A green future for our cities

A dazzling array of speakers at London Parks & Gardens Trust's 20th Anniversary Symposium, 'London's Green Future', left us with no doubt about the importance of keeping London as one of the greenest cities in the world.

A quick glimpse at the Trust's website shows an inventory of over 2,600 green spaces in the capital. http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk They will be even more essential when, as Peter Massini (Urban Greening Team Leader for Greater London Authority) predicts, London has a population of 11 million - a prospect that is a mere 20 to 30 years away.

copyright Liz Ware

Paul Lincoln from the Landscape Institute introduced us to the idea of 'liveable' cities.  Well-designed greenspace is, he says, 'a refuge and an asset'.  It's important that property developers understand that taking landscape into consideration increases saleability.

James Hitchmough, Professor of Horticultural Ecology at the University of Sheffield is working to find a balance between human cultural needs and enhanced biodiversity.  He encouraged us to be flexible in our city planting and not to get caught in the trap of thinking that only native is good.

Dusty Gedge, the Green Roof Campaigner and Designer, talked us through the benefits of green roofs. Cooling in summer and insulating in winter, they have plenty to offer an environmentally aware city. http://greenroofconsultancy.com

Tom Armour is working on Joanna Lumley's idea for London's Garden Bridge - 'the slowest way to cross the river'.  An exciting project, not least because the importance of getting the soil right for the plants has taken precedence over the structure of the bridge itself. http://www.gardenbridgetrust.org/index.html

It doesn't matter how forward thinking we are in our urban greening, without a constant stream of well-trained horticulturalists, creating and maintaining greenspace will be impossible. Leigh Morris, President of the Institute of Horticulture summed up the success of the Grow Careers initiative. Two years on, Careers Officers are realising that horticulture has something to offer everyone, whatever their level of intellect. http://www.growcareers.info

If your brain is in need of stimulation this weekend, and in the most beautiful of gardens, head to Petworth House for the 2nd Garden Museum Literary Festival.  A peaceful weekend beckons, where the only difficult decision will be deciding which of the extraordinary collection of speakers to hear. http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/page/a-friend-a-book-and-a-garden-a-festival-of-garden-literature-21-and-22-june-at-petworth-house

Healthy Landscapes

'Blue' landscapes are at least as good for us as 'green'?  That's just one result from the latest research on the benefits of spending time in the natural world reported at the Garden Museum's symposium on 'Healthy Landscapes'.

copyright Liz Ware

It was an excellent day of inspirational presentations, so why were some of us slightly uneasy?  Was it because, as one delegate pointed out, not all the benefits of time in green (or blue) space are quantifiable or easily collected through research?

We are having to play the numbers game to prove the value of green space to those who, until recently, were not prepared to listen. But is this a game that works well in a business setting but is lacking when we're discussing the natural world?

What happens, in our tick box culture, to a garden related project that has to justify its existence statistically in order to survive?  If it can't describe all the benefits it creates in statistical terms, will it receive the funding it deserves?

We're squeamish about mentioning it, but there is more to us than mind and body.  The connection between our soul and the soil has been recognised by man since the beginning of time.  If we ignore this fact when we are quantifying the benefits of green space we're leaving something vital out of the equation.  But there might be a solution.

Anyone who has ever been involved in buying or selling a business will agree that 'goodwill' is 'a thing very easy to describe, very difficult to define'. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/cgmanual/cg68010.htm As HM Customs and Revenue website points out, the fact that goodwill is difficult to show 'on a balance sheet does not mean that it doesn't exist'.

If we're not brave enough to acknowledge the spiritual value of nature just yet, can we at least ensure that this benefit (as difficult to measure and describe as goodwill) can be included in every assessment of healthy landscapes.  If we don't, some very worthwhile projects risk missing out on funding.

copyright Liz Ware

Whether you live in a green, blue or predominantly grey landscape, you will have noticed that we're having a bumper May.  What a joy to be surrounded by bluebells, cow parsley, hawthorn, cuckoos and swifts all at once - the entire month's delights in one sitting.

Of course, May also brings with it the excitement of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Anyone feeling the need for a break from the crowds will find an intriguing exhibition in the peace and tranquillity of the Garden Museum. http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/page/london-tree-week-knitted-trees-11-05-13-18-05-13

'Alan Titchmarsh: 50 years of Gardening' is running from 19 May to 31 August.  It tells the story of the changes that have taken place in gardens and gardening since the 1960s when Alan started work as a teenage apprentice in a municipal nursery.  This recent history is interwoven with a personal narrative, told through 101 garden-related objects.

Don't forget the Chelsea Fringe. http://www.chelseafringe.com/#  If you don't venture to London this year, there are plenty of Fringe activities happening elsewhere.  Look out for Bristol's Get Growing Trail http://www.bristolfoodnetwork.org/2014/05/bristols-get-growing-garden-trail-2014/  and events in Kent, Brighton and even Vienna.

Looking ahead to 21 and 22 June, Arley Hall and Gardens near Knutsford are celebrating their 20th garden festival this year.  Anyone booking a ticket before 16 June has the opportunity to win breakfast with Chris Beardshaw and with Lord Ashbrook, whose family have lived at Arley Hall for more than 500 years.  A good opportunity for a garden history conversation perhaps? http://www.arleyhallandgardens.com/win-breakfast-tvs-award-winning-designer-gardener/