Landscape Juice

X Factor backlash is a victory for common sense

I am so pleased to see Wagner not only clinging on to his X Factor place but seemingly thrive with a huge chunk of the votes.

It's not because he's a good singer - he's quite clearly crap - and it's not because he has a particularly warming personality but it's because the citizens of Great Britain have quite clearly had enough of being misled.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that X Factor is a fix (not in public anyway) but as a viewer I don't trust the judges and the cynic in me is convinced, every time I look at their faces during the voting, that their decisions aren't being made fairly, with the right motives or best intentions.

Bats hunting ability reduced by traffic noise

German scientists have set up tests with bats which could be used with conservation plans. The tests show how road noise affects bat navigation when hunting their prey.

By proving that bats are affected by road noise, scientists can argue against road development as they are a protected species under the European Habitats Directive.

According to the BBC the tests were the first of their kind.

When flying, bats listen for the rustling sounds of moving insects they prey upon. However, with the interference of traffic noise, the bats either failed to find the insects or took longer.

The tests showed that a busy main road can impair the bat's hunting ability up to a distance of 50 metres. Dr Björn Seimers from the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology told the BBC:
“When you look at the thousands of kilometres of highway in a country like Germany, it adds up to quite a lot."

London pollution is sticking to the road

There are strange tricks taking place on London roads in efforts to improve the quality of the air according to local government reports.

A substance which traps particles is to be spread over London's busiest roads that pass through the city centre, in trials which have been launched by transport for london (TfL).

Exclusive interview with APL chairman Mark Gregory

Mark Gregory has had just over five weeks as the new chairman of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and made contact with me here at Landscape Juice after I questioned whether it will be 'same old same old' during his tenure.

Mark and I spoke for just over and hour on Friday morning in what turned out to be one the frankest discussions I've had with anyone from either of the UK's landscaping and horticulture associations.

Mark talks candidly about how dissatisfied British Association of Landscape Industries' (BALI) members, under the leadership of Alan Sargent, broke away to from the APL and why he wishes he was 'mature enough' to talk Sargent out of the move and encourage him to sit down and work out their problems and how the APL is not able to operate without the financial support of the Horticulture Trades association.

Have you ever considered having your own garden railway set?

Have you ever fancied having your own narrow gauge garden railway set?

I have only ever seen two private garden railways before; one client had a large electric set-up - a bit like a Hornby railway you'd get as a Christmas present, only on a large scale - and one was the real deal with proper steam engines and a heavy duty track laid out around the owner's garden.

It was small but it could carry passengers - the noise was real and so too was the smoke, steam and smell; I remember being fascinated by it and marvelled at the enthusiasm of its owner - someone clearly a lifelong devotee to his hobby.

Eric Walker joined up to the Landscape Juice Network in the week. I didn't believe he was for real at the time and even had to telephone Eric just to make sure it wasn't some crank who was trying to join only to spam members afterwards.

Garden design and horticulture job opportunities

Junior Garden Designer

Janine Pattison is currently looking for an enthusiastic Junior Garden Designer to join their busy Dorset practice.

The successful candidate will possess great communications skills, be friendly, presentable and highly personable. Canididates will also need to be computer literate.

Working under the Creative Director, you will be involved in site analysis, drawing up site surveys and preliminary 2D presentation plans and whilst garden design experience or qualifications are helpful, they are not essential.

The real costs of pension contributions for SMEs

From 2012 small businesses will contribute to an employee's pension to the tune of 1% increasing to 3% by 2017.

£2,550 per year puts a figure to the cost that SMEs will face, published by the Federation of Small Business, (FSB).

The FSB said that by 2017 'the average small firm, with four employees earning an average salary of £25,000 will pay at least an extra £2,550 per year in administration and pension costs'.

Landscape Juice members have discussed their pension contributions in the recent thread: Private pensions to become compulsory.

What are BALI's business priorities right now?

I read an interview with new British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) chairman Paul Cowell on Hort Week yesterday and it got me wondering if Paul has come into the BALI job with his priorities in the right order?

First I have to declare something: I spoke with Paul for an hour and three minutes yesterday and we talked widely about the landscaping industry and I agreed that the content of (although as I called to talk to Paul about the HW interview, I have included some of his responses here) shall remain between the two of us. I do however hope to speak to Paul in the near future and with his permission, publish the content.

Paul says in the interview that he attended a symposium on biodiversity and was 'frustrated' that he was the only landscaper in the room - for those as 'frustrated' as me that Hort Week didn't add a link to the symposium, so that we could get a grasp of what Paul talks about, here it is 'The First Global Business of Biodiversity Symposium'.

LJN members raise £400 for the Thrive gardening charity

It all started in October with a bit of light hearted banter when a few Landscape Juice Network members speculated about what was under Rowly Hill's woolly hat.

The speculation and intrigue grew so much that Gary Cobb set up a fund to raise money for the Thrive garden charity in what became known as the 'Hats off to Rowly' appeal.

A cheque for £400 will be handed to Thrive's Battersea Garden Project manager, Susan Stuart at the LJN south west region Christmas meal on the 11th December.

Hats off the Gary Cobb and Rowly Hill for their sterling effort and sense of humour.

What kind of customer are you?

It's them and us: you're either a consumer or a trader and never the twain shall meet.

Even someone who runs a business is a totally different animal when they become the customer and would fit nicely into or across a couple of stereotypes: but how do you tell what kind of customer you are?

Landscape juice Network member, Paul Forster, has written a light hearted nine-point list of how he categorises his clients - The nine basic types of customer - be warned though, it may be light-hearted but as the saying goes 'many a true word spoken in jest'.