News &c
Plant spoils Despite a celebrity endorsement from Dame Helen Mirren no less, the UK government's Don't Risk It campaign urging us all not to bring plants and cuttings back from our overseas trips doesn't seem to have reached everyone's ears, from what I'm seeing on social media. The rules as they stand (in summer 2023) don't allow people to bring any number - however small - of plants into the UK without a phytosanitary certificate. But look on Facebook plant groups and Instagram and there are plenty of posts from people who have happily brought small numbers of plants back in their luggage, thinking they had the right to do so. This is not that surprising: Googling the answer tends to throw up outdated information that no longer applies. The Animal and Plant Health Agency tells me that it is "continuing to develop a personal imports regime for passengers bringing plants and plant products into GB that is centered around pragmatic and risk-based rules". There should be a further government announcement on this topic later this year, which I will bring you, of course.
Gis' a job Being head horticulturalist at the planty business GrowTropicals in Leeds sounds like a plum role to me - so don't delay getting your application in. More details here. It's a full time role and you need a 'deep understanding of tropical plants', not surprisingly. The Aroid Attic in Cheltenham is also hiring a weekend worker.
Closing time Houseplant shop Cloud Forest Plants in Budleigh Salterton, Devon is closing its doors for the last time on September 2. They won't be disappearing though - moving on to selling through the web and offering pop-ups and workshops in the area too.
Plant sit I came home from my extended holiday to find a fair few frazzled plants, and though most have recovered, I would love to have someone local I could trust to look after my collection while I am gone. I discovered plant sitter Enrico Rossi via this Euronews video (and realised I could listen to people talking about houseplants in Italian FOREVER). Enrico is @Green_heart_geek on Insta but sadly he's in Bologna, not my home county of Bedfordshire. I'd love to hear from anyone who's offering this service in the UK - I'd love to feature you in this newsletter or on my podcast On The Ledge.
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