Conservation & Ecology Kim Blake, Fulford Heath Golf Club
up the view, they also have environmental benefits - attracting bees and insects through the summer, and providing feed for birds in winter. Moreover, this is a low cost option that is easy to maintain. Two head greenkeepers who have seen benefits in adding colour to their courses and creating wildlife-friendly habitats, are Kim Blake of Fulford Heath Golf Club near Birmingham, and Andy Laing of Gaudet Luce Golf Club, near Droitwich. With advice from Matt Gresty of Limagrain UK and Mark Allen of ALS, they’ve been able to establish a range of flower and environmental mixtures which have been beneficial to their clubs. Kim Blake is the course manager at
T Andy Laing, Gaudet Luce Golf Club
Fulford Heath Golf Club. Prior to this, his career path has been somewhat unconventional. He began in the industry by gaining a distinction in Greenkeeping on the first ever course held in the UK, at Moreton Morrell College in 1976, and worked at Gay Hill Golf Club and then Broadway Golf Club. But, after five years, and finding it difficult to get a first assistant post, he diversified and found himself milking cows for a local farmer. Following that, Kim took up agricultural contracting, whilst in his ‘spare time’ growing vegetables in four acres of rented greenhouses. In 1988, Kim returned to the greens, taking up the post at Fulford Heath. The agricultural experience has certainly stood him in good stead, and he prides himself in having a good head for economics and efficiency. Kim explains: “I’ve quite a modest budget to manage the course, so I’m always looking for ways to improve efficiency and cut costs. It’s all about getting the right systems. This comes from experimenting and seeing what actually works in practice.”
Six years ago, Kim persuaded the club to invest in a composter for grass
he sowing of colourful flower mixtures can cheer up town roundabouts, parks and gardens, and the out-of-play areas on golf courses. They not only brighten
cuttings and the waste from the clubhouse. “We can now make around 150 tonnes of topsoil, which is then mixed 2:1 with medium coarse sand to make the divot mix. Not only can we make topsoil for £14 a tonne, instead of buying it in for £26 a tonne, it’s also a better product,” says Kim. Establishing conservation areas to encourage wildlife is one of Kim’s interests. He used to put out seed in feeders to encourage the birds. But, remembering the game cover crops he used to sow in his contracting days, he changed four years ago to sowing game cover mixtures with plants which naturally provide seeds for birds and small mammals through the winter months. He uses a spring sown mixture - which includes dwarf sunflowers, and which draw positive comments from members - and an autumn sown one. So, the conservation areas no longer have to be mown, and there are more birds and wildlife around the course.
Decorative flower mixtures
The sowing of decorative flower mixtures at Fulford Heath was prompted by a particular area of ground which was never an attractive feature. The relief car park is surrounded by a bank of stony and poor soil, so it is hard to get good grass cover. Kim explains: “Nettles would flourish
there through the summer, and need regular strimming. We tried sowing a red and white clover mixture with vetches to develop low level cover, but it looked awful. The wildflower mixtures we tried never developed into a good display either.”
In 2010, Limagrain’s Matt Gresty suggested Kim try out a decorative flower mixture from a new range of annual mixtures called Colour Splash which were being launched that year. Kim chose Douce France, a mixture containing Cosmos, Zinnia, Cornflower, Marigold and Eschscholzia. This mixture grows to a maximum height of 50cm which was an important factor for Kim, who needed to maintain visibility across the course. Matt explains: “These annual flower mixtures are very easy to sow and
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