Britain in Bloom 2013 Finalists Announced

The RHS can now reveal the 80 finalists competing to be winners of Britain in Bloom 2013. This year 80 finalists, from rural villages like Moorsholm to major cities such as Edinburgh, are participating in the RHS Britain in Bloom UK finals.

Read more: Britain in Bloom 2013 Finalists Announced

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - February 1st

Our sympathies go out to customers of Connaught Gold and staff members, who were caught up in the tragic accident that happened earlier this week. Connaught Gold Statement on Accident

You can see the new Tully Nurseries plant range on an upcoming TV3 'Morning Show' in a six minute segment next week. The opportunity came directly via a call to HortiTrends by TV3. This week we also spoke with the the producers of RTE's 'Ear to the Ground' who are doing a segment on, how traditional garden centres are faring out against the multiples.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - February 1st

The Sodshow: Episode 100!

And so it is that we have arrived... at the centenary edition... the (slightly coffee stained) Episode 100 of The SodShow, Dublin's only garden radio show. 

» listen to The Sodshow: Episode 100!

Read more: The Sodshow: Episode 100!

HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest January 18th

Brand Ireland is taking a bashing at the moment. The Bord Bia Supported 'Quality Assurance 'Origin Ireland'??? Scheme' sticker is the visual connection that consumers make with Ireland and its produce. You may think that Fresh Produce & Ornamental Horticulture are not affected. In the mind of the consumer, when they are put in the position of maybe paying a little extra for an ornamental plant or fresh produce with the 'Grown In Ireland' sticker on it, they may well ask themselves; I wonder was it? and then proceed to pick up a cheaper imported alternative. We recently noted the withdrawal of a tender - Cancellation of Tender for ITT for the provision of Horticulture Quality Assurance Scheme Auditing Services.' and made an inquiry, which resulted in this response "Following a review of all tender submissions and an internal review of resources, Bord Bia has decided to cancel this tender. To offer increased efficiencies, savings and prevent an audit fee increase, the work will be conducted within Bord Bia." The relevant trade organisations will need to ascertain that the personnel, funding and resources are in place to carry out these important audits.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest January 18th

HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest Jan 11th

Teagasc this week reached an important milestone for one if its targets in the '2030 Foresight Initiative' which identified a significant need to enhance the transfer of research knowledge to stakeholders to assist them to innovate and develop sustainable rural businesses. Introducing T-Stor - Teagasc's New Open Access Repository will give both researchers and those who utilise the research the most up-to date information from the wide variety of research undertaken in food, forestry and horticulture. As outlined in a recent article in TResearch - Forfás recently published a bibliometric study of the public research base in Ireland as part of an exercise mapping research strengths here. Of all the public research organisations measured over the 10-year period from 1998 to 2007, Teagasc had the highest number of scientific papers published. The vast majority of the 1,367 Teagasc papers are in agriculture and food science, demonstrating Teagasc's core strength.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest Jan 11th

The Sodshow: The Dead Poets Society For Real Gardeners

Peter walks the wilds of Ballyboughal’s Hedgerow Society with Ann Lynch. A route which takes in, amongst many things the 12th Century ruins of Grace Dieu Nunnery. Take that a lot of nature, some once cultured wilderness and a bunch of lovely people – wrap ‘em all up in a big red bow, take a listen and enjoy The Sodshow’s first show of what can only be another wonderful year in the great outdoors. 

» listen to The Sodshow: The Dead Poets Society For Real Gardeners

Read more: The Sodshow: The Dead Poets Society For Real Gardeners

The Banana does for Uganda What the Potato did for Ireland

Ireland and Uganda on the face of it appear very different. Over 90% of the population having no running water or electricity is one major contrast, for instance. However we were both British colonies, so the Queen's English gives us a lingua franca, so to speak. Although Ugandans also enjoy growing and eating potatoes (called there 'the Irish potato' to differentiate from the sweet potato), their favourite staple is banana, or matooke.

Read more: The Banana does for Uganda What the Potato did for Ireland

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) is Europe's leading showcase for turf professionals and buyers, and an unmissable opportunity to further your education and development through our Continue to Learn programme. With the largest selection of products and services to equip your sports venue, a trip to BTME in Harrogate each January is essential. 

Read more: BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition

My GIY Life – Gary Graham

Gary Graham works for Bord Bia and is the creator and manager of Bloom. He is a judge on RTE's Super Garden series (hence his nickname, Simon Trowel!). He is also a director of GIY.

Read more: My GIY Life – Gary Graham

Rathcroghan Conference April 12th - 14th 2013

The north Roscommon regions of Rathcroghan, Carnfree and Tulsk have been studied intently over the years, through projects lead by John Waddell of NUI Galway, and the Discovery Programme – Ireland's archaeological research institute. The aim of the annual Rathcroghan Conference is to highlight the great work carried out by these groups, and to promote the continued research and study of Rathcroghan and other important Irish sites in light of new and exciting findings.

Read more: Rathcroghan Conference April 12th - 14th 2013

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - January 25th

Where people are reading about your service or products is important for your business. In Everyone Loves a Magazine...But Who is Reading Them? - John Stanley gives an overview of where he thinks the future lies for print. Not as pessimistic as you may think.

We continue our series of job profiles with My Job - Dee Sewell - Owner/Manager of Greenside Up. If you want to know what a proper blog does or looks like, go no further. 

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - January 25th

Bord Bia Quality Assurance

A Quality Assurance Scheme, for a food product, is a programme whereby the food is produced to a set of standards (rules) and the producer/processor is inspected (audited) to ensure that production is in accordance with those standards. In the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes all steps in the food chain from production to final packaging for sale to the end user are Quality Assured; these include the farm or growing unit, the meat factory or packing centre and any secondary processing food factory (smoking, curing, cooking etc)

Read more: Bord Bia Quality Assurance

Remembering Wild Birds Need to Feed so not Covering all my Soil - Trevor Sargent

Around now, I prepare any vacant plots in 'Trevor's Kitchen Garden' for the winter hibernation. This generally means leaving plots fairly weed free and covering the soil with old carpet or cardboard weighed down with a few old bricks or rocks. The idea of covering bare patches is to prevent the rain from washing away nutrients in the soil and to make the ground easier to till in the springtime.

Read more: Remembering Wild Birds Need to Feed so not Covering all my Soil - Trevor Sargent

Planting Trees & Bulbs with Balbriggan ‘Tidy Towns’ Folk & Local Students - Trevor Sargent

With the threat looming of Chalara fraxinea, or 'ash tree die back' as it has become known, the message is clear, PLANT MORE TREES OF MANY SPECIES GROWN FROM CLEAN SEED SOURCED IN IRELAND. The other day I answered the call from local 'tidy town' activist and friend, Zoe Nelson, 'Bring all available spades and garden forks to meet up with the Balbriggan Community College third year students and their teachers at Balbriggan Garda Station entrance'. 

Read more: Planting Trees & Bulbs with Balbriggan ‘Tidy Towns’ Folk & Local Students - Trevor Sargent

HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest Jan 4th

Welcome to 2013 'The Year of Co-Operation. Lucky for some? We hope that whether you are a business, worker, jobseeker or trade related association that by utilising the information on HortiTrends that it will be a year of recovery for you.

You will read about and see a lot more co-operation as businesses realise that it is just not feasible to continue offering every product or service required by your customers. We predict/know there will be new formal groupings of business working together to deliver cost savings while also being able to offer the widest range of products their customers.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest Jan 4th