Kim Blake, Course Manager at Fulford Heath Golf Club in Birmingham, has been at the forefront of maintaining and enhancing the club’s renowned parkland course for the past 36 years. Kim’s dedication to innovation has helped the club thrive and stay competitive. A key component of his maintenance programme? The consistent success of MM seed products.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Gary Connell, the Environment and Ecology Stewardship Manager at The Celtic Manor Resort, to gain insight into his unique role. Gary shared with us what a typical day looks like in his position, the various tasks he manages, and the challenges he faces while maintaining the resort’s beautiful grounds. From overseeing the ecological health of the course to addressing environmental concerns, Gary gave us a deeper understanding of the vital work that goes into preserving the natural landscape at The Celtic Manor.
One of the UK’s most prominent sports pitch contractors has praised J 4Turf 50 from the Johnsons Sports Seed range for the pivotal role it plays in the renovations of a range of turf surfaces. White Horse Contractors note the versatility of the 50/50 tetraploid and perennial ryegrass blend, which has delivered reliable results and season-long performance at facilities across the country.
Andy Richards, Grounds Manager at Haileybury, one of England’s leading independent schools, has hailed MM Tetra Sport for setting a new standard in maintaining the school’s extensive sports pitches.
DLF are pleased to announce the appointment of Ben Morgan as their new Regional Amenity Technical Manager for the North East. With more than two decades of hands-on experience in the turf industry, Ben is well placed to support customers across the DLF portfolio of brands on grass seed selection and sustainable surface management.
It’s been a great start to 2025 for the team at Celtic Manor who, following the introduction of numerous new sustainability initiatives, have received GEO certification on The Twenty Ten Course. Part of the overall project saw the establishment of new wildflower areas to bring much-needed food and habitat for pollinators and other insects, along with high visual impact for players and staff alike - all achieved using mixtures from the DLF ColourBoost collection.
In their pursuit of high performance, sustainable seed solutions, DLF have introduced a number of new mixtures and formulations across the Johnsons Sports Seed range – all outlined in the brand-new 2025 catalogue. In a particularly exciting expansion of their fine turf range, 2025 brings two new mixtures and seven new formulations, while research across DLF’s global breeding centres has contributed to their strongest ever line-up for sports turf.
Managing the expansive grounds of Warwick Schools Foundation requires precision and dedication, and Grounds Manager Duncan Toon relies on trusted solutions to meet these demands.
Following extensive member engagement and feedback, the Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA), the leading body representing the UK turfgrass industry, has announced a bold and progressive step towards environmental sustainability by banning the use of plastic netting in turf production by its members. This decision, supported overwhelmingly by members in a recent vote, will take effect from 31st October 2026.
As the pressure grows on greenkeepers to deliver exceptional playing surfaces, MM Seed provides the tools to meet modern expectations while championing sustainable turf management. Visit Stand 126 at BTME to explore the innovative MM Golf range, designed to enhance every area of your golf course with high-quality, high-performing grass seed mixtures that support environmental goals.
2025 sees an exciting shake up in the sustainable seed solutions available from DLF and visitors to stand 126 at BTME 2025 can be some of the first the find out what’s new. Among the changes is the exciting introduction of Sybille – a new slender creeping red fescue cultivar, bringing its No.1 ranking for close mown turf to a number of mixtures across the updated Johnsons Sports Seed lineup. Also new is an expanded Ultrafine Rye range which promises fast establishment, high wear tolerance and aesthetic quality for the golf and bowls market.
While the cricket season at Hertfordshire’s Aldenham School may not be long in duration, it is intense. With students and community clubs using the facilities for training and fixtures between Easter and early July. The concentrated play demands fast recovery and outstanding wear tolerance from the surfaces and specifically the grass seed – both of which Grounds and Gardens Supervisor Danny Wells says they achieve with Johnsons J Premier Wicket.
While the challenges of managing the multi-sport surfaces at Cranleigh School may be akin to those faced by most in the education sector, here they’re on a mammoth scale!
King George V Crown Green Bowling Club, one of the Midlands' top teams, have found new life at their third home in a decade. After a series of relocations, the club has finally settled at the Selly Park Tavern in Birmingham, transforming an abandoned and overgrown bowling green into a superior playing surface, largely due to the expertise of Mark Allen, Technical Sales Manager at Agrovista Amenity, and the exceptional performance of MM11 grass seed.
Work is underway on a brand new ‘Showcase’ facility at DLF’s UK headquarters in Inkberrow, Worcestershire. Scheduled to be fully operational by Spring 2025, the Showcase sees six hectares dedicated to amenity seed trials, product development, training and education for staff, distributors and customers - making it one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
Sustainable seed solutions for lawns and landscapes are set to be showcased as the world’s largest grass seed breeders, DLF, return to GroundsFest. Stand 30 will be the platform for visitors to find out more about mixtures across the Masterline, MM and Johnsons Sports Seed brands, alongside the very best the industry has to offer in both native and non-native wild flowers.
As the push for sustainable and high-performance golf greens intensifies, the use of browntop bentgrass mixtures like Johnsons All Bent and MM9 has proven to be the ideal solution for autumn renovations.
For contractors Avon Sportsground Maintenance, when it comes to the overseeding of bowling greens it’s the fine fescue and browntop bent blend of J Green that is sown every time! Delivering hardwearing but slow growing surfaces, the mixture from the Johnsons Sports Seed range is used on all 47 greens in the Bristol and Bath area currently under the remit of Owner Matt Phillips and his team.
Yesterday marked a significant milestone for one of DLF's dedicated employees: 25 years of continuous service at Inkberrow. Phil Seedhouse began his journey with the company, known as Perryfield’s Holdings at the time, on July 1st, 1999.
Danny Negus has been spearheading the grounds maintenance efforts at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne since 2016.
After witnessing good results with the Johnsons J All Bent mixture, Woolley Park Golf Club are now enjoying similar success with new eco-friendly areas created with DLF’s Pro Flora range.