The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) members consist of thousands of growers of flowers and ornamental plants around the world who are together united by one essential goal – promoting the place of plants in people’s lives.
AIPH hosts several conferences, webinars and events such as the International Grower of the Year award throughout the year. Read about these along with the latest news about the association’s activities.
AIPH’s key aim is to stimulate demand for ornamental trees, plants and flowers worldwide. We are committed to supporting growers in achieving this by protecting and promoting the interests of the industry.
More and more people are exercising outside. Boot camps and obstacle runs are increasingly popular. These are forms of training that, in addition to running/jogging, are easy to do in a park or other public outdoor space.
A green environment has a positive influence on our health and well-being. This supports initiatives to practice sports outdoors. Research shows that we enjoy exercising outdoors more and keep it up longer. In addition, greenery provides welcome shade when exercising outdoors on hot days.
There are opportunities for linking design and construction of sports and playgrounds to simultaneously combat heat stress, ensure water storage and promote urban biodiversity.
Green innovation
Various grass seed companies, the sports industry and Wageningen University are jointly researching the properties of grass species that can contribute to increasing drought tolerance, cooling effect, water storage capacity, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Research is also being carried out into the optimal composition of grass vegetation per type of grass field (for sports fields, golf courses, recreational areas, parks, lawns, verges, dikes, embankments and nature reserves) and what adjustments are needed in grass field management.
Mind Map
The Sports, Playgrounds, and Golf Courses Mind Map provides a handy overview of the various green themes and added values to discuss together and include in integral designs for pleasant and natural sports fields, playing locations, and golf courses.
Mind Map Explained
Benefits
Greenery has a positive effect on our health and overall well-being. A green environment contributes to less absenteeism.
A green outdoor area can serve as an extra sports room. Planting shade trees increases the possibilities of use in warm periods.
Employees and volunteers like to work for an employer that is located in a pleasant green environment.
A green appearance contributes to the sustainable image of an organisation.
Energy
Roof and façade greenery increase the insulation value of a clubhouse or sports complex. This leads to lower heating costs in the winter and lower energy costs of air conditioners in the summer.
(Roof) greenery increases the efficiency of solar panels by 6%.
Maintenance
A living green outdoor space can also be easy to maintain.
That starts with a well-thought-out design and a good construction.
Neglect of greenery reduces social safety. A poor maintenance situation is seen by criminals as the lack of social control. So you can go about your business undisturbed.
Sustainable Materials
The attention in society for the importance of applying sustainable solutions and materials is growing enormously. It is good if this is also visible in the sports and play environments, so that children and young people become aware of this.
Education
A green outdoor space offers the opportunity to learn to treat nature with respect and care.
Biodiversity
Varied planting makes an important contribution to biodiversity. Greenery provides nesting and shelter as well as food.
Sports and playgrounds can function as an important (in-between) area for insects and birds in a larger green network.
Flowers & Food
An outdoor area can be used for growing unsprayed vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers for your own use or in the canteen.
Recreational lawns can consist more of flowering plants.
Water
A green outdoor space helps to smooth out precipitation peaks and reduce flooding by retaining part of the precipitation and delaying the removal of the rest.
By also applying permeable pavement to parking lots near sports and recreation grounds, the amount of rainwater that can be drained is limited.
Temperature
Many sports fields and playgrounds are located in built-up areas where it is usually warmer than outside. Trees provide natural shade and cooling.
A shaded parking space ensures less evaporation of fuel from the petrol tank and less energy consumption of the air conditioning. And the interior of the car is less hot when you leave.
Air Quality
Dense planting can help protect areas from polluted air from nearby sources such as busy thoroughfares.
Smell
Scents stimulate the senses and our memories.
There are clear indications that phytoncides (volatile compounds secreted by plants and trees) have a positive effect on our immune system.
Appearance
A view of greenery helps the eyes relax and refocus. It also counteracts fatigue and headaches. This is important when we spend hours in front of a screen.
Noise
Greenery can ensure that we experience noise nuisance from traffic or industry as less of a nuisance.
Relaxation
A view of greenery contributes to recovering from stress faster, as well as reducing its occurrence.
The presence of water has a calming effect and creates a pleasant sound.
Productivity
A greener playground goes hand in hand with better cognitive development in terms of ability to work and concentrate. Pupils who play on a green school site during the break are able to concentrate better after the break than pupils who play on a petrified school grounds. This is also experienced by teachers.
Creative tasks, in particular, are better performed in the presence of greenery. The importance of creativity is increasing in today’s and tomorrow’s society, which is strongly focused on innovation.
A green environment offers opportunities to discover and push boundaries. With a natural playground, it is mainly the terrain and the natural layout that determine the game.
Socialisation
An attractive and functionally well-designed green outdoor space can contribute to better social cohesion and, in the long term, to better well-being of the child.
In green spaces, conversations between people are often more informal.
Movement & Play
A green outdoor space stimulates the physical activities of boys and girls of primary school age and helps to ensure that girls in particular remain active over the years.
In a green outdoor space, children are challenged to exercise and play more varied. Learning, assessing and dealing with risks, looking for and pushing your own limits.
Safety
An attractive and functionally well-designed green playground can contribute to less bullying.
Aggression and violence are less common in green environments. Well-kept greenery and a clean environment help to prevent and reduce pollution, vandalism and crime.
In general, there are few accidents in a green environment.
A climbing tree should be checked regularly. Among other things, dead branches will have to be removed. The tree owner is responsible for the proper management of the tree and the prevention of unsafe situations. This management can be transferred to a tree specialist. They assess and report on the condition and any necessary maintenance of the tree.
Children want an area with height difference and water. Scrambling, tree climbing and muddling around with sand and water are favourite activities.
Playground equipment in public spaces must comply with legal regulations. The Commodities Act Decree on Attraction and Playground Equipment (WAS) indicates how safety must be handled responsibly in playgrounds. If you (as a green professional) make your own playground equipment, you are the producer and responsible for the certification, a logbook and the instructions for use. You are also liable in the event of any accidents.
Tips for plant selection on playgrounds
Choose robust plants that can take a beating, taking into account the pressure of play
Choose fast-growing plants, preferably with ornamental value
Pay attention to colour, fragrance and seasonality
Look at the surroundings and scatter a mixture of seeds from plants from the region, for example
varied planting promotes biodiversity; Choose plants and shrubs that are attractive to birds, butterflies, and bees
Be careful with poisonous plants
Prickly plants are suitable as a barrier against walking
Choose plants in large sizes as much as possible, this limits damage from use
Examples
View the below Case Studies to discover how green city principles have been put into practice in parks and cemeteries around the globe.
Benefits
Energy
Maintenance
Sustainable Materials
Education
Biodiversity
Flowers & Food
Water
Temperature
Air Quality
Smell
Appearance
Noise
Relaxation
Productivity
Movement & Play
Safety
