Podium Awards

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ProLandscaper Magazine has just launched their very first Podium Awards - and Bourne Amenity is the headline sponsor!

The awards will recognise the achievements, past and present, of landscapers, landscape architects and garden designers in the podium landscaping industry. The aim is to give projects that may have been previously overlooked the recognition they deserve. There are five categories and entries have just opened. The award ceremony will be at the Futurescape Spring event on 12 March (at Sandown Park).

Here's what Jonathan said at the launch of the awards: "Bourne Amenity Ltd are proud to headline sponsor the inaugural Pro Landscaper Podium awards and salute the recognition of an integral part of modern urban planning. We have been working with architects and contractors on podium planting and related SuDS schemes for almost ten years. Over this period, these beneficial installations have become mainstream, and our range of planting substrates is constantly evolving to match the imagination and ambition of designers. These awards will act as an incentive for our clients to push the boundaries of podium design, and mark another positive step towards a greener and healthier living spaces."

Full details are on ProLandscaper's website.

We'll be monitoring progress closely, of course - watch this space!

The benefits of a load of manure

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As the evenings draw in and temperatures fall, now is the time to think of - manure!

To give next year's vegetables the best possible start in life, order a load of composted manure. Then, once you have cleared the vegetable bed and the soil temperature has fallen to winter levels (probably in November or so - depends on the weather of course) spread a layer of about 6 inches thickness all over the bed and just leave it over the winter. The manure will slowly settle in to the soil, so that, when it is workable again in spring, you can easily dig it in and then plant your vegetables.

It is important to wait until the temperatures have dropped though, otherwise the nutrients will leach away before they have a chance to get absorbed by the soil.

Apart from the nutrient value of organic matter like manure, it also acts as a mulch and holds down the weeds - at least for a while. But weeding the vegetable patch is a task that will never fully go away!

The new office on the block

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Our new office block has come into being, thanks to some spectacular teamwork by a Yorkshire haulage firm and a Kentish crane operator. As you can see from the picture above, the units fit right into the environment... well, they will do when the works surrounding them are finished. There will also be some interior changes and upgrading to be done, so it may be a little while before we can make full use of the extra space becoming available. Watch this space!

August photo competition winner!

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For August, we received a number of spectacular entries, all of which could deserve an honourable mention. Some of them related to a rather royal delivery operation, but for reasons of State Security, we can't publish those... Let's just say that when you need this many tipper deliveries for your rose beds, then you are gardening at a different order of magnitude.

Anyway, the very well deserved winner for August is Josef, with this spectacular - and perhaps somewhat surprising if you haven't been to the quarry - view of Westerham on a summer morning!

Small bags in Sevenoaks

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This is our new bagging unit, based in the Sevenoaks depot. At this time of year, it is used especially for 25-kg bags of cricket (Surrey) loam, but it can of course be used for any material going into small bags.

At the back of the picture, you can see a grey bag hanging in place under a small hopper. This is fed with material from a conveyor belt, which is located outside the store, behind the wall. To the right of the bag is a weighing unit which displays how much material has gone in the bag, to ensure the correct fill every time. Once the bag is full, it drops down on the conveyor belt below and is moved, upright, to the sealing unit to the left (the grey box on the wall). The bag is heat-sealed and then moves further to the left and onto the upwards conveyor, ready to be placed onto the waiting pallet. Once the pallet is full, it is moved outside with a forklift and then shrink-wrapped for stability and protection.

The unit can be operated by one or two people, allowing for up to 1,200 bags on 30 pallets to be produced daily.