News HTA advice lines are a hit


HTA advice lines have been receiving some glowing reviews from HTA members. Business rates expert Ian Charman of Turner Morum LLP (see page 18) has been providing the Business Rates advice line for over 25 years, saving HTA members a considerable amount of money during this time. Mark and Linda Lawlor of Bodmin Nursery said, ‘We cannot recommend Mr Charman more highly – his knowledge in this specialist field was second to none. He was professional, commercially minded and swift to respond. To have access to such industry experts is of vital importance to small businesses.’


John Singleton of Singletons for Flowers in Bromsgrove wrote to say, ‘We recently had problems with the rateable value of our premises and took advice from Turner Morum LLP. The information and advice we were given was excellent. I would like to recommend that anyone with rating problems use this company. Their knowledge and help was outstanding and we achieved the result we wanted. I would like to say a big thank you to them.’


_You will find the full listing of HTA advice lines on page 19


Tribute to rose grower Peter Beales


Hundreds of mourners gathered at a service to celebrate the life of award-winning rose grower Peter Beales, who died last month aged 76. Peter, a prominent member of the HTA British Rose Group, dedicated his life to roses, breeding varieties for the Queen, the Queen Mother and Prince Charles. Last year, Peter Beales Roses grew the Queen’s rose for the Diamond Jubilee and won its 19th Gold Medal at the RHS


Chelsea Flower Show. Among his many accolades Peter was awarded the RHS Lawrence Medal in 1997 and 2007 and the Victoria Medal of Honour in 2003. In 2005 Peter was appointed MBE; in 2009 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Garden Media Guild. Peter’s daughter Amanda and son Richard continue to run the family business in Attleborough, Norfolk. He will be sadly missed by all.


Pat Fitzgerald scoops another IPM award


Once again, a huge number of horticultural businesses from all over the world started their year exhibiting at the annual IPM exhibition, held in January at Essen, near Dusseldorf, Germany. It is the largest event of its kind in our industry. The range of products was mind boggling, but it


is the plant displays that most visitors flock to see. With northern Europe still in the grip of winter the presentation of spring- and summer-flowering plants was stunning and the standard of entries in the ‘Novelties’ award was exceptionally high. Fifty-three plants were entered in nine categories and HTA member Fitzgerald Nurseries received the Mark of Distinction in the Perennial Plants category for Primula hybrid ‘Claddagh’, a new Irish bred, dark-leaved, hardy primrose. Nursery owner Pat Fitzgerald said, ‘The award is our third Best Plant in Category Award at IPM Essen in the past seven years. I am delighted with this one as it’s for a plant bred in Ireland from heritage genes that have been passed around from gardener to gardener over the past 150 years. These Kennedy Irish Primroses bring the plant back to its rightful position as a hardy garden perennial instead of a bright, blowsy bedding plant. We Irish like our beer


6 HTAnews I March 2013 I www.the-hta.org.uk The late, great Peter Beales HTA member wins at IPM, Essen


dark and the same goes for our primroses – these dark foliage types with contrasting flowers are really turning heads.’


Other award winners included: Spring-flowering Plants: Arabis hybrid ‘Alabaster’ (Kientzler). Bedding and Balcony Plant: Verbena hybrid Lanai ® ‘Twister Red’ (Syngenta Seeds). Woody Plants: Fagus sylvatica ‘Asterix’ (Stöckmann) – this red beech with a bonsai habit was distinguished as the IPM Innovation 2013. A special prize was awarded to Magnolia hybrid ‘Cleopatra’ (Plantipp) – in the opinion of the jury, this is an eye-catcher in the spring garden due to its flower colour and growth.


_Both Fitzgerald Nurseries and Plantipp will be exhibiting at the


HTA National Plant Show on 25 and 26 June. For more information, visit www.nationalplantshow.co.uk


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