Summer 2017 – Horticulture News

OVER 130 EXHIBITORS CONFIRMED FOR 2017 GLAS TRADE EVENT

GLAS, the annual one-day event on July 20th, is Ireland’s main event in the trade calendar. Featuring over 130 exhibits from some of the most important suppliers in the sector showcasing the latest products and services on the market right now. This year’s event includes a newly-designed New Product New Plant Awards Showcase. The Learning Theatre will provide informative talks including seven ways to get more customers from the internet and 21st-century non-intrusive drainage solutions, as well as the results of Bord Bia’s very latest behaviour and attitudes research. The retail merchandising showcase will promote displays and promotional materials. The Irish Institute of Sports Surfaces, Sportsturf Village and Machinery Park will feature over 30 exhibitors specialising in this sector. Attendance is free to trade visitors. More at glasireland.ie

LOTS OF REASONS WHY IRISH GARDEN RETAILERS SHOULD VISIT GLEE 2017

This years’ show includes over 600 major brands and niche suppliers from across the garden, outdoor living, landscaping, home, pet and leisure sectors, 80% of whom are UK-based. Glee event director, Matthew Mein tells HC that “Glee’s location in central England is within easy reach of many garden retailers, including some of the UK’s best destination garden centres” and advises Irish businesses to “also take the opportunity to organise a field research trip to some of the UK’s leading businesses”. He goes on to say that “Irish garden retailers who spend time visiting Glee will achieve far more than they could from weeks on the phone, out on the road, or staying on the shop floor. Going to Glee really is time well spent.” Buyers visiting Glee will find the full spectrum of garden retail categories under one roof, including garden care, landscaping and garden decoration, outdoor entertaining, plants and nursery, home, gift and clothing, retail experiences, and pet. Irish buyers visiting Glee 2017 can also access a range of exclusive resources to make their visit even more effective. Every overseas buyer qualifies as a ‘VIP visitor’, and can access Glee’s hugely popular International Buyers Centre, hosted by Gardenex (The Federation of Garden and Leisure Manufacturers Ltd), which exists to facilitate business between UK exporters and international buyers. Offering internet access, free refreshments, and information on both Glee and the UK gardening and leisure market, the International Buyers Centre is a friendly and efficient business environment.
Also on offer is a two-hour session of International Buyer Connect meetings, held on the first day of Glee at the International Buyers Centre. Organised by Gardenex, the session enables international buyers to have short introductory meetings with a range of UK suppliers. HC has attended Glee for the last 12 years and has always availed of the learning opportunities provided in the seminar programme, organised this year in conjunction with the HTA which will share expert business and garden retail advice with attendees. Glee takes place from the 11–13 September at the NEC, adjacent to Birmingham airport which is within easy reach for Irish visitors. Pre-register at gleebirmingham.com ✽

LANDSCAPE PROVIDERS INVESTS IN NEW GRAB TRUCK

Set up in 2009, Landscape Providers has built a loyal customer base and have expanded into the sale of all landscaping and gardening materials. Their product range includes screened topsoil, compost, decorative pebble and stone, fencing, bark, roll-out lawn turf and a wide variety of gardening tools. They now deliver products to small and large commercial landscaping projects across Ireland. With the purchase of a new grab truck, they can now offer delivery of 20 tonne loads of screened soil to landscapers and local authorities. More at landscapeproviders.ie ✽

CROPCARE TO LAUNCH ‘NEW WAY’ WEEDSPRAY AT GLAS

‘New Way’ Weedspray is a non-selective herbicide for both amenity industrial weed and moss control. Based on naturally occurring ingredients it controls grasses, broadleaf weeds and mosses. John Killoran of distributors Cropcare tells HC “It is very fast acting producing discolouration and browning of the foliage within a few hours of treatment. It is recommended to control weed growth in amenity situations such as footpaths and pavements, parks, around trees, shrubs etc. We also recommend it for industrial areas such as railways, industrial sites and fence lines.” It is also approved for moss control on hard surfaces and is available in five-litre containers. More at cropcare.ie. GLAS STAND #L6 ✽

HORTICULTURE CONNECTED REPORTING LIVE AND LAUNCHING NEW WEBSITE AT GLAS 2017

Meet the team, drop off a news piece and collect a free copy of the latest edition of Ireland’s leading trade news magazine for you or a professional colleague. You can find out more about jobs in horticulture and our recruitment services for edible and amenity horticulture businesses on our brand new responsive and mobile friendly website horticultureconnected.ie. GLAS STAND #G18✽

INSPIRATION AND STORYTELLING COME TOGETHER AT PLANTARIUM 2017

With eight inspirational gardens and five houses of inspiration, the 35th edition of Plantarium will be a source of inspiration for visitors and exhibitors. Four garden designers from the Design Institute will use the gardens to illustrate that plants can tell a story. Each garden is connected to or designed for a famous and inspiring person and tells that person’s story.
The people who have been linked to the gardens are: Walt Disney (Fantasy); Mozart (Genius); Joop Zoetemelk (Simplicity); Salvador Dali (Unusual); Don Quixote (Struggle); Nelson Mandela (Unify); Anne Frank (Desire); and Annie M G Schmidt (Whimsical). Plantarium runs from 23 to 26 August in Boskoop. More at plantarium.nl ✽

ALCI NEWS

It’s been a busy few months for the ALCI. Three new members have recently been accepted for full membership: Paddy Dowling, KHS Landscaping, Dunsany, Co Meath; Richard Shortall, The Landscape Co, Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow and Barry Moore, Rye River Landscapes, Leixlip, Co Kildare. This brings the number of members in the ALCI Southern Region to 93.
Donnybrook Landscape Company, who is celebrating 10 years in business, has recreated Diarmuid Gavin’s 2016 Chelsea Flower Show entry, ‘Garden of Pure Imagination’ in the Pembroke District at Dundrum Town Centre, where it will be on display until September.
Entries are now open for the 2017 ALCI Landscape Awards. There are 10 categories covering private gardens, landscape maintenance, residential and commercial developments and sportsgrounds. Judging will take place in August and the judges this year are Gary Graham (Bloom show manager) and Kerrie Gardiner (Landscape Architect and Bloom show garden manager). The 2017 awards are sponsored by Bord Bia, Annaveigh Plants, Sanctuary Synthetics, Kilsaran, Mulch, N & C Enterprises and NAD.
The ALCI celebrated another great year at Bloom in the Park with members Alan Rudden, John Durston and Kevin Dennis winning gold medals for their show garden designs and Paul Dunne winning a silver medal. Alan Rudden also won the best planting award. In all, ALCI members designed and/or built nine of the 22 show gardens. For more information on the association please visit www.alci.ie ✽

GLDA UPDATE

Following another inspirational speaker’s seminar in February, the Garden & Landscape Designers Association (GLDA) has continued to evolve and expand its regular list hosted activities. Most recently, these have included a visit to Burtown House and Gardens in May, and its ongoing series of design portfolio workshops, which have attracted a new group of garden design talent interested in applying for Full Membership. Separately, a new programme of GLDA organised drawing classes for new pre-registered members is providing them with an opportunity to fine-tune their skills, with Full Members on hand to offer advice and support.
In March, chairperson Patricia Tyrrell spoke to an audience of students at Waterford IT’s Land Science Careers Day, whom the GLDA was delighted to engage with and support. In April, Full Member David Shortall and volunteer GLDA members created and built, over a number of weeks, a magical fairy themed garden for a little girl called Brooke, working with the wonderful charity Make-a-Wish Ireland. David and his design won the hearts of all those involved, especially Brooke’s. A word of thanks again to all who supported this special project, including GLDA corporate members Sanctuary Synthetics and the Landscape Depot.
On the international scene, Full Members Ingrid Swan and Michael O’Reilly were separately invited to speak at garden and landscape related conferences – Ingrid at Malmo, Sweden in March to an audience of international garden and planting designers and enthusiasts, and Michael in Kiev, Ukraine in May, where he was technical judge of the various show gardens at their International Flower Show.
Bloom 2017 certainly didn’t disappoint, with a number of GLDA members receiving awards. They were Full Member Kevin Dennis who won a gold medal, and three pre-reg members; Tünde Szentesi who won a silver gilt medal, Brian Burke who won a silver medal. Lastly, the husband and wife team Oliver & Liat Schurmann jointly won a gold medal and were also overall winners in the large garden category. For more information on the association please visit www.glda.ie ✽

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF HORTICULTURE TO HOLD ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN DUBLIN

The CIOH is the professional voice for horticulture in Ireland and the UK. The current president is Dr. Owen Doyle, head of horticulture, landscape and sports turf management at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science. With an Irish president this year they recently announced that the conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Northwood, Dublin 9. The theme is ‘Healthy Horticulture’ and the importance of horticulture in everyday life. The conference will take place during the day on Friday 13 October, followed by a gala dinner in the evening.
They have also arranged industry visits for Saturday 14 October to give delegates time for sightseeing and networking with other professional horticulturists. Over 150 delegates are expected at the event and speakers include: Helen King, Director of Insight and Innovation, Bord Bia; Dr Caroline Elliott-Kingston, Lecturer in Horticulture and Crop Physiology, University College Dublin; Dr Fiona Crispie, APC Microbiome Institute; Steven Thompson, Managing Director, Out There Services; James Simpson, Managing Director, Adrian Scripps; Tom Keogh, Managing Director, Keogh’s Farm; Caroline Keeling, Director, Keelings. More at horticulture.org.uk ✽

FANA NURSERIES EXPANDING RANGE AND INCREASING GIRTH

Once again Fana Nurseries will be bringing a selection of the wide range of trees grown at the county Cork tree nursery to Glas. Joe Ahern tells HC, “I want to get the word out to trade professionals that we are delivering our product nationwide and that with 35,000 trees in production we are one of the bigger tree nurseries in Ireland. We have been able to grow to this size due to the quality and price of the product we grow and word of mouth recommendations from our existing customers.” The company now offers sizes up to 30-35cm girth. More at fananurseries.com. GLAS STAND #J10✽

DORAN NURSERIES TO SHOWCASE THE VERSATILE RANGE OF GARDENGIRLS® AT GLAS

These heathers, also called Bud Bloomers, bud up but flowers do not open, resulting in a long colour display from late summer to winter. With their wide colour range, Gardengirls® are ideal for providing autumnal decoration, particularly in tubs, bowls, window boxes etc. together with other suitable plants. They can, of course, also be planted directly into the ground to bring instant fantastic colour to gardens. Mary Doran tells HC “They are easy to care for, requiring no feeding, just watering to keep them moist, which will appeal to a large segment of garden retailers customers”. More at irishplants.ie. GLAS STAND #H3✽

NEW PRODUCTS LAUNCHING AS NAD SUPPORTS GROWER HORTICULTURAL EDUCATION AT GLAS 2017

Apart from a number of new products such as BIO-Press, T34 Biocontrol, Nova PeKacid and Ecoplug Max stump killer, NAD will again be supporting grower horticultural education and has arranged two linked IPM education talks in the learning theatre at Glas. The speakers are Neil Helyer, IPM specialist at Fargro/NAD and Dr. Clare Sampson of Russell IPM. Both have vast experience in the horticultural industry and of IMP in particular and will be sure to provide plenty of relevant up to date information on a range of topics. Talks begin at 11 am. Pre-register at glasireland.ie/theatre. More at nad.ie. GLAS STAND #H5✽

SALTEX 2017 IS YOUR INDUSTRY – YOUR SHOW

Irish visitors to the show are on the up since the move to its new and more accessible venue at the NEC Birmingham, with returns flights from Dublin currently as low as €35. The 2017 promotion campaign boasts the fact that the exhibition is indeed “your show.” This year, the show floor will be bursting with everything a visitor needs to increase their efficiency and improve operations. More than 220 leading manufacturers and suppliers have already confirmed their attendance to showcase an extensive range of products and resources, and visitors can expect to see the industry’s newest advances and compare the full array of equipment, products and services. Learning Live, SALTEX’s world-class educational programme, guarantees to offer a wealth of new knowledge to delegates as well as boosting their CPD points. Throughout the programme over 100 industry experts and leaders will share important information that can ultimately help a visitor to further their career. SALTEX also offers visitors free advice and guidance on specific turf challenges through the IOG regional pitch advisors on hand. The event takes place on 1 and 2 November. More at iogsaltex.com ✽

‘HYDRANGEA HERITAGE’ LAUNCHES LIMITED RANGE OF RARE ORIGINALS

New to Ireland is a specialist grower of ‘old’ hydrangea varieties that have stood the test of time, some of which have survived for over a century on the west and south coast of Ireland. Promoters Geraldine and Thomas Martin tell HC that “Heritage is worth cherishing and merits a place of honour in our gardens”. Aptly named ‘Hydrangea Heritage’, the small-scale family nursery is growing plants with a good root system that will settle quickly when planted on. Their collection of rare originals counts 150 Hydrangea macrophylla varieties which have been found or created between the years of 1789 and 1940. Belgian collectors Luc Balemans and Georges Piens, who started the collection some 20 years ago, are also providing support for introducing panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata). From the 50-odd varieties at their disposal, ‘Hydrangea Heritage’ is selecting a range of early flowering varieties which they anticipate will perform well under Irish conditions. The nursery aims to produce large specimens both for the garden and for tubs and pots, and also offers to propagate extra volume of any particular variety from the collection for specific projects on demand. ‘Hydrangea Heritage’ is based in south Monaghan and welcomes pre-arranged visits to view its outstanding collection. More at facebook.com/hydrangea.ie ✽

INTERNATIONAL EXPO FOR PUBLIC SPACE PROFESSIONALS

The Expo for Public Space is the largest exhibition in Europe which focuses exclusively on all the aspects of public space. The exhibition offers an extensive insight into the latest products and services including playground and park recreation equipment, lighting, trees, plants, street furniture etc. Apart from the many experts and speakers offering advice, there will also be over 600 exhibitors showcasing their newest products and services. This unique exhibition offers literally everything for public spaces. The Expo for Public Space offers the platform to meet with your peers, to gain and share knowledge and to experience the latest developments in public space. The event takes place from 27 – 28 September in Utrecht, The Netherlands. More at openbareruimte.nl ✽

SANCTUARY SYNTHETICS INVITES TRADE TO VISIT THEIR NEW HOME AT ‘GRASSLAND’

Sanctuary Synthetics, one of the leading experts in artificial grass, has been in business for over 15 years. To celebrate this achievement they have recently opened a new state of the art display centre, making it Ireland’s largest artificial grass warehouse. Mark O’Loughlin of Sanctuary tells HC that “We wanted to create a central one-stop shop for artificial grass requirements for the landscape and design sectors. We also wanted to make it easier for our trade customers to get free samples sent directly to their clients. Not only are we offering generous trade discounts but more importantly we also offer installation training and follow-on support. The new showroom, display gardens, office and warehouse are open six days a week and are conveniently located just two minutes off the M7 motorway in Naas, Co Kildare. More at sanctuarysynthetics.ie. GLAS STAND #A1✽

YOUNG NURSERIES TO HIGHLIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS AT GLAS

Apart from an expanded range and new plant lines coming on stream for next season, visitors to the Young family’s stand at Glas this year will also have a chance to ask them about their strong environmental beliefs and practices they adhere to at their county Limerick base. They took the decision to switch to environmentally friendly practices a few years ago and have put integrated pest management (IPM) system at the heart of the business, resulting in significantly reducing chemical use by 90%. Biological controls are introduced at scheduled times during the season, using different organisms that target specific pests.
Joe Young tells HC, “We do not use any chemicals which contain neonicotinoids. Also in our range, we grow pollinator-friendly plants so we are very aware of the concerns surrounding neonicotinoids.” The nursery is wildlife friendly with bird boxes and has created specific habitats for beneficial insects and beehives. The Youngs have set themselves a tough future target and aim to be chemical free within a few years. More at youngnurseries.com. GLAS STAND #E15✽

CAMBRIDGEHOK CONTINUE TO GROW IRISH BASE OF CUSTOMERS

The UK business has a large Irish client base and can trace its beginnings back to 1955.
Noel O’Leary tells HC that they have a simple philosophy. “We work closely with our clients to achieve their end goals, exploring all possible options, whilst keeping their budget constraints in focus at all times.” This approach has stood them in good stead over the last 70 years. They have built a loyal business following among both private businesses and public institutions and have a number of major projects underway. Noel goes on to say, “We provide a complete turnkey solution for our clients, always working to bring innovation and advancements in both design and technology to all of their projects, regardless of size.” Talk to Noel and the team at stand J8. More at cambridgehok.co.uk. GLAS STAND #J8✽

GROWTH IN AMENITY AND EDIBLE HORTICULTURE IRRIGATION PROJECTS FOR IRRITEC

The Dublin based business has been busy of late with amenity projects, with installations in football, rugby and hockey pitches. Established in 1966 the family-run business operate from their its own modern two-storey HQ in Donabate, Co Dublin, which stocks a huge range of irrigation materials. Technology is becoming a bigger part of the business and the company now sells wifi and app-based irrigation controllers plus horticultural LED lighting. Irritec prides itself on its customer service. Paul Kunkels tells HC, “The vast majority of new clients arrive via referrals, which I feel is the best way to connect with new clients and it’s something we are very proud of.” Apart from on-site visits, Irritec also runs a busy trade counter for parts and advice. You can talk to the team at stand D6 at this years Glas. More at irritec.ie. GLAS STAND #D6✽

RENTES TO INTRODUCE NEW PLANTS TO RANGE AT GLAS

Fresh from the success of their recent Spring Fair, the Rentes family will present three new additions to the expansive range currently on offer. Roy Rentes told HC, “We’re delighted to bring new plant inspirations to Glas each year. We constantly gather feedback from our customers before we take on any new additions as we want to know exactly what the customers are looking for.” Based on that information, Rentes will be introducing Rosa persica ‘Persian Sun’ and R. ‘Eye to Eye’, both sister varieties to the very successful R. ‘Eye of the Tiger’ introduced in 2016.
The two roses have completely opposite growth habits but share the persica breeding in their distinctive flowers. R. ‘Eye to Eye’ is a shrub-like, spreading variety with healthy foliage and bright pink flowers with a dark centre, while R. ‘Persian Sun’ is an upright growing variety with apricot/orange flowers with a dark centre.
Other new introductions at Glas will be Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Tiffany’, a new lacecap form with pink or blue/purple (in acid soils) flowers and sturdy reddish foliage, and cultivars ‘Curly Sparkle Red’ and ‘Curly Sparkle Purple’, both with distinctly wavy foliage and frilly flowers. A compact growing variety, the flowers will colour red in alkaline and purple in acid soils. More at rentes.ie. GLAS STAND #F3✽

DUBLIN GRASS MACHINERY OFFERING MINI DEMONSTRATIONS DAYS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

They will have an expansive range of John Deere commercial groundcare machinery alongside Grillo agri-garden equipment on display at this years Glas show. Included in the display will be the new John Deere 3000 Series compact tractor and X950R rear collect diesel ride-on mower. From the Grillo range will be the 13.09 front mower alongside many other models. Robert Mitchell tells HC, “There has been a great uplift in business for us since our recent open day. Apart from events like this we really believe in arranging mini demo events for existing and potential new customers on their own job sites as seeing and testing our range is believing.” Talk to Robert and the rest of the team on stand ST24. More at dublingrass.ie. GLAS STAND #ST24✽

CANALWAY EDUCATE TOGETHER GREEN SCHOOLS COMMITTEE ADVENTURES AT BLOOM

A small group of children visited this year’s Bloom and enjoyed the postcard gardens so much that they now have big ambitions to have their own postcard garden at Bloom 2018. But for these children, the highlight of Bloom 2017 was a very special invitation from gold medal winners Oliver and Liat Schurmann to visit their ‘Transition’ garden. From the garden’s inner sanctum, Oliver explained the ideas behind the design. HC noted the appeal of the whole show to all school kids, especially the SEED garden area. ✽

O’DOWD NURSERIES NOW OFFERING GARDEN RETAILERS 480 VARIETIES OF ROSES

O’ Dowd Nurseries is a family run business, established in the central location of Moate since 1994. It is well known for its wide selection of roses, currently standing at 480 varieties of hybrid tea, floribunda and climbers. Caroline O’Dowd tells HC, “We also supply an extensive range of vegetable plants in nine packs and 10.5cm pots, as well as herbs, tomatoes, strawberries. An important seasonal part of our business is handmade holly wreaths, roses, and swags for the Christmas market.” ✽