organisers see you – as friend or foe. Sponsorship, although a banana skin at the best of times, should also be given some consideration as long as the cost can be seen as a realistic use of marketing funds and justified by increased revenue. There also the many Christmas and Easter events that happen in garden centres around the country, which I don’t mention specifically here but can be tied in to all three types of events, and they perhaps deserve an article all of their own. There is no doubt that the public now expects and wants to be entertained, and in a world where we are bombarded by information and communication it can be easy to drift into a forgotten world in the consumer’s eye. Hosting events is one way of keeping your name and your business at the top of people’s minds as places to visit.

On a final note, make sure you have all the facilities these eventers need from car parking to toilets, ease of access to shopping aids, places to sit and a kids’ entertainment area. And don’t forget a really good restaurant - after all, don’t we all crave dinner and a show? ✽

LIAM KELLY is one of Ireland’s leading retail consultants. Having originally managed one of the country’s biggest garden centres, he established his own consultancy business Retail Services & Solutions in 2007. Since then he has provided invaluable support and guidance at every level of garden retail and counts some of Ireland’s most respected retailers as clients. Liam can be contacted at Retail Services & Solutions, 118 Dolmen Gardens, Pollerton, Carlow. 086 822 1494 or 059 913 0176, lksolutions@ eircom.net www.lksolutions.blogspot.com

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MAKE HARD DECISIONS Choosing paving materials for private gardens can be a complicated task involving the balancing of client needs, site dynamics, trends, aesthetics, appropriateness, budget and lots more besides. When you add the ever increasing choice of materials into the mix, you get a very challenging situation indeed. While there are always factors to consider, most landscape professionals have learned through experience what works and what doesn’t, and the majority draw from a palette of tried and tested materials. But what are the preferred paving materials of Ireland’s top professionals, why do they prefer them and what materials do they tend to avoid? To get a clearer picture, HORTICULTURECONNECTED asked a number of Irelands accredited designers and contractors to share their thoughts.

PATRICIA TYRRELL MGLDA In terms of design decisions, the choice of paving is one of the most important as it is also one of the most permanent, and represents a significant investment for the client. Each design is different and calls for an individual approach. First and foremost the material should be in keeping with the style of the house and its immediate surroundings. It should be subtle and beautifully executed in construction, finishing and detailing. If appropriate to the design, my preference would be for indigenous stone, but in practice imported stone tends to be cheaper and this can be the deciding factor for a client; financial considerations are definitely prioritised over environmental ones. I have always been more satisfied by texture than colour. I find precast materials with a lot of colour harsh in a natural setting and can be very visually dominant. I feel that the paving should have a supporting role rather than be the main focal point. Precast materials can also be quite restrictive in terms of sizes, where stone allows more creativity in the end product. However, I do like and use Tobermore’s

“I find pre-cast materials with a lot of colour harsh in a natural setting and can be very visually dominant” June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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PHOTOG BY KORALEY NORTHERN

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DAVID SHORTALL Dipl Hort, MGLDA

TOP LEFT: A RADIANT PATTERN OF GRANITE SETTS CREATES DEPTH AND VISUAL INTEREST IN THIS SCHEME BY PATRICIA TYRELL TOP RIGHT: PAVING SETTS SERVE TO DEFINE A GRAVEL PATH AND ACCENT PLANTING IN THIS SCHEME BY DEIRDRE PRINCE

retro paving which has nice mellow tones and fits well with traditional and modern styles. Contrasting a paving material in different sizes, small and large units, creates interesting textural contrasts. Small units used alone can create a feeling of space and movement. They also work well to surround and define grids of coloured tarmacadam. This is deceptively expensive but makes a very nice alternative to other monolithic paving materials for small drives and parking areas. Character also comes in the form of architectural salvage, if budget allows. It has become harder to source in the last few years, though sometimes you can be lucky and already have some on site. In a recent project, I reused old black tiles about 200mm square, which had originally been in the kitchen of the house. A lovely material, it had been laid as a square in the patio surrounded by horrible shiny red bricks. Redesigning the patio, I created a connection with them from the house to the garden and the strong visual line created allowed me to resolve a problem: the house was at an angle to the garden and neither boundary wall was square. A visit to Millbrook Paving sourced a material that harmonised well with

it, an imported limestone ‘Kota Brown’, mellow browny/yellow with small flecks of black in it. The two materials juxtaposed worked really well together to define the patio and give it more depth. I have used this material quite a bit since. Designing the paved area and choosing materials is really only the beginning. Whatever the choice of material, the devil is in the detail – the pattern, the jointing, and the workmanship are vital to the quality of the finish and a satisfied client.

ABOVE: UNIT PAVING WITH COLOURED TARMAC IN A FRONT OF HOUSE SCHEME BY PATRICIA TYRELL

Patricia Tyrell is a landscape architect, garden designer, horticulturist and Bloom Gold Medal Winner. She can be contacted via her website at www.living-landscapes.com ✽

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

Sun or shade, soft or hard, coloured or grey, concrete or natural material –all houses and gardens use paved areas as a link between the two spaces. They are essential surfaces for driveways, utility areas, pathways, steps and patios. Paved surfaces are also the most expensive and labour intensive part of a landscaping job or overall design scheme. Thoughtful and functional design planning is essential and the installation of a patio, driveway, steps or pathway is best tackled by and an experienced contractor. There are a huge number of things that can go wrong in terms of puddles, trip hazards, creating drainage problems; unintentional redirecting of water etc. and I have seen it all over the years. Every contractor has a different way of achieving the finished product and there is huge variation in quality and finish between contractors. The designer has a responsibility to specify correctly the levels, correct sub-course and laying procedure. All of this is a precursor to the selection of the correct paving material – one which suits the site, the climate, aspect, the client, the budget and you the designer. It’s easy to get comfortable with a particular favourite material, one you have a track record with and photos to refer to. You have practiced your standard speal and you convince the client that this is the surface for them. In years gone by the ‘teracotta’ paving brick was a favourite of the householder who wanted to brighten

up their driveway or create a patio. This would be mixed with a grey, charcoal brick and laid in infinite chequered or random spotty patterns. Landscapers specified it, architects specified it, and engineers specified it and paving centres who stocked it though it was the best things since sliced bread. So it sprung up in front of white houses, brown brick houses, Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian red and yellow brick houses and every forecourt and commercial premises in the country. It was gorgeous! Thankfully it soon faded, with dirt, algae and lichen making it easier to look at. Thankfully too, things have moved on for most of us anyway. Paving suppliers have infinite colours, shapes and styles available. The quality of brick and slab paving has greatly improved too. Some of the larger manufacturers produce eco concrete and use efficient, sustainable drying and polishing techniques. So what works for me? I try to keep myself open to using new materials all the time but I do have my likes and dislikes. I still hate anything pink. I try to steer clear of soft Indian sandstone such as mint. The client will love it when it goes down but will hate it very soon after the first wet season and probably hate you more. If given the choice I tend to go for Indian limestone rather than sandstone as it is much harder. Kota Limestone, Tandoor limestone, sandblasted or natural. There is a good range of colours available. If using granite I also try to pick a hard material. Some would soak more tea up from your mug than a ‘Hob Nob’ biscuit. Portuguese granite seems to me to be harder wearing than Chinese granite and it looks more like Irish too. Granite setts tend to keep cleaner than slabs. Maybe this is because the smaller surface area tends to dry out quicker. Kilkenny or blue limestone seems to buck the trend when it comes to soft stone. Even though it is soft and absorbent it doesn’t get as dirty as others.

Our biggest problem in Ireland is wet weather followed by damp weather followed by sunny spells and showers. All paving will get dirty in the Irish climate but I think if a stone is harder the water, algae and moss does not penetrate it. When it comes to cleaning the stone the job is all the easier as a result. Hard is good, soft is bad. I think as a general rule but the preparation, laying, fall, pointing and the aspect at which the paved surface is laid has a huge bearing on its long term appearance. I haven’t specified or laid concrete paving slabs in a long time but I keep meaning to do so. I particularly like the look of polished terrazzo style slabs. If I started to use these more, then at least there is potential to buy locally. This would be more sustainable from a transport point of view and if eco concrete is used, then even better. I am currently trying to get gravel for the driveway and pathways and intend to get it within a 10 mile radius. I see this as important for an old house in a rural area, but because it is my house and I have no client or commercial influence I think I challenge myself to be more sustainable and light footed in the experiment. The same goes for any other materials, I buy local. This idealistic stance I take at home is something I would like to adopt in ethos when designing for clients while recognising to that we do have a world economy too. So in conclusion, form follows function, local is good, but if, like my bananas, the material I really want is from halfway across the world I will consider using this too. David Shortall is an award winning designer, garden builder and former Chairman of the Garden and Landscape Designers Association (GLDA). ✽

“I still hate anything pink. I try to steer clear of soft Indian sandstone such as mint”

OWEN CHUBB In my experience, when it comes to creating a new garden, there are essentially three very important P’s, each requiring specific and careful consideration: Planning, Planting and Paving. Planning will not only set out the overall form, functionality and constituent elements of the garden space but also more crucially, focus on setting the balance between planting and paving aspects, and reflect the client’s preferences and use requirements. The scope for determining how this balance is achieved will vary and widely differ, from an ornamental garden in which the plants are the leading feature, to gardens where the space is exploited for the purposes of an outdoor living area, and in such sites the garden planting has perhaps a secondary role and would be complementary to a space where large areas are paved and/or constructed in stone finishes. The challenge confronting the designer/landscaper and client is to seek a solution to blend the form and functionality. The hues and textures selected will reflect the preferred characteristics and attributes for the new garden. In spite of the ever increasing choice of paving materials available, we remain committed to using natural stone as our preferred paving material. We believe that the appealing and often unique physical and performance attributes of natural stone is an ideal choice, and integral to achieving a seamless and pleasing design which blends the natural aesthetics of planted spaces and the structural characteristics of paved areas. Another distinguishing appealing feature of natural stone is that rarely no two pieces are identical. This variance is also further enhanced and influenced by the prevailing weather conditions, eg, on damp ‘soft’ days, the hues of the natural stone are more vivid and visible which contrasts starkly to dry sunny days when the stone’s hue appears to be more bleached and uniform. The appealing design and intrinsic enduring characteristics which are

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

04 / DESIGN unique to natural stone finishes, together with the wide choice, availability and price competiveness, makes a compelling case for not choosing any alternative paving material. Owen Chubb is one of Ireland’s leading landscape and garden creators. He is passionate about all things landscape and his business website is a well-used resource for landscape products and insight into their effective use. Owen can be contacted through his website at www.owenchubblandscapers.com ✽

INGRID SWAN MGLDA There are a number of key factors which influence the choice of hard landscaping materials. These include quality, light levels, safety, maintenance, colour, texture and association with the theme, area and other materials on site. While as designers, we may be involved in a vast number of gardens throughout our careers; our clients will only every do this once. Therefore, the quality and longevity of the material is vital. The colour can bleach out of some brands of concrete block pavers over time. There are many great concrete products out there but it is important to ask how long the colour is guaranteed for. Light levels have an important impact on the selection of hard landscape materials. Buff sandstone may look less intense in Cork but in Belfast it can appear to have a more orange hue. The colour of hard landscaping materials intensifies when wet. My top tip for clients is to take a bottle of water with them when visiting a paving centre. If the main paving is warm in tone it should be accented with a cooler colour and vice versa. A house with a warm tone needs to have a cooler coloured paving to create a colour balance. The choice of hard landscape materials should complement the architecture and create a link with the building. By-fold doors have encouraged people to use the same

DEIRDRE PRINCE MGLDA In my mind, garden paths are an invitation to walk through a garden and the material used is a very important decision to be made at the outset as it’s unlikely to be changed. The shape or layout of the path can sometimes determine the material I chose. For curved pathways, I use smaller paving units such as granite setts or bricks as they can accommodate the curved shape gradually. The material I select also depends on the style of the garden. Where there is a more contemporary feeling to the garden, a clean cut reconstituted stone is more suited, whereas a rustic or country style garden is more suited to textured stone or brick. I particularly like self-binding gravel as a material for pathways. I love the feeling underfoot as it has a texture of gravel but is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies as it forms a rigid surface. The mix of gravel, sand and clay bond together when compacted to form a firm surface; yet it is also permeable. This type of surface, similar to any gravel, needs to have an edge to contain it. I like the contrast of a darker material, such as the black granite setts in the image. The warm colour of bound gravel surfaces complements any planting scheme. When I’m planning a garden design, I steer clear of paving materials which are brightly coloured which may fight

flooring in the interior and exterior to create a seamless transition between the house and garden. A modern house with polished concrete flooring is not going to be complimented by a Liscannor stone patio. Personally, I love granite as a landscape material because I grew up in a granite house and I associate it with home. Association and memory are important design considerations when creating a garden unique to a client. Hard landscaping materials can create a link with a region, the past or a memory. The safety and grip of the product are key considerations. Client mobility and family needs can inform the selection of materials and influence the time needed for maintenance.

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

for attention in the overall garden design. I tend to avoid any patterned material, particularly when it’s trying to be something else, such as timber patterned concrete paving. When it comes to health and safety, I avoid specifying smooth surfaces such as old style cobbles, except where conservation requires they are used. I love the look of them but they are very slippery under foot and are uncomfortable to use a wheelchair on. When deciding on which materials to use for a pathway, I always try to select natural materials where possible and specify permeable surface/joints to avoid too much run-off. Deidre Prince is an award winning garden designer and landscape architect. She is a member of the Board of Management at Grangegorman Development Agency, a regular gardening article contributor at Ireland’s Homes, Interiors and Living Magazine and Director at Deirdre Prince Landscape Architecture. www.deirdreprince.ie ✽

No product is maintenance free and all will need to be cleaned at regular intervals. The selection of hard landscaping materials should be kept to a maximum of three. When too many different materials are used, the garden appears disjointed and incoherent. Texture is often not considered but can really lift a hard landscaping scheme. Gravel is an easy way to bring a contrasting texture into the garden. Ingrid Swan is a highly respected landscape and garden designer renowned for an eye for detail in both hard and soft landscaping. She is based in Cork and can be contacted at 087 629 2437. ✽

IN PICTURES

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EVENTS IN PICTURES PARRYMETRE LAUNCH

ABOVE: BEHIND THE PARRYMETER IS HENRY BECHELET FROM EVERRIS WITH TERRY CRAWFORD COURSE SUPERINTENDENT AT CLANDEBOYE GC LOOKING ON

GARDEN SHOW IRELAND

LEFT & RIGHT: GOLD MEDAL WINNING GARDEN AT GSI DESIGNED BY MICHAEL O’REILLY & MAURICE MAXWELL CENTRE RIGHT: ALISTAIR AND ROSIE CAMPBELL ENJOYING THE SUN AT GSI BOTTOM LEFT: RICHARD HASLAM BACK IN ACTION AND DEMONSTRATING AT GSI BOTTOM RIGHT: CLAIRE FAULKNER PROMOTOR OF GARDEN SHOW IRELAND (GSI) AND MARTIN WOOSTER OF GREENMOUNT COLLEGE

NEW TEAGASC EDUCATION BUILDING AT THE BOTANIC GARDENS ABOVE LEFT: MATTHEW JEBB, DIRECTOR OF GARDENS AND UNA MCDERMOTT, LECTURER AT WIT ABOVE: PAT LEONARD, PAUL CUSACK & PAUL FRITTERS LEFT: PAST & CURRENT PRINCIPALS OF THE COLLEGE PAUL CUSACK & JOHN MULHEARN

BEAULIEU HOUSE & GARDENS

RIGHT: JOHN LORD (RATOATH GARDEN CENTRE)

ABOVE: XXXXX

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

IN PICTURES

BLOOM IN A THE PARK 2014

nother success for Bloom in the Park and all those involved. Our industry is small and this is often viewed as a restricting factor but for anyone involved in this wonderful event you’ll know that our scale is our more valuable assets. Yes there is competition and rightly so but what’s more apparent are the levels of comradery, the sense of belonging, the generosity and genuine willingness to help each other out. Well done to all…just a few photos from Koraley Northen which capture the magic. ✽

AILISH DRAKE WAS AWARDED A SILVER MEDAL FOR HER LIMERICK CULTURE GARDEN

ANTHONY RYAN & KIERAN DUNNE

SUPERGARDEN WINNER, CIAN HAWES RELAXES IN HIS GARDEN RETREAT

BLOOM VETERAN, DAWN ASTON GETS STUCK DURING THE BUILD TO ENSURE HER PLANTING IS SPOT ON

ANDREW CHRISTOPHER DUNNE TAKES A WELL-EARNED BREAK AFTER SECURING A DESERVED GOLD MEDAL FOR HIS SAMARITANS ‘YOU TALK I’LL LISTEN’ GARDEN

THE SMILE SAYS IT ALL. DEIRDRE PENDER ENJOYING BLOOM AFTER ACHIEVING A GOLD MEDAL FOR HER BETWEEN TWO WORLDS GARDEN

DONAILL MURTAGH TAKES THE WEIGHT OFF

Left: Joint winner of the private gardens under €5,000. Designed by Emer Moloney and constructed by Gardens Now THERE’S MORE TO DESIGN THAN JUST GLITZ AND GLAMMER. RENOWNED DESIGNER, ELMA FENTON SHOWS THE NEXT GENERATION HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY.

FIANN O NUALLAIN’S 2014 GARDEN WAS A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES, CUT FINGERS, BRUISED ARMS AND JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER AILMENT

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

KIERAN SCULLY OF K & M NURSERIES

JOAN MALLON AND HER SISTERS STOP TO DRAW BREATH FOR 10 SECONDS BEFORE GETTING BACK TO HER CAPE COD ESCAPE GARDEN

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

IN PICTURES

KIERAN DUNNE AND ANTHONY RYAN GIVING SOME SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THEIR PLANTING SCHEME

GARDEN DESIGNER PAUL DOYLE CELEBRATES ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL IN TYPICAL UNDERSTATED STYLE

LURENE FITZPATRICK TAKES A MOMENT TO TAKE IT ALL IN DURING THE BUILD.

PAUL WOODS OF KILMMURY NURSERIES PUTTING SOME FINAL TOUCHES TO A SELECTION OF KILMURRY’S VERY OWN AGAPANTHUS ‘KILMURRY WHITE’

A MEMBER OF THE BUILD TEAM ON THE CRUMLIN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL GARDEN STANDS BACK TO ADMIRE HIS WORK

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

PADDY GLEESON AND PETER MURRAY OF WOODIES

MICHEAL DEVITT (NEWLANDS GARDEN CENTRE WITH PAUL ROBBINS

SENIOR COLLEGE DUNLAOGHAIRE LANDSCAPE STUDENT, PAUL FOLEY IN HIS GOLD MEDAL WINNING, FACING SOUTH GARDEN CREATED FOR FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED’S VERY OWN KORALEY NORTHEN FINDS HERSELF IN THE FRAME TRYING TO CAPTURE TIM AUSTEN PUTTING THE FINAL TWEAKS TO HIS PLANTING SCHEME.

KEVIN DENNIS MADE A BIG IMPRESSION ON BLOOM THIS YEAR. HOPEFULLY WE’LL SEE HIM AGAIN IN 2015

THE WINNING DUO, RUTH LIDDLE AND INGRID SWAN CELEBRATING THEIR DESERVED GOLD MEDAL

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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Hitachi and Tanaka Brush Cutter/Pole Saw/Pole Hedge Trimmer Voluntary Recall Notice We have become aware that some Hitachi and Tanaka brushcutters, pole saws and pole hedge trimmers have a manufacturing defect. This defect may cause the exhaust to become very hot so that there is a risk of suffering a burn in the event of accidental contact with the exhaust cover, or in extreme cases a risk that the machine could catch fire. If you own a Hitachi or Tanaka brush cutter, pole saw or pole hedge trimmer, please check the model number to see whether it is on the list of affected models below.

Hitachi Models

Model Number

Sales Start

Tanaka Models

Model Number

Sales Start

CG22EAS

Jan 2010

TCG22EAS

Feb 2010

CG22EAD

Dec 2009

TCG22EAD

Apr 2010

CG22EAB

Dec 2009

TCG22EAB

Apr 2010

CG24EASP

Jun 2010

TCG24EASP

Dec 2011

CG27EASP

Jun 2010

TCG27EASP

Dec 2011

CS27EPAP

Apr 2013

TCS27EPAP

Jul 2013

CH27EPAP

Feb 2013

TCH27EPAP

Apr 2013

CG25EUS

Sep 2009

CG40EAS

Nov 2009

Employers Employers:

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We would like to carry out a simple modification to your Brush Cutter, which will make it safe. In order to have your Brush Cutter modified:

ROI telephone Email 26

Jobseekers

You can connect with thousand of readers of HORTICULTURE CONNECTED along with over 10,000 monthly visitors to JobsInHorticulture.ie and HortiTrends.ie The jobseekers are trade focused and are keeping up-to-date with the latest news and trends

If you have an affected Brush Cutter please stop using it immediately.

UK telephone

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0800 148 8643

(free from BT Landlines, charges from other networks and mobiles will vary)

1800 937 500

Find Out More at by emailing: Joseph@JobsInHorticulture.ie or call us now 087 921 2044 to get the best advice on hiring the right candidate for your business or organisation

(free from landlines only)

recall@hitachi-powertools.co.uk HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie April/May / June/July 2014 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

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05 / INTERVIEW

A DESIGNER PERSPECTIVE

Barry Lupton talks with one of Ireland’s most well established and respected garden and landscape designers, Angela Binchy MGLDA B. From where did your passion for plants and design emerge? A: My father, who was proprietor of The People’s Bakery, Rathkeale, was a keen gardener and also ran a market garden as part of our small farm. He sold tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, apples, a few pears and chrysanthemums at Christmas. As a child I knew how all these were grown and loved the countryside and all its beauty. My father taught me to look for the detail in a scene or object, such as moss patterns on a tree.

B. How did you go about cultivating that interest to build knowledge and experience? A: On leaving school my choice of career would have been horse riding, agriculture, veterinary, architecture or commercial horticulture in that order. Remember this was the late 1950s and amenity horticulture as we now know it was unknown. My parents dismissed the first four choices as unsuitable for a girl or beyond my capabilities so I began the degree course in commercial horticulture in UCD. However, young people never give up on you’re their life’s ambitions – I eventually married a horse vet, lived on and managed a small farm, and finally ran a practice in landscape design. The late Professor Ed Clarke and Professor Joe Morgan of the Horticulture Department UCD were great mentors. Working as research assistant to the then Dr Morgan I submitted a thesis for a Masters degree on the effects of day length, light intensity, and temperature on the flower production of tomato plants treated with a growth chemical. This

work opened my eyes to how influential these factors are on all plant growth and why plant growth, particularly flowering, is so variable in this country because of our frequently fluctuating light and temperature. The enhancing and artistic possibilities of combining selected plant shapes and colours with domestic buildings struck me during a premarriage last fling to the eastern states of the USA in 1969. A friendly landscape architect lent me a most inspiring book on landscape architecture for everyday living and directed me to worthwhile gardens and plant enhanced buildings. It was April/May and I particularly remember the magnolias, flowering dogwoods, (Cornus florida), and tree wisterias, and my elation at the first sight of a Harvard University building through a flowering curtain of trees. I continued on through New York, Washington and Virginia with my landscape and architecture eyes now wide open and working in unison. It was not until 1990 that I really got to grips with landscape design by doing the intensive but exhilarating course in garden design at Kew Gardens, London, headed by John Brookes, the most influential modern garden design guru in this part of the world.

B. How would you characterise your design style? A: I hope my design style is simple and harmonious, creating comfortable relaxing spaces with clean lines, unadorned structures, but mostly with plants including trees and grass. But I am also very aware of the actual as opposed to the perceived needs and maintenance capabilities of the client.

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

B. What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your work? A: I love meeting people and seeing the joy on clients’ faces when they are presented with a pleasing solution to their garden problems, or when an area of mangled clay and rubbish has been turned into an place they can enjoy and be proud of. Also pleasing is if they send me their friends and relations as potential clients. I now have designed for generations of families in Co Kildare. Because I do design only what I find most challenging is getting the work done properly and on time, and also nowadays, the suddenly shortened day and remembering names!

B. What type of work do you primarily undertake and why? A: Because of the mysterious missing hours I now confine my work to advice and plans for domestic sites and the renovation of parts of existing gardens. Being farmers, many of my clients undertake a lot of the initial groundwork themselves, with help from specialists such as stonemasons and local contractors/gardeners to do the final ground work and planting, all the while with ongoing advice from me. For special clients I plant perennials myself. Often progress will spread over a number of years.

B. How would you characterise Irish garden design? A: Do we have a characteristic yet and should we have just one? We have the flaming hedge strips and lush planting in west Kerry, the ‘less is more’ in the rocky Burren, the miniature carpet plantings of the Connemara coast, the glowing shimmering grasslands

“My design style is simple and harmonious, creating comfortable relaxing spaces with clean lines, unadorned structures” of upland bogs. All outstanding wild gardens with a fey liquidity to them but all suitable to the soil, light intensity, temperature and wind conditions of their location. As designers we should be trying to emulate these ideas in a suitable location and pursue the difficult task of designing structures to further enhance and not kill that aura of fey liquidity. We aren’t there yet but I believe Oliver Schurmann is on the right track, and also June Blake, but in a different vein.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: KORALEY NORTHEN

BARRY LUPTON INTERVIEWS ANGELA BINCHY

05 / INTERVIEW

B. In your opinion, what differentiates a good designer from a great designer? A: A good designer should show originality in combining original or borrowed ideas in a ‘fit for purpose’ manner, and use materials in such a way as to leave the user or observer with a feeling of satisfaction and pleasure. A great designer should produce designs that whip up emotions and sensations that hit you in the gut with almost orgasmic intensity then leave you calm and comfortable to revel in the detail.

B. Bloom has done so much to encourage horticultural activity in Ireland, but concerns have been raised about the quality of some gardens over the last few years. What’s your take on the quality of Bloom show gardens? A: I am very pleased to have been involved in the birth of Bloom as a Director of Horticulture at Bord Bia at the time and for suggesting Chelsea-experienced designer and judge Andrew Wilson as adviser to Gary Graham on Bloom show gardens. Bloom has more than fulfilled our initial concepts for that show. It is attempting to raise the public’s expectations of gardens and plants to the same level as their expectations of restaurants and food. Every year there are a few excellent large and small show gardens that stand up extremely well to Chelsea standards, and during the course of ten years attending that show’s press day I saw many gardens. Down the line at

Bloom there have been a few inconsistencies and gardens where perhaps more attention should have been given at assessment to proof of previous design and construction capabilities. However by and large there is plenty of talent on show and provided judging is of a consistently high standard, with good advice and feedback available, the show will continue to educate. Show gardens are what they say on the tin. Incidentally most of this year’s gardens at Chelsea require considerable mental exercise and reading the script is essential. It could be time for Bloom to introduce a section for genuine fit for purpose gardens suitable for restaurants, pubs, public places, craft enterprises etc, displayed in the food and craft areas if possible.

B. Irish contractors have been accused of undermining quality design by offering it as a free service. And it’s been said that the poor level of understanding of design has relegated it to a cut and paste process. What’s your sense on how design has evolved over the last decade? A: We have some designers in this country capable of showing true originality and many who are capable of taking ideas from around the world and putting the elements of a garden together in a fresh and very acceptable way. However we

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

05 / INTERVIEW have so many people in the design and contracting business with or without qualifications who have no idea how to relate design to the wide open spaces and the house, and who have little or no practical knowledge of plants and their requirements, no experience of the requirements of real gardens and how they should be constructed and will develop in the future. Often a very heavy hand is evident in the hard landscaping.

B. Following from the last question, what do you feel are the primary threats to the development of Irish design as a respected and accredited field? A: I’ll say again, the lack of a genuine knowledge and a touchyfeely experience of location and the elements used in a garden. Also there appears to be no way to monitor and control standards in the field. In the past we have had Irish TV shows that actually promoted bad practices. The current Supergarden series is going in the right direction. It is a pity Paddy Gleeson works for the sponsors who supply the plants. Paddy is a very knowledge plantsman.

B. Nurseries should supply what designers want. Designers should specify what’s available. Much has been said and written on the inability of our sector to cooperate effectively for a greater vision. You’re a well-known supporter of Irish nurseries. Do you think this is so, and what could we be doing to address the situation? A: Irish nurseries grow their plants to suit the garden centre trade and the jobbing landscaper is happy with whatever is available on the day. Landscape designers want plants of a specific size, shape and colour to fulfil specific functions and so would appreciate consultation on the species and varieties grown and how they are grown and presented on delivery. Many of our nurseries are not strong on imagination and updating. They are slow to adapt offerings and work cooperatively for the greater commercial good. Hopefully young eyes and nerve will make the right move. The future could be bright.

06 / CONSTRUCT

“A great designer should produce designs that whip up emotions and sensations that hit you in the gut with almost orgasmic intensity” Since a tentative meeting of various factors within the amenity industry in the mid 1990s when I first met Gary Graham and Pat Fitzgerald among others, I’ve been waiting for genuine cooperation among all the amenity players. In the early days of the GLDA’s international design seminar we made a big effort to contact and encourage all sectors and societies interested in or benefiting from gardens and horticulture to attend the seminar. We got a great response and ended up with a wonderfully diverse group. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility to do something similar now at say Bloom and give each group six minutes to air their views. At least it would be a start.

B. Industry commentators have questioned the focus of some Bord Bia initiatives targeted at promoting the industry. As a member of the board for 10 years, do you think they’re delivering on all fronts? A: Well as we used to say at board meetings, ‘What is the industry doing for itself?’

B. What advice would you give to a young person wishing to make a career in landscape and garden design? A: First get as much hands-on and practical experience in all components of the career and also travel as much as possible, note the detail in scenes and constructions that attract you, ask questions. Make the effort to research the many courses available between here and England and choose the one most suitable for your ambitions, and hopefully you will have ambitions to start with!

B. If you could wave a wand and change three things about Irish garden design, what would they be? A: That the government gives full verbal,

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

PAVING YOUR WAY TOPROFIT Landscape cost estimating expert Colm Kenny explains how contractors can avoid having their profits buried on paving projects

visual and monetary recognition through its agencies to the importance of plants to our being and plus wellbeing and the importance of good design to our daily living, and follows up with action. That it would be made illegal to set up as a garden designer/ landscaper without proper experience and qualifications, and the law enforced. Have a central distribution area that actually works for all nursery plants and garden materials with a website kept up to date. The GLDA with its new Corporate Membership and booklet is on the right track.

B. Will we see an Angela Binchy garden at Bloom or Chelsea? A: No! I got a gold medal with Yvonne O’Connor at the RDS Garden Show in 1992 and that got doing show gardens out of my system.

B. You were going to retire several years ago. What happened? A:I was hoping to spend more time doing up my own garden, travelling and hill walking. However I lost a lot of my savings in the economic crash and there was a need to stay working. I am now trying to confine work to mid-January to mid-May and from September to December. I am already running behind schedule this year. ✽

aving the patio or driveway will likely be the biggest landscaping expense a homeowner will ever face, and that’s why it can be a slow decision process for them. Just like every landscaper, each landscape project is unique, with contractors facing different challenges on every garden scheme. In order to convert estimates and quotations into live profitable projects, a consistent approach is essential to ensure that the project cost is accurately calculated. While contractors will always be asked by a perspective client at their first meeting “how much will that cost?”, some generalised figures based on a contractors previous experience may be used in preliminary cost estimates. If you are coerced into giving a potential client a ballpark figure, make sure you keep yourself well covered. A customer will always remember your initial estimate so it’s best to give them perceived value for money when you hand in your quotation and it is lower than they expected. The key to a profitable paving project is to carefully estimate your costs —both fixed and overhead—for the project, then build in a reasonable profit margin. In order to accurately estimate the cost of each paving project, contractors need to develop, implement and refine their own techniques and checklists that will act as a template when estimating projects. The process of composing the initial template should occur over a number of projects. Once you are happy with it and have had some success in the form of winning profitable contracts, regular monitoring and modifying is required to ensure it remains accurate and up to date with price fluctuations in material costs, labour rates and general overhead expenses Prior to calculating the cost of the project it is important that you have a design to follow or at the very least an agreed scope of works with sufficient descriptions and measurements to base your price on. If you don’t have a plan you may be pricing for something that your client doesn’t want or even worse, fail to include an aspect or element they are expecting from you. This will certainly lead to conflict and disputes once the job commences. Having an agreed design will reduce the margin of error in calculating quotations and the risk of costly disputes. If the project is a design and build project then it really is about a customer’s perception of value for

money as each contractor will be pricing something different. Presentation of both yourself and your quotation will often be the deciding factor for a potential client so it is important for contractors to impress their expertise upon potential customers at their initial meeting. While it is a straightforward mathematical procedure to calculate the cost of the materials involved in paving projects, it is the site specific factors and risks that need to be considered and allocated a particular rate in order to establish the true cost of a job. It is often only with experience and knowledge gained from past projects that this can be carried out with a reasonable degree of confidence and precision. There are a number of specific elements and site conditions that add additional costs to basic materials and installation estimates and need to be considered when pricing each paving contract.

THE DESIGN A complex design will increase the cost as it will be slow and labour intensive to construct and will require additional resources in its construction. For example, a curving patio incorporating an elaborate pattern with a combination varying materials will require much more labour resources then a 4m x 4m square patio composed of 400 x 400mm concrete pavers. Your project will fall somewhere in between these two examples and this degree of difficulty needs be calculated and accounted for in the square meter rates.

SITE ACCESS Without doubt, limited or no direct access can potentially double the cost of a job Not only does it prevent machinery access, but it also requires more labour input due to the fact that all tasks have to be carried out by hand. This in turn will have a dramatic impact on the programme as the tedious nature of handwork will prolong the time on site, again incurring additional costs. Assessment of access should extend to items required to carry out the job such as site storage containers, skips and parking of vans and trailers. In urban areas, the cost of street parking for vehicles can be significant and should be analysed when building up rates for the job.

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

06 / CONSTRUCT PAVING TYPE Apart from the difference in the supply price, the type of paving will also have an influence on the cost in a number of ways. The type of paving will determine how they are laid and what speed that they can be laid at. Generally, natural stone slabs are laid in a concrete mix and are slower to install compared to concrete based products which are laid on a sand base. Also, natural stone can be heavier to lift and transport and may even require two operatives to lay, again reducing the speed and pace of installation. Another point to note is that natural stone paving is commonly jointed with a cement based mortar. This mortar has an added cost in terms of additional materials and extra labour.

DEMOLITIONS & EXCAVATIONS Many garden projects require enabling works to be carried out before the task of landscaping begins. Features such as existing trees, patios, retaining walls, concrete paths and even buildings may require removal while substantial excavations below the ground may be necessary before the traditional landscaping operations occur. Excavating below the ground can be a risky operation and one that is hard to quantify. For example, the detection of rock on site can add additional cost to landscapers who are in the process of excavating foundations or installing drainage. The biggest danger for landscapers carrying out these tasks is the presence of hidden services. Prior to commencing any enabling works, the contractor should investigate and confirm the location on site of all services. When establishing a rate for both demolition and excavating, I find that it is best to err on the side of caution and overestimate the cost by always taking account of the worst case scenario. This way creates a safety net should things go wrong. Don’t forget to include a cost for protecting existing site features that are to be retained. This could simply mean allowing for the purchase of some sheets of plywood to protect the existing driveway, or a roll of plastic to cover adjacent walls.

WASTE With the rising costs of landfill and skip hire in recent months, the estimated cost

06 / CONSTRUCT of waste removal needs to be included in the quotation. When calculating the cost of waste, ensure that you don’t just look at the cost of the skips but also the man hours and the fee to load, haul and dump as it can add up to far more than you may expect. Bulking is an important, yet often misunderstood term, but key to calculating the volume of waste no matter what the material. Consider the simple example of digging a 1.0 cubic meter hole with a shovel and throwing the soil into wheelbarrows; in the ground the 1.0 cubic meter of soil is in its natural state. However, once it is dug up and shovelled into the wheelbarrows the loose soil will have a lower density and a volume of 1.2 to 1.4 cubic meters. This is known as bulking, and has often caught out contractors trying to estimate the volume of topsoil and other materials that is to be removed from site. Every landscaping project you are requested to quote for is a business opportunity. There is usually a cost associated with it, such as travelling to view the job, meeting your potential client, collecting samples for paving materials etc, and there is also the cost of your time estimating and putting the quotation together and making your presentation to the client. The cost of submitting unsuccessful quotations need to be borne by successful ones and in general this cost should balance itself out over the course of a year. Experienced landscape contractors will know the genuine enquiries from the ‘tyre kickers’ and will have a system in place to politely decline a customer’s invitation to meet with them to give them free advice. Given the nature of landscape contracting and the numbers of contractors bidding for the same work, you can be sure that you will price more jobs than you will win. Hopefully the projects that you do succeed in landing are profitable and turn out as

you as you anticipate. While you may be disappointed that you failed to land a contract, ensure that every unsuccessful quote is not a lost opportunity to improve your business and pricing template as you can convert knowledge gained through the quotation process into valuable experience relative to market pricing and positioning for future projects that you will be asked to price. After a failed proposal, continue to investigate why you didn’t get the work and use this information to your advantage on the next project you are estimating. ✽

TOP TIPS FOR PAVING PROFIT ● Compose your own template and

checklist for quantifying each potential job ● If applicable, confirm drawing measurements and quantities on site ● Examine the site for potential hazards and note measurements of access points ● Take notes and photographs to aid your memory prior to calculating rates ● Get supply quotations in writing and keep a record of them ● Have a standard professional format for presenting your quotations with concise information on them, detailing materials and key measurements ● Keep a record of all your calculations and your submitted quotation ● Before ordering large quantities of paving, seek client confirmation by showing them with a sample ● Follow up quotations five to seven days later. If unsuccessful try to ascertain why? ● Post completion, analysis if the job was as profitable as you expected. If not, find out where you went wrong and use this information for pricing your next project

COLM KENNY, B Ag. Sc. (Land. Hort), M.Sc. Quantity Surveying. Colm is a landscape estimating specialist. He provides cost and implementation advice to landscape industry professionals, technical advisors, contractors and facility management companies. He can be contacted on 087 288 5016 or by email info@landscapeqs.ie

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

MAKING THE HRI WORK FOR YOU Thomas Crummy, ALCI Chairman and proprietor of the award winning contracting company, Thomas Crummy Landscapes Ltd, provides some insightful detail on how to utilise the government’s Home Renovation Initiative to improve your bottom line

ith a view to stimulating the domestic construction market, the government introduced the Home Renovation Initiative in 2013. The incentive provides for tax relief for homeowners by way of an income tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on repair, renovation or improvement works carried out on a main home by qualifying contractors. The initiative’s first draft essentially ignored the landscape sector, but thanks to the tireless efforts of ALCI (the Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland), the Department of Finance amended

it to include Landscaping Works. The amendment was a testament to the influence of industry bodies and a coup for the wider industry. Through my role in the Association I am hearing both positive and negative comments about the initiative.From my personal experience, the initiative has been extremely helpful in getting projects across the line. I can say with certainty that upwards of 80% of my current work schedule involves the initiative’ ‘Customers don’t have to spend a minimum of €4,405 with you. They can add a number of small receipts from you and other trades to make up that figure over the two years’

MAKING IT WORK If the initiative is not working for you it’s because you’ve got to make it work for you. Most consumers are completely unaware that landscape projects are eligible, and part of our job is to raise awareness. One of the simplest ways to achieve this is to include a copy of the HRI summary in all of our residential/ private quotations. It represents a great hook, people want discounts and more often than not it seals the deal. In addition to getting a discount the consumer is also reassured that we are legitimate businesses with our affairs in order. With the number of cowboys in the landscaping business, this is something

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

06 / CONSTRUCT

that’s becoming ever more important. One of the great points about the initiative and one that seems to be overlooked is that customers don’t have to spend a minimum of €4,405 with you. They can add a number of small receipts from you and other trades to make up that figure over the two years. So no matter how small the job it can work for you.

CUTTING THROUGH THE PAPERWORK WITH THE REVENUE ONLINE SYSTEM The ROS system has only recently gone live and I have to compliment Revenue on a great job, it is very user friendly and does not take long to complete. In my opinion this scheme has no disadvantages and only helps make it easier for the client to make the decision to employ you to carry out their project. When assisting clients, it is

“The ROS system is very user friendly and does not take long to complete.” important to point out that the system can and should be used to check that a contractor qualifies under the initiative. This should be done before a contractor is engaged. The checking function represents a useful tool for the wider industry in rooting out the unscrupulous fly-by-night merchants. ‘I can say with certainty that upwards of 80% of my current work schedule involves the initiative’

UNDERSTANDING THE SCHEME The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) runs from 25 October 2013 to 31 December 2015. It provides for tax relief for homeowners by way of an income tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying

expenditure on repair, renovation or improvement works, including landscaping works, carried out on a main home (principal private residence) by qualifying contractors.The works must cost a minimum of €4,405 (before VAT), which will attract a credit of €595. Where the cost of the works exceeds €30,000 (before VAT), a maximum credit of €4,050 will apply. The credit is payable over the two years following the year in which the work is carried out and paid for. 2015 will be the first year for HRI tax credits. The works must be carried out on or after 25 October 2013 and up to 31 December 2015. Homeowners must be Local Property Tax compliant in order to qualify under the incentive while contractors must be VAT registered and tax compliant in order to qualify to carry

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out works under the HRI. There is no obligation under the scheme to get all work carried out on a home by one contractor. If a homeowner has several smaller jobs that they want to get done, including work on their garden, they will all qualify providing they meet the criteria outlined above and the total cost of the works can be spread until 31 December 2015, so the homeowner could get the garden done this year and the kitchen next year and claim tax back on both jobs.

USING ROS As I mentioned, the initiative is administered through the Revenue’s online system. The process is straightforward and contractors shouldn’t be put off. When you visit the site you enter Works Notifications in advance of commencing works. The Works Notification will include a description of the works, the address of the main home where the works will be carried out, the estimated cost of the works including a VAT breakdown, the estimated start and end dates for the works. Homeowners will look up the Works Notification in advance of works commencing to ensure that the contractor qualifies. Contractors will enter payments received (Payments Notifications) from homeowners. Homeowners will look up the Payments Notifications as well as entering their tax credit claim.

WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE ENTERED TO THE ELECTRONIC HRI SYSTEM FOR PAYMENTS NOTIFICATIONS? The contractor will enter the following information ● The Unique Reference Number

(allocated by the electronic HRI system at Works Notification Stage) ● The name of the person making the payment (the homeowner) ● The date the payment was received from the homeowner ● The payment amount, separately identifying the VAT amount.

For example A homeowner is about to engage a contractor to carry out repair, renovation or improvement work on their main home in July 2014. The cost of the work is €10,000 at 13.5% VAT = Total €11,350

STAGE 1 In advance of Works Notification (before work commences) -

The contractor will enter the following information -

At this stage the homeowner should have ensured that ● The works qualify i.e. it is repair, renovation, improvement or landscaping works to which VAT at 13.5% applies ● The contractor is registered for VAT ● The contractor is tax compliant (The RCT Rate Notification of ‘0’ or ‘20%’ will be the only acceptable evidence at this stage. The Tax Clearance Certificate will no longer be acceptable) ● The homeowner has given the contractor the LPT Property ID for the main home. NB.: homeowners should not give their PPSN or the PIN (received in connection with LPT) to contractors. The homeowner and contractor should

● The property ID (the address will be

keep copies of documentation.

WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE ENTERED TO THE ELECTRONIC HRI SYSTEM FOR WORKS NOTIFICATIONS?

returned for confirmation) ● The name of the person claiming the HRI relief (the homeowner ) ● A description of the works ● The estimated cost of the works, separately identifying the VAT amount ● An estimated start date and an estimated end date for the works.

STAGE 2 Works Notification (before work commences) The contractor enters the works details (Notification) to the electronic HRI system The homeowner looks up the electronic HRI system for confirmation that the contractor qualifies.

STAGE 3 Payment Notification ● The homeowner pays the contractor

€1,000 on 01/08/2014 ● The contractor enters the payment

details (showing VAT separately) to the electronic HRI system ● The homeowner looks up the electronic HRI system for the payment details ● The homeowner pays the contractor €10,350 on 15/11/2014 ● The contractor enters the payment details (showing VAT separately) to the electronic HRI system ● The homeowner claims the tax credit on the electronic HRI system ● The tax credit is applied and spread over 2015 and 2016 in equal amounts. Payments recorded by the contractor are available for completion of the Contractors Form 11/CT1. ✽

WHERE CAN I GET FURTHER INFORMATION/ ASSISTANCE? Detailed information for both homeowner and contractor is available on the Revenue website www.revenue.ie Information/assistance is also available from the ALCI. Tel: 01 247 9037; email: info@alci.ie

THOMAS CRUMMY is Chairman of the Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland and owner of Thomas J Crummy Landscaping, one of Ireland’s leading landscape contracting companies and winner of the Bord Bia Landscape Business of the Year 2012/2013. www.thomasjcrummy.com

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

07 / LANDSCAPE

GREEN ROOFS AND FLOOD MITIGATION: AN IRISH CONTEXT

he Irish Landscape Institute (ILI) runs a series of public lectures every year from September to May, with the aim of providing professional development for members and prompting the landscape professions. On Wednesday 28th the ILI ran their last lecture of the season on Green Roofs and Flood Mitigation. Laurance Nesbitt, an architect with Nesbitt & Associates, presented his research into retrofitting green roofs and the potential for flood migration in Dublin. While Peter O’Toole, a landscape contractor with O’Brien Landscaping and ALCI President, presented case studies of some of the many roof gardens he has constructed. The concept of retrofitting green roofs is not a new thing, nor are the benefits of storm water management. However there are no current figures for calculating their impact in Ireland. Laurance Nesbitt gave an impressive lecture clearly explaining the relevant history of green roofs, including Newgrange, the Dublin Docklands built on 526ha of land fill, and Dublin’s drainage system - typically managed by piping everything - which set the scene for understanding the impact that retrofitting green roofs would have on the Dublin Docklands. Within the study area Laurance calculated that 403 flat roofs (typically concrete) would be suitable for retrofitting green roofs, whether intensive or extensive, covering an area of approximately 175ha (33% of the Docklands). Some of these roofs were suitable for intensive roofs while the majority where suitable from extensive roofs. Having looked at research Laurance chose standards set out by the FLL (Standard

setting body for green industries) and those used by engineers in Ireland, to calculate the attenuation capacity of different roof garden depths. From there an average was determined that for a 30 year flood, potentially storm water run-off could be delayed by 30 minutes for extensive roofs and 50 minutes for intensive roofs. When compared with recent flash flooding data provided by Dublin City Council, Laurance found that it correlated neatly with where the flat roofs were. Studies in other countries have already shown the link between green roofs and reduced flash flooding and determined stress test for those countries. We base our averages for calculating attenuation capacity upon these studies. Laurance’s study concluded that if we want to have the benefit of storm-water attenuation from green roofs, we needs to develop our own stress test figures for Ireland. The research was privately funded so results are not in general use; it was was an outline study rather than a detailed examination. If fully funded, either

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

“It was clear from the lectures that green roofs do not have to be complicated and expensive elements as they are just simply big flower pots”

LEFT: PHOTOMONTAGE SHOWING A POTENTIALLY GREEN ROOFED DUBLIN

PHOTOGRAPH BY L CAREY

Landscape Architect, Lucy Carey reviews the recent Landscape Institute lecture on green roofs and flood mitigation in Ireland

ABOVE: BORD GAÍS NETWORKS HEAD OFFICES, CHARLESTOWN, DUBLIN

privately or publicly, the potential knowledge generated for further studies could only result in improving the execution of green roofs and their function in helping to managing our urban environment. Peter O’Toole’s lecture was insightful and full of knowledge. He looked at a number of case studies from Aviva Stadium, to Bord Gaís Networks’ headquarters, to the Mater Hospital. Peter’s intention was to give a clear indication of the challenges which can arise from building roof gardens and the ways in which they were resolved. Typical examples he gave were things like determining the weight loads, climatic conditions, working at heights, how to lift equipment and plants onto a roof, working with other contractors, and fundamentally, ensuring the roof doesn’t leak. The latter two examples highlighting how important it is to work with a team and to determine which professional is responsible for which aspect of the build. At the Aviva stadium huge consideration had to be given to the weight load so they carefully calculated the weights of supplied trees as well as future weight, the substrate build-up, the planters and their locations on a roof, which in this case had to be positioned over the buildings structural columns. At Bord Gaís Networks it was the exposed element and the unusual angles of the roof which required specialised soil from Enrich to be used. With the Point Village the issues ranged from working in confined spaces, to having to lift the plants into courtyards months ahead of planting when they had access, to being creative with lightweight fill material to raise the level. On one

particular project the sedum roof failed in a courtyard but was completely successful on an exposed roof where it reflected the plants’ natural habitat. In general, Peter’s lecture put across that the simpler we build roof gardens and the more accurate the plant selection is for the locations, the longer they last. It was clear from the lectures that green roofs do not have to be complicated and expensive elements as they are just simply big flower pots. If they are skilfully designed and constructed they can last for many years and do not have to be high maintenance. Their application would allow benefits for not just flood management and aesthetical pleasure, but also biodiversity, better air quality, improved health, physiological benefits, tourist attractions, recreationally facilities, wildlife habitats, local climatic control, and the list goes on ….. The 2013-2014 lectures were sponsored by the LUCY CAREY is a Department of Arts, Landscape Architect Heritage and the Gaeltacht. with Cunnanes Stratton Reynolds THE IRISH LANDSCAPE and a member of the INSTITUTE’S LECTURE ILI Council. SERIES WILL COMMENCE AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER.

✽

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08 / INSIGHT

08 / INSIGHT become the number one disease burden by 2030 (Juniper, 2013) and that the cost of work-related stress illnesses in Ireland in 2012 alone was €200 million. While increasing green spaces in urban environments can bring these benefits, the removal of existing natural stimuli has been shown to actually increase stress, depression and cardiovascular disease in the local population. Biophilic experiences are also beneficial to society as well, with interactions with nature before the age of 14 fostering social bonds and buffering children to environmental stressors (Louv, 2012). Access to and equitable distribution of green space has been shown to lower levels of crime and violence, with a study in Chicago recording 52% fewer felonies (Kuo & Sullivan, 2001). Then there are the economic benefits of biophilia, with customers willing to pay up to 25% more for an item in retail settings with connections to nature (Wolf, 2005). Higher visit frequencies, increased visit duration and higher expenditure of money has also been shown in retail areas with high levels of vegetation (Wolf, 2005). Such retail

RE-DISCOVERING

BIOPHILIA Landscape Architect, Joseph Clancy shares his knowledge and recent research on the most important subject in contemporary horticulture THE PROBLEM Today, as a species, we are urban dwellers, despite having spent 95% of our evolutionary history in natural environments. With the migration to cities only occurring within the last 200 years, and with the majority of the global population becoming urban only as recent as 2007, our bodies and minds have been unable to adapt to such a drastic change in environments. Urbanisation has brought with it higher levels of stress, crime, absenteeism, depression and lower levels of productivity and learning, due in part to reduced access to green space and the displacement of natural environments. But we’re not going to be able to turn back the rural exodus, whether we like it or not. It is clear. We need greater access to nature to restore and enhance our mental health and well-being.

THE SOLUTION? A new design ethic, still in its infancy, biophilic design aims to restore natural stimuli in the built environment to maintain, restore, and enhance our physiological, cognitive and

psychological connections to the natural world. Biophilia literally means “love of life or living systems”. “Biophilia is the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. Innate means hereditary and hence part of ultimate human nature.” - E.O Wilson This method of design is not just simply about bringing nature into the built environment, but the incorporation of specific natural content within the space, its configuration and associated semantic content. This design ethic is based on evidence gathered over the last 40 to 50 years.

THE BENEFITS Spaces designed ‘biophilically’ can trigger restorative responses in the human body. These responses can be sorted into three categories; cognitive, physiological and psychological. Numerous benefits, depending on the content and spatial configuration of the space, include: ● Enhanced mental stamina and creative task performance following exposure to natural stimuli (Joye, 2007) ● Improved restoration rates from stress when individuals are exposed to visual and auditory natural stimuli

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

than patients without a view to nature (Terrapin Bright Green, 2009). The average length of a hospital stay in Ireland in 2012 was 5.7 days (Redmond, 2013). The inclusion of views to nature could reduce hospital stays, freeing up approximately 300,000 bed days and a further 110,000 in-patients being treated annually. A 10% increase in capacity!

THE HOW So how do we create more liveable environments through biophilic design in Ireland?

(RE-)EDUCATING THE DESIGN PROFESSIONS As it stands, there is no formal education on biophilic design as a module on any third level architecture/ design course in the world, let alone Ireland. We need to change this, as design has become narrowly focused on the material aspects of a design with regard to sustainability. This has been to the detriment of the human aesthetic experience. We need to educate our designers on the impacts their decisions have on people. If we wish to create biophilic environments, we need to arm

“A new design ethic, still in its infancy, biophilic design aims to restore natural stimuli in the built environment to maintain, restore, and enhance our physiological, cognitive and psychological connections to the natural world” (Alvarsson et al, 2010) ● Lower blood pressure and decreased

heart rates following interactions with natural stimuli (Hartig et al, 1991) ● Improved affect and cognition for individuals with depression after interaction with natural stimuli (Berman et al, 2012) ● Symptoms of ADHD in children are reduced after a 20 minute walk in a natural setting (Taylor & Kuo, 2001)

Exposure to natural stimuli lowers levels of stress hormones (Park, 2009)

●

These benefits have implications for the creative, educational and healthcare sectors when you consider that these responses to natural environments can occur in as little as five minutes (Hartig et al, 2003). The importance of these benefits is underlined by the fact that stress related illnesses are set to

areas yield 12% higher profit margins in comparison to retail areas without connections to nature. Biophilic design can not only increase economic gain, but can also reduce financial losses. Studies at the University of Oregon have shown that 10% of employee absences can be attributed to not having a visual connection to nature (Terrapin Bright Green, 2009). An employee’s view was concluded to be a primary predictor of absenteeism. Absenteeism cost Irish employers €1.5 billion in 2009 (Kelpie, 2011). Introducing views to nature within the work environment could produce savings of €150 million for Irish employers collectively. Regarding the struggling HSE, patients with views to nature have hospital stays that are 8.5% shorter

our designers of the future with the tools and know how.

JOINING THE BIOPHILIC CITIES PROJECT The Biophilic Cities Project was founded by Professor Tim Beatley at the University of Virginia. Its principal aim is to advance the theory and practice of planning for biophilic cities. Participant cities across the world will serve as case studies for other cities, laying the groundwork for methods of best practice among communities, governance, researchers, and developers on becoming a biophilic city. Joining the biophilic cities project would help guide the adoption of biophilic design in Ireland as the project fosters engagement between stakeholders and governance at all levels.

PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME The financial gains and savings listed

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08 / INSIGHT

08 / INSIGHT give a much needed boost to the Irish horticultural industry, with new build projects for landscape contractors, increased investment in existing urban landscapes and the protection of funding for our parks and public spaces. The negative impacts of urbanisation on human health and wellbeing is only going to get worse. The solution doesn’t lie in abandoning our urban environments, but in making our cities and towns more liveable. The current percentage of Ireland’s population that dwell in urban areas is 60%, set to rise to 80% by 2050. The time for action is now. Biophilic design will not solve all of our problems or indeed, produce results overnight, but it is another prong in the argument for incorporating more nature into our built environments. ✽

CONCLUSION Adoption of biophilic design would

JOSEPH CLANCY is a landscape architect and horticulturalist from Limerick, Ireland, Currently working in Birmingham with Pegasus Planning Group LLC. He has co-authored upcoming publications and articles on biophilic design by Terrapin Bright Green and the Journal of International Architectural Research. He is currently writing his Masters on the applications of biophilic design in landscape architecture at the University of Gloucestershire. E-mail: joseph.clancy@pegasuspg.co.uk

FURTHER READING ONLINE

Terrapin Bright Green:

Biophilic Cities Project: www.biophiliccities.org

www.terrapinbrightgreen.com References is available from the author

MAKING MEADOWS PHOTOGRAPHS BY KIERAN CUMMINS

in this article are only a small portion of the economic benefits of biophilic design. For more information please read The Economics of Biophilia by Terrapin Bright Green, available for free download. While personally I’m reluctant to place a monetary value on nature, I believe in this instance it could support arguments for increasing investment in public realm landscapes. The same argument would support the conservation of our parks and safeguard funding for the maintenance and operation of these vital spaces, which have been hit severely by the recession. One only has to look to Singapore, where a dedicated policy on public greening has led to an increase in vegetative cover (despite population growth), an increase in biodiversity and increased investment from companies directly linked to Singapore’s greening incentives.

Renowned wildflower specialist, Sandro Cafolla shares some insights on how to successfully establish wildflower meadows in Ireland

t’s amazing how our customer’s questions have changed over the years. We used to get asked simple things such as, do wildflowers grow and how and where do you sow them? Back then the primary focus was on creating a big show, a blaze of colour. Nowadays customers are interested in the details of meadow management, longevity and species mixes. The blaze of colour has been overtaken by a genuine interest in wildlife conservation. Interest in wildflower cultivation has grown hugely over the last decade. The new generation of gardeners and landscape professionals is learning about the potential benefits much earlier and this has resulted in a threefold increase in sales.

STARTING WITH A CLEAN SLATE

www.rentes.ie Moyvalley, Broadford, Co. Kildare Tel 046 9551237

Fax 046 9551160

Email info@rentes.ie Like us on facebook

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

CREATING THE OPTIMUM SEEDBED A level seedbed is not required as long as the seeds come into contact with the soil but ensure that the soil is firm below but fine and crumbly on top. Before you sow, firm or roll and apply a light raking or harrow to finish the bed and create a freshly moved soil or ‘ferment’, to increase the soils biological activity. Roll and or lightly rake after sowing. Quality seeds in the right conditions should take from four to eight weeks to germinate.

WHEN TO SOW The ideal sowing times are between mid-March to late May or into July if wet and again in late August to late September. You can sow all year around as long as the weather is mild and some rain is due. 2013 pre-drought sowing germinated by autumn. If you live in the south or near the coast your sowing times will be earlier in spring. Germination will always be slower if the weather is dry or cold.

Although it is perfectly feasible to sow directly into an existing sward, if you first clear the site of all weeds a meadow will have a much better chance to establish. It can be beneficial in terms of establishment to use a herbicide to clear a site but you should avoid residual products. Make sure you remove the roots of the stronger weeds that herbicides do not kill outright. Even the best herbicides still don’t kill every weed. Weeds which are site specific and have a strong foothold will most likely be native to the site, and we recommend working with them. In most cases, regular cutting will control and favour grass and other species. Regular cutting will also reduce soil fertility and generally speaking, the poorer the soil the better the meadow. ABOVE: A BLAZE OF COLOUR AT THE CEMEX QUARRY, BALLINKILL, COUNTY LAOIS.

“Interest in wildflower cultivation has grown hugely over the last decade”

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

08 / INSIGHT

BELOW: BRINGING LIFE TO OUR MOTORWAYS. WILDFLOWERS ON THE SLIGO BY-PASS

SOW WHAT? KNOWING YOUR SEED MIXES In most mixtures you will find the following: annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals act as a nurse crop and provide a riot of first year colour. Typical annuals include field poppy, annual mayweed, corncockle, corn marigold. Biennials such foxglove, parsnip, meddick, mullein and wild carrot. flower within 12 months from sowing, and while acting as a nurse they also improve the soil. Both annuals and biennials will not reappear each year unless the conditions encourage them. eyebright, yellow rattle, bartsia and loosewort eyebright, yellow rattle, bartsia and loosewort should persist, as they are annuals adapted to surviving amounts perennial species and grasses. Every mixture also has a base mixture of perennial species, which will flower for many years. Perennials are divided into two categories; Short lived perennials, which include oxeye daisy, red clover and sorrel have short life cycles and require regular gap creation to ensure they persist. Long lived perennials such as bluebell, cowslip, field scabious, meadowsweet, hypericum and many more are long lived and will persist for years

provided that the meadow is managed appropriately. Wildflower seeds vary in weights and sizes, so always stir the seed before and during sowing to ensure that the seeds of all sizes are spread over every metre. A good meadow starts with good quality seeds in the right mix for a particular context. Avoid generic store bought mixes. They are simply not as effective and can cost more in the long run.

A MEASURED APPROACH In most cases a gram and a half of 100% wildflower seed (that’s a level teaspoon) is used to sow one square metre If you’re sowing a mix that contains grass seed then you need to double the quantity to three grams per square metre and 50/50 grass wildflower ratio (this equates to 13.2 kilos per acre or 30 kilos per ha).

BROADCASTING IS BEST There is a range of different methods for sowing seed, from simple hand casting to using complex commercial machinery. In my opinion seeds are best sown by hand or with an aero type seed fiddle. Many of the commercial sowers are unsuitable as the seed separates and

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

large seed goes in one direction and small in another. Seed also settles in large spreaders with small heavy seed coming out first, so if you must use a seeder, use a small amount at any one time. To sow seeds, use the broadcast method. Stand with your back to the wind if at all possible, start at one end of the bed, one metre out from the edge and be careful to only sow one metre wide. Scatter the seed and try to avoid chucking it out in one place. Sow the seed as soon as ground works are complete, as the soil will be at its best in microbial activity and the gasses released will really get your seeds off to a good start. Seed should be covered to approximately 3mm on dry soils to avoid it drying out.

GERMINATION Wildflower seed germinates in response to sunlight so the deeper you bury it the less chance of successful germination. As long as the soil remains moist, wildflower seed does not have to be buried, just raked into the soil, barely covered and rolled to ensure that the seed contacts the soil.

“Nothing compares with the stunning clouds of butterflies, flocks of birds and insects galore, and a host of fauna that you will find in a well-grown meadow” sunlight, which helps to sterilise the soil, kill moulds, make space for new seedlings and to provide fewer places for slugs to hide. Decaying vegetation causes mould, which affects new seedlings. The fresh air can then blow over the germinating seedlings. The additional raking or scratching helps recently shed seed from your meadow to contact the soil. Wild flowers shed new seeds every year. It is this process of cutting and raking which renews a meadow. This work replaces hay cutting and animals grazing the, aftergrowth, which was how meadows got started in the first place. Meadows can be topped with a lawnmower instead of cut, and if it is done often there is no volume to the foliage. But it needs to be done regularly to avoid the meadow getting out of hand and becoming impossible to cut with the lawnmower.

Press the seed into the surface on sticky wet soil. All wildflower seed is barbed when viewed under an electron microscope, it uses the bards to work its way to the best level in the soil

TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT If you grow our mixtures (without grass seed) an established meadow will need only one or two cuts per year. When you first sow your meadow, do nothing for the first summer; enjoy the cornfield annuals as they provide a riot of summer long colour. Cut the annuals in September and rake afterward. If sown without grass, annuals won’t really have to be raked in the first year and the seed provides bird food. In the second year, do even less, as biennials reach for the sky in a blaze. Like annuals, biennials are short lived and may not return. There are many ways to cut a meadow. Whichever method you choose, always remove the cuttings, rake them up and then rake over the bare soil to scratch the soil to help new seedlings germinate. We recommend this extra raking to allow in ultraviolet

ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE IN THE EARLY YEARS When you first sow a meadow, seedlings will keep on germinating each spring and autumn until about the second or third year. This is when maintenance is required. After the meadow is established your job is to manage it with one cut per year. But if your soil is fertile you might have to wait up to seven years for fertility to drop, and must maintain it fully as done in years two to three. Correct timing when cutting the meadow is crucial to

the survival of seedlings. A meadow is won or lost at this stage. If your original cultivation methods did not produce a clean weed-free seedbed, this is your last chance to get rid of stones and weeds that you have missed. Any meadow can be cut every 30-60 days to keep tidy as a lawn. On very barren sites you may not have to cut at all, instead roll with a Cambridge roller.

CHEMICAL USE Meadows should have very little chemical inputs, bar occasional low volume spot spraying to eradicate ragwort, dock and thistle. Both are green in winter, but non-fertilised lawns turn yellow in dry summers, whilst wildflowers flower better in droughts, and often hidden species appear in the severest of droughts. Use of chemicals should be avoided, but if the meadow is going to be destroyed by an infestation then you may need to make a pragmatic choice.

FINAL THOUGHTS Basic in-house research on meadows in public parks over 10 years shows that growing wildflowers is much cheaper with less trouble, and far more enjoyable than large areas of lawn. A lawn is still good for wildlife, but nothing compares with the stunning clouds of butterflies, flocks of birds and insects galore, and a host of fauna that you will find in a wellgrown meadow. Go wild this summer! ✽

SANDRO CAFOLLA is considered Ireland’s foremost expert on the production of Irish wildflower seed and the creation of wildflower meadows. He has been at the forefront of the sector for over 25 years, has supplied species to over 3200 projects, across 32 countries, covering everything from domestic gardens to major infrastructure works. He can be contacted at info@wildflowers.ie or via his website www.wildflowers.ie

PHOTOGRAPH BY KORALEY NORTHEN

LEFT: A FLORIFEROUS DISPLAY OF FIELD MARGIN ANNUALS AT THE FRONT GARDEN OF PROUTS FARM (THE LOCATION OF THE UPCOMING OPEN DAY)

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

09/ SPORTS TURF

09 / SPORTS TURF

CREATIVE CUTS Turfgrass expert Eamon Kealy describes the ever changing role of the modern golf course superintendent and sets out a number of strategies for how they can innovate around cutbacks

he last six years have been difficult times for the golf course industry in Ireland. Many golf courses have seen membership levels drop. Increased competition has driven down green fee rates and casual green fee numbers have declined. The levels of expectations from existing members remain high and more is expected from every member of the greenkeeping team. Many members have lost their jobs or have dramatically reduced incomes. Put simply, members have found it hard prioritising their golf club membership over other expenditures. Golf course staff have endured pay cuts also which has lowered morale and contributed to a sense of disengagement. In some cases golf courses have been taken over by management companies and change has been enforced upon the golf course operations team. The profi le of the average golf club member is rising. According to the GUI’s and ILGU’s club surveys from 2008, the average age for a male member is 49 and 55 for female members. They reveal a lost generation of 25 to 44 year olds who casually play golf but are not full members of golf clubs. Since the survey in 2008 not much has improved. Clubs like Beech Park in Rathcoole, Dublin have addressed the issue off ering young adults reduced membership packages. This can be seen as an attempt to entice younger golfers to stay members after their juvenile membership expires. More clubs need to attract young adults to grow overall membership rates. Giving discounted membership for the short term can only increase the

member’s chance of staying with the club in the future. The current state of the industry is hard to gauge. City courses are still financially viable and attracting new members. Links courses have showed strong green fee numbers throughout the recession with good levels of foreign visitors. Clubs that invested heavily in large club houses during the boom are burdened with debt and have struggled to attract new members and new capital. Overall things are slowly picking up but there is still pressure on superintendents to do more with fewer resources.

THE ROLE OF THE MODERN SUPERINTENDENT Superintendents are now more than ever required to be more than just the keeper of the greens. Their role is more diverse than ever before; they are now required to engage with committees, be expert human resource managers, communicate with members, manage compliance and deliver cost savings on a daily basis.

INVOLVING STAFF Superintendents should be aware of the key skill sets that they have in their existing golf course operations team and look to engage each member of staff in a particular area of interest or knowledge. Greenkeeping staff usually come from varying backgrounds, for example agriculture or engineering. These areas of expertise can and should be capitalised upon to deliver efficiencies in the way the course is maintained. Capitalising on this could be as simple as allowing staff to be more involved in different projects on the golf course. For example, allowing staff to accompany

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the course agronomist during visits, sampling wildlife for surveys, planning course upgrades or putting staff in charge of nutritional programmes or contributing to policy documents. Staff members who are content work harder and the benefits will be seen in all areas of their work. Creating a sense of ownership of the golf course will increase staff morale and deliver cost savings in the long run. The superintendent can set an example and lead the way for other staff to follow. All course managers will agree if income is down, expenditure must drop accordingly. Financial reward for staff members may be restricted in the short term but fostering a sense of learning will reap its rewards.

GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS Golf course superintendents and greenkeepers can be guilty of not informing the members of the important work that they perform on the golf course. Most superintendents let the quality of their playing surfaces do the talking for them. This can sometimes be enough but when cutbacks are being proposed or even enforced, more may be required. Communication is key to relaying the work that is being done on an ongoing basis on the golf course. International superintendents have taken to blogging about their turf practices to keep members and visitors up to date. http://gcmbloggingworld. blogspot.com is an excellent collection of blogs from championship, public and private golf courses around the world. The blogs are updated regularly, contain images of ongoing and completed work and are designed to be read easily by members and turf professionals alike.

The benefits of blogging for the superintendent are numerous. Members follow the course’s progression throughout the season, the Augusta syndrome is prevented (why are our greens not as fast as Augusta’s?), golfers are well warned in advance of any major work (and the reasons for such work) and the potential for conflict can be reduced. The superintendent can use the blog as a type of online turf management diary; year on year the diary is updated and management practices can be altered based on feedback and conditions. Through sharing of knowledge and learning from other superintendent’s blogs, the potential to develop is huge. The blog should be used in conjunction with the golf clubs website. This should not be restricted to a member’s only area and all visiting golfers should have access to view it also. Potentially turfgrass maintenance blogs could attract new younger members who are tech savvy in the future. The recent storms could be viewed as an example of how blogging could increase the awareness of staff challenges. The flexibility of the staff and diverse skill set could be highlighted to show how essential a good greenkeeping team can be to the successful running of a club. Nature often provides us with the most challenging conditions and superintendents can raise awareness of how these can be overcome.

REWARDING INNOVATION Every golf course is different; each superintendent has his own ways of doing things. With personnel cutbacks and limited resources, this can bring challenges in how the course is managed and maintained. Greenkeepers are constantly innovating and developing more efficient ways to carry out the routine practices. Spending hours enduring repetitive tasks often concentrates the mind. Many courses have utilised the skills of staff members, especially the golf course mechanic, to speed up routine taskes and thus save time and money. For example, Barry Drennan is a former greenkeeper and owner of Reeltech Ltd, who supply and rent golf course equipment to courses throughout Leinster.

He was inundated with greenkeepers looking for a pedestrian disc seeder but couldn’t find one on the market. His solution was to adapt an old John Deere pedestrian aerator and attach a disc seeder to this. The combination has proved a success with many clubs renting it on a repeat basis. Such innovation should be promoted with the golf course staff, rewarded where possible and highlighted to committee members in reports and during meetings. Another example of utilising staff to their full potential can be seen at The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Paddy Teeling, the golf course superintendent, engaged the golf course mechanic to alter the ride on greens mowers to tow small trailers which can be used to collect the grass clipping from the greens. Paddy added custom towbars to a number of the older machines to save time and increase the speed of completing routine tasks. The unique layout of the course required an innovative solution to speed up maintenance tasks. Trailers for towing slower machines like HydroJects were also constructed inhouse. I would strongly recommend that superintendents promote membership of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association (IGCEMA) to their golf course mechanics or staff in charge of machinery maintenance. IGCEMA promotes equipment managers education, training and innovation. Many other time and labour saving innovations are shared through the association. Your golf course might just find something that solves a problem or two.

PUTTING THE PLANS IN PLACE Superintendents can be more proactive in showcasing the work they do. A bone of contention with members can often be the winter period. As grass growth slows down inevitably members start asking what work is being done on the course if the grass isn’t being cut? The importance of a winter programme cannot be underestimated. The superintendent should produce a proposal and proactively bring it to the committee. It should clearly lay out the planned works for the winter period. Costings for individual works and the potential savings for carrying out the work in-house should be highlighted.

Tasks such as adding sprinklers to ladies tees, upgrading pathways, draining bunkers and levelling tee boxes can be suggested. Well-structured and designed maintenance programmes that address known issues on the course have a good chance of being accepted. Such programmes raise awareness of staff activities throughout the year and will potentially ease any frustrations of hard pressed members. Overall, remember that you are the golf course expert. Don’t be afraid to highlight the work you do. Show where cuts have already been made and propose savings where possible. If you don’t propose cuts, they may be imposed on you. The superintendent is in the best position to make informed decisions regarding cutbacks. Justify your spending, show that the greenkeeping team is good value for money, innovate where possible and involve your staff in decision making. Never presume you know what they require in the future. ✽

TOP SIX CREATIVE ACTIONS ● Involve staff in decision making ● Create an environment that

rewards innovation ● Be proactive. Highlight your

work and Blog to get your message across ● Share your knowledge with your staff ● Don’t be afraid to propose new ideas to committees ● Prepare a maintenance document that lists all the work you do. ✽

EAMON KEALY M.Hort. Sc is a lecturer in horticulture, specialising in sportsturf management at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. ITB offers part-time and full-time courses in Horticulture. For more information see www.itb.ie or email info@itb.ie.

June/July 2014 / www.horticulture.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED

10 / EDUCATION

11 /EDUCATION

UNLEASH THE IONS! Kevin Cahill, student of horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin reports on research he undertook to investigate the impact of wetting foliage with copper/silver ionised water on preventing the establishment of powdery mildew

ater containing copper and silver ions is used worldwide in swimming pools and hospital water systems to eradicate harmful diseases. In a trial lasting over seven years and involving 16 hospitals, copper/silver ionisation was proven to eradicate and suppress cases of legionella in over 95% of tested sites where other forms of treatment, such as hyperchlorination or thermal eradication both proved insufficient in controlling these diseases. Evidence suggests that this treatment may be an untapped source for the control of fungal diseases in the horticulture industry. Charlie Hosty, a grower in Galway, began using the copper/silver ionised water in his nursery in 2013 and good control of powdery mildew was achieved, especially on plants such as Spiraea and Potentilla, which are very susceptible. Good results were also achieved on Prunus lusitanica in the protection from a bacterial disease causing shot-hole. Additionally, Charlie also noticed very little moss and liverwort growth on pots and floor liners throughout the nursery and that could be another benefit of this treatment.

THE PROJECT In a student experiment leading to a BSc in Horticulture in the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture in the National Botanic Gardens, I tested if wetting foliage of Myosotis (Forget-me-not) with copper/silver ionised water would prevent the establishment of powdery mildew. I chose this subject as I found the idea of a new way to control harmful fungi without the use of chemicals very exciting and worthwhile. This project required a lot of research, both scientific and practical, and also involved meeting the company director Mike McGrath of Necon Technologies Ltd to gain a better understanding of the system. Applied knowledge was obtained by joining Mike on a trip to Galway to meet the nurseryman Charlie Hosty who had recently began using the copper/silver ionised system from Necon Ltd. It was great to see the system in an operating nursery and by the end of the visit I knew exactly which way I was going to conduct my own experiment.

THE EXPERIMENT The experiment itself consisted of 80 disease-free plants, 40 of which the

HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / June/July 2014

foliage was wetted three times per week for four weeks with copper/ silver ionised water (1.5mg/l Cu2+ and 0.15mg/l Ag2+) while the remaining plants received mains water only. The ionised water came from a housing containing electrodes made of copper and silver which was easily attached to a regular garden hose (see image). The experiment was conducted in one of the non-public glasshouses in the National Botanic Garden and I would like to thank all the staff and technicians that helped me during the experimental period for the plants and advice as well as providing the space to conduct the trial. Everyone was very helpful and enthusiastic about the experiment. The results of the experiment showed that all plants treated with the copper/ silver ionised water remained free from powdery mildew, whereas all plants receiving only mains water had varying levels of infection (on average 15 % of the leaf area). A second experiment was carried out to determine if this treatment could also eradicate powdery mildew from already infected plants. The concentration of ions for this experiment was doubled

1 TESTING: THE TESTING KIT USED TO READ LEVEL OF COPPER IONS GIVEN IN MG/L OF WATER. 2 LAYOUT: THE EXPERIMENT LAYOUT. PLANTS WITH THE UPTURNED BROWN POTS ARE THE ONES WHICH WERE WETTED WITH THE COPPER/SILVER IONISED WATER. THE TRAYS WITHOUT THE BROWN POTS WERE LIFTED AWAY TO ENSURE NO DRIFT OF THE COPPER/SILVER IONS LANDED ON THESES CONTROL TRAYS. 3 POWDERY: POWDERY MILDEW INFECTION BEGINNING ON CONTROL PLANT 4 MYSO: MYOSOTIS PLANT SHOWING ABILITY TO HOLD WATER/ION PARTICLES ON THEIR LEAF SURFACE DUE TO TINY HAIRS COVERING THE LEAF SURFACE. COPPER/SILVER IONS WOULD GAIN IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH ANY DISPERSED FUNGAL SPORES AND THEREFORE PREVENTING GERMINATION. 5 ELECTRODE: ELECTRODE HOUSING FITTED TO GARDEN HOSE. 6 TESTING: THE TESTING KIT USED TO READ LEVEL OF COPPER IONS GIVEN IN MG/L OF WATER. GLASS JAR WITH AND WITHOUT DISSOLVED TABLET. THE JAR WITH THE PURPLE HUE IS INSERTED INTO THE TESTING KIT WHERE THEN A PHOTOMETRIC SIGNAL PASSES THROUGH TO GIVE A DIGITAL READING OF THE LEVEL OF COPPER IONS IN MG/L. SILVER IS CONSIDERED TO BE 10% OF THIS READING AS THE ELECTRODES ARE AN ALLOY OF COPPER AND SILVER.

to 3mg/l Cu2+ and 0.3mg/l Ag2+. The results show that at this concentration the treatment does not eradicate the existing infection within a 4 four week period, but that infection levels remained static. In the untreated (control) plants the infection levels doubled.

THE RESULTS This research showed that wetting plants with a low concentration of copper/silver ions in solution can prevent powdery mildew establishing, but that control of an established infection is not so easily achieved. The experiment also highlighted that this application could easily be adapted for use in the nursery stock industry as it is remarkably easy to install and can easily be combined with an existing irrigation system, as was done by Charlie in his nursery. This

treatment potentially reduces labour cost, as there will be a reduced need for chemical spraying by knapsack, in addition to giving peace of mind as the automatic irrigation system takes care of everything. Although the system is in its early stages regarding horticultural use, it should be explored further and I expect articles like this will spark interest throughout the nursery stock industry.

EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS This project was very beneficial to me as it made me research what has gone before, which then made me think of what could be done now. If I were to start this project again I would consider using a larger number and a wider variety of plants. I would also like to test varying concentrations of ionised water for their effectiveness. Some of

KEVIN CAHILL has just completed a BSc in Horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin. He has a keen interest in all areas of horticulture and intends to further explore areas such as pitch construction and maintenance, to indoor plants and their health benefits. His immediate aim is to go on to complete an honours degree before taking a year to travel to warmer climates where he hopes his qualifications may open up work opportunities along the way. Ultimately he sees himself maintaining a large garden estate.

these questions are hopefully taken on in next years’ student projects. With thanks to Necon Technologies Ltd for their assistance and supply of equipment.

EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT One of the subjects taught at the National Botanic Gardens is nursery stock production. Within the nursery industry, growers are always looking for improvements and trying out novel ways of doing things. Students are equally keen to do this as part of their year-three projects. In this case, Necon Technologies Ltd. contacted the gardens with their product and we saw opportunities for student projects using their technology. Currently there are three students completing work on this equipment, assessing its use for controlling damping off, extending vase life and Kevin for the control of powdery mildew on Myosotis. Dr. Paul Fitters, Lecturer, The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. ✽

CALL FOR PAPERS Are you a student of horticulture or related area undertaking commercially applicable research? If you think your project would be of interest to the industry drop the editor an email at editor@horticulture.ie

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