A roundup of what's been happening recently

So what's been happening recently in the horticulture world? Here are a few bite-sized snippets.

I talked at length to Mitch Westwood yesterday regarding the ongoing debate about 'rogue traders' in landscaping - I don't want to pre-empt anything Mitch has to say as I feel it is important we hear his thoughts in context and from the horses mouth - expect an update very soon.

It's important to me that what Mitch says is reported accurately - after all, my reputation is at stake.

I also called Norman Hambrook yesterday about 'rogue traders' apparently using Hambrook's name to win work on the doorstep. Norman claimed that this is damaging his business - I said that with a forty year track record and being so well known locally that, Norman shouldn't need to worry and I thought it had all become a little 'sensational' - we agreed to disagree.

Spoke to GLEE yesterday about their plans to make the show a better place for landscapers next year. They are keen that the members and audience of Landscape Juice should be involved in suggesting ways that GLEE could improve and not be an 'afterthought' for our trade - watch this space.

I am pleased to have pulled out of the £10,000 sponsorship deal with Garden Expo as it means that Landscape Juice retains its unique independent voice (no pun intended). Have suggested a straight advertising deal (as I have with GLEE) - that way, all of our members will be able to say what they think without strings attached.

Looking forward to attending the Hard Landscaping Show next year and hoping it provides the landscape industry with a real alternative should GLEE and Garden Expo not live up to their promises.

GLEE have also joined the Landscape Juice Network.

Been encouraging landscapers, designers and gardeners to adopt a voluntary customer charter so that their intent to do a good job and provide the best possible service, after-care and complaint procedure, is flagged up before work is undertaken.

The emphasis is that an sole trader or small business does not need to be an association member to set high target for themselves.

I'm keeping a sharp eye on news out of Haymarket Publishing and dismayed that Heseltine has decided to walk whilst HP are in one of the deepest crisis' in their history. Profits almost halved in 2007/08 and Media Week predicts an 'even worse fall' in 2009.

Some say that this crisis won't affect HP's subscriptions - I beg to differ as HW's ABC figures already show a 10% decline (I did write to HW for clarification on this so judging by their silence I am spot on).

I am of the opinion that 2010 will continue in the same vein as 2009 for some sectors and I won't rule out changes at Hort Week - watch this space.

I stick by my guess that Heseltine will remove HW from the HP stable and run it as a stand alone business - it was never really a good fit in his magazine library in my view.