BALI Landscape News Winter 2018 by British Association of Landscape Industries

THE THE OFFICIAL OFFICIAL JOURNAL JOURNAL OFOF THE THE BRITISH BRITISH ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OFOF LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES INDUSTRIES

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WINTER

2018

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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME Dear member Winter is now upon us and perhaps it is time to reflect on what has been a very busy year. At John O’Conner our teams are well underway with their winter maintenance programmes and our managers and supervisors are putting the finishing touches to the spring and summer plans – the 2019 growing season will be here in no time at all. This year I have been fortunate enough to attend two events in connection with the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group, which is a cross-party group of parliamentarians with a specific interest in horticulture. Over the last year the group has led an inquiry into the key issues facing the horticulture sector, examining what is needed from Government to secure the sector’s future, post-Brexit. I met with the group as an employer to provide evidence on training needs. I then attended the annual reception at the House of Commons where the group launched its inquiry report, outlining its findings and making recommendations for how Government can help secure the future of the industry. I must say that I really am encouraged that our sector is now being recognised for the important role it plays in supporting our economy. Alan Titchmarsh said at the event “Horticulture plays a major role in every aspect of our lives; in our living environments and communities, in our health and social care systems, and in protecting our environment and mitigating against pollution and climate change.” I think he has that absolutely spot on. The recently-published Oxford Economics report states that the total GDP footprint of the UK’s ornamental horticulture sector in 2017 was £24.2bn, supporting 568,700 jobs! How on earth can we be ignored as a sector with stats like that? Giving it the recognition it deserves will provide confidence to those who want to join the landscape industry that they can have a career that is rewarding, enjoyable and worthwhile, as we all know. Since the AGM I have attended two great trade events SALTEX at the NEC and FutureScape at Sandown Park. Both shows are fantastic industry networking and fact-finding opportunities not to be missed. It was great to see so many colleagues and friends from all different parts of the industry. There seemed to be a real sense of positivity from people who I spoke to and the debates and seminars were as thought-provoking and educational as ever. At SALTEX I thought the BALI Zone worked well and as I walked past the main BALI stand it was good to see Diane McCulloch busy selling the benefits of BALI to a potential new member and playing her part in helping to keep the association as strong as ever. The year was bookended by the industry network event of the year – the 42nd BALI National Landscape Awards at Grosvenor House, London - and what an amazing showcase of skill and excellence it was. The standard was fantastic, some of the best schemes I’ve ever seen. I was incredibly proud to congratulate the BALI Chalk Fund’s Overall Top

Student of the Year, Ashley Zymanczyk, who, I’m sure, will find that a career in horticulture will be enjoyable and rewarding. He has certainly had an amazing start to it! My sincere congratulations to all this year’s BALI National Award winners; I’m sure you’ll agree that reputations are enhanced, staff are energised and, if you promote and shout about your achievements, new clients may just start beating a path to your door. Finally, I hope you enjoy this latest edition of BALI Landscape News, where you will find a full review of the awards ceremony. May I take this opportunity to wish you, your family and your staff a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. Best wishes. Matt O’Conner BALI National Chairman

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BALI Landscape News

CONTENTS

Welcome and Farewell After 13 years and 52 editions, this will be my last Landscape News as I hand over the reins to a new editor and step back from gainful employment to do ‘me’ stuff.

Arches • Pergolas • Obelisks • Trellis Fruit Cages • Raised Beds & Planters Plant Supports • Fencing • Gates

I hope you’ll indulge me, therefore, in a little personal reflection of my involvement with BALI – it has, after all, been a common thread through the past almost 20 years of my working life. I have experienced BALI from most perspectives; first, in 1999 as a member when I insisted my then employer join a reputable trade association. I soon became involved with the South West Region committee and became its chairman from 2001-2004, making friends during that period who still endure today. Starting my own business in early 2006 I began editing Landscape News, and was also regional secretary for South West and South Thames Regions. At Landscape House I became involved in business development, dispute resolution, the BALI Awards, and the association’s marketing and PR. In fact, I don’t think there’s an area of BALI with which I haven’t had some involvement at some point over the years. It’s been an absolute privilege to serve BALI and its members. You are an amazing group of people, and I count many of you as friends rather than simply colleagues – we’ve even climbed mountains together! I hope I’ve contributed in a small way to BALI’s development over the past twenty years and I wish it and all of you – the people who are the association and the industry – every success for the future. Onwards and upwards! Best wishes.

Editor Denise Ewbank BALI Landscape House Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2LG T: 02476 690333 F: 02476 690077 Editorial and News releases darren.taylor@bali.org.uk Copy date for Spring 2019 edition Friday, 8 February

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Site visits Bespoke structures Trade discount & pricing Professional CAD/ technical drawings

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Winter 2018

Designer Focus

LATEST NEWS

Parliamentarians urge greater

Government support for horticulture post-Brexit

Cross-party MPs and Peers are calling for greater Government support to secure the future of the UK’s £24.2bn horticulture sector post-Brexit, in a new report launched on 29 October at the Annual Reception of the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) at Westminster. The report – Securing the future of the garden and horticulture sector - makes wide-reaching recommendations for how Government can help drive sector growth, which, despite its scale, is often undervalued, overshadowed and, as a result, underdeveloped. The APPGHG’s report follows a 9-month inquiry into the key issues facing the sector. Using evidence garnered from across the industry - BALI led the evidence session on educating, training and securing the future workforce, which took place at Portcullis House, Westminster, in July - the Inquiry report recommends that the Government should: • review and improve plant-health legislation post-Brexit; • implement an Investment Incentive Scheme to increase domestic horticulture production; • provide matched funding for horticultural science R&D projects; • adequately fund Further Education in horticulture to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality training; • expand the Seasonal Workers Pilot to include ornamental horticulture to ensure industry access to seasonal labour. George Eustice, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “The horticulture and landscaping sector makes an important contribution to our economy and I would like to thank the APPG for its report and recommendations. Our Agriculture Bill sets out to reward the work undertaken to protect and improve the environment, including where benefits are delivered by the horticulture industry. I encourage all those with an interest to engage with the Bill as it goes through Parliament.” Alan Titchmarsh, who joined one hundred parliamentarians and industry representatives, including BALI board members, at the reception, said: “This is an excellent report that makes a compelling case for the changes the sector desperately needs. Horticulture plays a major role in every aspect of our lives; in our living environments and communities, in our health and social care systems, and in protecting our environment and mitigating against pollution and climate change. The Government needs to sit up and take notice of the sector, for which the UK is famous around the world, and give it the crucial support it needs”. Launched to coincide with the results of the APPGHG Inquiry, a new 50 page industry report - The Economic Impact of Ornamental Horticulture and Landscaping in the UK - was commissioned by the Ornamental

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Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG) to establish the total size, breadth and contribution of the UK’s ornamental horticulture and landscaping sector. It has revealed that the total GDP footprint of the UK’s ornamental horticulture sector in 2017 was £24.2bn, supporting 568,700 jobs and providing £5.4bn of tax revenue. Landscape Services, one of seven industries covered by the report, generated a total of £11.6bn GDP contributions in 2017 (55% of which were direct contributions worth £6.8bn); Landscape Services includes domestic and commercial construction, design and private and public grounds maintenance and provides £880m in direct annual tax revenue to the Exchequer; this figure increases to £2.2bn when wider landscaping activities are included. Commenting on the figures, BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills said, “Finally, BALI and its members, who have been providing professional landscape services since the early seventies, can now see the

true extent of what the landscape services industry contributes to the UK economy every year. The £11.6bn contribution to GDP is a larger figure than all of the other industries in the report combined, including garden goods, ornamental plants, retail, wholesale, arboriculture and garden tourism.” He continued, “Landscape services also supports 278,300 jobs, of which 196,300 are directly employed, which is 53% of the total ornamental horticulture and landscape employment market. Establishing the size of our industry will add considerable weight to our government lobbying through a series of ‘asks’ that are detailed in the APPGHG Inquiry into Horticulture report to which BALI has also made a significant contribution.” BALI now wants government to recognise the importance of landscape services by providing adequate levels of funding to: • support businesses offering placements for apprentices, ensuring a sufficient and reliable pool of talent to help meet current and future workforce needs; • help the industry to nurture new innovations through technological advancements that will make considerable improvements to science, the environment and to the nation’s health and wellbeing; • recognise the importance of using accredited, professional landscape service companies to carry out landscaping work. The report can be found on the members’ area of the BALI website at bali.org.uk

The report’s headline figures follow, with Landscape Services by far the largest contributor in all areas:

Landscaping Retailing Aboriculture Ornamental plant production

Direct employment jobs

garden goods manufacture Wholesale Source: ONS, Kantar TGI, Mintel, HTA, Oxford Economics

Sector

Contribution to GDP (£m)

Employment (Jobs)

Tax revenues (£m)

Direct

Total

Direct

Total

Direct

Total

Garden Goods

489

1,261

10,600

23,300

109

210

Ornamental Plants

750

1,495

15,700

29,800

122

200

Landscape Services

6,846

11,608

196,300

278,300

880

1,335

Retail

1,944

3,669

84,800

112,300

491

478

Wholesale

639

1,391

9,900

22,800

117

211

Arboriculture

709

1,860

20,900

41,700

149

334

Total exc. Tourism

11,377

21,286

338,300

508,200

1,869

2,769

Tourism

1,182

2,883

32,000

60,500

265

724

Total inc. Tourism

12,559

24,168

370,300

568,700

2,134

3,493

Winter 2018

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LATEST NEWS

BALI GoLandscape partners with Capel Manor College to deliver new diploma From the start, part of the remit of BALI’s careers outreach initiative GoLandscape has been to support land-based colleges in developing students that are ‘industry ready’ once they qualify. To this end BALI is delighted to have been part of the development and launch of a brandnew Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Landscape Construction qualification through the Gateway awarding organisation. The new qualification comes with a difference - GoLandscape carried out a survey asking industry employers what skills they were looking for in potential new employees, and the skills that came back top of the list were all hard landscape based. The results of the survey were circulated to several landbased colleges and Capel Manor College in Enfield, North London, went a stage further and asked for support to develop a qualification that reflected the skills employers said they wanted. Each of the units, covering living walls, water management/SuDS, surveying and construction drawings, business

practice and project management, paving, timber and brickwork, water features and the use of plants in landscaping schemes and show garden builds, were reviewed and expanded upon by BALI member businesses to make sure they reflected current industry standards and requirements. The qualification can be run as a part time or full time course, with students required to have a work placement with a company that carries out hard landscaping disciplines to gain valuable industry experience. If you would like to be involved and offer a student a work placement, please get in touch with

THE YOUNG HORTICULTURIST OF THE YEAR COMPETITION LAUNCHES FOR 2019! The 2018 Young Horticulturist of the Year Grand Final was held at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show on 28 April, giving many of the eight competitors and their families and supporters their first opportunity to see this fabulous flower show. The winner, after a tense competition, was Tim Miles; he works at the National Trust Garden at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent, and was the winner of the South East Branch Regional final. Tim said: “The entire journey towards winning the YHoY 2018 competition has been fun. I have enjoyed meeting members of the CIH as well as my peers from across the UK and Ireland. With the Percy Thrower Travel Bursary I plan to go to Japan. I have a particular interest in Japanese Woodland flora and I am keen to learn more about Japanese horticultural tools and practices.” The 2019 Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition has now launched and any young horticulturists under the age of 30 on 31 July 2019 can enter. The first round of heats will be held at various locations around the country or via a Skype call. From here, the top eight competitors are selected to go through to battle against each other in a Regional Final. Prizes and prize money are awarded at these two stages by the competition’s regional and national sponsors. The Grand Final is

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being held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on 11 May. Martin Staniforth, Training Manager at the School of Horticulture, Learning and Operations at Kew commented: “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has promoted the furtherance of horticultural knowledge to facilitate the growing and research of plants and fungi and their conservation and display. Since 1859 Kew has been a leading employer, training horticulturists with a dedicated School of Horticulture since 1990. Kew is very honoured to host the 2019 YHOY Grand Final in conjunction with the Shropshire Horticultural Society and the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.

Winter 2018

Capel Manor students at the launch of the new diploma

BALI’s Education Officer, Stephen Ensell, by emailing him at stephen.ensell@bali.org.uk It is hoped more colleges will offer the new qualification, helping to deliver the skilled employees BALI member businesses are looking for and the wider industry so desperately needs. For further information on the qualification visit: https://www.capel.ac.uk/horticultureand-landscaping/enfield/advanceddiploma-in-landscape-constructionlevel-3.html gatewayqualifications.org.uk/ qualification/gateway-qualificationslevel-3-diploma-in-landscapeconstruction/

The Young Horticulturist of the Year is a fantastic competition allowing the future generation of horticulturists to demonstrate the extent of their study and knowledge, enhancing the profession’s reputation. For many youngsters the taking part will increase their networks and experience as well as giving valuable exposure to their talent and the possibility of prizes and publicity along the journey.” Applications are now open. For more information visit horticulture.org.uk/ young-horticulturist-of-the-year

Tim Miles, 2018 Young Horticulturist of the Year

LATEST NEWS

Sign up for the Parks Charter and Save Our Parks campaign Michelle Furtado, Vice-Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces Earlier this year, the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces (NFPGS) launched the Charter for Parks (parkscharter.org.uk) with twelve other national organisations. The Charter seeks to: - Celebrate the central role well-run parks play in our neighbourhoods for all sections of our communities; - Recognise the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good quality public green space; - Endorse a legal duty for all public green space to be managed to a good standard; - Embed effective protection from inappropriate development or use, or loss of any part of our parks; - Ensure adequate long-term resources for ongoing maintenance, management and improvements; - Encourage and enable community involvement and empowerment of local people and park users. Since the launch of the charter we’ve had more national organisations join us and over 140 local groups sign up and we are actively pursuing engagement with other sectors beyond our environment people. The success of the campaign led to conversations with the Mail on Sunday, in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy.

Our community groups responded to a call for examples nationally about the decline and threats to their local parks. They launched their Save our Parks campaign on 30 September, 2018, with a front-page headline – great news!

Holland Park’s Kyoto Garden, London

Every week since then the Mail on Sunday has continued to ramp up its campaign, employing celebrities, sports personalities and parks voices to talk about their experiences of parks. They have launched a petition on the Government’s website (petition. parliament.uk/229894) calling for very similar asks to the Parks Charter above. We are actively supporting this campaign, mobilising people through our social media channels. A staggering 300,000 people signed the 38 Degrees parks petition prior to the Select Committee’s first sitting. If we can get everyone who signed then to sign again, we can keep making our voices heard. As I’m writing this, community groups across the UK are fighting to protect their parks from development and years of underfunding for their park’s services. Communities recognise how wonderful their green spaces are and are working tirelessly to regenerate and maintain these spaces, holding events and activities that bring in local people. By working effectively with local authorities, groups or forums of groups can ensure that value is added through their activities and that volunteering opportunities remain fun. With all the national attention for parks, our sector is once again fighting back against local authority financial challenges and the implications of these to other professions and our communities. The Parks Action Group, on which the NFPGS sits, is exploring the multiple aspects related to the issues parks are facing. There is a recognition that parks, green spaces and quality landscapes support the

health of communities and that, without investment, these benefits are eroded. Our living world relies on the diverse network of green spaces and habitats that permeate urban and suburban environments. Green spaces, as part of a functioning green infrastructure network, can only help to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, regulating spatial temperatures and protecting flooding zones. I would call on everyone who is reading this to sign up to the Charter for Parks at parkscharter.org.uk and the Mail on Sunday’s Save Our Parks. Professionals and non-professionals alike, our parks and green spaces are there for you. Whether you’re down the park with the kids every day or just enjoy seeing the trees from the bus, the park is doing its work, silently and without fanfare. The gentle rhythms of growth and life can continue to flourish with our support, ensuring that future generations enjoy the multiple benefits our parks and green spaces provide. Michelle Furtado Director, FuturEcoLogic Ltd michelle@futurecologic.co.uk Vice-Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces Vice-chair@natfedparks.org.uk Chair, Adur and Worthing Green Spaces Partnership AdurWorthingGSP@gmail.com

Winter 2018

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LATEST NEWS

LANDSCAPE NEWS MEMBER SURVEY Over the nearly 47 years since BALI was first established, Landscape News has been a common thread, keeping members informed of other members’ activities and successes, passing on technical knowledge, and acting as an industry bellwether in terms of new techniques and products. As the association has grown, so has Landscape News – from the 4-page black and white first edition to the 52-page full colour product that now lands on members’ desks four times a year. But the industry is changing, and so is the way we all communicate and network. We want to be absolutely sure that Landscape News remains relevant and that it reflects what BALI members want from the association’s flagship publication, so we need your help. Please go online at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9YP8DBY and spend a few minutes answering six simple questions, which are provided here so that you can give some thought to them before doing the survey for real.

Aerial view of London’s iconic Brompton Cemetery. Photo credit: The Royal Parks

We have the opportunity to make Landscape News even better so do, please, help us achieve this. The survey results will be published in the spring 2019 edition of Landscape News. 1) Would you like Landscape News to remain as a BALI membership journal in its tone and content or become more like an industry magazine? Journal/Magazine 2) Do you agree with the frequency of Landscape News (4 editions per year, available quarterly)? Yes/No If No, why? 3) Please rate the following out of 5 (5 being of great interest and 1 being of no interest) a. General Industry News b. BALI News c. Contractor News/Case Studies d. Training Articles

A memorial dedicated to the 24 Royal Parks and Palaces staff, and to all parks, gardens and grounds staff from across the UK, who died in the First World War was unveiled at a service in Brompton Cemetery, West London, in November in partnership with The Royal Parks Guild and The Royal Hospital Chelsea. Chelsea Pensioners also laid the foundations for a permanent wildflower meadow at the site of the Chelsea Pensioners’ monument in the cemetery, to honour the 2,625 Pensioners buried there. The meadow will be based on a seed list, provided by Kew Gardens, of the flowers which sprang up in French fields after the Battle of the Somme and will include poppies, cornflowers, loosestrife, mallow and cranesbill.

“We must always remember the huge sacrifice made by our predecessors

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4) If you had the option, would you choose to receive a digital copy over print? Yes/No 5) Are you happy with the ratio of editorial to advertisements? Yes/No 6) Any other comments you would like to make about the journal?

WWI memorial wildflower meadow for Brompton Cemetery

Andrew Scattergood, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks, said: “Today, we have hundreds of gardeners and grounds staff maintaining our 5,000 acres of historic parkland but one hundred years ago, staff such as these would have been called away from their families to fight a devastating war, with some of them destined never to return.

e. Technical Articles f. Designer News/Case Studies g. Product and Affiliate News/Case Studies h. Charity News i. Events j. Advertisements

Winter 2018

and, as we mark the centenary of the end of World War 1, it is an honour and a privilege for The Royal Parks to commemorate the courage and immense bravery of all the gardeners and parks staff who lost their lives in this most terrible of wars.” Mike Fitt, chair of The Royal Parks Guild, said: “We wanted to pay tribute to those who lost their lives to the horrors of war but also to show that, after destruction, there is hope. By recreating the meadow of wildflowers that sprang up in the turbulent terrain of the Somme, we wanted to highlight nature’s ability to restore itself after destruction.” The memorial service forms part of the ‘Battlefields to Butterflies’ commemorative project, created by The Royal Parks Guild to mark the centenary of World War 1 through workshops, events and, together with the Royal Parks, a series of projects running until June 2019 exploring the vital role the parks played during this period of history. Central to the ‘Battlefields to Butterflies’ project is an inter-generational initiative, bringing together Chelsea Pensioners and parks apprentices to exchange horticultural and life skills. royalparks.org.uk

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Nick Coslett retires after 40 years in horticulture

Nick, second from left, with his fellow BALI Chalk Fund trustees

When Nick Coslett announced that he would be retiring from the role he had held at Palmstead Nurseries for 15 years at the end of September 2018, it was too late to include a suitable reflection of his life in horticulture in the autumn edition of Landscape News. So here we are, able now to look back on Nick’s incredible contribution to the industry and to make sure that his involvement and support for BALI throughout his career is recorded for posterity. Following his secondary schooling in Cambridge, Nick studied landscape architecture in Cheltenham, at what is now the University of Gloucestershire, including time at Pershore College studying soils, botany and plants. His working life started when he joined Liverpool City Council’s Recreation and Open Spaces Department as a landscape assistant in the late seventies, working in the drawing office and moving onsite to supervise landscape works to create new public open spaces as part of Liverpool’s urban renewal programme. Whilst at Liverpool he attended Reaseheath College to study for the IPRA Parks Diploma from the Institute of Leisure & Amenity Management. In 1981 he moved on to take on the role of Assistant Parks and Landscape Officer with Stevenage Borough Council, supervising directly employed staff and contractors working across half of the new town on landscape maintenance, parks, nursery and recreation areas. He continued his day release studies and achieved the IPRA Parks Diploma in 1984, using his first-hand experience to win the prize for the best dissertation, on direct labour versus contractors! In 1986 Nick moved again, this time to Canterbury City Council’s Works and Services Department, and in 1987 he was promoted to the role of Assistant Director Landscape Services, managing the Landscape Business Unit with a £1.5m turnover and 50 staff. As if this responsibility wasn’t enough,

he continued to study and, in 1989, gained a post-graduate Diploma in Management Studies. Keen to experience the industry from the supplier perspective and to indulge his passion for and knowledge of plants, Nick joined BALI Affiliate member Coblands Nurseries in 1994 as the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager. This is when he first became involved with BALI, joining the South Thames Region committee and remaining a committee member throughout his career, including serving three times as Regional Chairman. In 2000 he was elected BALI’s National Chairman and in 2001 he took on the role of BALI Awards judge, serving for five years. From 1998 to 2003 Nick also served on the Joint Council for Landscape Industries (JCLI), including a period as Chair, and represented BALI on the sub-committee for Plant Supply and Establishment (CPSE). Following his time with Coblands, Nick spent time overseeing the restoration of Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells as Assistant Project Manager/Clerk of Works, supervising contractors, coordinating consultants and procuring heritage plants for the park’s historic rejuvenation. In 2004 Nick joined BALI Affiliate member Palmstead Nurseries as Marketing and Sales Manager and in 2008 devised and organised the first

Soft Landscape Workshop, the hugely popular one-day conference for industry professionals that continues to take place annually. In 2009/10 Nick secured the contract for the supply of perennials and shrubs to the Olympic Park – at the time it was the largest contract Palmstead had ever undertaken. His success was marked in 2012 when he received the Sales and Marketing Professional of the Year Award at the Grower of the Year Awards. Continuing his unswerving support for BALI and its members, and acknowledging the importance of bringing on the next generation of landscapers and horticulturists, in 2013 Nick became a trustee of the BALI Chalk Fund charity. In 2018 he also returned to the BALI Awards judging panel and signed up as a BALI GoLandscape Ambassador. When all’s said and done, this paragon of industry virtue really is a great individual and fun to be with. He has been the first to sign up for BALI events and outings and brought his humour and bonhomie to many an excursion over the years. He has brought Palmstead’s corporate support to many BALI-organised endeavours, including the Three Peaks Challenges, and has been ready with wise advice for any BALI member who has sought it out. Thankfully Nick is maintaining his ties with BALI and will continue to contribute to the industry as an independent consultant to Palmstead. We hope, though, that he will make sure he has time to achieve the things he wants to on a personal level and wish him and his wife a long and wonderful retirement.

Winter 2018

BALI Landscape News

CONTRACTOR NEWS

LATEST NEWS BALI-NCF continues predominantly to represent the national grounds maintenance companies as a specialist interest group within BALI and to highlight and address the key challenges of the industry. The forum has been placing extra emphasis on information relating to industry safety and is pursuing an initiative to achieve the benchmarking of accident statistics across the Forum member organisations. Up to this point there has been no meaningful industrywide view of safety performance. This work has led to a working party of safety representatives, one from each member company, meeting to discuss common accident causes and determining initiatives to avoid as many accidents to keep employees as safe as possible. Alongside this work BALI-NCF has been working with BALI to gather confidential statistics from each company, anonymise the data and produce the information in a format that can be easily understood and used to inform decisions on accident reduction. This is a major step forward for the grounds maintenance sector and an unprecedented level of collaboration in a common cause. All those involved should be congratulated for this forward thinking approach and for their commitment to the cause. As a result of this work the Forum is currently working towards another programme of training courses, which will be scheduled for January and February 2019. This follows the very successful events that BALI-NCF ran earlier this year, focusing on hedge trimmer use. There will be training courses set up at four venues across England and Scotland to provide instruction in the safe use and maintenance of strimmers. The value of these sessions is not just in the training provided but also in the benefit derived from many operators (120-plus in 2018) from as many as 15 different companies spending time together and sharing their experience and common challenges. Booking for course places will be via the BALI website. These courses will be open to all BALI members and those interested in attending should look out for further publicity in due course.

Grace Landscapes’ 2018 BALI National Landscape Awardwinning scheme for The Boyes Garden (shown) and Heroes’ Square at the National Memorial Arboretum

Grace Landscapes joins Nurture Group

Long-standing BALI Registered Contractor Grace Landscapes has joined fellow BALI member Nurture Group. Founded in 1978 by Tim Grace, Grace provides high quality grounds maintenance and landscape construction across the North of England, with annual sales of around £6.5m. Based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Grace has regional depots in the North East, North West and the Midlands, fitting perfectly into Nurture’s North Region, which is run by regional director Nick Hills. The Mirfield depot remains, together with most of the 116 staff, ensuring clients receive continuity of service. The majority of the Grace’s portfolio is made up of corporate clients with a small amount of housing and winter gritting, which had been outsourced. Winter gritting was not a standard service offered by Grace, so Nurture plans to implement this to the whole of the Grace client base through its established winter gritting team. Having built the business up from scratch Tim was reluctant to sell to a large FM company, knowing that it would lose the family ethos and the quality built up over the years. Selling the company to Nurture seemed the perfect solution. Even though Nurture has grown into an acclaimed national contractor, it retains the ideals of a family business, with 18% of the company still owned by its staff. Grace rebrands as Nurture Landscapes from January 2019. Nurture’s managing director Peter Fane, said: “I’ve known the owners Tim Grace and Hugh Pawsey for years and have greatly admired their business. The company is full of great people who deliver work of exceptional quality, which is evident in their 17 BALI Awards and some of the fabulous clients they look after”. Speaking about the acquisition, Tim Grace said: “I am delighted to be handing the reins over to Nurture. Having known Peter and his business for years, I know he will enhance what Hugh and I have already built and will help Grace continue to develop and grow alongside Gavin Jones and Frosts, our peers who we much admire and respect. Peter has put together a group of the best landscape companies in the UK and we are proud and honoured to join the Nuture family. It will be sad to let go after all these years but I know Grace will be kept in safe hands.” nurturelandscapes.co.uk

BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

CONTRACTOR NEWS

FM Conway uses football to help end youth homelessness BALI Registered Contractor FM Conway is participating in an experience at West Ham United Football Club as part of its ongoing support for young people facing homelessness in Kent. At the London stadium the FM Conway team will get the opportunity to meet and work with a group of homeless 16 to 24-year olds whom the business is sponsoring. This away-day experience is hosted by Goal 17 and provided in connection with The Street Soccer Foundation, a charity which has created a 10-week football and careers skills academy to help transform the lives of vulnerable and homeless young people. As well as completing a range of engaging activities on the day, FM Conway staff and the selected young people will then be invited to continue their relationship through a structured weekly telephone mentoring programme. During this time the young people will receive a weekly football coaching session followed by an afternoon of classroom-based careers, skills and training development. At the end of the 10-week programme the young people will be invited to the FM Conway

head office in Sevenoaks to get a feel for the working environment and to celebrate what they and their mentors have learned through the 10-week process. FM Conway is one of the founding members of Goal 17 and has supported The Street Soccer Foundation since 2016 as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates. The business recently announced a renewed 3-year commitment to sponsoring the Foundation’s work specifically delivered across Kent. Sharon Field, FM Conway’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility said: “We are excited to be involved in the inaugural Goal 17 training and mentoring programme. We continue to be keen supporters of The Street Soccer Foundation. We have provided resources and trainers to introduce our industry and its vast employment opportunities to their course participants. This new programme extends and builds on our diverse training opportunities for employees

whilst embracing our social responsibility commitment to the community, supporting fairness, inclusion and respect. fmconway.co.uk

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CONTRACTOR NEWS

Domestic Forum Are you ready for winter?

Richard Burroughs, Winter Maintenance Business Development Director at BALI Registered Contractor Ground Control, warns businesses to get ready for what some forecasters are predicting will be the coldest winter in over a decade.

Last year ‘The Beast from the East’ created some of the most challenging weather experienced in the UK for years. The Met Office issued numerous red warnings - its most severe alert - as temperatures plunged with widespread snowfall accumulation, causing much of Britain to come to a standstill as a result. With predictions pointing toward a potentially bitterly cold winter ahead, the harshest for almost a decade, businesses should prepare a meticulous winter maintenance regime and plan their operational logistics to ensure their sites remain safe, despite what hazardous conditions the winter weather may bring. All businesses who have responsibility for sites - from ground works, maintenance contractors and landscapers – should note the wisdom of thorough preparation and planning before the onset of winter. Legally, the position of employers and property owners is abundantly clear; the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that property owners/occupiers have a common duty of care to provide every ‘reasonable precaution’ to ensure their staff and visitors always remain safe. The onus is therefore on all businesses to have contingency plans in place ahead of any adverse weather event, preventing likely slips, trips and/or accidents. An effective, robust winter maintenance plan should be an integral part of an organisation’s health and safety policy and should include: - A clear process with allocated overall responsibility for overseeing the plan and specific tasks assigned to individuals who have had appropriate training; - Detailed site specifications with identified hazardous areas and bespoke clearance and gritting instructions for each site, including risk assessments and method statements;

BALI Landscape News

- Continuous monitoring of the plan and performance measurement against defined key performance indicators; - Plans to regularly maintain winter vehicles and equipment; - The procurement and maintenance of adequate supplies of clearance equipment, salt and grit bins to last through a harsh winter; - Procedures to communicate the safe operating procedures to all staff. The cold weather last year, which saw disruptions from power to travel, cost the UK economy at least one billion pounds per day; trying to work around the severely cold environment without having made proper preparations proved to be troublesome for many businesses across all sectors. Winter maintenance is one of the trickiest service delivery areas, given the short timeframes and changing daily weather forecasts. But having made the strategic acquisition of Litter Boss (specialists in grounds and winter maintenance), Ground Control is now arguably the largest winter maintenance provider across the UK. Ground Control was awarded The Queen’s Award for Innovation in recognition of its pioneering role in creating leading edge technology specifically geared for winter maintenance operations. Having developed software technologies that provide each of its clients with full realtime visibility into the works being carried out anywhere in the UK, this capability meets the vital need to deploy resources and people with the highest degree of accuracy, speed and efficiency, directing hundreds of teams nationally at any one time, based on customer demand. The perils of winter are unavoidable but Ground Control urges businesses to take the necessary steps to prepare whilst there’s still time. ground-control.co.uk/winter-maintenance

Winter 2018

Two meetings took place in October - one at Pots and Pithoi in Crawley and the other at Majestic Trees near St Albans; both were attended by approximately ten people, mostly designers. At Pots and Pithoi owner David Dodd (of The Outdoor Room) gave a short tour of his pots, candles and soft furnishings (yes, he really is into these new lines!) and then discussed the contractor/client relationship. Nick Coslett, recently retired former Marketing Manager at Palmstead Nurseries, talked about plant biosecurity, which opened everyone’s eyes! At Majestic Trees, managing director Steve McCurdy talked to us about moving and establishing big trees, whilst Dan Riddleston of Bowles & Wyer explained how understanding the way people made decisions was imperative to a good contractor/ client relationship. The ensuing debates at both locations were lively and thought provoking and I hope all attendees went home enriched; my sincere thanks to the speakers and hosts. Cancellation of the other planned Domestic Forums due to lack of numbers was disappointing. Ringing round approximately 150 members I heard the phrase “too busy” from many. This, of course, is fantastic but it’s a shame that eyes can’t be opened to improvements in the way we trade and that we seem to be focused on working ‘in’ the business rather than ‘on’ it. We are considering toolbox talks and webinars and would be glad to hear of other ways of helping members. Please email your thoughts to kate.grantham@bali.org.uk Bob Field

CONTRACTOR NEWS The green roof project at Leeds Skelton Service Station on the M1

CONTRACTOR FOCUS

Brambledown Optimistic for the future Established in 1972 in Shincliffe, just a mile from Durham city centre, by current managing director Frank Curry and Colin Wood, BALI Registered Contractor Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd soon outgrew its first premises and moved to a new 12acre site five miles away in Brandon Village in 1985. The company joined BALI in 1986. Purpose-built offices were constructed as the company grew and warehouses and an on-site nursery growing plants, shrubs and trees were soon added. Although not so much is grown in the nursery today, the company has certainly gone from strength to strength and is almost unrecognizable in terms of capability and manpower. With three offices, located in Tyne and Wear, County Durham and West Yorkshire, and around 75 full time staff, Brambledown is one of the UK’s oldest and most recognisable names in commercial landscaping. It prides itself on delivering quality, good value and prestige to its many projects, which range from £10,000 to over £3 million for large-scale Heritage Lottery Fund-supported park restoration projects. Brambledown undertakes a broad range of external works, including natural and artificial sports pitch construction, surfacing, block paving and groundworks, in addition to the core hard and soft landscaping disciplines.

The company has continuously invested in new machinery, equipment and state-of-the-art technology to enable it to become a market leader and attain select list accreditation with all northern local authorities and many main contractors. Very few tasks are subcontracted out and the majority of plant and machinery is maintained by three full time mechanics. The company has recently begun a four year fleet renewal scheme with the aim of replacing all 40 fleet vehicles by 2022. Staff turnover levels are very low, with many employees feeling more like family members and spending their entire careers at the company. It has a healthy order book for 2019, with several very large schemes secured. In autumn 2018 Brambledown began a £650,000 project to construct a living green roof on an innovative food court building at the new Leeds Skelton Service Station at junction 45 of the M1. It has also been appointed to work on a 12-month project for Newcastle City Council with a value of £2.4 million. It is one of a few large projects commencing in January 2019 so the company has embarked on its first recruitment drive for several years to attract additional skilled staff to fulfil demand. Brambledown recently won yet another BALI National Landscape Award in 2018 for Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic), value

under £300k, for Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. This was an incredibly sensitive and unusual scheme to improve the historic site’s visual appearance and establish its position as a national hub for tourism and education. Looking to the future, director Paul Curry said: “We see busy and exciting times ahead, having secured some large projects for 2019. We feel that the confidence that clients are showing in us as a company and the skilled services we offer need to be matched with investment. We have always maintained a prudent approach but a new fleet of vehicles will enable us to deliver a better service to our clients, improve fuel efficiency, whilst also lowering emissions dramatically. We feel that now is the right time to invest in new, reliable, state-of-the-art vehicles, which will proudly showcase our company as one of the premier independent landscape companies in the UK.” Brambledown is now looking to develop new business contracts with both private and commercial customers in industries including leisure and tourism, sport and the public sector. “We have some very good client relationships, which we work very hard to maintain”, added Paul Curry. “We see the opportunity to build on these throughout 2019 and beyond.” brambledown.com

Winter 2018

BALI Landscape News

CONTRACTOR NEWS

How will Brexit affect our business? Ed Wells of new BALI Registered Contractor Tim Wells Nurseries shares his thoughts on Brexit.

Established back in 1983 in Ware, Hertfordshire, Tim Wells Nurseries is a family-run company supplying soft landscaping and fencing subcontractor services, mostly to volume housebuilders but with a number of commercial and residential clients. As a business we have been able to come through all number of surprises and tribulations but now we find ourselves facing a new, previously unencountered threat: Brexit. It seems you can barely speak without someone giving you their opinion on Brexit, albeit, at the moment, it seems to be difficult to get beyond opinions. This lack of clarity and an agreement is resulting in fear and uncertainty, and it’s running through everything - financial markets, businesses and people. It reminds me of the of the millennium bug that was forecast to cause havoc with every computer and electronic device on the planet as the clock struck midnight at the turn the millennium. It was predicted that the systems running traffic lights would go down causing traffic chaos; security alarms and cameras would cease to work; hospital equipment would malfunction, and microwaves and televisions would stop working. In the event the Y2K bug (everything boiled down to a cool sounding three letter abbreviation) failed to materialise. The correct planning happened and necessary precautions were put in place, resulting in the bug being a bit of a damp squib (if it ever existed in the first place). The hope must be that the fear and uncertainty around the Brexit

BALI Landscape News

deadline of 29 March 2019 results in a similar anti-climax. Worryingly, given that, at the time of writing, there has been no agreement between the UK government and the European Union, all we currently have so far is a White Paper – the Chequers Plan - produced by the UK government in July 2018 of which the EU side were dismissive at best. It used broad brush strokes to lay down a best-case scenario where the UK would cherry-pick its favourite bits from EU membership and life would carry on as normal without the painful bits. Unsurprisingly, the EU rejected it but it served as a starting point for negotiations. Six months down the line, however, we find ourselves still without any advice on what will happen and how we should best prepare for it. On our nursery we are able to grow plants for specific projects, which our landscape teams can then take to site and plant. In order to pass the necessary savings on to our clients we need to import small plants, grow them on, then deliver and plant them as 7.5L or 10L plants. Speaking with our main supplier in Holland we are not

Winter 2018

the only side concerned about future trading. They have been advised by the EU to prepare for two scenarios: • a soft Brexit, in which some sort of a customs union is agreed • a hard Brexit, where we will be treated like all the other countries in the world and abide by WTO rules until individual trade agreements can be secured. The latter option would undoubtedly result in a huge increase in documentation and bureaucracy around import and export licences, not to mention the more stringent plant biosecurity requirements (though some may see this as potential benefit with the spread of Xylella and other plant pathogens). Speaking to growers on both sides of the channel everyone has expressed their concern at the idea of plants being stuck at ports waiting for documentation to be processed and plants waiting to be sprayed with fungicide before entering the country. One of our main UK suppliers has already substantially increased their insurances to cover plants lost in transit if free movement of goods ends, expecting these very issues. As a business we are preparing to stock up with the necessary materials to see us through the period when Brexit comes into effect and the UK cuts itself off and sails into a bright future. A lot of the stock we use is UK native but the nursery stock industry in this

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The nursery owned by BALI Registered Contractor Tim Wells Nurseries

country does not have the capacity to meet demand. Scarcity will inevitably result in the prices of UK native stock increasing, which is great news for UK growers but maybe not such great news for customers. Over time the palette of plants used by landscape architects will have to change to reflect this but, given the length of time it takes a housing scheme planning applications to get through, one imagines it will be a while before landscape contractors see these changes reflected in specifications and tenders. On the landscaping side of the business we are already seeing concern creep into the housing market. Housebuilders are reporting a slowdown in the number of homes being sold, which they are putting down to buyer nervousness around Brexit. Housing developments predicted to last three years are already being slowed down to last five or six years because of a lack of current sales, although this can, of course, be sped up if the sales return. Our landscape teams are working mainly in the construction industry, which, like the horticulture industry, is massively propped up by labour from the EU. And as with the horticulture industry, construction has huge skills gaps, especially in the 18-35-year-old demographic, which are again being filled currently by EU labour. What will happen to this labour when free movement ends? Will the labour currently with us want to stay? Having scared you with all of that, you can come out from your hiding place behind the sofa! I must stress these are our perceived worst-case scenarios facing our business. Until we see an agreement between the UK and the EU itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to make plans on anything other than the worst-case scenario. It may be that, when an agreement comes, many of these concerns may have been answered. For now, all we can do is plan for the worst and hope for the best. tim-wells.co.uk

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Update GoLandscape Ambassadors

GoLandscape continues to build momentum with ambassador training sessions held in York and via webinar; a big ‘thank you’ to those newly trained ambassadors who have come on board. This means we now have more people to help champion the industry in different areas of the country through attendance at school careers events and by supporting our land-based college students. We have visited a record number of schools so far in this academic year with plenty of visits booked well into 2019. These events present an opportunity to chat to a range of pupils, parents and teachers about the exciting world of landscaping and the career opportunities it offers, and challenge people’s often false opinions of what the industry is really like. We still need ambassadors, so please come forward if you can spare some time to help recruit and support the next generation of landscapers.

Website – To back the initiative, we have launched a brand new interactive and informative website at golandscape.co.uk. It’s more of a challenge in this digital age to attract people’s attention, and then hold it, so the site has been designed to enable people to instantly see which section is applicable to them through ‘I am’ tabs, for example ‘I am a school leaver’ or ‘I am a career changer’. Each of these sections takes the users to a range of content that is relevant to them, outlining subjects like work roles, education options, links to available jobs and answers to FAQs. There is a page devoted to not only recruiting ambassadors but also for schools to request an ambassador visit (subject to there being an ambassador available and located locally). We also

BALI Landscape News

have an interactive section where people can search for and find their nearest college for horticulture and landscape courses. There is a section that celebrates success stories, sharing inspirational stories of how people got into the industry and why they love doing what they do. If you have an inspirational story you’d be willing to share, please get in touch; we’d love to include your story on this page. The hope is to also complement the website with the launch of a newsletter, with relevant information for people looking to join the industry. We are also hard at work on our YouTube channel, populating it with videos showing just how skilled today’s landscapers are and the exciting and rewarding work that they do. Watch out for new videos over the next few months.

Enrichment programme - We are incredibly grateful for the support of the BALI Chalk Fund who are sponsoring our enrichment programme to help horticulture and landscape students achieve additional industry tickets, making them more employable when they come out of college. We have been working with Bridgwater and Taunton College and Capel Manor College and have completed a successful pilot, with approximately 44 Level 2 and Level 3 students gaining additional tickets. The programme has now been launched again with a new cohort of students and apprentices and a commitment from the BALI Chalk Fund to a further two years’ support for these two colleges, plus extending their support to a further two colleges. The aim of this campaign is to help ‘upskill’ students and produce a more work ready employee with qualifications such as PA1 and PA6, abrasive wheel, brush

Winter 2018

cutter and hedge cutting. The intention is also to add and help fund ROLO ‘Health and Safety’ training and LISS/ CSCS cards for students needing this in the career path they choose. This is why the industry and BALI members should be supporting the BALI Chalk Fund. The charity is helping to ensure that industry employers have access to better trained and qualified college leavers.

Masterclass recruitment We are busy recruiting BALI Affiliate members to support our colleges. The GoLandscape Masterclasses are intended to provide further support, not only to the students undertaking their courses but also to the colleges by supporting them with the supply of materials and products specifically for the Masterclass sessions. This will widen the knowledge base of students, introducing them to the vast range of landscape products available on the market and teaching them how to handle and work with them. Colleges are in the process of forming their teaching plans for the next academic year and remain keen to offer these extra-curricular activities, engaging directly with industry - a key aspect of the new technical qualifications. If you are an industry supplier and would like to support the GoLandscape Masterclasses, please contact stephen.ensell@bali.org.uk

Stephen Ensell Education Officer

TRAINING & TECHNICAL Infected olive leaves

Tightened measures to protect the UK from Xylella What BALI members need to know Olive trees (Olea europaea) have been added to the Government’s list of tree species included in the plant health statutory notification scheme for imports from the EU. These new measures, which came into force on 26 November, will strengthen the UK’s protection against the risk of the plant disease Xylella fastidiosa. The statutory notification scheme involves a legal requirement to notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in advance of the import of certain trees and plants from EU member states. Olive trees are known hosts of the bacterium Xylella, which causes disease in a wide range of plants grown in the UK, and its introduction could have a significant effect on our landscapes. The Government is following the situation in Europe closely where the disease has devastated olive groves in southern Italy and was recently intercepted at a wholesaler in Belgium.

Guidance and notifying APHA: gov.uk/guidance/importing-trees-and-plants-to-england-andwales-from-the-eu Updated legislation: legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/1136/ introduction/made Tree Health Resilience Strategy: gov.uk/government/ publications/tree-health-resilience-strategy-2018 Urban Tree Manual: forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/ urban-tree-manual Plant passports: gov.uk/guidance/issuing-plant-passports-totrade-plants-in-the-eu Plant health controls: gov.uk/plant-health-controls

Adding olive trees to the notification scheme is part of the Government’s risk-based approach to tackle tree and plant diseases. It will help APHA inspectors target specific imported plant consignments, giving the best chance of intercepting any diseased plants at an early stage. These new measures apply to England only but other parts of the UK are considering the introduction of equivalent legislation. All growers and traders should take the following actions: • ensure imported plants both originate from and are sourced from disease free areas

• isolate or quarantine new batches of plants and monitor them during the growing season for signs of the disease • ensure that plant passports arriving with plants are correct and keep the plant passport to aid trace back if necessary • follow the full guidance, including requirements on notifying imports to APHA • read the updated legislation. This update to the legislation follows the launch of the Government’s first Tree Health Resilience Strategy in May, which pledged tough action to protect the nation’s trees from pests, diseases and climate change. There are other plants that must be notified if imported from the EU, including trees, potted plants and seeds. Some plants must have a plant passport for trading in the EU as part of the plant health controls. The notification requirements in this guide are in addition to the plant passport scheme. You must tell the APHA if you’re bringing the following trees, plants and seeds into England and Wales: Oak, Pine, Elm, Sweet Chestnut, Plane, Ash (currently prohibited), Prunus (e.g. cherry, peach, plum, laurel).

BRI T

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WN O

• source from known suppliers or visit suppliers to view their processes, procedures, bio-security arrangements and the plants they grow

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2018

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Handling complaints “I want to make a complaint about one of your members” announces Mr or Ms Slightly-Agitated on the phone. Uh-oh. I stop what I’m doing and grab a pen and pile of paper – what I am about to hear is a 10-minute (if I’m lucky) diatribe of a disagreement that probably started from something so minor that the details weren’t even noted on an email and that has now escalated into a potential headache for both parties. When a dispute arises I am usually called in to assist the client in achieving a fair and equitable resolution to their complaint. By the time I get involved cross words, raised voices and curt emails have probably already been exchanged between the client and the BALI member. Disputes are never pleasant to deal with. A project that started with endless cups of tea, warm handshakes and emails signed ‘Have a great day’ descend into tears, puffed chests and emails signed ‘REGARDS’. It’s never nice to have work rejected in any context, least of all by a client. How dare someone criticise the work you’ve done?! What does the client know anyway? And why didn’t they tell you how they wanted it to look at the design stage? The reality is that most disputes I deal with don’t concern quality. Despite the best efforts of DIY forums and YouTube, the skills of a landscaper can’t be learnt by a client from a 30-minute video. Most disputes that reach BALI arise from a lack of communication or understanding of the works programme, the design or the required aftercare. But take it from someone who has sifted through hundreds of files, photographs and emails trying to establish the rights and wrongs of client complaints; there are a few measures you can take that will minimise the risk of having to deal with unpleasant conversations:

1. Contracts: Use either the free BALI domestic contract (available for BALI members to download from the BALI website by logging in from the Industry area), or one of the JCLI Landscape Works contracts available for £35 + VAT from landscapeinstitute.org/ technical/jcli/. Spend time filling them in accurately and ensure your client and all members of staff are familiar with the content. Provide a design, specification and bill of quantities. Don’t deviate from them unintentionally, and if you are asked to change any element of the project after signing the contract ensure the terms and cost implications are clearly stated, understood and agreed by both parties, in writing, before proceeding. 2. Expectations: A gentleman who knows nothing about landscaping but a lot about political science once said: “Assumption is the mother of all mistakes”. The sentiment of this quote is very appropriate in the client-contractor/designer relationship. Whilst most clients may appear knowledgeable about landscaping (and, thanks to those forums and YouTube, they think they are), they don’t have the benefit of many years’ industry experience. It’s safer to assume, probably correctly, that they know nothing or very little about landscape design, landscape construction and particularly plant physiology. Explain your own thought

process and reasons behind your decisions (including legislation, industry standards and best practice) and, most importantly, if they suggest changes to the project scope outside of these, make sure they are aware of the impact these changes may have on the project cost and design and, again, obtain their acceptance of those implications, e.g. a revised quotation or amended design element, in writing. 3. Maintenance: Once completed, the client often assumes (there’s that word again!) they have the skillset to look after the myriad of elements you have spent many hours designing and constructing. I would respectfully suggest most don’t. In particular, clients don’t appreciate the need for watering after planting (either frequency or intensity) and turfing. If your business can provide a maintenance service, offer it. After all, who buys a car these days and has the knowledge to service it themselves? If you don’t offer a maintenance service, outline some basic maintenance requirements to the client and ensure in any contract that there is sufficient protection for you, the contractor or designer, if they fail to carry out appropriate aftercare, particularly during the establishment period post-completion. Following these principles won’t necessarily prevent the occasional grumble (we’ll never stop those) but they will ensure lengthy and potentially expensive disputes are avoided. Owen Baker Technical Officer (Policy & Research) owen.baker@bali.org.uk

Owen Baker, Technical Officer

BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

TRAINING & TECHNICAL Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality Assurance)

Designing with safety in mind I was recently invited onto a panel at a BALI South Thames event hosted by BALI Registered Affiliate member Provender Nurseries. Entitled ‘DESIGNING WITH MAINTENANCE IN MIND’ (see page 37 for a report), it was a really interesting and valuable meeting as well as providing the excellent networking opportunities that we have come to expect from our regional meetings. I was invited principally to offer a commercial groundscare perspective as the majority of the panel was made up of those designers specialising in the domestic market. As the last of six speakers, I chose to give the title a little twist: “Why design with maintenance in mind?” My answer to that was simple… because you have to, by law. Yes, you’ve guessed it - I’m talking about what is rapidly becoming the domestic sector’s industry chestnut, CMD, or, to give them their full title, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. In the spring edition of Landscape News I focused on CDM but only flirted with the implications for designers. In this edition, therefore, I thought I would expand on this aspect a little more, if only to whet your appetite for some further training that is currently in development and most likely to take the form or a webinar in the New Year.

Your role The first thing you need to understand is what role you, as a designer, play in the project as your duties vary depending on whether you are Principal Designer (PD) or Designer. If no other work is being carried out at the property, such as a new build or major refurbishment, you are most likely to be in the PD role, as you have an overview of the project and may well have to co-ordinate other specialist designers working on such aspects as lighting or water features. If,

however, there is major construction work in progress, and an architect is engaged, it is most likely, although not always the case that they will take the PD role and you become one of their specialists, irrespective of whether the client has engaged you directly or through the Principal Contractor (PC). This is because the CDM Regulations are ‘project’ and not ‘contract’ specific.

Your duties Once you have established your role in the project you need to understand your duties”. Space prevents me from including too much detail in this article but a summary of the respective duties follows, together with some useful links. When preparing or modifying designs, a ‘Designer’ should eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks that may arise during: • the construction • maintenance and the use of a building once it is built. Provide information to other members of the project team to help them fulfil their duties. In addition to the duties detailed above a PD should also plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a project. This includes: • identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks

• ensuring designers carry out their duties • preparing and providing relevant information to other duty holders • liaising with the Principal Contractor to help in the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the construction phase.

The client role Finally, it is critical that you understand the client’s responsibilities. In a domestic situation, the client’s responsibilities can be signed over to the PD so you need to manage this process carefully. If you are not appointed in writing as having taken on the client’s responsibilities they fall, by default, to the PC.

Practical solutions For practical solutions to fulfilling your obligations under the CDM regulations, keep an eye out for the webinar notifications heading your way soon.

Useful lInks hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/ responsibilities.htm hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg411.htm Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality) richard.gardiner@bali.org.uk (M) 07715 654964

Winter 2018

BALI Landscape News

DESIGNER FOCUS

SGD Awards 2019 finalists announced A shortlist of 30 finalists has been announced across 15 award categories in the Society of Garden Designers’ Awards 2019, including a Japanese water garden, a floating pocket park, a Moroccan-style courtyard garden and a memorial garden in the grounds of a RIBA award-winning science laboratory. The Awards ceremony takes place on 1 February 2019 at The Landmark, London. Chosen by an independent judging panel drawn from experts across the industry, the projects represent some of the very best in garden design from right across the UK and abroad. Finalists in the three Residential Garden categories, the International, Public & Commercial Outdoor Space, Garden Jewel and Roof Garden categories have been entered into the People’s Choice Award. The same finalists will also be competing for the highly coveted Grand Award. The shortlisted projects in the three Residential Garden categories and in the International, Public & Communal Outdoor Space, Garden Jewel and Roof Garden categories have been entered into the People’s Choice Award, which opened for votes on at the end of September 2018 via the SGD Awards website sgdawards.com. Among the finalists are the following BALI Registered Designers: Marian Boswall MSGD MBALI for Reighton Wood

John Wyer FSGD MBALI for Addenbrookes Outpatients and Chepstow Crescent Award sponsors include the following BALI members: Barcham Trees British Sugar TOPSOIL CED Stone Group Deepdale Trees Europlants Gabriel Ash Global Stone Green-tech Harrod Horticultural Landform Marshalls Stonemarket The full list of finalists, including Student finalists, is available on the SGD Awards website, with images of all the shortlisted projects in the main award categories. sgdawards.com

Gavin McWilliam MSGD MBALI and Andrew Wilson FSGD for Hertfordshire Garden and Holland Park Gardens

Designer webinar:

The profitable design practice Profit should not be a dirty word, and we should not be embarrassed to talk about money with our clients or their advisors. The money we earn from designing is not given to us as a favour but as an equal transaction in return for what we are providing. This may sound a little dramatic but it pays (excuse the pun) to spell it out to ourselves occasionally when someone is suggesting that you might just reduce your costs by 15% (goodbye savings for annual holiday) or add in an extra set of drawings for free (bang goes profit for the last two weeks you worked). I was drawn to do a webinar on profitability to help raise confidence and consistency in fee charging for new designers, and dispel the image of the landscape or garden designer as someone who does it as a hobby, for such fun that they are willing to provide their services at any rate suggested. This is not the way to raise the professional status of our work or to encourage our sons and daughters into the profession. As befits an important topic, the webinar was a joint panel of very experienced members of BALI, the Landscape Institute and the SGD. We discussed how to become profitable by knowing your cost base; how to tackle a fee proposal with an accurate estimate of work needed; and how to keep on track during the project in order to maintain profitability. Designers Adam White FLI MBALI, Andrée Davies, Emma Mazzullo CMLI MSGD, John Wyer CMLI MBALI FSGD, Kate Gould MBALI MSGD and Rosemary Coldstream MBALI MSGD formed the panel and were very generous with their knowledge and information for the more than 80 designers who have watched the webinar so far. In order to earn solid fees it is important to be fully qualified and accredited and so, by popular demand, the next webinar will be on ‘The adjudication process: how to get accredited’. Marian Boswall MSGD MBALI

Robert Myers MSGD MBALI for Walled Garden Sara Jane Rothwell MSGD MBALI for Crouch End Garden

James Scott MSGD MBALI for Laurel Cottage and Threshing Barn Tony Woods MSGD MBALI for Jam Factory and Merchant Square Floating Pocket Park

BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

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DESIGNER FOCUS

case study

Principal Winner of the BALI Design Excellence Award 2018 Overall scheme under £50k Cheshire based designer Elaine Rutherford MSGD MBALI of Topia Garden Design was approached by clients Mr and Mrs Bradshaw to transform a tired garden when they moved house to Worsley near Manchester. Scope

The north facing suburban rear garden, approximately 9m x 9m, sloped down steeply (1:6 gradient) towards the house with a garage at the top of the slope having been recently converted to a smart garden room. An unsightly brick retaining wall approximately 1200mm high cut the garden in half with a dangerous drop and the upper level was accessed by makeshift, uneven steps. The clients had recently bought the house and refurbished the interior in contemporary styling with a particular eye to colour. The garden now needed to match.

The garden before

Client brief

This was to be a smart, sophisticated space for peaceful relaxation and occasional entertaining. The view from the glazed doors and kitchen window were particularly important. The clients had created their own mood board suggesting contemporary styling with clean geometric lines and careful use of colour but the actual layout of the space and provision for safe circulation around it formed the main technical design challenge, with a budget of c. £20,000.

Design solutions

Elaine was particularly keen to avoid needing to install safety balustrading that would clutter the scene and impede views to and from the house. “I proposed splitting the space into three comfortable levels with wide steps, using the planting beds to deflect the pedestrian away from vertical drops. The two sets of steps allow for circulation around the whole space, rather than a ‘one-way-only’ route up and down to the garden room if only one set of steps had been provided.”

Elaine Rutherford MSGD MBALI

BALI Landscape News

New retaining walls now retain the rising ground, forming three safe levels between the rear of house and the garden room

Winter 2018

at the end of the garden, with the overall height difference being 1.5m. Existing ugly brickwork and new concrete blockwork are white rendered, which lifts and lightens the space. The comfortable steps provide safe circulation around the garden and easy access to the garden room. They are designed to lead the eye and be attractive features in their own right. Paving and step treads/copings run flush through the scheme. The Copper Sentinel sculpture (fivetwo. co.uk) was chosen in collaboration with the client. Unobtrusive spot lighting in the beds highlight the planting and sculpture feature, along with eyelid lights set into the side walls to illuminate the steps. The paving is London Stone silver grey granite, sawn on all sides, with matching copings and step treads and was chosen for its crisp, contemporary finish with minimal joints. Planed Southern Yellow Pine forms the bespoke horizontal boundary screening. The planting is designed for a succession of colour with straightforward maintenance requirements. Small shrubs and herbaceous perennials provide a colour palette of purple/lilac and orange/ bronze/burgundy flowers and foliage tints, with fragrance and texture. These are punctuated with evergreen topiary (14 box balls) and ornamental grasses for winter structure.

The works

Construction work was undertaken in spring 2018 by friendly and efficient ANT Landscapes. Elaine was impressed: “Their craftsmanship, attention to detail and positive attitude made the project run like a dream.”

Client’s response

“It’s genuinely been a real pleasure working with you and sharing ideas; from concept to dream. Thank you for everything. I asked you for the ‘wow’ factor and that’s what everyone says when then see my garden; especially as it changes in both form and colour throughout the seasons.” topiagardendesign.co.uk

DESIGNER FOCUS

Designing a Rural Idyll Winner of the Principal Award for Design Excellence – Overall scheme £50k-£125k, at the 2018 BALI National Landscape Awards, Matt Nichol MBALI gives the low down on another of his exciting designs – a Rural Idyll in Rushton Spencer, Cheshire. Client brief

The owners of this newly renovated farmhouse on the Cheshire/ Staffordshire border were a couple with young children who wanted to create a practical yet beautiful family garden with a focus on relaxing and entertaining. The garden also needed to make the most of its idyllic rural setting and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The clients particularly wanted two distinct family entertaining areas, one for relaxing and one for dining, with a separate barbecue area. They envisaged a feature courtyard space, which would be viewed internally from the large picture window of the new extension, and they also needed a new driveway and gates.

Agreeing the design

Matt and his colleague Sarah Heyes had a number of interactive meetings with the clients in the early stages of the project in order to completely understand the needs and vision for the garden. They invariably start the design process with dynamic, loose pencil sketches, which always open up valuable discussion about the practicalities of the design and help create a full brief for the garden and a clear direction for the subsequent design work. Images are also used at this early stage to explore the aesthetic elements of the design. These sketches

are then translated into Vectorworksbased CAD drawings, which are also hand-rendered using Copic markers for a more bespoke feel. Eventually these drawings become detailed working drawings for the contractors to use for the garden build. Once the design was agreed the contractor’s pack was put out to tender and Matt assisted the client in selecting the contractor. It was vital to get the right contractor in place to ensure the design was translated correctly, from plans through to finished garden.

The garden

Matt has created a beautiful haven for his clients, with an emphasis on soft planting and natural materials. Existing Yorkstone paving was utilised in different formats and practical gravel selected for the paths and driveway. The feature courtyard, which was to house both the dining and seating areas, had to be dug out to get it to the same level as the house. Feature walling and steps were then used to accommodate the changes in level and create interest. The lawn levels were altered and regraded to create smoother lines. The lower entertaining level is surrounded by fragrant borders of Nepeta, Lavender and Salvia to create a more intimate enclosed space and

case study

the soft seating area also includes a fire table for evening/winter entertaining. The lawned areas are framed by more low level planting to enhance the views of the surrounding countryside. The colour palette of blues, lilacs and whites is carried through to the barbecue area, which is framed by an elegant pergola. Matt Nichol MBALI is based in Adlington, Cheshire and studied Garden Design at Pershore College. After cutting his teeth and gaining invaluable experience in the design and build world at Notcutts Landscapes, he went on to set up his own joint design and build company in 2006, employing a large team of landscapers. Matt now focuses purely on designing gardens but still relies on his extensive experience of the construction process when working on his schemes. In addition to his success at this year’s BALI National Landscape Awards, Matt was the Northern Design Awards ‘Garden Designer of the Year’ in 2012. He and his colleague Sarah are hoping to create a show garden at the 2019 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. mngardendesign.co.uk

Winter 2018

BALI Landscape News

42ND BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

The 42nd BALI National Landscape Awards The Great Room at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, was absolutely packed on Friday 7 December for the BALI National Landscape Awards in association with headline sponsor Green-tech. The turnout was testament to the hard work of BALI’s in-house Awards team who, this year, regained full control of the Awards process and the ceremony’s organisation. With well over 1,000 BALI members and guests gathered for the landscape industry’s annual celebration of professional landscaping excellence, it was clear for anyone to see that, on that day, there was definitely no better place to be. 66 BALI member businesses won awards this year, with 29 Principal winners and 3 Special Awards at the ceremony, and just one receiving the Grand Award. Amongst the VIP guests hosted by BALI Board members and staff this year were Sue Biggs CBE, Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society; Adam White, President and Daniel Cook, Chief Executive of the Landscape Institute; Sarah Morgan, Chair of the Society of Garden Designers; Matthew Bradbury, Chair of The Parks Alliance; Rod Winrow, Chairman of the Association of Professional Landscapers; Phil Jones, Chairman of BALI-NCF; Gordon Jenkins, Director of Operations at CSCS; Lance Williams, Quality Manager at the Highways Agency; Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers charity; and Sun gardening correspondent, radio journalist and one time tutor of many a BALI member, Steve Bradley.

BALI Landscape News

Following the customary drinks reception at 11 a.m., where colleagues networked and renewed longstanding friendships, guests took their places in The Great Room for a wonderful luncheon. Opening the Awards ceremony, BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills in his speech expressed his thanks to Headline Sponsor Green-tech for their continued support, particularly in endorsing BALI’s decision to bring the running of the Awards scheme and the entire organisation of the Awards ceremony back in house. Wayne also thanked Kirsty Wood and Emily Feeney at Landscape House for delivering a hugely successful event. Chairman of the Adjudication Panel Greg Allen, who has now stepped down after ten years as an Awards judge, the last seven as Chairman, was also thanked by Wayne for his tremendous commitment to the BALI Awards and to playing such a major role in elevating their industry reputation. A presentation was made to Awards Judge Jason Lock, who received it on Greg’s behalf and in his absence. Wayne announced that Greg will be succeeded by Awards judge John Melmoe, formerly of multi Grand Award winners Willerby Landscapes.

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Our grateful thanks to: Award Sponsors • Adtrak • Andrews Building Supplies T/A Rose Landscapes • Bourne Amenity • British Sugar TOPSOIL • CED Stone Group • Crowders Nurseries • CWS Group • Derbyshire Aggregates • Easigrass • Europlants UK • Fresh Horticultural Careers • Gabriel Ash • Global Stone • GreenBlue Urban • Green-tech • Green-tree Topsoil • Ground Control • Honda (UK) • ICL/Roundup • idverde UK • Johnsons of Whixley • Landscape Institute • Makita UK • MCM (SE) • Provender Nurseries • Ransomes Jacobsen • Reesink Turfcare/Toro • Rigby Taylor/Top Green • Talasey Group • Tim O’Hare Associates • Todds Nursery • Van den Berk Nurseries • Vande Moortel NV • Wyevale Nurseries

5 Before inviting Richard Kay, Chairman of Green-tech, to the stage, Wayne presented BALI’s PR Manager and Editor of Landscape News, Denise Ewbank, with Life Membership of the association for her contribution to BALI in many different roles and her support for its members, Board of Directors and staff over a period of almost twenty years; she is now stepping down from her BALI responsibilities. She said: “This is an absolute honour. I know how rarely Life Membership is bestowed and I am enormously proud to be one of just eight Life Members in BALI’s 47 year history; my very sincere thanks to National Chairman Matt O’Conner, to Wayne and to the entire BALI Board. Working with BALI, its staff and its members has been a joy and a privilege.” Following Richard Kay’s welcome speech as Headline Sponsor, next to take the stage was recently elected BALI National Chairman Matt O’Conner. He welcomed members and guests and congratulated all Award winners before inviting BALI Chalk Fund Chairman Peter Jennins OBE to the stage to present the Overall Top UK Student of the Year award to 20-year old Ashley Zymanczyk, accompanied by his Merrist Wood tutor, Tony Begg. Ashley, who completed his City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Landscaping, was said by his tutor to be a high grade learner, always hardworking, and to have “a great career ahead of him”. He was presented with a cheque for £500, as was his college.

BALI Chalk Fund trustee and former National Chairman Richard Gardiner introduced the two charities that would benefit from the collection, which took place during the lunch. The two beneficiaries were Greenfingers and the BALI Chalk Fund who divided the amazing total collection of £5,483.18 between them. Richard also took the opportunity to launch the next ‘Three Peakers Ride Again’ challenge in aid of the BALI Chalk Fund – a cycle from Ben Nevis to John O’Groats, the hard way, over the mountains! This takes place in September 2019. The Awards commenced with host sports journalist and TV Breakfast presenter Dan Walker at the helm. He talked about his career and experiences, particularly working with the great and good of the football scene, before taking control of the Awards presentations and keeping everyone in order throughout the afternoon in his role as a terrific Awards host. As the Awards presentations got underway, the work of BALI designers and contractors at the top of their profession was showcased to a room of their peers – and it was certainly an impressive display.

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BALI Landscape News

9 11

The Employer Excellence Awards were keenly contested. In the category for companies with a turnover of under £2.5m the winner was Leicestershire Garden Design Company, and in the category for companies with a turnover of over £2.5m and sponsored by Fresh Horticultural Careers was Harrod UK. With more BALI member businesses entering the Awards this year than in the past nine years we must applaud them for putting themselves forward for scrutiny, first by the judging panel and then, for those that have won awards, by their industry peers here today. They know, however, that the rewards for having a go and then winning a BALI Award are an energised and motivated workforce, a boost to their professional reputation and, ultimately, more business. The contractor and designer categories were judged by a panel comprising the Chair, Greg Allen, a former senior lecturer in landscape studies at Writtle College and now a landscape consultant; fellow judges Andrew Legg and Steve Roberts; well-known landscape designers and lecturers Robin Templar Williams and Jason Lock; RHS Associate of Honour, show judge and MD of Hillier Landscapes Richard Barnard; John Melmoe, former Managing Director of multi award winning contractor Willerby Landscapes and Honorary Member of the Kew Guild; and new judge Mick Callahan, MD of Linden Landscapes.

BALI Landscape News

The Employer of the Year and Affiliate Exceptional Service awards were judged by the Chair of Yorkshire’s Food, Farming and Rural Network and a former Director of Lantra’s Skills Partnerships, Madge Moore; former BALI National Chairman and current Chair of the BALI Chalk Fund, Peter Jennins OBE; and Nick Coslett, trustee of the BALI Chalk Fund and former Marketing Manager of Palmstead Nurseries. Principal and Special Awards were presented on the day by the commercial sponsor of each category. The ceremony culminated in the announcement of the winner of the BALI Grand Award. This is awarded for the project that, above all the year’s Principal Award winning schemes, exemplifies outstanding professional landscaping. The 2018 project deemed by the judging panel to be the worthy Grand Award winner was Private Residence in the Chilterns by BALI Registered Contractor Bowles & Wyer – the second Grand Award for Bowles & Wyer and a beautiful reinvention of an extensive private garden that demonstrates the contractor’s hardscaping prowess and horticultural expertise. This scheme won the Principal Award in the Domestic Garden Construction, cost over £250k category, sponsored by Europlants UK. Dan Riddleston, Managing Director of Bowles & Wyer, said: “It is an immense

honour to have won the BALI Grand Award, particularly as this is our 25th

Winter 2018

anniversary year. Winning a BALI National Award means a lot to everyone involved. It is a recognition of the skill and hard work of management, our site team and partners, as judged by our industry colleges. The feedback from the judges has made us particularly proud but there is no resting on our laurels as we look forward to 2019.” Other Award winners were equally proud of their achievements and were keen to express their delight: Langlea Garden Design & Construction won the Principal Award for Domestic Garden Construction, cost under £30k sponsored by Derbyshire Aggregates, collected by Design Director Francesca Sideris, and the Special Award: Best Newcomer to BALI, sponsored by Talasey Group, for Victorian Flavour. Receiving a Principal and a Special Award was a huge boost for everyone at Langlea: “After recently becoming a

BALI member we had an amazing day at the Awards ceremony. We came away on an absolute high carrying three national awards in our hands, including the Principal and a Special Award!” The Special Award: Design & Build, sponsored by British Sugar TOPSOIL, was presented to Sandstone Design Solutions for Uplands Cottage. The judges complimented the contractor on creating “a beautiful scheme on a modest budget to exacting standards”. It was a winning scheme in the

Domestic Garden Construction, cost under £30k category, and Sandstone Design Solution’s Managing Director Ali Dempster was thrilled to receive the Design & Build accolade: “We are all

delighted to receive the Special Award for Design and Build 2018 and thank BALI very much indeed. Recognition by leaders in the landscape industry not only has an extremely positive effect on our team and clients but also helps raise our company profile throughout the Kent and Sussex area. Winning the award this year has indeed added the Christmas icing to what has been a fantastic year; three awards at Chelsea, designing and building a garden with Raymond Blanc at Hampton Court for the RHS, and re-enforcing the consistently high quality of work that we strive to produce in all areas. We are very much looking forward to maintaining this excellent standard of work within BALI throughout 2019.” BALI Registered Designer John Nash and Buckland Landscapes won the Registered Designer and Registered Contractor Joint Submission category, sponsored by Easigrass, for From Pit to Picture, a stunning re-imagination of a private garden. John Nash said: “I am

delighted to have won this prestigious Award together with Kevin of Buckland Landscapes. It’s representative of all of the hard work that Kevin and his guys have put into constructing my design for the garden and with a special

acknowledgement to our clients, Simon and Justine, for their vision for the garden, which I interpreted.” Buckland Landscapes managing director Kevin Copping said: “We

are delighted to receive the Principal Award for the Registered Designer & Registered Contractor Joint Submission; it is a great honour and testament to all the hard work put in by the team. To win this Award there has to be flexible collaboration and trust between the contractor, designer and client; we are all delighted with the final result - a truly amazing garden!” London Stone won the Principal Award for Affiliate Exceptional Service sponsored by idverde UK. The Award was collected by London Stone Managing Director Steven Walley. The judges were impressed by the company’s efforts to fulfil customers’ needs through the products offered and the overall customer experience, which includes educating its customer base and helping those new into the industry. Steven Walley said: “We always

put customers at the heart of everything we do, so to win a prestigious Principal BALI Award for Affiliate Exceptional Service is an extremely proud moment. I’d like to dedicate this award to our hard working, devoted team of people and every single one of our valued clients. Thank you.”

The Special Award: Best First-Time Entrant was won by BALI Registered Designer Matt Nichol who also won the Principal Award for Design Excellence – Overall scheme between £50k-125k for a Tranquil Cheshire Garden. The judges were very impressed with Matt’s design for the front and rear gardens of a modern detached property, and also with the standard of his entry, which they considered to reflect his overall professionalism as a designer. Matt was, of course, delighted to have his design expertise recognised: “Having

the quality of your work recognised and judged by your peers and the people you respect is the highest of honours. I am so thrilled to have had an opportunity to share our work with a wider audience and want to thank the BALI team, the sponsors and the judges for their continued and unwavering commitment to the landscape sector. Winning a ‘Special Award for Best First Time Entrant’ was the cherry on the cake and we are so delighted.”

Winter 2018

BALI Landscape News

42ND BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

22 21

The International Award, sponsored by CED Stone Group, received many impressive entries this year and the Principal Award went to Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute for Design for Children – Ya’an Panda Green Island Park Landscape Design. Representatives from the Design Institute travelled from China to be part of the celebrations and to accept their award.

1. The stage is set in The Great Room at Grosvenor House

12. RHS Director General Sue Biggs CBE with Awards host Dan Walker

2. Guests take their seats for lunch

13. Langlea Garden Design & Construction with their award

3. BALI Board Directors (from left) Rosemary Coldstream MBALI, Clive Ivil, Paul Downer, Matt O’Conner, Nigel Bowcock, Richard Kay and Robert Field 4. National Chairman Matt O’Conner with Ken White of Frosts Landscape Construction (centre) and John Wyer MBALI of Bowles & Wyer 5. Landscape Institute Chief Executive Daniel Cook (centre) and The Parks Alliance Chairman Matthew Bradbury (left) 6. Sports journalist and TV presenter Dan Walker 7. BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills 8. BALI Awards judge Jason Lock MBALI accepting a presentation on behalf of outgoing Chairman of the Adjudication Panel Greg Allen

A copy of the Awards brochure, containing all the winners on the day, is included with this edition of Landscape News. The final deadlines for entries for the 43rd BALI National Landscape Awards are: Registered Contractor/ Registered Designer/Group – 5 June, 2019; International/Affiliate/Employer Excellence - 10 July, 2019, so start the process of deciding which of your current schemes are potential award winners and make sure you get your entries in. We look forward to celebrating with you at next year’s BALI National Landscape Awards!

BALI Landscape News

9. BALI PR Manager and Editor of Landscape News Denise Ewbank goes up to receive Life Membership of BALI for her work with the association 10. BALI Chalk Fund trustee and former National Chairman Richard Gardiner delivers the charity appeal on behalf of Greenfingers charity and the BALI Chalk Fund 11. BALI Registered Designer John Nash MBALI (centre left) and Buckland Landscapes Managing Director Kevin Copping receiving their Joint Designer and Contractor award

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14. Grand Award winners Bowles & Wyer 15. Sarah Heyes and Matt Nichol receiving their award from LI President Adam White (left) 16. The PC Landscapes team 17. Harrod UK’s Stephanie Harrod (centre) and Andrew Barringer with Marian Barker of sponsor Fresh Horticultural Careers 18. BALI Board Director and Chairman of headline sponsor Green-tech Richard Kay addresses the audience 19. Andy Spetch (left) of sponsor British Sugar TOPSOIL with winners of the Special Award: Design & Build, Sandstone Design Solutions 20. Representatives of International Award winners Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute with Giles Heap of sponsor CED Stone Group 21. BALI National Chairman Matt O’Conner waiting to present the Special Award: Best First-Time Entrant to Matt Nichol MBALI 22. Wayne Grills and Dan Walker with BALI’s in-house Awards Project Managers Emily Feeney (left) and Kirsty Wood

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EVENTS

Events Calendar 2019 22-24 January

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), Harrogate bigga.org.uk

23 January

Palmstead Soft Landscape Workshop 2019, Ashford, Kent palmstead.co.uk/events

29 January

180th Anniversary - Party for Perennial, La Goccia, Petersham Nurseries Covent Garden, London perennial.org.uk/party

8 February 27 February 5-7 March

ProLandscaper Business Awards, East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf, London prolandscaperbusinessawards.com The Garden Press Event, Business Design Centre, London gardenpressevent.co.uk Futurebuild 2019, ExCel, London futurebuild.co.uk

18-20 June

Facilities Show, ExCeL, London facilitiesshow.com

21-23 June

RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

1-7 July

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

17-20 July

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

31 July4 August

RHS Hyde Hall Flower Show, Chelmsford, Essex rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

16-18 August

RHS Rosemoor Flower Show, Torrington, Devon rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

3-4 September

Four Oaks Trade Show, Lower Withington, Cheshire fouroaks-tradeshow.com

3-8 September

RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show, Nr Woking, Surrey rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

5 September

FutureScape Scotland, incorporating ScotHort, Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston futurescapescotland.com

8-11 September

53rd Annual Amenity Arboriculture Conference Crown and canopy management – working with nature, University of Exeter trees.org.uk

RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

10-12 September

GLEE, NEC Birmingham gleebirmingham.com

Final of the Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition 2019, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew horticulture.org.uk

17-18 September

Landscape, Battersea Park, London landscapeshow.co.uk

17-18 May

The Arb Show 2018, Westonbirt National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire trees.org.uk

28-29 September

Malvern Autumn Show, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire threecounties.co.uk/malvernautumn/

21-25 May

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

12 March 22 March

FutureScape Spring 2019, Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey futurescapeevent.com Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2019 greenfingerscharity.org.uk/gardenreleaf

12-14 April

RHS Cardiff Flower Show, Bute Park, Cardiff rhs.org.uk/shows-events

25-28 April

Harrogate Spring Flower Show, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate flowershow.org.uk/spring-show-2019

9-12 May 11 May

5-9 June 13-16 June

RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, Chatsworth, Derbyshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/ BBC Gardeners’ World Live, NEC, Birmingham bbcgardenersworldlive.com

6-7 November

SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham iogsaltex.com

19 November

FutureScape 2019, Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey futurescapeevent.com

6 December

Party for Perennial 2019

Celebrating the charity’s 180th anniversary Tuesday 29 January 2019 at La Goccia, Petersham Nurseries, Covent Garden, London, 7.30pm-11.00pm The Party for Perennial 2019 will kickstart the charity’s 180th anniversary fundraising. Tickets cost just £28 and include a glass of fizz on arrival as well as delicious Italian light bites; there will also be a raffle with fabulous prizes to be won. The event is a popular fixture in the horticulture industry calendar, providing a great opportunity for catching up with friends and networking whilst raising money for Perennial. Anita Bates, Perennial’s Director of Marketing and Development, said: “We

BALI Landscape News

are thrilled to have this stunning venue to host our Party for Perennial 2019, providing a really special setting to kick off our 180th anniversary year in style. Those who have attended before know not only what a fun night the Party for Perennial is but also that the funds raised make a real difference to the lives of the people we help, so do please join us.” All money raised through ticket sales and the raffle will help support UK horticulturists and their families who come to Perennial for help. As the

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BALI National Landscape Awards, London baliawards.co.uk

only charity that helps individuals working in and retired from all sectors of the horticulture industry, Perennial is a lifeline for people that have nowhere else to turn. For more information and to book tickets visit perennial.org.uk/party

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BuzzGrass - UK artificial grass manufacturer High quality, luxury artificial turf for landscapers and installers British factory BALI registered artificial grass manufacturer, BuzzGrass have over 11 years experience working with landscapers and installers, providing high quality, luxury grass across the UK. Opened over 35 years ago, the factory is the longest-standing of its kind in the UK and has recently had a £1.7m investment into new machinery, R&D and a brand new warehouse to allow BuzzGrass to further develop innovative and bespoke products, tailored to your exact needs. The BuzzGrass factory is capable of producing over 1 million m2 of turf annually for trade and retail customers. Using a UK factory has many benefits for traders, including convenient customer service, an easy payment system and access to industry experts who can advise you on the types of grass available for indoor and outdoor use. BuzzGrass also offer an exclusive trade product range at stockist prices, bulk order discounts and area exclusivity for distributors. The highest quality The BuzzGrass factory is also home to SIS Pitches, an award-winning global sports surface construction company, providing synthetic turf pitches that meet FIFA, World Rugby and FIH requirements, so you can be confident that your landscaping grass will be excellent quality, made in the same factory as some of the best surfaces in the sports industry. Grass from the factory has been used at Newcastle Falcons, Saracens and Loughborough University. If you decide to trade with BuzzGrass, your business will be added to the BuzzGrass website free of charge, which has up to 700 visitors daily and will automatically send you customer enquiries, matching you with local retail customers who need their grass installing. This unique lead generation tool can help you to grow your business and get access to customers in your area without having to pay premium prices for local advertising. As well as providing grass and sundry products at great trade prices, BuzzGrass provides free installation training and tools. Training sessions are held regularly at the factory headquarters in Maryport, UK. In just one afternoon you will see how the grass is being made, learn about our product range and receive installation training from some of the most experienced installers from the landscaping and sports industry. You will also gain access to all the sales tools you will need to support your business including customer sample books and marketing materials. Ten-year promise The BuzzGrass 10 year fear-free warranty gives you and your customers peace of mind that your artificial grass will look and perform great all year round. In the highly unlikely event of a fault with the product, BuzzGrass promises to repair or replace the affected area with no fuss.

“

We first started working with BuzzGrass in 2012, we love the fact that they are a UK company manufacturing their own artificial grass. BuzzGrass provides us with free high quality samples of the products which gives us confidence when quoting against our competitors, as our samples look and feel much superior to other brands. When the installation is finished all of our customers are so happy that they willingly recommend us to friends and family which has helped us to expand our business. The BuzzGrass team are based in the UK which makes it really easy to give them a call or visit their office, our enquiries are always dealt with speedily and professionally usually with just one phone call. The aftercare service is a huge reason that we still only use one UK artificial grass manufacturer after all this time. If you install artificial grass and are proud of what you do, then I would urge you to check them out. Dennis Loveland, Greenway UK Lawns Ltd For more information visit us at buzzgrass.com/BALI

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EVENTS

BALI ROUNDS OFF THE YEAR IN STYLE AT FUTURESCAPE

BALI Zone helps boost visitor engagement with members at SALTEX BALI once again supported the IOG’s SALTEX event in early November as it returned to the NEC Birmingham, covering three halls. Primarily focusing on the groundscare and turf management industries, the show, which has rapidly expanded since its days at Windsor Racecourse, still managed to pack in the latest grounds maintenance machinery. SALTEX has always offered BALI members a slightly different proposition when marketing their products and services as the audience is largely groundscare professionals, specifiers and contractors. The BALI Zone, a collection of stands promoting a wide variety of BALI Registered members, proved popular with visitors with its unique offering. The BALI Zone has become synonymous with the show, with organisers working closely with BALI Landscape House throughout the year to help shape the event and its format. For 2018 both BALI and its members commented on the show’s success in securing for them quality leads, from landscape and grounds maintenance contractors, arborists, facility managers, specifiers and turf care professionals; BALI itself received over twenty membership enquiries. The two-day show received more than 9,000 visitors, from groundsman to park and leisure amenity officers, greenkeepers to estate managers. CPD points could be gained by attending the scores of free educational seminars, with four theatres in total throughout the three halls. BALI was proud to support three seminars within 72 hours, each one focused on a particular area, from ICL’s closer look at weed killers, including glyphosate, to Barenbrug UK’s grass seed varieties. BALI’s Technical Director Neil Huck and Ros Burnley of Adrow provided an update on the Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards for Landscaping and Horticulture, attended by over 30 people. BALI Zone members for 2018 included Greentech, Makita UK, EverEdge, British Sugar TOPSOIL, YMCA Training, CW Landscapes (CW Group) and Boningale Nurseries. iogsaltex.com

BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

With over 170 exhibitors supporting this year’s FutureScape, BALI was in good company as the show continues to grow into one of the UK’s largest landscaping events, proving a real tour-de-force for the wider landscape industry. Still held over just one day in mid-November, the free-to-attend event managed to pack in a considerable amount, with several seminar theatres host to a plethora of specialist talks, industry debates and launches, including the popular ‘30 Under 30’. Over 60 BALI Registered members exhibited in the main Surrey Hall, showcasing a range of products and services designed to add quality and value to any landscaping project. From plants to water features, design services to hard landscaping materials, the show had it covered. BALI was represented by three team members: Marketing and Communications Manager Darren Taylor, Education Officer Stephen Ensell and Chief Executive Wayne Grills. With over one hundred stand interactions and over twenty new membership enquiries the team was kept busy throughout the day. This year, BALI reported an influx of garden designers looking to join the association as news spread that the latest series of webinars and designer-focused regional events have caught the attention of some of the country’s leading practices. Encouragingly, there was also a healthy gathering of students enquiring about GoLandscape and looking for advice on career pathways following completion of their respective courses. Following a successful 2018 event BALI has already rebooked for next year and is proud to continue to support one of the industry’s premier landscaping events. futurescapeevent.com

EVENTS

BALI South Thames Region event

Designing with maintenance in mind

The panel of six industry experts was chaired by Jamie Butterworth, horticultural consultant and RHS ambassador, and comprised designers Mandy Buckland, Catherine Clancy, Ali Dempster, Angela Palmerton and John Wyer, each of whom gave a presentation on how they tackle garden design with maintenance and aftercare in mind. The panel was a mix of domestic, commercial and estate garden designers, all with different approaches to the topic and with wide ranging knowledge and expertise. After the presentations the floor was opened to questions from the audience, which included “Is the process different if the designer is not maintaining the garden after completion?” One designer said that one of her first questions for new clients is “how much is your budget for aftercare?” It was agreed this was an excellent approach as it plants the idea straight away of the true importance of gardening and the skills needed to maintain gardens to a high standard. The audience, a mix of designers, contractors and gardeners, engaged in a lively debate afterwards and it became evident that key to successful ongoing maintenance and aftercare is collaboration and communication between designers, clients and gardeners when handing over a completed garden. Some of the designers on the panel revealed that although, as part of their design and installation process with their clients, they provide a maintenance schedule, few clients understand or appreciate the skills needed to maintain a garden that stays looking as good a few years later as on the day it was completed. It was agreed that outside of the industry the gardeners maintaining these projects are undervalued and therefore not thought of as part of the overall budget moving forward. Many examples of clients looking for cheaper ‘mow and blow’ and substandard maintenance by unskilled maintenance companies were given and, in many instances, clients only realised the value of true maintenance and good gardeners a couple of years after completion. Then clients look for more skilled gardeners to maintain all aspects of a garden. It was an interesting evening with all aspects of maintenance covered during the presentations, including plants, fencing, paving, irrigation, lawns and even living walls. Presentations were also given by Richard Gardiner, formerly of BALI Registered Contractor Norris & Gardiner, and each of the

sponsors. Membership of the various trade bodies that represent gardeners was also raised and discussed and it was generally felt that there were too many different options and that collaboration between them would be beneficial. The evening was a great success and the South Thames committee would like to extend their thanks to the speakers already mentioned, and to Richard Gardiner and the sponsors Stark & Greensmith, London Stone and Platipus Tree Anchoring Systems. Liz Hughes of Provender Nurseries, who is BALI South Thames Region Vice Chair, was assisted in organising the event by Diane McCulloch and Emily Feeney at Landscape House.

PROVENDER

BALI Registered Affiliate Provender Nurseries hosted a BALI South Thames Region event at their site in Swanley on 18 October and welcomed 41 BALI members and guests for an evening of presentations, discussion and questions and answers.

“Like being a kid in a sweet shop”

it’s a

refreshing change

The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS Telephone: 01322 662315 Web: www.provendernurseries.co.uk

EVENTS

CITY WALK

THE PLACE TO BE AT FUTUREBUILD 2019 5-7 March, ExCeL London Now that Ecobuild has been rebranded and rehomed within new show format Futurebuild, BALI has been working closely with the organisers to provide members with a unique opportunity to promote their products directly to customers without the need for a shell scheme. City Walk, a new development that forms part of the Urban Infrastructure Hub at the show, will see multiple BALI members showcase their innovative streetscape products to an eclectic mix of landscape architects, contractors, urban and town planners, garden designers and specifiers this March. From lighting to benches, litter bins to quality paving, plants and containers, City Walk offers something a little different and spices up an otherwise

traditional industry exhibition with fresh elements that create show features visitors can see, touch and explore. In excess of 25,000 visitors are expected over the three days of the exhibition; 88% of visitors are at managerial level or above, with 72% authorised to make purchasing decisions. The idea behind City Walk is to create an affordable and more relaxed setting to display the opportunities for Green Infrastructure offered by manufacturers and tree and plant nurseries, a place where people can linger and enjoy the benefits that GI can bring to the urban setting. City Walk will have a park feel providing visitors with a café, seating and a wide range of the latest products, innovation and services.

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BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

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There are four stand options available in a range of sizes; from 2.5m2 up to 15m2, with each stand including carpet, literature, a 1m x 2m twosided, fully printed display board and storage for ½ pallet in the hall storage area. BALI members can receive an exclusively reduced rate for any stand booked through either BALI or Futurebuild direct. For prices and more details please contact BALI’s Marketing and Communications Manager Darren Taylor on 024 7669 8656 or email darren.taylor@bali.org.uk

9m2

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15m2

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Exhibiting opportunities on City Walk

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PVCu fencing has never looked so good! Available in a choice of classic, woodgrain foiled or composite colours, Liniar fencing is lead-free, part-recycled and surprisingly strong! Matching posts available, or just slot in to existing posts. Find out more at www.liniar.co.uk/fencing.

Wide, anti-slip deckboards with foiled and plain coloured balustrades and gates to add the finishing touches to any project – with no sanding, painting or staining each year! Liniar decking is available in bespoke sizes as a kit, complete with a galvanised steel sub-frame – so you can help clients enjoy more of their summer with Liniar: www.liniar.co.uk/decking.

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CHARITIES

Perennial prepares for a busy winter as Universal Credit continues to bite As the roll out of the controversial Universal Credit scheme continues to cause confusion and frustration among many, Perennial is ready for a busy winter supporting those affected. As the only charity in the UK dedicated to helping everyone across all branches of the horticulture industry, including landscaping, the team is anticipating an increase in demand for its services in the coming year. Working in the landscaping industry is not always well paid and even those with steady work can struggle to cope with the financial pressures that life can bring. The self-employed can be particularly vulnerable and have little financial contingency. An estimated 600,000 self-employed people will be worse off under Universal Credit and

so the Perennial team has increased its focus on support, training and preparation to help self-employed horticulturists, as well as single people and families, navigate the new system. Julia Hayne, Director of Services at the horticulture trade charity, says: “We are already seeing the effects of the new system. More people need help with the significant increase in administration that the new system demands and we have been providing transitional support. In 2019, there will be 2.8 million households affected by the full roll out, many of them working single parents or home owners on tax credits. If you know anyone - colleagues, employees or acquaintances - who might be worried about these changes, please remind them that we are here.”

The Perennial team is here to help people understand what the planned changes in the benefits system mean for them. All help is completely confidential. As Perennial enters its 180th anniversary year in 2019, the charity wants to continue to raise awareness - please help spread the word about how it helps. Find out more at perennial.org.uk/help, or contact: services@perennial.org.uk or 0800 093 8543

The Big Gardening Raffle

Greenfingers Charity Established in 1999, Greenfingers is a national charity dedicated to supporting life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices around the UK. The charity has to date created 55 speciallydesigned outdoor spaces for children to enjoy with family, friends and siblings, whether through play and fun, or therapeutic rest and relaxation. Greenfingers Charity is driven by the belief that time spent outdoors can offer children and families under considerable pressure a vital opportunity to embrace the benefits of being in the fresh air and engaging with the natural environment. Whilst many people may take for granted

BALI Landscape News

the simple pleasure of spending time outside, for children in hospices, and their families, being able to create special outdoor memories away from the bedside is precious. As the charity approaches its 20th anniversary it looks forward to an exciting year, which will see the creation of more Greenfingers gardens across the country. These include; a magical woodland at Richard House Children’s Hospice in East London, designed by Andrew Fisher Tomlin; The Garden of Colour at Claire House Children’s Hospice in The Wirral, designed by Carolyn Willitts, and a sheltered outdoor space to enable children at Little Harbour Children’s

Winter 2018

- Supported by National Garden Gift Vouchers (NGGV), the first prize is £1,000 of NGGV, 2nd prize £500 of vouchers, 3rd prize £250 of vouchers. We have 10,000 tickets (in books of 5 @ £2 per ticket) to sell before the winning tickets are drawn in May 2019. If you would like tickets or are able to help sell them to your friends, family, colleagues and others in your network, please go to the charity’s website for more information and help create another Greenfingers garden.

Hospice in St Austell to spend time outside whatever the weather. With more hospices on their waiting list, the charity continues to work hard to ensure more children and families can benefit from magical outside space. This is only possible due to the generosity of all those who provide support in so many different ways, whether through design and build, donations of Gifts in Kind, taking part in Garden Re-Leaf Day and other FUNdraising events, or through financial donations; every single penny raised or saved makes a very real difference. greenfingerscharity.org.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Bespoke poppy railings installed in time for Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day 2018 was particularly special as it marked the centenary of the armistice. BALI Registered Affiliate Alpha Rail, Nottinghamshire-based manufacturers of metal railings and gates, has now unwittingly gained a reputation as a niche manufacturer of beautiful poppy-embellished railings for war memorials.

Langford Parish Council in Bedfordshire contacted the company to assist them with the refurbishment of their village war memorial in time for the centenary service on 11 November. Alpha Rail supplied and installed black decorative railings and a matching single leaf gate to enable access to lay wreathes on the steps of the memorial. The finishing touch and overall visual effect was completed by adding plasma-cut decorative poppies,

which were painted red and welded to alternate vertical bars. Parish Clerk and Finance Officer Michelle Albone and councillors were delighted with the end result: “Many thanks to all those who helped us get this together in time for Remembrance Day 2018. The railings look amazing and we have had so many comments on how wonderful they look.” alpharail.co.uk

Bespoke roof garden for new BBC Wales headquarters A bespoke metal and timber roof garden concept has been commissioned from BALI Registered Affiliate IOTA for the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters building in Cardiff, New Broadcasting House. The £100m building is on the site of the former bus station and is part of Central Square, a development that will include one million square feet of office, residential and retail space directly opposite Cardiff Central Railway Station.

Comprising 150,000sqft of floorspace the building is set over four floors and includes office, studio and production space for 1,200 BBC Wales staff. The roof garden is a striking feature of the Foster + Partners designed building. A curved opening in the metal roof plane allows natural light into the garden, which offers views across the city and provides a stunning location for outdoor filming. The roof garden is large and complex, defining a total footprint of circa 140sqm, with the central focus being continuous lengths of sinuous Iroko FSC timber benching with stainless steel armrests. The core structure of the garden was manufactured from 3.0mm Zintec steel, polyester powder coated [PPC] with a specialist product, Powdertech Anomatch BGB 717. Given the high specification, a robust four stage PPC paint system was applied, suitable for C3/C4 environments [defined as industrial areas and coastal areas with moderate salinity, and urban and industrial atmospheres with moderate sulphur dioxide pollution].

BALI Landscape News

Winter 2018

The ramped walkway and wheelchair access was clad on both sides with 3.0mm aluminium PPC, in repeats to match the perimeter glass balustrading. Additional design integration was required to accommodate lighting and electrical distribution chambers within the garden structure. IOTA’s roof garden was commissioned, installed and planted by BALI Registered Contractor Afan Landscapes, on behalf of Principal Contractor ISG UK Construction West. The essential design concept was by Foster + Partners and IOTA’s responsibilities covered value engineering, design detailing and development, manufacture and supply. iotagarden.com

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

MCM INTRODUCES NEW LIGHTWEIGHT FREE-DRAINING SUBSTRATE FOR PODIUM LANDSCAPES Intensifying its product offering in soils, aggregates and landscaping construction materials for green roofs, podium landscapes or living walls, site materials specialist and BALI Registered Affiliate MCM has launched the first of its new landscape materials, the Lightweight Green Roof Substrate. From their headquarters on the Surrey/London border, MCM provides a nationwide supply of construction materials from feeders sites across the UK and has been established since 1997.

Blended, tested, lightweight and free draining Specifically blended with its end use and practicality in mind, the free draining Lightweight Green Roof Substrate has low porosity and a superior blend of sand, compost and aggregate – all backed up with the latest GRO standard certification from the STRI.

Bagged deliveries for limited access Available now for landscaping projects across the UK, the MCM Lightweight Green Roof Substrate is also available in bags for ease of delivery where access is limited, a service the MCM team provides across all their topsoil, subsoil, primary and recycled aggregates range. The company has also recently updated its branding and website, which is being developed as the company’s news mouthpiece, information hub and product resource for clients across the UK. Ben Tully, MCM’s Sales Director, speaks of the company’s long-established and professional rapport with landscaping clients as they continue to add to their materials and services ranges:

“MCM’s ever-increasing product range developments, such as our roof substrates and lightweight growing media, continue to keep us at the forefront of UK soil and aggregate supply marketplace. To maintain our 20 yearplus reputation as a reliable, professional materials supplier, we’re listening to and collaborating with our contractors – just as we always have. It’s vital for us to appreciate and understand their site and logistical demands and the scope within which landscape contractors operate.”

Technical details This topsoil substrate has an average bulk density of 1.1 mg/m3. Full details of the new substrate can be downloaded from mcm-se.com

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

The inner podium courtyard is built on top of the underground garage.

View from above onto the inner courtyard of the new Streatham Hill residential development.

ZinCo provides system buildup for landscaped podium decks in south London Today, in many ambitious residential or mixed-use developments in urban centres, integrating sufficient green space into a building project at the planning stage is of major importance. It not only provides obvious benefits for the residents, who have their own recreational area on the doorstep in the middle of a big city, but also has an invisible effect, as every green space in a big city or town contributes to improving the microclimate by reducing the ‘heat island effect’ and filtering out dust and smog particles from the air. The type of green space in these developments ranges from extensive green roofs and roof gardens to landscaped podium decks on underground car parks or basements. Proven build-up systems are needed to ensure the long-term functioning of these green spaces. Apart from supplying extensive green roof systems, BALI Registered Affiliate ZinCo is one of the few specialists in the sector of intensive greening able to provide tested and proven build-up systems for sophisticated designs in hard and soft landscaping on rooftops and podium decks. A recent landmark example is the mixed-use Streatham Hill development, situated in the eponymous district in south London, just a 20 minute train journey from the City. In addition to a large roof terrace, the gated landscaped inner courtyard surrounded by the multi-storey apartment buildings forms the heart of the development. This courtyard was built on the podium deck of the project’s own underground car park. As most of the apartments look onto this inner courtyard it serves as a green oasis to the residents while the thriving High Street shops, restaurants and bars are situated just on the other side of the building.

BALI Landscape News

The very attractive intensive landscape design includes small and large rectangular planters, many of them with metal edging of varying heights. Divided by pathways, these planters contain a great variety of plant species, ranging from trees and evergreen shrubs to blooming perennials and lawn. Benches integrated into the planters and special seating areas complete the design, providing space for the residents to relax and enjoy this green oasis. ZinCo provided the necessary podium build-up system for this attractive landscape scheme. BALI Registered Contractor Kingston Landscape Group installed the ZinCo green roof build-up ‘Roof Garden’ with the multifunctional drainage element Floradrain® FD 40-E as the heart of the system. This universal 40mm drainage and water storage element has a high drainage capacity due to the underside channel system allowing excess water to drain away safely into the roof drains. It was laid out under all planting areas providing an excellent air/water balance and was used with different heights of growing medium according to the plant requirements. The standard ZinCo build-up system for roof gardens uses the Protection Mat ISM 50 to go underneath the drainage element, protecting the waterproofing from any mechanical damage. Above the

Winter 2018

ZinCo build-up Roof Garden with Floradrain® FD 40-E

drainage element, the ZinCo Filter Sheet SF is installed to separate the drainage element from the subsequent substrate layer and ensure its permanent reliability and performance. The ZinCo growing medium ‘Roof Garden’ was applied in all planting areas serving the needs of the wide range of plant species and ensuring the lush vegetation scheme thrives. zinco-greenroof.co.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

The autonomous TinyLineMarker (TLM)

Rigby Taylor launches new products at SALTEX BALI Registered Affiliate Rigby Taylor launched a host of products at SALTEX, including two cost-saving new line markers that utilise GPS technology, an innovative grass seed mixture for carbon sequestration, and an exciting development in spot weed control using electricity. The new autonomous TinyLineMarker (TLM) has been developed for handsfree initial and over-marking – and it is fast, simple to operate and light and easy to transport. Combining the latest GPS technology with Rigby Taylor’s award-winning Impact readyto-use paint, TLM takes the input of pitch line dimensions and multiple pitches via an app and re-positions them to best fit the site. Once stored, the lines are never lost. Initial marking of a standard size football pitch takes less than 20 minutes, including all perimeter lines, penalty boxes, the ‘D’, centre circle, corner angles and penalty spot - all with just one touch on the tablet control without the operator having physical contact with the machine. Even pitches with fixed post sockets can be marked. TLM operators have virtually no contact with the ready-to-use Impact paint either, as a flow tube is simply inserted into the paint container and the machine is ready to produce bright white lines that last longer than other paints. TLM is able to mark football pitches (any length/width), and rugby union and league pitches, as well as multi-lane athletic tracks, tennis, lacrosse and American football pitches.

BALI Landscape News

Also on show was the new Armaline GPS ride-on line marking system for multiple, high-speed pitch-precision line marking. Designed for connection to, and controlled by, a customised John Deere Gator 855D XUV utility vehicle with auto-powered steering, the unit delivers precise initial and over-marking of lines for a wide range of sports pitches. The set-up is quick and easy with the iPAD Pro app. From pre-loaded line marking plans, the GPS steering provides the most accurate way to initial and over-mark multiple surfaces with Impact paint. Programmes are available for football, rugby union and league, athletics running tracks and more. Supplied as part of the package, the Gator has a road homologation kit and can be deployed as a conventional utility vehicle for a wide range of grounds maintenance tasks. SALTEX was also the launch pad for Rigby Taylor and its seed-breeding partner Top Green to follow up on their successful development and introduction of tetraploid grass seed technology with a range of Carbon4Grass (C4G) mixtures that exhibit unmatched rates of carbon sequestration. The launch follows a study that revealed significant differences between grass species and cultivars in their capacity to store and sequester (lock-up) carbon within the leaves, roots and soil profile. The differences in the proficiency of individual cultivars to sequester carbon proved significant and, as result, led to the creation of the new mixtures. The Rigby Taylor Low Maintenance and Sportsfield Renovation mixtures both demonstrate the potential to sequester significantly more carbon in comparison with other comparative low-maintenance landscape mixes.

Winter 2018

The Armaline GPS ride-on line marking system

A notable innovation for C4G is the use of the fast-establishing and hard-wearing tetraploid perennial ryegrass, which extends the growing season through cold temperature growth (able to germinate, grow and photosynthesize in conditions from just 40C), thus maintaining active grass cover for longer to potentially ‘capture’ more carbon. Tetraploids also have increased tolerance to disease and drought in comparison with diploids. And their potential is further enhanced with the Germin-8T seed treatment, which contains Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma atroviride for symbiotic plant health. Together these attributes enable the sowing of C4G mixtures virtually all year round.

RootWave Pro in action

Also on show was the RootWave Pro system for the spot control of weeds. Using electricity to boil the water in the plant cells means that the heat is generated internally and is therefore much more energy-efficient than using external hot water, steam or foam. The RootWave Pro system includes control unit, transfer/earth cables plus lance and electrodes, and is powered from a standard 8.75kva generator. A single tank of fuel can run the system for a day. rigbytaylor.com

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Wyevale Nurseries announce new 2020 amenity plant range BALI Registered Affiliate Wyevale Nurseries has unveiled its new amenity crop range for 2020. Eight new plants have been carefully selected by the Wyevale team based on their habit, colour and functionality. Kyle Ross, Production Manager, explained: “We have been trialling and testing these plants over the past two years to ensure the crops we put forward are the absolute best for our customers. Trialling consists of reviews of the plants’ hardiness, comparing different growing and pruning methods and monitoring susceptibility to pest and diseases.”

• Viburnum nudum ‘Brandywine’ – an excellent, branching plant with glossy red leaves;

The selection includes:

• Anthyllis Barba-jovis – Jupiter’s Beard – this coastal specimen boasts an incredible upright habit, with feathery silver foliage. Perfect as a focal plant;

• Amelanchier ‘Rainbow Pillar’ – a compact, upright small tree, which is mildew tolerant; • Teucrium fruticans ‘Selection’ – round and tough silver foliaged with purple flowers, an excellent Lavandula alternative; • Sycoparrotia ‘Purple Haze’ – a rare new introduction. A low growing and spreading shrub, autumn foliage colours of purple, yellow, red and orange; John Lawrence, Amenity & Landscape Sales Key Account Manager at Wyevale Nurseries

• Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Muffin’ – eye-catching, upright with diamond leaves. Multi-functional use within planting schemes or hedges; • Dianella ‘Blue Stream’ – a clumping Dianella, strong and vigorous with Glaucus blue foliage;

• Euonymus ‘White Spire’ – brand new to the trade and a Wyevale Nurseries’ exclusive, this compact shrub has some of the best variegation Euonymus has to offer. It can be used as hedging or for border planting. John Lawrence, Amenity & Landscape Sales Key Account Manager at Wyevale Nurseries, added: “We’ve seen a growing demand from our customers looking to bring added value to their plant schemes, be it different colours, different textures or the need to respond to challenging site conditions like we saw with this year’s hot summer. That coupled with increased scrutiny of plant health means it’s a great opportunity to be able to explore and offer new high-quality solutions to an ever-changing landscape from our own production and offer these to the UK landscape market.” wyevalenurseries.co.uk

Instant screening with Mobilane Euonymus Green Screen A landscaper might be looking for ways to cleverly increase the natural planted element of their designs without compromising the available space. Enter, the Mobilane Green Screen. The original growers and suppliers of Green Screens, BALI Registered Affiliate Mobilane have added a new personality to their Green Screen family: Euonymus Dart’s Blanket. Supplied direct from their own nursery, this new family member has all the

BALI Landscape News

traits of its relatives – hand-woven planting, biodegradable planters and higher density mesh for superior security and plant depth – plus it has a rich red warmth of foliage in the winter to contrast its usual green leaf. Euonymus Dart’s Blanket is the ultimate in hardiness for screening and the perfect partner to the hand-woven mesh construction of the Mobilane Green Screen. Tolerant of any soil type and low maintenance due to its low

Winter 2018

Make a date

with Deepdale Trees New BALI Registered Affiliate Deepdale Trees are expert growers and wholesalers of semi-mature trees and shrubs, with a proud reputation of supplying to the professional market. Established in 1995, Deepdale Trees have built a wealth of experience and knowledge, which has helped to earn them a credible and trusted reputation. They take pride in the wide range of premium, quality products, and in their well-managed and maintained nursery, which is home to the company’s extensive selection of container and field grown trees. From giving expert advice on the right type of tree for a particular environment, to offering imaginative ideas on how to create an exceptional landscape or garden, Deepdale Trees’ strength lies in delivering top-class customer service. Based in Sandy, Bedfordshire, they are well placed to accommodate year-round deliveries across the UK and Europe. They are fully plant passported and able to source plants on request through their fully plant passported supply network. Conveying how passionate they are about trees is not easy and is best seen by making a visit to their welcoming nursery where they will show new customers that they really do know their trees. Please contact them to make an appointment. deepdale-trees.co.uk

growth rate, the Euonymus offers a similarly hardy alternative to the classic Hedera hedge. The Euonymus Green Screens are available now, direct from Mobilane UK, in 1 metre and 1.8 metre heights. mobilane.co.uk

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TALASEY TRAINING ACADEMY

Supporting landscaping professionals! The Talasey Training Academy offers a range of thorough, informative and interactive courses that cover the installation, properties of and how to get the most out of landscaping products in domestic applications.

Benefits of Talasey Training Academy: • City & Guilds accredited training for you and to upskill your staff • Work with the latest product innovations

TRAINING ACADEMY

Our City & Guilds Accredited Courses Basic site setting out and preparation for domestic landscaping projects Installation of porcelain paving materials for domestic applications Installation of stone paving materials for domestic applications

• Understand how landscaping designs translate into reality • Short but impactful training, so staff are not out of their day job for long

Installation of clay paving materials for domestic applications

• Be trained by industry professionals plus receive ongoing sales and marketing support via membership to the Talasey Landscaping Professionals

Installation of artificial grass for domestic applications

• Training days include lunch and practical ‘take aways’ for learners • Discounts available for groups

Installation of resin bound aggregate systems for domestic applications

0330 353 0208

Visit www.talaseytrainingacademy.co.uk or email training@talasey.co.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Self-binding gravel from AHS BALI Registered Affiliate AHS believes self-binding gravel is the perfect solution for those looking for the natural effect of gravel but with a firmer finish. Extremely versatile and easy to lay and maintain, self -binding gravel suits both traditional and modern settings and is available in a variety of colours. It is often used around stately homes, for woodland paths, and at heritage properties, which showcases its hard-wearing properties as well as its aesthetically pleasing appearance. It doesn’t move like ordinary loose gravel and, as the name suggests, binds more with impact, making it suitable for a range of uses: • Cycle paths

Germinal appoints new Technical Sales Representative for Scotland and the North East BALI Registered Affiliate Germinal, which is the largest family owned British and Irish forage and amenity seed company, has recruited Alan Thomson as its new Amenity Technical Sales Representative for Scotland and the North East of England. Based from his home in Glasgow, Alan will provide technical sales support to Germinal’s customers throughout his region and will be responsible for promoting the company’s popular range of Grade-A sports and amenity grass seed mixtures to golf course greenkeepers, turf growers, sports groundsmen and landscapers.

• Areas of pedestrian and vehicular use • Golf courses • Heritage environments • Parks and gardens • Bridleways

Self-binding gravel - a natural look with a firmer finish

• Large landscaping projects

What’s more, this product is very cost effective and environmentally-friendly. In fact, much of the cost is usually in the delivery, which is why the network of hauliers AHS uses takes the worry out of having to source locally (often costlier) as AHS sources and delivers nationwide.

Currently training with the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute) to gain his FACTS (Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme) qualification, Alan will also be responsible for promoting Germinal’s specialist amenity fertiliser range, which includes conventional compound products as well as liquid and phased-release fertilisers and specialist sward conditioners. He will also promote the company’s range of regional and general landscaping wildflower seed mixtures.

Another advantage of most self-binding gravels (with a few exceptions) is that the material can be excavated and re-laid years later if required, removing the need to reinvest in further materials. Contact AHS to discuss your project.

Alan joins Germinal from Glasgow-based John Deere dealership Nairn Brown, where he was the company’s area sales manager for the central Scotland region. Prior to this he has worked as the Scottish sales manager for Tacit Golf and also has previous greenkeeping experience from his time at Bothwell Castle Golf Club. He can be contacted by emailing alan.thomson@germinal.com.

ahs-ltd.co.uk

germinalamenity.com

Charcon’s cycleway solution wins Highways UK innovation award Charcon Hard Landscaping, a division of BALI Registered Affiliate Aggregate Industries, has been crowned winner of the ‘On the Pavement’ category at the inaugural Highways UK 2018 Materials Innovation Hub (MIH) Awards. Run by Highways UK in association with the Mineral Products Association, the Awards formed a major new component of the Highways UK 2018 event at the NEC, Birmingham. Charcon’s submission was its unique Cycleway Segregation Units, which were named ‘Material Innovation of the Year’ at the 2016 London Construction

BALI Landscape News

Awards. Together with three other shortlisted entries, the Charcon team gave a 12 minute presentation in front of a ‘Dragons’ Den’-style panel of judges at the trade show. Mark Barter, Sales Director for Charcon, commented: “Charcon’s Cycle Segregation systems safely segregate and protect cyclists from passing traffic, even when on the blind side of a lorry or bus. It replaces traditional methods of laying two kerb lines followed by paving infill and reinstatement. “Our customers have been very impressed by the multiple benefits the solution offers, namely: less construction time on site; less traffic disruption while works are carried out; a lowering of the project’s carbon footprint; and, ultimately, the safeguarding of cyclists and other road users.” Charcon’s winning entry features a bull-nose edge running along the

Winter 2018

carriageway, capable of withstanding vehicular impact, while a full batter profile on the cycleway side significantly reduces the chance of cyclists catching a pedal. The frog in the base of the unit improves the key into the bedding material, reducing the weight of the unit and helping placement. charcon.com

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Compact performance you can count on.

Compact tractor range: The perfect balance of power, control and performance Developed from the ground up, Kubota’s range of robust and versatile compact tractors deliver exceptional performance and unrivalled reliability for consistent, economic performance all year round. BX231 (21HP): Built for demanding applications and designed for operator comfort; offering high specification features as standard including 4WD, power steering, independent front, mid and rear PTO with 2-range HST transmission. B2 series (21-31HP): Get more for less with a premium specification; with a choice of transmission options, selectable 4WD, mid and rear PTO and includes Kubota’s unique Bi-Speed turn feature for tighter turning ability and reduced turf damage. An integrated air-conditioned cab option is available for maximum driver comfort.

www.kubota.co.uk

L1361(36.6HP): Take on tough projects faster and easier with this powerful and efficient tractor, designed for enhanced visibility, comfort and manoeuvrability with a choice of manual or HST transmission and Kubota’s bevel gear power front axle for tighter turns. Choice of perfectly matched implements and loaders, designed for Kubota tractors to efficiently take on a wide range of all-year round tasks.

T: 01844 873190

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