Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 8037 10 Horticultural Maintenance Horticultural maintenance should be based on the quality of the outcome. The schedule or contract should ensure that maintenance is carried out to recognised National Sector Standards. The management plan should detail both what managers are trying to achieve now, and in the future, and outline how different areas of the site are managed. Details should be made available to judges on their visit. During their visit, judges will be looking for a good quality standard of horticultural maintenance across all areas of the site. Relevant staff within the organisation should be qualified in recognised horticultural skills. Issues to consider: + There should be evidence that good standards of horticultural practice are being maintained across all areas of the site, e.g. shrub beds, flower beds and grassed areas + Sites must demonstrate appropriate management of other features, such as water bodies + Work specifications should emphasise the quality of the end product and new tenders should include assessment of horticultural expertise and staff experience as well as cost + If not done in-house, smaller contracts could be awarded for specialised items of grounds maintenance, such as shrubberies, lakes and ecology areas + Can you involve volunteers (through, for example, Friends’ or Conservation Groups, Tenants and Residents’ Associations or green gym programmes) in looking after small areas of a site? It is vital that a dedicated, skilled member of staff is present to provide assistance and oversight and to ensure safety as well as the quality of the finished job All necessary training should be provided. Further Information Lantra (UK) – A leading body in land based and environmental training courses www.lantra.co.uk Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) www.rhs.org.uk