Cities need to ‘green up’ to reduce the impact of air pollution
The study is a collaborative effort by partners from the UK, Europe and USA, led by the Professor Kumar under the umbrella of H2020 funded project, iSCAPE: Improving Smart Control of Air Pollution in Europe.
The report findings include that the harmful impact of urban air pollution could be combated by strategically placing low hedges along roads in a built-up city environments. Hedges are often better than trees at soaking up air pollution among tall buildings, as they can trap toxins at exhaust pipe level, so reduce people’s direct exposure to harmful pollutants.
Green Infrastructure
Professor Kumar, who is Chair in Air Quality & Health at the University of Surrey, said future urban planning need to consider designing and implementing more green infrastructure, such as trees and hedges in the built environment to create a healthier urban lifestyle.
Taller trees have more of an impact in reducing air pollution in areas which are more open and are less densely populated by taller buildings.
Further Research
Professor Kumar concluded: “Under the framework of the iSCAPE project, we are currently performing targeted field investigations to quantify the effects of different types of green barriers along the busy open-road sides. This will help to develop evidence-based guidelines to support future urban planning and the public to make informed choices to “green up” their surrounding environments.”
The BBC’s environment analyst, Roger Harrabin reported on the study on the Corporation’s science news webpages.
Practicality Brown have a number of hedging solutions that will work in urban environments – call us on 01753 652022 – or complete our contact form.
Garden Hedges
Hedges are aesthetically pleasing and add character to a property, whether they are an integral part of the design, or form a boundary fence. We have a number of mature hedge options across a range species, both evergreen and deciduous, including the popular Native Mix.
A good hedge has many benefits in addition to being a garden boundary:
Native mix hedge in private garden
- It provide a good shelter; reducing wind strength better than a solid fence
- It acts as a filter; absorbing dust and noise
- It offers privacy; as an effective visual screen
- It offers a level of security; a prickly hedge is a great deterrent
- It has natural beauty and interest with seasonal changes
- It provides background texture and colour to complement other plants
- Wildlife can benefit from its food and shelter for insects, birds and mammals
- It is long-lived; many hedges can last hundreds of years
Native Mix Instant Hedges
Native mix hedging contains plants that are all native to the UK and as such emulate traditional country hedgerows found throughout Britain. Our Native Mix would usually contain a combination of Hazel, Blackthorn, Hornbeam, Dogwood and Hawthorn, all of which are indigenous species.
Close up of leaves in Native mix hedge
Native Mix hedges creates a natural look and contain a variety of colours and textures which provide a rich living collage for excellent seasonal interest from the early spring blossoms to fruits and berries in the autumn. All kinds of wildlife will be attracted by the food and shelter opportunities.
Native hedging, by its very nature will thrive on most soil types and can be planted in all but the deepest of shade. It will tend to grow quite quickly at some 20 – 40 cm per year and will require pruning once a year, ideally in July; it can be left un-pruned, when it will prove even more wildlife friendly.
First planted in 1998, Practicality Brown is the sole supplier of the award-winning Elveden Instant Hedge, which is a truly mature, dense hedging product.
The Elveden Instant Hedge difference:
- Grown from British origin stock (seed or cutting) not just UK provenance (which can be where plants have been growing in the last six months)
- Allowed to grow and mature over time at the Elveden Estate in East Anglia
- The roots are grown in a membrane which helps to eliminate transplant shock; thereby allowing planting of this substantial mature hedge to be carried out all year round
- It is fed, watered and regularly clipped to ensure that it is an effective, robust and dense hedge around 2ft deep
- For example the Green Beech available to plant now at 1.8m high was planted during 2008/9 season, some 7 or 8 years of diligent care and attention whilst the same height Laurel is 4-5 years old.
- Available in 2.5m length strips which ensure continuity of plants, as they are replanted in the same order as they are lifted from the ground.
Time and again this proper instant hedge provides landscape architects and garden designers with the essential element to emphasize, enhance or enclose their design. We have stock available in heights from 1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m across a range of species, all of which are 400-500mm deep.
Elveden Instant Hedge is a premium product and still is the best in class in terms of the size, density and quality; it is perfect for high end projects and where clients or circumstances demand a superior finish.
The Landscape Show is a trade event, aimed at garden designers, architects, landscape contractors, local authority landscaping professionals, facilities managers and interior designers from all over the UK and beyond.
Once again we exhibited at the event, which is in Battersea Park London, showcasing the Elveden Instant Hedge. We were able to talk to new customers and meet up with existing ones.
Thank you to everyone that visited us – we hope to see more of you soon!
Practicality Brown are proud to be supporting garden designers for Show and Summer Gardens at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show this July by supplying top quality large hedging plants and trees.
A Dog’s Life Garden designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes for The Dogs Trust
As Dogs Trust celebrates its 125th anniversary, this garden marks the charity’s commitment to finding new, loving owners for thousands of homeless dogs every year.
PMS: Outside Inside Garden for NAPS designed by Emma Bannister @pmsgarden
The garden is inspired by the stories of those who suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome. The common native planting on the outside contrasts with the inaccessible space and distorted planting inside.
World Vision Garden designed by John Warland
The World Vision Garden symbolises journeys of life. Inspired by the lives of children around the world, the floating waves of turf each represent an individual life.
A breath of Fresh Air design by Rae Wilkinson for The Abbeyfield Society
Breathing new life into the concept of a sensory garden and celebrating 60 years of The Abbeyfield Society, the design has created a calming space for older people and specifically those living with dementia.
A Summer Retreat designed by Laura Arison and Amanda Waring for CCLA
Inspired by the ethos of the Arts and Crafts Movement, the garden embraces the values of simplicity, elegance, style and craftsmanship. It is designed to be either a separate garden room adjoined to a larger space or an entity on its own.
The Lavender Garden designed by Paula Napper, Sarah Warren and Donna King
The design is inspired by the scent, colour and romance of lavenders grown at a dairy farm on the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park.
For more details on the show, check out the RHS website
RHS Flower Shows
Practicality Brown are pleased and proud to supply our Elveden Instant Hedge to gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show again this year.
Congratulations to David Austin Roses on another Gold medal!
A fantastic achievement and well done to everyone involved with producing David Austin Roses stand. We are pleased to have supplied our Elveden Instant Hedge, both Hornbeam and Box, which sets off the beautiful roses to reveal their perfection!
Congratulations to Papworth Trust on Silver Gilt medal
A wonderful acoustic garden, a first at Chelsea, was created in the artisan garden section of this prestigious show. The Silver Gilt medal is a superb achievement for the team behind the #TogetherWeCan garden! Well done to everyone involved including Peter Eustance, Papworth Trust, Dame Evelyn Glennie andLandform. We supplied Holly instant hedge as part of the naturalistic planting.
If you cannot see these gardens in person, check out @BBCFlowerShow on twitter and BBC television coverage!
Lisa Cox, is an award-winning SGD designer who transforms gardens into inspiring spaces. Lisa created a beautiful family garden in Oxshott, Surrey and chose our Elveden Instant Hedge to complement her beautiful design creating a soft boundary in laurel on a fence line. Lisa created a blog when first implementing the project with an update a year later.
Once again we have worked with a number of Garden Designers and exhibitors at both RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows using our Instant Hedge to create mature looking gardens, for the following exhibitors.
Chelsea Read more →
The customers requirement was simple, an effective screen from passing ramblers.
We suggested Yew hedging plants at 2.5 metre high and 79 linear metres was carefully planned and planted in just two days. In addition, Elveden Instant Hedge in Native Mix was planted in another area of the property, helping to create a mature garden and privacy that the client craved. The client gave us the following testimonial:
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