Westfield shopping centre - London

Inside Westfield shopping centre.

Hi Everyone,

While I was in London I saw a couple of great examples of green or living walls. These walls were used to bring green and nature into the design of new harsh concrete and glass buildings.

Outside Westfield Shopping centre

     Green/Living Walls

A green wall is a wall partially or completely covered with greenery that includes a growing medium, such as soil or a substrate. Green walls may or may not have a water system which directly waters the wall. Green walls are ideal for small spaces and building facades. 

 Advantages to a green wall: 

·       Provides insulation for building walls

·       Easy to assemble

·       Easy to care for

·       Provides a place for living plants where space is limited.

·       Lends itself to contemporary design – aesthetically pleasing

·       Year-round colour

·       Provides habitats for animals

·       Keeps homes cool in summer if built inside

·       Contributes to reduced noise pollution

Disadvantages to a green wall:

·       Hard to keep weed free

·        Can be expensive

·       Position: plants are dependent on sunlight, shady positions will reduce the plants which can be used.

·       May not be readily available in your area

    If anyone can think of any other great examples of green walls, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I would love to see your photos. 

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great weekend. 

LANTRA Learner of the year awards 2018

Hi Everyone, 

Late in March I got the wonderful chance to attend the LANTRA Learner of the Year Awards 2018 at Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro. It was a great chance to meet like-minded individuals and to celebrate the importance of teaching within the land-based sectors. I would like to congratulate everyone on their achievements. 

Short but sweet today,
Thanks for reading.  

I have included a link to the LANTRA website and below this years winners are listed.

https://www.lantra.co.uk/scotland
 https://www.lantra.co.uk/scotland/2017-Lantra-learner-of-year-winners

Overall Winner for Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year

Megan Rowland

Overall Runner-up for Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year  

Reece McNaughton

 Modern Apprentice of the Year  

Sine Soszka

 Agriculture Learner of the Year:  
 
Winner: Sine Soszka 
Runner-up: Kieran Paxton

 Aquaculture Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Alan Tangny 
Runner-up: Scott Forder

Equine Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Laura Manby 
Runner-up: Heather Moir

Fisheries Management and Environmental Conservation Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Scott Milne 
Runner-up: Jamie Gemmell

 Game and Wildlife Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Megan Rowland 
Connor Aubrey

Horticulture Learner of the Year: 
  
Winner: Reece McNaughton 
Runner-up: Jennifer Wright

 Land-based Engineering Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Cameron Howie 
Runner-up: Mathew Howie

Trees and Timber Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Aaron Ross 
Runner-up: Reece King

 Higher Education Learner of the Year:  

Winner: Dr Jenna Ross 
 Runner-up: Claire Simonetta 
HND-level award winner: Caitlin Ross

Secondary Schools Award: 

Winner: Wallace Hall Academy 
Ullapool High School

CARAS Award Winners:  

Kieran Paxton 
Robert Pickford 
Dr Jenna Ross 
Megan Rowland 
Sine Soszka

Jean’s Jam Award:  

Winner: Nigel Gibb

Tam Tod Trophy 

Scott Milne

Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.

February came and went in a blink of an eye and so much has happened over the past month. I got to visit Stowe gardens, Kew gardens and Woburn gardens. I also had the huge honour of receiving the Carter-Patterson Memorial Medal from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society for my achievements as a student of horticulture in Scotland.

It was a fantastic evening meeting key individuals in Scottish horticulture. I am truly humbled to have been chosen for the award.
The best memory I have from school is being given a single broad bean seed by my biology teacher as a project. We all placed our seeds in a glass of water and for the next 6 weeks studied its progress as it developed roots and a shoot. I think this sparked my interest in nature and the surrounding outdoor world.
Not long ago I visited Kew Gardens where they had an exhibition with some of Mark Frith's drawings of trees on the late Felix Dennis's estate. Beside these drawings there was a quote from a poem written by Felix Dennis. "Whosoever plants a tree, winks at immortality". I have never had a quote speak to me so much before. It puts so plainly exactly how I feel about plants, trees and the wider world. In my career, I want to bring gardening and the environment to the forefront of teaching and work together with people to create a better world for everyone.
 I am very thankful to my family for pushing me in the right direction, and to the tutors throughout my life who have seen the passion I have for horticulture. Who have given me the opportunity to work with knowledgeable people and have amazing experiences which I can take with me through the rest of my career.
 I would like to thank the Caley (RCHS) for having the awards ceremony to recognise those people, from all walks of life, working within horticulture and botany. These people deserve all the praise that we can give for their enthusiasm and commitment to horticulture. It is a huge privilege to have been nominated.

I highly recommend if you are interested in having a career in horticulture, whether you are a career changer or first career, checking out these sites below as they have all helped me hugely:

https://www.sruc.ac.uk/

https://thecaley.org.uk/

 http://www.pgg.org.uk/

http://www.rbge.org.uk/education/home


http://hbgtp.org.uk/

Woburn Gardens

Hi Everyone,

A couple of weeks ago I visited Woburn Gardens with a friend from Work. We were blessed with beautiful sunshine and the rain held off all day.

http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/gardens/

A an interesting and eclectic mix of horticultural curiosities, Woburn did not fail to disappoint. However, the gardens are very much laid out to achieve the maximum effect during summer so I will definitely be returning to see them again then.

Pictures from the day:

Watering can pots at the entrance to the gardens.

Bog Garden

Temple at the rear of the garden.

Conifers in the gardens.

Large conifer in the centre of a circular courtyard.

Sculptures at the side of the Chinese dairy.

Kew Gardens - Orchid Festival.

Hi Everyone,

Last weekend I got the chance to go to Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London to visit their Orchid Festival. The festival was mainly situated in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and showcased spectacularly the garden's collection of Orchids.

White Phalaenopsis.

https://www.kew.org/

A beautiful and colourful arrangement of Orchids from the classic Moth Orchid, Phalaenopsis species, to Cymbidiums and Cattleyas: The festival celebrates the Thai Orchid Festival with plants, food and performances. Thailand has over 1100 Orchid species with more being identified every year. The Princess of Wales Conservatory was adorned with vibrant Orchids, jam packed excited children and captivated parents. The sheer number of people bustling about around you sometimes made it difficult to appreciate what you were looking at but the care and detail of the displays shone through brilliantly. Intermittent information panels give you just enough information to peak your interest and keep you moving forward throughout the glasshouses.

Traditional Thai cart on loan from Thailand's embassy in London.

The cost of entering Kew Gardens is quite steep at £16 for an adult but this also covers the cost of the Festival so there was no extra hidden charge. There is a small amount of free parking around the outside of the gardens but I recommend travelling via London underground or bus to avoid disappointment and heartache. The gardens were surprisingly busy even though it was a cold bitter day with no sun shining for miles and wind that chilled my bones to the core. A testament to the popularity of the gardens. The prices are high but the quality food and items make up for the extra money. 

Rice paddy scene with orchids.

A wonderful day out with Orchids drippings from every crevice and a great day out with friends.
Although the orchid festival is only on for a short amount of time I recommend a visit to the gardens at any time of the year.  They are a true endorsement that the importance of natural spaces and gardens will flourish in the coming years.
I hope everyone is staying warm in this snowy weather.
Thanks for reading. 😄

Additional photographs:

Vibrant Orchid tunnel.

Vibrant orchid tunnel viewed from inside.

Traditional Thai boat filled with orchids.

Orchid archways behind Bromeliads.

Bromeliads in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Exquisite Orchid Palace.

Paphiopedilum species (Slipper Orchid).