Top Green and Euroflor UK consultant Howard Wood has returned from Portugal where he took part in two conferences on sustainable landscapes.
More than 150 delegates were at the two events – one in Lisbon and one in Faro. They included landscape architects, consultants and local authorities.
Howard, director of Landscape and Environmental Services Ltd, was one of the key speakers on his experiences with Euroflor urban flower meadows in the UK, carbon sequestration and his work with Lyon in France in reducing their landscape maintenance budgets through sustainable landscaping.
One of the supporters of the conference, organised by the Portuguese Landscape Institute, was the company Atlanlusi who supply Top Green grass seed and Euroflor urban flower meadow seed in Portugal.
Howard says: “The Portuguese are a very forward-looking country and the delegates were interested in hearing of the work we have been doing in the UK and France to promote sustainable landscaping through the correct use of grasses and flowers.
“Lyon, for example, saved 366,000 Euros by putting into place a sustainable landscape programme which included changing 70 per cent of formal bedding with Euroflor urban flower meadows.
“Establishing trial sites for urban meadows is the first stage, working out which flowers do best and a management plan. Communication with the public is the key to success.”
Howard recently led a party of British landscapers and turf growers to the trial ground at Valence in France where Euroflor flower seed mixtures are developed for Top Green – distributed in the UK by Rigby Taylor. They also visited the City of Lyon to see sustainable landscaping work.
Top Green supported a recent ground-breaking Sustainable Landscapes Forum at BristolUniversity.
More than 80 delegates, including members of BALI and WRAP, discussed research into pollinating insects, wildflower management, lower maintenance grass development and cost-saving local authority strategies for improving green spaces.
Stephen Alderton, Top Green director of marketing and development, said they were dedicated to researching new grass varieties that produce lower maintenance mixtures for local authorities that reduced clippings, frequency of mowing and better carbon sequestration.
“Taking part in conferences such as those in Bristol and Portugal is part of our continuing process of informing local authorities and landscapers of more economical and sustainable ways of looking after the environment,” says Stephen.
Contacts: Euroflor and Top Green: hwood@landscape-environment.com
www.rigbytaylor.com for Euroflor brochure and ‘R’ range of Top Green sporsturf and landscaping grass seed mixtures.