Landscape Juice

Where is Harry Dodson buried?

The star of the Victorian Kitchen Garden, Harry Dodson is to be buried in Blackmoor church yard. Some twelve years after he died, aged 85, Harry is effectively coming home to Blackmoor after living there as a child. Harry is famous for his role as the head gardener at Chilton Foliat where the BBCs Peter Thoday followed his progress throughout the year cultivating vegetables, fruit and flowers in an old walled garden, just like the Victorians would have done to provide for the gentry in the big house. Sadly, after he died, Harry Dodson's ashes remained with the undertaker but... Read more →

Gardeners' World revamp a recipe for disaster?

What's the gardening equivalent of a soggy bottom? Gardener's wilt, perhaps? As the garden world gets ready for another Gardeners' World makeover, I'm wondering if it's really possible to replicate a cooking format on a gardening show? The biggest problem I can see is that gardening cannot be rushed.....and telly audiences like a bit of action and excitement. Yes, of course, one can do a garden makeover in a weekend and that makes for interesting telly. It's thrilling to see how a landscape can be so dramatically changed in such a short space of time. But watching grass grow can... Read more →

Thames Central Open Spaces mount legal challenge to Garden Bridge

Thames Central Open Spaces TCOS is "fighting the wasteful and unnecessary £175m Garden Bridge construction across the River Thames in central London: one of the busiest and richest part of the city if not the UK. It's part funded by the taxpayer and will be privately owned and managed with no public right of way." TCSO has set up a fund raiser to mount a legal challenge in order to stop the construction of the Garden Bridge. They have so far raised £17,210.23 (75%) of the proposed £24,000 target. Read more →

Insight into the work of the gardeners and stonemasons of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission care for cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations, in 154 countries. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission owes its existence to the vision and determination of one man - Sir Fabian Ware. Neither a soldier nor a politician, Ware was nevertheless well placed to respond to the public's reaction to the enormous losses in the war. At 45 he was too old to fight but he became the commander of a mobile unit of the British Red Cross. Saddened by the sheer number of casualties, he felt driven to find a way to ensure the final... Read more →

Institute of Horticulture slips back into Edwardian England

I got an email from a colleague this week in which he commented on the Institute of Horticulture's (IOH) recent ascendancy into Chartered status. 'Have we slipped back to Edwardian England!' he quipped. I'd briefly read the IOH press release but got bogged down quite quickly. There was much name dropping with Marchioness such and such, Lady this, Chief Whip, Honorary Secretary. And of course the Queen, who bestowed this magnificent honour. Indeed the language used is far removed from the horticulture world myself and many of my professional colleagues can possibly relate to. I have to agree that raising... Read more →

Dartmoor rehabilitating prisoners through gardening

Prison life is changing. Rather than harsh correctional penalties, prisons are now adopting greener methods in order to turn offenders around. The Telegraph highlights how horticulture rather punishment, is helping to rehabilitate prisoners. With the help of the Eden Project, a stark area of grey granite and tarmac in the confines of Dartmoor prison was transformed into a garden. The project started in 2006 but now the gardens are established and play a key part in the transition of turning an inmate from an offender to someone ready for life outside of the prison. Read more →

English Heritage adds fuel to the cheap labour debate

English Heritage were at the centre of a frenzied debate last night after the organisation advertised for a gardener at one of its properties, Brodsworth Hall, with a salary of just £12,704 a year. It is another embarrassing indictment of our industry, especially as the row erupted on the day the Horticulture Matters report was handed to Parliament. The ideal candidate is preferred to possess "a relevant level 2 or 3 qualification in addition to several years experience" and "be familiar with a wide range of horticultural machinery and hand tools and would ideally possess some industry recognised qualifications for... Read more →

Richard Barley the new director of Kew Horticulture

Kew Gardens has a new director or horticulture. Richard Barley is a qualified horticulturist and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Open Gardens Australia, responsible for the leadership, direction and management of a national organisation with the mission of promoting the benefits and enjoyment of horticulture and gardens across Australia. Prior to this, Richard was Director of Melbourne Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. In this role, Richard led the successful development of the Gardens for ten years, developing a deep understanding of the need to balance a world-class horticultural visitor experience with maintaining and caring for an important... Read more →

Jez Stamp is the Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year 2013

Jez Stamp, currently working with the BBC Gardeners’ World production team, has won the Institute of Horticulture 2013 Young Horticulturist of the Year competition (YHoY) at the Grand Final, held at the Liverpool University Ness Botanic Gardens on Saturday 13 April. Jez wins the £2000 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society. After the competition, Jez said ‘It was an excellent competition that highlights all the exciting opportunities that horticulture has to offer as a career. Plants are my passion. I have thrown myself in 100% and am proud to have won this competition. My travel bursary... Read more →

LANTRA hold National Occupational Standards review consultation

Professionals with a keen involvement in the horticulture industry are being asked to complete an online survey as part of the industry’s job skills National Occupational Standards (NOS) review. From 30 January to 24 February 2012, Lantra will run a UK-wide online consultation to find out more details about the activities carried out by workers in the industry. NOS are a collection of job roles and tasks that describe what someone needs to do, know and understand to do a specific job competently. David Winn, Lantra’s Horticulture Manager said: “The Standards form the foundation of future horticulture qualifications, so by... Read more →