Pro Landscaper April 2022

APRIL 2O22

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

OLIVER BOND, BOND LANDSCAPE DESIGN BAROMETER SPECIAL

TURNING TIDE

OUTSIDE THE BOX

MANCHESTER SPECIAL

Is artificial grass really falling out of favour?

Beijing Sunshine Landscape’s stunning Tide Mansion

Changing the rules with Martha Schwartz

Celebrating the centre of the Northern Powerhouse

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24/03/2022 10:58

WELCOME

W E LC O M E

M

ore than ever, Manchester is showcasing its place as at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse. This year alone, the city will see the completion of its first park in more than 100 years, the transformation of Piccadilly Gardens starting to take place, and plans settled for the first phase of Victoria North, a new £51.6m neighbourhood with a park which is set to become one of Manchester’s largest green spaces.

The city is also gaining its own elevated park this summer, as the National Trust leads a regeneration of the iconic, Grade II-listed Castlefield Viaduct which has been disused for more than 50 years. The linear park features in our Manchester special this month, where we explore the projects which are ongoing or set to come in this vibrant city and speak to those who are making them happen.

One of the most prolific to have taken place in Greater Manchester recently is the development of the RHS’ fifth garden, which

opened in Salford last year. With the RHS keen to engage with the local community, hundreds of volunteers were involved in the creation of RHS Garden Bridgewater, and there are still plenty of plans to transform the site further.

Manchester is not the only UK city experiencing a wave of developments. In our February issue, we highlighted Birmingham, where the HS2 railway line will connect the West Midlands to the capital in just 38 minutes, and where we have announced that FutureScape Spring will take place next year.

After two years at Sandown Park Racecourse, the event has grown in size and success, so we’re taking it to the NEC, one of the UK’s leading exhibition centres. With so much investment taking place in green space in Birmingham, it’s the perfect fit for FutureScape Spring. We hope to see you there!

In the meantime, enjoy the latest issue.

NINA

MORE THAN EVER, MANCHESTER IS SHOWCASING ITS PLACE AS AT THE HEART OF THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE

CASTLEFIELD VIADUCT VISUALISATION

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CONTENTS

INFORM

IQ

10

News Our monthly roundup of industry news

45

UK Landscape Barometer Industry feedback and statistics for January 2022

14

FutureScape Spring Coverage of this year's event

49

Barometer Special What does the market look like for artificial grass?

17

Let’s Hear it From Oliver Bond

53

It's An Ill Wind Neil Edwards

23

Inside Rose Hill Design & Build

27

30 Under 30 Update Diana Catrinoi-Cornea

30

Battling Biodiversity Loss Jason Knights

31

Debunking the Fairytale of Farming Peter Reader

34

Killer Cash Flow Andrew Wilson

35

17

57

INSPIRE 57

Wildlife Wonder Nurture Landscapes

62

Turning Tide Beijing Sunshine Landscapes

67

Landscape Architect's Journal Martha Schwartz Partners

Play Up, Play Up, and Play a Game Christopher Martin

71

PLBA Winner Profile Supreme Winner: Tony Benger Landscaping

36

Shifting Priorities Katie Flaxman

75

Coastal Living Debs Winrow

39

Prioritising Public Realms Andrew Cottage

77

Fire Pits The latest ranges of fire pits and BBQs

41

Recruitment and Retention Nigel Payne

79

Manchester Special The latest developments in and around the city

6

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CONTENTS

APRI L 2022 NURTURE Feature Garden Hever Castle and Gardens

105

Can You Own a Plant?

Lewis Normand

108

Taking Care of Trees Nick Coslett

110

Adding On Aftercare Alan Sargent

111

20 Years of Majestic Trees Celebrating two decades

112

Intelligent Irrigation Rain Bird

115

Green Roofs to Preserve Biodiversity ZinCo

126

E D U C AT E

©Hever Castle and Gardens

99

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119

Tackling Time Management Alison Warner

120

Talking Ts & Cs Gareth Wilson

121

Clarifying Non-Compete Clauses Oracle Solicitors

122

Selling on Social Media Ben Shaw, Adtrak

124

Make Your Gardens Swing!

Habitech

125

Product DNA: Toro Reesink Turfcare Toro Workman GTX Lithium-ion

126

Product DNA: Otterbine Reesink Turfcare talk about the Otterbine Concept 2 industrial lake aerators range

130

Little Interviews Questions with the individuals who make up our industry

©RHS/Charlotte Graham

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APRIL 2O22

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

OLIVER BOND, BOND LANDSCAPE DESIGN BAROMETER SPECIAL

TURNING TIDE

OUTSIDE THE BOX

MANCHESTER SPECIAL

Is artificial grass really falling out of favour?

Beijing Sunshine Landscape’s stunning Tide Mansion

Changing the rules with Martha Schwartz

Celebrating the centre of the Northern Powerhouse

Cover.indd 1

24/03/2022 15:38

To receive a copy of Pro Landscaper, please contact Katie Bone.

Email katie.bone@eljays44.com or call 01903 777 585.

Pro Landscaper / April 2022

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24/03/2022 15:53

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24/03/2022 13:31

INFORM

CO N T R I B U TO R S Peter Reader Responding to an article on rewilding and farming in our February issue, Peter argues that intensive farming is harming the environment and leading to a decline in biodiversity. He clarifies a few misconceptions around rewilding, arguing that its challenges should not deter us.

P31

W W W.READERLANDSCAPES.COM

JASON KNIGHTS P30

@PETERRE ADER9

Katie Flaxman

ANDREW WILSON P34

Clients need not choose between sustainability and aesthetics; a project can be both beautiful and have a low carbon footprint, says Katie, whose projects at Studio 31 are focusing more on how the existing landscape can lead the design of new spaces and prioritising climate and health.

P36

W W W.DESIGNSTUDIO31.CO.UK

@DESIGNSTUDIO31

NIGEL PAYNE P41

Andrew Cottage Looking at urban regeneration, landscape architect Andrew Cottage explores the challenges our town centres are facing and how landscape can play a vital role in revitalising them, not just through aesthetics but by having an impact on other aspects, from public health to the environment.

P39

W W W.URBANEDGE ARCHITECTURE.CO.UK

NEIL EDWARDS P53

@URBANEDGE_UK

Alan Sargent

DEBS WINROW P75

Fresh from appearing on a panel at FutureScape Spring, Alan Sargent looks at aftercare, explaining the benefits of offering such a service. If the right plan is put in place, offering aftercare not only makes business sense but also ensures longevity of your creation and strengthens client relationships.

P110

Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek

EDITORIAL Editorial director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 579

Senior sales executive – Millie Genner millie.genner@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 582

C O N TACT

Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA Tel: 01903 777 570

Head of content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 393 Managing editor – Ashleigh Johnson ashleigh.johnson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578 Editorial researcher – Gemma Lloyd gemma.lloyd@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 594 Senior subeditor – Katrina Roy katrina.roy@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391 Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391

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NICK COSLETT P108

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ADVERTISING

Horticulture Careers – Dan Riley daniel.riley@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Managing director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589 Director – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585 MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570 Subscription enquiries – Katie Bone katie.bone@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture. Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year

by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2022 subscription price is £100. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

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MANAGEMENT Managing director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business development manager Jamie Wilkinson

Cover photograph: ©Oliver Bond/Bond Landscape Design

Pro Landscaper / April 2022

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24/03/2022 15:33

INFORM

NEWS RHS REVEALS ITS NEXT DIRECTOR GENERAL

C

lare Matterson CBE will be the next director general of the RHS, joining on Monday 9 May 2022.

In her current role as executive director of engagement at the Natural History Museum (NHM), Clare led the development of the new strategy to create ‘advocates for the planet’ and drove forward initiatives including the Urban Nature Project, ‘Our Broken Planet’ and Dippy on Tour.

She also led the transformation of its digital activities, which has resulted in a large increase across all its online platforms, currently reaching over 15 million people globally.

A significant part of Clare’s career has been at Wellcome Trust, where as director of strategy she produced the charitable foundation’s 2015 strategy that set its first priorities in mental health, planetary health, and antibiotic resistance. Here she also co-founded Wellcome Collection as a major new art and science cultural venue in London, established the National STEM Learning Centre to transform UK science education, and initiated The Great Plant Hunt to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth.

A keen gardener and member of the RHS for nearly 30 years, Clare believes gardening has the power to foster an important connection to the natural world. Clare, who was awarded her CBE for services to public engagement in science, says: “It is both an honour and a joy to be the next DG of the RHS.

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“The RHS is an organisation that matters and can make a real difference to the world. Gardens have such a huge role to play to shape a more positive future.

It is in our gardens that we find answers for people and planet, for community, for inclusion and for wellbeing.

“I’m delighted to be the person who will lead the RHS to show how through our gardens and plants, we can all have a direct experience and connection with nature.

“I can’t wait to start and meet everyone who works at, volunteers for and is involved with this extraordinary charity and the wider horticultural world.” www.rhs.org.uk

NURTURE LANDSCAPES GROUP ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

A

former Lord Mayor of London and the RNLI deputy chair have both been appointed to the board of Nurture Landscapes Group.

Janet Cooper OBE joins the board, adding weight and experience to the company’s track record and goals in staff engagement and opportunity. Janet was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to equality, women’s empowerment, and employee share ownership.

Deputy chair and trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and vice chair of the University of Roehampton, Janet practiced law at the highest level for 20 years, having been partner and global practice head at international law firm Linklaters, before co-founding a multi award-winning law firm, Tapestry in 2011.

Janet has been on the board of UN Women in the UK and Gender Action for Peace and Security. She is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Governance Institute, formerly ICSA, and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Sir Charles Bowman also joins, having been senior partner of PwC, the world’s second-largest professional services network. He has also served as the 690th Lord Mayor of the City of London.

In a career spanning 38 years, Sir Charles has taken up various governance roles at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and serve as a member of the government’s Board of Trade. He was knighted in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to trust in business, international trade and the City of London.

The new appointments along with CEO, Gareth Kirkwood OBE, will help take the Group – consisting of Nurture Landscapes, Gavin Jones and Rokill – to the next level. www.nurturelandscapes.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 12:17

INFORM

FUTURESCAPE SPRING EVENT MOVES TO NEC BIRMINGHAM FOR 2023

A

fter another successful show on 15 March 2022, it has been revealed that FutureScape Spring will be moving to the NEC Birmingham in 2023. It will also be taking place across two days – Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 March.

Having been held at Sandown Park Racecourse for the last two events, the move reflects the need for a larger space to allow for increased exhibitors, seminars, and live debates, whilst Birmingham is a city keen for an exciting, educational, networking event.

Jim Wilkinson, Pro Landscaper’s managing director, says: “The NEC is recognised as an excellent events venue, and I am really looking forward to taking FutureScape Spring there.

“The area is fast developing, and green space is at the heart of hundreds of current and future development plans.

With HS2, plans for housing development, and government levelling up investment underway, it is evident that there is certainly a place for FutureScape Spring in Birmingham.” www.futurescapeevent.com

DESIGN HEAVYWEIGHTS COME TOGETHER ON LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT AT RABY CASTLE

W

orld-class and multi awardwinning Italian garden designer Luciano Giubbilei has been selected to lead the extensive remodelling of Raby Castle’s historic Walled Garden.

Hand-picked by Lady Barnard, Luciano will redesign the five-acre garden, which dates back to the 18th century.

Redevelopment of the garden is part of a wider scheme at Raby Castle called The Rising, which will see several historic buildings sympathetically restored to their former glory and made available to the community and the wider public.

Acclaimed landscape architect Alistair Baldwin has also been brought in to redesign the extensive public areas around the new development, which aims to recapture the sociable community feel

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of Old Raby village, which existed beyond the castle walls.

Luciano’s portfolio of work includes a residency at the garden at Great Dixter in East Sussex, amongst largescale landscape design projects across the globe.

Speaking about the project, Luciano says: “I am keen to reflect the beauty and unique atmosphere of the castle and parkland into the walled garden, which is built on an incline so the surrounding scenery can be enjoyed inside. The beautiful yew hedge is a key feature in the garden and all my planting decisions are sympathetic and respectful to this imposing protagonist.

“Kate and I met in 2017 and I was instantly captured by her enthusiasm for the project. She has given me total freedom of expression and I feel the gravity of what we are creating here.

“The designs need to honour the history of the site and reflect the fact that this is an important moment in the castle’s legacy.” www.raby.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF PERENNIAL RESEARCH FLAGS CONCERN OF WELLBEING FOR PEOPLE IN HORTICULTURE The findings of research, commissioned by Perennial in 2021 to develop an understanding of health and wellbeing across the horticultural community, have shown that 81% of people generally feel good about their health. However, many are facing significant physical and mental wellbeing challenges that do not equate with good health. www.perennial.org.uk

GARDEN CURATOR RETIRES FROM TRESCO ISLAND LIFE Mike Nelhams, curator of Tresco Abbey Garden, has lived and worked on the island with his wife Isobel, who was born and raised on Tresco, since 1984. This March the couple will be taking retirement on mainland Cornwall, marking the conclusion of a significant period for the family. www.tresco.co.uk

PETER DONEGAN TO DESIGN CHATEAU DE PÉRONNE ANNIVERSARY GARDEN In celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Historial de la Grande Guerre, Europe’s largest war museum embedded within the 13th century Chateau de Peronne, landscape architect Peter Donegan has been commissioned to design a new garden for the French castle. This is Peter‘s second time designing at the historic location. www.doneganlandscaping.com

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INFORM

Online Exclusives MARCUS WATSON TO CYCLE 1,400 MILES FOR CHARITY Taking on a staggering 1,400 miles, Marcus Watson, director of Ground Control, will be cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats raising money for Alzheimer’s Society. The journey commences on 10 April 2022. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ marcus-watson-to-cycle-1400miles-for-alzheimers-society/

MOVING FORWARD: ECO SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS We speak to Justin Dampney, Eco Sustainable Solutions’ (Eco) operations director, to find out more about the company’s mission and its sustainability-focused goals. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ moving-forward-eco-sustainablesolutions/

PLANS FOR BIRMINGHAM PARADISE PUBLIC REALM APPROVED

P

lans for new public spaces at Birmingham’s landmark Paradise development have received unanimous approval by the city’s councillors.

Landscape architecture practice Grant Associates has been working closely alongside property developer MEPC to create a public realm environment in the historic civic heart of Birmingham, with Phase 2b buildings designed by Glenn Howells Architects, Eric Parry Architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and ISA Architecture & Design.

Birmingham City Council’s planning committee has now approved the public realm appearance, layout and landscaping plans for phase 2b of the development. The proposed designs include a new public square, an enhanced Easy Row Subway and

an “interface” with Paradise that is intended to prioritise pedestrians and reduce vehicle use. The next phase of the development will also see the creation of a new tree lined street, designed to add further heritage highlights to the scheme with the re-homed placement of restored statues of James Watt and Joseph Priestly.

The announcement comes following the official reopening of Chamberlain Square, one of Birmingham’s most sizeable public spaces at the heart of the city, last year, which was transformed with new paving, steps and lighting, as the final part of the first phase of the £700m Paradise scheme, a 6.8ha development that will ultimately comprise a vibrant mix of retail, commercial, civic, leisure and hotel space.

Andrew Haines, senior associate at Grant Associates, comments: “Paradise lies at the heart of Birmingham, and the public realm plans will create important new pedestrian routes from Paradise Street and new public spaces, including Ratcliff Square, adding to the earlier phases of Paradise.” www.grant-associates.uk.com

TIVOLI WINS GROUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR NORTHUMBRIAN WATER CENTRAL REGION LIVING WALLS: MITIE ACQUIRES BIOTECTURE We speak to Mitie Landscapes’ managing director, Tim Howell, to find out more about the company’s acquisition of Biotecture. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ boosting-green-credentials-withliving-walls-mitie-acquiresbiotecture/

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ivoli will commence operations as a new grounds maintenance service provider for Northumbrian Water covering its central region, looking after 400 sites throughout Derwent Valley, Wear Valley, Durham, Sunderland and Washington.

Running from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2025 with a possible 3+2-year extension, the contract will see Tivoli completing scheduled grass cutting, hedge trimming, weeding and other ad-hoc grounds maintenance works at Northumbrian Water sites across the region. This includes wastewater treatment works, offices, pumping stations and reservoirs.

Northumbrian Water serve more than four million water customers and over 2.5 million sewerage customers across the

Northeast of England as well as Essex and Suffolk.

The organisation’s mission is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater solutions, recognising the important role that supply chain partners can play in achieving this mission.

Nicola Lovett, Tivoli’s chief executive officer says: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured this prestigious contract.

We understand the importance of service excellence and health & safety within the utilities sector, and we will prioritise the delivery of appropriate and flexible resources, together with innovation, to provide a valuable service." www.tivoliservices.com

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24/03/2022 12:20

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2022 Coverage

T H E M U C H -A N T I C I PAT E D F U T U R E S C A P E S P R I N G R E T U R N E D TO S A N D OW N PA R K R AC E C O U R S E T H I S M A R C H

A

fter holding the inaugural show in 2019, various lockdowns have led to a sequel of the successful event being postponed. But with COVID-19 restrictions now relaxed, FutureScape Spring 2022 was able to take place on Tuesday 15 March, welcoming visitors from across the sector, from landscapers and designers to maintenance operatives and students.

Alongside meeting a variety of exhibitors, visitors also benefitted from a packed seminar programme. In the Business Theatre – sponsored by

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Sorrento Porcelain Paving by CTD – panellists covered business expansion, branding and digital marketing, women in the industry, and the biggest issues in the paving sector. Demonstrations were held on SYSTEMology, Vectorworks Landmark and cutting through porcelain with Tilers Tools.

Nearby in the Nurture Theatre – sponsored by CoirProducts – the audience heard about biosecurity and plant health, managing trees, sustainability, and aftercare. Keynote speaker Professor Alistair Griffiths, director of science and collections at

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INFORM

the RHS, highlighted evidence on the benefits of horticulture, from physical and mental wellbeing to social health, as well as touching on climate change and biodiversity.

Over in the RHS Show Garden Theatre, a string of prolific designers and landscapers shared their experience of show gardens to help those interested in applying in the future. From choosing the planting scheme, to building ‘greener’ gardens, to the all-important funding, experts were on hand to answer questions and offer insight.

After only two shows, FutureScape Spring has grown significantly in size and popularity. So, next year, FutureScape Spring 2023 will move to the NEC Birmingham, to allow for more space for exhibitors, seminars and live debates.

Jim Wilkinson, Pro Landscaper’s managing director, says: “The NEC is recognised as an excellent events venue, and I am really looking forward to taking FutureScape Spring there.

“The area is fast developing, and green space is at the heart of hundreds of current and future development plans. With HS2, the plans for housing development, and the government levelling up investment underway, it is evident there is a certainly a place for FutureScape Spring in Birmingham.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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24/03/2022 11:03

INFORM

Let ’s Hear it From

OLIVER BOND

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THIS SERIES OF YOUR GARDEN MADE PERFECT EXPLAINS HOW HE ENDED UP ON THE SHOW AND HOW HE’LL BE USING HIS EXPOSURE TO PROMOTE GARDEN DESIGN

I

f you’re an avid viewer of Your Garden Made Perfect, Oliver Bond’s face will be a familiar one – the most familiar image of him now perhaps being an impressive series of push-ups in the opening sequence of each episode. For those of you not yet caught up on BBC Two’s latest TV gardening offering, you may want to remember the name Oliver Bond, because you’re undoubtedly going to be hearing it a lot more.

Oliver joined the line-up of garden designers for the most recent series of Your Garden Made Perfect, the final episode of which aired this March.

The Society of Garden Designers had emailed its members, asking if anyone was interested in applying for the show, and Oliver seized the opportunity, despite being sceptical that he’d even be considered. Much to his surprise, the producers took a liking to him and set up an interview.

On meeting Oliver, it’s easy to understand the draw. With an understated confidence at just 26 years’ old, Oliver comes across as knowledgeable and likeably self-assured. After nearly six years running his own Essex-based design practice, he has developed his own unique style – and it’s a style which saw him score the client on his first appearance on Your Garden Made Perfect above fellow designer Helen Elks-Smith.

“Style wise, I’d say I’m contemporary rustic,” Oliver explains. “I like contemporary shades and paving, but I like a lot of naturalistic, rustic soft landscaping. You would have seen [in the episode] that the fire pit area with the benches and the planting is a bit softer.”

The garden, which features in the third episode, was situated on a slope. This dictated a few of the choices, says Oliver. “When I’m creating a garden, I like to use the landscape; to try to reuse as much as possible.

We could have dug into the whole garden and built a staircase at the back of the outdoor gym and had a massive patio, but that would have been so 1 Vivid complementary planting in a suburban garden

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INFORM

much work and not very eco-friendly.

So, I essentially used the terraces directed by the hill to create each zone.”

It helps that Oliver has experience in building gardens. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade, starting out as a groundsman and horticulturist before heading to Writtle University College to gain a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape and Garden Design, followed by a Master’s in Landscape Architecture. Whilst studying, he worked as a designer for County Garden Management, situated next to the café where we met Oliver.

There, he was taught how to build a garden.

I ALWAYS SUGGEST TO CLIENTS THAT I’M THE MIDDLEMAN TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE; IF THEY HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE OF THE GARDEN BEING BUILT, THEY MIGHT HAVE A TAINTED MEMORY OF IT “Some designers simply design a project and expect someone else to implement it, while others understand the practicalities of the construction. If I am designing a patio, I know how that patio should be laid and how to make it as easy as possible for the installer. I was always asking; I wanted to learn. When it's there and you can learn from it, then learn from it, even if it makes your life harder, because it's easier than making a mistake and paying for it later on.”

For his clients on Your Garden Made Perfect, he’d proposed turning around the

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shed at the bottom of the garden by 900, and he had at least one backup plan to ensure this was possible. “We tried the cheaper option first, and when that didn’t work, we used hydraulic lifts. The first option was the more cost-effective option because the lifts are pricey to hire, but I would have been annoyed if we had gone straight for the more expensive option and it worked too easily.”

Rotating the shed wasn’t the only challenge. Another occurred with the outdoor gym, situated alongside the shed. Des, one of the clients, wanted a pull-up bar to take his workouts up a level having been using a scaffold pole previously.

Oliver had created an outdoor gym before, but not on this scale, and he pushed the client’s budget of £22k to £26k to achieve better results.

“Everything in that gym seemed to be a bit of a challenge. One was

that you can’t buy pull-up bars galvanised and no-one sells bars suitable for outdoors without going over £1,000. So, I had to buy one for indoor use from a gym supplier, take that to get sandblasted to remove the paint, then take it somewhere else to be drilled and somewhere else to be galvanised so that it could go outside. I ended up staying late on a Sunday afternoon to install them.

But it worked – that’s what I pride myself on, making sure that the client gets what they want, even if it’s harder work for me.”

The build took three and a half weeks.

Oliver worked with the landscaping team as project manager, as he typically does on all of his design projects. “I always suggest to clients that I’m the middleman to allow them to have a good experience; if they have a bad experience of the garden being built, they might have a tainted memory of it. So, if they have queries or complaints, they go through me, then if there is any tension between myself and the builder or the neighbour, they don’t see that – they just see smiles, and I’m the one who has to scratch my head and make something work. I do the planting too, whenever I can.”

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INFORM

With such skill and attention to detail, viewers of Your Garden Made Perfect might be realising for the first time why having a garden professionally designed and built can, at times, cost a hefty sum. Since appearing on the show, Oliver says the enquiries coming through from prospective clients have had more realistic budgets as people are understanding that it is not just the material costs to cover.

The process on Your Garden Made Perfect is true to life too. “The only difference is that I didn’t build the 3D visuals myself; they have a team who builds them for every garden on each episode to ensure they’re all in the same style. Other than that, the drawings, meetings, presentations are all pretty much what I would do normally, other than the headset.”

Oliver is enthusiastic about the use of virtual reality headsets to present designs to clients, as they bring the garden to life and provide an immersive experience. Also, viewers get the benefit of camera shots in addition to the headset visuals, which give a

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more holistic approach to the design offering. "I love showing clients the virtual design in the way that it is shown on TV. It’s the same reason I like using computer generated images over sketches. If a client asks: ‘What would that tree look like on the other side?’ – I can just move the tree. “[Virtual reality] is great for the show, and everyone who sees the gardens on VR loves them. It’s a great thing to use.”

For Oliver, the client is always at the forefront of his mind. It’s this more personal touch which leads him to prefer domestic work, though the practice does undertake some commercial projects. “There’s a bit more free rein with domestic. I can make it a space that the client enjoys, rather than a space for hundreds of clients every day, when it can get toned down a lot.”

Since university, Oliver knew he wanted to design residential gardens, but he hasn’t 2 A slice of the Mediterranean in Essex 3 Bespoke octagonal seating area, London 4 Lush perennial planting in new development

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always been on course to be a garden designer. He was more likely to become an architect, given his grandfather worked as one and his other grandfather was a builder. “I always knew I wanted to design something, and for years I’d planned on being an architect. Then I did some work at my grandfather’s old practice, and I liked the work, but I wanted to be outside. When I got a summer job as a horticulturist, I realised garden design was where I wanted to be.”

THE HARDEST THING IS HAVING FAITH AND TRUST IN YOURSELF; IT’S LEARNING THAT AS LONG AS I TRY MY HARDEST AND DO EVERYTHING I CAN DO, IF IT DOESN’T WORK OUT, I KNOW THERE’S NOTHING ELSE I COULD HAVE GIVEN TO IT After graduating with a BSc, Oliver says he didn’t expect to set up his own studio until he was “about 40. I thought I was going to get a decade or so experience working for a company, then leave to do my own thing. I did end up doing a couple of projects for another company, which was great, but I wanted free rein to do what I wanted to do. I thought that if

I started my own business, there would be more control.”

Bond Landscape Design is a limited company, with Oliver mostly working on his own but bringing in specialists and fellow designers when necessary. “The hardest thing is having faith and trust in yourself; it’s learning that as long as I try my hardest and do everything I can do, if it doesn’t work out, I know there’s nothing else I could have given to it.”

Being calm and level-headed means Oliver was not as nervous as you might presume about going on a national television show and he wasn’t concerned about losing to a fellow designer in front of thousands of viewers either. “I’ve grown up on competition; tennis, rugby – you name a sport, I’ve probably played it competitively. I believe that as long as I try my best, I don’t care if I win or lose.

If I lose, then the other person did better than me.”

Filming has now wrapped up for this series, and we’re yet to find out whether Oliver will be appearing on our screens in the next series. “I’d love to do it again; it was a great experience. I think it highlights the benefits of employing a designer. I want to promote garden design and show it for what it can be; I never would have admitted that I wanted to be on TV, until it happened; show gardens are something I always wanted to do and are something I was going to try to get into to see where it took me, but I seem to have done it the other way round – hopefully, TV could lead to a show garden.”

Oliver is looking to grow his practice too, but steadily and organically. He’s open to possibilities, though. “I will always design private gardens because that’s what I enjoy doing, but it would be great to have the opportunity to design a show garden or do more work on TV. It would be wonderful to win an award for one of my designs, but client satisfaction is my main goal.”

Either way, with a passion for being in the public eye – and an apparent ease at it too – you will be seeing far more of Oliver Bond in the future, whether it is on your screen or vying for his first Gold medal.

5 Bringing a brighter, open feel to the space 6 Vibrant planting in a north-facing garden

C O N TA C T Bond Landscape Design Tel 07508 708 153 Email www.bondlandscapedesign.com

www.bondlandscapedesign.com

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24/03/2022 11:04

INFORM

THE FAMILY FEEL OF ROSE HILL DESIGN & BUILD HAS HELPED TO CREATE ITS SUCCESS

ROSE HILL DESIGN & BUILD R

ose Hill Design & Build is a full-solution landscaping company run by a husband-andwife team, Rea and Tommy Hill, who have a work history in design, building, gardening and real estate accumulating in their joint venture, Rose Hill Design & Build.

These humble beginnings were a catalyst for Tommy, casting as far back as his childhood, where his father ran a building company that added the foundational spark in Tommy’s interest for architecture and landscape design.

Rea, one of two co-founders of Rose Hill who is also blessed with an eye for design and aesthetics, began her journey to Rose Hill through property, having dabbled with interior and design whilst staging homes for the clients of her self-run estate agents.

Rea’s in-home design became a venture of the past, though, as she joined Tommy on the build and construction of Rose Hill.

She couldn’t see any reason not to back her husband all the way when he decided to bring his business plans to life.

“It was a great idea; I love gardens, I love design and being able to work inside or outside on varying projects spoke to the designer in me.”

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Rea took the route into landscaping education which added to her natural flair for design in the field: “I trained at a local college for a little bit and then the rest is pretty much self-taught.” ’Rea paid special attention to the need for creativity and

THEY WANT TO BE EXCITED, AND THEY WANT YOU TO BE EXCITED WITH THEM AND HELP THEM TO VISUALISE THE FINAL GARDEN, WHICH IS EASY FOR US BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT NATURAL PASSION passion to be the stem feeling and notion in the minds of designers for truly amazing pieces of work to come from them, a notion that is evident from Rose Hill’s projects.

Another aspect of Rose Hill's success is the excitement Rea and Tommy exude to their clients that, in turn, mirrors the joy of the customer. “We’re really, really, really passionate about gardens. We definitely

show this to all our clients… they would tell you that we get so excited with them over their gardens and what will be created for them. That's what our clients want to see; when somebody comes around to design a garden, they want to be excited, and they want you to be excited with them and help them to visualise the final garden, which is easy for us because we have that natural passion.”

Rose Hill survived through the harsh times of the past couple of years and Rea was pleasantly surprised by the outcome that stands as a testament to the hard work and creative flare of the husband-and-wife team.

The melding of what appeared to be luck and hard work drew a smile on Rea’s face as she explains: “We're super lucky – I say lucky, but I would have to give the credit back to my husband. He is such a perfectionist. We opened a business in probably the worst time ever, a year ahead of the pandemic… but Rose Hill has gone from strength to strength and it's more than doubling in size and profits just within the 1 A multi-purpose outdoor space that can be enjoyed by all ages

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last two to three years. So, on paper we probably should have failed, given the circumstances, but we haven't and that is because of Tommy.”

With a fleeting mention of the previous two years, Rea shifts her attention to how Rose Hill Design & Build grew its client base and the respect and care that Rose Hill offers is but one reason for returning and referring customers.

Rea believes that part of Rose Hill’s success is because the work speaks for itself without the need for promotion. ”We don't do any fancy advertising. We don't do any gimmicky offers we’re just really good at what we do. And we really care. That, I think, is the key – that we care and pay scrupulous amounts of attention to every detail. That spirals on to word of mouth and referrals, and then slowly before you know it, your business is growing, and it's always a result of the hard work that the team does.”

The continual success of Rose Hill, in Rea’s opinion, is a direct result of the company’s transparency. “It probably all sounds very basic but, for us, our success is down to our transparency. So, from the get-go, we are transparent with our client

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in terms of costs. The client doesn’t want anything hidden and have these costs pop-up somewhere down the line.”

Rea continues: “Professionalism is another core aspect for Rose Hill and people probably think, it's so basic, but just having a really professional team that takes care of and looks after the client, the neighbours, and clears up every night and simply goes the extra mile to make sure that everyone's satisfied is worth its weight in gold.”

“Craftsmanship, expertise and attention to detail are the basic rules, and sometimes not everyone necessarily covers all of it but what I hoped and what I think our team does is make these rules a part of any and every project we create.”

YOUR BUSINESS IS GROWING, AND IT'S ALWAYS A RESULT OF THE HARD WORK THAT THE TEAM DOES As the infectious joy and passion radiates from Rea as she discusses Rose Hill, it’s clear that the full-solution design and build landscaping company are becoming firm favourites in the industry and Rea believes this is in part due to the family-run essence of Rose Hill.

Rea eludes to the fundamentals of the Rose Hill Design & Build process: “So, from the initial consultation to the design and then to the build and the aftercare, everything is done in house.

On top of this, our most unique feature is that we are a husband-and-wife team; we work together. Rose Hill is very much a family-run company."

In light of the husband-and-wife duo drawing-in and securing clients because of that home-grown feel, Rea notes that Rose Hill has received recent rave-reviews from clients. “We just recently had a review and it's brilliant because he really went into detail with what he had wanted for the design and build; he wanted a solution for everything, from design to build to the aftercare.

And that's why he chose Rose Hill."

Rea exudes excitement as she contemplates the upcoming gardens and designs the team will be creating in the coming months. “We are designing a big project that's in the pipeline that’s quite large. The project is the most expensive garden we've ever built – it's in excess of £350k. So, that's going to be a biggie."

The co-founder continues: “The thing is, it could be a small garden, it could be a massive garden – we are excited about them

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all. We don't have favourites, because we’re so passionate about everything we design, whether it be a small little courtyard or acres and acres with a swimming pool.

They all mean the same to us and garner the same time, dedication and passion.”

Rea went on to discuss the audience and clients that Rose Hill attracts: “I’d say between mid-range to high-end. Usually, our gardens start from a minimum of £25k but they can go right up to over £300k. So, we're not a budget solution; unfortunately, we can't really build budget gardens, because of the way we build them and the kind of setup that we have.”

Rea smiles as she describes the structure of Rose Hill: “There are two directors – myself and my husband.

I deal with the somewhat boring bits, in terms of the behind the scenes, admin, accounts and whatnot. Then, I also assist my husband in the design side. My husband Tommy is basically the funding manager.

He's the face and heart of Rose Hill. He meets all our clients personally, and he oversees and project manages everything.”

Rea adds: “We have a team of around five men, who are highly trained and tremendously skilled tradesmen who cover various aspects, from carpentry to building to horticulture. Then, we have one project manager, Shane. He's kind of the top guy

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when Tommy's not around. He's there making sure everything is being done to the deadline and to the kind of standard that we expect with each project.”

WE DON'T HAVE FAVOURITES, BECAUSE WE’RE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT EVERYTHING WE DESIGN, WHETHER IT BE A SMALL LITTLE COURTYARD OR ACRES AND ACRES WITH A SWIMMING POOL. THEY ALL MEAN THE SAME TO US AND GARNER THE SAME TIME, DEDICATION AND PASSION Rea felt the inspiration and aims for any given space came from being able to view the sight and get a feel for what the space and client needs with her husband. “Quite often, Tommy and I will go to the site and survey it together, and because we have that kind of natural flair for creativity, we tend to look at a space and instantly know where we're going with it. Then we sit down together in the office and the creativity

starts there; the ideas flow and the designs we could create for the space. The magic occurs in one place and then is constructed at the office to be created in the garden or space we’re changing.

“Sometimes our client might say, ‘Oh, can we just adjust that?’ Or ‘can we add this or that?’ But nine times out of 10, our clients are very happy with the design that we present to them, and the amendments are very minimal. Overall, and in terms of how we have achieved our success, it's just the work we create, it speaks for itself.”

It’s evident that the success of Rose Hill stems from Rea’s and Tommy’s hard work and has become the pillar of excellence it is today through passion and hard work.

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

A spot to relax defined by its design Views from above – perfect for families Gorgeous planting ©Ali Cowen Vertical considerations ©Ali Cowen Calming water feature close up Water feature in full ©Ali Cowen Mixing luxury with clean design

C O N TA C T Rose Hill Design Tel 01245 922 107 Email info@rosehilldesign.co.uk

www.rosehilldesign.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 25

24/03/2022 09:55

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3 0 U N D E R 3 0 U P DAT E

DIANA CATRINOI-CORNEA DIANA CATRINOI-CORNEA KNEW SHE WOULD BE A DIRECTOR OF LONDON STONE AND SHE’S ACHIEVED HER DREAM IN AN IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME

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iana Catrinoi-Cornea might seem an unlikely winner of the 30 Under 30 awards given her background in HR, but since the ceremony in November 2021, Diana has experienced exponential career growth at hard landscaping supplier London Stone.

Diana was recently appointed as marketing director, where she has taken point for "roughly three weeks". The 30 Under 30 winner explains that her promotion was a "long-standing dream that came true very quickly". Diana began her journey with London Stone six years ago as a marketing admin, working closely with managing director Steven Walley. The now over-the-moon Diana explained to Steven in those early days: "I’m going to be a director in this company one day". And in what seems like no time at all, Diana has achieved this dream.

While working in recruitment and HR. Diana believed it was time to try something new and so joined London Stone alongside

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her husband, who joined the company in 2016. As they worked together and Diana cemented her admiration for London Stone, it became clear to her that landscaping is "a great industry to be in." Diana states.

"I wanted to build a career in this industry, and it didn’t take long for it to become obvious this was where I needed to be."

I WANTED TO BUILD A CAREER IN THIS INDUSTRY, AND IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR IT TO BECOME OBVIOUS THIS WAS WHERE I NEEDED TO BE Diana discussed the importance of the landscaping industry in light of the past two years and how a shift in perception has occurred in terms of the relevance in outdoor space. Diana reflects on the "importance of what the landscaping industry brings to people’s lives", and how "more than ever, mental health has taken centre stage and this industry has become key in people’s lives in terms of happiness".

"Before the lockdown there was a lack of appreciation from the general public for the outdoor spaces. But the past two years reinforced its value and solidified the mental health need for greenery and the outdoors."

Now, she plans to grow with London Stone, taking the company to the next level by developing London Stone and herself.

The 30 Under 30 winner explains that she recently graduated from the Chartered Institute of Marketing after attaining a level six diploma in Professional Marketing.

With this academic and professional success, Diana aims to remain an associate of her school which involves completing a CPD each year to maintain her charter.

So, the future looks bright for Diana as she continues on with her dream. She concluded her 30 Under 30 update by offering some advice for anyone else dreaming of being in the landscaping industry, or any passion-led venture: "My advice would be to, first of all, find what you love to do. As I believe that in order to be successful you have to do something you love, as only then can you give it the commitment and dedication that’s required for you to succeed."

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24/03/2022 09:35

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24/03/2022 14:46 14:58

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JASO N K NIGHTS BATTLING BIODIVERSITY LOSS

JASON KNIGHTS EXPLORES THE FUTURE OF BRITAIN’S BIODIVERSITY AHEAD OF THE COP-15 UN CONFERENCE

B

iodiversity and sustainable ecosystems are critical for human existence. Functioning and balanced ecosystems provide food, sustain water and soil quality, and even play a role in regulating the Earth’s climate – yet biodiversity is declining at a faster rate than any time in our history.

Since 1970, there has been a 68% decrease in the population of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. This global story is playing out in the UK. Research shows that since the 1970s, 41% of all UK species have declined, while 15% of species are threatened with extinction.

Researchers state that to avoid ‘ecological meltdown’ we must retain 90% of our biodiversity.

We all have an obligation to protect and nurture the planet and our natural ecosystems. But, on a business level, the benefits of taking a proactive approach to sustainability have never been clearer. Increasingly, investors, clients and consumers want to back purpose driven companies. That means having a sustainable and ecologically sound approach to business. In the decades ahead, it will be the businesses with the most sustainable mindsets that have the greatest longevity and success.

At Ground Control, we put caring for our environment at the heart of everything we do. As a carbon neutral business on a journey to net zero by 2025, we donate five

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percent of our profits to carbon-reducing technology and tree planting, operate 100% of our offices with green energy and run the UK’s largest fleet of Teslas.

We are constantly pushing boundaries to reach new levels of environmental excellence. We are working on a plan of action with the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership and we are looking to extend our positive environmental and biodiversity impact all the way through our supply chains.

IN THE DECADES AHEAD, IT WILL BE THE BUSINESSES WITH THE MOST SUSTAINABLE MINDSETS THAT HAVE THE GREATEST LONGEVITY AND SUCCESS At Ground Control, we understand that biodiversity is a recent addition to the boardrooms of many businesses. It can be difficult to know where to start. A great starting point for corporate leaders is to examine all levels of your business practices and identify any areas where your company is having a potential negative impact on local biodiversity. Work with biodiversity experts, ESG partners and external consultants to understand the data and uncover more sustainable practices.

Everything from the construction of your buildings to how far employees drive to work to the supply chains you source your materials from affects the local

ecosystems and biodiversity. It’s time now for every business to put time, effort and funding into interrogating how they operate and what impact they are having on the environment.

The simple truth is if we don’t start to analyse and understand the impact we are having on biodiversity, we are never going to improve it. As business leaders, we have a corporate and social obligation to put biodiversity and environmental impact high on our list of business objectives. There are great tools out there. Now is the time for action, no matter how small steps such as these may seem at first. COP-15 alone will not deliver the transformative change necessary to reverse biodiversity loss. It takes all of us – businesses and governments – to take stock of this challenge, work together and build a path to a more sustainable world.

ABOUT JASON KNIGHTS Jason Knights joined Ground Control as managing director in 2020 following 10 years in leadership roles at Wates. His last role was as managing director of SES Engineering Services, now a division of Wates Construction Group, following Wates’ acquisition of Shepard E Construction Services in November 2016.

A specialist M&E services business, Jason grew SES and created its excellent reputation in the industry, transforming it from lossmaking to profitability in four years. www.ground-control.co.uk

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P ETER R E A DE R

DEBUNKING THE FAIRYTALE OF FARMING PETER READER RESPONDS TO AN ARTICLE ON REWILDING AND EXPLORES INTENSIVE FARMING'S IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY

I

read Chris Churchman’s article on rewilding and farming in Pro Landscaper February and agree with him on the need to continue farming on fertile land. However, we must not be misled into believing we can continue as we are in these areas. It is a fallacy to believe that modern industrial farming allows ‘farmers and wildlife to happily co-exist’.

Intensive farming in its current form is unsustainable and its methods have devastated our ecology. Humans are easily blinded to the reduction in wildlife populations and biodiversity by the decades-long timescales involved and the superficial impression of the countryside still as green fields and hedgerows. Ask someone like my 82-year-old father, who grew up on a Kent smallholding. He will tell you how barren and empty the countryside is compared to his childhood. Documented examples include the loss of around 118,000 miles of field hedgerows since 1950, due largely to intensified agriculture.

Other industrial farming practices, like the intensive mono-crop farming and heavy fertiliser and pesticide spray must also be changed. These are devastating our insect populations and destroying habitat and food chains that our ecology relies upon.

Our recent understanding of the role of mycorrhizal fungi for plants must surely give

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rise to concerns when we consider the vast quantities of fungicides that are routinely sprayed over fields. In areas of fertile soil farming, we need to rewild the soil, which means using crop rotations and organic fertilisers, improving its structure sustainably.

We seem to have forgotten soil is an organic living environment, and not a dead sponge for the chemical fertilisers for our crops.

WE LAMBAST OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR NATIVE ENVIRONMENTS AND YET WE CONTINUE TO DESTROY OUR OWN Other much-loved ‘quintessentially English landscapes’ such as fells and moorland are seen as carefully managed by sheep farming and as maintaining an ancient, iconic and wild landscape. In fact, they are mostly the product of relatively recent times. The Scottish Clearances were driven by perceived political necessity, with the mass introduction of sheep giving it an economic driver over small tenant farmers; that delivered the same change all over more marginal areas of the UK. Today we consider them wild and natural, but sadly they are a sheep-created wildlife desert.

The Cambrian mountains, for example, are heralded as one of Britain’s last true wildernesses, but are the result of relatively recent woodland clearance and subsequent intensive sheep grazing. This has resulted in

an empty landscape of stunted heather and bilberry, poor grasses, and thinning, eroded and leached soils, with little wildlife. These kinds of marginal farming areas offer great opportunities for sustainable re-wilding and a real wilderness rich in wildlife. We lambast other countries for the destruction of their native environments and yet we continue to destroy our own.

Another misconception is that of the reintroduction of lost species. Many view this as a naturalist’s fancy and a waste of resources. Again, this is to misunderstand the complexity of the environments we need to regenerate. The European Beaver, for instance, does not build destructive dams like its American cousin, but its activities create and maintain complex environments which boost biodiversity, clean and filter water, sequester CO2 and prevent flooding.

These lost species are often key to delivering a sustainable future. They have simply been missing from our landscape for so long we have forgotten what they deliver.

Rewilding challenges many of our beliefs.

We need to rise to that challenge.

ABOUT PETER READER Peter Reader left the NHS after 25 years as a GP to follow his passion for nature, gardening and design. He retrained at KLC School of Design, and immediately set up his single-handed North London design practice Peter Reader Landscapes in 2013. He designs mostly private gardens in the South East and has received awards for his work from the RHS, BALI, and Houzz. www.readerlandscapes.com

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MASTERS IN STONE

garden design by Colm Joseph Gardens | garden build by Gadd Brothers New Advert Template April onwards.indd 14

24/03/2022 11:19

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24/03/2022 11:20

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AN DR EW WILSO N KILLER CASH FLOW

ANDREW WILSON CONSIDERS CHARGING MECHANISMS AS CLIENTS PROVE INCREASINGLY SLIPPERY

T

he world of garden design has changed considerably over the last few decades, with the majority of those changes being for the good as the profession has become more widely recognised. That positive note can’t be applied to fees and charging mechanisms though, which continue to be an area of increasing irritation for many designers.

I think there are several issues at play here especially in high-end commissions where budgets are higher and design packages ambitious. The associated fee levels are also consequently higher which has led to a review of how we charge and what we expect up front before delivering the outline design.

I have to look back over a career both as a designer and as a teacher to consider this a sad but perhaps inevitable moment.

Historically, builders and landscapers have asked for a percentage of their build up front before any work commences.

I totally understand and accept this approach as they have to purchase materials or hire equipment prior to starting on site.

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Historically, the designer had no product to buy as part of the design process and worked on the basis of trust once the fee proposal was accepted and signed off.

Some would say that leaves the designer open to abuse; yet apart from one or two bad pennies, this system has worked for both parties in each commission.

WE ARE NOW ASKING FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEE UP FRONT SO AS TO BE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE A BONA FIDE CLIENT Of course, I am aware that there is an investment of time involved in this process but until the design proposal is complete there is little to show the client. All being well I will be paid for that time – and there is the rub.

More recently, the signing off process for fees has proved to be insufficient for an increasing number of clients. We have witnessed substantial delays in payment with the related and time-consuming need to chase clients for fees which have been contractually agreed to a specific time frame.

Some may be put down to forgetfulness but for some it is a purposeful and manipulative refusal to pay on time.

For others (as discussed in previous articles), there is an increasing need for additional information or detail in the initial

stages of a design proposal above and beyond what was laid out in the initial agreement. This design creep is really borrowing time from the later detailed design stage and has led to revisions in the way the various design stages are outlined.

A few clients have even attempted to re-negotiate fees and effectively change the goal posts part-way through the process. In all cases, substantial amounts of time are wasted in unproductive chasing, impacting cash flow which for small businesses is devastating.

The upshot is that we are now asking for a percentage of the fee up front so as to be certain that we have a bona fide client. This also means that I will now change the way I discuss fees and charging mechanisms with my current and future students. Both scenarios sadden me but on the other hand my business sense says that this is the way to respond to our changing world.

It also saddens me that all our future clients will have to experience this same approach as it is impossible to know how any client will respond to the evolving design process. Whilst it makes clear business sense, I can’t help feeling that at least some of that quality of trust between designer and client has been whittled away.

ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden design consultant, director of the London College of Garden Design, and an author, writer and lecturer. www.lcgd.org.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 09:49

INFORM

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN PLAY UP, PLAY UP, AND PLAY A GAME

COULD CHILDREN’S ABILITY TO PLAY IN THE STREET RETURN TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS, QUERIES CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

W

e begin sometime in the afternoon of 10 October 1956. A car passes through Hardwick Street in Liverpool, colliding with two-year old Jennifer Jones.

The day before, Susan Oliver needed stitches when a car struck her, bringing the total of recent collisions involving children on Hardwick Street to nine.

As a result, local mothers decided that something had to be done.

Leading to this point was the steady rise in both motor transport and pedestrian fatalities from the late 1920s which provoked fierce debate over the appropriate use of urban streets. As today, some saw the social functions of urban streets as incompatible with a growing belief that the unimpeded movement of cars was essential to the effective functioning of the modern city. Others, more concerned with health, happiness and sociability considered cars as unwelcome intruders on residential streets.

THE CLOSED STREETS WERE KNOWN AS ‘PLAY STREETS’, AND HERE PLAY, NOT TRAFFIC, WAS THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE This divided outlook manifested itself on the suitable location for urban play, with people – mainly mothers – struggling to maintain the social life of streets for playing.

Fuelling the campaign against was the sight of children playing on war-damaged streets

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Christopher Martin.indd 35

which sharply divided opinion, and some campaigners sought to remove play from city streets altogether on safety grounds.

But at the heart of the emerging battle was parking, as rising car ownership outpaced parking provision, and kerb-space occupancy in certain London streets rose from 50% in 1951 to 75% in 1953. And with this increase in shiny and expensive status symbols being parked in streets came the positioning of children socialising in streets as more and more menacing.

At this time government suggested that one obvious way to reduce damage to cars

and accidents to children was to separate children from traffic, introducing legislation that brought significant changes to the landscape of city streets – including guard railing – to keep people and vehicles apart.

While all these initiatives aimed to reduce collisions involving children, some local authorities considered a radically different approach inspired by a scheme from 1920s New York. Rather than keeping children away from cars, they aimed to separate cars from children, closing certain residential streets to traffic between designated hours, ‘to provide play spaces in locations where there aren’t any’. The closed streets were known as ‘play streets’, and here play, not traffic, was their primary purpose.

Since this period, we have seen the growing affluence of households, leading to a rise in ownership of consumer goods – especially cars – and indoor games. This has of course influenced fashions in play that have done little to encourage the play street as a twenty-first century phenomenon until now, as we now rightly have a renewed interest in play streets fuelled in part by global concerns about childhood obesity and an understanding of the connection between children’s learning and their ability to engage in outdoor play.

So now is the time to look once again to New York, where the play street has continued since the 1920s, and where more tightly defined legislation and design coding exist to support play streets. This will support the growing body of work undertaken by organisations such as Playing Out, and going forwards we need all authorities to publish design guides for play streets, and to further open up legislation to make it easier for people to return streets to places of sociability and growth.

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER MARTIN Christopher is an influential urban designer and planner working all over the globe to help communities improve their public spaces; as well as supporting cities and governments to develop strategy, change policies, and make great places possible. He is co-founder and director of Urban Strategy at Urban Movement; a trustee of the UK charity for everyday walking – Living Streets; vice chair of the UK Urban Design Group; and is a member of the United Nations Planning and Climate Action Group. www.urbanmovement.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 35

24/03/2022 09:51

INFORM

K ATI E FL AX M A N SHIFTING PRIORITIES

LANDSCAPES CAN STILL BE BEAUTIFUL WHILST PUTTING HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY FIRST, EXPLAINS K ATIE FLA XMAN

©Joylynn Goh

WATER MILL

36 Pro Landscaper / April 2022

Katie Flaxman.indd 36

But there is a shift – a shift in the minds and hearts of architects, landscape architects and other professionals.

A sensing of the urgency to head back to the land and an acceptance of our role within the solution. There are rumblings – rumblings of a bigger kind in our clients, the people of this land. Those who want to shift their priorities from fast and beautiful to slower and thoughtful. Those who want to push for carbon positive, circular processes

who see the true value of landscape and open the door for us to lead rather than follow. This in turn allows us to create spaces which are led by the landscapes on which they sit.

©Sara Gacic

W

e spend a lot of time considering the link between landscape and architecture. As landscape architects and custodians of this earth, we push for landscape driven schemes and buildings that work with the land, to both enhance it and minimise our impact on the future of this earth.

Sometimes we think what we are doing is new – trailblazing, even. But then we take a walk in nature and remember that architecture that is led by the land isn’t new, it’s old, very old. It’s the straw and heather roofs of Celtic round houses, the Neolithic grass long barrows, and the natural caves of Pinnacle Point or Guyaju.

Over time we have moved gradually away from the nature. First, we began to harness its powers through such architecture as wind and water mills, but then we disregarded it altogether in the search for the next perfect housing plot, the next Instagram-able interior.

We wanted land that could be cleared, and a blank canvas created.

BURIAL MOUND

THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT SUSTAINABLE AND BEAUTIFUL ARE JUXTAPOSED BUT WE ARE FORTUNATE TO BE WORKING ON PROJECTS WHICH ALLOW US TO DISPROVE THIS and for landscape led. And those who can, with support from us, tolerate the slower final home, and gentler final finish.

We are moving within a difficult time, a time of crisis – climate, housing, health – but the solutions are within our reach.

Solutions which don’t have to be ‘either/or’ but instead to shift, to reprioritise. To choose health first, climate first and final finish second, later and slower. There are those who believe that sustainable and beautiful are juxtaposed but we are fortunate to be working on projects which allow us to disprove this. We are aligned with clients, architects and other professionals

People are beginning to understand the value in building right over building fast and the more that we speak up to give a rationale for this approach the greater the motivation to follow it. Our projects aren’t yet perfect, we aren’t perfect, but each design moves us closer to that ideal.

Our projects are greater than they were, slower than they were; they are gentler, wilder, and lighter. Each time we breathe life into a new client relationship or work again with that passionate like-minded architect, we are choosing to reprioritise, choosing nature first and in turn shining a light on how others can do the same.

A B O U T K AT I E F L A X M A N Katie Flaxman is co-founder and director of Studio 31 Landscape Architects. Studio 31 is an award-winning, adventurous and environmentally conscious landscape architecture practice working across the residential, public realm and health sectors. www.designstudio31.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 09:44

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INFORM

ANDREW COTTAGE PRIORITISING PUBLIC REALM

URBAN REGENERATION SHOULD BE LANDSCAPE-LED TO GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR TOWNS AND CITIES, SAYS ANDREW COTTAGE

I

t’s now a well-established fact that our urban centres are enduring a period of change, brought about by climate change, evolving consumer habits and the recent coronavirus pandemic. If our towns and cities are to remain viable and relevant to our lives, they will need to adapt quickly to these changes. Where traditional town centres used to be almost entirely composed of retail and commercial office space, a shift towards a mix of uses is now required and could include everything from residential to co-working space, leisure to healthcare, as well as community facilities.

We also need to acknowledge that the spaces outside and between these buildings will play a critical part in the revitalisation of our urban centres. Good quality public realm can help unlock the full potential of the urban environment and create economic opportunity. It can enhance the building architecture, provide setting and context, and better connect the doors of homes, shops, workspaces and leisure facilities to the outside world.

Landscape design in town centres is about much more than aesthetic value.

Improved public realm in urban areas can have a profound impact on public health and the management of

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Andrew Cottage.indd 39

health and social care costs. At the same time, it can improve social equity, whilst also helping to meet borough-wide environmental targets.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also afforded us the opportunity to challenge some of the unsustainable behavioural patterns hardwired into our urban environments, not least the priorities given to cars over pedestrians. As offices and shops closed, people left their cars parked and local authorities looked to improve

GOOD QUALITY PUBLIC REALM CAN HELP UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT walkway infrastructure to allow for social distancing; in some instances, entire town and city thoroughfares were pedestrianised, allowing building functions to spill out into the public realm.

Levels of car usage will inevitably increase as restrictions end, but the introduction of low-emission zones will perhaps see fewer cars entering our urban centres. More space can therefore be given over to public realm and we can start thinking of streets as places for people to live, work and play. Wellconceived, attractive public realm can help weave together the socio-economic fabric of a town centre by boosting dwell time and encouraging spend, creating commercial viability and increasing the rentability or sale of residential in urban centres.

We have recently been working with local authorities as part of the Towns Fund bidding process and have been given the opportunity to implement some of our ideas. In particular, we have been working in close collaboration with Boston District Council to enhance the town centre by making it more pedestrian friendly and less car dominated; introduce more trees; provide space for the market and introduce gateway garden areas. It’s the perfect encapsulation of landscape design’s role in the delivery of a regeneration strategy.

Flexibility is key. Outdoor spaces are rarely static; they can change with the seasons and brim with the unpredictable patterns of life as people pass, meet and overlap. Well-considered, flexible outdoor urban space can fulfil a number of different functions throughout the year and help to create a city centre that’s a destination in its own right, providing opportunities to host civic events, annual shows, big-screen sporting events or winter markets and with them the critical mass of people and spend required for town centres to flourish.

A B O U T A N D R E W C O T TA G E Andrew Cottage CMLI is an associate director with Urban Edge Architecture. He is a chartered landscape architect with some 30 years’ experience working across a broad range of projects from high-profile gateway sites in London to historic landscapes. He is passionate about public landscapes and the benefits they can deliver for health and wellbeing, biodiversity and combatting climate change. www.urbanedgearchitecture.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 39

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INFORM

NIGEL PAYNE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

NIGEL PAYNE EXPLORES HOW FOCUSING ON STAFF RETENTION CAN HELP TO ADDRESS THE INDUSTRY'S SKILLS GAP

L

ast November I was kindly invited by the Pro Landscaper team to be part of a panel at FutureScape discussing recruitment and retention in the industry. I can recall saying to the audience that I felt we had been talking about this subject for far too long without much tangible change – I had previously sat on a similar panel in 2018 where the same issues were being explored.

This left me thinking, do we as a collective industry have the ‘will’ to change?

We certainly have some real-time issues to face today with regards to recruiting and then retaining staff. The current labour market is shrinking, the cost of employees is rising and there is an increase in client expectations for cost savings without any loss to quality. This mix is clearly unsustainable in the longer term. And although I expect the market to even itself out over the next three years, it is our action, or more likely our inaction, that will shape our industry recruitment strategies for the future.

I am fortunate to have been closely involved in workplace engagement during my career and would like to clear up one simple age-old misunderstanding – money is not a motivator! In fact, money is an

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Nigel Payne.indd 41

activator. Let me clarify, money can activate somebody to change jobs for an increase in pay, but that does not necessarily result in them being happier and therefore more motivated in the workplace.

So, where does this leave us in terms of recruitment and retention? In my opinion it comes down to three things: workplace culture, employee investment and opportunity. A work environment where employees are valued, have a sense of belonging and are rewarded for their efforts

IT IS OUR ACTION, OR MORE LIKELY OUR INACTION, THAT WILL SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE means they become your single most successful employment tool through advocacy. They become your companies’ ambassadors. They spread the word.

There are other considerations which aid retention too. Listening to your people actively is often spoken of but rarely followed through. At Cultura, we focus on developing and supporting our people to where they want to be rather than where we want them to be. In other words, we look at their own personal long term career goals and not just those of the business.

From a personal viewpoint, developing people who then go on to have further success in the industry gives me just as

much satisfaction. What if the whole industry had the same mindset? Think of the pool of talent there would then be at our disposal.

So, to the wider industry and the ‘will’ to change? We as an industry have some great examples of initiatives that are making a difference, but is this enough? I have not seen an influx of people looking to join the industry. Back in 2018 on my first panel, a member of the audience asked a killer question: "With the industry needing to fill an estimated 3,500 vacancies this year, how does the panel suggest we will achieve that?"

If we as an industry cannot do more, expect more or push ourselves more, we are just going backwards. If we continue to do our own individual thing with only our own individual goals in mind, we will promote fragmentation, which will not resolve the crisis we currently find ourselves in! So, until that time, Cultura will continue to do what we do whilst supporting and promoting change in our industry for the common good.

A B O U T N I G E L PAY N E Nigel Payne is the head of operations at Cultura Group with more than 30 years’ landscaping industry experience – specifically in horticulture, landscape construction and grounds maintenance. His experience in leadership and employee engagement has directed and supported high performing teams disciplined and motivated to respond to operational challenges and high-quality service delivery. Nigel is a passionate golfer as well as a mentor and coach for children in youth football. www.culturagroup.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 41

24/03/2022 09:58

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IQ

I

n this issue of the UK Landscaper Barometer, we are focused on the trading month of January 2022. As we dust off the memories of the last twelve months, we stepped forward into a whole new year. There’s a few things we are carrying over into 2022, the pandemic for starters, and with the supply shortage continuing to contribute towards material price rises, participants are concerned about how these factors will affect demand this year. One respondent said: “Plant and tree prices are rising continually and client's keep coming back asking to get quotes down.”

Nevertheless, lots of participants explained they are feeling more confident as COVID-19 restrictions are drastically different to last year, and procedures around Brexit “have settled down”. The beautiful and mild weather in January seemed to have also helped get the year off to a good start, and participants reported this helped increase their sales for the month.

If you would like the full report or would like to contribute to the UK Landscape Barometer moving forward, please send an email to Gemma Lloyd on gemma.lloyd@eljays44.com or call on 01903 777 594.

Please note that all statistics are based on those surveyed and compare January 2022 to January 2021.

NATIONAL

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS MORE CONFIDENT COMPARED TO LAST MONTH

TURNOVER

32%

Higher 54%

Equal Lower

14%

100%

2022

90%

2021

80%

2020

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

ENQUIRIES

0%

6%

Jan

Higher

23%

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

STAFF

Lower

Nov

Dec

7%

19%

Higher 44%

37%

Oct

CONVERSION

Equal 71%

Sep

Higher

Equal Lower

50% 43%

Equal Lower

PROJECTS 8%

Higher 38%

54%

Equal Lower

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UK Landscape Barometer.indd 45

This month, turnover saw 32% report a decrease. However, a strong 71% saw an increase in enquires, which is 21% more than last month. This sharp rise could certainly indicate that people are beginning to prepare for spring and summer 2022. Just over half saw project levels remain static (54%), and conversion rates were close to being evenly split between an increase (50%) and remaining the same (43%). A significant 19% reported they had less staff, and one respondent explained they were having trouble finding good staff, restricting their growth.

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 45

24/03/2022 10:27

IQ

CONVERSION

TURNOVER

ENQUIRIES

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

GARDEN DESIGN

GARDEN DESIGN

GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD

DESIGN AND BUILD

DESIGN AND BUILD

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20%

40%

Higher

60%

Equal

80% 100% Lower

PROJECTS

0%

20%

40%

Higher

60%

80% 100%

Equal

0%

Lower

YEAR ON YEAR

THE SOUTH

CONVERSION

THE MIDLANDS

JAN 2022

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH JAN 2021

GARDEN DESIGN

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

Higher

DESIGN AND BUILD TURNOVER

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20% Higher

40%

60%

Equal

80% 100% Lower

46 Pro Landscaper / April 2022

UK Landscape Barometer.indd 46

20% Higher

40%

60%

Equal

80% 100% Lower

Turnover in Scotland and the North saw the majority report a decrease, though just over 60% reported an increase enquires. Conversion rates were considerably high for commercial landscapers with 83% seeing increases, and a dominant 100% reported a rise in enquiries too.

The Midlands displayed the strongest number of participants feeling more confident.

Comparing turnover and conversion rates to figures from last year, there are positive increases.

Conversion rates saw a significant rise, with 31% more reporting an increase in conversion rates, and 10% more also reported an increase in their turnover too.

JAN 2022

JAN 2021

0%

20% Higher

40%

60%

80% 100%

Interested to find out more or see what the confidence and staff statics look like? Email gemma.lloyd@eljays44.com or visit our website to download the full report.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:28

IQ

NURSERIES Anecdotal evidence from nursery respondents suggested the sector experienced a greatly positive month. With 100% feeling more confident, nurseries benefited from the mild and dry weather in January, and forward booking is “remaining encouraging.”

One respondent said: “The prolonged period of good planting weather resulted in a record month for turnover in January.” Another said: “Higher costs and prices are driving a change in customer behaviour – clients are more price conscious and shopping around. As a result, we’ve seen a 15% increase in spending customers and a 36% increase in customers asking for prices.”

CONFIDENCE

TURNOVER 17%

More

More

16%

Same

67%

100%

Less

QUOTES

Less 67%

SOIL

100%

Less 100%

QUOTES

Less 100%

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UK Landscape Barometer.indd 47

Enquiries increased by

67%

Conversion rates for commercial landscapers increased by

12%

TURNOVER

More

11%

Turnover for domestic landscapers decreased by

Soil suppliers took a hit, with 100% reporting a decrease in quotes and turnover. Despite this, confidence displayed the opposite, with 100% feeling more confident. There could be many reasons for this, such as the winter season naturally feeling a little quieter. But ultimately, it’s clear many are looking forward to a busy spring and a new year.

CONFIDENCE

National turnover increased by

31%

More

33%

ON AVERAGE Projects for garden designers

REMAINED STATIC

Projects increased by

10% Design and build companies saw a decrease of

1%

in turnover Enquires rose by

63% for garden designers

GARDEN DESIGNERS saw an increase of 38% IN TURNOVER Quotes increased

16% for nurseries

Conversion rates rose by

Turnover for commercial landscapers increased by

18% Average lead time for domestic landscapers was

3 MONTHS Enquiries increased by

62%

for commercial landscapers

Nurseries saw an increase of

17% in turnover

Enquiries for garden designers rose by

42% 68% Pro Landscaper / April 2022 47

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IQ

ARTIFICIAL GRASS SPECIAL HAS THE VOLUME OF ARTIFICIAL GRASS THAT YOU HAVE SOLD INCREASED, DECREASED, OR REMAINED THE SAME OVER THE LAST YEAR? 5% 14%

Increased

ARTIFICIAL GR ASS CONTINUES TO SPARK CONTROVERSY. ITS LOW-MAINTENANCE TRAIT MAKES IT AN AT TRACTIVE OFFERING, BUT WHERE DOES IT STAND WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILIT Y? ACCORDING TO SOME, IT’S TO BE AVOIDED IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO CRE ATE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY GARDEN. HAS THIS IMPACTED ITS POPUL ARIT Y ?

WE ASKED SUPPLIERS WHAT THE ARTIFICIAL GRASS MARKET LOOKS LIKE TODAY.

ARE CUSTOMERS CHOOSING TO BUY HIGHER PRICED OPTIONS?

Decreased 86%

A significant majority (86%) of suppliers reported that they are experiencing an increase in the volume of artificial grass sold over the last year. Participants explained that, on the whole, buyers of artificial grass are always searching for the maintenance-free option. Under this umbrella comes the desire to steer away from “noisy” lawn mowers as they are expensive to maintain and many of the cheaper engines are made in China by the “lowest bidder, who are major contributors to global warming,” respondents explained.

ARE CUSTOMERS CONSIDERING SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS?

5% 43% 57%

Yes

29%

Yes

No

With the more sustainable option can often come a higher price tag, and this is a factor that could be deterring people away from choosing more sustainably produced artificial grass – 57% are still opting for cheaper versions.

However, 43% of suppliers reported they are seeing customers decide on higher priced options and this could be an indication that customers, though installing artificial grass, are trying to consider their environmental impact and looking to pick the best option they can.

71%

No

It is greatly positive to see that 71% of respondents are seeing an increase in customers searching for more sustainable options. Some suppliers mentioned they have been able to launch new turf that is more recyclable, and as a business they are setting out more environmentally friendly objectives. However, respondents explained they are not sure sustainability is an overly important consideration for most buying artificial grass, with one respondent saying: “There is very little interest in the eco options."

94%

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Barometer special Artificial Grass.indd 49

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 49

24/03/2022 12:51

IQ

ARTIFICIAL GRASS THOUGHTS FROM THE ASSOCIATIONS

SPECIAL DO YOU USE ARTIFICIAL GRASS?

20%

80%

Yes

No

We reached out to a number of landscapers to ask about their artificial grass use. A significant 80% told us they don’t use artificial grass anymore, and they stopped doing so a long time ago. One respondent said: “It is extremely rare that we would use artificial grass on our projects.” Another respondent said: “Over the past 10 years, I’ve installed artificial grass three times. We just don’t use it anymore.”

However, 20% said they do still use artificial grass. Respondents explained they are finding that people are still interested in using it, particularly if they are starting or have a young family. Again, this desire is said to be for its low maintenance reasons. However, one respondent explained: “The development of artificial grass has come a long way over the past five years. Now, it looks very close to the real thing, with a lot more versatility all year-round if in the right design.”

50 Pro Landscaper / April 2022

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Following on from the results of the research in this special, we asked the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), the Society of Garden Designers (SGD), and the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) for their thoughts on the use of artificial grass and whether it still has a place in the industry.

It’s safe to say that it’s a topic which divides opinion. A spokesperson for BALI stated there is a continuing demand for artificial grass amongst the domestic and commercial market, and further growth is likely. They explained: “The association recommends the industry looks to accept this trend and seeks to shape the use of artificial turf by viewing it as another type of non-living component of the landscape, in the same way we would, for example, a patio. It is important to not alienate specifiers, manufacturers and users, and leave no opportunity for influence.”

understanding the pros and cons of artificial grass use and making sure “installation is of a quality that ensures the maximum life of the product and reduces wastage” is an important factor in its use.

THE ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS THE INDUSTRY LOOKS TO ACCEPT THIS TREND AND SEEKS TO SHAPE THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF BY VIEWING IT AS ANOTHER TYPE OF NON-LIVING COMPONENT OF THE LANDSCAPE, IN THE SAME WAY WE WOULD, FOR EXAMPLE, A PATIO

However, Lynne Marcus, chair of society of garden designers, believes on an environmental basis that there is no room for artificial grass. She explained: “We are all in no doubt our planet is on the brink of ecological collapse. Gardens are wildlife habitats and provide nectar for pollination, and they have powerful mental and physical healing properties.” Lynne asks why, with these factors in mind, do people still rip out living lawns and install artificial grass?

In 2019, the Society of Garden Designers took a stand against the exponential proliferation of plastic lawns and foliage by banning it from all advertising and sponsorship. Lynne added: “We were fully supported by our membership in this, and we received messages of support from many working in other areas of the landscape industry.”

A minority of BALI association members have voiced their concerns about

SPOKESPERSON, BALI

Phil Tremayne, APL’s general manager, explained that whilst there is some negativity surrounding this use of artificial grass, he agreed that there is still demand for the product. From the APL’s perspective,

UNDERSTANDING THE PROS AND CONS OF ARTIFICIAL GRASS USE AND MAKING SURE “INSTALLATION IS OF A QUALITY THAT ENSURES THE MAXIMUM LIFE OF THE PRODUCT AND REDUCES WASTAGE” IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ITS USE P H I L T R E M AY N E , GENERAL MANAGER, APL

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promoting artificial turf or featuring projects which include artificial turf in the annual National Landscape Awards, BALI said. “We respect member and public opinion regarding use of artificial turf in their own projects and businesses, but as an association we have not seen evidence to justify banning artificial turf from either the member base or prohibiting projects which feature artificial turf from winning awards.”

Similarly, Phil explained the APL have received no “direct pressure” to discourage artificial grass use from its members.

He added: “We have members within the association that install and supply. It is important we provide information to our members and that we support them.

It would be wrong of us to respond negatively to any of our members.”

Following a request from BALI members in 2021 to assess the whole life environmental impact of artificial turf, the association carried out a literature review of scientific and peer-reviewed research projects. BALI said: “A shortage of research on the subject was identified. To date, most material found in magazines or on the internet is opinion-based rather than factual.” The association identified researchers who have published scientific reports on various aspects of artificial turf and are now working with these to improve knowledge in the industry.

So, what could the future hold for artificial grass? Lynne believes suppliers will continue to profit from selling it, adding: “Because of this, I think the suppliers’ market should be informed of the damage this material causes. All the land-based professional bodies and charities need to coalesce to make it a marketing pariah.”

Lynne explained that for centuries we have brought children up to “play on real grass and delight in investigative, imaginative play” amongst trees and plants.

She concluded that we are privileged to own and enjoy land attached to our homes and explained “we are only the stewards. It is our responsibility to

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do no harm”. However, based on the results of contemporary research, BALI sees no reason why use of artificial grass should receive widespread vilification from the

GARDENS ARE WILDLIFE HABITATS AND PROVIDE NECTAR FOR POLLINATION, AND THEY ALSO HAVE POWERFUL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALING PROPERTIES. WHY, WITH THESE FACTORS IN MIND, DO PEOPLE STILL RIP OUT LIVING LAWNS AND INSTALL ARTIFICIAL GRASS? LY N N E M A R C U S , C H A I R O F SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGNERS

industry. The association suggests that artificial grass suppliers – like all other manufacturers in the industry – have a responsibility to ensure their products are manufactured with greater consideration for the environment throughout the life of the product.

The APL believes the future of artificial grass is in the hands of the manufacturers.

Phil added: “They realise there is an environmental impact, and I would

encourage them to do as much as they can within their own research and development capabilities to address this.”

The spokesperson for BALI explained the association has seen recent scientific research suggesting artificial lawns exhibit increased runoff and decreased water retention compared to natural lawns. This is an area where BALI suggests development should be carried out by manufacturers of artificial turf to minimise disturbance which may arise as a direct result of installing artificial turf.

Evidently, artificial grass continues to be a polarising product. Whilst for environmental reasons, members of both the BALI and the SGD trade associations have expressed their concerns for its use, results from suppliers and BALI have suggested artificial grass will remain in use for the near future as it further develops and continues to be in demand. Therefore, BALI recommended the industry forms an opinion based on research which is scientific and peer-reviewed, and to consider the use of artificial turf as one component of a landscape. “The association suggests use of artificial turf as part of a project does not preclude the use of ‘living’ material elsewhere.”

They concluded stating that, where artificial grass is installed, opportunities should be explored to introduce living plant material in other areas to avoid the creation of landscapes that are sterile.

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 51

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DAMAGE BY STORM EUNICE AT THE O2 ARENA

©Travers Lewis / Shutterstock.com

he COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fears over Brexit failed to put a dent in the UK construction sector’s confidence. And now Storms Eunice and Franklin and the clouds gathering over Ukraine have suffered a similar fate. Even as the UK was being battered by high winds, UK construction was weathering the storm and notching up a BCLive league table total of £6.14bn for the month of February.

Breezing to the top of the table this month was Berkeley Group, which secured a pair of new contract awards valued at a combined £570m. The largest of these is a £320m new build of some 1,214 homes at Eight Gardens in Watford; a project that will also include more than 2,000m2 of commercial floorspace, a new energy centre, new school and extensive landscaping.

Second on the list with eight new contract awards valued at a combined £474m was BAM. The most notable of these new contract awards is a new Dunfermline Learning Centre campus that also includes dwellings, a nursery, care home and assisted living facilities.

That project is valued at £220m and the client is Hub East Central Scotland.

Landscaping professionals looking to enhance their education or seeking movie stardom will also be eyeing

a massive project that will be carried out

by Curo Construction. The University of Reading has entered into a joint venture agreement with LA-based Blackrock Studios for the construction of a new film studio at the university’s Thames Valley

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IT'S AN ILL WIND IT’S THE SHORTEST MONTH IN THE CALENDAR YEAR; IT GENERALLY HAS THE WORST WEATHER, AND IT OFTEN SUFFERS FROM A NEW YEAR HANGOVER. BUT, AS NEIL EDWARDS REPORTS, FEBRUARY 2022 FELT LIKE THE BEGINNING OF A PREMATURE SPRING FOR THE UK CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Service Park campus. That mammoth project will include extensive landscaping of the area as part of the £200m project.

THE COMBINED FORCES OF BREXIT AND COVID-19 FAILED TO HALT THE CEASELESS MARCH OF THE UK CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. AND EVEN THOUGH THEY HUFFED AND PUFFED, STORM EUNICE AND STORM FRANKLIN FAILED TO BLOW THE SECTOR OFF COURSE Even though offices (£681m) education (£542m) and entertainment (£335m) enjoyed an uptick during February 2022, housebuilding once again accounted for more than a third of all new contract awards (£2.36bn). Factor in the housing element of the mixed-use/ miscellaneous sector and it is likely that housebuilding actually contributed around half of all new contract awards.

Similarly, the West Midlands (£548m), the North West (£538m) and Scotland (£472m) all reported a significant increase in demand, but London retained the leadership of the regional table, delivering

more than £1.55bn in new contract awards split across 118 individual projects.

The combined forces of Brexit and COVID-19 failed to halt the ceaseless march of the UK construction sector.

And even though they huffed and puffed, Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin failed to blow the sector off course. The concern now, of course, is that 1 April 2022 is scheduled to mark the end of the subsidy on red diesel, the construction sector’s fuel of choice for the past 60 years.

Coming at a time when the conflict in Ukraine is putting increasing pressure on both fuel and energy prices, this has the potential to put a major dent in the sector’s post-pandemic bounce-back.

But, for now at least, the industry is maintaining its new-found resilience.

A B O U T N E I L E DWA R D S Neil Edwards is CEO of Builder’s Conference, the construction industry’s leading trade body. It provides its members to sales leads and market intelligence, as well as statistical data and networking opportunities. BCLive is a real-time league table of construction contract award activity. Operated by the Builders’ Conference, the BCLive league table monitors more than 6,000 new contract awards each year with a combined value of over £80bn. www.buildersconference.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 53

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We were honoured to supply the trees to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 for ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy Garden’

Grower of the Year: Nursery Stock 2008 • 2011 2015 • 2017

Supplier of the Year 2020

Employer of the Year

It was a great privilege to have designed and built The Queen’s Green Canopy Garden at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021, in celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

It was a fantastic team effort and a huge thank you to everyone involved, particularly Majestic Trees, who supplied all of the trees. David Dodd, The Outdoor Room

Celebrating 20 years!

• ADVICE • DELIVERY • PLANTING • AFTERCARE Come and explore our 27 acre nursery, where you can personally select your trees with the assistance of our experienced horticultural advisors.

Over 450 varieties of semi-mature and mature trees and hedging, grown in 35 to 4,000 litre AirPot containers.

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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL MARTHA SCHWARTZ PARTNERS

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WILDLIFE S WONDER H O W B E RY B U S I N E S S PA R K WO R K I N G I N PA RT N E RS H I P W I T H NURTURE LANDSCAPES

INFORM

urrounded by trees and buzzing with biodiversity, Howbery Business Park is a far cry from typical sites of its kind. For a start, it’s the UK’s first solar-powered business park, with a solar farm completed in 2011 which generates around a quarter of the site’s annual energy needs.

Fittingly, its first tenant more than 25 years ago was the Environment Agency, but there are now more than 50 businesses across the site, from SMEs to larger corporate tenants. A heritage manor house sits alongside BREEAM-excellence rated, state-ofthe-art facilities. There is even a modelling facility which includes wave basins and tsunami simulators.

Needless to say, Howbery Business Park stands out from the crowd. Situated on the banks of the River Thames near Wallingford in Oxfordshire, the site has always incorporated nature, with areas of woodland and for wildlife. But since 2015 when Nurture Landscapes

PROJECT D E TA I L S Length of contract Ongoing Awards BALI Nature Conservation & Biodiversity Enhancement Award 2021

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was awarded the grounds maintenance contract, the park’s connection to nature and its biodiversity benefits have gone from strength-to-strength.

Sustainable switches Contract manager Robin Sergi and his two-person grounds maintenance team have switched to battery powered kit where possible. Strimmers, hedge trimmers and blowers can now all be charged using the onsite solar power, which reduces carbon emissions and fossil fuel use by around 200L each year.

All of the green waste is recycled on site, with the material going to the composting areas made from recycled pallets. This is turned regularly before being used for the planting beds and to dress borders and the allotments, which were introduced for tenants and office staff in 2017 – it’s these initiatives which earned Howbery Business Park the Green Apple and Environmental Award.

Adding to the site’s green credentials, Nurture Landscapes is reducing its use of pesticides by 80L per year. This is partly down to decreasing the number of spray sessions across site, which seems to have been a success, but also by changing the maintenance regime.

Formal areas are mown more often to keep weeds at bay, whilst some areas were turned from lawn to meadow grass, reducing the need for selective spraying.

Wildflower wins To reduce surface root damage on mature trees – of which there are many at Howbery – Nurture Landscapes worked with the client’s onsite tree surgeons to identity areas which would benefit from mowing margins. These ‘no mow zones’ not only protect the surface roots from machinery causing damage, but also allow wildflowers to populate these areas.

There are large parts of undeveloped land on the site, which Robin says Nurture will not mow simply for the sake of it. In the initial stages of the contract, areas were mapped out which the client was happy to allow to grow, and this is where flowers such as bee orchids and pyramid orchids have appeared, as well as lots of low-level flora which would otherwise have been stripped away with a mower. Native species such as oxeye daisy, common vetch and viper’s bugloss all boost the aesthetic appeal of Howbery.

Throughout No Mow May, the wildflower areas increased from 400m2 to 920m2. Each wildflower area is cut once a year, in September/October, then raked to avoid nutrients going back into the soil. These areas are logged on ‘B-Lines’, a national map of ‘insect pathways’ created by conservation charity Buglife.

This forms part of Nurture’s Biodiversity Award, which the green service provider’s biodiversity

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Manor House through speedwell Wildflower area by Kestrel building Honeybee on dandelion Bird feeding station ‘Up Close and Personal’ bee event Buff tailed bumblebee on field scabious

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"There are lots of amazing opportunities to support wildlife and biodiversity on most properties; it’s just identifying them and putting a working practice into place that suits the flora or fauna that you’re trying to support and situation it’s in" ROBIN SERGI, CONTRACT MANAGER

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manager Simon Blackley created to wreath-making, or pumpkin carving recognise the achievements of specific sites competitions using pumpkins grown on in benefitting wildlife, as well as to educate Howbery’s allotments. and engage stakeholders in appreciating A recent focus has been on hedgehogs, the local wildlife. Its focus is on which are in huge decline in raising awareness of Britain due to loss of smaller charities, habitats. Howbery such as Buglife, is aiming to meet the Bumblebee Nurture’s Conservation Biodiversity Trust, the British Awards criteria Hedgehog set out by Preservation Nurture and Society and the British the British Trust Hedgehog for Ornithology.

Preservation Robin has Society. been working with Interconnected Howbery’s estate hedgerows and ROBIN SERGI, manager Donna planting are being CONTRACT MANAGER Bowles to introduce added for the small various initiatives which mammals to travel under conserve nature and enhance cover rather than across large, biodiversity. Willow cuttings, for instance, exposed spaces, and BHPS stickers are are repurposed into wildlife protection for going on the strimmers to remind the team the herb garden, which is used by the to check for hedgehogs before carrying out restaurant on site. Four beehives were also work. The team is also looking to include introduced and are maintained by the team, nesting boxes for hedgehogs, which are who are all Lantra qualified beekeepers. The being built by the Men’s Shed charity. honey is used by the catering team but also sold as local produce.

Challenges Each initiative takes careful consideration, Engaging others with Nurture choosing to focus on areas Howbery and Nurture are keen to get where they can raise awareness and catch the community involved in its activities, people’s attention. “There are lots of whether it’s by creating hanging baskets amazing opportunities to support wildlife using pollinator-friendly plants, Christmas and biodiversity on most properties; it’s just

"Observe what’s in your surroundings before you start, and then try to enhance and help it, rather than overwhelming it"

identifying them and putting a working practice into place that suits the flora or fauna that you’re trying to support and situation it’s in,” explains Robin.

“There’s no point trying to support hedgehogs if there is a badger sett on site; they’ll just get decimated. You need to be realistic and take the opportunities that present themselves to help the local wildlife.

Observe what’s in your surroundings before

you start, and then try to enhance it, rather than overwhelming it with something that is not really suited to the situation.”

Nurture was also recently rewarded with a BALI Nature Conservation & Biodiversity Enhancement Award 2021. But Robin says awards are not the end goal for Nurture – there is no completion date for the project at Howbery Business Park; it’s an ongoing development, with nature firmly at its heart.

7 Marmalade hoverfly on marsh orchid 8 Woodcrete bird boxes 9 Stables courtyard, in spring

ABOUT NURTURE LANDSCAPES Nurture is an award-winning national horticulture, landscape and national grounds maintenance and winter gritting business, enhancing asset value and enriching the environment. www.nurturelandscapes.co.uk

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compacted aggregate has settled.

’’VertEdge, a revolutionary new artificial grass edging system.’’

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VertEdge is a new revolutionary artificial grass edging system. VertEdge addresses these problems providing a neat 100% adhered perimeter, which is safer, neater, and stronger than any other product or method on the market today. VertEdge offers paying customers a system that is purpose designed, easy to A r understand t i f i c i a l L and a w nvalue E d gfor i n money. g

VertEdge is a new revolutionary artificial grass edging system

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E D B I T G N I N UR BEI

ION MANS E D I T ES NDSCAP A L E HIN SUNS G N JI

eijing Sunshine Landscape’s award-winning Tide Mansion is the meeting point of design, art, life and science as it resides next to Hangzhou’s Olympic centre which was designed by NBBJ to prioritise human experience and sustainability.

The resounding theme of the celestially silent Tide Mansion is intended to encompass "smart perception, smart exercise, smart life and smart aesthetics", and the imagery it has created stands as testament to Sunshine

"An exhibition of living art which can be felt and witnessed through every detail" 62 Pro Landscaper / April 2022

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PROJECT D E TA I L S Landscape Architect Beijing Sunshine Landscape Client Sunac China Holdings Limited

Landscape’s other-and-inner-worldly expression of modernity, language, fashion and design.

The expansive yet safe garden is split into six subsections that reflect characteristics of the design and the inspiring notions, perceptions, wisdom and history that proceeded Tide Mansion.

Starlight, sound, gravity, smell, nature, as well as space and time entitle each of the six divisions with constellations,

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galaxies and nebulas illuminating this feat of design which perfectly encompasses the next-generation sports centre next door.

The garden is a forward-looking exploration of the concept of social community, while maximising the potential of the area to create a space that is filled with vivacity, artistry, and a sense of familiarity. One of the imbedded aims of Sunshine Landscape’s Tide Mansion is to be an exhibition of living art which can be felt and witnessed through every detail.

The design uses this aspect of liveable art to create a space that is not only multidimensional in appearance but creates a community built on a harmonious ecology.

The magic and innovation of Tide Mansion extends into community service activities, spontaneous social interactions and an "essence of modern wisdom that provides residents with an interactive scene and experience if they so choose".

Beijing Sunshine Landscape’s hoped to use Tide Mansion as a collaboration of professional manufacturers and artwork designers bringing together the likes of material details and floor installations.

A point of reference for this partnership is in achieving a mirror reflection effect throughout, using stainless steel materials with a fine gloss finish that aims to presents an "exquisite sense of sight".

Continuing this grand-garden, Beijing Sunshine wanted to implement a sense of

technology coming together with landscape design, by joining forces with an internet company to curate the "smart" exercising ground, a premise around tech and design coming together that is intended to increase the "pleasure of the landscape" which "adopts devices, for instance, that use music to interact with those using the space".

Design The imagery within Tide Mansion is designed to resemble a "hall of themes" which has been alluded to aid in "a public appreciation of aestheticism". The collision of structure and outer-space is intertwined within the artistic scope that draws representation from "the stars, the moon and the Milky Way with pavements,

1 2 3 4

Stunning view of the 'arriving square' Cosmically themed designs on show Tide Mansion's waterscape area One of the neighborhood garden spots

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waterscapes and different facilities that resonate with something inside of us".

Tide Mansion’s creators intended the space to have a "welcome home" sentiment through social activities, sports, a children’s playground, and educational activities — with the added use of multi-textured plants and herbs in the science garden, melding nature and technology together as the plant can be "researched" via QR Code.

Sunshine Landscapes has aimed to utilise native environmental resources to ensure that not only cultural tradition and sentiment underpinned the design but that the local area informed Tide Mansion whilst sustaining the natural health of the area.

For that reason, several Chinese tallow trees, original to the site, were used to present the theme of a "thousand island and tree reflections" with the help of numerous reflective surfaces.

The design uses the scenery in the garden to preserve nature to the greatest extent and form a beautiful background for the residents and their day-to-day lives.

It is almost akin to creating an immersive vacation experience, which can be seen through certain aspects of the design, such as the sunken leisure bar.

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When creating Tide Mansion, it was imperative to Beijing Sunshine Landscapes that the space was multifunctional and for this reason the entrance hall was built to ensure privacy of the design and an all-purpose garden space where residents can rest, children can be educated in scientific aspects from biology to astro-psychics. Its continued aim is to draw people to the compound to use the outdoor space and help to improve the happiness of residents.

The design of Tide Mansion spans a plethora of ideas, histories, cultures, and technologies whilst still ensuring that the

fire-fighting loading area remained in line with current regulations, and this created unique but definite challenges for the build.

With the regulation in mind, rigid pavements were needed in the large-area sites of the project which often affects the view of the landscape.

To combat this design complication, Beijing Sunshine Landscapes used movable pavilions, portable planting beds and outdoor furniture where needed to create a dynamic space with both aesthetic visuals and practical functions to incorporate the challenges without any negative consequences or taking away from the design features.

Beijing Sunshine Landscapes were also tasked with competing against and complimenting the often-humid climate of south China, that is also frequented by seasonal weather like rain and snow. For this reason, Sunshine Landscapes designed the first floor of the building with an open stilt floor to allow residents access to the garden, design and technology through a host of different weathers.

The landscape design makes full use of the space to create further children’s activities, room for fitness exercises, communications among the neighbourhood, and other spaces for recreational use, that intends to form a unified whole with the public landscape system.

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"The design of Tide Mansion spans a plethora of ideas, histories, cultures, and technologies"

A venture in sustainability Beijing Sunshine Landscapes’ Tide Mansion is a project where design and stability are considered to be one, this began with using gravel that has been locally sourced to add to the aesthetic and sustainability of the project.

Water permeability was a concern for the designers of Tide Mansion who decided to aid the collection and reuse of rainwater within the design of the celestial project on Earth. The underground foundation adheres to a grass-roots method that is in line with local fire safety requirements.

By having the project seek sustainable modes of design, the aesthetic of Tide Mansion is in line with other notable and outstanding projects by Beijing Sunshine Landscapes such as Castle in The Sky, September Forest Residential and The Yu-Yuan Courtyard.

A vital note is that traditional Chinese culture is entrenched within modern landscape design for Beijing Sunshine Landscapes, which intends for the design

to establish significant links between human, community and nature by integrating nature into life and vice versa.

Tide Mansion is there to create viewing pleasure for residents, and it appears to have done the job admirably.

5 Luscious, varied planting 6 Thoughtful links define transitions between the outside and indoors 7 Design that can be enjoyed by all 8 A play area in use – perfect for families

ABOUT BEIJING SUNSHINE L A N D S C A P E C O LT D Beijing Sunshine Landscape Co Ltd focuses on sustainable development when creating their aesthetic and work driven landscapes.

From landscape engineering construction, garden seedling development, landscape planning, design, and cultivation to landscape maintenance, the 2006 founded company strive to make high-quality works and become an model for the industry. www.shunjingyuanlin.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INSPIRE BEIQIJIA TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS DISTRICT

LANDSCAPE A R C H I T EC T ’S

JOURNAL I M A RT H A S C H WA RT Z PA RT N E R S

VILNIUS PLAZA

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MARTHA SCHWARTZ CARVED OUT HER OWN NICHE IN A PROFESSION WHICH, AT THE TIME, WAS SOMEWHAT LIMITING. NOW, HER FOCUS IS ON HOW WE CAN TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH OUR LANDSCAPES

t began with bagels; Martha Schwartz’ illustrious career which stretches across numerous continents started with a garden topped with shellac coated goods from the local bakery.

After debating with her husband at the time over what to do with their small garden in front of their house in Back Bay, Boston, Martha took matters into her own hands.

Whilst he was away, she decided to transform the garden – all 12ft by 12ft of it – using products from the local area.

Purple gravel was purchased from an aquarium, purple flowers from a florist and, of course, bagels.

One of Martha’s friends took a photo, and another encouraged her to send it to the American Society of Landscape Architect’s magazine, which she did along with an article explaining the concept. Much to Martha’s surprise, it made the cover. The reaction, Martha says, was “explosive” – for a start, the editor was fired.

“At the time, the profession was artistically boring – it was white, male, modernist, and everything had to be the same,” says Martha. “There was no colour and it lacked expression; it was not artful at all. Being appropriate was very important because we needed the architects to like us. So, I made the case that the bagel was an appropriate landscape material; it was inexpensive, anybody could do it, it did well in the shade, you didn’t have to water it, it provided food for animals, and it rots into the landscape.

What else could you want from a landscape material?”

It sparked controversy, but most importantly, it triggered a discussion. It also brought Martha Schwartz

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INSPIRE

into the spotlight. She continued to create these “art installations”, eventually drawing the attention of architect Bernado FortBrescia, who then worked with Martha on a number of projects.

Being able to combine a passion for art and landscape was something of a triumph for Martha, who has rebelled against the conventional rules around the two. Her family has always been quite creative, with her father being a prominent architect in Philadelphia and her uncles being designers and architects. She says her passion for design was “bound to happen” and went on to study Fine Art at the University of Michigan.

IT WAS FOUNDED ON THE IDEA THAT THE LANDSCAPE CAN BE AN ART FORM; WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT THAT WAY, AND WE CAN EXPRESS OURSELVES AND QUESTION WHAT THE LANDSCAPE MEANS TO US By this point, Martha was exploring Earthworks artists: Michael Heizer, Robert Smithson and Richard Long all stood out to Martha as “wonderful artists who were really using the landscape as a medium”. “They were allowing us to see the landscape and

FENGMING MOUNTAIN PARK

the space in a different way. But it was kind of a new idea, that you could make landscape art. So, I decided that it’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn to build with the land.”

This is how Martha ended up taking a Masters in landscape architecture at the University of Michigan. But it’s also when she discovered that the connection between art and landscape architecture was not really recognised. She ended up transferring to Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design for her final year and became a teaching assistant for renowned landscape architect Peter Walker, founder of Californian practice PWP Landscape Architecture. Peter was also exploring the landscape and art and encouraged Martha to do the same.

The two ended up marrying once Martha had graduated, and when Martha’s art installations grew in popularity, she was able to build her own practice.

PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE

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“It just grew and grew,” says Martha. “It was founded on the idea that the landscape can be an art form; we can actually see it that way, and we can express ourselves and question what the landscape means to us. We can bring a new way of seeing the landscape, just like the artist.”

BEIQIJIA

Martha’s main focus has been on the urban environment, but not solely in the US. “The United States is not exactly our wheelhouse,” admits Martha. “The US is very self-contained – it doesn’t really look outward to other places. If you look at how we’ve built our environment, it’s pretty ugly – we want it on time and on budget; design is the cherry on top of the cake.

“So, I have gotten work from all over the world, which has been really exciting. And people always ask us to do something artful, which is really where our stance is; we want to solve problems, and we need to solve problems, we’re designers – but in the end, creating beauty and art is essential, it is not the cherry on top of the cake.”

Having led successful landscape architecture practice, Martha Schwartz Partners, for the last 40 years or so, Martha is now turning her attention to activism.

Whilst teaching at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, she learned a lot about climate change and began to read about the problem in depth.

“I ended up understanding that there are two things we have on the table to be able

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INSPIRE

to cool down the Earth; one is working with stratosphere aerosol injection or solar radiation management, and the other is making sure we work with naturebased solutions to be able to re-generate the Earth and prepare our cities for climate change. So, I started a non-profit: Mayday.Earth.”

WE’RE STARTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN MAKE OUR SITES NOT ONLY SUSTAINABLE BUT SELF-SUFFICIENT. I’M VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT I’M DOING, I’M HAVING A BALL Launching this year, Mayday.Earth will share ideas across the globe on “opportunities to address climate change”.

Martha has become a lecturer on the impact of climate change and the potential solutions, and it’s no surprise to learn her lectures are growing in popularity – even on a Teams call thousands of miles apart, Martha’s enthusiasm is infectious.

“What’s been really interesting is that I’ve been more and more interested in bigger scale landscapes so that I was able to actually integrate ideas from geoengineering. The science world is so full of ideas, and these can be applied to the landscape. How do we regenerate our soils, for instance? Enhanced rock weathering, and it’s happening now.

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“We’re starting to understand how we can make our sites not only sustainable but self-sufficient. I’m very excited about what I’m doing, I’m having a ball. Last year, I had 40 lectures, it was insane – I can’t do that again, but more and more people are calling me to talk about climate change all over the world, specifically about how the urban landscape is to be developed.

“We have to create more space in our cities so that the landscape can take care of flooding, and the Urban Heat Island Effect, and provide us with food. People are very unaware of what’s happening and that the land underneath the cities can help us to provide for ourselves and deal with the impacts of climate change.”

This philosophy is trickling into Martha’s company now, as any attempt at retirement has been pushed back. “If I see an opportunity where I can do what I want to do, based on climate change and working with new technologies, understanding better how the land and the world and the earth all work, then I’d like to work on these bigger scale projects. We’re getting so much work.”

Creating beauty remains crucial too.

“What good is a project if it’s ugly? It isn’t sustainable – people tend to sustain what they feel is valuable to them. There is no reason to think that if you’re doing something with technology or saving the world that you can’t do it beautifully.

BEIQIJIA TECH BUSINESS DISTRICT

Those two things are inseparable. Why? Because we’re doing it for people.”

It once again showcases Martha’s passion for interlacing art and the landscape, and now science and sustainability. Starting with bagels, Martha has built a career which continues to question business as usual and to encourage the industry to think differently.

C O N TA C T Martha Schwartz Partners Email mail@marthaschwartz.com

www.msp.world

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INSPIRE EMPLOYMENT AT TONY BENGER LANDSCAPING IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE FOR NEW EMPLOYEES AND ONES AT THE COMPANY FOR OVER 30 YEARS

T

ony Benger Landscaping took home the gold at the Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2021 for Employer of the Year, Best Design and Build Company and Supreme Winner. With an anticipated number of completed projects at 671 as of 2021, 100+ employees and 30+ years in the business, Tony Benger is no stranger to success. With an annual turnover of £5.2million and 3 regional offices, the South West contractor is an active member of BALI, Investors in People, HTA & APL & RHS among others, and is currently auditing for ISO 9001 and NHSS 18.

This level of accolade is a tribute to a key aspect of the running of Tony Benger landscaping where "communication is key, and in turn a part of empowering our staff where this feeling of reward and motivation allows the company to thrive."

It is important for Benger and team to enact a sense of openness in the workplace to enable staff to feel heard.

"We keep an open-door policy, where staff can talk to any members of the management team, including Tony himself, whenever they please."

Any form of instant communication is conducted via the workflow software Reflow while any generic information is shared over WhatsApp. The messaging board houses "departmental groups to an entire company group, this allows for the quick and easy distribution of company information."

Each Friday, a planning meeting takes place where upcoming events are planned and detailed, which offers staff the opportunity to share ideas or potentially any concerns. Being open allows

T HE PRO L ANDSCAP E R BUSINESS AWARDS 2021 WINNER PROFILE

Tony Benger Landscaping SUPREME WINNER

SUPREME WINNER, AND EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY FRESH HORTICULTURAL CAREERS, DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANY SPONSORED BY ROLAWN

companies like Tony Benger Landscaping to thrive with staff having access to a suggestion box and where the company encourages the staff to "champion" their concepts, offering a great sense of pride.

Recognising and rewarding staff is important and this isn’t always a direct outcome for ideas or landscaping-based initiatives, it can be "our photo of the month competition, secret-Santa, raffles, quizzes.

Socially distanced pizza and beer, bringing out ice cream and donuts. Tony Benger offers biannual bonuses to staff."

Though it isn’t the sugar that makes working for Tony Benger sweet, the company often discourages blame culture and has outsourced a health and safety agency. A heightened awareness for positive thinking and mental health where the company’s general manager is working

with a clinical psychologist who specialises in workplace happiness and wellbeing to ensure a nurturing environment.

Tony Benger offers and believes in horticultural education with an active apprenticeship training scheme and aids in funding formal qualifications whilst ensuring new contract managers receive the best coaching training.

Maintaining best industry practice is important to Tony Benger Landscaping.

Events such as FutureScape are fantastic opportunities for "catching up on the latest industry updates. During the pandemic there were obvious changes, but we tried to make the best of the situation by taking the opportunity. Some members made their way to London, for others we set our computers up in various meeting and training rooms in order to virtually attend as many talks as they wished and meet other professionals safely."

Tony Benger Landscaping has held on tight to an inclusive culture and family feel.

"It doesn’t feel like a business, it is more akin to a large group of friends and like-minded individuals all striving for the same thing – to positively contribute to our fantastic industry, together."

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THE PRO LANDSCAPER BUSINESS AWARDS 2022 AT: WWW.PROLANDSCAPERBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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ADVERTORIAL

Outdoor living space designed by Rosemary Coldstream Garden Design and created by Acacia Gardens

M

any people believe that you need a large garden in order to have an outdoor kitchen.

Fortunately, this simply isn’t the case. In fact, placing an outdoor kitchen in a smaller space enables you to completely transform your garden and create a high impact social space that will not go unnoticed.

Outdoor living has really taken off in the UK over recent months, with many of us discovering the benefits of cooking and socialising in the comfort of our own gardens.

And what better way to do it than to share your favourite tipple and nibble with friends and family around an outdoor kitchen or garden bar?

In a smaller garden, the BBQ is always in close proximity to the rest of the party, and people naturally congregate around anything relating to fire and food. This makes it even more important that your outdoor cooking area contributes towards the overall atmosphere and contains everything you need to make hosting both easy and enjoyable.

AL FRESCO

FOR ANY GARDEN

Ross Worrod from Grillo adds: “There is nothing more impactful than a small but well-designed garden. In a vast country estate, you have to look at things holistically in order to appreciate the bigger picture, but in doing so it’s easy to overlook the small but important details. We’ve seen many small and featureless spaces transformed into a beautiful and cosy outdoor living areas. Spaces like this can truly become an extension of the home.”

Garden designer Kate “We have worked with many Gould says: “Clients love to customers to help them create barbecue. It’s as simple as their dream outdoor living area. that, and Grillo is a great If you are looking for a BBQ and brand that can be some worktop space and customised and configured storage, then an outdoor kitchen to suit individual needs, such as this project (pictured which is something that is below left) we worked on in vital in small spaces.”

Central London enables you to merge your indoor and outdoor cooking experience. This layout measures just 240cm x 60mm, yet still includes a fantastic quality gas BBQ, some worktop space, an outdoor fridge, an integrated bin – all designed into one sleek and Grillo Outdoor Kitchen, Central London stunning looking kitchen run.”

Grillo advertorial.indd 72

This beautiful project in Hertfordshire was designed

by Rosemary Coldstream Garden Design and built by Acacia Gardens. The space has truly been optimised and features a Grillo Outdoor Kitchen complete with a Gas BBQ, the all-important worktop space, and some useful storage space. The kitchen fits nicely along the side of the garden and allows the space to be transformed into a beautiful outdoor cooking, dining and socialising area.

Rosemary Coldstream from the award-winning Rosemary Coldstream Garden Design comments: “We selected Grillo because it was the perfect option for the client – size, space, storage, look and durability, it ticked all the boxes! It sits well in the space complementing the garden room. The colour echoes the garden room door frame and provides balance to the design.”

If you are looking to include an outdoor kitchen in a smaller garden the first steps would be to measure the space you have available. All Grillo Outdoor Kitchens are free standing and require a hard, flat surface to sit

CAN SMALL GARDENS STILL BENEFIT FROM AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN? BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER, SAYS GRILLO

on. Once you have worked out the measurements, take a look at the type of products available and work out the type of BBQs you would like, and other modules such as fridges, bars, and more.

Grillo has an online configurator where you can choose the exact products you would like and create your own ideal design, meeting your size requirements. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the Grillo team and they will assist the design to your needs.

Rosemary Coldstream says that "an outdoor kitchen is a focus in a garden for people to gather and be sociable. It draws people out into the garden”.

Placing an outdoor kitchen in a smaller garden can truly allow the space to become an extension of the home.

By creating a smooth transition from inside to out, you can seamlessly integrate outdoor cooking and living with the indoors. A smaller garden allows for this to happen naturally, as the location of the kitchen will be in closer proximity to the house.

Including an outdoor kitchen in small gardens will enable outdoor living to become massively more appealing, and your dining preference will quickly turn into an al fresco way of life. www.grilloliving.com

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24/03/2022 13:34

DESIGNED BY ROGER SMITH

INFORM

COASTAL LIVING E

veryone is hopefully lucky enough to have fond memories of days at the beach, on coastal holidays at home and abroad – but does this mean they can deliver a coastal style? Let’s set the record straight – coastal is not to be confused with ‘nautical design’ styling. Coastal is beachy with relaxed vibes characterised by seaside elements, surf, sand, and sky. In other words, it’s a relaxed and casual style, but not scruffy. Through use of natural light, soft tones, and a clean aesthetic, it evokes the breeziness of the beach. Basically, it should feel like you’re on holiday all year round.

COASTAL PALETTES

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BRING THE BE ACH TO THE BACK GARDEN WITH DEBS WINROW’S ADVICE ON ACHIEVING A COASTAL LOOK

Now that’s settled, it is quite hard to achieve. It’s very much like the dreaded dress code on an invitation: ‘smart/casual’ – please tell me you are also not sure what this means? Hopefully, though, I can offer my ideas on coastal design to help pave the way when considering this style code.

Coastal colours Naturals and whites play a big part in the colour themes of coastal living which is sometimes a little harder to design into outdoors areas due to the high upkeep.

Try soft hues of greys, cooling creams, pale wood tones and sun-faded finishes.

With gorgeous ranges of composite decking at our disposal this can easily be achieved for the main surface areas. Add porcelain in complementary tones, pebbles, and aggregates to change textures underfoot. Take these colours vertical with shiplap panelling, rendered textured walls, mix wood finishes, and add green walls.

To enhance the beachy vibe, add accessories in muted colour palettes of soft grey, sandy yellow, bleached white, pastel green and dusty blue. Don’t worry about incorporating dark shades like navy or black, just keep them distressed and aged so that they blend with the coastal palette.

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INSPIRE Natural materials In outside spaces, we can easily add touches of wood and natural textures to further integrate the style. Every area should feel comfortable and relaxed, combining the rustic comfort and practicality of a beach café but with the glamour of a high-end boutique rental property. Incorporate decked areas as large as you can as they will want to be filled with outdoor sofas and poufs, wooden coffee tables, rattan rugs and waterproof bean bags. Recycled and reclaimed goods in odd pockets of the garden can also enhance the look.

Coastal accessories Styling can be fairly minimalist, uncluttered and needs to be styled with carefully considered sophistication and timeless pieces – don’t let clients browse too many antique shops for brass barometers, glass bowls with ropes or yards of stripy fabric.

Outdoor furniture is probably going to make the biggest statement after the hard landscaping and, of course, fabulous and lush planting schemes. Consider modular, large pieces in soft waterproof fabrics.

Focus on design, comfort, and minimal maintenance. Look to the new naturals launching for 2022 season with the return of beautifully constructed basket weaves in taupes and whites. Add outdoor showers, racks for towels, lanterns, side tables for drinks, books and small speakers.

Reality check your above patio styling proposals and do consider adding in

CANELINE FURNITURE

a covered area. From a simple taught sail shade to a beautiful and elegant canopy, these really do keep clients enjoying their outdoor spaces for much more of the year.

Consider if they wish to cook outdoors.

Keep the styling the same with kitchens finished in soft natural materials – steel, wood, stone. Ensure these entertaining spaces can also be used for parties, drinks, or even working from home days, where inspiration needs to be at a high.

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RENSON LOUVERED CANOPY

MILLBOARD COMPOSITE WALLS

DELIVITA PIZZA OVEN

Add an element of fire and water where possible. Keep the water element subtle as you’re not trying to represent the sea with huge water features, just soft bubbling water bowls hidden in planting as you might find in hotels. Perhaps a wooden hot tub will allow your client to stay outdoors in the evening star gazing and chatting as if they were still on holiday.

Gas or bio-ethanol fire pits and fireplaces engage the garden to be used after dark or when it gets cooler. The large sofas now come into play being covered in soft cashmere blankets where it is encouraged to put your feet up and snuggle – enjoying the freedom of staying outdoors like we did as kids until we are called back to reality.

Textures Imagine breath-taking beautiful textures, but not so precious they can’t be used daily.

Simply add 3D dimension to a fence or shed that needs cladding. Mix patio materials to ensure they meet “barefoot ability” as no shoes will be a design decision by these coastal style clients.

Look at your planting schemes to add depth; think delicate and fine through to coarse and bold. Layer accessories, linens

and cottons, faux furs, leathers all in same colour tones but with texture change, much as you would do indoors.

Use planters to add another texture change. Use wood, bamboo and wicker, along with textured sandblast look from fibreglass planter suppliers.

Inspiration Look internally at your own holiday memories; flick through photos – what do you see? Buy some coastal styling books (there are tons!) from Australian to Florida Keys to see how these folks seem to hit the brief every time. Look at hotels and how they get a relaxed vibe that lasts so each set of new clients checking in feels like the space was created just for them. When you get this feel – you got this!

Also, remember you can call on the Garden House Design team, as we all live right by the sea so take this flip-flop lifestyle as the norm when our steel-toe boots are put away for the day.

ABOUT DEBS WINROW Debs Winrow, creative director of awardwinning landscape company Garden House Design, is an avid trend spotter, responsible for seeking out the latest and best outdoor living products, and developing an expansive portfolio to offer to both consumers and fellow landscapers and designers. www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:32

T U R N U P T H E H E AT

INSPIRE

CLIENTS WITH LIMITED SPACE CAN STILL HAVE AN ENVIABLE FIRE PIT OR BBQ IN THEIR GARDEN

BIG GREEN EGG

Product: Big Green Egg (Large) When clients invest in a Big Green Egg, they are bringing home one of the highest-quality outdoor cookers ever made. There’s a reason this kamado-style barbecue has such a cult following around the world. Unlike normal barbecues, Big Green Eggs allow the user to not only to grill but to roast, slow cook, bake and smoke – so they can create restaurantquality food from their back garden.

WWW.BIGGREENEGG.CO.UK

TALOR GARDEN FURNITURE

URBAN FIRES

Product: Benno Benno is a 1000 x 1000 x 400mm fire pit made from Urban Fires’ finest reinforced polished concrete in six colours, and has the option of ceramic pebbles (shown here with mixed colours). This fire pit may be made smaller or larger using Urban Fires’ photon construction method, in a range of more than 30 porcelain colours and finishes. Benno offers ignition by handheld remote control and can be controlled by a home automation programme.

There are options of mains gas, LPG or bioethanol liquid fuel operation.

WWW.URBANFIRES.CO.UK

FORNO

Product: Stix Bioethanol Fire Pit A fire pit with a contemporary twist on the traditional campfire.

Designed by acclaimed designer Hiroshi Tsunoda, the EcoSmart Fire Stix are crafted with innovative and sustainable design. Powered by renewable bioethanol fuel, the Stix deliver a clean emission of heat leaving no messy environmental pollutants. The tubular, stainlesssteel style creates a visually striking and practical fire for all al fresco environments.

Product name: FORNO Damm Spring is still young, evenings fall early, and the temperature drops quickly. Wouldn’t it be nice to fire up the stove and create a cosy warm atmosphere? Even in a smaller garden, this European quality product allows your customer to create an outdoor kitchen and enjoy endless evenings of warmth from the fire and the pleasures of good food, a drink and good company.

WWW.TALOR.CO.UK

WWW.ADEZZ.COM

THE FIREPIT COMPANY Product: Firepit Cube (English Country) A beautifully intricate fire pit, which collapses down making it perfect for smaller spaces or even as a travel piece. This English Country design has four panels, each hand drawn with careful attention to detail and stunning creative flair.

This piece is sure to be a talking point and provide an excellent centre piece for an evening outside.

Provided with a small grill it is the perfect addition to a garden, camper van or camping kit.

WWW.THEFIREPITCOMPANY.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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RIVELIN

Product: Inca Gas Fire Table Rivelin’s Inca is a contemporary gas fire powered by an internally housed gas bottle. Situated at coffee table height, it has clean sloping sides that give it a strikingly modern appearance. Housing a gas bottle discreetly within the table base ensures the Inca can be placed almost anywhere without the requirement of a gas installer. Place the Inca in the desired location, open the door and connect a propane bottle. Like all its gas fires, it has been designed and handcrafted by Rivelin in Sheffield, UK and is CE certified.

WWW.RIVELIN.CO

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The Pacific Rim Fire & Water

The Hemi Fire Bowl

The New Tavolo

Solus produces top quality fire pits built to last, with the best warranties in the business.

Multiple colours and models with manual and electronic ignitions in NG, LPG and bio fuel.

Our UK warehouse carries a good amount of stock and can often turn your order around in one week. Our showroom in Cobham is open for business M - Sat KT11 3JX @solusdecoruk

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2022-03-11 2:40 PM 24/03/2022 14:26

MANCHESTER

MANCHESTER SPECIAL

CONTENTS

81

BRINGING BRIDGEWATER TO LIFE

RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER

87 INTERVIEW: NICK ABBOTT BEECH LANDSCAPE

90 REGENERATING CASTLEFIELD VIADUCT

THE CITY'S ELEVATED PARK FOR SUMMER 2022

93 SCORING

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB TRAINING GROUND, MAINTAINED BY I DVERDE

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24/03/2022 11:44

MANCHESTER

BRINGING

BRIDGEWATER TO LIFE

IT’S BEEN NEARLY A YEAR SINCE RHS GARDEN BRIDGEWATER OPENED TO THE PUBLIC. CURATOR MARCUS CHILTON-JONES SHARES THE GARDEN’S JOURNEY TO THAT POINT AND WHY A DELAY IN OPENING WAS AN UNEXPECTED BLESSING

S

ince the masterplan was first unveiled six years ago, anticipation started to build around RHS Garden Bridgewater. It was not only the first new RHS garden for nearly 20 years, but it would also be the first to be located in an urban area, with the vast 154-acre site being situated in Salford, Greater Manchester.

With help from the local community, the former grounds of Worsley New Hall would be transformed, with prolific landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith creating an impressive masterplan which included no less than 11 gardens being located in the 11-acre Weston Walled Garden, from a Kitchen Garden to Community Grow Spaces.

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Needless to say, a lot of work needed to be done ahead of the opening. Volunteers and full-time staff beavered away, ensuring Bridgewater could open to the public, and in January 2020 the RHS finally revealed that its fifth garden would be opening that summer. Less than three months later, with the UK and the rest of the world in the midst of a pandemic, the grand opening had to be postponed to the following year.

Perhaps surprisingly, Bridgewater’s curator Marcus Chilton-Jones calls the delay a “silver lining” – though not commercially.

The RHS had invested £35m into the garden, plus a £19m investment from Salford City Council. Once open, the RHS was predicting the garden to generate £13.2m per year to the local economy by 2030 – a jaw-dropping value which would be put on hold for another year.

Dealing with delays “Everyone in their mind was geared up for that date in 2020. Then, in January, we watched everything that was going on in Wuhan at the time, then COVID-19 moved to Italy and really started to spread around Europe, so the decision was made that we were going to have to move the opening date because there was such a degree of uncertainty.

“Everyone felt deflated because we’d been working on this massive job for a few years – I’d started in 2017, a lot of the team had come a year later, and the summer of 2020 was our goal. To suddenly have that taken away was quite a shock.

“But from a landscape perspective, it was good news. If we’d have opened earlier, the plants would inevitably have been smaller; the focal points would have all been there but there would have been a lot

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more bare soil and less plant growth.

We’d probably have put a bit more onus on creating some seasonal displays and pots and giving the entrances some 'va-vavoom'. But because we had that extra season, we were more confident in the bigger areas of landscaping.

“Gardens take a long time to evolve and to reach an end vision. In terms of masterplans, we have the initial drivers of creating an engaging, inspiring, interesting landscape, and the focus of that is obviously putting back as many heritage features as you can and ensuring you have all the structural features which give you some sort of glue to bind it all together – the paths, the benches, the network. But then, of course, you have the natural processes which take time. We could have brought in some larger plants to give a bit of impact, and we did this with some of the hedges, the focal point trees and the larger pieces of topiary; but the vast majority of the 263,000 plants that went in for opening were on a smaller 3 scale and a lot were

herbaceous. So, a lot of the seasonal interest is driven by those herbaceous plants which are quite quick to evolve and put on a show.”

If we’d have opened earlier, the plants would inevitably have been smaller; the focal points would have all been there but there would have been a lot more bare soil and less plant growth Drawn to regeneration So, the garden was given another year to develop and finally opened on 18 May last year, just over three years since Marcus first joined the RHS. Before taking on the role of Bridgewater’s curator, Marcus had plenty of experience in regenerating and restoring gardens. He’d worked as curator for the Dorothy Clive Garden in North Staffordshire for eight years, and before that had worked for Trentham Gardens and for the National Trust in various roles, from apprentice through to head gardener. He’s even done a year’s stint on BBC Gardeners’ World.

“I’ve always been attracted to sites which have been neglected and seen better days;

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MANCHESTER

there’s something quite enticing about them. Some people buy up old, knackered houses and do them up; well, I do something similar with gardens. You’re taking something which has a lot of potential and if you put in the right time and expertise, you can make something amazing out of it. It’s a challenge, but it’s quite motivating at the same time.”

Fortunately for Marcus, there were hundreds of people wanting to help to transform the Bridgewater too. “Right from the outset, the RHS was keen to ensure that Bridgewater was rooted in the community and for the community. We had more than 800 volunteers input into the site and they’re our biggest champions, advocates and supporters.”

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Organising volunteers In fact, Bridgewater was almost too attractive to volunteers; so many applied that the site couldn’t accommodate them all. So, volunteer co-ordinator Lissa Davenport put systems and procedures in place to manage the applicants, prioritising those who lived locally. “We were really keen to ensure that the greatest input came from the local community,” explains Marcus, who adds that Lissa understands how to integrate volunteers and keep them motivated, volunteering herself for the Samaritans.

At first, volunteers were put to work sanitising the site, clearing rubble, for instance, and removing a large amount of Rhododendron ponticum, an invasive,

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non-native allelopathic plant. Most of the rhododendrons were chipped or burned, but a lot of the hardwood stems were interesting with their twists and turns, says Marcus, and so these were used to create structures such as fencing.

Once the soil had been cultivated, volunteers helped with the planting, and now that the site is operational, they assist in a variety of areas – as tour guides, or working in the garden or the retail area, or as bird surveyors.

As well as volunteers, the curatorial team at Bridgewater is made up of 35 full-time 1 The Worsley Welcome Garden ©RHS/Neil Hepworth 2 The Paradise Garden at RHS Garden Bridgewater ©RHS/Neil Hepworth 3 Worsley Welcome Garden ©RHS/Mark Waugh 4 RHS Bridgewater gardens from above ©RHS/Charlotte Graham 5 Planting in The Paradise Garden ©RHS/Mark Waugh 6 RHS Bridgewater Worsley site volunteer day ©RHS/Mark Waugh 7 Volunteers clearing vegetation ©RHS/Mark Waugh

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members of staff. There are two larger teams made up of 12 staff each; one team manages the walled garden and the other looks after the wider estate. Special horticultural placements rotate between these two teams as well as smaller sub teams, such as arboriculture and mechanical engineering. Bridgewater also boasts an in-house specialist propagator who runs the glasshouses, a specialist trials officer, a plant record officer, and a mechanic who maintains the machinery, most of which remains petrol or diesel powered, but Marcus says the team is hoping to grow its battery powered kit over the next few years as this technology continues to develop.

Sustainable solutions Equipment is not the only area where Bridgewater is looking at its sustainability.

Chemical usage, for instance, is virtually non-existent. The exception is small, targeted quantities of herbicide being used to manage Japanese knotweed around the walled garden. For the first two years of the RHS arriving on the site, contractors came in to apply chemical treatment to these areas, which has removed the majority of the problem; but there remains a small amount which Marcus hopes will be eradicated in a few years, along with the need for chemical solutions.

Unfortunately, the Victorians were not so careful which their use of chemicals. “They sprayed a lot of lead arsenic on the site to kill pests and diseases. It was a common product; everyone used it freely. But once you’ve got arsenic in the soil, you can’t get rid of it unless you plant hyperaccumulators to draw it out of the soil; this takes decades, and then what do you do with the plants? If you burn them, you have arsenic ash, but if you let them rot then you’re releasing

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arsenic into the soil elsewhere. There’s no nice solution,” explains Marcus.

“So, as a result of the contamination, we had to dig out all of the gardens where we said we were growing crops and replace the soil with clean soil from elsewhere on the site, lifted from where the carpark was created and the welcome building. We did a reduced level dig to 40cm to get rid of the

Right from the outset, the RHS was keen to ensure that Bridgewater was rooted in the community and for the community arsenic-laden soil and moved it to other parts of the site towards the motorway to create banks. It’s fine to grow ornamentals on; anything that you don’t eat is fine.”

The team also had to remove a wealth of sycamores from the woodland, which used to be an oak wood until most of the oak was sold in the 1950s. With more light pouring in, downy birch and sycamore started to pop up. As sycamore can be invasive, this was thinned, and most of the crowns were chipped to be used on pathways throughout the wood and the timber used for biomass which heats the glasshouses on site.

From rhododendron removal and planting orchards in the walled garden to low chemical usage and adding more water bodies, the hard work across the site is helping to improve its biodiversity. The Environment Partnership carried out baseline surveys of the site in 2016, recording 42 species of birds that year. Five years 9 later, this has jumped to 46

species, some of which are rare or endangered, and there is a higher volume of birds too. A first baseline survey for invertebrates was carried out in 2020, with a follow up due to take place this year.

Continuing the masterplan The next few months will also see Bridgewater exploring ways to use the woodland, now that the sycamores have been thinned. “We’d like to use the space as a springboard for people from the urban environment of Manchester to offer taster days for learning traditional countryside skills,” says Marcus. “So, the tasks we envisage going on are coppicing, hazel making, hedge laying, charcoal burning, wood whittling, weaving and pollarding.

"We’d like this to be primarily aimed at NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) to give them a chance to do something they wouldn’t normally because they live in an urban environment" – this will also provide the team with hazel sticks and hurdles for the kitchen garden, so providing Bridgewater with necessities whilst acting as a learning tool for the community.

To the north of the woodland, an arboretum is being designed on a 12-acre field. It will be one of few arboretums in the northwest and the first to be planted in a while, says Marcus, who unfortunately cannot divulge too much on this or other upcoming projects, but adds that the team is balancing consolidating existing areas on the site with creating new areas to keep visitors engaged.

Needless to say, there’s plenty in the pipeline for the RHS’ fifth garden and plenty to prove that RHS Garden Bridgewater was worth the wait.

8 The Paradise Garden at RHS Garden Bridgewater ©RHS/Neil Hepworth 9 Sights from the grand opening of RHS Bridgewater ©RHS/Mark Waugh

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24/03/2022 14:52

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24/03/2022 14:24

MANCHESTER

INTERVIEW

NICK ABBOTT BEECH LANDSCAPE NICK ABBOTT DISCUSSES THE CHANGING BUSINESS OF L ANDSCAPE DESIGN IN MANCHESTER OVER A 25 YEAR PERIOD

N

ick Abbott, owner of landscaping and commercial services company Beech Landscape from North West England, along with his team, developed the key skills for a successful business through humble beginnings.

Nick began in the landscape industry as an apprentice, working for a number of commercial landscape contractors, building the sufficient experience to begin his own landscaping company.

As specialists in soft landscaping, installation job contracts can vary from 5,000 to 400,000 where the plants and equipment are provided

by Beech Landscapes A system of progressive hard work helped to create the company as it is today; Beech Landscape now employs 24 people while carrying out services within a 100 mile radius of Manchester and has

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developed its own nursery and growing design team and now provides these capability to help with the cost and services to many of the main contractors transport of plants and trees. Since 2002, Beech Landscape works beside. the company grew exponentially with the After having some members of staff purchase of six acres of land where offices, working at the company for over 25 years, it nurseries and storage facilities now live. prides itself in having maintained a brilliant As part of this growth, Beech Landscape has curated and sustained several important business relationships around the area.

One is Tier One, and as a result, Nick’s landscape company has been nominated as the preferred contractor by several larger companies who often provide Beech Landscape with repeat work throughout the year.

As specialists in soft landscaping installation, contracts can vary from £5,000 to £400,000 (where the plants and equipment are provided by Beech Landscape). Alongside producing its own plants, positively affecting cost and ROCHDALE ease of job completion, the company offers an in-house

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work environment with access to fruitful and varied work. Beech Landscape intends to help its staff grow, and says: "Staff are fully qualified for all aspects of the business and site requirements". Alongside already-held qualifications, Beech Landscape says it "holds in-house training programmes to ensure all the staff have necessary qualifications, continued training and any updates for health and safety requirements."

Nick Abbott adds to this, saying: "The business will grow, in spite of the previous COVID-19 restrictions and implications, which will align with the company’s growth over the past 25 years."

Nick continues: "A shift has occurred in Manchester per the type of landscaping work that is wanted in the area, from industrial applications, like commercial units and warehouses, to high rise apartment blocks."

With a growing initiative for clean air zones throughout the UK, Manchester has been no exception to the forthcoming legislation. Beech Landscape has also been challenged with increased traffic volume post COVID-19 lockdown, which has to be factored in when tendering for work. The congestion is problematic at certain times of the day, and it is also potentially being captured by the clean air zone legislation, which will require diesel vehicles to comply with the Euro Six mission. "We do fully expect it to be implemented over the

As the number of high rise apartments in Manchester shows no sign of decreasing we, as a company, anticipate the workload in this area will increase over the coming years and thankfully have now experienced the necessary requirements to do the job well This shift has further demonstrated the need for outside space, potentially spurred on more since the pandemic. Nick explains that he has "carried out a number of these podium projects, which provide certain challenges when working with the height of roof gardens and podium decks, where trees, planting and the works have to be lifted from the ground up."

Nick continued: "The landscaping requires us to consider logistical elements such as lifting plants, challenging weather and other elements we need to consider.

As the number of high rise apartments in Manchester shows no sign of decreasing, we, as a company, anticipate the workload in this area will increase over the coming years, and thankfully have now experienced the necessary requirements to do the job well."

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next 12 to 24 months, which is something that we will all have to be mindful of when purchasing vehicles," Nick explains.

Beech Landscape has also conducted numerous other projects. These projects include: the New Bailey; Seven Tower, that was developed by Morgan Sindall; and with a strong demand in the Liverpool area, Beech Landscape has also worked on the Command Operation Centre for the Merseyside Police – and once again, been voted the best supply chain partner on the contract.

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24/03/2022 11:49

MANCHESTER

MANCHESTER IS SET TO BOAST ITS OWN ELEVATED PARK BY SUMMER 2022

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here have been numerous proposals put forward for England’s answer to New York City’s High Line, with varying degrees of success. The most prolific, of course, is the notorious Garden Bridge, plans for which were scuppered due to soaring costs (and arguably unscrupulous deals).

It looks like Manchester might be crossing the line first, though, with its iconic Castlefield Viaduct set to be transformed into an elevated park in time for summer.

The National Trust is leading the regeneration

It’s a unique project on so many levels, from bringing this historic structure back to use, to introducing greening to the city and helping to create access to outdoor space of the Grade-II listed Victorian viaduct which has been disused since Manchester Central Station closed in 1969.

Hovering 55ft above ground, the 330m -long viaduct was first constructed in 1892

by Heenan and Froude, the same engineers who gave us the Blackpool Tower. Once

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REGENERATING

CASTLEFIELD VIADUCT used to transport coal in and out of the city, Castlefield Viaduct has stood abandoned for more than 50 years, other than essential repairs and maintenance being carried out.

But a design by Twelve Architects is set to bring it back to life.

THE DISUSED VIADUCT

“In many ways, the viaduct is an unusual site for a park, being right next to the live Metrolink – but that’s part of its charm,” says architect Irina Adam. “It’s industrial in its nature and the sound of the passing trains forms part of the experience.

“Structurally, it’s very sound too, because it used to carry three trains at a time; however, the challenge is that whilst the beams themselves can carry a lot of load, the deck plates on top are very fragile.

So, we had to be careful with what we placed where, working with Arup.”

Aside from the challenges, Irina says the viaduct offers unique views over Castlefield which residents have never had access to before. “It really is a unique space; it’s a unique project on so many levels, from bringing this historic structure back to use, to introducing greening to the city and helping to create access to outdoor space, all of which have underpinned the design solution for the greater project team.”

Castlefield holds historical value for Manchester as the oldest part of the city, boasting Roman origins, as well as the world’s first passenger railway and the first industrial canal. Its viaduct will hopefully act as a “stepping stone” to other green spaces across south Manchester, following the success of the pilot installation this summer.

EXTERIOR VIEW

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Twelve Architects has carefully considered how the heritage of the cast iron and steel structure can be complemented by a modern urban park concept, and as such has split the half of the viaduct which is part of the pilot scheme into three sections.

The first of these is the welcome area, with a kiosk, accessible toilets and seating. Those who have pre-booked tours will wait here behind a green screen ‘living wall’ which obstructs their view of the viaduct before they continue their journey.

Twenty visitors at a time will step through to the next zone, called ‘The Viaduct as Existing’, which focuses on the structure as it is, with a central path and new guarding along the outer edges to ensure safety.

The structure itself gave us clues to its potential for future greening because nature has already started to reclaim it The final part of the visitor journey explores the future of the viaduct. A garden will be created with pollinator-friendly plants and shrubs using peat-free soil, and a temporary event space will be clad in greenery. A large window will show the remaining half of the viaduct left untouched.

“We had one of the most exciting briefs we’ve had for a project, which was to create moments of joy,” says Irina. “The structure itself gave us clues to its potential for future greening because nature has already started to reclaim it. Work had to be carried out to remove some of the waist-high vegetation

SECRET GARDEN WITH BEETHAM TOWER IN BACKGROUND

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WELCOME AREA

to protect the historic structure. So, we’re bringing it back in a more controlled way.

“We also had conservation considerations, so the materials we’re proposing are respectful and inspired by the industrial nature of the area and the viaduct. For example, we’re using a lot of Corten steel for the planters which references the classic industrial red brick buildings typical in the area.

“We've been so thankful to have the in-house National Trust team to work with.

We’re architects, not landscape architects, AERIAL VIEW

so it's always fantastic to work in this way and learn from the wider team.”

The transformation of Castlefield Viaduct is unlike any other which has been carried out by the National Trust and has been largely supported by the local community

EVENT SPACE ENTRANCE

as well as Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

“It’s going to have a huge impact. A big part of the brief has been responding to this need raised by the pandemic to open up more places for people to have access to nature, especially in city centres like Manchester where there is little provision.

On the National Trust’s side, with their purpose as a charity being to deliver benefit to the nation through history, nature and beauty, it is also a way for them to reach a new and diverse audience in the city centre, where they currently have no properties.”

The ‘temporary’ scheme will remain in place for one year, as feedback is gathered from visitors to help shape the permanent regeneration of Castlefield Viaduct. “It’s such a crucial structure for the community – it’s not somewhere we can come in and dictate what happens; it really needs to be born out of what the residents want,” says Irina.

Construction has started on the project too. “We’re really excited. Often, big aspirational projects like this stay on paper, but we have been able to get this one on site.”

Perhaps it’s the community engagement which has made this elevated park one of the more successful proposals; perhaps it’s the nod to the site’s history, or the recognition throughout lockdown of the necessity for spaces such as these.

More likely it’s a combination of all of the above, and our fingers are crossed for this becoming a permanent feature in Castlefield.

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MANCHESTER

SCORING SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

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80 ACRES AWARDS

IOG Ransomes Environmental/Ecology Project of the Year Award 2019 (outcome in March 2022)

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he day before visiting Manchester City Football Club’s training ground, the premier league team had triumphed in a 4-1 win against its local rivals. This result is one of a string of victories for Manchester City FC, which sits somewhat comfortably at the top of the league table. It’s not just the pitch, though, where the club is having an impressive impact.

Since 2016, green service provider i dverde UK has been maintaining the landscape at the 80-acre estate whilst working with the club to improve its biodiversity. Its initial tender, suggesting to go above and beyond the maintenance requirements and help encourage wildlife onto the site, is what helped i dverde to win the contract with this prestigious site – and it’s progress since has led Manchester City FC to extend the contract for another five years, to 2026.

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MANCHESTER It helps that Manchester City Football Academy’s landscape contract manager, Daniel Lewis, supports the site striving towards a more sustainable future.

He sits on the club’s sustainability group, suggesting how the landscape at the grounds can play an important role in helping the club to achieve its goals.

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Welcoming wildlife Already, i dverde has made great strides in incorporating ‘wilder’ areas to the training ground, the land of which was previously used by a chemical treatment works.

Manchester City began the process in 2012 of turning the contaminated land into a more environmentally friendly facility, opening the Etihad Campus two years.

This has become the focus of contract supervisor Dan Banks and biodiversity advisor Karl Horne, who started as a grounds maintenance operator before his passion for biodiversity led to a new role.

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Whilst the 16.5 pitches on the training ground need to be kept neat and formal, the areas surrounding these pitches are being transformed with pollinator-friendly plants being introduced. Nature has been allowed to take its course on one bank, where wildflowers have sprung up on their own and long grass has provided a habitat for 5 wildlife. The overall area of grass meadow has increased by 30%, and the long grass – which is cut twice a year – has led to sightings of butterflies such as the hummingbird hawk-moth and the common blue butterfly.

Adapting maintenance With the team stripping back its mowing regime, instead opting to spend more time hand weeding beds, pesticide use has been reduced and there are now chemical-free zones on the site. This has allowed pollinatorfriendly species such as dandelion and cuckoo flower to thrive, in turn attracting a wealth of invertebrate species. For the maintenance of these areas, and for the pitches, the team is using lower emission tools where possible. Battery-powered kit

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MANCHESTER 8

has been introduced and a robot mower from Husqvarna takes care of the grass on another bank, where dead wood piles have also been added for insects and small mammals and mostly native wildflower seeds have been planted to provide a splash of colour as well as for biodiversity.

increase the sustainability. A pond, for instance, is being added as well as a green wall. Even an orchard is being developed.

With the help of Manchester-based

Manchester City FC is ever evolving, changing with the needs of the site and incorporating new ideas for improving its impact on the environment and the local wildlife. Its forward-thinking approach has led other football clubs to turn to the team for advice on how they too can enhance their grounds, potentially having a wider impact on how sports grounds are maintained and developed moving forward.

Next steps Thanks to its hard work, the team scooped the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Ransomes Environmental/Ecology Project of the Year Award in 2019. But it’s not done yet. The team has plenty more in the pipeline to increase habitats on the site and

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Its forward-thinking approach has led other football clubs to turn to the team for advice on how they too can enhance their grounds

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used by Manchester City’s first team, the women’s team and the academy – with a signposted path providing information on the biodiversity benefits of certain areas.

Evidently, i dverde’s contract with

organisation City of Trees, which specialises in planting trees and restoring woodland, the team will be introducing 12 fruit trees including apple, cherry and plum.

City of Trees will also of providing training to the maintenance team at Manchester City and, once the orchard is in place, Karl says they are looking to encourage honeybees to the site.

There are also plans to offer more to educate visitors to the training grounds –

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Planters and pathways Floral bursts of colour create great interest Biodiversity is bolstered across the grounds Diverse planting along a walkway Natural features ensure a grounded feel Havens for insects can be easily found Detailed owl sculpture The grounds viewed through wildflowers

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NURTURE

F E AT U R E GARDEN

HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS

HEAD GARDENER NEIL MILLER IS CELEBRATING 20 YEARS AT HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS

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One of the most prolific parts of the gardens – and possibly the most lavish – is the Italian Garden, which Astor used to display his impressive collection of Italian sculptures. Walking under a pergola, admiring the sculptures, visitors could convince themselves they’re strolling through the Italian capital. The Loggia fountain, inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome, looks out over a 38-acre lake which took two years for 800 men to dig out.

It’s the formality of this Italian Garden, the design of which was worked on by more than 1,000 men, which leads head gardener Neil Miller to choose this ‘room’ as his favourite.

1 Tulips in front of Hever Castle ©Hever Castle and Gardens

er ki Rimm ©Vik

D

riving carefully along narrow country roads towards the small village of Hever, it’s hard to believe that a third of a million people make their way along this, or a similar route, each year to the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Hever Castle, with its vast history dating back to 1270 when it was built as a medieval defensive castle, offers its thousands of visitors a glimpse into the life of King Henry VIII’s second wife and the numerous residents thereafter.

But whilst the castle is undoubtedly a magnificent pull, it’s arguably the gardens which are the real tourist attraction. Millions of pounds were invested into the 125 acres of gardens by William Waldorf Astor, an American-British businessman who bought the castle in 1903.

NEIL MILLER

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For the last 20 years, Neil has doted on Astor’s creations, and whilst the Astor family no longer owns the estate – it was sold in 1983 to Broadland Properties Limited, owned by the Guthrie family – Neil continues to maintain and restore Astor’s legacy. He has a huge admiration for its former owner, but also for the Guthrie family which continues Astor’s passion for the gardens and the history of the site.

The private ownership of Hever Castle & Gardens allows the team more freedom, says Neil. “There’s not too much red tape.

I report to the chief executive, who is a keen horticulturist, so he listens to any plans I have and considers whether they’re viable.”

This allows the gardens to evolve and keeps Neil interested even after two decades. “I haven’t gotten to the stage where it feels like I’m on a hamster wheel.

We’re lucky to have such investment in the gardens and always have projects going on.”

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Neil first joined Hever in 2002. He’d been interested in gardening since he was a child, helping out his grandad in the garden, but when he left school had followed a career

WHEN ASTOR LAID THE GARDENS DOWN IN THE 1900s, THEY WERE IMMACULATE. HE SPENT MILLIONS ON THEM. SO, WE’RE RESTORING AND RENOVATING THEM path he says many were encouraged to follow at the time – he’d joined a bank, eventually becoming an insurance broker in London. A banking crisis in the 1990s, however, led to Neil being made redundant.

Until he could find another job, he started helping his mother in her garden which led to a series of private gardening jobs.

“I thought I’d better get some training, so I went to evening school to gain my RHS City & Guilds qualification. Then I carried on for a few years, picking up work, until we had an awful summer – it rained from April through to September and the work dried up. I realised I needed a regular income.”

So, on a visit to Hever Castle, he started chatting to the head gardener and asked if there were any roles available – which, fortunately, there were. Four years later, Neil had become the head gardener himself.

Throughout his time working on the gardens, Neil recalls various highlights, most recently the gardens winning their seventh gold medal in a row from the South & South East in Bloom Awards in 2021 and being presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award.

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NURTURE

There have been a number of challenges too, though, not least the last two years as he and a reduced team sought to keep the garden alive and thriving throughout the first lockdown in 2020. Just four of the gardening team avoided furlough and bedding displays were pulled as suppliers were unable to deliver. There were a few silver linings, though.

“Three great things happened. Firstly, my emails dried up. When I first started, I spent 100% of my time outside with no computer work. Now, my job is probably 80% administration, but during lockdown I spent the whole day outside.

ALL OF THE AREAS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER; THERE ARE NO RANDOM PROJECTS. THEY ALL FIT IN WITH THE OVERALL LANDSCAPE HERE “The next is that, as we’re near Gatwick Airport, we normally have planes flying over every two minutes, but there were no planes; it was surreal and so peaceful, you could hear the birds.

“The best thing, though, was the yew maze, which is a quarter of a mile of pathways. With a third of a million people walking through it, it gets really compacted, and we’ve been saying for years how we need to close it for a year for it to recover,

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but it’s such a big pull for visitors.

In January 2020, we had Terrain Aeration come to de-compact the maze – and then it was closed, probably for a whole year because we couldn’t manage social distancing in it. So, it has recovered.”

As has the team – there are now 12 in total, as well as volunteers and various trainees, which is allowing the various projects within the gardens to continue.

This includes the restoration of Church Gill, a recently rediscovered area of the garden.

“We have a five-year plan to bring it back to how it was when Astor created it. It’s woodland walk with a stream – it’s a bit like an enchanted forest, but it was left and had become completely overgrown.”

Neil explains that a lot of their work within the gardens is restoration. “When Astor laid the gardens down in the 1900s, they were immaculate. He spent millions on them.

So, we’re restoring and renovating them.”

Astor’s Japanese teahouse folly, for instance, was reconstructed nearly 10 years ago to mark 30 years of the Guthrie family owning the castle and its grounds. Visitors can gaze out across the lake from the Loggia and spot the little red hut out on the Sixteen Acre Island or can hire a rowing boat to get a closer look. “It’s where the Astors had their afternoon tea but it was knocked down during the [Second World] War for a pill box. So, a new teahouse was built in 2013, and the idea in time is to have a Japanese garden there.”

For Neil, it’s a careful balance between maintaining the history and incorporating

newer aspects. The 110m herbaceous border, for instance, has been replicated on the other side of the path. And Diana’s Walk, which was just scrubland when Neil first joined, has been transformed into another garden. “All of the areas complement each other; there are no random projects. They all fit in with the overall landscape here.”

2 Rotunda at Hever with roses during 'Hever in Bloom' which runs throughout July ©Hever Castle and Gardens 3 Pretty hidden gardens exist within the larger landscape at Hever. Ballerina rose ©Hever Castle and Gardens 4 Spring Daffodils at Hever ©Hever Castle and Gardens 5 Pergola Walk with its colourful vines in the autumn ©Hever Castle and Gardens 6 View of the Tudor Suite Lawns at the Astor Wing ©Hever Castle and Gardens 7 Tulip displays in the Sunken Garden ©Hever Castle and Gardens

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Where this is tested, perhaps, is whilst introducing biodiversity and sustainability to the garden. Known for its neat, straight lines and formality, particularly in the Italian Garden, it can be difficult to incorporate ‘wilder’ areas, but Neil is up to the challenge. “There are patches of the garden, on the outskirts, where we plant

WE DON'T STAND STILL; A GARDEN WILL NEVER STAND STILL. WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT WE'VE GOT THAT POTENTIAL TO EXPAND. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE AFTER ALL THIS TIME wildflowers for the wildlife and to educate visitors who might not have thought of doing that in their own gardens. We have planted hedges for wildlife and Felicia

amelloides down Diana’s Walk, which attracts so many bees. We leave a certain amount of leaf matter down on the ground which has lots of benefits for the environment, for insects. Composting is big here and our fuel and heating is biomass.

“It is an Edwardian garden, though, and Edwardians loved their bedding plants, so we still have annual bedding plants. We have a really sharp, formal nucleus, and as we move out from the formal areas to the sides, the gardens become more natural.”

At the time of writing, the gardens are about to become a sea of yellow too, as

Hever Castle’s Dazzling Daffodils display blooms. For a week from 14 March, around 60,000 daffodils will adorn the grounds of the castle and Neil will be offering tours alongside bulb specialist Johnny Walkers.

Just one month later, tulips will be stealing the show, with 40,000 sweeping across the gardens.

“We don't stand still; a garden will never stand still. We are very lucky that

we have got the potential to expand.

That's why I'm here after all this time.”

As the gardens evolve, and the team works hard to enhance the work that Astor started, it is easy to see how Hever Castle & Gardens draws back thousands of visitors each year and what has attracted its recent owners to continue developing its previous owner’s investment in these glorious gardens.

8 Reflections in the outer moat ©Hever Castle and Gardens 9 Neil Miller by tulips surrounding the castle walls ©Leo Beiber 10 Azaleas and late spring colour on Half Moon Lawn ©Hever Castle and Garden

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NURTURE

CAN YOU OWN A PLANT? LEWIS NORMAND LOOKS AT PLANT REGISTRATIONS, EXPLORING WHETHER GROWERS CAN PROTECT THEIR OFFERINGS

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he idea of being able to register new plant varieties, that you have raised with PBR/ PVR (Plant Breeders Rights or Plant Variety Rights – very similar UK and EU rights) is an interesting and long rumbling discussion on whether or not the process should exist and indeed if it is possible to legally protect a plant.

My position has always been that it is entirely right for a plant breeder to protect their work and secure a financial return for their efforts. I know a number of professional horticulturists that don’t share this opinion, believing instead that once sold, a plant should not be held in royalty agreements and instead become free game for anyone who wishes to propagate and sell them.

For the purposes of this article, I am thinking exclusively about ornamental plants, not crops and fruits, which can also be protected and have high commercial value potentially.

You may or may not have a well-formed opinion on this issue; it may even be subject to change if you were to breed or find something new that could make you significant amounts of money over time.

That said, obtaining a PBR/PVR is always

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a complicated, long-winded and costly process and is not a guaranteed acceptance. Subsequently, once achieved, you really need plants to be appealing to an audience; normally domestic, but ideally to professional users as well. While I always feel it is a bit rich to protect a plant that has happened to appear in your garden, or on your nursery without any breeding effort, it

we have seen little difference to existing plants, other than perhaps a more marketable name. This unfortunate consequence has perhaps caused me to feel less favourable about this process. On reflection, I can see that assessment criteria

WHERE THE BREEDING AND ASSESSMENT WORKS BEST IS IN FINDING IMPROVED FORMS OF EXISTING AND POPULAR PLANTS is still your eye spotting the difference and efforts, normally over many years to bulk up, evaluate and protect the plant, so is justifiable, even if more by luck than design.

Uniqueness (called ‘Distinctness’ officially) is one of the categories of assessment required to determine if a plant can be considered for a PBR/PVR – an important consideration and in recent years several plant genera have been inundated with many new cultivars, both with and without PBR/PVRs. I have felt, at times, that

to grant PBR/PVRs at least worms out the applications which are not novel, unique and stable, though nothing stops you from selling these plants without a licence.

Where the breeding and assessment works best is in finding improved forms of existing and popular plants. I can see value in this, with disease resistance, durability, leaf and flower volumes, size increases/ decreases and colour benefits making many new introductions immediately more

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desirable than plants that went before them. The repeat flowering semi-double Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ is a good example of a plant which offers a great deal more than the orange flowered forms that preceded it. This is just one example and there are many worthwhile improved selections available now as the result of selective breeding and plant protection.

‘Novelty’ is also important and unique examples of plants are understandably worth protecting, like Eryngium ‘Neptune’s Gold’, which was the first yellow-leaved Eryngium. Working with Plants for Europe, I was the first wholesale nursery supplier of Neptune’s Gold and, through Paul HerveyBrookes, the first show garden supplier of this plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2014. I think it is easier to see the immediate need for protecting unique plants like this with a PBR/PVR, but we must still acknowledge the work that goes into all plant breeding and selecting.

As well as Distinctness, plants must also exhibit ‘Uniformity’ in trials and ‘Stability’, especially important in variegated plants, which should not revert to the colour or pattern of the motherplant, or parent species. I think these assessment criteria make for a valuable measure of a plant and in mass-producing and trialling them before they are released to market, can offer growers and future customers confidence in the reliability of each plant going forward.

We can now DNA sequence plants and new varieties may be sequenced in order to record their unique characteristics. This has been used in a couple of high-profile legal cases over the last decade where sales of very similar, on occasion duplicate, plants were being sold under new names to illegally

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avoid paying royalties for protected plants.

International plant sales are big business and PBR/PVRs and similar protections are needed across several continents as one does not cover worldwide sales.

I know a number of top plant agents, who represent clients introducing new plants across the UK and Europe. Graham Spencer of Plants for Europe helped me with some technical and scene-setting

BEING REALISTIC, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE MAD TO WANT TO UNDERTAKE THE PROCESS OF TRIALLING, PROTECTING AND THEN RECOUPING ROYALTIES FOR PLANTS ON YOUR OWN questions I had when writing this and, as always, was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable on this subject.

Brexit has changed the complexion of plant rights and royalties in the UK and EU. Existing agreements were recognised by both sides and the term period of each royalty (they don’t last forever) will remain the same. New applications, however, must be made for both the UK and EU if you wish to protect a plant in both regions. UK plant breeders need an EU ‘Procedural Representative’ to protect their plants in the EU 27 countries, whereas an ‘Agent’ is required for EU plant breeders to protect their plants in the UK. I am told that the cost of protecting a plant in the UK is the same as protecting

for the entire EU and we have additional paperwork to complete at a cost, so I hope that this simplifies over time. Plant agents are valuable to facilitate the supply chain from the breeder through to grower nurseries and ultimately to end source suppliers like garden centres. Obviously, it is in the interests of an agent to be an essential part of the business, but being realistic, you would have to be mad to want to undertake the process of trialling, protecting and then recouping royalties for plants on your own.

So, can we own the rights to a plant?

Yes, we definitely can and, increasingly, I can see the value in it. If I were to spend decades (it often is this long) nurturing a seedling, or mutated cutting, through to finished plant on a garden centre bench, I think I would like to see some return on this investment. Plant Agents are essential to support this process and help the breeder to profit from their efforts. The process of protecting a plant is complex and longwinded but is both valuable as Intellectual Property and financially.

Should we own the rights to a plant?

That is for each one of us to determine.

ABOUT LEWIS NORMAND Lewis has worked in a wide variety of roles within horticulture over a 20-year career.

He has lectured on garden design and horticulture, and designed gardens in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Since 2011, Lewis has focused on nursery sales, now working as sales manager at Bernhard’s Nurseries, and has helped to launch a number of new plants into the UK plant market. He is a specialist supplier to show gardens, supplying more than 100 gardens at major shows.

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24/03/2022 10:17

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NURTURE

TAKING CARE OF TREES PLANTING TREES IS JUST THE FIRST STEP – WE ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THE AFTERCARE OF THESE TREES, SAYS NICK COSLETT

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SO OFTEN TREES ARE STRESSED WHEN PLANTED AND TURFED UP TO THE TRUNK, SO GRASS COMPETES FOR SOIL MOISTURE AND MOST OF ANY RAINFALL. WHY IS THERE NO TREE CIRCLE OF 1-1.5M DIAMETER AND NO MULCH?

fully re-establish their full and required root systems; therefore, they will need help in at least the first establishing year if not the second as well.

Those contracts with defects periods of longer than a year have the foresight that establishment of planting is key, and this is a cost which can be significant. Even if there is rainfall it does not guarantee the moisture

WE NEED TO FOCUS ON PLANT ESTABLISHMENT ABOVE ALL AND ACHIEVING PLANT INDEPENDENCE WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE. SUCCESS IS NOT GENERALLY FOUND IN PLANTING WITH NO AFTERCARE is accessible by the newly planted tree.

Using a watering bag such as ‘Treegator’ or similar makes watering with a sufficient and measured quantity easy and simply repeatable on a fortnightly basis between April and August in the first year. Fill the bag until it’s full (75L); it then empties over the roots in six to eight hours without runoff, just where it is required. It’s so simple your clients could do it with the hose in one hand and a gin and tonic in the other!

The cost of planting a tree is not just the contract cost for procurement, supply and installation. There is also the cost of designer, specifier and contract documents etc. The efforts of the grower over many years have not always been suitably rewarded; her or his remuneration has been quite static until recently. Since Brexit we have seen the prices of UK and EU grown trees increase, in part due to availability but also Brexit and biosecurity administration costs – estimated from £250 per order.

These include the cost of phytosanitary inspections in Europe and costs at the port of entry in addition to payment for UK Plant Inspections.

We need to recognise the true value of AN ALL TOO FAMILIAR SIGHT – ONE OUT OF our trees FOUR TREES DEAD. NEWLY and their PLANTED TREE FAILURE – WHAT A GREAT ADVERT potential FOR UK LANDSCAPE AND benefit HORTICULTURE value.

Therefore, we must ensure they establish with low stress and gain their independence.

Fail to do so, and you could well be planting them again next year – it is a sad reality for our industry that ~33% of public realm tree planting fails to survive. We can do better and have to bring our clients on the journey.

ABOUT NICK COSLETT All photographs ©Nick Coslett

W

ith a skill shortage, why are we failing to get tree planting right first time? This month, the planting of dormant bare root and rootballed nursery stock should be completed, especially trees – although planting containerised or container grown stock such as trees, shrubs and perennials can continue. Common knowledge for you, but maybe not for your customers.

We are bombarded by the need or intention of organisations and Government to plant trees for mitigation of climate change, but planting is just one step in a multi-step process. We need to focus on plant establishment above all and achieving plant independence within the landscape.

Success is not generally found in planting with no aftercare.

Aftercare over the first year is vital, especially limiting the plant’s competition for soil moisture by eradicating so called “weeds”, using mulch mats, mulching, or spraying with herbicide or irrigation to compensate for any lack of soil moisture.

Traditionally in the spring, we have often experienced a drought of between four to 12 weeks. Grasses and herbaceous plants are more successful sourcing soil moisture than recently planted woody plants such as trees. Field grown trees will have a partial root system.

If grown with regular transplanting every three to four years in line with BS 8545, they will have left some of their feeding roots in the soil when TREEGATOR lifted/harvested. It WATERING BAG IN USE BY CAMBRIDGE will take a few years’ CITY COUNCIL growth for them to

Nick is now retired but has worked in landscape offices, parks management and horticultural nurseries. For the past 20 years, he has also run soft landscape workshops at Coblands and Palmstead. He has been involved in BALI at a regional and national level, and is a trustee of the BALI Chalk Fund, as well as an awards judge.

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24/03/2022 10:20

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NURTURE

ADDING ON AFTERCARE ALAN SARGENT CONSIDERS WHETHER AFTERCARE IS AN ESSENTIAL CHORE OR A MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

A

s a direct result of lockdown, which has seen many more people working from home during normal working hours – and watching landscape contractors constructing projects in their gardens in a way they would not have normally witnessed – customers are more likely to be aware of the amount of logistical planning and working methodology involved in their creation. Instead of arriving home from the office to inspect whatever part of the work is in progress, often by torchlight, they have witnessed the birth first-hand.

This closer rapport between the client and contractor will hopefully have created a stronger bond between the two parties, with a new respect for the skills involved in building the scheme. Instead of rushing to finish the project before moving on to the next one, the site handover should be more understanding and intimate, with explanations and advice provided in a meaningful manner.

Instead of simply posting any product warranties and CDM files to the client with the final invoice, everything can be shown face to face.

Looking to the future, this kind of opportunity could be put to good use by forward-thinking firms. By altering previous working methods of handing over a project, a formalised format could be worked out to provide the customer with a bespoke

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programme of maintenance and aftercare, backed up with client maintenance leaflets and instructions for everyday use. By educating them in the various ways that

THIS CLOSER RAPPORT BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND CONTRACTOR WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE CREATED A STRONGER BOND BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES, WITH A NEW RESPECT FOR THE SKILLS INVOLVED IN BUILDING THE SCHEME a site will mature and change as materials become weather beaten and oxidised, and colour changes become apparent, there is a great chance to become a valued counsellor to their garden.

Organised, agreed site visits for the third and sixth month after practical substantial completion, which would be free (although built into the original price) would enable the client to make a list of any minor defects they notice during that period. This record of defects would become a snagging list, and treated as such, as a part of the standard warranty on a project – express or implied. Anything found wanting should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Future site visits and inspections should be charged at an agreed rate, with various warranty factors accounted for, especially in regard to auxiliary items such as pumps. lighting and irrigation systems. If this mutual appreciation was extended to

ensure that your company became the first port of call for any other works required, the developing relationship will ensure that you are invited to tender for friends, family and work colleagues.

More importantly, almost unnoticed, you will have negated any misunderstandings and site issues that very often become festering sores in a contract relationship, where emails go unanswered, and resentment builds up between the client and contractor, leading to claims and litigation. If nothing is allowed to build up and become litigious, your company can continue trading without having to look over your shoulder in the case of unwarranted or vexatious claims.

It will cost little to devise a system of bespoke client/contractor mutual maintenance regimes that start from the day you arrive onsite to tender for a project, looking forward with a long-term view of working closely with the customer.

ABOUT ALAN SARGENT Alan Sargent FCIHort MPGCA is the founder of The Association of Professional Landscapers, Professional Garden Consultant’s Association and The Landscape Library, with fifty-four years of experience in the Landscape Industry. www.landscapelibrary.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:42

YEARS OF MAJESTIC TREES

ADVERTORIAL

MANAGING DIRECTOR STEVE MCCURDY IS CELEBRATING TWO DECADES OF SUCCESS FOR MAJESTIC TREES, WHILST LOOKING AHEAD TO THE OBSTACLES IT WILL HAVE TO OVERCOME

I

t is hard to believe, but in May it will be 20 years since our grand opening where you could come and preview the trees we were growing, ready for delivery that September 2002. In our first month we only took £38 – a far cry from the successful business the team has since built over the last two decades, with a record 42% increase in the last financial year!

So, how have we done it, and what are the challenges that we face in the future?

My career in horticulture goes back to 1976. After a three-year apprenticeship at what was then the UK’s biggest nursery, I was fortunate to be selected for a fellowship programme at a nursery in California. After returning to Thomas Rochford & Son in 1980, I went back to California to marry my wife Janet in 1982, before starting my first company, Landscape Images, in 1984. Come 2000, we decided to

move back to the UK to start Majestic Trees, and after completing our business plan and counting the cost, realised that there was little choice but to sell our US company to invest in our new venture.

Having been out of the UK for 18 years, I had a lot to learn.

There are a number of industry colleagues who gave me invaluable advice in the early days, and as the years went on, we were very blessed as we hired both experienced and raw talent to build the team.

Besides a recent promotion to a new position, my current management team have been together between 10 and 17 years; and whilst that experience, knowledge and comradery is a key reason for our success, it is the entire team that has made Majestic Trees the company it is today.

Furthermore, our industry peers have honoured us four times

with the coveted Nursery Stock Grower of the Year awards since 2008, twice with Silver in the APH International competition, and together we have achieved ‘Investors in People Gold’.

We have invested heavily in infrastructure, equipment and people, but no more so than the last 12 months after explosive growth. With a custom-built fleet of eight low emission, Euro 6 trucks, the best equipped planting team in the industry and our nursery looking its finest ever, combined with a 40-strong, experienced team who are not only hard working but passionate about what Majestic does, always ready to be of service to you, we are prepared for more growth. So, what are the future challenges?

A quality, porous substrate (compost) that retains water is our biggest challenge over the next five-plus years. With DRAX getting £880m a year subsidy to

OUR VISION IS TO BE AN INNOVATIVE LEADER, STRIVING AS A TEAM TO DELIVER EVER HIGHER STANDARDS OF QUALITY, SERVICE AND PROFESSIONALISM www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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import woodchip from Canada to burn at its power station in Yorkshire, and other energy producers receiving subsidies to use biomass, peat-free composts prices will spike as manufacturers try to compete for peat-free materials, likely unbearable as there will be no more Russian woodchip, and the government has no plans to give horticulture ANY subsidies!

We are continuing with peat free trials, which costs 30% more that has to be passed on, but the even bigger cost is the much longer rooting out time on many varieties, water usage up 40% as the peat free does not retain water, fertilisers leaching out quicker, so going completely peat free does unfortunately have other knock-on effects to the environment.

Throw into the mix the shortage of plant material to grow on, greatly aggravated by serious biosecurity threats, onerous and unjoined government policy that result in us losing more and more species of trees, yet at the same time never knowing when a APHA (Defra) inspector might issue a destruction notice for new tree stock based on dubious modelling, or even worse their power to close down a nursery for three years with NO compensation should you inadvertently import Xylella on any stock, you can appreciate that the challenges ahead are not going to be easy! Thankfully, we as a nursery are very resilient, and believe we are well positioned to weather the storm.

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 111

24/03/2022 12:11

ADVERTORIAL

ESP-LXIVM

W

INTELLIGENT IRRIGATION

ith today's focus on water savings and the environment, Rain Bird continues to introduce products designed to help landscape designers, contractors and users of all types of irrigation system to apply less water yet still enjoy healthy landscapes.

Wireless communication with a network communication cartridge means that the ESP-LXIVM two wire irrigation controller with smart valve technology (pictured above) can be used with the IQ4 central control browser-based irrigation management system. This gives the user remote internet control from a smartphone, tablet or desktop PC. The controller features a smart solenoid module that remains in constant communication with the controller to provide highly efficient irrigation with immediate diagnostics to identify problems quickly, simplify troubleshooting, automatically restart irrigation without manual intervention and shut off valves to avoid leaks in the event of power failure.

The ESP-LXIVM Pro version has a 240-station capacity and up to 40 irrigation programs can be set. It is an ideal solution for sports grounds and similar installations where a range of irrigation regimes are required. Flow sensing and management tools can be used, including FloWatch and FlowManager, to guard against high or low flow conditions whilst an

RAIN BIRD’S DRYRUN™ SOFTWARE

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interface with a weather sensor also promotes water conservation.

Dryrun is a new development that is available free of charge with IQ4. It enables users to see in advance what performance to expect from an irrigation system and its visualisation capability takes away the need for painstaking manual recalculation of irrigation schedules and programs.

There are major benefits for professionals involved with more complex commercial or sports turf irrigation systems where multiple programs and large numbers of sprinklers are involved.

USERS CAN SEE IMMEDIATELY THE EFFECT OF MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO IRRIGATION TIMES, WATERING DELAYS AND SWITCHING STATIONS ON OR OFF Users can see immediately the effect of making adjustments to irrigation times, watering delays and switching stations on or off. The predicted performance of the irrigation system can be examined over pre-set periods or a customised timeframe from one to 31 one days. Dryrun will show in detail how the installation will operate minuteby-minute in that period, including when individual sprinklers will start and stop, their sequence and water usage.

It will display maximum flow

RAIN BIRD OFFERS INNOVATIONS FOR WATER SAVINGS AND OPTIMUM IRRIGATION PERFORMANCE

rates in advance to check that the capacity of the system will not be exceeded at any time.

FLOW INDICATING It will also indicate when BASKET FILTER particular programs and stations will be functioning, what the flow rates will be for each one and the total water usage. The user will be able to determine in advance how long an entire cycle may take and make any necessary adjustments for water savings and optimum irrigation scheduling.

Meanwhile, the new Flow Indicating Basket Filter takes another approach to water savings. As a unique all in one flow measurement, filtration and pressure regulation system, it is designed to work with drip or spray irrigation systems and troubleshoot problems at a glance. A simple mechanical device that can work with any controller, it is a cost-effective alternative to digital flow systems.

A dial at the top of the filter cap has bezel movement and provides all the diagnostic information required about the operation of an irrigation zone and its total zone flow rate. The bezel is twisted to line up with the indicator needle and marks the current correct rate for the zone. Any future deviation from the green marker into the clearly visible orange/red zone marking either side will indicate a potential filtration or leakage problem. Issues such as valve malfunctions, system leaks or a clogged filter can be simply visually diagnosed. If high pressure is indicated, the flow can be regulated and controlled before further irrigation to prevent over-watering and wastage.

For more information, please contact Peter Longman of Rain Bird Europe via: plongman@rainbird.eu. www.rainbird.eu

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:16

WOODCHIPPERS THAT DO THE JOB ● Compact, powerful and portable ● Efficient, effective and safe to operate ● Perfect for chipping branches up to 12cm thick ● Unique drum design; pulls branches in, chips them and ejects clean cut wood chips ● High and low outputs to create the shredded material for accelerated composting

For expert gardeners and professionals

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www.gtmchippers.co.uk

24/03/2022 16:05

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PATENT APPLIED FOR

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FOR EXCAVATORS WEIGHING 0.8-3.5 TONNES

Rain Bird offers the broadest range of easy-to-use controller solutions.

Explore our entire lineup at rainbird.com/TakeControl-en.

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Please call us to discuss your next projects requirements.

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES Tel: 01306 877540 or buy online at www.buryhilltopsoilandlogs.co.uk Email: sales@buryhilltopsoil.com BUILDING AGGREGATES • WILDFLOWER TURF & SEED • DECORATIVE STONE

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24/03/2022 11:59

ADVERTORIAL

A BIODIVERSITY ROOF INSTALLED ON THE IGA VISITOR CENTRE IN BERLIN ©ZINCO

GREEN ROOFS XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

TO PRESERVE BIODIVERSITY ZINCO SHARES ITS E XPERTISE ON CRE ATING A SUCCESSFUL BIODIVERSE ROOF

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measures enhances the biotope function of the green roof.

The range of plant species included, for example, can be extended by using various substrate depths. While a depth of 8cm is sufficient for low-growing, low-maintenance sedum types and other succulents, the root area for biodiverse herb, grass and wildflower vegetation can

“DEADWOOD” SHOULD REALLY BE CALLED “BIOTOPE WOOD”, AS IT IS USED AS A HABITAT BY MOSS, LICHEN, BEETLES AND FLIES

THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIODIVERSITY LARGELY DEPENDS ON HOW THE HABITATS PROVIDED ON A ROOF ARE STRUCTURED be increased with individual landscape mounds to a depth of between 12cm and 15cm. When choosing the plants, particular attention can be paid to their significance as forage plants for insects and birds.

Dead branches and logs are particularly valuable structural elements for biodiverse roofs. They are used as a habitat by moss, lichens, fungi, beetles and flies. Vegetation-free spots with pebbles, boulders, gravels, and sands are

an important enrichment, as they are used by insects and other roof inhabitants as a refuge, a breeding place and a sun trap. Additional nesting aids such as bug hotels serve to encourage the ongoing insect colonisation.

Finally, even temporary water areas can be included in order to improve the availability of water for insects and birds.

In some places, sheeting is laid out and covered with sand in order to retain rainwater on the roof for a longer period of time.

By combining these measures, a particularly biodiverse and ecologically invaluable habitat will develop. We should also remember that existing, speciespoor extensive green roofs can be upgraded, and in this way the diversity of flora and fauna will increase considerably.

A solid basic knowledge of ecological relationships within natural habitats is always required when planning and designing biodiverse green roofs which are an exciting prospect for planners, architects, and landscapers alike.

ABOUT ZINCO ZinCo designs, manufactures and distributes state-of-the art green roof systems. With an experience of more than 40 years in the green roof sector, ZinCo offers a wide range of build-ups for different sorts of roof structures and design requirements including blue roofs and biosolar roofs. Apart from material supply, ZinCo provides technical support and consultancy at all project stages from design to handover. www.zinco-greenroof.co.uk

Background and central image ©Hohenschläger

T

he conservation and recreation of biodiversity in nature is one of the major objectives of a futureoriented, ecological and sustainable environmental policy, and that’s why biodiverse green roofs are being more frequently specified in urban planning.

The Environment Act became law in November 2021 and the new Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations should come into force during 2023 at the latest. Pure sedum roofs alone are unlikely to deliver enough gain, meaning biodiverse green roofs will play an increasingly important role in landscaping.

Biodiverse roofs are low-maintenance extensive green roofs offering refuges for a great variety of animals and plant species; birds, beetles, wild bees and butterflies find food and shelter there.

However, to make an important contribution to preserving the biodiversity of flora and fauna they have to be appropriately designed and laid out. Pure sedum green roofs that are installed in conjunction with very shallow substrate depths are not suitable for utilising this potential. Indeed, the biotope function of greened roof areas needs to be specifically fostered using various design features and applying basic biodiversity principles during planning and implementation.

The basic requirement is that the green roof has become permanently established and continues to thrive. This requires project-specific planning and a suitable and reliable green roof system.

After that, a combination of several

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 115

24/03/2022 10:14

Hard landscaping made EASY

EASYJoint The original all-weather sweep-in jointing compound.

EASYJoint Joint The ease of EASYJoint with the contemporary colours of grout.

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24/03/2022 11:48:17

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24/03/2022 14:36

E D U CAT E

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I N S I D E E D U C AT E T H I S M O N T H PAG E 1 1 9 A L I S O N WA R N E R , PAG E 1 2 0 G A R E T H W I L S O N , PAG E 1 2 1 O R AC L E S O L I C I TO R S , PAG E 1 2 2 A DT R A K : S E L L I N G O N S O C I A L M E D I A , PAG E 1 24 H A B I T E C H : M A K E YO U R G A R D E N S SW I N G ! , PAG E 1 2 5 P R O D U C T D N A : TO R O W O R K M A N GT X L I T H I U M - I O N , PAG E 1 2 6 P R O D U C T D N A : OT T E R B I N E C O N C E P T 2 I N D U ST R I A L L A K E A E R ATO R S R A N G E , PAG E 1 3 0 L I T T L E I N T E R V I E WS

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24/03/2022 12:35

THE ETESIA RANGE OF PEDESTRIAN MOWERS

Unrivalled Cut and Collect in any weather.

The best cut and collect or mulch performance on the market.

The Etesia range of pedestrian rotary mowers sets the industry standard.

Available from 46cm – 53cm cutting widths and push, single or variable speed options, there is an Etesia pedestrian mower for any use.

All this adds up to machines that are purpose built professional mowers for professional use.

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24/03/2022 14:33

Don’t try and do everything yourself!

No-one can be good at everything! We all have our own unique strengths; things we enjoy and thrive at, whether that’s dealing with customers, budgeting or processes. The trick is to focus on the areas where you add value, and hire experts who both complement your skills and can do the tasks you find difficult or a chore, such as admin or invoicing. We use a personality profiling tool called Talent Dynamics that can help identify where your strengths lie.

THE TRICK IS TO FOCUS ON THE AREAS WHERE YOU ADD VALUE, AND HIRE EXPERTS WHO BOTH COMPLEMENT YOUR SKILLS AND CAN DO THE TASKS YOU FIND DIFFICULT OR A CHORE Take control of your diary Often I find that as businesses grow, the owner ends up in the passenger seat of their business as opposed to the driving seat.

In other words they’re fire fighting a lot of the time, responding to whoever or whatever shouts the loudest. To break this cycle, take some time out in a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted and devise a plan to

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EDUCATE

TACKLING TIME MANAGEMENT solve key problems in your business.

Identify what you need to do differently, and then schedule the time to carry out that task – e.g. you may find yourself always behind with quotes, so ringfencing some time in your diary to get on top of this issue will put you back in control.

Make the most of technology There are so many great tools out there, many of them free, that can help you plan and get organised. There’s really no excuse! Firstly make sure you are using an electronic diary – for example Google Calendar, Outlook or iCal, but particularly anything that can be shared and synchronised with your phone and/or computer.

Similarly, to-do lists should also be electronic, such as with Microsoft To Do, which syncs your desktop with your phone, so you can access it out and about – much better than a scrappy bit of paper that can be easily lost!

As your business grows, look into customer relationship management systems (CRMs) such as Pipedrive,

©Andrik Langfield/Unsplash

W

hen I meet prospective new clients, time management is often something that they want to improve upon. Running your own business, and wearing multiple hats, can be exhausting, and this in itself is a big part of the problem.

Poor time management can have serious consequences; in the short term, poor customer service, disorganisation and a great deal of stress. But in the long term, it can lead to financial worries, poor reputation and mental health issues.

So, what’s the solution? Well, it all comes down to working smarter not harder – easy to say but not so easy to do, unless you take decisive action. Here are my top tips:

DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE ARE NEVER ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY ?

ALISON WARNER GIVES HER TOP THREE TIPS ON HOW TO WORK SMARTER

Insightly or Hubspot. These record and manage all your enquiries and customers in one place, so nothing falls through the net.

Job management systems (e.g. ServiceM8 or Tradify) also help plan and manage jobs, ensuring you have all your materials in place at the right time and sub contractors booked in. Put these tips in action today to build more structure into your business and feel more organised and much less stressed.

To measure the health of your business, take our free BUILD system scorecard, available on our website: www.evolveandgrowcoaching.com.

A B O U T A L I S O N WA R N E R Alison Warner is the founder of Evolve and Grow, a business coaching firm that specialises in the trades and construction industry. She is also the author of bestselling book ‘How to go from Tradesperson to Managing Director in the Construction and Trade Industries’. https://amzn.to/2QIb467 www.evolveandgrowcoaching.com

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 119

24/03/2022 10:01

EDUCATE

TALKING Ts & Cs KEEPING YOUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS UP TO DATE PUTS YOU IN A BET TER POSITION, SAYS GARETH WILSON

J

udging by social media, and generally talking to landscapers as I do, it does seem to be very busy still within the industry, despite the winter and the world hoping to see the end of COVID-19. It would seem to me that the interest in outdoor living is going to progress and progress.

We have a very good programme on television, ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’, which seems to be inspiring many homeowners. Instagram, Pinterest and social media in general are abuzz with inspirational garden designs, plants and planting. Landscapers are also showcasing their work on these platforms daily.

A few weeks ago, a client called me to ask for my opinion on the work carried out in a garden. The landscaper had agreed to a joint commission of a 50/50 payment.

I arrived onsite to find most of the work completed to a high standard – the rest was average by comparison.

The work wasn’t terrible, but it did stand out from the project’s original standards. My report stated that the issues were mostly based upon comparison with the standard of the original project.

The landscaper had

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nowhere to go other than to amend the issues to his own cost which were, fortunately, not a great expense. However, due to the additional work and rectifying the issues on the project in question this caused further problems with other clients waiting for their work to begin.

I FEEL UPDATING Ts & Cs IS SIMILAR TO LIVING AND LEARNING, AND IT’S NECESSARY The basis of this problem here is that the client had seen a post on social media, had fallen in love with it, and requested it as an add-on. This client had heavily pressured the landscaper to take on the project in addition to the existing work.

When I was a young landscaper trying to find my way in the industry, I found myself in similar positions, so I feel for the landscaper here.

Clients who had already booked and were expecting him were being kept waiting. The weather was gorgeous at the time, and they wanted their gardens dealt with as promised with dates agreed. We have all heard of, or

been part of this story, so far, I am sure!

So, the landscaper was getting it in the ear from all angles especially from his already pre-booked clients that were waiting for their projects to start.

The landscaper had a basic contract with a Ts & Cs system in place, but it hadn’t been updated at all over the years. I feel updating Ts & Cs is similar to living and learning and it’s necessary. Now the work has been completed to satisfaction I’ve spoken to the contractor on a few occasions. I encouraged him to include in his Ts & Cs something along the lines of: ‘Any additional or further works beyond the original quote may require booking at a later date. We are not obliged to carry out additional work immediately.’

The next advice to the contractor is to learn to say ‘no’, ‘let me think about it’ or maybe ‘I’ll get back to you’. Phrases such as these allow a landscaper to take a calm step backwards and reply at a later date and not feel pressured whilst put on the spot. As always, respond by email when the pressure has reduced and full focus is regained.

ABOUT GARETH WILSON Leaving college at 17, Gareth has worked in the landscape industry since 1989. Progressing onto high-end projects over the years, he has picked up 30 RHS medals, including Gold at Chelsea. Now a retained consultant to The Landscape Academy, Gareth is a member of multiple professional bodies. He provides technical and product advice to companies, mentors and trains landscapers across the UK, and provides arbitration and mediation services.

www.gkwilsonlandscaping.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:00

CLARIFYING

EDUCATE

NON-COMPETE CLAUSES

JASON MCKENZIE OF ORACLE SOLICITORS ON WHETHER A NON-COMPETE CL AUSE IS ACTUALLY ENFORCE ABLE

A

“noncompete” clause, also known as a “post-termination restriction” or “restrictive covenant”, is incorporated into many employment contracts. It is used to prevent an employee from undertaking the following actions (for example): • working with a competitor; • poaching clients and employees; • revealing confidential information, trade secrets and trade connections to any other parties; All of which can have a detrimental effect on the employer’s business. Such clauses give an employer the right to control an employee’s actions even after the contract ends or is terminated.

What makes the clause enforceable?

The legal cases in this area say that, in order for a non-compete clause to be enforceable, two main principles must be considered: • Legitimate interest – an employer cannot include a clause just to avoid ‘mere’ competition, but it can seek to prevent an employee from using or damaging something that legitimately belongs to it.

For example, confidential information.

• Reasonableness – the clause must be “reasonable” and have regard to the interest of the parties and public interest.

To prevent the clause from being ineffective, it usually has to limit not only the restricted activities, but also the period and the geographical extent (for example, an ex-employee setting up a business in a geographical location that would disadvantage the ex-employer).

Due to the difference in bargaining ~power between an employer and an employee, these clauses must not be drafted too

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widely, or be seen to restrict an individual from exercising the right to work.

Restrictive covenants in employment contracts are therefore considered more strictly than those in commercial contracts, for example between a seller and a buyer.

DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN BARGAINING POWER BETWEEN AN EMPLOYER AND AN EMPLOYEE, THESE CLAUSES MUST NOT BE DRAFTED TOO WIDELY, OR BE SEEN TO RESTRICT AN INDIVIDUAL FROM EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO WORK Actions an employer can take for breach • Contact the ex-employee – upon discovering a breach (or potential breach), an ex-employer can notify the ex-employee in writing and ask them to stop (for example, to stop dealing with clients). The ex-employer also has the option of contacting a new employer to inform them of this breach.

• Breach of contract court claim – the court could decide to award compensation to an employer and will look at: whether the agreement was enforceable, if it has been breached, whether the employer has suffered loss as a result of the breach, and how the loss is assessed.

• Injunction – a court claim for breach of contract can take many months. An application to the Court for an “interim” injunction, to stop the breach from continuing (pending the outcome of

the main breach of contract case) can be a very effective tool. An employer must show adequate evidence of the breach or damage to their business to justify taking this step, as it is usually an expensive one (although the successful party is usually able to recover their costs as well).

• Undertakings – this is a legally enforceable promise to comply with the terms of the restrictions, either pending any hearing, or as an alternative to commencing proceedings. This option can help protect employer’s relationships with their staff and customers.

• Third parties – It is open to an employer to enforce its rights against a third party, where it considers that the third party has assisted in breaching the agreement, is in receipt of confidential information, for example. An employer can also sue a third party where it can be shown that the past employee and new employer are unlawfully working together to cause a loss to the employer.

Overall, employers should resist trying to include non-compete clauses that contain an unjustifiable number of restricted activities, are too long in duration, or too wide in geographical scope. A court will not adjust the scope of the clause. An “unreasonable” clause is simply an unenforceable clause.

A B O U T O R AC L E SO L I C I TO R S Oracle Solicitors is an award-winning law firm with a deep understanding of the landscape industry and expertise in employment, commercial, litigation, property and contract law. Oracle Solicitors, founded in 2002 has since grown to include offices in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Frankfurt, and Addis Ababa – please visit:

www.oraclesolicitors.co.uk

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24/03/2022 10:03

EDUCATE

T

he convergence of social media and e-commerce is a predicted top trend for 2022. So, what does this mean for companies in the landscaping industry?

What is social commerce and how could it work for you?

Social commerce allows users to buy your products directly via social media channels.

Sounds simple, right? And luckily this is a trend that is only predicted to rise. So, you have to ask yourself, are you using your social media effectively to promote your products? What could you be doing better?

Tapping into this market with effective social media advertising puts your business directly in front of people who fit your target audience. Social commerce is also particularly suited for low-cost purchases or impulse buys, all without having to redirect the consumer externally.

One example of an e-commerce advertising option is Facebook Product Ads, whereby adverts use your very own product catalogue in order to show the relevant ads to relevant users. These ads are ideal for instant purchasing or just to usher users further down the purchasing funnel.

ANY COMPANY OF ANY SIZE OR SCALE CAN ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING WHEN IT CONNECTS YOU WITH YOUR TARGET CONSUMERS AND GENERATES MORE BUSINESS ONLINE

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SELLING

BEN SHAW E XPLORES THE RISE OF SOCIAL COMMERCE AND WHAT THIS ME ANS FOR THE L ANDSCAPING INDUSTRY

ON SOCIAL MEDIA for your website and social media platforms can give you this valuable insight into user behaviour and how consumers are interacting with your brand online.

Utilising Facebook (Now ‘Meta’) Pixel – a piece of code that can be built into your website – will allow you to track prospectors who have been on your website. Once an advert is placed or offered to them while using Facebook or Instagram, you can use Pixel to track these website visits from the adverts and learn new insights along the way.

Who is it for?

Social commerce could well apply for lots of landscaping businesses, regardless of size.

That’s because any company of any size or scale can enjoy the benefit of social media advertising when it connects you with your target consumers and generates more business online.

Research has indicated that a large percentage of millennials are more likely to become loyal customers who engage with brands online. Simply put, customers are seeking brands like yours – brands that are easy to connect with. And that’s why it’s more important than ever to incorporate social commerce into your full digital marketing mix.

Know your audience There’s no question that a seamless user experience when shopping online through social media channels certainly has the potential to boost your sales. So, how can you launch your social media commerce strategy to ensure a great experience?

Well, it all starts with getting to know your audience.

Data is very important, allowing you and your marketers to make informed, statsbacked decisions on who to target with adverts – and how to target them. Analytics

So, what now?

As well as creating a social marketing and advertising strategy, you’ll also want to make sure that your social media platforms are performing at their best. After all, they’ll be functioning as your virtual shopfront, so it’s important they do their job well. Scheduling regular content and posts can also help build brand awareness and make your company seem more trustworthy and authoritative in the eyes of consumers. High quality imagery is crucial, with videography increasingly becoming the preferred medium for communicating with social users.

These are just a few ways to introduce your landscaping company to the world of social commerce – though there are many more to explore, so be sure to consider your approach sooner rather than later.

A B O U T B E N S H AW Adtrak’s account director Ben Shaw is a marketing and advertising specialist who delivers strategic digital services to businesses across the UK. With more than 24 years of experience, Ben has extensive knowledge within the media and marketing industry. He has been instrumental to Adtrak’s partnerships with BALI, FutureScape and Pro Landscaper, and has helped countless landscaping companies grow their businesses online.

www.adtrak.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 09:37

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24/03/2022 08:27

ADVERTORIAL

MAKE YOUR

GARDENS

SWING! SAMSUNG THE TERRACE

SONANCE PATIO SERIES

EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT WITH HABITECH

W

herever you look, new market dynamics are targeting the home as the pivot for a profound shift in the work-life balance. A greater love for outdoor living is recasting garden spaces as multifaceted playgrounds of social wellbeing. This means that the opportunities for outdoor AV entertainment have never looked quite so rosy.

Habitech is ready to help you deliver the audio-visual design that completes the new living landscape. As a leading value-added distributor of AV products and systems for residential and commercial custom design, we’re proud to offer the industry’s most dedicated support, online, on-call – even on-site – to ensure that you achieve flawless results in any environment, from cottage gardens to country estates.

For instance, we’ll support your integration of Samsung’s ‘The Terrace’ TVs, which offer the latest Samsung 4K QLED smart technology for exceptional clarity and SONANCE OMNI SPEAKER

brightness, turning everyday viewing into an epic entertainment experience, even on the sunniest of days. Available in 55”, 65” and 75” sizes, ‘The Terrace’ partners beautifully with Sonance sound systems, or the

124 Pro Landscaper / April 2022

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completely bespoke James Loudspeaker line, giving you unrivalled all-weather AV performance, custom designed for every project – bar none.

Cover the ground with sound The pioneering Sonance design format of super durable, ultra-discreet satellites and in-ground subwoofers delivers peerless install practicality, versatility, and astonishing full-range sound quality, which can be directed inward towards the listening area

WHATEVER THE CHALLENGE, YOU’LL LOVE THE ANSWER FROM THE WORLD’S ORIGINAL AND MOST SUCCESSFUL ALL-WEATHER SPEAKER BRAND rather than over neighbouring gardens.

What’s more, Sonance’s superior audio resolution means that detail and dynamics are reproduced at lower volume levels for a noticeable quality premium.

Latest product additions include a sat-sub range for smaller areas dubbed the Patio Series, and the Omni-6T: an all-weather omni-directional in-ground speaker perfect for commercial applications around hotels and large resort gardens. Add these innovations to the flagship Landscape Series (SLS) sat-sub systems for high quality

audio on the largest estates, the Garden Series (SGS) sat-sub line-up for all but the biggest projects, and the timeless Rocks range of rock-like speakers, and it’s selfevident that whatever the challenge, you’ll love the answer from the world’s original and most successful all-weather speaker brand – consistently voted the number one outdoor speaker brand by custom install professionals.

Full-fidelity chameleon For the ultimate in bespoke outdoor speaker design, meet the extraordinary James Loudspeaker brand. James has overtaken rivals by trading on complete exclusivity. As well as being audiophile in sound quality, every James all-weather speaker is unique, according to the look and fit specified by the customer. Built with absolute precision, it’s bespoke in every detail. So, if your client demands that outdoor speakers complement the colour, texture, or shape of any supporting structure exactly, you’ll know who to call.

The ultimate in outdoor AV Amid surging demand for luxury outdoor living, we’ll help you to explore all that custom AV design has to offer your business.

Get in touch: www.habitech.co.uk | 01256 638500 | sales@habitech.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:07

P R O D U C T TORO WORKMAN GTX LITHIUM-ION

DNA

KEY ASPECTS AND USER BENEFITS

POWER The Toro Workman GTX Lithium-ion power option brings improved power-toweight ratio to boost payload capacity and productivity with an eye on the environment.

Going electric doesn’t affect performance or productivity – that comes as standard.

The Workman GTX is the smarter and more efficient way to get the job done and choosing clean, green power for your utility vehicle is the eco-conscious decision.

LARGE CARGO CAPACITY The Workman GTX Lithium-ion provides the largest cargo capacity (800lbs/363kg) of any lithium-ion vehicle in its class and is adaptable for any task. Two or four-seat configurations come with bench or bucket seats. Front and rear attachment points for walk spreaders, for example, free up the bed for more hauling capacity. Steel four and six-foot flat beds are also available.

LITHIUM-ION POWER OPTION The four lithium-ion battery packs are not only safer to use than their lead-acid counterparts, but also require no maintenance. The batteries have an extended lifespan, cutting on costs in the long-term and requiring fewer charging cycles, saving time and meaning the machine is always ready to get to work.

GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT The Toro Workman GTX Lithium-ion produces zero emissions, no hydraulic leaks and less noise, making it the perfect asset for any team looking to work more sustainably and making as little impact on the planet as possible. The reduction in pollution is not only good for the environment but a health benefit for the operators, guests, customers and neighbours, while also making sure to follow any regulations in place for protected areas.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Toro Commercial Advertorial.indd 125

ONBOARD CHARGER One of the biggest fears of many machine operators who have recently chosen the electric route is that the battery will run out in the middle of a task, compromising the schedule of work – not to mention the time wasted charging while the machine could be doing its job. With the Workman GTX Lithium-ion’s onboard charger, this is no longer a concern; the vehicle can be connected to any standard power outlet for a quick power boost anytime, anywhere.

ADVERTORIAL

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • Configuration Two-seat with bed • Electric motor Brushless hightorque AC Induction motor with 5.0kW continuous power • Ground speed 16mph (25km/h), adjustable • Batteries Four lithium-ion Samsung SDI batteries, 48V nominal • Charger On-board high efficiency 900W smart charger • Controller 540A max with regenerative motor braking, roll-away protection, thermal cutback, sealed/waterproof, status light and three power modes • Towing capacity 1,500lbs (680kg) • Dimensions Width – 47” (119.3cm) Length – 119” (302cm) Height - 53.2” (135cm) • Weight 1,005lbs (455.9kg)

REDUCED WEIGHT The Toro Workman GTX Lithium-ion is 26% lighter than a traditional electric vehicle and offers an additional 7.6cm (three inches) of ground clearance.

This makes it ideal for fine turf that requires a gentle touch without causing compaction or leaving tyre marks behind, while also being nimble, highly manoeuvrable and easy to transport around the site.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES OFFER The Workman GTX Lithium-ion offers an extensive list of optional accessories that can be mounted on to the vehicle for added value and productivity, such as a canopy, solid folding windshield, storage box, hose reel mounting bracket, walk spreader carrier, bin mount, bed racking, electric bed lift, brush guard, 12V outlet, brake/tail/signal lights, ROPS certified hard cab, and many more.

C O N TA C T Reesink Turfcare 1-3 Station Road, St Neots PE19 1QF Tel 01480 226800 Email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk Twitter @ReesinkTurfcare Facebook facebook.com/ReesinkTurfcareUK

www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 125

24/03/2022 10:06

ADVERTORIAL

P R O D U C T OTTERBINE CONCEPT 2

DNA

INDUSTRIAL LAKE AERATORS RANGE

TECH NI CA L SPECI FI CATI ON S

KEY ASPECTS AND USER BENEFITS PROVEN POWER AND EFFECTIVENESS The Concept 2 range of aerators from Otterbine help to introduce oxygen into water for a natural solution to control algae, aquatic weeds and odours, leaving it clean, clear and healthy. Otterbine is the only manufacturer to have its oxygen transfer and pumping rates independently tested and published on their aeration systems, offering the highest oxygen transfer and pumping rates in the industry.

SAFE AND RELIABLE The Concept 2 range has undergone strict safety testing to make sure the entire system (unit, panel and cables) passed ETL, ETL-C and CE standards. All the components are made up of corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel and thermoplastics and rugged low-speed motors built to withstand the demands of severe aquatic environments, enabling them to move high volumes of water in brackish and effluent conditions.

COST-EFFECTIVE AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT The Concept 2 range offers low amperage systems that mean less electrical consumption and lower running costs,

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• Options of 1, 2, 3 and 5HP • Oxygen transfer rate 1.5kg per HP • Pumping rate (m2/hr) 198.5-647.2 • Single/three phase power options • Warranty Five years

for a heavier wallet and a healthier planet.

Otterbine systems operate up to 34% more efficiently than competitors’ products and are 20% more efficient on average.

This accounts for a lighter monthly bill, which greatly adds up over the product’s lifespan, and contributes to a much more sustainable lifestyle.

PEACE OF MIND Otterbine wants you to be completely satisfied. That’s why it offers a five-year warranty on the entire Concept 2 range for added peace of mind. And if you already own an Otterbine unit or light set out of warranty, Otterbine will offer up to 10% on your new purchase of equal or greater horsepower.

NATURAL AND SUSTAINABLE Without the use of harsh and toxic chemicals to keep water quality to the highest standards, Otterbine industrial aerators protect aquatic life and surrounding flora and fauna are undisturbed. There’s no risk to human safety from contaminated water, either. This means the Concept 2 range provides an expansive multitude of uses, all 100% natural and sustainable.

EASY TO USE, VERSATILE AND CONVENIENT The Concept 2 range includes efficient and powerful designs with surface and subsurface aeration systems, available in 1, 2, 3 and 5 HP. Safety features like cable disconnects and surge arrestors also come with the units without additional charges.

They are easy to install, handle and transport, so you get the absolute best solution to suit your every need.

MINIMAL MAINTENANCE Otterbine products require minimal maintenance. Once installed, all you need to be mindful of is to do an oil change every three years to keep the aerator running smoothly and to disconnect the unit from power once a year for a physical inspection.

The product can even remain in water during the winter, as long as it’s kept running 24 hours per day to keep it from freezing in.

C O N TA C T Reesink Turfcare 1-3 Station Road, St Neots PE19 1QF Tel 01480 226800 Email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk Twitter @ReesinkTurfcare Facebook facebook.com/ReesinkTurfcareUK

www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:05

Green Water Smart Space Air

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24/03/2022 14:38

JOBS

For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 570 or email daniel.riley@eljays44.com with your vacancy.

LUCRATIVE CLIENT LIST FOR SALE HAYNES LANDSCAPING Location: London

This is an exciting opportunity for a start-up landscaper or business to acquire the current client list of Haynes Landscaping built up over 20 years and featuring current clients in Chelsea, Kensington, Westminster, Fulham, Notting Hill, Wandsworth etc.

The clients have depended on a prestigious personal service ranging from garden design, construction and seasonal planting to garden maintenance, which consequently generates an excellent annual income, details of which are available to view by serious buyers.

A sample of client work can be seen on the website: www.hayneslandscaping.co.uk Client list and work handover scheduled for 25-30 April 2022.

Interested parties please contact the owner on 07960 406 455 or via the website.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPING ESTIMATOR LAND STRUCTURE Location: Buckinghamshire

In this role, you would be responsible for pricing soft landscaping works packages, mainly for the construction industry but also for developers and blue chip clients, on projects varying from £2.5k to £1m across the Midlands, East Anglia and the Northern Home Counties. It would involve working as part of a tight knit management team, mutually supporting and developing individuals within the business, and in-house training is available as required.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

HARD LANDSCAPER: EAST LONDON FARM LANE LANDSCAPING Location: London

Farm Lane Landscaping is looking for a new landscaper to take charge of its various hard landscaping jobs and work as part of its ongoing team. As an RHS award-winning garden design and landscaping company, it strives to build gardens to the highest standard. The company requires an experienced and landscaper who has good knowledge of construction details and techniques whilst managing their own team. Being able to schedule your work so projects and site orders can run on time will be integral for the successful candidate.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

ASSISTANT GARDENER

SKILLED HARD LANDSCAPER

You will be assisting your supervisor with offloading trees, hedging and plants delivered to site, then setting out and planting to a high-quality horticultural level. This will include staking, mulching and any other sundries applications required of a similar nature. Soft landscaping work will be required occasionally. All works on site will be executed to a high level of horticultural practice, cleanliness and efficiency. From time to time, you may be required to assist with the assembly and installation of simple irrigation systems.

Green Acorn Landscape Design is looking to recruit a skilled hard landscaper to join its team. A full-time position is available, working on domestic garden projects throughout the North-West, in-particular Warrington and Manchester.

Applicants need to own their own vehicle and be able to drive. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, hardworking, competent and reliable. Attention to detail is crucial. Tasks include: porcelain paving, bricklaying, fencing, planting, outdoor kitchens. Five years’ experience is necessary.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT/ DESIGNER

SENIOR GARDENER

HENDRIX GARDENS Location: Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk

GREEN ACORN LANDSCAPE DESIGN Location: Cheshire

GREEN ACORN LANDSCAPE DESIGN Location: Cheshire

HENDRIX GARDENS Location: Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Suffolk

Green Acorn Landscape Design is looking to recruit a landscape architect/ designer to its team. They will have a passion for contemporary style, be enthusiastic and have an eye for detail. They will be expected to meet with clients, measure gardens, complete briefs and draw together the client’s dream of a high-end quality private retreat. They must be able to design gardens on a software system, such as SketchUp. Company vehicle included.

Here, you will be managing the site operation of getting trees, hedging and plants delivered to site, then setting out and planting to a high-quality horticultural level. This will include staking, mulching and any other sundries applications required. Soft landscaping clearance, turfing and planting bed preparation work will be required occasionally. All works on site will be executed to a high level of horticultural practice, cleanliness and efficiency. An element of desk-based work is required.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 12:22

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As a result of the built environment compaction can inhibit or prevent natural root growth of trees. CIS SUDs compliant resin bound tree grilles are a great way of enhancing the sustainability of your project for future generations. Find out more at our website below.

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24/03/2022 13:52

EDUCATE

T H E L I T T L E I N T E RV I E W

PRO LANDSCAPER ASKS QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS TO GAIN A SMALL INSIGHT INTO THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP OUR INDUSTRY. TO TAKE PART, EMAIL CONTENT@ EL JAYS44.COM

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ALEX ROCKETT

RYA N C O L B O U R N E

Site supervisor, Tony Benger Landscaping

Operations director, Jack Moody Group

www.tonybenger.com

www.jackmoodygroup.co.uk

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I would still be in a factory, printing/ designing books and brochures.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Owner of a professional eSports brand.

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

100%.‘The Wild Gardener’ is a great watch.

Other than the UK, which country's landscape inspires you the most?

Japan’s landscape.

What would you blow your budget on?

To create a peaceful wildflower garden, full of natural wonders – a space to reflect.

The one person in the industry you'd love to meet?

Colin Stafford-Johnson.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Awareness of the importance of biodiversity.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion.

Habitat piles, Hybernaculums and loggeries seem a common theme these days.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Cows have ‘regional accents’.

Couldn't get through the week without...

A copious amount of coffee and being outside.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Canary Islands and Italy.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Frances Tophill.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Increased engagement and involvement with/for young people.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion?

Blurring lines. Creating indoor/outdoor combined spaces, extending the living areas.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Dolly Parton once entered a Dolly Parton lookalike competition and came second.

Role model as a child?

My dad, Paul Colbourne.

Couldn’t get through the week without…

Friday date night with my wife, Melissa.

Favourite tipple?

Aspall Cyder.

Karaoke song of choice?

‘Quando, Quando, Quando’

by Engelbert Humperdinck.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/03/2022 10:09

EDUCATE

TIM HOWELL

CHRISTINE WILFORD

SAM SELBY

Photographer, @TimHowellX

Owner, GreenArden Design

Company director, Selby Landscapes Ltd

@TimHowellX

www.greenardendesign.com

www.selbylandscapes.com

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

It's got to be a definite yes! I find show gardens to be so educational, not only from a horticultural perspective, but also through providing awareness.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I would design buildings instead of landscapes.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Playing my drums.

Other than the UK, which country's landscape inspires you the most?

Australia. I'm a big fan of designers Charlie Albone and Phillip Johnson.

What would you blow your budget on?

A show garden at Chelsea to give an awareness of fibromyalgia (which is a little-known condition that Mrs H suffers from).

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

An amalgamated governing body which would combine the SGD, the APL and BALI to give a bigger consolidated industry voice.

Newest trend, in your opinion.

A realisation by the public of the cost/ value of good garden design and professional landscaping, helped by TV programmes like ‘Your Garden Made Perfect’ and growing realisation of how important outside spaces are.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Only three women have won ‘Best in Show’ at RHS Chelsea as a solo designer. The last was Sarah Eberle in 2007, and previous winners were Arabella Lennox-Boyd in 1998 and Julie Toll in 1993. There are so many fantastic female garden designers, I'm always surprised it's so few.

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Little Interviews-8.indd 131

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

There is always something that inspires me, definitely yes!

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Austria's landscape; I love the alpine flower meadows, the mountains, crystal clear lakes and waterfalls – nature at its best.

What would you blow your budget on?

A natural swimming pool.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Piet Oudolf.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

A good support network to encourage garden designers and landscapers to collaborate more often and gain a better understanding for each other’s strengths.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Chemicals released from freshly cut grass can be effective to relieve stress.

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Believe it or not, I've never been to Chelsea – one for the bucket list!

Other than the UK, which country's landscape inspires you the most?

The dense jungles of Peru.

What would you blow your budget on?

A new house in Spain.

The one person in the industry you'd love to meet?

Mark Gregory.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

More training for professional landscapers.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion.

Too much porcelain.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Your brain is as big as your two fists.

Best invention in recent years?

Trimble system for excavators – would love to have a go on one.

Couldn’t get through the week without…

Italian coffee.

Favourite tipple?

Cold beer.

Best invention in recent years?

Zoom!

Karaoke song of choice?

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen.

Pro Landscaper / April 2022 131

24/03/2022 10:10

BALI_Awards baliawards

OPEN FOR ENTRIES Contractor / Group / Designer Categories Early Bird Discount Deadline: 4 May 2022 Final Deadline: 1 June 2022

Supplier Exceptional Service / Employer Excellence / International Categories Early Bird Discount Deadline: 1 June 2022 Final Deadline: 6 July 2022 The National Landscape Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday 2 December 2022 JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London

Visit baliawards.co.uk for entry criteria and to start your entry For general enquiries contact Emily Feeney Telephone: +44(0)24 7518 5613 or Email: emily.feeney@bali.org.uk HEADLINE SPONSOR

For sponsorship opportunities contact Diane McCulloch Telephone: +44(0)24 7518 5614 Email: diane.mcculloch@bali.org.uk

SPONSORED BY

Green-tree Topsoil

New Advert Template April onwards.indd 47

24/03/2022 13:37