BEST IN THE BUSINESS Melbourne firm showing big boys how to do it

A LANDSCAPE gardening business owner from Melbourne has said he could not be prouder after being crowned among Britain’s very best in a top awards scheme

Paul Bignall, owner of PB Landscapes, said being awarded the prestigious Landscaper of the Year at the national Bradstone Assured Awards was a “once in a lifetime” achievement, putting him at the pinnacle of his profession in the UK

He said: “Little old Melbourne is competing with the big boys in London and down in the south

“I’m so proud to be from Melbourne and I’m so proud of what we have achieved because the people who work for me, past and present, are Melbourne people, and we have built gardens which are classed as the best in the UK

“To some of these people down south where the money is, Melbourne doesn’t exist, but now they know where Melbourne is

“This is a lifetime achievement for me ”

To win the award, PB Landscapes of Melbourne won the top prize for Best Use of Porcelain, as well as being highly commended in the Best Patio Transformation up to 30 metres squared, and between 30 to 60 metres squared too

Judges were particularly impressed with one of the company’s designs which involved creating a patio three metres below ground

The project, at a new build property in Kirk Langley, took Paul and his team three and a half months and involved creating two patios, one at a metre and a half below ground and the other twice as deep

Paul, who has been running his business for 23 years, said he still loved creating dream gardens for people

He said: “Up until about 20 years ago, everybody just had red and yellow slabs and a brick built barbeque in their garden, whereas now anybody and everybody can have a Chelsea Flower Show garden

“Twenty-five years ago landscaping didn’t exist Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh made it popular and people started to realise that they could do more to their gardens, so it has taken off massively

“A lot of people will see the Chelsea Flower Show and think it’s a dream and that those gardens don’t exist, but they do exist because people have them ”

Now in their 10th year, the annual awards are run by leading paving manufacturer Bradstone and acknowledge some of the best the garden landscaping industry has to offer in quality workmanship, design expertise and customer service

This year ’s awards saw landscapers from across the UK submit high quality designs into a variety of categories, from Most Challenging Project to Best Driveway, as well as the highly soughtafter Landscaper of the Year accolade

PB Landscapes of Melbourne, which covers gardening projects across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, was presented the Landscaper of the Year award for their continued dedication and support for the Assured Scheme, and the “stunning level” of workmanship on projects this year This is the first time they have won the top prize

Peter Montgomery, national sales manager for Bradstone, said:

“Paul has been a dedicated member of the assured family and the Bradstone brand for many years and we have only seen him and his team go from strength to strength

“Always an active member of the social community, this year we feel his work has really shone through and we have seen his effort and skill excel themselves We’re excited to see what 2023 brings as Landscaper of the Year and send many congratulations to Paul and his team ”