Has the HTA failed the landscape and garden industry over hosepipe bans?

The Horticulture Trades Association HTA has, somewhat triumphantly, claimed its lobbying has led to success for the nation's gardeners by having drip irrigation omitted from any blanket hosepipe bans - current status from the Environment Agency - as they come into place next month.

Speaking for the HTA, Tim Briercliffe, director of business development, Said: “We are delighted that Thames, Anglian and South East Water have taken on board the garden industry’s concerns by allowing drip irrigation to be exempt from the restrictions. This is subject to confirmation following the consultation period on the water companies’ plans. This is a great win for gardeners and the industry and is a massive step forward from the position in 2006 where blanket hosepipe bans had a huge and costly impact on both. This is a significant result and follows several years of lobbying and relationship building with water companies.”

I'd like to know if anyone from the HTA had ever laid a thousand square metres of turf or planted thousands of new shrubs and perenniels and then tried to supply all of the plants with drip irrigation? Forget the cost, the logistics alone makes drip irrigation on a commercial scale, for landscapers, impossible. What planet are the HTA on?

Briercliffe continued: "This is a great win for gardeners and the industry and is a massive step forward from the position in 2006 where blanket hosepipe bans".

Err, no it isn't! It's taken six years to reach an agreement that is as about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

Anyone who has experience in turf laying - and I would have hoped after 113 years that someone at the HTA does - then they'd know that water has to be applied immediately after the turf is laid otherwise there will be immediate shrinkage and curling of the edges, with the likelihood that much of the turf will not root to the soil: the irony is, if turf dries out too much it the has to be saturated to save it from complete failure.

What the landscape and horticulture industry needs to do is ram home to the government and the water companies that by regulating, and not banning, our industry in the wise use of water is good for the economy and good for the environment.

A 5p tax on plants or a metre of turf could go along way to providing literature and advertising to educate gardeners on the wise use of water.

Related article: Could your business withstand a hosepipe ban?

Comments

[Tara Dillard]

Same issue has changed our trade groups. Educating officials about the $$$$$ horticulture & collateral trades provide the state.

Who knew gardening had to go political? But it's kept the water running. With restrictions of course.

A win-win.

Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

[Phil Voice]

Thanks for commenting Tara

Let's hope the British government sees it that way too.

We are writing an open letter to the water companies through the Landscape Juice network.

[Malcolm Clark]

What I find annoying with the hosepipe ban imposed by Thames water, is that some industries are still allowed to use hose pipes (window cleaning and car valeting) and, although I don't want any industry to suffer, surely it is easier to wash windows and cars with buckets and cloths than it is to establish lawns with a watering can!
Worse still, lorries buses and trains can be washed with hosepipes, even though it is hardly important to have a clean vehicle to transport goods, or even people!
Landscapers and work hard to improve the environment, and lawns and beds help prevent the run off of water to drains (something the water companies have been advocating for years)
Yes we do need the preserve water, but lets have dirty lorries and buses before we put environmentally friendly businesses in jeopardy!

Malcolm Clark

[Paul Baker]

Yet another pointless attack Phil, the people at the hta have worked hard lobbying the government, and to get water companies to allow drip irrigation is a great achievement. Who else has made such effort and succeeded?

I know for a fact many members of the HTA have a vast knowledge in horticulture, from landscapers to growers. So maybe facts should be checked before publishing.

[Phil Voice]

Thanks for commenting Paul.

You've not considered the points I've made.

As a landscaper, are you happy that it's taken six years for the HTA to claim success for getting a drip irrigation concession for some areas of the country?

It's important that we now have the opportunity to lobby the water companies openly rather than rely on what the HTA tell us.

[Paul Baker]

Much more than just the drip feed allowance has happened in the last 6 years, removal of the blanket ban for example. The HTA and the TGA have been working closely and due to their hard work they have successfully got this 28 day relief period for newly laid turf. Have LJN approached every water company directly as well as asking its members to approach them as well?

The HTA and APL have been very informative. Telling it's members what the rules are and where they apply to. Emails have been sent to members with a template to send to their local water authority. The tweet might not have been sent in time with the release of the emails and to be honest with you I think that's irrelivent.