Landscape News Winter 2020 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

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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME Dear member Winter has now arrived, with lower temperatures and shorter daylight hours adding to the challenges of working outside. At Registered Affiliate Green-tech, it’s also the start of our new trading year and subsequent tree planting season. It already feels like we’re going to have a very busy few months as we move into 2021.

At the time of writing we are just 4 weeks out from the United Kingdom completing its transition away from the European Union, and we still don’t have a deal. Either way, have you thought about what must be done in preparation for the 1 January 2021: • Carried out background checks to make sure your business is as ready as possible for what lies ahead? • Are your contracts robust? • Can your supply chain deliver? • Do you foresee any issues? • Have you used the government online checker? There is a wealth of information and guidance available to you, both on the BALI website bali.org.uk/help-and-advice/ brexit and the government Brexit Ready portal, including a helpful questionnaire gov.uk/transition. Elsewhere, on Friday 4 December, we celebrated together online for the first ever virtual BALI National Landscape Awards, the largest landscaping ceremony of its kind anywhere in Europe. Despite COVID-19 restricting this year’s physical event to an on-screen presence only, the team managed to hit every major milestone leading up to the big day, including the adjudicator’s on-site judging and final deliberations in late summer. You can find out who won this year’s Grand Award on page 8 and read the full review on page 24. Congratulations to all our winners. Of course, I must pay tribute to our sponsors who have remained steadfast in their support for BALI and the Awards. On behalf of the team at Landscape House, we thank you for your continued commitment and dedication to making our Awards the best they can be.

On a personal level, I was very proud to have had the chance to virtually congratulate Josh Reid, our BALI Chalk Fund Overall Top Student of the Year 2020 winner. This accolade is awarded by the Trustees, to the student who has excelled in all areas of their studies and who has shown outstanding promise for their future landscape career. Well done Josh, a great achievement. The BALI National Landscape Awards wasn’t the only industry first in 2020. Registered Affiliate Eljays44’s FutureScape 2020 went virtual across three days, from 17-19 November, and BALI was present to support and exhibit. Green-tech sponsored Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation, which received a virtual presentation during the show.

With both of these events, I urge all members to use platforms like this to showcase the work that you do to a much wider audience. Finally, I wanted to personally congratulate all of our new members listed on this page, I urge you all to attend your regional annual general meeting in the new year. In the meantime, have a fantastic Christmas and I wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year. Best wishes. Richard Kay National Chairman

New members as at 16/11/2020 REGISTERED CONTRACTOR

South Thames • Fountains Direct • Pritchard and Pritchard • Walton’s Landscapes • Vintage Driveways North Thames • Benjamin Tyler Landscape & Horticulture • Harrell • Manor Garden & Estate Services South West • Glenn Humphries Landscaping • The Garden Business • WH Bond & Sons Midlands • The Storefield Group

North West • The Grass Factory

STUDENT

Yorkshire & North East • G Clarke Landscaping REGISTERED AFFILIATE

South Thames • Growing Revolution DSO

South Thames • Canary Wharf Management

BALI & ROLO TRAINING PROVIDER

South Thames • Train for Towing Yorkshire & North East • Livius Events T/A Livius Training REVOKED

• JSC Paving & Landscaping

INTERNATIONAL

• Idverde (France) • Chongqing LISM Landscape Planning and Design Co. • Concept Gardens • Eastwood Landscape Architecture Design

Winter 2020

North Thames • Christopher Gordon

• Lawnscape Designs

BALI Landscape News

CONTENTS

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Editor’s Welcome We’ve made it, almost. In just a few short weeks’ time we can finally slam the door shut on 2020 for good. Of course, if you’re reading this in 2021, welcome to a new year, a fresh start, a positive start. COVID-19 may have left its mark on our world, changing the way we live and work, but it can also be beaten. We’ve all seen the stories of courageous men and women working on the frontline, healing the sick, caring for those that have lost loved ones, educating our children and working on a vaccine. There’s also you, those working in horticulture and landscaping, whether it’s design, build, maintenance or supply, you have helped to keep our economy going. You have provided precious landscapes for people all over the country to enjoy, whether in their gardens, business premises or in a local park or town centre. For that I say thank you. COVID-19 isn’t the only thing I’m ready to leave behind in 2020. We’re getting ready to reveal several exciting new changes for your association in the spring of 2021, including a new look Landscape News. It’s time for a new direction for the British Association of Landscape Industries which celebrates its 50th year in business in 2022. I want you to help me shape its future, so on page 14 we have details of a very quick survey that I encourage you all to complete, to help me make this publication the best it can be. Elsewhere we start to look at what more we could or should be doing to raise awareness with the general public on the true value of landscaping. We have two very interesting takes this issue, pages 20 and 34 respectively.

Editor Darren Taylor BALI Landscape House Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2LG T: 024 7669 8656 E: darren.taylor@bali.org.uk Editorial darren.taylor@bali.org.uk Advertising diane.mcculloch@bali.org.uk Copy date for Spring 2021 edition Friday 5th March 2021

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Winter 2020

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Quarterly Update

Training & Technical

LATEST NEWS

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON YOUR MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Senior Membership Officer Jo Todd takes a closer look at three of BALI’s membership benefits, and how they can help you and your business when circumnavigating the challenges posed by COVID-19.

BALI HR/H&S in association with Quest There are four essential service available, HR Service, Legal Service, H&S Service and a Tax Service, all delivered by Quest Business Services. These can be accessed via a dedicated telephone line which provides access to the four advice lines and a website which features a document library with almost 800 free template documents. These cover HR, legal and health & safety matters. There are also free One2One Reviews with a Quest Business Manager which will help ensure you have everything in place to support and develop your business. For further information email one2one@questcover.com.

BALI Insure in association with Aston Lark Aston Lark works across all commercial sectors, schemes, and a wide range of specialisms. Their dedicated inhouse claims team are on hand to support members, including their award-winning private client division which offers expert guidance for individuals. They are adept at providing comprehensive advice and can adapt and adjust their focus when the world around you changes or your business evolves. They help you mitigate risk by providing custom-fit products and risk management advice. With over 1,000 staff in 35 regional locations, and trusted by over 140,000 clients, they believe this combined knowledge and expertise across all of their divisions truly differentiates them from the rest. Visit astonlark.com or call +44(0)20 7543 2800.

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF LANDSCAPE NEWS BALI is refreshing its journal in 2021 and wants your input to make it the best publication it can be, providing members with relevant, useful and inspirational content. In Spring 2021, Landscape News will receive a new look alongside reformatted editorial sections. The journal’s current primary purpose is to promote members’ news stories within the membership network and to share BALI’s activities at Landscape House. The new design will carefully refine what what currently works and introduce additional features including more in-depth features. on member projects and a focus on content that has not appeared online already, making it unique to BALI. Sections in the redesigned publication will revolve around business support, technical, training and education, but will still retain Landscape House news and updates. Moving forward, member news will be reviewed for its originality and usefulness to the wider membership. The publication will retain its size, pagination and ratio of advertisers. To have your say on this and more, please take five minutes to enter our Landscape News 2021 survey at bit.ly/33DCyAv.

BALI Digital in association with Adtrak Adtrak specialise in generating leads for businesses. They combine carefully-strategised marketing with performance-driven website design to help clients increase their lead generation and enjoy real, visible growth. From SEO to paid marketing, branding and content, their team will provide you with everything you need to take your company to the next level. Contact Account Director Ben Shaw today ben.shaw@adtrak.co.uk to receive a professional digital marketing review for your business. To find out more, and to see the full list of benefits, login to your member’s area of the BALI website, bali.org.uk/login, to find a comprehensive list of category-specific benefits and resources.

Winter 2020

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Plans for the new design will see a much closer in-depth look at landscape schemes around the UK, going behind-the-scenes on their design and construction.

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CONTRACTOR NEWS

INCREASING PERFORMANCE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE ADVANTAGE THE CULTURA WAY

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

Cultura Group Chief Executive Phil Jones

Right and opposite page – Valley Gardens, a vibrant urban linked park system

Following a complete rebrand in July 2020, Registered Contractor East Sussex Landscapes T/A Cultura Group is delivering on its core values; people, quality, communication and customer care, as we talk exclusively to Chief Executive Phil Jones on the company’s transformation and check in on two recently completed projects. Following its rebranding, the door is open for Cultura to partner with customers on high profile, high quality projects. This process has been sparked by the new approach the company has adopted to the pre-construction phase, which is all about working with a customer at a very early stage, not simply to price a bill of quantity, but to help the customer with their challenges in delivering their project on scope and price. Time spent at this stage not only adds quality and value to the scheme, even before it is won, it also helps to cement the relationship and ties the two parties together in a common goal. This approach is proving to be very successful and is providing a pathway to winning more business. The pathway doesn’t end there, however. A collaborative pre-construction stage naturally leads into a seamless transition to mobilisation and delivery. Every project has its challenges and the solutions to those challenges often lie within a constructive dialogue, born out of a strong collaborative relationship, the seed of which is sown at an early stage.

“This approach has not only resulted in the Cultura Group winning more profitable business and converting that business into strong cash flow, it has also opened up new market sector opportunities. Whereas in the past the

company was very much known for its soft landscaping single work stream, customers are now asking Cultura Group to combine hard as well as soft landscaping within their project packages. It’s a natural progression that helps to streamline the customer contract letting and management processes, meaning they have to deal with only one contractor for both packages of work.” Phil Jones CEO. The approach that the group is taking to its commercial projects has also led to a number of enquiries for schemes with ‘high-end’ domestic clients and Cultura is well on the way to delivering an exciting large-scale private garden design and build project.

Valley Gardens Phases 1 & 2 Location:

Central Brighton

Size of project:

1.5km (3 parks)

Build time:

12 months

Maintenance period: 3 years Main contractor: Client:

The way in which the company is now operating means that it is able to attract more highly skilled employees, to train those people within the existing workforce with the potential to develop and to engage with supply chain partners in supplementary areas of technical expertise when needed. Underpinning all of this has been the investment in people, training, IT systems and marketing. The company now has fewer, better qualified and more highly motivated people, coupled with customers who trust Cultura to work with them and deliver a quality end product. With all of this improvement, measured growth is now on the agenda for the company, largely attributable to repeat business. The second half of this year has seen significantly increased levels of quality enquiries from customers and a positive outcome on a number of those enquiries. The order book is building for next year and beyond and Cultura will be looking for the right people to join the business to help in its future success.

Dyer & Butler

Landscape architect: Untitled Practice Brighton & Hove City Council

Cultura’s brief was to transform and improve the public green space to create a vibrant urban linked park system at the heart of the city. The soft landscape design was for a high quality, functional and biodiverse natural environment.

The Tide, Greenwich Location: Greenwich Size of project:

1km

Build time:

12 months (plus two-year aftercare period)

Maintenance period: ?? Main contractor:

Mace

Sub-contractor:

JP Dunn Construction

Landscape architect: Gross. Max Implementing the soft landscaping to what is London’s first elevated linear park. The natural themed planting opens up the river and creates the space for communities to come together to absorb the art, relax, contemplate and people watch.

To find out more visit culturagroup.co.uk.

The Tide, London’s first elevated linear park

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Bowles & Wyer’s race to transform hospital ground Registered Contractor Bowles & Wyer was given just over a month to design and build a new landscape for St George’s Hospital in one of their quickest turnarounds to-date. BALI talks to Managing Director Dan Riddleston on their latest and most ambitious challenge yet. St George’s Hospital Charity contacted Bowles & Wyer regarding the renovation of the sloping landscape located in front of their main hospital entrance in October, a project funded by Sir Captain Tom who raised over £30m for the NHS in 2020. The space was under-used and worn. Located next to the main walkway and entrance, the team had just two weeks and a tight budget to create a design which included a variety of seating areas for hospital visitors, as well as inviting pathways and a new planting scheme to improve the aesthetic and biodiversity of the space.

government’s most recent lockdown measures, it was made clear that they wished for our industry sector to continue to work, so we did. We had our office-based staff all working from home, and we held more virtual meetings to communicate with our clients. In fact, our design team have a regular slot at 3pm every day where they all chat on Teams!”

With construction having started in November, the team had just three weeks on site to finish the build before it was to be shown on national television.

He continued, “We’re following the hands, face, space guidelines, and we’ve introduced stricter control measures for our site staff too. We encourage them to travel to work separately but if they need to share a van then they must wear face coverings and have the windows open. We also ask colleagues not to share breaks or lunch in confined spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained and to stagger breaks where possible. We follow advice from our trade body, BALI, and have adopted the Construction Leadership Council’s Site Operating Procedures aimed at protecting our workforce during COVID-19.”

All of this was delivered whilst under strict COVID-19 restrictions. Dan commented, “Following the

To view the final garden, and to find out more about the project visit bowleswyer.co.uk/blog.

Lower down the landscape, there are secluded seating areas nestled amongst naturalistic woodland planting. An informal path leads through a woodland area with lush green planting and a more muted colour scheme.

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

A view across the landscape as construction comes to a close

The main 5,277m2 food court building houses the living roof which plays an important function in the site’s sustainable drainage plan

CONTRACTOR NEWS

GEO GREEN SOLUTIONS’ WILDFLOWER ROOF TRANSFORMS SERVICE STATION An innovative wildflower living roof designed and installed by Registered Contractor Geo Green Solutions helps new motorway services blend in with the surrounding landscape. Skelton Lake Services, a £63m development, forms part of an extensive area of ecologically diverse country park that is situated two miles east of Leeds city centre. Although the design of the station was carried out by a local architect, the living roof was installed and maintained by Geo Green. The main 5,277m2 food court building houses the living roof which plays an important function in the site’s sustainable drainage plan by absorbing rainwater into the roof build up and minimising surface water run-off. The vegetation, growing media and filtration fabrics used also filter dust and pollution from both the air and rainfall, reducing chemicals and pollutants that reach the surrounding water courses. As well as contributing to biodiversity the green roof significantly reduces carbon emissions, allowing the heat generated internally to be drawn into the cooler roof surface and dissipated gradually into the environment compared to traditional roof constructions. At the base of the living roof, a combination of 20mm and 40mm deep reservoir and drainage geocomposite is installed. The geocomposite includes a

geotextile at the top to filter soil particles, and one underneath as a secondary filter and protection layer. The main core structure of the HDPE reservoir board features a matrix of storage cups to attenuate storm water and provide irrigation of the wildflower and sedum planting during dry periods. The geocomposite is supplied in 920mm wide x 50m long rolls, with 110 rolls installed in total at Skelton Lake Services. During the final phase of the green roof’s construction, a biodiverse growing media mix was deposited directly onto the geocomposite layer and levelled to a depth of 100mm. The material is lightweight to minimise loading on the roof structure and formulated with a high organic content in order to retain moisture and nutrients.

Insulation, water control membrane, green roof layers and an irrigation system were installed by Geo Green and in total 5,000m2 of green roof sedum and wildflower matting were delivered and installed for the roof of the new services. For more information and green roof design advice, please contact Geo Green on 01484 354836 or email info@geogreen.co.uk geogreen.co.uk

To complete the installation a total of 4,622m2 of meadow planting was installed, at a ratio of 20% grass to 80% wildflower which included a mix of 34 different species. The turf was contract grown specifically for the scheme and supplied by Registered Affiliate Wildflower Turf. In addition, an area of 775m2 of sedum planting was carried out where low growth was required, adjacent to the large expanse of elliptical glass situated towards the centre of the facilities building of the upper floor and also the RSPB visitor centre with views across the lake.

Article correction from Landscape News Autumn 2020 - Registered Contractor Brambledown Landscapes completed landscaping works for the project, but not for the green roof (as incorrectly stated in the Autumn issue).

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Green Oak show garden

DEMONSTRATING VALUE TO CUSTOMERS WITH GREEN OAK SERVICES

Green Oak Services gothic garden planting by David Hodgkinson

Registered Contractor Green Oak Services’ Creative Director, Marlene Lento, offers a rally cry to other members by asking the question, ‘Can you afford NOT to use an accredited landscape professional?’ in our new series of articles looking at what we can all do, together, to build the right kind of awareness with consumers. Recently, I conducted a keyword search to explore how many people look to the internet for guidance on the cost of landscaping. Searches such as ‘how much does a patio cost’, ‘how much does decking cost’ and ‘how much to redesign your garden’ are entered into Google a staggering 90,000 per month. Unfortunately, the results are dominated by general home improvement sites and automated calculators that generate unqualified per sqft costs and create unrealistic expectations. Sometimes these numbers are so low that they would barely cover the cost of materials. They also fail to take into account all aspects of a project and the infinite number of factors that determine the final cost. With a basic calculator, there is no way of differentiating a London porcelain patio with intricate cuts that first requires the removal of a 12” concrete pad by hand,

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

from a rectangular patio of concrete pavers on a prepared surface in Wales with easy site access. Commonly, the pricing seems to be based on the latter, installed by a non-VAT registered installer where the customer purchases the product and disposes of the waste. I may be cynical, but could it be that the sites ‘quoting’ the lowest costs benefit from the most repeat traffic in an age of ‘shopping around’? After all, the most popular social media apps are also the ones with the best photo filters, not with the most realistic ones… Another source of information shaping public perception is what is portrayed in garden makeover programs on television. These, too, tend to perpetuate the idea that you can redesign and build a new garden for £2,000 by repurposing a nifty mixture of painted pallets while using producer-subsidised labour. Mostly, these projects are the

MANOR GARDEN & ESTATE OFFERS ALL-ROUND LANDSCAPING SERVICE Introducing Registered Contractor Manor Garden & Estate Services, who joined BALI in September. Offering design, build and maintenance services, the team, headed up by founder Joe Broadwood, work out of Perch and Eco Business Centre in Bicester, the first true non-domestic Passivehouse Plus carbon zero building.

Green Oak Services East Farleigh Garden dining area with water feature

exterior equivalent of what a new coat of paint and a few cushions are to the interior, but they nevertheless anchor numbers in the minds of the consumer that are unrealistic in any other context and unhelpful to our potential clients and to us. We must therefore not blame the public for not knowing what it costs to have a garden professionally designed and landscaped - people are looking for information and as BALI members we need to add our voice. I propose that, over the next few issues of Landscape News, we look in detail at the value to the client of using a professional contractor and designer. It is my hope that providing information on topics such as the legal requirements around waste removal, compliance and certification of our workforce and machinery, insurance, aftercare and recourse, will put valuable information in the public domain, via a central source like bali.org.uk, that all of us can link to from our own websites, blogs and client communication. It will be a long-term undertaking to educate consumers, however, BALI has announced they will be

launching a campaign in 2021 to increase our exposure. If you as a member have any expertise you can share, can I encourage you to please use your editorial rights in this publication to do so. Maybe you can write about why drainage is such an important consideration and what would happen if omitted or installed incorrectly? Maybe you have recently fixed an incorrectly installed retaining wall, patio, pond, driveway or any other landscape feature and can share the client experience and cost implications of remedying the fault.

Founded in 2013, the company has grown and built up a team of expert gardeners. “I always had a vision of creating my own business offering landscaping in a range of gardens and estates” said Jo. “I created Manor Garden Services with the ambition to turn people’s visions into reality”. Services include domestic and commercial landscaping, irrigation, lawn care, box blight treatment, tree planting and maintenance, plus environmental works. Wildflower meadow planting and maintenance is also a service on offer, our affiliation with Registered Affiliate Wildflower Turf means we have the expertise and knowledge to guide you through the best options. We also take our carbon footprint and sustainability seriously, using the latest battery-operated machinery and making our office paperless using cloudbased services which also helps us keep in touch whilst having to work remotely during the global pandemic. So, if you have a large estate, a design you would like planting and maintaining, we can help you turn your vision into a usable outdoor space. manorgardenservices.com

Please submit your contributions and case studies which will help the British Association of Landscape Industries educate and raise the value of professional landscaping to the public. To get involved in the public campaign please contact BALI’s Marketing and Communications Manager darren.taylor@bali.org.uk greenoakservices.co.uk Pruning of wisteria and fruit trees

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

CONTRACTOR NEWS

HOW BLUE ROOFS HELP DEVELOPERS FIGHT FLOODING AND POLLUTION

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

Aerial view of the site showing the roofs planted with wildflower seed Wimbledon Grounds blue roofs will feature wildflower seed mix

Blue roof attenuation layer

Registered Contractor Pritchard & Pritchard explains how blue roofs retain storm water to prevent flooding, negating the need for subterranean or ground level attenuation tanks, soakaways or ponds making them an attractive solution for urban developments looking to maximise space and sustainability. When storms strike, torrents of rainwater stream off roofs and hard landscaping, overwhelming drains, sewers and rivers if allowed to surge. This can cause flash floods and widespread disruption which can damage properties and infrastructure and pollute the environment. To mitigate this, central and regional governments and planners now require larger developments to include provision for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in their plans. This is changing how buildings are designed and landscaped and encourages developers to embrace new technologies.

“In cities, particularly where space is at a premium, we are now witnessing substantial new developments adopting blue roofs to meet their SuDS commitments. Not just one or two, but roofs throughout the development, often coupled with green and biosolar roofs,” says James Beattie, Operations Director at Pritchard & Pritchard. One trailblazing blue-roof project is Galliard Homes’ pioneering Wimbledon Grounds, a brand-new development of 600 homes, co-located with AFC Wimbledon’s new ground at Plough Lane, London. Every one of the 26 roofs and four podium gardens at Wimbledon Grounds is a blue roof covering nearly

14,000 square metres in total and every roof is also a green roof making it one of the largest installations in London.

biggest storms to the equivalent flow if the land was greenbelt… i.e., with no development at all.

The blue-green roofs at Wimbledon Grounds were installed by Pritchard & Pritchard working with Kingsley Roofing (London), using a system supplied by Registered Affiliate ZinCo Green Roof Systems.

The London Proforma also makes it clear that developers and planners should “prioritise SuDS measures that manage run-off as close to source as possible”, which makes blue roof technology particularly suitable as it stores excess rainwater in an attenuation layer within the roof. It seems this is driving growth of blue roofs in London, though data is virtually non-existent.

“When other developers and planners see what has been achieved with bluegreen roofs at Wimbledon Grounds, we expect more to follow Galliard’s lead and embrace blue roofing, especially now SuDS is core to getting planning permission,” predicts Beattie. Since 2015 any application for a major new development – 10 or more dwellings or the non-residential development of equivalent size – must prove a SuDS strategy is in place to manage storm water run-off. Some parts of the UK have gone much further than this. In Wales, from January 2019, a compliant SuDS strategy is an enforceable legal requirement for any new development of two or more houses. Planners set a high bar for SuDS. London Sustainable Drainage Proforma (obligatory with planning applications from 2019) requires major developments in London to show how they will restrict the run-off from the

“It is difficult to assess how big blue roofing is without data from the manufacturers, but I am aware that more and more systems are going into new developments, certainly in London,” explains Dusty Gedge, President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations, “I suspect it is being driven by the need to retain water at roof level through local planning processes – but we could do with this being driven by the Government.” He believes the new development at Wimbledon Grounds is likely to be one of the largest blue roofing developments of this type in London. green-roofs.co.uk zinco-greenroof.co.uk

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BALI Landscape News

BALI AWARDS 2020

DIGITAL DELIGHT FOR BALI MEMBERS AT 44TH BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

BlueFish Landscaping Contractors, Domestic Garden Construction - Between £30k - £60k, Principal Award 2020, The South Courtyard

Registered members of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) prove once again that their award-winning schemes are virtually unstoppable in terms of quality design and build, with Grand, Principal and Special winners recognised during an hour-long online celebration of landscaping excellence. Grand recognition for PWP Landscape Design Registered Contractor PWP Landscape Design was awarded BALI’s ultimate accolade, the Grand Award, for its stunning Private Residence in Yorkshire. The formal garden was entered into the Domestic Garden Construction Between £100k-£250k category, sponsored by Registered Affiliate Van den Berk Nurseries. PWP Landscape Design’s entry was one of 124 that were judged by BALI adjudicators over the summer with 70 National Landscape Awards bestowed on 49 members in September.

COVID-19 could not dampen our spirits, or the quality of entries Due to COVID-19 this year’s ceremony was held virtually, with hundreds of members, guests and VIPs tuning in to watch the stream as it aired on Friday 4 December. Supported by Headline Sponsor and Registered Affiliate Greentech, the annual event is a highlight for many in the landscaping calendar and provided the perfect end of year celebration which recognised the skills, hard work, quality, commitment and successes of Registered members.

Winter 2020

BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills commented on this year’s ceremony, “PWP Landscape Design has entered our prestigious hall of fame, which includes 44 highly regarded Grand Award winners from the last four decades. Our members, led by PWP, have once again demonstrated they are some of the most talented professionals in the UK, and we rightly celebrate them at the largest landscaping ceremony of its kind in Europe. I am delighted for Adrian, Ian and their team on such a magnificent scheme and I extend my personal congratulations to you, and to all our winners this year. COVID-19 may have placed restrictions on us in 2020, but it has done nothing to stop the quality, dedication and spirit of our members.”

18 Principal and 4 Special Awards bestowed on members Specials were awarded for Best Design & Build for PWP Landscape Design, Best Newcomer to BALI for Registered Contractor Smart Landscape Design, who also won a Principal for Private Residence in Bristol, and Best First Time Entrant for Registered Designer Jilayne Rickards MBALI. Jilayne was also

BALI Landscape News

presented with Best Use of Recycled & Reclaimed Materials alongside Registered Contractor Landscaping Solutions for their joint work on Principal Award winning scheme, The Urban Retreat - London. Registered Contractors idverde, Maylim, Frosts Landscape Construction, Bowles & Wyer, Tivoli Group, Landscape Associates, BlueFish Landscaping Contractors, John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance), Landform Consultants, Green Acorn Landscape Design and Construction and Talbot Farm Landscapes were also awarded Principals in their respective categories. Registered Designer Lynne Marcus MBALI MSGD achieved a Principal for her Private Residence in Pentworth, West Sussex whilst International member DDON Planning & Design Inc. took home a Principal for their spectacular The Taicang Wave Fountain Yard. This year’s Affiliate Exceptional Service Principal Award went to Registered Affiliate CED Stone Group.

Another successful event for the team at Landscape House 2020 was the third year the Awards were successfully delivered in-house, led by Events Project Manager Emily Feeney, “I am incredibly proud of the achievements of the team in 2020. Once again, the hard work and determination of everyone involved resulted in us hosting a successful virtual ceremony which entertained hundreds of our landscaping

PWP Landscape Design, Domestic Garden Construction - Between £100k - £250k, Grand Award 2020, Private Residence in Yorkshire

idverde, Community and Schools Development, Principal Award 2020, Holland Park Adventure Playground

Smart Landscape Design, Best Newcomer to BALI, Special Award 2020, Private Residence in Bristol.

colleagues, industry organisations and VIPs. I would like to congratulate PWP Landscape Design and our winners this year, well done to you all. Finally, on behalf of my colleague Diane McCulloch, I would like to extend a special thank you to our sponsors. Without you there would be no ceremony and we truly value your ongoing support.” Although the event was held virtually, members took to social media in their droves to proudly share photos of their teams watching the ceremony remotely in a concerted effort not to miss out on the celebrations. BALI’s best dressed competition proved popular with teams sharing snaps of their outfits and the winners were announced on social media following the ceremony. Benefitting from text donations during this year’s video stream, Thrive and the BALI Chalk Fund will split the amount raised between them. Thank you to everyone that gifted. A full list of award-winners and a description and images of the winning schemes are available on baliawards.co.uk/results-2020. A digital copy of the 2020 Award Winners brochure is now available to download at baliawards.co.uk and complimentary copies are available to order by contacting Events Project Manager Emily Feeney +44(0)24 7518 5613 emily.feeney@bali.org.uk. Entries for the 45th BALI National Landscape Awards 2020 will open in February 2021. Follow @BALI_Awards on Twitter and @baliawards on Instagram for updates, or visit baliawards.co.uk

Huge thanks to our Award Sponsors • Headline Sponsor Green-tech

• Bourne Amenity • CED Stone Group • Easigrass • Ecoscape UK • Europlants UK • Fresh Horticultural Careers • Global Stone • Green-tree Topsoil • Ground Control • ICL Speciality Fertilizers • idverde • Johnsons of Whixley • Landscape Institute • Premium Plants • Makita (UK) • MCM • Provender Nurseries • Ransomes Jacobsen • Reesink UK • SAiGE Longlife Decking • Talasey • Van den Berk Nurseries

Maylim, Hard Landscaping Construction (nondomestic) - Over £500k, Principal Award 2020, Greenford Quay Phase 1B

DDON Planning and Design Inc., International Award International Members only, Principal Award 2020, The Taicang Wave Fountain Yard

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

winning co ntra ward LI a cto BA

Skidmores of Hertford The Parade, Wembly

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BALI AWARDS: PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT RECLAIMED TIMBER

Green design takes priority as the industry builds back better. Here, we look at the award winning gardens and how FSC® reclaimed timber was used to demonstrate sustainable design credentials.

Ashwells Reclaimed Timber is the UK’s leading tropical reclamation specialist. For over 30 years, the firm has tirelessly reclaimed tropical hardwoods such as Greenheart, Jarrah, and Keruing; repurposing the timber for future use in an FSC certified process that prevents further deforestation and saves C02e. Their reclaimed timber features in major projects across the UK, including RHS Chelsea, RHS Hampton Court, The Eden Project and London Zoo. Commenting Ashwells Managing Director Janine Davies-Tutt says: “We are thrilled to feature in four BALI award categories this year. We all know the rainforest is disappearing, fast. We also know that finding low-carbon sustainable building methods are the only way to reach net-zero by 2050. Through our partnerships with eco-conscious designers, we’re meeting the challenges of climate change and demonstrating the potential of sustainable reclaimed timber.”

TIMBER BRINGS JOY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS Reclaimed Keruing timber from Southend Pier takes pride of place in Gerald Davies’ winning Community and Schools Development garden - RHS Back to Nature (co-designed by Andrée Davies and Adam White in collaboration with HRH the Duchess of Cambridge). A central feature of the celebrated garden is a woodland walkway. FSC certified Keruing was specified due to its green credentials, durability, and beautiful character; created by the hundreds of thousands of visitors who have walked the boards since the timber was installed on the pier in the 1980s. The garden is now on display in RHS Wisley in Surrey. ashwelltimber.com/backtonature

CHATHAM DOCK TIMBER REPURPOSED IN URBAN RETREAT FSC Reclaimed timber with a watery past was chosen to feature in the atmospheric Urban Retreat garden; winner of Registered Designer and Registered Contractor Joint Submission for Jilayne Rickards MBALI & Landscaping Solutions Ltd, and winner of the Design Excellence Award - Overall Scheme Under £50k. We supplied FSC certified reclaimed oak keel block from Chatham Dry Docks in Kent for the curved bench, and timber reclaimed from Bognor beach now enjoys a second life as durable decking and shelving. ashwelltimber.com/urbanretreat

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

REWILDING RE-ESTABLISHING OUR NATURAL ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES by Owen Baker The last couple of years has seen a surge in the use of the term ‘Rewilding’. From Countryfile to Farmers Weekly, the word has been used in news articles and television shows with impunity, and even been championed by celebrities as an answer to global environmental concerns including flooding, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion.

Re-establishing British woodland

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

Recent years have also seen custodians of all sizes and types of land, from councils to domestic homeowners, relaxing management of verges, parks, and gardens, and introducing new wildflower mixes, plants and trees under the guise of habitat restoration, wild areas or rewilding. Those of us on Twitter will have noticed some of these well-intentioned endeavours has been met with mixed feelings; purists have suggested an unmown highway verge is stretching the definition of ‘rewilding’ a little, whereas others have questioned the environmental benefit of sowing non-native wildflowers on a roundabout in Milton Keynes. Predictably, the principles associated with the practice (or at least an understanding of the practice) are not universally popular. Questions have been raised regarding where the balance between productive farmland in the conventional sense and using large areas of land for rewilding, should lie. Tabloid newspaper articles warning of the release of large carnivorous animals under rewilding schemes haven’t helped the cause, either.

Before we continue, it is important to address what rewilding is and why it might be needed. At a basic level, the word ‘wild’, when used as an adjective, is used to refer to plants or animals that grow independently of people, in natural conditions and with natural characteristics. It is also commonly used to refer to land that is uncultivated or uninhabited by humans. Logically, the dictionary definition of rewilding makes the process sound simple: the practice of helping areas of land to return to their natural state, with natural characteristics and natural processes.

But why the need? Whilst the effect of human activity and continued decline of species diversity

Star Camp, Faia Brava, Côa Valley, Western Iberia, Portugal, Europe, Rewilding Europe

need little introduction, it’s worth noting that habitat loss is the primary reason for steep declines in populations of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians across the globe. Of course, these creatures do not live in isolation; they interact with ecosystems and contribute to their function. This function is a delicate balance, and the cumulative effect of destroying habitats and their resident animal populations – to the point of extinction in many cases – is ecosystems that no longer function as before. This loss of function is a problem at any scale and needs reversing if humans are to tackle wider environmental issues such as soil erosion, flooding and even climate change. Enter rewilding, which seeks to restore missing functions and bridge gaps that have emerged in ecosystems because of human activity. At this point you may be wondering what the difference is between rewilding and more familiar words such as ‘restoration’, ‘unmanaged’ or even ‘unmown’. Although a host of meanings have been ascribed to the scientific term ‘rewilding’ since it was first coined in the 1990s, the distinguishing feature of early rewilding projects was the scale. The first definitions of rewilding referred to the designation of very large areas of land and/or water with the aim of restoring natural processes in ecosystems, often through the re-introduction of large species of carnivores or herbivores. Early definitions of rewilding re-focussed on the restoration of entire natural processes rather than just one species or vegetation type. The length of time was also critical; rewilding should represent a long-term effort; think decades rather than months or years. From the outset the definition of rewilding was open to interpretation. Some believed the focus of rewilding should be on species; in North America (the site of early projects), the reintroduction of predators such as large carnivores - which have a big influence on ecosystem structure and function - was considered essential for the success of a rewilded area by some ecologists. Later studies conceded that only the very largest areas could exist without management, and that smaller rewilded areas rely on some degree of intervention due to lack of diversity.

Rewilding Britain to protect our native species

modern agriculture has transformed large areas of land into treeless fields with herbivores. The same has happened the world over, which raises the same question about what exactly should be restored. Luckily, contemporary interpretations of rewilding encompass a wider range of activities including reinstating natural processes and habitats, and reintroducing native species present during a specific period. A general acceptance amongst ecological professionals in more recent times is that rewilding is viable on smaller sites, and management by human intervention to mimic ecological processes, prevent degradation or maintain a certain state is acceptable. Similarly, top predators are not necessary on sites near urban areas, meaning the residents of Milton Keynes can venture out after dark without fear of meeting a wolf. Examples of successful rewilding projects of all sizes can be found in the UK and Europe. Registered Contractor Ecosulis led a presentation on rewilding during BALI’s 2020 Annual General Meeting and explained how, together with clients, they have successfully recovered ecological processes on several projects throughout the work. Ecosulis have significant expertise in rewilding and have recently undertaken assessments for a client in the Lake District looking to introduce elements of rewilding. Ecosulis Managing Director Cain Blythe and Nature Recovery Lead Dr. Paul Jepson have co-authored a book on rewilding, titled Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery, which is highly recommended as an accessible introduction to this exciting new movement.

One of the more difficult questions to answer is the end goal of rewilding; what should be restored, and what should happen when this goal is reached? As we know in Britain, what we may describe as ‘natural’ is anything but. In the UK, natural forests and wild spaces filled with wolves, bears and lynx have long since been replaced by roads and Starbucks stores, whilst

Winter 2020

Owen Baker, Technical Officer (Policy & Research)

BALI Landscape News

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY MARKET ADVICE

By Mike Sayers, Client Director Aston Lark The Professional indemnity market in the UK has been threatening to harden for several years now but this has intensified during the last 1218 months to the point where we are perhaps in the hardest market we have seen for 30 years. There is no one cause for this shift in the market cycle but without question the Grenfell disaster has proven to be a catalyst for a change in underwriting approach, not just from a point of view of services and sectors directly involved or associated with this catastrophic event, but a tidal change in the mindset of underwriters in the assessment of risk within the construction sector. Perhaps a more subtle and gradual factor has been the level of competition entering the wider Professional Indemnity market, in certain areas this has resulted in some underwriters ceasing to write Professional Indemnity. Designers and landscapers as a sector in isolation will be considered lower risk in the minds of underwriters, and due to this, will always be able to arrange cover but at this time there are very few who will be able to avoid the reaction of the market.

In the new environment that we find ourselves in, it is common at renewal to see a combination of the following action being taken by underwriters: • Increase in pricing – in many cases this can be many multiples of the current premium • Reduction in limits of indemnity – it is common now for £2m to be the most insurers are prepared to offer and, in many cases, only £1m is provided • Increased excess amounts • Perhaps more importantly, regarding excess, a move from insurers covering defence costs automatically to making the excess applicable. Put simply, you fund your own defence • Absolute exclusion in respect of matters relating to fire safety When approaching your renewal, it is important to understand that your underwriter is considering all potential liability that could arise, not just from your most recent activity but work that has been undertaken several years in the past. Due to cover being written on a

claims made basis, it is the insurer on risk at the time that a claim becomes known that meets the liability. This means that once an insurer accepts cover they are potentially exposed to the risks of many years of activity. Our advice on navigating this current phase of the market cycle is to first and foremost provide your broker with as detailed a proposal as possible, ensure that there are no gaps in the information provided and that any positive risk features are highlighted whilst at the same time identifying any higher risk areas and addressing these accordingly. In addition, we are finding it beneficial for insureds to present alongside the normal renewal submission some detailed analysis of historical contracts. This enables us as your broker to present a clearer picture of your actual exposure, obtain underwriters most competitive terms and mitigate as much of the harshest effects of the current hard market. Finally, do not leave things until the last minute, act early and speak to BALI Insure membership benefit provider Aston Lark if you require any assistance. Call +44(0)1206 655891, email mike.sayers@astonlark.com or visit astonlark.com.

PI covers any negligence at the planning stage that could give rise to a claim down the line

It’s very much the technical design aspects that PI focuses on

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

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NATIONAL TRAINING AWARD

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

idverde’s work in Hastings

INTRODUCING BALI’S HEALTH & SAFETY FORUM

by Owen Baker Registered Contractor idverde’s Queens Park Loughborough Charnwood

Initially set-up as an independent group for national landscape contractors, the National Contractors Forum (NCF) offered the opportunity for the UK’s largest landscape contractors to work together to address key challenges affecting the sector; to give contractors a voice to enable them to communicate at a national level with all stakeholders in green spaces that they help to create and maintain. The forum was formally incorporated into BALI in 2012 to form BALI-NCF, a move which provided the full suite of BALI resources including a louder sounding board for the group and connections with industry stakeholders. From the outset the forum championed training, health & safety and good practice within the industry and, with help from BALI, has responded to challenges as diverse as government consultation on red diesel use and developing safe working practice on slopes. The forum has also previously joined forces with other industry groups and facilitated an industry-first Green Spaces seminar.

Winter 2020

In 2018 a new division of the BALI-NCF the BALI-NCF Health and Safety Forum – was established. This forum encouraged health & safety professionals within the NCF to improve industry safety by sharing accident and near miss details, exchanging best practice, and developing new training initiatives. During 2018 and 2019 Registered Affiliate Andreas Stihl worked with the health & safety forum to deliver training workshops throughout the UK, which targeted the most common accidents associated with hedge trimmers and brush cutters. This year the coronavirus has had an indirect impact on the landscape industry by putting pressure on the finances of local authorities, many of whom have been forced to review their budgets for landscape maintenance. The NCF responded by working with members to develop a press release and fact sheet for clients, outlining the importance of maintaining budgets for landscape works. Members include some of the industry’s best-known landscape and facilities management businesses such as Registered Contractors idverde, Nurture Landscapes, Ground Control, Mitie, Continental Landscapes, Glendale and John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance). Collectively the group has a turnover and forward orderbook value in excess of £1 billion, employ over 10,000 staff and operate vehicle and plant with a value in excess of £100 million.

BALI Landscape News

Membership of the NCF is free to BALI members, who meet approximately 4 times per year to discuss current issues and the action required to address these. Together with NCF members, the meetings are attended by Chief Executive Wayne Grills and Technical Officer (Policy & Research) Owen Baker. The NCF Chairman Clive Ivil, of idverde, is keen to welcome new members and work with a broader range of industry stakeholders. During 2020 they made changes to the terms of reference, which means if you are a BALI member of any discipline (not just maintenance), work in three or more of the BALI membership regions and have a turnover above £10 million, the group would like to hear from you. The NCF would also like to work more closely with affiliate members who manufacture or supply equipment to large scale landscape construction and maintenance contractors. Larger contractor members occasionally ask the association what membership can offer them. The NCF is the answer; a unique way of working with like-minded business leaders to achieve success on the issues which only affect the largest contractors. Email nicky.mcmurdo@bali.org.uk for details of how you can get involved or call +44(0)24 7669 0333 for assistance.

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

THE IMPORTANCE OF DRAINAGE

BALI and ACOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drainage webinar series will continue throughout January and February 2021

by Owen Baker

As global incidences of flooding have increased over recent years, management of rainwater has become an increasingly hot topic. Whilst there is no doubt climate change has resulted in a higher frequency of extreme events than ever before, evidence also suggests human activities such as replacing permeable surfaces with impermeable driveways, patios and roads is also likely to contribute to flooding in urban areas. The use of hard surfaces is difficult for those involved in construction to avoid, not least landscape designers and contractors. Whether led by carowners wishing to park on their own drive or close to shops, or perhaps homeowners wanting to invest in one of the many attractive hard landscape materials available, hard surfaces are likely to be incorporated into most contemporary domestic or commercial landscape schemes. Appropriate management of rainwater is therefore essential for all landscape projects and, as a member of the technical team at BALI, I am aware of the hunger for information from members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and of the potential for poor drainage to result in problems in the future. A recent BALI webinar led by Registered Affiliate member ACO Technologies, was the perfect opportunity to discuss the considerations and best practices associated with domestic and commercial drainage. Led by Product Marketing Manager Oliver Collins and his colleague Martin Hewish, Technical Support Team Leader, this was the first in a series of drainage presentations led by ACO for members. ACO have a diverse product offering, but Martin explained there are a few basic questions which must be asked from the outset when specifying a drainage system for any given project:

How much goes in it? The volume of water that will pass through the drainage system during day-to-day use can be calculated from the site area, but it is important to also cater for storm events. Martin and Oliver took time to explain the main components of drainage systems, as well as their likely use in domestic and commercial projects. As well as off-the-shelf products, ACO have the facility to offer bespoke drainage products and the technical know-how to design and build these. ACO have a technical team to liaise with designers regarding any aspect of specifying, designing or installing ACO drainage systems. Of note during the presentation, was questions from designers regarding the trend for creating level thresholds between house and garden. Oliver took time to explain the options offered by ACO to designers seeking to offer this feature, as well as general considerations.

ACO HexDrain Brickslot patio application

Be sure to watch the next in the series of the ACO drainage webinars, starting in early 2021. Look on the BALI website, bali.org.uk/events, for details and how to sign up.

What goes over it? The site into which a drainage system will be installed and the likely traffic using the site will dictate the type of drainage channel required. It is important to reflect not only on the daily use of the site, but also extraordinary uses. For example, occasional access onto a site by heavy vehicles such as refuse lorries should be considered and drainage specified which accounts for this.

ACO HexDrain Galv Application

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

ACO RainDrain application

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

THE TRUE VALUE OF LANDSCAPING By Richard Gardiner

Many BALI members report that their customers do not understand the real value of the professional landscape services they provide. This is a topic I have been grappling with for many years, so in this edition, I have collated some thoughts of my own and invite you to comment on my understanding of the subject, so we can include as part of a wider focus in the spring. There is lots of research and many articles addressing the value of green space and the benefits of spending time immersed in nature, not to mention the avalanche of reports of people having renewed their acquaintance with their own outdoor spaces throughout the pandemic. One could also argue that despite the wealth of such evidence, policy makers are still not taking sufficient notice. However, for the purposes of this article, I will be focussing on the domestic market and specifically why domestic customers fail to recognise the true value and therefore cost of a professionally designed, constructed and maintained garden. To start with, is it true? I often say that whilst wearing the proverbial hat of a BALI Vetting Officer, and alongside my vetting colleagues, we agree we have the best job in the industry. Carrying out the initial vetting of new members and the subsequent Quality Standard

Landscape Associates - Private Residence in Esher, Surrey

Reviews (QSRs), includes looking at completed and “in-progress” projects to inspect and assess a company’s working practices, the quality of finish and structural integrity of their schemes. Having completed over 200 such visits it seems to me that clients, on the whole, value their investment enormously along with the talented teams that design, build and care for them where applicable. The pride in many a client face is a clear giveaway, and the very fact that they are happy for the contractor to return with a ‘nosey parker’ is also testament to the quality of the relationships that our members develop during the process. So, given that there are hundreds of member companies, the majority of which carry out domestic work, and given that they collectively design, build and maintain thousands of gardens every year, I now find it hard to subscribe to this train of thought and have reframed my opinion.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… for sure, even the thousands of gardens built every year by professional landscapers pale in comparison to the sheer number of gardens yet to receive the professional touch, but how realistic is it to expect that everyone can, or wants, to pay to have an expert deliver their dream garden? I recently saw a photograph on social media of a really dated looking garden, with little or no design merit. Standing in the centre was a couple proudly admiring their life’s work, and it struck me that no matter how much money they had, they would never consider engaging with a professional landscaper, they were happy, and maybe we should be happy to let them get on with it.

All things to all people… once you accept the fact that not everyone will value your work as much as you do, it will change your perspective. We know that many people will value your work and that of your fellow industry professionals, so my advice would be to focus on them, rather than trying to convert those that don’t. One of the other advantages of being a vetting officer is seeing the innovative ways that different companies managed to overcome challenges, and conversely, how some can’t see the value in doing so. One aspect I have a particular interest in, is defining your

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

Smart Landscape Design - Private Residence in Bristol

client, for me the single best way of avoiding “busy fool syndrome”. Trying to say “yes” to every enquiry is a sure way to failure. The best businesses I see have taken great care to avoid this trap, they give serious thought to what they do best, what they enjoy, what their perfect client looks like and how they can filter enquiries as quickly and effectively as possible to determine the quality of each lead, saving huge amounts of time on wasted site visits, client meetings and quoting. Many companies fail to “log” an enquiry until it reaches quote stage, citing that it’s a waste of time, but I say that it saves time, and you can’t afford not to. If you record your leads and their sources and periodically analyse the ratio of “good” versus “bad”, this should help you understand where you may want to invest more time and money and where you will want to spend less. If a large number of poor-quality leads are coming from a specific advertisement or network, consider stopping that activity or at least changing its message. On the other hand, if a particular small advert is yielding just a few perfect leads, ramp up your investment here, take out a full-page spread using the savings made elsewhere. Please contact me on +44(0)7715 654964 or richard.gardiner@bali.org.uk with your thoughts on this topic and I will try to address these issues in future editions.

Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality Assurance)

TRAINING & TECHNICAL Looking to hire an apprentice? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier thank you think

ARE APPRENTICESHIPS THE SILVER LINING ON THE COVID-19 CLOUD

By Stephen Ensell COVID-19 has had a major impact on the economy, with many businesses and industries struggling and close to collapse. Education, which is one of the engines of our economy, is no stranger to the impact of the pandemic, with its schools, colleges and universities having to close in the first lockdown. Like many other industries, it has had to find new ways of operating and supporting its learners, this is especially true of apprenticeships. Many training providers have been able to support apprentices through a blended approach in learning, endeavouring to keep current apprentices going and support new apprentices starting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s encouraging that there has been a surge in apprenticeship enquiries and applications over the summer and autumn, as people reconsider their options from deciding if they really want to go into full time education or are even facing the prospect of redundancy. This, coupled with the incentive packages that the government is offering (golandscape.co.uk/ government-support-for-hiringan-apprentice-and-traineeshipsby-stephen-ensell) for taking on an apprentice before the end of January 2021, has generated a lot of interest from employers, many of whom are seeing an increase in enquiries and are looking to expand their workforce to meet that potential workload. Along with other existing incentives, this provides an attractive way for employers to hire and train new employees for their business. Now is an opportune time to take on an apprentice if you need to expand your workforce, and the procedure is not as complicated as it may seem.

The Trailblazers group was established for the development of apprenticeships in line with what employers need in terms of skills and bringing in new employees. The group is made up of a voluntary mixture of employers, training providers and associations, and has worked tirelessly over the last few years to develop and launch both the Level 2 Horticulture/Landscape Operative and the Level 3 Landscape/Horticulture Supervisor. Both standards have been developed to meet industry and employer needs and have now replaced the older outdated frameworks, with a sperate End Point Assessment (EPA) for the candidate once they are ready.

The Trailblazer group is looking to develop a new Level 5 Horticulture/ Landscape Technical Manager standard

commercial grounds (e.g., business parks, schools, retail sites etc.). Through this apprenticeship they will gain the practical understanding and skills to help them plan and manage relevant horticultural spaces, engage with clients, customers and visitors plus undertaking financial management and income generation. The apprenticeship is in the final stages of development and submission to the Institute for Apprenticeship Standards, once it has been approved, we are hoping to see its launch next year.

Stephen Ensell Education Officer

Our work has not ended here though, the group has now turned its attention to the development of a much-needed Level 5 Horticulture/ Landscape Technical Manager apprenticeship, offering opportunities at a higher level. The standard is being developed in the hope that it with help employers develop the people they need into managerial positions and work as a steppingstone into more senior positions while apprentices are working on the job. The standard will include the skills needed to support apprentices in areas such as managing parks, gardens, landscape projects, greenspace, and

Winter 2020

GO Landscape building real careers

BALI Landscape News

DESIGNER FOCUS BALI DESIGNER MEMBERS RECOGNISED IN HOUSE & GARDEN’S TOP 50 Registered Designers Gavin McWilliam MBALI MSGD CMLI and Marian Boswall MBALI MSGD FLI have been recognised in House & Garden’s prestigious Top 50 Garden Designers for 2020.

Gavin McWilliam of McWilliam Studio’s Chilterns Garden

Led by designer Gavin McWilliam in collaboration with Andrew Wilson, the team at McWilliam Studio is highly experienced at creating slick, contemporary private gardens. They have designed several award-winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, as well as striking show gardens for the Singapore Garden Festival and Beijing Expo. The studio is interested in delivering memorable places and experiences through their designs, exploring ways to create carefully tailored landscapes defined by sharply detailed construction, experimentation and inspirational planting design. mcwilliamstudio.com

Established in 2004, Marian’s practice, Marian Boswall Landscape Architects, is known for its creative and thoughtful design and work within historic settings. Marian’s portfolio includes public gardens at both Charleston, in Sussex, and Chevening House in Kent as well as other private projects around the UK. Marian is well known for her horticultural expertise and working with contextual planting schemes which are informed by naturally occurring plant communities. Marian’s skill and artistry at creating exquisite landscapes is supported by her understanding of her clients’ needs and of the natural world around her. Marian Boswall MBALI MSGD FLI Main photo – copyright Jason Ingram

Winter 2020

BALI Landscape News

marianboswall.com

To see the full Top 50 visit houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/top-50-garden-designers

DESIGNER FOCUS

Pool area design created using Landmark

BALI partners with Vectorworks UK saving designer members over £2,500 BALI has teamed up with Registered Affiliate Vectorworks UK to launch an exclusive membership benefit package for designer members worth over £2,500 per year, aptly named BALI Blueprint. The partnership sees BALI Associate Designer and Registered Designer members gain access to an exclusive range of dedicated services, sophisticated learning & development tools and training opportunities. If fully utilised, the BALI

Blueprint package can save thousands off the bottom line for businesses and individuals who are looking for support from their trade association. Benefits include discounts off annual software packages, including the popular Landmark system, as well as free training days and workshops.

Site plan designed in Vectorworks

Members can now register for BALI Blueprint from the member’s area of the BALI website at bali.org.uk/my-BALI to start reaping the rewards and savings.

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CHARITIES

Perennial launches debt advice line People in horticulture are facing growing financial challenges - the need for free debt advice has never been greater. Reach out for help and speak to Perennial’s Debt Advice Team for free on +44(0)800 093 8546. Perennial, the charity for people in horticulture, is encouraging those working in the sector to get help with debt before Christmas by calling their expert Debt Advice team. For those finding it difficult to pay their bills or who have money worries, Perennial’s free Debt Advice service is now live.

Wendy Tozer, Debt Advice Manager at Perennial, says: “We want everyone working in horticulture to have the confidence to take control of their money. We know it can be difficult to talk about money issues, but our small, friendly team is here to help you. Alongside the helpline we also have an online budgeting tool which is a great first step towards understanding

personal finances and achieving a good balance between income and spending. By being money aware and creating a budget, we hope that those who are struggling financially will be able to spend wisely this Christmas.” Perennial’s help and support is free and confidential. Call the Debt Team on +44(0)800 093 8546 or visit perennial.org.uk/debtadvice.

The pandemic is impacting many in horticulture through falling salaries or an income shock such as redundancy. This loss of income, combined with rising costs, has led to a noticeable increase in debt. Perennial’s qualified Debt Advisers are ready to support individuals with their financial concerns. They give free advice on all types of debt from credit cards to council tax, mortgages to fines, talk to creditors, and help with budgeting towards a debt-free future.

BRITISH SUGAR TOPSOIL CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT FOR PERENNIAL Recognising the increasing demands the horticulture industry’s charity, Perennial, is facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Registered Affiliate British Sugar TOPSOIL has confirmed its support for the charity over the coming 12 months as a Perennial Partner. During the past year the company’s ‘£1 per bulk bag of TOPSOIL products sold’ scheme raised over £3,000 for the charity and National TOPSOIL Manager Andy Spetch is keen to continue to help Perennial:

“Having supported Perennial as our nominated charity during 2019-2020, becoming a Partner was a logical step. During the current pandemic demand

Winter 2020

for the services and support that Perennial offers is high so it is vitally important that the industry does whatever it can to enable the charity’s support workers to do what they do best - helping our industry colleagues and their families who are struggling at this difficult time.”

BALI Landscape News

British Sugar TOPSOIL raising funds with £1 per bag scheme

British Sugar TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch presents cheque to Perennial

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03/11/2020 23:45

EVENTS

Events Calendar Highlights 2021 19 January

BALI Regional AGMs 2021, virtual platform bali.org.uk/events

3 February

Trees, People and the Built Environment 4, virtual platform, 9am-6pm pheedloop.com/tpbe4/site/Home

3 March 2-4 March 16 March

The Garden Press Event 2021, virtual platform gardenpressevent.co.uk

FutureScape Spring 2021 futurescapeevent.com Great Britain Live - Best of British 2021 greatbritainlive.co.uk

22-25 April

Harrogate Spring Flower Show 2021 flowershow.org.uk

18-23 May 17-20 June

21-25 July 4-8 August 13-15 August

Futurebuild 2021 futuebuild.co.uk

16-18 April

5-9 May

25-27 June

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2021, 8am-1pm or 2pm-7pm Wednesday-Saturday / 9am-6pm Sunday rhs.org.uk RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021, 8am-8pm Tuesday-Saturday/8am-5.30pm Sunday rhs.org.uk BBC Gardener’s World Live 2021 bbcgardenersworldlive.com

RHS Harlow Carr 2021 rhs.org.uk RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2021, 21-25 July 2021/10am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday rhs.org.uk RHS Hyde Hall 2021 rhs.org.uk RHS Rosemoor 2021 rhs.org.uk

7-12 September

RHS Wisley 2021 rhs.org.uk

14-16 September

Glee 2021, 9am-6pm Tuesday-Wednesday / 9am4pm Thursday thenec.co.uk/whats-on/glee

14 October

Perennial Festival Dinner 2021 perennial.org.uk/events/festival-dinner

16-17 November 3 December

FutureScape Expo 2021 gmasaltex.co.uk 45th BALI National Landscape Awards baliawards.co.uk

Confirmed dates for industry shows and events for 2021. For the most up-to-date list visit bali.org.uk/events

Visit website

UPDATE ON PLANS FOR RHS CHELSEA 2021 In line with government advice the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will operate the event over 6 days instead of the usual 5, resulting in over a 40% reduction in ground numbers on each day, and 20% overall. As a result, the show will include fewer crowds and increased distance between individual groups, improving the overall visitor and exhibitor experience. Visitor volumes have also been assessed for RHS Hampton and RHS Tatton Park and they are planning to target a similar number of visitors to previous years on these larger sites.

Market Leaders in Field Grown Trees & Container Plants

RHS confirms they will be reducing the crowd overall by 20% for next year’s RHS Chelsea

Tel: 01432 845200 Fax: 01432 845227 Email: enquiries@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk

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Helena Pettit, Director of RHS Shows and Gardens said: “We are looking forward to working with our exhibitors and contractors to welcome visitors to the show next year and bringing back the world’s greatest gardening event.”

www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk

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