Having recently been awarded an MBE for his contributions to landscape architecture, garden design, and heritage, Andrew Wilson speaks to HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby about what this means to him personally, but also what it means for the industry.

He talks about his teaching career and how, as director of garden design studies at London College of Garden Design, he is seeing more students come in from other professions and is curious about what’s causing them to deflect from their initial interest in horticulture. He also touches upon the mergers and closures of horticulture colleges and whether it is a trend likely to continue.

As a former RHS judge, Wilson says he often gets asked for his advice on whether show gardens are good things. With his garden designer hat on, he says they are, especially for nurturing students. He says:

"Andy Sturgeon probably wouldn't be where he is today, or Tom Stuart-Smith, without the Chelsea gardens that they have produced. So from my student-nurturing point of view, they’re undeniably a good thing.”

Wilson also talks about his concern around sustainable gardens all looking similar: “I am totally supportive of gardens with sustainability running through everything. But it can potentially produce similar results in terms of where materials come from, how materials are used, and how our planting works.”

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Set up as an independent charity in 1992, The Parks Trust was granted 999-year leases for 4,500 acres of green space land in Milton Keynes, and an endowment in the form of freehold ownership of income-generating commercial properties valued at £22 million. Deputy chief executive of The Parks Trust, Hannah Bodley explains the benefits of this model. 

Head of operations and forestry at The Parks Trust, Frank Gill, talks about how climate change is affecting Milton Keynes, with issues such as flooding and the rise in pests and diseases, and how they are managing these.

Gill also reveals that litter is one of the biggest challenges, with the team removing over 100 tonnes from the parks every year. Bodley adds that caring for green spaces with multiple users – including livestock – can come with its difficulties. 

And with Milton Keynes set to grow, Bodley explains how The Parks Trust plans to grow with it.

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HortWeek's podcast about peat-free standards was recorded at the Garden Press Event with Evergreen Garden Care, Durston's, Westland, Melcourt, Southern Trident, Responsible Sourcing Scheme, Growing Media Association and Treasure.

Speakers in order are:

1: 20 - Simon Blackhurst with Durston's, Treasure Gardening and the Growing Media Association

5: 03 - Colin Stephens of Evergreen Garden Care

10: 15 - Stuart Staples of Westland

13: 35 - Catherine Dawson of Melcourt Industries

14: 10 - Steve Harper of Southern Trident and the Responsible Sourcing Scheme

The industry leaders told HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby a standard could be introduced by as early as 2026 to show consistency, sourcing and quality of peat-free consumer growing media.

But speakers acknowledged the hard work required over decades it has taken to get here and that there is work to do in the future to educate gardeners towards success.

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With the celebration of its 90th year and announcement of a brand refresh, this week the Grounds Management Association (GMA) talks to HortWeek about what this means for members. 

Jason Booth, chief operating officer of the GMA and Jennifer Carter, director of communications & marketing at the GMA also explore some of the challenges facing the turf sector with a recent GMA survey showing 68% of head grounds managers think climate change is their main challenge.

Booth argues that the football pitch is often the least invested in, despite footballers spending 90-95% of their working week on one. He explains how the GMA is trying to change perceptions.

Carter explores the common challenge of the skills shortage and how GMA NextGen is looking to help this, launched to inspire the next generation of grounds professionals.

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HortWeek spoke toa range of industry experts at IPM Essen trade show 2025 on how to export.

Andy Jeanes of Guernsey Clematis says planning, procedure and relationships with customs and shipping agents and phyto inspectors are the keys to successful exporting.

The USA could become an issue. Soiless plants are air freighted to the US but there are concerns about 25% Trump import levies, as there has been for Canada and Mexico.

Commercial Horticulture Association's Susan Fairley says research the target market, establish demand, identify market trend data, plan a strategy, find the right country, identify channels, get staff trained and ready, build relationships, use Department of Business and Trade webinars, be patient, consider costs and make sure you know your IP, customs paperwork, credit check customers and get the right logistics in place. Cenrral Asian countries are places of growth.

Tim Briercliffe of AIPH adds that understanding your target market and how easy it is to reach it are important. Systems such as Floriday can be a way in. The UK has not been strong at exporting as businesses concentrate on the home market. You need something new, special and different. He says potential levies are challenges, while exchange rate problems can be huge. Plant health issues like false codling moth are becoming bigger threats to international trade. Green cities are the areas to look for growth.

David Austin's head of international partner networks Kate Porter said selling licences rather than plants is the rose grower's way forward, post-Brexit. There is US growing base so it is the brand that is exported. Australia is a growing market.

Air-Pot's Suzie and Jamie Single say there is a team of partners around the world, in Europe distributors and otherwise consultants working on commission. Taiwan is a growing market, as is Switzerland and the US. The CHA help Air-Pot with exports, particularly via IPM Essen. The Scottish Government is helpful, she said, while a new Air-Pot 7 product, endorsed by ex-Kew arboretum head Tony Kirkham, has created a wave of publicity for the company.

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On this week’s HortWeek Podcast Stuart Mackley, head of grounds for Fulham Football Club's home ground at Motspur Park, explains how he found a career in groundscare through a love of football. 

As well as explaining what it is like at Fulham in the lead up to matches, Mackley relates what the team get up to in the off season which he says is “our busiest period…the most important”.

The weather a significant impact on football matches and the condition of pitches – with high rainfall, high winds, extreme heat, and intense cold; Mackley explains what Fulham has in place to try and mitigate these challenges and how it has changed the way they work. Mackley also talks through some of the new systems he is keeping an eye on.

Sustainability is of high importance at Fulham Football Club, but Mackley explains its not just a case of replacing all the petrol equipment with battery powered - and that it cannot happen overnight. Mackley talks about the challenges of retrofitting the club as it stands which Mackley hopes can be brought in when a new training ground is built.

Mackley also talks through some of the new technology he has got his eye on, how he got into the industry and learnt everything from “arguably one of the best grounds people we’ve had in the industry”, Steve Braddock, as well as how Fulham attracts new talent.

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Cosmos and hollyhocks national collection holder Jonathan Sheppard and dahlia and sweet pea grower Darren Everest discuss whether flower show judges should reward homegrown, sustainable plants, rather than give medals for uniformity.

Everest said at RHS shows you compete for medals and not against other growers as you would at a sweet pea show. But the public "want to see perfection" and not "leaves that have been eaten by slugs". Getting the balance right between best practice and what the public wants to view is the key.

Sheppard disagreed, saying the public "don't want plant perfection at any cost" and rust-free hollyhocks would need a lot of chemical use, so he will not exhibit them. If he did the judges would mark them down for having any rust on them. What's more, perfection gives the public an unrealistic idea of what plants will look like at home.

Everest argued that plants that do not look their best will not sell.

Sheppard recently proposed in HortWeekthat there should be a 'Green Medal' for growers. He said we have seen some movement with awards for show gardens, but nothing as yet for growers.

Sheppard added that some exhibitors have perfect plants but "the reality is you can purchase your flowers" for exhibiting and have "nothing to do with the growing of them whatsoever, have them flown in, have them grown using pesticides and preservatives, arriving in a plethora of single-use plastic, and because you arrange them nicely, walk away with a gold medal".

Everest agreed that you should grow your own at shows.

• In October 2024 Jonathan and Darren discussed whether we should we ban peat in horticulture.

Presenter: HortWeek editor Matthew Appleby

Producer: Digital content manager Christina Taylor

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Ben raskin and Andy Dibben have written Silvohorticulture, A Grower's Guide To Integrating Trees Into Crops published in January 2025 by Chelsea Green Publishing.

Raskin is head of horticulture and agroforestry for the Soil Association and Dibben is head grower at Abbey Home Farms in Gloucestershire.

They say interactions between trees and crops is an under-investigated area and that trees can offer many benefits for food growers.

The foreword is by Stockfree Organic farmer Iain Tolhurst who calls this "agroforestry at its finest" and says which trees to choose is "no longer an act of faith".

There are negative impacts from planting the trees in the shade, but many crops do not actually need full sun all day.

Abbey Home Farms in Cirencester is a 650ha acre mixed organic farm, intercropping into 6ha of veg production with mixed top fruit tree, coppice species for wood chip, as well as peach trees in the glasshouses. 

Also featured in the book are:

• Eastbrook Farm in Wiltshire – 200 acre silvopastural system (trialing almonds, apricots, berries and other fruits into a 25year business plan)
• Shillingford Farm in Devon – 420 acre fruit and veg farm using alley cropping systems 
• Troed-y-Rhiw Farm in Wales – 23 acre mixed organic farm growing top fruit and bush fruit, but outside and in tunnels 

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Having been in the landscape industry for over 53 years Alan Sargent is regularly commissioned to either take part in, or organise job interviews and recruit new senior and head gardeners.

On this week’s HortWeek Podcast Sargent takes us through some real life questions produced by himself for a recent interview for a head gardener. Beginning with advice on what to wear and bring to an interview Sargent examines interview questions, breaking down why they are being asked and how best to respond. 

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Sean Higgs, of Floralive, is the foremost authority on peat-free cultivation of carnivorous plants. 

In this HortWeek Podcast he discusses his path growing peat-free plants which grow in peat in the wild,and the future of the houseplant market.

After the bounce delived by the John Lewis 2023 Christmas venus flytrap advert he relates how that has continued to make the plant dominant in the market, the challenges of fulfilling demand with UK one-stop houseplant shop HortiHouse and how CITES rules have affected imports.

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