Landscape Juice

Making a living as a garden designer

On paper, it sounds fairly simple. Go to college and take a garden design course and then spend the rest of your life making a living selling design ideas to willing customers. The reality though, is all so different and only a lucky few get to live out the dream and an even small proportion of those lucky few will go on to greater things and perhaps even become famous: with fame brings higher fees and often greater success. For the average garden designer grinding out designs in a crowded market place competition is great and especially in today's economic... Read more →

Fears for England's forests when Defra sells land

The ancient woodlands of Kenwood House, London - designated an SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest due to being a home to 750 species of invertebrate - the pleasures of sheltered pathways dresigned Humphrey Repton, are shared by all. Yet, according to the CPRE the Energy and Climate Change Committee has 'released a report highlighting major flaws in proposed planning rules. Key among these is the proposal to dramatically weaken the Holford Rules which help to protect England’s most beautiful landscapes from new pylons and overhead lines', the CPRE said. There are many voices against the government plans. The BBC... Read more →

Growing our children's greens on the French allotment

In France, just as in Britain, more and more are turning to the vegetable patch or the 'jardin potager' hoping for a good harvest of home-grown by late Autumn. The tradition of the jardin potager transmitting know-how from one generation to the next, with the help of lunar planting calendars, is seen by some as a way to beat rising prices but others are driven by environmental and health concerns. Some enjoy the contact with the soil as an escape from the daily grind; most take pleasure and pride in counting, watching, weighing, cooking and, of course, eating what their... Read more →

Identifying Roman pottery and artefacts course at Merrist Wood

Anyone interested in gardens and landscapes will surely be interested in the history of the land they are working or gardening on? It's always fascinated me what building might have stood or what trees or plants grew there. I've also been inspired over the years by the engineering and industrial spread of the Roman Empire throughout the British Isles. The Romans were very active where I lived and a Roman road passed just 200 metres, in the field behind my house in Oakhanger and I once watched two metal detecting enthusiasts scour the area and actual find several small Roman... Read more →

Gardener required at expensive country house £5 per hour

When one of our Landscape Juice Network members posted a link to this job advert on Gumtree it brought a string of disbelieving comments from members and provided further evidence of the huge task we still face - as a profession - in educating the consumer about what is right and fair to expect to pay for gardening services. Now I know we could go in to a long debate about the range of skills a gardener may or may not have and if there is someone who is willing to work for this paltry sum then it's none of... Read more →

Bees and neonicotinoids face-off for survival

By Carol Miers Has the British Beekeeping Association (BBKA) lost credibility as a body that protects bee welfare? Apparently so, according to an open letter sent this January by British beekeeping in which the BBKA are accused not so much of accepting hush money as being paid by pesticide manufacturers including Bayer for 'the BBKA's endorsement of several insecticides as 'bee-friendly'. Top of the long list of signatories is David Bellamy and it includes Brigit Strawbridge, Patrick Holden and Rebecca Hoskins. Yet meanwhile something is re-igniting the campaign to ban neonicotinoids, an ingredient of pesticides, currently restricted in Italy, France... Read more →

Groundsman Industries sign up to Creating Landscapes

Northern Ireland based turf machinery company, Groundsman Industries, has signed up to exhibit at Creating Landscapes at Capel Manor on October 25-26 this 2011. This is especially pleasing for me because I've got first hand experience with using their kit - which I have to say, is of the highest quality and robustness. As a qualified greenkeeper, I provided through my company, extensive domestic lawn care and commercial turf maintenance services and when we acquired a the 460SDR aerator, our earning capabilities spiralled. I'm convinced that commercial turf care equipment suppliers are missing out on a great deal of business... Read more →

Who is interested in food? Foresight reports.

We see the increases in food prices and hear about crop failures whether to do with Australian flooding or Russian drought. We are told that these are pushing up prices for sugar, grain or meat. While food demand increases from China and India, food production competes with corn crops for ethanol fuel, petrol prices continue to go up and so nobody is surprised that a government backed report on Global Food and Farming Futures has called for 'urgent action to avert world hunger'. The Foresight report, published on 24 January 2011 investigated the pressures on global food supplies between now... Read more →

The costs of fuel and ways to reduce it

Crude oil prices are again threatening the $100 a barrel level. Although this is high it is still a lot less than the $150 peak of 2008. Why then are the figures at the pump going up and up beyond 2008 levels? One reason is that the British pound is now weaker against the dollar. The dollar is the currency for oil. Another reason is that the government is collecting 58.95p in tax per litre of petrol or about 63% of the total, writes Carol Miers. The effect is an increase of roughly 40% in fuel costs in three years... Read more →

Can you have a garden without plants?

Is a garden without plants still a garden? It's a question recently asked by garden designer, Sarah Naybour, on the Landscape Juice Network...the question stimulated six pages of comments as LJN members grappled with the concept. Andy thinks that if it has plants, any outdoor space has to be called a garden but if it's defined as an 'outdoor space' then it's a different matter. Shadow Jewers-Hall says: "It is possible to create beautiful outdoor spaces without plants but I do not believe that you can call them gardens. The closest I have come to a plantless garden design was... Read more →