Landscape and horticulture expert

TVG Landscaping installs its first Resin Bound surface

TVG Landscaping of Worthing has installed its first driveway using resin bound materials. Blogging about the event on the Landscape Juice Network, Stuart Marler says that it was a visit to the Hampton Court Flower show that introduced him to Resin Bound surfacing and following further research which included Resin Bonded surfaces, he decided to launch his own service.

Stuart defines the difference of the two surfaces: "The resin bound surface (there is a difference in bound and bonded - BONDED is aggregate literally scattered onto a resin layer and sometimes a final coat of resin on top - where as BOUND is where the aggregate and resin are mixed together and then trowelled down to a smooth finish. The BOUND system is more hard wearing.)"

A macro profile of a garden slug

I am dying to show you this brilliant close up photograph by LJN member Vanessa Langford of a garden slug. I don't know about you, but I feel that I can almost feel its slime by touching the screen.

I am assuming that this is a close up with a macro lens rather than a giant slug that is just about to devour Vanessa and all of her photographic equipment.

Weather forecast predicts snow and ice

Frost proof terracotta pots and hardy plants will survive but any porous planters that may not be able to defend against ice expansion, and tender plants, should be stored away because the temperatures are set to fall dramatically by this weekend.

According to Metcheck, the North, especially Scotland will see snow while the South will suffer with wintry showers.

Metcheck says not to be fooled by the mild air in the first part of this week because, as the wind turns, the temperature will fall and the wind chill increase dramatically.

Are you looking for a head greenkeeper?

If you are looking for a head greenkeeper then this could be your lucky day. I have received a CV from a senior greenkeeper who is currently employed at at a top British European tour venue.

My client is looking for a position where he can demonstrate his extensive experience and management skills.

Below is an extract from the candidates CV - personal details have been omitted to retain client confidentiality.

Who is the owner of blog comments?

Who is responsible for or who retains ownership of comments after they are left on a gardening blog?

The day has long since past when anonymity has allowed a blog owner to hide behind wild and inaccurate allegations and libellous comments and this is proving to be the case with commenter of forums and blogs too.

I am aware of legal investigations into a UK garden blog, where a comment was posted that purported to be from a certain person but this person, who I have spoken to this week, denies all knowledge and is seeking to discover the true commenter's identity.

Helmsley Walled Garden restoration grant appeal

Helmsley Walled Garden urgently needs your help if its bid to win a Peoples Big Lottery grant of £50,000 is to be successful.

If they win, they can build new Sensory and School garden for locals who may have special needs and disabilities.

The grant money would also go towards employing a Horticultural Therapist to help everyone get the most out of the Helmsley Walled Gardens and grounds.

On the Landscape Juice Network this week

Since the Landscape Juice Network started back in April we have gone from strength to strength with new members joining all the time - current count is two hundred and eighty three.

So what do we get up to? Here is this weeks newsletter highlighting a small amount of the activity since last Saturdays newsletter.

Could you benefit from the support of others or do you feel you have something thatb you could share with us?

Join the Landscape Juice Network.

Marshalls landscape hits new lows as market diminishes

Sales in domestic landscaping products fell 13 percent in figures released by Marshalls to the London Stock Exchange on November 13th 2008.

Public and commercial sector rose by 4 percent but overall group revenues declined 3.5 percent in the ten months to October 2008.

In the statement, Marshalls say that demand had deteriorated in a number of markets and weakening demand in the commercial and industrial markets with projects being delayed or cancelled.

Worryingly for landscape contractors on the Marshalls Register, forward order books for installers are at 6.4 weeks continuing a downward trend - Oct 07:9.9wks; June 08:8.2wks; Sept 08:7.5wks.

Advice on treating Vine Weevil

Claire Brown warns of the dangers of importing Vine Weevil into your garden when buying contaminated plants from garden centres.

On her Plant Passion blog, Claire says that whilst it may be November, she is still finding Vine Weevil and explains to new gardeners, who may not be familiar with the vociferous pest, that if you see a plant wither and then die and on later inspection find the roots are non existent, Vine Weevil should be considered as a likely cause.

I agree, if you buy a new plant from a nursery or garden centre and a weevil is found, inspect the rest of your plants and take back any contaminated plants.

Landscape and gardening opportunities to look out for

It is often darker before dawn as the old saying goes and as we enter the darker part of winter, with more time in the evenings to think, it is worth spending a good portion of this time planning the direction of your business for the next twelve months - have used the analogy of the economy of the last decade being built on shaky foundations and how the new era should be built on a whole new set of foundations.

Imagine an upside down pyramid of loose blocks, balancing precisely on the tip instead of a wide and stable base. Each one of the blocks are part of an economy; be it countrywide, or the economy of a single business.

Gardener wanted to tend Balmoral Castle gardens

How would you like to add 'Gardener to the Queen of England' to your CV? Well now may be your chance because Balmoral Estates, the Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth, is looking for a gardener.

The successful candidate will have a good general knowledge of amenity horticulture
and an interest in turf management The ability to work alone or as part of a team is required.

The gardens at Balmoral have been developed over the period of Royal ownership since the taking over the lease in 1848 by Queen Victoria after she and Albert fell in love with the Highlands after their first visit in 1842.

Print advertising takes another body blow as Yell declines again

Yell is clawing back some of its overall group losses writes Paid Content:UK, by posting gains in its on-line advertising division but the printed directory declined another 3.4% (or 16,000 customers).

Paid Content:UK also says that Yell are expecting another 5% decline next year.

In Europe the story is even worse after the Spanish market for Yell lost 53.9% of Internet advertisers.

Only this week it was reported that the Landscape Institute has lost a third of its advertising revenue and I wonder, despite early warnings being given of an impending decline, who in the horticulture printed and on-line space will be able to weather the storm?

Landscaper Magazine reveals its website figures

I am really not sure what is going on at the Landscaper Magazine. One minute Landscaper Jobs is on the site the next it is not. One minute the advertising block for the jobs is there and then it is not.

Now, I notice that a media pack pfd download for 2009 has appeared. In the media pack, the landscaper is stating that the site attracts 'as many as 2500' visitors a month.

I sincerely hope that there is typo here. On the contacts page, there are no fewer that eleven people listed in the Landscaper team.

Landscape Juice, Phil Voice and a one man band, gets those numbers several times every week.

Plant a tree for Viscount Ingleby

Martin Raymond Peake - 1st Viscount Ingleby - who was famous for planting 500 lime trees with plaques to commemorate dead of the two World Wars, has died.

Born in 1921 to Osbert Peake, who he went on to succeed as a peer, lost the use of the lower half of his body, after contracting polio while swimming with two soldiers of his regiment while posted with the Coldstream Guards in Egypt.

Despite his disability, Martin Peake led an extremely active life often out on his estate in a Gnat buggy which he used for mobility.

Wiggly Wigglers goes global - gets call from Michael Dell

Congratulations to Heather Gorringe and the team at Wiggly Wigglers for winning the inaugural Global Dell Small Business Excellence Award.

Heather Gorringe started Wiggly Wigglers in 1995 in a tiny village in Herefordshire.

In the first year, WW turned over just £6,000 but twelve years later (2007) that turnover had risen to 2.5 million pounds, go forward another twelve months and the business is truly global - and it is all due to harnessing of the Internet.