Sustainability and wellbeing will once again take centre stage at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, taking place from 23-27 May. Restorative gardens, in particular, will be a key theme amongst the 12 show gardens announced by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at a press conference this month.

Gold medal winner Tom Massey returns to the show with The Royal Entomological Society Garden, inspired by the biodiversity of brownfield sites. Design duo Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg are also returning to Chelsea

Sustainability and wellbeing will once again take centre stage at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, taking place from 23-27 May. Restorative gardens, in particular, will be a key theme amongst the 12 show gardens announced by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at a press conference this month.

Gold medal winner Tom Massey returns to the show with The Royal Entomological Society Garden, inspired by the biodiversity of brownfield sites. Design duo Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg are also returning to Chelsea with Horatio’s Garden, a wheelchair accessible space for patients recovering from spinal injury – a garden which Professor Alistair Griffiths, RHS director of science, says is “close to his heart” following his father’s accident last year.

The Hoban Cultural Foundation: Land of Healing, Korean Mountain Light garden by Korean designer Jihae Hwang will explore the success of a rewilding project in her home country. Following the theme of biodiversity, Jilayne Rickards is back with her second Chelsea garden, The Fauna & Flora International Garden, and Mark Gregory will be using zero concrete and exploring new techniques for The Savills Garden, the sixth show garden he has designed and his 108^th garden at Chelsea as a contractor. This kitchen garden will be “almost like a chef’s table,” says Mark, and he’ll be working alongside the new sustainability manager at the RHS to create a sustainable space.

Chelsea itself will be more sustainable than ever this year. Every show garden must be relocated in some form, whether in full or in parts, and single use plastic will be banned. Greener Festival has been helping the RHS explore how to reduce the show’s carbon footprint, and the organisation will now be working towards its events being entirely peat free and as green as possible by 2025.

Outside of its events, the RHS has appointed a peat-free postdoctoral fellow to help the horticultural trade transition to sustainable growing media. A £1m co-funded, five-year project led by the charity will convene government, growers and growing media manufacturers through the Growing Media Association and horticultural product supplier Fargro to research sustainable alternatives to peat in large-scale commercial settings.

The RHS has also appointed its first senior ecologist to help boost biodiversity across UK gardens. Gemma Golding will be designing and leading ecological surveys across the gardening charity’s five gardens, establishing baseline data on wildlife and developing recommendations to increase biodiversity in domestic spaces

Next year’s Chelsea will be the first for new RHS director general Clare Matterson. As one of her first initiatives, Clare has announced a Children’s Picnic will take place at the spring event to help make the RHS more accessible and welcoming. In its first year, one hundred children will attend the picnic from schools in some of the most disadvantaged areas of London.

Several show gardens this year will also once again be supported by Project Giving Back. Seven charities have been selected for show gardens to be funded and raise awareness of their cause.

There are undoubtedly more announcements to follow of what else we can expect at Chelsea next year, but the biggest message coming across from the gardens so far is that the RHS is eager to have a wider impact and to steer conversations towards gardening and gardens being recognised for their vast benefits.

The full list of show gardens announced for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 so far:

Centre for Mental Health’s The Balance Garden Designers: Jonathan Davies and Steve Williams (Wild City Studio) Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Centre for Mental Health Contractor: Stewart Landscape Ltd.

The RBC Brewin Dolphin Garden Designer: Paul Hervey-Brookes Sponsor: RBC Brewin Dolphin Contractor: GK Wilson

The Centrepoint Garden Designer: Cleve West Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Centrepoint Contractor: Crocus Ltd.

The Fauna & Flora International Garden Designer: Jilayne Rickards Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Fauna & Flora International Contractor: Living Landscapes

Hoban Cultural Foundation: Land of Healing, Korean Mountain Light Designer: Jihae Hwang Sponsor: Hoban Cultural Foundation Contractor: The Landscape Tailor

Myeloma UK Garden Designer: Chris Beardshaw Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Myeloma UK Contractor: Cultura

The Nurture Landscapes Designer: Sarah Price Sponsor: Nurture Landscapes Contractor: Crocus Ltd

Horatio’s Garden Designers: Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Horatio’s Garden Contractor: Ryan Alexander Associates

The Royal Entomological Society Garden Designer: Tom Massey Sponsor: Project Giving Back/The Royal Entomological Society Contractor: Landscape Associates

Samaritans’ Listening Garden Designer: Darren Hawkes Sponsor: Project Giving Back/Samaritans Contractor: Landform Consultants Ltd.

The Savills Garden Designer: Mark Gregory Sponsor: Savills Contractor: Landform Consultants Ltd.

Transcendence Designers: Gavin McWilliam and Andrew Wilson Sponsor: Darwin Alternative Investment Management Ltd. Contractor: The Outdoor Room

Wessex region has welcomed Swindon Council’s green light for 113 new homes on land in South Marston on the edge of Swindon.

Planning approval was given for the Catsbrain Farm site at a meeting of the Council’s planning committee on Tuesday 11^th October. The development will include a mixture of semi-detached, terraced and detached homes, which vary from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom dwellings.

The six apartments will be located above a new retail store and close to

Wessex region has welcomed Swindon Council’s green light for 113 new homes on land in South Marston on the edge of Swindon.

Planning approval was given for the Catsbrain Farm site at a meeting of the Council’s planning committee on Tuesday 11^th October. The development will include a mixture of semi-detached, terraced and detached homes, which vary from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom dwellings.

The six apartments will be located above a new retail store and close to the proposed access point on Kingsdown Road on the southern side of the site. This access to the development will be via a newly constructed junction, while a number of pedestrian routes will also be provided. The site will be circled by a footpath and greenery, with an area of green open space, including a flood attenuation pond.

A new play area and numerous ecological measures such as the provision of a minimum of 75 bird boxes will also feature at the development. As part of the scheme, Persimmon will build and transfer 34 dwellings to a local housing association partner.

Welcoming the planning approval, Persimmon managing director for Wessex, Julian Roper said “This is fantastic news and I want to thank Swindon Borough Council for approving our planning application. Persimmon is committed to building the best value homes on the market in sustainable and inclusive communities such as South Marston, which will contribute to the future prosperity of the area.

“We are pleased this site will deliver a range of homes designed for families and first-time buyers who otherwise might struggle to get onto the housing ladder locally in Swindon. Our plans will also provide significant community benefit for local people including new jobs, road and active travel infrastructure, ecology schemes, play area and green open space.

“This development wouldn’t have been possible without the positive engagement of officials, elected members and the local community, and of course the diligent work of Persimmon’s land and planning team who’ve worked tirelessly to deliver a scheme that will benefit Swindon.”

Sparsholt College Group hosted its first ever Employer Thank You Event on campus to celebrate local employers from a variety of different industries who support our students with apprenticeships and work placements.

Location Landscapes have said: “Location Landscapes are delighted to have been awarded the inaugural ‘Apprentice Employer of the Year’ award at the very first ‘Employer Thank You Event’ at Sparsholt College.  We have run an apprenticeship scheme for the last 8 years, during which

Sparsholt College Group hosted its first ever Employer Thank You Event on campus to celebrate local employers from a variety of different industries who support our students with apprenticeships and work placements.

Location Landscapes have said: “Location Landscapes are delighted to have been awarded the inaugural ‘Apprentice Employer of the Year’ award at the very first ‘Employer Thank You Event’ at Sparsholt College.  We have run an apprenticeship scheme for the last 8 years, during which we have nurtured the next generation of some very talented young horticulturists.  We are incredibly grateful to have had our commitment to education recognised, and the support we receive from Sparsholt College has never waivered.  The high educational standards which the college consistently supply is unfathomable, and for that we are eternally grateful to Sparsholt.

“The award was presented to Tracey Harding and Sam Day of Location Landscapes by Tom Heap from Countryfile, pictured here alongside Rob Humby, Leader of Hampshire County Council and Helen Mitchell, Apprenticeship Manager at Sparsholt College.”

Full list of recipients can be found here

Arbor Forest Products – a UK’s independent timber importer and processor – has put sustainability at the heart of its new fleet of lorries, highlighting both the company’s drive for greener thinking as well as its ambition to help customers meet ever-increasing environmental targets. Arbor’s commitment has also been recognised at this year’s coveted Timber Trades Journal Awards – an annual celebration of the best in the industry. The company has been nominated for an Environmental Achievement

Arbor Forest Products – a UK’s independent timber importer and processor – has put sustainability at the heart of its new fleet of lorries, highlighting both the company’s drive for greener thinking as well as its ambition to help customers meet ever-increasing environmental targets. Arbor’s commitment has also been recognised at this year’s coveted Timber Trades Journal Awards – an annual celebration of the best in the industry. The company has been nominated for an Environmental Achievement Award, a category that acknowledges excellence in the field of sustainable practice.

Driving down emissions: 4,090 road miles reduction

Successfully in business for over 70 years, Arbor supplies over 500,000m³ of quality timber to the building, DIY and construction trades every year from its 90-acre site in New Holland (North Lincolnshire). It is the largest dedicated timber terminal and processing facility in the UK. With 100s of orders to process every day, and large-scale logistic challenges a mainstay of the industry, Arbor has continued to look for greener solutions that optimise fleet utilisation, reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiency levels, and replace existing manual processes.

One of the results has been the creation of ‘Warehouse on Wheels’, a one-stop shop concept that delivers products at the right place and time, and in the precise volumes required. By providing mixed product deliveries nationwide (removing the need to use separate suppliers), Arbor is using fewer vehicles on the roads, making fewer deliveries and reducing its carbon footprint. In addition, transport planning is automated through routing and scheduling software, further maximising efficiencies and vehicle fill rates. Moreover, since launching, Warehouse on Wheels has helped Arbor to:

Experience counts: 70 years of doing the right thing

With fresh panel designs, Arbor’s new-look lorry fleet is also ready to take the Warehouse on Wheels concept to the next level and help the company’s customers enhance their own green credentials. According to one report*, this will be important over the coming years as industries such as the timber sector strive to meet ever-increasing sustainability targets, meaning that innovative thinking will be needed to reduce environmental impacts across the supply chain.

With this in mind, Arbor uses its 70 years’ experience to play an active part in the Timber Trade Federation and was one of the first companies in the UK to achieve full-chain of custody certification for both FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) FSC-CO13579 and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). This dedication to quality, service and new ideas led to the creation of Warehouse on Wheels and Arbor will be hoping that success at the TTJ Awards is the perfect recognition of its continued drive for sustainability.

Meeting future demand

Arbor’s logistics manager, David Garbutt says: “We’re incredibly proud of our Warehouse on Wheels concept, as it allows us to fulfil orders in a single delivery. This is not only great news for our customers, but better for the planet. It’s a win-win situation. Our ability to generate precise transport plans means we can maximise our resources while maintaining our delivery promise. We’re also using data to achieve more accurate, environmentally beneficial route optimisations, so we’re expecting to see Warehouse on Wheels improve further in the future.”

Arbor’s operations director, Phil Yell, adds: “Sustainability is an ever-growing concern for businesses, so it’s essential that organisations such as ours proactively drive forward greener practices. The bottom line is that we genuinely care, so this governs how we act and the way we help our customers meet stringent environmental legislation. By increasing our in-house transport capabilities, we now have visibility over a wide range of KPIs helping us to reduce mileage and improve fleet utilisation, while always delivering on our service commitment to customers.”

*For further information, please visit: constructionmanagement.co.uk/timber-targets-a-green-industrial-revolution/

Rachel Platt won the People’s Choice Award at RHS Tatton Park for her first show garden. She talks of her experience of the awards, the challenges she faced and her next steps.

She might not have picked up the title of RHS Young Designer of the Year, but you could argue Rachel Platt was the real winner at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. The budding designer scooped a trio of awards, including the highly coveted People’s Choice Award. Her garden – The Covid Recovery

Rachel Platt won the People’s Choice Award at RHS Tatton Park for her first show garden. She talks of her experience of the awards, the challenges she faced and her next steps.

She might not have picked up the title of RHS Young Designer of the Year, but you could argue Rachel Platt was the real winner at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. The budding designer scooped a trio of awards, including the highly coveted People’s Choice Award. Her garden – The Covid Recovery Garden – also collected the Best Construction Award and a Silver-Gilt Medal.

Rachel found the whole experience “surreal”. “It was so quick; I can’t process it properly, if that makes sense, but I am really pleased with everything.” The awards have also helped Rachel with clients for her own garden design practice in Marlow, as they now trust her a lot more which she says is “fantastic”.

The focus of her Young Designer garden was influenced by Rachels’ own experience with long COVID. She wanted to create this garden while COVID was still on people’s minds and for her garden to start conversations, with her discussing symptoms and other people’s experiences while at the event. With the vaccines and other issues now taking over the news, Rachel’s garden opened up a path of conversations which some people may not have been able to have previously.

Once of the biggest challenges Rachel faced when creating the garden was plant quality, “particularly when the garden was being constructed and during judging as it was 38⁰”. As a result of the heatwave, many plants were turning up damaged, and even those which arrived in good condition were quickly wilting amidst rising temperatures.

Much like the plants, those working at the event were struggling in the heat as well. In order to overcome this Rachel and her team took frequent breaks to cool down. Despite the heat, Rachel and her team pulled through; working together and understanding limitations helped them complete their garden to the best of their ability.

Rachel and her team’s hard work clearly paid off with the success of the three awards. Her dream is to eventually be at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, but for now she is focusing on her trade stand for Caledonian Stone at this year’s FutureScape in November, as well as local projects in Marlow.

Rachel Platt Garden Design is a professional garden design company, covering Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. They specialise in creating completely bespoke, luxury designs tailored to individual requirements, for residential gardens of all shapes and sizes. To book a consultation with Rachel Platt, call 07990 781185. Visit: www.rpgardendesign.com for more details.

Representatives from a number of associations have agreed to sign a charter, with the intention of putting together guidance notes for implementing best practice or policies that can be aligned.

The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter for the Horticulture, Arboriculture, Landscaping & Garden Media profession came about after BALI’s Access All Areas webinar last December. Associations and organisations including the LI, RHS, SGD and APL have all pledged their allegiance to the charter, which can

Representatives from a number of associations have agreed to sign a charter, with the intention of putting together guidance notes for implementing best practice or policies that can be aligned.

The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter for the Horticulture, Arboriculture, Landscaping & Garden Media profession came about after BALI’s Access All Areas webinar last December. Associations and organisations including the LI, RHS, SGD and APL have all pledged their allegiance to the charter, which can be amended and added to over time. Other member organisations are also welcome to sign, though businesses and individuals are currently not being asked to do so.

Signatories will be confirming their commitment “to progress the breaking down of barriers in the industry and increasing access and progression for all” and “to work openly and respectfully with other chartered members”.

What is in the charter?

Those committed to signing the charter:

The latest Green-tech product catalogue has landed and is now available in print version or for download from their website www.green-tech.co.uk. The 2023 issue is packed full of product solutions for landscape & forestry contractors, architects, and garden designers across the UK.

This Green-tech catalogue contains over 10,000 products for tree planting in rural and urban environments, green roof construction, grounds maintenance and erosion control: in addition to soils, barks, grass seed, wildflower

The latest Green-tech product catalogue has landed and is now available in print version or for download from their website www.green-tech.co.uk. The 2023 issue is packed full of product solutions for landscape & forestry contractors, architects, and garden designers across the UK.

This Green-tech catalogue contains over 10,000 products for tree planting in rural and urban environments, green roof construction, grounds maintenance and erosion control: in addition to soils, barks, grass seed, wildflower seed and conservation products.

Green-tech’s Managing Director, Kris Nellist commented, “The latest product catalogue is our most comprehensive yet, crammed with thousands of tried and tested forestry and landscaping products. The team has spent the last two years researching the latest developments in the marketplace and working with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure our offering is up-to-date and reflective of our ever-changing environment. Plus, we have listened to our customers, maintaining stock levels, and ensuring Green-tech lives up to its one-stop-shop reputation.’’

The catalogue features several new product lines. These include the Tubex Nature Biodegradable Tree Shelter, manufactured using a bio-based blend of sugarcane, corn, and starch. A range of forestry fertilisers – branded NUE-TREE FERTS, offering a complete nutritional package of products for forestry and woodland schemes. Finally, the NexGen Tree Shelter range, made from British wool, ethically sourced cashew nutshell liquid and an innovative, biodegradable, custom polymer.

Other additions to the Green-tech range include the brand leading Rainbird Irrigation Systems, Soluform Soil Filled Bagwork used for the construction of riverbanks, slopes and walls and a new Bioretention Soil that assists with permeability rates in urban drainage situations. Green-tech has seen a lot of changes over the past twelve months, with climate and social impact driving decision making and a greater need for sustainable solutions is now high on the agenda.

For your copy of the 2023 catalogue head to www.green-tech.co.uk and download it or for a printed version email the team at marketing@green-tech.co.uk.

Borough of Broxbourne and Hertfordshire County Council, together with their development partner Sovereign Peveril, a joint venture between Sovereign Centros and Peveril Securities, have submitted planning for the £500m Brookfield Riverside development, part of the wider Brookfield masterplan, at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

Seen as a significant future economic generator for the region, the new town centre and garden village will deliver the 1 million sq ft mixed use town centre development

Borough of Broxbourne and Hertfordshire County Council, together with their development partner Sovereign Peveril, a joint venture between Sovereign Centros and Peveril Securities, have submitted planning for the £500m Brookfield Riverside development, part of the wider Brookfield masterplan, at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

Seen as a significant future economic generator for the region, the new town centre and garden village will deliver the 1 million sq ft mixed use town centre development and 1,500 residential dwellings within a comprehensive and green Brookfield masterplan.

Brookfield Riverside, the new “out of town” town centre, will be a major mixed use sustainable destination with retail, leisure, food and beverage, hotel, civic uses, workspace, assisted living, mixed residential and parking for 2,000 vehicles. The adjacent Brookfield Garden Village has 1,250 new homes, a primary school, neighbourhood centre and other council facilities needed in the area.

One of the last areas in the UK to support a project of this size and concept, it is extremely well-located just north of junction 25 on the M25 London Orbital Motorway and alongside the A10. The New River, which was built in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water and flows through the site, will form a focal point of attraction for the leisure and restaurant elements.

The development will see improved road and junction infrastructure, together with new cycling and pedestrian links to connect to Cheshunt.

The new town centre meets all the requirements of the Local Plan to maximise street level activity and the night time economy; create a defined character of design and landmark buildings; public spaces focused on the New River frontages; car parking to meet need; exceptional public realm with extensive planting and landscaping; integration with the existing retail park, M&S and Tesco stores; and a scale and mix to create vitality and viability.

Councillor Lewis Cocking, leader of Borough of Broxbourne said: This development will be transformational for the Borough and will bring significant social and economic benefits to local people. I am delighted that the project has reached this crucial stage.

“The developments will create much-needed housing and affordable homes, a variety of leisure and retail facilities, including a new cinema and up to 2,000 permanent new jobs.  This will not only be good for the local economy, but will also have environmental benefits;  the new town centre will be fully integrated with the public transport, cycling and walking networks and local people will no longer have to travel outside of the area for their shopping and leisure needs.

“I am delighted that the objectives set out in our Local Plan are taking shape within the planning applications after nearly two decades of hard work and commitment from all at the Borough of Broxbourne.”

Richard Roberts, leader of Hertfordshire County Council and chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “Brookfield Riverside and Garden Village are incredibly innovative and important projects. They demonstrate our commitment to ensuring Hertfordshire remains a wonderful place for families to live, work and learn.

“We are committed to making sure that our county is home to well-designed, sustainable and thriving communities, and the Brookfield developments are excellent examples of how collaborative working can bring new places forward to make our residents’ lives even better.”

The submission follows the recently granted planning consent for Blackstone and Hudson’s £700m Sunset Film Studios development on a 91-acre site to the south of Brookfield Riverside.

Architects for the development are Lyons Sleeman Hoare.

On 14 October 2022 Brent Council and Lin Kam Art will present The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship (2022), a groundbreaking public artwork for Gladstone Park designed by the London-based artist Harun Morrison and horticulturalist Antonia Couling.

This is the first time in the UK’s history that a public artwork of this kind has been used to acknowledge the contested history of

On 14 October 2022 Brent Council and Lin Kam Art will present The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship (2022), a groundbreaking public artwork for Gladstone Park designed by the London-based artist Harun Morrison and horticulturalist Antonia Couling.

This is the first time in the UK’s history that a public artwork of this kind has been used to acknowledge the contested history of a green space. The permanent artwork will be unveiled on 14 October to coincide with Black History Month in October.

Titled The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship (2022), this horticultural installation brings together a variety of plant species, native to Britain, the Mediterranean and Africa, across three shapes: the Akan symbol for a Double Drum, a ship and an anchor to evoke themes of Black migration, belonging, communication, music and collective renewal. Plant species have been carefully selected to make sure they were suited to the local ecology.

Gladstone Park is named after former Prime Minister Sir William Gladstone whose family owned plantations in the Caribbean and received the largest of all compensation payments made by the Slave Compensation Commission. The name was identified for review as part of the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm that launched in 2020 to review statues, street names and landmarks to ensure they reflect London’s rich and diverse history and represent all Londoners.

The London Borough of Brent is one of the most diverse in the UK, with the seventh biggest Black community in London. Brent Council has taken an approach to develop a public art commission with the community which explores the transatlantic slave trade whilst creating a space to reflect, celebrate and amplify hidden histories and Black leaders who have had an influence on Brent. The Anchor, The Drum, The Ship (2022) is the first intervention to be installed in the park. A permanent history trail detailing the history of the park and the Gladstone family involvement in the transatlantic slave trade will follow later in the month.

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces that it has been appointed as the sole contractor to both the SCAPE Civil Engineering framework, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the SCAPE Scotland Civil Engineering framework, covering the entirety of Scotland.  The frameworks are worth up to £3.25 billion and £750 million, respectively.

Both frameworks – which enable local authorities and other public sector bodies to commission works through a procurement

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces that it has been appointed as the sole contractor to both the SCAPE Civil Engineering framework, covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the SCAPE Scotland Civil Engineering framework, covering the entirety of Scotland.  The frameworks are worth up to £3.25 billion and £750 million, respectively.

Both frameworks – which enable local authorities and other public sector bodies to commission works through a procurement process that provides a quick route to market – cover a period of four years, with an option for a two year extension.

Balfour Beatty will continue to work with UK local authorities, government agencies and other public sector bodies to deliver projects across multiple sectors including local highways, public realm, defence and marine, with the first schemes expected to be awarded from early 2023.

Utilising early contractor engagement, Balfour Beatty will ensure that the best value design solutions are in place, driving efficiencies and helping to transform local communities and support both regional and national economic growth.

Balfour Beatty was first appointed to the original SCAPE National Civil Engineering and Infrastructure framework in 2015 and since then has delivered or is delivering over 285 projects for 96 public sector customers, worth a combined value of over £3 billion across the UK.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “Our unique end-to-end Group capabilities position us perfectly to deliver the wide variety of public sector projects that are expected to come to market in the coming years.

“With a long-standing history of successful delivery through the SCAPE Group frameworks, we now look forward to continuing on this positive trajectory; working with our customers to drive forward innovative, suinfrastructure stainable projects across the length and breadth of the UK.”