Contracts
It is not common knowledge, that here at Digswell Nurseries, 150,000 plants are grown annually for a contract held with Welwyn Hatfield Council. This allows the hard work of the team here at Digswell to be seen within the local community.
Plant choices are made by the Landscape Officer at the Council, and then passed to David Lingard, Horticulturist at Digswell to confirm that plant choices are available to obtain as seed or plugs. After a short period of correspondence to agree prices and terms, supplies are ordered and the mammoth task of ‘dibbing out’ gets underway!
Once the plants are at the preliminary stage of being ready for release and planting out, representatives from the Council and Serco (the contractors appointed to do the planting) attend a meeting with David to inspect the crop and to get the ball rolling for the previous season’s plants to be removed from the flower beds in preparation for new plants.
Serco teams arrive several times daily to collect plants to plant across Welwyn Hatfield.
The process from start to finish takes around 5-6 months, from the deliverance of plant choices to collection of plants.
An important ethos that Digswell holds is its environmental policy. Chemicals are used only when absolutely necessary, peat free compost is used where feasible, and all of the pots and trays used for the contract are recycled, either through re-use or via local authority.
For further information please contact: David Lingard
Email: digswell@sjog.org.uk