32 Employees recently visited The Mount St John Estate at Felixkirk, Thirsk, over two dates during the summer.
It was great to see the plants and trees we have supplied in situ with the partnership going back fifteen years.
On arrival, the estate provided Johnsons staff with tea, coffee and cake and gave a tremendous behind-the-scenes tour of their kitchen garden, contemporary terrace and valley garden.
Mount St John is a private garden, and the owners commissioned Tom Stuart Smith in 2004 to create a design. He drew inspiration from the field patterns visible from the house and the main garden was completed in 2006, the valley garden commenced is still ongoing. The monastic foundations of the preceptory belonging to the Knights Hospitaller of the order of St John of Jerusalem lie in the field below the Georgian property of 1720. The Victorian kitchen garden and cut flower garden supply local restaurants with produce.
All in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the tours and were amazed by the size and beauty of the gardens and were grateful for the opportunity to see the plants we supply in a different setting.
Posted 14th Aug 11:49am
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We have teamed up with ATM Ltd to to supply and beautify the 12.5-acre botanical garden at York Museum Gardens.
The gardens are located just 11 miles from our head office and were planted by Boroughbridge-based landscaping contractor ATM Ltd.
The plants were used to refresh and update some of the beds within the Gardens as part of the recent Environment Agency flood defence improvements project. The planting design was developed by Steve Williams, Garden Manager at York Museum Trust; and consultants AECOM.
York Museum Gardens are located along the north bank of the River Ouse and are a listed botanical garden, containing many varieties of trees, deciduous and evergreen, native and exotic.
The Gardens were first established in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society and The Yorkshire Museum, situated onsite, was one of the first purpose-built museums in the country. The gardens and museum were given in trust to the City of York Council in 1960 and have been managed by the York Museums Trust since 2002.
ATM Ltd, one of the UK’s leading landscaping, highway and maintenance contractors is located 18 miles down the road from the Gardens and was tasked with providing the soft landscaping for the project, following engineering works to raise an existing flood bank. Some planting had to be removed, whilst other areas along a woodland path were in need of rejuvenation.
Johnsons plants used in the project include Astilbe, Astrantia, Bergenia, Brunnera, Carex, Digitalis, Euonymus, Helleborus, Hosta, Hydrangea, Pulmonaria, Viburnum, Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ and Clerodendrum trichotomum. They were carefully selected to ensure there would be a range of flowering plants through the year to help pollinators thrive.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said: “It’s an honour to join forces with ATM, one of our long-standing customers, to supply and beautify these local botanic gardens.
“York Museum Gardens is on our doorstep, so it has been great to visit the site and see the hard work ATM have completed and see the plants thriving. We hope the new planting will be enjoyed by visitors to York for many years to come.”
Daniel McClaren, Contracts Manager at ATM Ltd, said: “ ATM has been proud to complete the soft landscaping of this project. It was a pleasure to work with York Museum Gardens, AECOM and Johnsons of Whixley to refresh and update some of the beds within the gardens as part of the recent flood defence improvements. The plants were carefully selected with wildlife and seasons in mind. The gardens will be enjoyed all year round. ”
York Museum Trust Garden Manager, Steve Williams said: “We are committed to improving the biodiversity of our city-centre gardens which welcomes over 1.3 million visitors a year. The plants have helped us to implement a new biodiverse scheme for our Riverside walk in an area which has recently undergone flood scheme alleviation. We selected plants that would flower at different times of the year, including pollinator and butterfly friendly flowers which will help insects to thrive and also support the lifecycles of wider wildlife in the area.”
Posted 11th Aug 2:46pm
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Welcome back to Matt Reid, a familiar face who re-joins our amenity sector, having previously run our wholesale cash & carry. See what he says about his new role below and what it’s like to be back below:
1)How does it feel to be back?
Great! Really good, which has only been enhanced with the lovely reception people have given me.
2)Has much changed at Johnsons while you’ve been away?
Whilst it’s clear the main drivers of the business come from the same and similar sectors I can only see and sense positive changes. Improvements in the systems show better organisation, plus the business has clearly increased its turnover significantly since my previous employment allowing the sales team to size up. So only positive changes.
3)What will your new role involve?
Being a part of the sales team in Amenity, more specially taking and looking after a chunk of some whom are currently Adams customers, covering some of the South and Wales. Which will enable us to apply ourselves to the area better as we look to increase our sales percentage.
4) What has been a challenge so far?
Honestly? Not much at all! Probably just trying to keep my cool in the gap between being offered the position and start work with you all.
5) What are you most looking forward to?
Getting back to a trade-based working environment within a sector I am passionate about working in. Working alongside some familiar faces whilst I get to know some new people will be another bonus.
6) Something we don’t know about you?
In the three years leading up to the pandemic lockdown I went to over 150 live music gigs.
7) Do you have any hobbies?
As the last answer might suggest I am a bit obsessed with music and spend as much time as I can in between whatever I’m doing listening to music. I love listening to podcasts. These days I make a point of keeping up with friends and family. Try to remain reasonably active so like to get on my bike or for a walk, and if I’m not on my feet, I like to create art, sometimes by drawing or sometimes digitally.
8) Name one thing on your bucket list?
To go on a trip to Mongolia!
9) Favourite cuisine?
Mostly something with an Asian and/or Indian type of flavour
10) Biggest pet peeve?
Life at the moment is a pretty good place to be; as such, I am really not sure on the spot!
Amenity sales manager, Vicky Newell said: ” It is great to work with Matt again, he has settled in really well, like he never left! He adds another dimension to our Amenity team and has great horticultural knowledge which really helps.”
Posted 7th Aug 9:04am
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