Last week I had the opportunity to visit Bristol Rovers FC where I was attending an interview with Joe Hendy for an upcoming AGS Turf podcast. 

I have known Joe for many years, and we had a very enjoyable walk-down-memory-lane chat, talking about the many facets of our wonderful industry. We will publish my interview in a future edition of TurfPro.

It was also the first time I had managed to visit Bristol Rovers and catch up with the club’s stadium ground staff, Ben Ford and Luke Bayliss, who were busy mowing and preparing the pitch for the weekend’s game. 

L-R: Ben Ford and Laurence Gale 

The recent onset of a changing autumn weather front usually brings with it lower soil and air temperatures, rain, and heavy morning dews. These changes certainly can impact the maintenance regimes required and the quality of grass cover you can maintain going into this early winter period.
Ben was pleased with the quality of grass cover he had but was conscious of how quickly playing surfaces can change especially if you have a spate of additional fixtures and use on your pitch.

Luke Bayliss mowing Bristol Rovers pitch 

Joe and I then took the opportunity to call in to see Sean at Gloucester CCC which is just round the corner from the Rovers ground.

He, like most county cricket groundstaff, has just completed his end of season renovations and had covered the square with a germination sheet. It has been a couple of years since I last visited the ground, so it was nice to meet up with Sean and catch up with the industry gossip.

RFU

On the rugby pitch front I’m pleased to announce the RFU Rugby Groundsman Connected programme is again up and running. 

Rugby clubs will have an opportunity to contact the scheme, receiving a pitch inspection and advice on what funding there will be available for pitch improvements. This new Pitch Advisory service (PAS) programme is part of a revamped national programme that is being run by the GMA and the relevant sporting bodies.

The Pitch Advisory Service, formerly the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme, was launched in 2014 and is funded by Sport England and the Football Foundation, working in association with the ECB, RFL and RFU.

With the addition of RFL and RFU, Phase 3 has seen the programme grown considerably; led by chief operating officer, Jason Booth, the team now consists of four key account managers, one programmes support lead, eleven regional pitch advisors and one administrator. The aim of the PAS is to raise the standards of sports surfaces as well as the understanding of sports turf management practices among grassroots sports clubs across England.  
As an official RFU voluntary pitch advisor (VPA) for the Midlands, I am looking forward to working with the new team of GMA nominated RFU pitch advisors who will be on hand to help clubs improve their pitches.  

Regional Pitch Advisors - Rugby Union

• North: Ian Sommerville
• Midlands: Todd Harrison
• West: Simon Johnson
• London and South East: Darren Symonds (KAM)

Value of trees

Finally, this week I read an interesting article on the merits of the potential of mature trees and indeed large tracts of grass land that can become effective carbon sinks. 

Mature oak trees can increase the amount of carbon dioxide they absorb, potentially giving climate scientists a new tool in their arsenal to combat the climate crisis, researchers at the University of Birmingham have discovered. 

According to the article, early results from a 10-year study found that old oak forests can help to curb rising CO2 levels by increasing the amount of the gas that they absorb. While increased CO2 absorption cannot extinguish all of the issues related to carbon emissions, the research adds to a body of work that can help guide climate policy in regard to the use of forests as carbon sinks.

In the ongoing experiment, 175-year-old oak trees in the Free-Air CO2 facility at the University of Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) in Staffordshire were bathed in carbon dioxide-enriched air and compared with a control group that were exposed only to atmospheric CO2.

The level of CO2 used in the enriched air is 37 per cent higher than atmospheric levels and is intended to mimic levels of the gas projected to be seen in 2050.

After three years, researchers have discovered that, under conditions of elevated CO2, mature oak trees can increase their rate of photosynthesis – converting carbon dioxide and water into sugar to use as food – by up to a third. Early research suggests that they do so by absorbing and storing more of the gas from the air.

This is fantastic news for the environment and tackling CO2 climate emissions. For most horticulturalists, gardeners and grounds professionals we have known for years the benefits of planting trees. This ten-year study has given us the proof and the incentive to plant more trees in the coming years.

I remember attending a World Urban Parks conference where we had some presentations from parks officers from South America who talked about some cities that had not planted any green infrastructure within its city and reported on the problems of fumes, heat and air pollution. Fundamentally, they were not very nice places to live.

We are very lucky to be living in the UK where most cities have a plethora of mature trees growing in their urban environment - we just need to ensure we continue to keep planting plenty of new trees. Also I believe we must enhance the quality of grass cover we manage, because the grass plant is also an efficient converter of carbon through the process of photosynthesis.

During its recent 2021 virtual dealer conference, Husqvarna announced the three winners of its annual dealer awards.

The awards, which were announced by Stephen Irvine, UK dealer sales manager, included the categories of Automower, Battery and Forestry Dealers of the Year 2021.

The team at Landpower Robotics who won the Battery dealer prize

The dealer conference, which was held virtually on Wednesday 29th September, hosted 230 Husqvarna dealers across the UK, all of which were in the running to win the three Husqvarna awards up for grabs. 

Shortlisted for the Automower Dealer of the Year 2021 award was McGregor Forest & Groundcare Ltd, Sam Turner & Sons Ltd, Kalehurst Garden Machinery, Ernest Doe & Son Ltd, Ace Farm Supplies, and Landpower Robotics.

Announced as the 2021 winner was Somerset-based Automower Specialist, Landpower Robotics.

The second award announced was the Battery Dealer of the Year 2021 award. Shortlisted for this award was W.J Green Ltd, R.T Machinery, Sam Turner & Son Ltd, Chelford Farm Supplies Ltd, McGregor Forest & Groundcare Ltd, and Lister Wilder Ltd.

Taking home the award was R.T Machinery, an independent ground care company based in Nether Winchendon, Aylesbury.

The third and final award announced was the Forestry Dealer of the Year 2021. Shortlisted for the award was Buxtons Ltd, Radmore & Tucker, Honey Brothers Ltd, Hamilton Brothers, Sam Turner & Sons Ltd, and Halls Power Equipment.

Taking the top spot was arboricultural equipment specialists, Honey Brothers Ltd.

Stephen Irvine, said, “The Husqvarna 2021 dealer awards were created as a way of recognising the excellent performance and achievements of our dealer network throughout the year. 

“We’d like to say a huge well done to all dealers that were shortlisted, and a massive congratulations to our three winners, Landpower Robotics, R.T Machinery, and Honey Brothers Ltd, their contributions over the last year have been exceptional.”

To celebrate the awards, each winner will receive a Husqvarna awards winner plaque to display in their showroom, along with a digital logo they can use on their website and social media channels, a bottle of champagne, and a £500 voucher to treat their full teams to an end of year celebration.

Challenge 2025, the campaign led by battery-powered gardening equipment manufacturer Ego Power Plus, which aims to encourage the adoption of battery-powered tools and move both domestic and professional users away from petrol, has launched the first emissions calculator for gardeners.

In a statement Challenge 2025 said, "While petrol-powered tools have been a familiar fixture for decades, the emissions they produce have largely gone unnoticed. There has been a lack of regulation around petrol-powered outdoor power equipment, with no requirement for manufacturers to test equipment or publish emissions results - something which is a basic requirement in sectors such as the car industry.

"Now, through Challenge 2025, emissions tests have been carried out on some of the UK’s most popular petrol-powered tools for the first time, with common tools shown to produce up to 11x more toxic emissions than cars. With the findings plugged into the new emissions calculator, users can estimate the emissions attributed to their garden tools by inputting their average usage times."

The campaign describe their new emissions calculator as the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to users of petrol-powered garden equipment.

The company's statement continued, "Through supporting domestic and professional gardeners to understand the true impact of petrol tool usage, Challenge 2025 hopes to encourage people to seriously consider battery-powered alternatives moving forward. As highlighted by the recent IPCC report on climate change, it is human activities which are the source of the problem and shifts in everyday behaviour could limit further damage."

Emma Gayler, Ego’s ambassador for Challenge 2025, says: “To create this calculator, we had to start from scratch because there had previously been no emissions testing of petrol-powered tools. So, we surveyed thousands of professional and domestic users and asked councils up and down the country which tools they own and use. From this, we established the most popular petrol tools and put them to the test.

“Because these tools are so freely available, it’s easy to think that they’re perfectly safe to use, but emissions test results suggest that’s not always the case. Some tools produce such high volumes of emissions that testing equipment designed for cars cannot measure it, which means users could be using petrol tools and unknowingly impacting their health and that of those around them, as well as causing damage to the environment.

“The results from these tests were alarming, but by making them accessible through our new emissions calculator, we believe it will help both domestic and professional users to make more informed decisions when it comes to buying their next piece of equipment. By making the switch from petrol to battery, people can reduce their environmental impact without having to compromise on power and performance.”

Soil biology specialist Symbio has expanded its technical team with the appointment of Gary McKenna and Richard Sheppard.

Gary McKenna

Gary is a former golf course manager and Symbio customer who is an active part of the greenkeeping community in Scotland. Educated at Elmwood College, he brings more than two decades of turf management and tournament experience to his new role providing technical support to customers in the North and East of Scotland.

Richard Sheppard

Richard returns to the company as a result of his long-held passion for sustainable turfgrass management. A long-term advocate for a biological approach, he began his career in greenkeeping before completing qualifications in turf science and sportsground management and an Open University degree. Richard will be supporting a wide range of customers across Northern England.

Symbio Business Manager, Kerr Hunter, said, “I am delighted to have Gary and Richard at Origin Amenity Solutions and representing the Symbio brand. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge that benefits our customers and our business. As the use of biologicals and biostimulants grows, it is vital that we have the right people providing advice and support.”  

Deeside Golf Club, set in traditional Scottish parkland on the bank of the River Dee outside Aberdeen, has signed its third renewal agreement with Toro, boosting its fleet by a further 17 machines. 

The club has welcomed an extensive raft of machinery which includes fairway mowers, sidewinders, top dressers and sprayers, along with the electric ride-on Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370. 

The machines support course manager, Neil McLoughlin, and his eight full-time staff to maintain the club’s 27 holes all-year round. 

Neil explains: “We are located in traditional Scottish parkland and due to our position just eight metres above sea level on the banks of the River Dee we can experience some challenging environmental conditions. We can be subject to flooding, particularly in winter when the water table sits high, and we have lots of mature trees casting shade across parts of the course. Resilient, reliable machinery is a must for us and Toro provides quality every time.

“It’s easy to use, adaptable and, having worked with Toro for so long, we understand the machines. Plus, the greenkeeping team absolutely love using them. 

“Some of our older mowers are into their thirteenth year with us, which is testament to their quality and durability. They still provide as excellent a finish as the newer models we’ve recently introduced, although I have to say we’re particularly enjoying the electric eTriFlex 3370 ride-on. It’s so quiet and the cut is fantastic! I would definitely buy electric again.” 

Each machine is set up for its intended purpose, meaning that Neil and his team don’t need to keep adjusting the height of the machines as they go between cutting rough or semi-rough. And, despite such a large fleet, technical issues are few and far between.

Neil continues: “We seldom have any problems and if we do, they are resolved quickly. The back-up is vital for us as we don’t have a full-time mechanic on site. Whilst we can carry out basic maintenance ourselves, we rely on having the support from the team at Reesink.”

PREVENTING DISEASE ONSET

ROBOTIC WARS

WEEDS OF CONCERN

INDUSTRY NEEDS TO HAVE ITS SAY

RENOVATION TIMES AHEAD

WHY PARKS MATTER

THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION

CHARGED UP FOR NEW MACHINERY

HEADING TOWARDS CLOSE OF PLAY

THE CURRENT STATE OF GOLF - PART 2

HOT & BOTHERED

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

DUE RECOGNITION

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

SIZZLING SUMMER ON ITS WAY

MAKING PARKS SAFE

INVESTNG IN FACILITIES

LOW PAY CRISIS

SPORT IN CRISIS

DRYING OUT . .

RETURNING TO FULL SPEED

ROBOTS ON THE RISE

A GAME CHANGER FOR PARKS

WORKING PRACTICES CHANGED?

OPENING UP

ROADMAP TO NORMALITY

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

BEAST FROM THE EAST RETURNS

PLAYING OUR PART

WISHES GRANTED?

TIME TO REFLECT

SELLING OUR SECTOR

SPRING WITHIN OUR SIGHTS

LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2021

A FLOOD OF WATERLOGGING ADVICE

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

A CLUB GONE WILD
Kilkenny Golf Club

A GOLF COURSE IN THE GARDEN OF IRELAND
Woodenbridge GC

80 YEARS YOUNG
Charleville Golf Club

AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE
Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club

GETTING BACK TOGETHER
Albeit gradually . .

GO WEST
Inishturk GAA pitch – one of the most westerly sportspitches in Europe

WORKING ON A TIGHT BUDGET
Nenagh Golf Club

ON A MISSION
Wrekin Golf Club aiming to enrich wildlife and fauna

WILD AND WONDERFUL
Design By Nature

LEARNING HOW TO SURVIVE
Abbey Par 3

TACKLING OBESITY
Vital that schools can provide sport

A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
Vital for turf professionals

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
Tullamore Golf Club

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES
At Trinity College Dublin

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

Johnstown Castle is an historic building within 150 acres of woodland and gardens in County Wexford. The first castle built on the estate dates back to Norman times. The castle was bought by the Grogan family in 1692 who later married into the Fitzgerald family in the 1800s. The present castle and gardens were designed by Daniel Robertson in the 1830s.

The last owner to live in the castle was Lady Maurice Fitzgerald. She died in 1942 and the estate was handed over to the Irish state in 1945 where it was used for agricultural research. Today Johnstown Castle is home to the Department of Agriculture & Forestry as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It also houses the Irish Agricultural Museum.

The castle at Johnstown estate was owned by the Grogan and Fitzgerald families

In 2019 the Irish Heritage Trust took charge of running the gardens. Back then a total revamp of the amenities was undertaken. This included building a visitor centre and employing a full time gardener. The upgrade meant that the entrance fee was increased to enter the estate, which, initially, led to some objections but almost all of the objectors have since become members after they saw that the money was being reinvested back into the estate. Now more people visit the gardens than ever before.

Autumn is one of the most colourful times in the gardens

The head gardener at Johnstown Castle is Ciarán Fitzgerald, who coincidently shares the same family name of the last owner of the estate but they are not related. “The Fitzgerald family flag is often flown on the castle to celebrate the former owner’s birthday. It’s a strange feeling seeing your family flag flying as you go about your daily chores” said Ciarán.

Head Gardener, Ciarán Fitzgerald

Ciarán is a keen cyclist and cycles 9 miles to work most days. He is very passionate about his work and loves every minute of it. You only have to see his Instagram posts to see the enthusiasm he has for his work. He would be well worth following.

Ciarán started working at Johnstown in 2019. Prior to that he was gardener at nearby Kilmokea Country Manor and Gardens. In those two years Ciarán has already left his mark on the gardens. He has started many projects there including redesigning the sunken garden and establishing wild flora in the woodlands. His next project is to redesign the walled gardens and restore the old greenhouse within the walled gardens.

The nursery. It is hoped that plants will be propogated and made available for the public to purchase

The sunken garden

In 2020 funding was secured to restore the sunken garden. The original sunken garden contained formal box hedging of many shapes and sizes. Recreating this would be too costly to maintain so Ciarán was given a free hand to redesign the sunken garden himself. He has chosen a design based on old Irish and Celtic shapes that were typical during pagan times. Restoration of the sunken garden was a two phase project. Phase 1 has already been completed. This involved draining the ground, digging out and edging the patterns of the paths, using 22 tons of gravel. Phase 2 will see the completion of the pathways and the creation of a 6 metre central pond with kirbing around it. When completed this will be a lovely attraction for visitors and a great legacy for Ciarán. Interestingly there are some redwood trees growing near the sunken garden and when restoration work began, the scrub within the woodland around the sunken garden was cleared, revealing more redwood trees.

The sunken garden is Ciarán’s own design of Irish and celtic patterns

The walled garden

The walled gardens at Johnstown Castle were originally laid out between 1844-1851 and are divided into two sections, each section covering an area of 2 acres. The upper section is closed to the public. It has apple trees, blueberry bushes and some invasive willows. I was surprised to hear from Ciarán that the planting within the walled gardens was only done within the last 70 years or so. He hopes to do a complete makeover of the planting scheme there, including redesigning the herbaceous border; removing the griselinia hedge, which will give better views of the greenhouse; changing the path layout and introducing a culinary herbaceous border in the upper walled garden, which would include vegetables such as artichokes, herbs and asparagus . “Like the sunken garden I have been given a free hand to do a makeover of the walled gardens. Regarding the herbaceous border, I will be influenced by the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, who prioritizes the seasonal life cycle of a plant over decorative considerations and uses bold drifts of herbaceous perennials and grasses in a prairie style of planting” said Ciarán.

The herbaceous border will be modified in the style of the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf

The greenhouse

Within the walled gardens lies the ruins of a greenhouse. This will be part of a restoration project which, when complete, Ciarán hopes to use as a propogation area where plants can be grown from seed or cuttings and planted within the estate.  He would also like to sell some of these plants to the public. The view of the greenhouse was partially blocked by two griselinia hedges which were removed during the past two weeks with the help of a shredder.

Ciarán is busy shredding the griselinia hedge which will allow for better views of the Greenhouse. Photo Ciarán Fitzgerald

While digging the ground in an area behind the old work buildings Ciarán discovered some old stonework which seemed out of place and unusual. It was later revealed that these stones were part of the foundation of the original greenhouses built in the1840s. As luck would have it there was an old photograph on the estate showing the original greenhouses. Experts say that these foundations are in such good condition that they can be used to reconstruct the old greenhouse on.

The magnificant greenhouse that will soon be restored to its former glory

Rewilding the forest

Earlier this month over 5500 native woodland bulbs were planted under the trees within the estate. These included native bluebells, wild cyclamen and snowdrops. They will give a great display of colour in early spring. Certain areas of the estate have been left grow wild and unmown so as to encourage wild flowers establish. These areas will be mown soon and removed so that some wild flower seeds can be sown, such as yellow rattle. There was a sense of excitement in his voice when he talked about this, as he was expecting delivery of a new flail collector mower, which will be used to cut the meadow. “This new machine is a major step forward in the development of our meadows. It will enable us to remove the grass from the meadows when they get their annual cut. This prevents the build up of nutrients in the soil. The lower nutrient levels are favoured by native wildflowers, making it easier for the meadows to develop. I can’t wait to try it”, said an excited Ciarán.

Converting part of the forest areas to wild flower meadows has proven popular to visitors

I wondered how could one man undertake such projects and still maintain the grounds to such a high standard? “When I started working here I was the only paid gardener. We introduced volunteers, many of whom have gardening experiences and skills - we even have a pruning expert. Today we have around eighteen volunteers. Half of them come in for four hours on Thursday and the other half for the same time on Friday. They are a great bunch of people and I would be lost without them” said Ciarán. Earlier this year an assistant gardener was employed. His name is Peter Jordan and he now helps with Ciarán with the gardening tasks. Lockdown was a tough time for Ciarán as the volunteers were not allowed to come in and help. “It was a long five months without my volunteers. It was hard work trying to keep the place tidy without them so their return was a welcome sight” said Ciarán.

Assistant gardener Peter Jordan (left) and Ciarán Fitzgerald in the old greenhouse

The grass maintenance around the estate was given to an outside contractor but this will now be done in-house. For that reason a third gardener will be employed soon to help with the mowing of the lawns.

A familiar sight around the estate are peacocks but there is a lot of wildlife around as well. Only in the past few years woodpeckers have taken up residence there. You can hear them banging on tree trucks during the spring. There are also pine martins and red squirrels. Otters have been seen around the lakes and the odd deer rambles in from the nearby hills. Mandarin ducks are also residents on the estate.

Otters were spotted last spring in one of the lakes

It was an absolute pleasure getting the tour of the gardens with Ciarán. I didn’t realise how much and varied his work is. He has so much enthusiasm and loves what he does. He can’t hide his love for the job. It would be well worth following him on Instagram. Search Johnstowncastleheadgardener. I promise you it will be well worth it.