Landscape Juice

Is a gardener a second class citizen?

Despite our best efforts here on Landscape Juice to up the profile, it seems we some gardeners cannot shake off the perception that we're still a menial underclass.

Gardener and Landscape Juice Network member, Andrew Bentley, today asked if he was being a little bit too sensitive because he had heard a BBC reporter on breakfast news infer that a head gardener's position was a lesser one than a head warden.

Is garden photography too stage managed?

The question is prompted by the news that Jose Luis Rodriguez has been disqualified from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition after organisers concluded that Rodriguez had used a stuffed dummy to create, his now infamous, Storybook Wolf - read the full statement.

Although Rodriguez strongly denies that he has cheated, the statement says that specialist evidence was considered before disqualification under rule 10 of the competition.

Would you be happy if a gardener or landscaper smoked at work?

There is an interesting topic developing on the Landscape Juice Network about smoking at work.

Even smokers are saying that they don't smoke or refuse to let their workers smoke in the garden because it looks unprofessional.

What is the future of garden design?

Director of garden design at the Oxford School of Garden Design, Duncan Heather, asks:

"Until modern housing corrects some of its current systemic deficiencies, is the future of landscape design condemned to be as disappointing as the present?"

It's rather a big question - do you have a view? - join the conversation.

An open letter to the APL and BALI - A time for change

I write to you on behalf of all good landscapers and garden maintenance workers everywhere who are employed within the horticulture trades.

Times are hard - for many it will not get better; for some businesses and individuals, things will never improve and they will be forced to give up what they love; for others, time has already run out.

Do sunflowers follow the sun all day

Here in France the sunflower is called tournesol literally meaning 'turn with the sun'.

I am sure it is a question that is often asked by people while they are on holiday - do sunflowers really turn to follow the sun.

Rather than just add my opinion to any debate I thought I would conduct an experiment and record the outcome with photographs.

Unusual deep red clover - Trifolium pratense

I have found what I consider to be a fairly unusual deep red clover growing in a meadow close to my home and I wonder if there are any wild flower experts out there who could let me know if this is a one off or a regular occurrence?

Yesterday I discovered a very small patch - less than a metre square - of this perennial deep red clover in a field of approximately three hectares. Ordinary red clover is present in very large areas and in the lower part it dominates.

Spanish Cherries that cost £3 each - is this right?

A news item in the Telegraph today - cherries costing £195 per kilo on sale - has underlined how ludicrous shopping and eating habits have become as consumers demand produce that is not in season in the United Kingdom, but can be imported at any time, at great cost both to the buyer and possibly the environment if measured in CO2 emissions, when considering the food miles involved.

Harrods are importing from Spain, a variety of cherry that fruits significantly earlier than any that would in the British Isles, and selling them at a retail price of £195.00 per kilo.

Has Toby Buckland saved Gardeners' World?

People don't like change and when it comes to gardening, change can either take a long period of time as a garden evolves or it can be radical and severe in terms of remedial pruning or drastic garden makeovers.

When Monty Don decided to leave Gardeners' World because of his medical problems, there was a fear that the programme had lost its place as the nations favourite - no, only - pure gardening program.

Should children learn gardening at school?

Dawn Isaac is going to lead the way this week with a guest blog on a subject that I cannot ever make my mind up on.

Should children be taught gardening while they are still at school?

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