Latest news with #horticulture
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Inside West Midlands' most beautiful garden hidden away behind bungalow
A dedicated pensioner has dedicated 27 years to transforming the space outside his bungalow into a breathtaking garden oasis, now considered one of Britain's most exquisite private gardens. The remarkable images reveal John Massey's garden in Dudley, on the fringes of the industrial Black Country, awash with vibrant summer hues. John, aged 76, has poured nearly three decades into his passion project, cultivating an impressive collection of 20,000 different plants, trees, and shrubs over ten acres. Read more: The truth about knife crime in West Midlands The Chelsea Flower Show four-time gold medal winner admits that maintaining the splendour of his garden throughout the year demands a commitment of eight hours daily, every day of the week. Generously, John opens his 'four seasons garden' to visitors, raising funds for charitable causes, and has recently celebrated the extraordinary achievement of generating £500,000 in donations. Esteemed within the gardening world, John's serene haven is acclaimed as one of the nation's premier private gardens. Originating as a simple lawn in 1998, the garden has flourished, showcasing native UK flora alongside more unusual varieties from Japan, South Africa, and Turkey. Kingswinford's green-fingered John remarked: "The garden hasn't really been planned, it's just evolved over 27 years." He confidently states: "We bigheadedly say we're a garden for every day of the year and that you would hopefully find something in flower every day you came. "There's hundreds and thousands of different plants, we're all plant nutters and it's a full-time job looking after it. "I usually get up at 7am and take the dogs out and I go around the garden all day from there. "Then there's the last walk at night to check for snails and slugs, that's usually 10pm until 11pm. "It really is an all-day thing. I started by the house and just moved out - and just kept going and going. I absolutely love it all." The garden, which offers picturesque views of the scenic Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal, is a true horticultural haven. Every nook is alive with striking blooms, lush greenery, an assortment of conifers and shrubs, complemented by intricately designed pots. John, with a remarkable 57 years of gardening under his belt, reveals this botanical paradise has grown so extensive that it now takes a team of four to keep it pristine. His passion was ignited by none other than Princess Greta Sturdza, the visionary Norwegian behind Le Vasterival, among France's most celebrated gardens. After being honoured with the Victoria Medal of Honour from the Royal Horticultural Society, John remarked: "I was privileged to meet the late princess Greta Sturdza, a Norwegian. "We became sort of friends and she invited me over and had, in my mind, the greatest garden that I've ever seen. "She taught me how to garden. Her big thing was transparency pruning, you prune every tree, shrub and conifer so it was its own sculpture in its own right." John, a passionate gardener who took the reins of the family nursery at just 18, has no formal training in horticulture but shares a deep-rooted love for gardening passed down from his grandad. He's dedicated to maintaining a vibrant green space throughout the year, ensuring there's always something sprouting. Speaking about the nursery that neighbours his home, John remarked: "Some beds are replanted twice a year." He believes in constant renewal to keep visitors returning, saying, "If we want to keep people coming back we need change." John's approach involves a three-tier system: "We work on three layers, the big trees we raise the canopies and lift the branches." This technique allows for underplanting: "We lift the canopy of the shrubs so that we can work under that." The garden boasts an impressive collection of witch-hazels, with John's Garden featuring over 40 different varieties. Seasonal changes bring a variety of hues to the garden, with hydrangeas in summer and cornus and spindle trees in the colder months. Springtime sees an array of hellebores, bulbs, and various flowering shrubs, keeping the garden brimming with life. John explained his philosophy: "We're always trying to get happy plants, I wouldn't want to grow a plants that weren't healthy." He's selective with his plants due to the local climate: "There are certain plants we don't grow as we're a real frost pocket. We try and grow plants that are hardy in this area." The nursery is also known for its conifers and witch hazels: "We've got a wonderful selection of conifers, both dwarf and small. Then there's witch hazel, we've got 40 odd varieties." And for the autumn spectacle, he added: "We've got the grass bed and the asters which look their best in September and October. "I love it all, I do love the whole garden. We had the Danish horticulture society here the other day and they said each corner there's something different to look at. I think you should walk gardens both ways". "The garden is constantly changing, with something majoring on different groups of plants right the way through the season." John stepped away from day-to-day duties at Ashwood Nurseries next door in 2000 to focus on his passion for gardening. The site opens its gates every Saturday from February to December, welcoming nature lovers for just £8 a pop. John and his expert team have scooped more than 50 gold medals at prestigious Royal flower shows, bagging four from the renowned Chelsea Flower Show alone. Additionally, they have proudly collected four Farrer Trophies, two Williams Memorial Medals and a couple of Gardeners' World Live golds. He went on to share: "I've been in horticulture for 57 years and I'm still learning, it's one of those subjects where the more you learn, the more you realise you don't know. "A friend of mine described horticulture as the slowest form of art as it takes 20 years to reach its maturity. "We used to show a little alpine plant called Lewisia. What we tried to do is take a particular genus and try and get it to the highest possible level. "Then take on another family of plants and try and get them to that level. The beauty of plants is you don't have to be monogamous and can keep building them up." Since flinging open its doors to visitors in 2003, the garden has mushroomed over £500,000 for various charities. John confessed: "I wouldn't like to think how much I've spent on it, I wouldn't know. It's a passion, but it would be frightening." He further added, "The main thing is we've raised a lot of money for good causes in the process." And he finished by saying, "The garden is constantly changing right the way through the season, and I love it."
Times of Oman
a day ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
India flags off first consignment of rose-scented litchi from Pathankot to Qatar
New Delhi: In a boost to India's horticultural exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Punjab, facilitated the flag-off of the first consignment of 1 metric tonne of rose-scented litchi from Pathankot, Punjab to Doha, Qatar on 23rd June 2025. According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in addition, 0.5 metric tonne of litchi was also exported to Dubai, UAE from Pathankot, marking a twin export achievement and reinforcing India's potential in global fresh fruit markets. This milestone initiative underscores the excellence of India's horticultural produce and highlights the country's growing agri-export capabilities. It offers immense opportunities for farming communities by providing international market access for their fresh and high-value produce. The initiative was facilitated by APEDA in association with the Department of Horticulture, Government of Punjab, Lullu Group, and progressive farmer, Prabhat Singh from Sujanpur, who supplied the high-quality produce. According to the National Horticulture Board, Punjab's litchi production for FY 2023-24 stood at 71,490 metric tonnes, contributing 12.39 per cent to India's total litchi output. During the same period, India exported 639.53 metric tonnes of litchi. The area under cultivation was 4,327 hectares with an average yield of 16,523 kg/ha. The flagged-off consignment, comprising a reefer pallet of premium Pathankot litchis, represents a major step forward for the region's growers. The success of farmers like Prabhat Singh underscores the potential of Pathankot--which benefits from favourable agro-climatic conditions--as an emerging hub for quality litchi cultivation and exports. Notably, during FY 2024-25 (April-March), India's export of fruits and vegetables reached USD 3.87 billion, registering a 5.67 per cent growth over the previous year. While mangoes, bananas, grapes, and oranges continue to dominate fruit exports, cherries, jamun, and litchis are now increasingly finding their place in international markets. These efforts reflect the Government of India's commitment to expanding the agri-export basket, empowering farmers, and enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian produce.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
NZ scientists hoping to crack issue produce going to landfill
New Zealand scientists say they have developed 'world first' technology which has the potential to solve a huge problem in our horticulture industry Sustainability venture 'Powered by plants' has produced a system which converts surplus produce into dried ingredients, bio energy and organic fertiliser. Currently 20% of the 6.2 million tonnes of produce grown in NZ is sent to landfill and NZ manufacturers import thousands of tonnes of dried food ingredients and extracts into the country. The lead scientist on the project, Dr Andrew Prest, talks to Jesse.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Are spiders an untapped resource for horticulture pest-control?
Put down the insecticide... the spider will take care of that. Photo: Claire Concannon, It's estimated that spiders consume up to 800 million tons of insects globally every year. But a new paper by Plant and Food Research says there's been very little analysis on the role that spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms in Aotearoa New Zealand Researchers behind the paper are calling for more funding to study how spiders can be used for more eco-friendly pest control practises in our horticultural sector. Lead author Nicola Sullivan joins Kathryn to discuss.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Fair Work inspectors report rampant workplace breaches in prime horticulture zones
More than 80 per cent of horticulture businesses in Victoria's biggest growing regions were in breach of laws to protect workers, inspectors have found, after a nationwide crackdown on the sector. In a three-year investigation, Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) inspectors also found widespread breaches in prime horticulture areas in NSW. The report, released on Wednesday, singled out labour hire firms as the worst offenders, despite states increasingly regulating the sector. It says Victoria's Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley regions had the highest rate of overall non-compliance, with inspectors finding 83 per cent of employers failed to meet obligations under the Fair Work Act. The next-worst breach rates were in NSW's Riverina (72 per cent), Victoria's Sunraysia and Shepparton regions (70 per cent and 63 per cent respectively), and Coffs Harbour and Grafton in NSW (61 per cent). Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said inspectors visited 360 farms, investigated 512 businesses during crop seasons and issued $760,405 in fines to employers who failed to meet their pay slip and record-keeping obligations. She also said labour hire firms used by farmers were most resistant to workplace laws, with 91 per cent of 166 infringement notices going to labour providers. "The vast majority of the wrongdoers are labour hire employers and they are often quite difficult to pin down," Ms Booth said. "The workers themselves often don't know who their employer is and [they are] just generally being treated very badly. "This is particularly troubling because many of these workers are migrants. They are often temporary visa holders." However, there were some positive signs from the three-year campaign. Queensland's Wide Bay and Moreton Bay were the nation's most compliant, with only 18 per cent and 8 per cent failing to follow the law, which was a turnaround from recent years. Ms Booth said most farmers in these areas directly employed staff rather than using labour hire, and regulator Queensland Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit was also in place, plus there had been leadership from employer groups via the Fair Farms programs, which audits businesses. Fair Farms, which runs training and certification and help growers improve their workplace compliance, was set up by farmer group Growcom with support from the Fair Work Ombudsman, the federal Department of Agriculture and horticulture group AUSVEG. Victoria also has a Labour Hire Authority and labour hire licensing schemes exist in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, which works with these agencies to stamp out lawbreakers. Ms Booth also said in January the FWO signed an enforceable undertaking with RJ Cornish & Co Pty Ltd, a fruit grower in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, following unlawful wage deductions of nearly $127,000 from 112 employees. The company was inspected in March last year as part of the regulator's horticulture strategy. The horticulture strategy also included more than 96 joint site inspections with other regulators, including Australian Border Force, Australian Taxation Office and WorkCover Queensland.
