MONTH IN REVIEW
PLANTS
WYEVALE
NURSERIES
CREATES
‘PLANT HEALTH
INFORMATION PACK’
Plant health coordinator Kyle
Ross at Wyevale Nurseries in
Hereford has created a ‘Plant
Health Information Pack’ on
biosecurity.
It will be handed out to
customers to raise awareness
on potentially damaging pests
and diseases that are currently
threatening the horticultural
industry.
Ross joined the company
in 2016 as part of Wyevale
Nurseries’ Management Trainee
Scheme, after completing
a degree in horticulture at
Worcester University.
Ross said: “We feel it is
important that businesses
working within the sector are
aware of these threats and how
we can minimise the risk of these
entering the country.
“There are various pests and
diseases spreading across the
world as a consequence of our
mobile lifestyle. In recent years
Xylella fastidiosa has become a
high-risk disease and one we all
need to work together to keep
out.”
ARBORICULTURE
MORE URBAN TREES
COULD HELP COMBAT
FLASH FLOODING
Environmental charity City of Trees
is calling for more trees to be planted
in urban areas, to help combat flash
flooding in cities and towns.
According to the group flash flooding
is becoming an increasing problem,
particularly in urban areas. It added
the population in the UK continues
to grow, with more green space being
built on, which has led to a reduction in
the amount of space for water to drain
naturally into the ground.
City of Trees said this loss of green
space means that more and more
rainwater enters “into our sewers”,
which were not designed to cope
with the rising number of storms
and increased rainfall, and as a
consequence “we are seeing an increase
in the severity of flooding in our towns
and cities”.
Katherine Causer from the
Environment Agency said: “More than
five million homes and businesses in
England are at risk of flooding. To
protect properties we use a mixture of
hard and soft engineering and natural
flood management techniques which
can be a more cost-effective and
sustainable way to manage flood risk,
whilst creating habitat for wildlife and
helping regenerate rural and urban
areas.”
She added: “The trees will show how
we can slow the flow of water running
off our roads, pavements and buildings
and help to reduce the risk of localised
flooding in addition to removing
pollutants which could otherwise end
up in our streams and rivers.”
REJUVENATION
WORK BEGINS ON
NORTHUMBERLANDIA
COUNTRY PARK
THANKS TO £10,000
GRANT
Work has begun on the
Northumberlandia Country Park
to improve its visitor facilities,
benefitting from a recent £10,000
grant.
Managed by the Land Trust and
Northumberland Wildlife Trust,
the country park is benefiting
from a £10,000 grant from the
Banks Community Fund, which
is funding better access through
car park improvements and
new seating around the visitor
entrance.
Nearly 90,000 visitors a year
are currently attracted to the free
community park. The centrepiece
is a human landform sculpture of
a reclining lady, designed by world
famous artist Charles Jencks.
Constructed by the Banks
Group, using 1.5 million tonnes of
rock, clay and soil, on land donated
by Blagdon Estate, the sculpture
is 100 feet high and a quarter of a
mile long and features four miles
of footpaths.
The quality and popularity of
the country park was endorsed
recently when the public voted
it Northumberland Tourism’s
Best Family Day Out. These
improvements to car parking and
facilities around the entrance area
will allow even more visitors to
enjoy the park.
Matthew Fitch,
Northumberland Wildlife Trust
site manager, said: “This grant has
given us an excellent opportunity
to improve the main entrance
and car parking facilities at
Northumberlandia.
April 2018 | Landscape Insight
13