This video might make you laugh..it did me. There is a serious side however and this hilarious accident may have resulted in serious injury.

Heavy weight; slimy, muddy board and feet; put all these together and it's an accident waiting to happen.

It pays to invest a little money to satisfy health and safety and purchase boards or ramps with serrated or abrasive grips.

On the one hand, I'm feeling extremely frustrated by the revelation that BALI, APL and SGD are planning to get together and exclude the vast majority of UK land-based businesses; on the other, I'm extremely proud that these associations now agree with Landscape Juice that there is a need to reassess their position in the landscaping and horticulture industry.

It's nice to see that BALI are considering the Landscape Juice initiatives.

BALI (and I assume APL and SGD) are extremely uncomfortable with the Landscape Juice 'open' approach but with irony, it is their silo mentality that will eventually be the undoing of all three incumbents - their respective leaders fail to publicly recognise that pressure from Landscape Juice and the membership of the Landscape Juice Network, has forced a lot of changes and way of thinking within their organisations.

Why a change is needed?

There has been a growing feeling of polarisation in the landscaping and horticulture industry for quite some time now. Indeed, it was this division that motivated me into using Landscape Juice to bring the industry's problems out in the open and try to highlight how difficult it is for all of those good businesses who have found themselves discriminated against.

The biggest problem is that the landscaping associations have gone unchallenged for so long and have got away with the their notion that only the businesses who have signed up to and been vetted by their respective organisation, is worthy and all of those left outside, by implication, are not of a standard capable of carrying out a high standard of work.

I am first to acknowledge that there are some poor businesses out in the marketplace and we would all be foolish to say that the potential for any client to engage with a rogue trader is low. Landscape Juice isn't about vetting; it's about freedom of information, education - through peer sharing - between both clients and practitioners and enabling both parties to understand what challenges exist and need to be overcome, before any contract goes ahead.

Landscape Juice soundly believes that a practitioner should be free to report to a potential client of his or her abilities so that the client can make up their mind if they are engaging with the right person.

We have already established that vetting can be an unsafe practice - recently exposed when a roofing company was filmed by the BBC's Rogue Traders ripping off old and vulnerable clients; the company had supposedly been vetted and was accredited to the Government backed Trustmark scheme.

An ex BALI member also reported on Landscape Juice how her company was pitched head-to-head with another BALI member and was urged to do a cash deal because the other contractor was also prepared to 'knocked the VAT off for cash'.

What is needed is a unified support system for the whole of the landscaping and horticulture industry run by its practitioners and not by a part-time committee; a system that seeks to help individuals and small businesses improve their systems through understanding of the challenges that business poses; by guiding everyone to work within their capabilities and above all, to get them to deliver a quality product.

This system also needs to go a step further; a step that hasn't previously been considered; the industry needs to educate its potential clients about how to temper expectations.

Currently, most of the marketplace still considers that a garden practitioner is a menial worker and no steps have ever been taken to tell the story that a landscaper or gardener can, in fact, be a very skilled worker, often taking a lifetime to reach the pinnacle of their career.

One other question that needs to be asked - why has BALI joined forces in a partnership (commercial?) with Horticulture Week?

An AFP news release reports that the new gardens will help future generations of Afghans learn horticulture and all about native plants.

Mohammad Yasin Mohsini, dean of the Kabul University's agriculture faculty, said that the gardens will play an important role and he believed they would become a popular asset with students.

Read the full press release: Gardening to sow seeds for a rosier Afghanistan

Annabel Downs was made redundant from her post as archivist at the Landscape Institute in late 2008 as part of a major cost cutting exercise as the Landscape Institute slid closer towards bankruptcy.

She told Horticulture Week that she felt 'vindicated' by the tribunal,s decision and added that she felt the award of a months salary and a small compensation package was very fair and not punitive for the Landscape Institute.

Steve said, "I would urge all Land Based workers, join your Trade Union, protect yourself from this attack on your hard earned rights, for which people died. After all, your bosses organise, so why shouldn't you?"

It's an interesting comment but I feel it has been made with little thought for land-based business in the United Kingdom; quite honestly, if a trade union existed, many, many very well run land-based enterprises would go to the wall.

All workers have a right to protection but, having employed heavens knows how many people over twenty-one years of business, I know first hand how manipulative and destructive some people can be.

I'm not a communist and I can see where abuse of powers can lead to dangerous social conditions but, what I do understand is, we all need a mentor, we all need a father figure and we all need guidelines and rules to live and work by - the abuse of the power by those who apply those rules is another matter completely.

Whilst there were surely many abuses of power and human rights in Victorian times, I would prefer its ethos to today's society; one only has to turn on the television to witness how today's young have become hypnotised by the want of material wealth and fame rather than become rich on a wealth of knowledge.

I have tried the charitable route personally. I worked with the probation service and took on three people who had a long history of crime and drug dependency.

One didn't turn up and we never saw him; one turned up and was as good as gold until the tag had been taken off then absconded and abandoned a works vehicle near Portsmouth (some 60 miles from our base) and we never saw him again.

The third - a young lady - she took petrol from cans, sold a works mobile phone and travelled many hundreds of miles in our van when she should have been working - The abuse I and my family endured on the evening she came back with here mother to return the uniform, complaining because I had to terminate her trial period because of her behaviour, was extremely unpleasant.

I think that the vast majority of people who work in land-based industries, do so because of a passion for the outdoors, plants and for the satisfying lifestyle it brings - these people are self-starters, disciplined, eager to work and learn and they give as much (if not more) than they take.

But there is a transient element...a kind of non-professional journeyman who I'm sure would make the most of a trade union - It would spell disaster for our industry.

But this isn't all about what I think...do you have a view; is the Victorian work ethos too outdated or is it a model we could adopt or will a trade union's protection be welcome?

Without knowing quite where it’s going, and with some reluctance, I recently parted with £28 of my hard-earned cash. The call-up for my twenty-eight quid was a subscription reminder from Garden Organic (GO), the UK’s national charity for organic growing, of which I have been a member for many years.

What caused me to waver were still-gnawing doubts following the announcement last autumn that GO was proposing to enter into a commercial partnership with Webbs Garden Centres Ltd (WGC), whose HQ is at Droitwich in Worcestershire. My conundrum is that for the first time ever I’m not sure whether my £28 is potentially going toward ‘researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food’, or helping to expand the business interests of the ecologically indifferent gardening industry.

The reason for the partnership, in which WGC have recently taken over the running of the shop, cafe, restaurant and conference facilities at GO’s HQ at Ryton, near Coventry, seems to be, in a nutshell, that GO is in dire financial straits, and has been for some time, for a whole potting shed full of interlocking reasons. A sense of desperation was palpable in the way news of the proposal was broken; the 30,000-plus GO members first heard of it via an announcement, last autumn, in the members-only section of the GO website, while everyone else had to wait until the story ‘broke’ in the horticultural trade press.

From my perspective as a GO member, the whole ‘announcement’ phase was a shambles, and you can still only read about the details of the now done deal if you access the members-only section of the GO website. There will probably still be members who don’t know what is actually now underway, because no one saw fit to ask their opinion; no one saw fit to write to them, using paper, envelope and stamp, to even tell them about it, despite a membership magazine being sent to all GO members four times a year. That’s not the way to engage with a loyal membership, some of whom have supported the organisation since it first drew breath.

Judging by some of the comments on GO’s online forum, this total lack of consultation has gone down very badly. There have been stampings of feet, threats of resignation and calls for Extraordinary General Meetings – along with a few comments supportive of the proposed partnership and suggesting that GO members put their trust in ‘the management’. All of this appears to have cut little ice with said management. There has been next to no online interaction with concerned members, apart from a hastily prepared ‘Q&A’ document, in which the originators got to choose both the questions and the answers (it was described by one member as a ‘disgraceful set of managed questions’), and plenty of flannel from various members of GO’s council. Of course, it should have been the members of GO who were asking the questions, not some anonymous entity trying to quell a self-induced revolt.

One of the great things about the 21st century is the abundance of ways in which people can link up to discuss and debate matters of shared concern, whether they’re just around the corner or on the other side of the earth. Quite what stopped GO from being transparent and candid with its membership I don’t know, but I do know it would have involved relatively little effort to establish a widely publicised online forum dedicated to the discussion of a departure that could taint the credibility of organic gardening for a long time to come.

Announcing the proposed arrangement, GO said that the move is designed to ‘enable as many people as possible to enjoy organic and climate-friendly gardening’, while WGC chipped in with ‘we understand that many customers would prefer to garden chemical-free, especially those new to the activity’. Well, here’s to that, but there’s a whole heap more to climate-friendly organic gardening than just being ‘chemical-free’. It’s as much about adopting a philosophical, prudent approach to gardening as it is about not buying and using garden chemicals – or any of the other gardening paraphernalia that is relentlessly foisted upon us.

There’s surely a painful rub in the offing when the organisation dedicated to researching and demonstrating organic practice at the back garden level jumps into bed with a profit-driven company whose raison d’etre is to flog as much stuff as possible; frugality will, I guarantee, not be writ large in WGC’s business plan. I find it hard to believe that no one within GO saw this particular bit of screeching discord coming. We organic gardeners are, by our very nature, a thrifty lot. We just don’t buy much ‘stuff’, because earth-friendly gardening inherently requires a minimal ‘take’ from our planet’s finite and rapidly depleting resources. Indeed, it gives plenty back to our embattled biosphere, and just by going about gardening organically we cultivate something inside ourselves, which results in the blooming of a greener state of mind.

GO will retain responsibility for their demonstration gardens at Ryton, and hope to ‘inspire and educate’ the increased number of visitors which it’s assumed will follow from the establishment of ‘Webbs Ryton Gardens’. I wonder just how far these unlikely bedfellows are prepared to go in ensuring that the surge in visitors to Ryton doesn’t lead to ballooning carbon emissions from all the cars needed to get folk there. If you set yourself up as a visitor attraction, you need to shoulder at least some of the responsibility for the environmental impact of your fans – especially if you’re promoting ‘climate-friendly’ gardening.

But perhaps what’s most at risk of being lost is the very voice that GO can claim to speak with on matters organic – a voice of authority that’s still authentic and which carries clout. Once a line is crossed, and GO starts sending out the signal that organic gardening is just like all other gardening – something you increasingly buy rather than do – then its voice will grow weak and feeble. It will simply become part of a gardening industry that, despite what it professes publicly, sputters disdain at the very mention of anything to do with ‘the environment’.

GO likes to present itself as a ‘campaigning’ body, but its efforts on that front have been lamentable in recent years, despite it being regularly pilloried by certain sections of the gardening media. Now that it has done this deal, GO is going to find the job of shining the light of sustainability on the wider gardening industry a whole lot harder; ideas of bottom-up ‘greening’, although admirable, will always be pie in the profit-driven sky.

I can’t be the only one who’s stumped up their £28 in good faith, but with nagging doubts about whether GO can sustain their mandate to walk the organic gardening talk if creeping commercialisation takes root.

Although this move has been spun as a ‘fabulous opportunity’ to somehow ‘green’ the gardening industry by association, and to make it more sustainable from the checkouts up, I believe that so very much risks being lost. It could turn out to be an act of sheer folly; one that could severely curtail the potential of earth-friendly organic gardening to play a much greater part in the more balanced, less overconsuming, more planet-friendly lives that we must all urgently start living.

GO’s current trajectory looks, to me at least, like a desperate stumbling backwards, rather than a creative leap forward in a fast-changing and ecologically enlightened world.

This amended article was first published in Kitchen Garden magazine, March 2010. Words and images Copyright John Walker. Image of Garden Organic Ryton (top) courtesy of Garden Organic.

Get any knife from the kitchen drawer and pop it through the chest wall anywhere close the the third rib from the right; don't worry about damaging what's behind because it can be secured with superglue afterwards.

Once open, get some wire twists and close off the arteries...it's easy and I have don't it loads of times before with the help of a part time surgeon who pops in one afternoon every week.

Now cut around the old heart and pull it out with your finger and thumb...pop in the new one and sew up using cat gut.

Ok, so it's a load of bullshit but so was his advice on the treatment of Japanese Knotweed in yesterday's column.

Pitcher first said that Japanese Knotweed was 'fun' and then went on to say its roots were 'really shallow and lightly spread and can be torn up easily'.

What an idiot and how irresponsible...it may not be advice that immediately threatens anybody's life but can you imagine Telegraph readers digging up and spreading the roots all over the place this weekend?

I think the Telegraph should leave their garden writing to those with a qualification in horticulture, don't you?

Japanese Knotweed is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species - read the full DEFRA press release.

Mr Irranca-Davies said: “Japanese Knotweed causes over £150 million worth of damage and disruption throughout the UK every year. This project is not only ground-breaking, it offers real hope that we can redress the balance. These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant.”

The psyllid Aphalara itadori is about 2mm in length and it sucks the sap from its host, leading to significant degradation to the target plant - More on psyllid Aphalara itadori.

This video provides some useful facts and information other invasive weed species in the UK.

Dick Shaw's Japanese knotweed presentation from CABI Video on Vimeo.

We disagreed on very little and Richard acknowledged that the Landscape Juice Network has a part to play in our industry.

Whilst Landscape Juice will remain independent, my suggestion that our members should be considered and that BALI, APL and LJN should, together, discuss issues that affect all of those who forge their living in the land-based world, was received positively and has agreed to consider my proposal to form a three-way forum between LJN, BALI and APL.

Richard Gardiner was also keen to re-iterate that BALI never intended to belittle or insult any member of the landscaping industry in the article by Horticulture Week of 20th November 2009.

The head gardener was a much revered man who would command the utmost respect and demand military discipline that has long since been forgotten.

Most working class people went into service during the Victorian era; some within the confines of the big house and others into the gardens and woods: estates were a factor of efficiency bringing wild and farmed meat to the table, managed woodland to fuel the fires and cut flowers and fresh produce from the garden to brighten up the house and feed its privileged occupants.

I am beginning to sniff a return to traditional values; both in a sense of how we conduct ourselves as well as how we grow our gardens.

I have been rather fortunate in my career; first as an amenity gardener and latterly as a landscape gardener. I got to visit some very fine houses and gardens around southern England and I got to glimpse and sense a wonderful era of yesteryear.

A head gardener was not only a very skilled man who learnt his trade as an apprentice to fine gardeners before him, he was also a shepherd, mentor and father figure to those who worked under his command.

Many of you will remember the Victorian Kitchen garden from the 1980s - Peter Thoday and Harry Dodson share traditional Victorian gardening from the walled garden at Chilton Foliat near Hungerford in Berkshire.

Take a nostalgic look back in time and enjoy the gardening year through these ten minute snippets on You tube: although not from the Victorian era, Harry Dodson learned his gardening skills from gardeners who were, and passes on his skills to viewers in the BBC series about the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

Harry Dodson holds a little significance for me personally; not only would I have loved to have worked with him but he worked for Lord Selborne on the Blackmoor Estate, just a mile from my boyhood home.

Gardeners' World producers..please take note of how a gardening programme should be made.

The first video (above) is January in Chilton Foliat.

February in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

March in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

April in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

May in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

June in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

July in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

August in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

September in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

October in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

November in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

December in the Victorian Kitchen Garden.

The investigation, carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Unit, also concluded that the workman's supervisor failed to warn of an incoming plane: the supervisor assumed that the operative had left the runway.

The mowing machine wasn't fitted with flashing warning lights and because he was not equipped with a radio device, the operator was unaware that an aircraft was approaching.

The near-miss happened in thick fog on 29th May 2008 as an inbound flight carrying 200 people, touched down from Egypt.

The Co-pilot is reported to have told the control tower that he "noticed a lawnmower too close to the runway edge lighting".

Source: Press Association

In today's rubber stamping of its full year results, Marshalls (MSLH) confirmed that sales in 2009 fell to £311,685m from £378,068m in 2008.

Since its successful rights issue and reduction in operating expenses, Marshalls says that it is in a strong position to benefit from the recovery and I would hazard a guess that with the Olympics now just over two years away, sales and orders will significantly improve.

There's also good reasons to believe that domestic landscaping will contribute to a better 2010 - although Marshalls, quite rightly, remains cautious in the medium term.

Key features of 2009:

• Major restructuring complete
• Cost base reduced by £11.4m
• Operating flexibility increased
• Strong balance sheet and borrowings reduced
• Completion of Rights Issue raising £34.0m (net of expenses)
• Redemption of £20.0m debenture to reduce finance charges
• Strong cash generation with free cash flow of £35.3m
• Net debt reduced to £69.2m

I will be using funds that have been generated through advertising and sponsorship to do this and I would like to lever Landscape juice's dominant position to provide much more exposure to small and medium sized business; as well as continue to publish information and opinion that affects all of the land-based industries.

I am also looking for sponsors of these news items; businesses and individuals who have a vested industry in the UK horticulture and landscaping industries.

For example, your company might wish to sponsor a single article for say £50 or a whole month worth of articles for an agreed sum. Sponsors would get their logo with a brief description and link* through to their website.

Income from sponsorship would be invested back into Landscape Juice an further improve the service.

Please email me philipvoice@gmail.com for further details.

*All links will contain a 'nofollow' attribution and this should not be considered for Page Rank.

Its aims are to promote the mutual exchange of information and experience, look after the interests of landscape contractors Europe-wide as well as support training of young people and support their exchange throughout members' businesses.

Read the European Landscape Contractors Association's Structural Survey 2008.

Website: European Landscape Contractors Association

A Business Week article reports that Monique Chauvin and two of her employees at Mitch's Flowers, have a lawsuit filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court against state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain and other members of the state Horticulture Commission, claiming that there is 'no legitimate reason for the government to dictate who can and who cannot arrange flowers.'

Monique Chauvin said: "I think healthy competition is good, and the customers will tell us if we're good," and continued, "Why should the government be telling me if I'm good or not?"

It is an all too familiar theme of late and one that Landscape juice discusses regularly; it's my belief that in going forward, we should all focus on personal professional development and not restrictive practices that hinder legitimate business from winning work in their marketplace.

Let's focus on getting every business to be honest at what rung of the ladder they operate at and dissuade them from punching above their weight.