Peter Seabrook

Opinion... Experience should not be undervalued

St Peter's Church in Martley, Worcestershire, was packed to standing room only for the memorial service and celebration of Mike Dunnett's life.

Opinion... quality shines out at industry events

It is always a pleasure to see things done well and there were three good examples in Hertfordshire recently.

Opinion... Why is experience being discarded?

A long-serving person in the nursery trade, who has won numerous RHS Gold Medals and, incidentally, served the society remarkably well, is now in their sixties and was advised recently that they are too old to judge.

Opinion... Better targets to tackle pollution

Lobby groups jumping onto fashionable campaigns, often to promote their own interests, can do much more harm than good. Take, for example, the move against black polythene plant pots and containers.

Opinion... Co-operation is industry's best card

What a great trade this is when one of us needs help. "The Container Revolution" co-operative exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a good example.

Opinion... Why flower shows need to evolve

While the number of regional flower shows at stately homes and municipal public areas grows, the number of nurseries trading at these events reduces.

Opinion... Gardening needs better promotion

British horticultural firms and organisations have not been the best at working together to promote our industry.

Opinion... Pepper breeders' wealth of knowledge

Peter Seabrook looks forward to garden centre pepper-tasting weekends.

Opinion... Unbeatable delight of quality plants

Viewing top-quality plants, both growing and on sale, always gives me pleasure.

Seabrook On... Refocus needed at Chelsea

The president of the RHS was wise to avoid the traditional comment at the Monday lunch that "this is the best Chelsea show ever".

Seabrook On... Sensible pricing levels

One of the big retail chains has flower seeds on sale at 25p a packet, while one of the specialist mail-order companies has six nigella plants on offer at £15 plus £4.95 carriage charges.

Seabrook On... Improvements and choice in violas and pansies

Leading nurseryman Rowland Smith from Battlesbridge in Essex, speaking to his local church group on bedding plant production, was asked whether he still grows old heritage cultivars.

Seabrook on...a shared house and hub for horticulture

Driving into the new HTA offices at Chilton is akin to visiting a large country house, with impressive portico, reception area with sparkling, fresh-green and flower-full wonder wall of houseplants and large hall area to ground-floor meeting rooms.

Seabrook On... Garden centre inspectors

No apology for writing in praise once again of the Monday programme at the Garden Centre Association (GCA) conference, even if the return taxi fare from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrews did cost me £250.

Seabrook on...Are 'garden' and 'gardener' becoming dirty words?