Women prepare Styal-ish garden for RHS Flower Show

Female offenders at HMP Styal, Cheshire, showed visitors to the RHS Tatton Flower Show their journey of rehabilitation in their aptly named ‘Metamorphosis’ garden.

The 14 x 6 metre garden, which gained a silver award at the show, plots the prisoner’s journey from sentencing though to release, using a combination of planting styles and horticultural techniques. The garden focuses on the women’s developmental journey from dark days to brighter future.

Eight offenders from Styal womens prison were chosen to participate in the RHS garden project – a joint partnership between The Manchester College and the prison. Most of the women are currently studying for a City & Guilds Horticultural qualification from the college, which supplies offender learning services at the prison. Elements of the garden were supplied by prisoners from other courses; the butterfly was designed and painted by offenders from the Painting & Decorating course and the signpost and Beehive made by prisoners on the Construction course.

Some 11,000 women offenders go to prison each year in the UK – more than half of those are likely to reoffend without intervention from offender learning programmes like those supplied by The Manchester College.

Kelly, a female prisoner from Styal who took part in the RHS Tatton project, said: “I’ve never had the opportunity to do anything like this and it’s given me confidence in myself, something that I’ve never ever had. I’m really proud of the garden and what I’ve done. It’s been a real team effort, which has showed me that I’m not on my own, that help and support is out there, I just need to ask for it.”

The Manchester College runs offender learning services at prisons across the UK, providing prisoners with the opportunity to learn new skills as part of their rehabilitation programme; from hairdressing and catering to horticulture and decorating. The college focuses largely on helping prisoners with key skills, which are often missing from prisoners’ lives, as well as vocational skills that will help them into work on release.

Richard Heys, The Manchester College Horticultural Trainer at the prison, explained the benefits: “If we invest in offenders, reskilling them, improving their self esteem, health and wellbeing, they are far more likely to return to society and make a successful contribution. While some people may be concerned that educating and skilling prisoners means that they will take jobs from ordinary hardworking people, the hard fact of the matter is that without it prisoners are far more likely to reoffend.

“We’ve seen the women as well as the flowers thriving during this project, which has been an incredibly successful collaboration between HMP Styal and The Manchester College.”

The zero-cost project was partly funded by the Big Lottery Fund and sponsored by local businesses – John Wood Nurseries, Four Oaks, Newgate Nursery and Newbank Garden Centre – who provided materials for garden.

No Bacter sales good at garden centres

DJ TURFCARE launched a new 7.5 kilo bag for the award-winning MO Bacter earlier this year, specifically for the garden centre marketplace.

And garden centres in Scotland, the first to try it, found the product flying off the shelves in this year’s wet summer months – perfect conditions for the moss-eliminating organic lawn fertiliser.

Now the award-winning product, in bright attractive packaging, is being targeted for autumn sales at garden centres in the south of the country

MO Bacter is an organic granular lawn fertiliser that destroys moss and eliminates debris by bacterial action, avoiding the need to rake.

It has recently been featured on BBC TV’s Beechgrove Garden series in Scotland where it received much praise for success in trials on their moss-infested lawns.

The new size bag will treat up to 75 square metres, while a regular 20 kilo bag treats up to 200 square metres.

“This year’s wet summer months have created the perfect environment for continued sales of MO Bacter,” said managing director David Jenkins. “Because the product needs damp and warm conditions to operate effectively we have not been hit with the usual slower sales that would have been caused by a drought.”

MO Bacter, from Viano of Belgium, is a totally organic product which eliminates moss and fertilises lawns without the need for raking debris.

It won the Turf Professional ‘Product of the Year’ at a national golf industry show and has since received much praise from both professionals and amateur gardeners alike.

MO Bacter is an organic slow-release granular fertiliser which eradicates moss, feeds grass and improves the soil. Scarifying after treatment is not necessary. Lawns are fed for six weeks with one application.

Moss dies as a result of excess potassium but leaves no black debris. The dead moss is then digested by the bacteria in MO Bacter (npk: 5-5-20). The product does not stain stonework, patios or paths.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has seen remarkable results in which two inches of moss at one cemetery in Oxfordshire was virtually eliminated in six months, with no need for scarifying to remove debris. And headstones are completely unmarked.

Renowned tennis head groundsman Eddie Seaward tested MO Bacter and said he found it to be “very effective and very efficient.”

The product is harmless to animals and wildlife and will not damage border plants.

“This product is revolutionising the way moss is treated on grass near stonework,” says David Jenkins.

DJ Turfcare is the sole distributor in the UK for Viano fertilisers.

Own a garden centre and wish to stock MO Bacter? Call them on 01483 200976.

DETAILS: DJ Turfcare on 01483 200976.
www.djturfcare.co.uk

FACTFILE:

What is MO Bacter?

MO Bacter is an organic slow-release granular fertiliser based on the NPK formulation 5-5-20 (Nitrogen 5percent Phosphate 5percent and Potassium 20percent). It also contains a natural bacteria (Bacillus sp.).

What does it do?

MO Bacter applies the three essential nutrients to the turf on lawns and an extra dose of potassium, which moss cannot survive. The moss dies as a result of the secondary action of this potassium overdose, while grass strength is greatly improved.

Within three to four weeks of application, under ideal conditions, you will see the moss go brown. A short time afterwards this dead moss will start to disappear, the bacteria in MO Bacter digesting the dead material.

The slow-release granules will continue to supply nutrients to the grass plants for up to three months, ensuring a healthy lawn.

How do I apply it?

By hand or spreader at the rate of one handful (about 200 grammes) per two square metres. A 20 kilo bag will treat up to 200 square metres. 7.5 kilos will treat up to 75 square metres.

It does not matter if it rains afterwards. MO Bacter works best when the soil temperature reaches 5degC so warm damp conditions are ideal.

When do I apply it?

MO Bacter can be applied from early March through to August for healthy grass and moss elimination and is also very successful when used in early autumn (September-October) for acting as a moss control throughout the winter.

How do I store it?

Keep MO Bacter in cool dry conditions, stored in the plastic bag and secured at the top. You can continue to use the product for up to 12 months after the bag has been opened. It should keep well if you ensure the bag is not in damp conditions.

What are the advantages of MO Bacter?

There are five main advantages: MO Bacter is Organic; Slow-release; Does not mark stonework; Does not harm children, animals or plants; Destroys moss, eradicating debris – thus resulting in no raking.

Last chance to win garden makeover from Anglian Home Improvements with David Domoney

If you’ve ventured out in the garden this week you’ll notice that all the rain we’ve had lately has really taken its toll and the weeds have gone into overdrive. Well luckily for you, help is at hand from Anglian Home Improvements, who are running a free prize draw for one lucky homeowner to win a garden makeover with TV garden expert David Domoney, valued at £10,000.

Courtesy of the UK’s leading conservatory, door and window double glazing specialist, David and his team of Garden Angels will help transform the winner’s garden, advising on the best plants and layout, tidying the existing plot and spending up to £2,500 on new plants, trees and ornaments to fit in with David’s garden design advice.

Recently seen on ITV’s Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh, green fingered expert David Domoney regularly appears on television gardening shows and also creates garden designs for the RHS shows. He explained why many of our gardens have grown out of control this summer.

“The weeds have flourished this year due to all the rain we’ve had, while the more tender varieties that are a favourite in many British gardens like bedding plants and exotics have suffered from lack of sunlight, an excess of water and low temperatures. The damp conditions have led to an explosion of slugs and snails too, which have been wreaking havoc all over the garden. It’s been almost impossible for most of us to get outside and tend to the borders, so this prize draw from Anglian will give one lucky person a great opportunity to sit back and let me and my team do all the hard work to get their garden back in shape.”

Launched by Anglian Home Improvements and David Domoney at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show last month, the prize draw deadline has been extended and it now closes at 3.30pm on Monday 6 August 2012. To be in with a chance of winning the garden makeover, simply enter your name and email address here. More information and full terms and conditions can be found on the Anglian Home Improvements website.