Plants
Fewer but sweeter British apples in 2023
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, apple harvest volumes are smaller, but the fruit is sweeter in taste.
Worth a read
The value of our natural capital
Comprehensive new report on the economic, environmental and social value of plants based on extensive consumer behaviour research.
Plants
New “super” apple of the future
Andreas Peil, Group Leader Pome Fruit Breeding at the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI), has bred the new PIA41 in Dresden, Germany.
Business
Garden design on Paris catwalk
Delicate meadow runway designed by Luciano Giubbilei for the Hermès Spring/Summer 2024 show at Paris Fashion Week.
Environment
Climate change parterre redesign at Wimpole
Award-winning design team to redesign historic parterre at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire to ensure sustainable and climate-resilient future.
Environment
Senseless vandalism of the worst kind
Iconic Sycamore Gap tree, which stood for 300 years alongside Hadrian’s Wall, was discovered cut down this morning.
Worth a read
UK wildlife continues to decline
Not unlike other countries, we have experienced significant loss of biodiversity but the UK is now classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries.
Product Launch
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Boucle’
Bred in Poland, the new miscanthus has unique, crimped inflorescences of intense crimson colour.
Charity
The Serge Hill Project
Impressive new educational resource centre, with extensive Plant Library to teach schools, charities and voluntary groups about gardening, creativity and health.
Worth a read
UK faces tree shortage
In her column Digging Deeper, Sally Nex warns gardeners of years of tree shortages due to soaring demand.
Careers
Government gives £1 million boost to Forestry skills training
Funding has been extended to cover new courses in arboriculture, which cover the care, management and safety of amenity trees.
Product Launch
New resistant horse chestnut cultivar
Van den Berk launched Aesculus hippocastanum Treevolution ‘Cyrilles Clean’ PBR which is reportedly virtually resistant to the chestnut leaf-miner moth.
Worth a read
Gardens on the London Underground
Transport for London (TfL) staff create pocket gardens in unused parts of London tube stations for their annual In Bloom competition.
On Instagram
Arboreal eye candy
Clive Nichols has been set loose in the New Wood tree nursery in the rolling hills of South Hams in Devon.
Worth watching
Chelsea Designers on creating sustainable legacy
Once upon a time, show gardens ended up in the skip but today’s no-waste show gardens must have an afterlife to benefit people & environment.
Gardens
New housing plans could harm RHS Wisley
Proposed housing development on the doorstep of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) garden could harm heritage assets and plants on the site say the RHS.
Product Launch
Knoll Gardens launches new Panicum
Panicum ‘Merlot’, like many a fine wine of the same name, has been some years in the making.
On Instagram
A peek in the Sissingurst Delos garden
Instagram eye candy, courtesy of horticulturist Andrea Brunsdorf on her recent visit.
Environment
Green light for Andy Sturgeon at Canada Water
The new masterplan scheme South-east London brings the capital a workspace hub with new places to eat, drink and relax at the Dock’s water’s edge, surrounded by 130 acres of open green space.
Plants
International award winning lawn art
Tim Sanken of the USA wins the 2023 Allett lawn stripes competition. The 2022 competition was won by Edward Aitken of Cornbury House (pictured).
