AUGUST 2O20
LIVING THE HIGH LINE LARA BEHR GARDEN DESIGN
LET’S HEAR IT FROM
LONDON SPECIAL
DEMANDING DIVERSITY
UNDERSTANDING FURLOUGH
Tom Massey, Tom Massey Studio
Covering the latest in the capital
Lewis Normand says we need to grow our appeal
Oracle Solicitors explains the rules on redundancy
NEW COVER.indd 1
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Nature enhanced, for unreal results. Every now and then, something comes along to knock an original off its pedestal. Welcome then to Millboard decking. Through continuous research and development, meticulous attention to detail, expertise and innovation we’ve created a board that’s hand-moulded from natural wood – and we think it could be better than the real thing. It won’t rot like real wood, warp like real wood or attract mould like real wood. It just takes the best of real wood and enhances it. Beautifully. Millboard: Live. Life. Outside.
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Live.Life.Outside.
23/07/2020 11:38
WELCOME
W E LCO M E W
day issues. We have already secured many of the leading suppliers, not only from the UK but from around Europe who, between them, cover all the products and services needed to support the sector. Further details can be found at: www.futurescapeevent.com. On a personal note, we would like to say well done and a big thank you to Adam White whose tenure as president of the Landscape Institute has now come to an end. Adam has done an excellent job, not only in integrating the LI into the wider landscaping industry, but also in helping to raise the profile of the sector. The August issue is packed full of all our regular features and columnists, as well as shining a spotlight on the London landscaping market with our yearly supplement of all that’s going on in the capital. Enjoy the read!
JIM & LISA
IT WILL BE GREAT TO GET THE WHOLE INDUSTRY BACK TOGETHER
©A V Design
elcome to the August issue of Pro Landscaper. We hope everyone is safe and well. We are now in the next – and hopefully the final – phase of getting back to the new normal, though of course we still need to follow government recommendations to prevent the virus returning in force. We are delighted to announce that the government has now given the go-ahead for exhibitions to resume from 1 October 2020, meaning the FutureScape Expo 2020 will take place on 17 and 18 November 2020 as planned. The bigger two-day event will take place at ExCeL London; we have been working with the venue to incorporate new safety guidelines including wider aisles, larger spaced seating areas, bigger seminar spaces and all the necessary hygiene solutions. It will be great to get the whole industry back together, discussing the relevant topics that are affecting UK landscaping as well as tackle day to
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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CONTENTS
INFORM 08 10 12 15 18 21 22 4
News Our monthly roundup of industry news A Fresh Approach ESL becomes Cultura Group – rebrand or complete reposition? Future Projects Heron Street Community Garden, Manchester Let’s Hear It From Tom Massey, Tom Massey Studio View from the Top Adam White There’s Always One Andrew Wilson A Wild Variety Ben West
Pro Landscaper / August 2020
Contents-6.indd 4
INSPIRE 27 30 34 39 42 45
A Hidden Gem Peter Reader Landscapes Island Escape A V Design Living the High Line Lara Behr Garden Design Landscape Architect’s Journal TGP Landscape Architects Designing for Two Debs Winrow Landscaping in London The London Supplement
27 73
©National Trust Images/Stephen Robson
15
NURTURE 73 77 79 82 83
Feature Garden Beningbrough Hall Appealing to All Nick Coslett Demanding Diversity Lewis Normand Nursery Focus Creepers Tree Planting Equipment Suppliers showcase their products used in various UK cities
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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CONTENTS
AU G U ST 2 0 2 0 E D U C AT E 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 95 97
Figuring Out Furlough Ilan Braha and Jason McKenzie of Oracle Solicitors Gaining Confidence in Vectorworks Katarina Ollikainen of Vectorworks Step Into the Future Lee Bestall Will Normal Service Ever Resume? Angus Lindsay Stump Grinders New products and safe practice Thinking Outside the Box The Traditional Company
45
Dealing With the Extreme Birkdale
103
Artificial Grass Installation tips and projects
AUGUST 2O20
Choosing Clients Deciphering your best clients
93
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102
PEOPLE 101 102 103 106
LIVING THE HIGH LINE LARA BEHR GARDEN DESIGN
Out & About Pulborough Brooks 30 Under 30 Update Joshua Noakes Love Horticulture Sarah Morgan Little Interviews Questions with the individuals who make up our industry
LET’S HEAR IT FROM
LONDON SPECIAL
DEMANDING DIVERSITY
UNDERSTANDING FURLOUGH
Tom Massey, Tom Massey Studio
Covering the latest in the capital
Lewis Normand says we need to grow our appeal
Oracle Solicitors explains the rules on redundancy
NEW COVER.indd 1
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Pro Landscaper / August 2020
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23/07/2020 19:44
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CONTRIBUTORS
CO N T R I B U TO R S Ben West Ben West challenges the idea of only using native plants in biodiverse gardens, reflecting on a study by the University of Sheffield which showed a diverse planting scheme to be the most appealing to wildlife. He explains why it’s important to be more open minded and not just to follow the status quo in wildlife gardening.
P22
W W W.LANDSCAPINGSOLUTIONSLTD.CO.UK
ANDREW WILSON P21
@LANDSOLUK
Marian Barker
DEBS WINROW P42
In our London special, Marian Barker considers the impact of coronavirus on recruitment and how employers might have to change what they ask of staff when it comes to travelling in the capital; with public transport still being largely off limits and the Congestion Charge soaring up in price, there could be challenges ahead.
P56
W W W.FRESHHORTCAREERS.COM
@FRESHHORTCAREER
NICK COSLETT P77
Lewis Normand As the Black Lives Matter movement quickly gains traction, Lewis holds up a mirror to the industry, arguing we should be doing more to change its lack of BAME representation. He speculates as to why the industry might not appeal to ethnic minorities, and says we need to be asking uncomfortable questions to tackle this.
P79
W W W.IPLANTSMAN.COM
KATARINA OLLIKAINEN P88
@IPLANTSMAN
Ilan Braha & Jason McKenzie
LEE BESTALL P89
Ilan and Jason from Oracle Solicitors have come on board to answer some of the burning questions regarding the government’s furlough scheme. With expertise in employment law, they are taking on the topic of redundancy this month, helping employers to understand their rights, but also those of their employees.
CONTACT
P87
W W W.ORACLESOLICITORS.CO.UK
Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA Tel: 01903 777 570 EDITORIAL Editorial director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 579 Head of content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 393 Deputy head of content – Rachael Forsyth rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578 Equipment editor – Rachel Gordon proarbeditor@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Subeditor – Katrina Roy katrina.roy@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391 Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391
Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek ADVERTISING Business development manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585 Head of sales – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 587 Horticulture Careers – Ben Cumberland ben.cumberland@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583 Managing director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589 MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570 Subscription enquiries – Laura Harris laura.harris@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 580
@ORACLESOLS
ANGUS LINDSAY P90
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 2020 subscription price is £95. 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.
Pro Landscaper is proud to be an affiliate member of BALI
The Association of
Professional Landscapers
Pro Landscaper is proud to be an associate member of the APL
MANAGEMENT Managing director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business development manager Jamie Wilkinson
Cover image ©Annaick Guitteny Photograpy
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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INFORM
JOHNSONS OF WHIXLEY CREATES EXTRA GROWING CAPACITY
NEWS
J
RHS TO CANCEL TWO 2021 SHOWS AS CORONAVIRUS CAUSES HUGE LOSSES
NEW HTA BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED
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©RHS/ Tim Sandall
T
he Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has suffered significant losses due to the impact of coronavirus. As a result, the charity has decided to cancel some of its shows next year. The RHS expects losses this year of up to £18m and the charity has had to look closely at its finances in order to safeguard its future. This will mean stopping some areas of work that require substantial RHS investment in order to operate. Therefore, its flower shows in Cardiff and Chatsworth will be cancelled in 2021. The RHS has consulted all partners and stakeholders, and says it is very sorry for the disappointment this will cause its loyal members, visitors and everyone involved. In addition, The London Spring Show in April 2021 will move to RHS Garden Hyde Hall, where it will be enjoyed by more visitors and the RHS hopes to move the London Botanical Art & Photography Show, also in April, to another venue in London.
All of the other RHS shows, including RHS Chelsea Flower Show, RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and RHS Flower Show Tatton Park are planned to continue in 2021. The RHS is planning for all scenarios in order to open the events safely next year. The charity is looking at other ways and opportunities to support the industry, growers, community groups and members who have been involved in the Cardiff and Chatsworth shows. www.rhs.org.uk
T
he Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has announced three new board members as nonexecutive directors. Jane Lawler of Lawler Associates, Vicky Nuttall of The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA), and Ken White of Frosts Landscape Construction have become non-executive dirsctors of the trade association and attended their first meeting on 18 June. Commenting on the appointments, Boyd
ohnsons of Whixley has created more than 5,000 sqm of additional bed space for plants of the future at two of its nursery sites located In Kirk Hammerton and Roecliffe, North Yorkshire. Johnsons, one of the largest commercial plant suppliers to both the landscape and garden centre sectors in the UK, has increased its production capacity as a result of reduced sales brought about by the recent crisis and as a reaction to potential Brexit trading constraints. Recent projects have delivered sufficient growing space to produce an extra 320,000 extra landscape and garden plants per year. The facilities comprise of external beds and covered ‘polytunnel’ space all profiled and watered via automated systems. Through the sale of seven million trees and shrubs annually, Johnsons is one of the few businesses that can claim to be a true net contributor to the environment. Johnson’s green credentials are monitored continuously via its accreditation to the environmental standard ISO14001. Group managing director, Graham Richardson, says: “Investment in new production facilities provides extra facilities to hold over crops otherwise destined for the waste heap and reduces our exposure to reduced availability should trading constraints with Europe begin to bite.” www.nurserymen.co.uk
Douglas-Davies, HTA president, says: “We are delighted to have Ken, Jane and Vicky join the HTA Board. They bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge from marketing and landscaping, as well as supplier and manufacturer insight. This will help to strengthen the HTA offering to members, and ensure that priorities from all these industry elements are considered.” www.hta.org.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/07/2020 17:51
INFORM
EXHIBITIONS ABLE TO TAKE PLACE FROM OCTOBER, SAYS PM
P
rime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that “conferences and other business events”, including exhibitions, will be able to take place in England from 1 October, providing a series of pilots are successful. A small number of sporting and indoor performance events will be piloted from now. If the outcome of these pilots is deemed a success, and the R rate remains below 1, these sectors as well as business events will be given the green light. With the ExCeL London no longer occupied by the NHS Nightingle Hospital, the venue has returned to an exhibition centre and will now be preparing to host the FutureScape EXPO 2020 event on 17 and 18 November, as planned. Jim Wilkinson, managing director of Eljays44 which founded the FutureScape event, says: “We are delighted that the exhibition industry can now reopen and we can start planning FutureScape 2020. It is paramount that we put the visitors’ safety
first, and working with ExCeL with its vast experience, we’re sure that we can hold FutureScape with the appropriate measures in place. “We now look forward to putting together a really exciting programme and we will hopefully see you all in November!” Reopening the events industry is part of a continued easing of lockdown measures being introduced by the government, with Boris Johnson saying today: “It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November, at the earliest, possibly in time for Christmas.” www.futurescapeevent.com
GGM GROUNDSCARE ANNOUNCES NEW JOBS AND RECRUITMENT TO SUPPORT BUSINESS GROWTH
A
ward-winning specialist tractor and grounds maintenance machinery dealer GGM Groundscare has announced it has expanded its team. It has appointed two new service engineers, both recruited during lockdown, and created positions for three apprenticeships in a bid to support continued business growth and offer job opportunities in both Colne and Haydock.
Andy Crabtree and Chris Sumner have both joined the 39-strong team as field service engineers based at the Haydock depot. GGM Groundscare is also currently recruiting for three new apprentices to help three young local people into a new career. This follows the government’s announcement
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of an ‘apprentice bonus scheme’ from August to January. Any firm that hires a new young apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive a £2,000 grant, while those that hire new apprentices aged 25 and over will be paid £1,500. Last year, the company became an accredited Living Wage Employer and is committed to ensuring its staff receive the training and development they need to develop their skills. Managing director Chris Gibson explains: “While many businesses have struggled over the lockdown period, at GGM we’ve managed to maintain a steady flow of business thanks to the hard work of our dedicated team, particularly for our customers in local authority grounds, sports clubs and hospitals. We decided to recruit to help the local job market, as well as to facilitate business growth. It’s important to support the next generation and we welcome the new scheme.” www.ggmgroundscare.com
Online Exclusives TIME FOR CHANGE: MAKING HORTICULTURE MORE DIVERSE Claire Vokins questions the horticulture industry and its opportunities for diversity. The garden designer spoke with Marcellus Baz – who was named the BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in 2016 for his work in supporting young people – about his experiences of the industry and its inclusivity. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ time-for-change-making-horticulturemore-diverse
DR HELEN HOYLE – BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER In the final instalment of her three-part series on the value of green spaces, Dr Helen Hoyle – senior lecturer in Healthy Built Environments at the Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments in UWE Bristol – discusses how sociocultural factors shape our preferences. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/partthree-dr-helen-hoyle-beauty-lies-in-theeyes-of-the-beholder
INDOOR GARDEN DESIGN SUPPORTS OTHERS DURING LOCKDOWN London-based Indoor Garden Design fills us in on what’s been keeping the company busy since lockdown began, including the set up of IGD Community, IGD Welfare and IGD Grow Your Own. Find out more about these, as well as Out@indoor, in this update. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ indoor-garden-design-supports-othersduring-lockdown
Pro Landscaper / August 2020
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23/07/2020 19:50
INFORM
A FRESH A P P R OAC H ESL LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS IS NOW KNOWN AS CULTURA GROUP. IS THIS A REBRAND OR A COMPLETE REPOSITION? CEO PHIL JONES EXPLAINS THE REASONING BEHIND THE CHANGE IN COMPANY NAME, ETHOS AND DIRECTION
E
SL Landscape Contractors was set up as a commercial landscaping business 28 years ago. The original founder was bought out by investors three years ago and Phil Jones joined the business as CEO in December 2018. Going into the role with his eyes wide open, Phil’s first task was to look at the profitability of the business, the quality of the team and its relationship with suppliers, and improve the quality and consistency of the end product. Phil believes that the company has made great strides over the last 18 months; the cost base is reduced and now under control, and he has recruited a new senior management team that has vast experience, not only in landscaping but also the construction world. With this new team, the consistency and standards have greatly improved, as has feedback from clients.
CULTURA GROUP – A COMPANY WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF Phil explains that improving the performance of the business was the catalyst to Cultura’s brand new image. The plan was to rebrand in March 2020, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It is extremely important to Phil that the rebranding reflects the new ethos of the company, the direction in which it is travelling, and the exciting future opportunities that are ahead. Phil goes on to
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say: “We want to grow our reputation as a company that takes care of its staff and delivers quality through our expertise and great service. “We worked closely with a branding partner who came highly recommended. The process was in-depth and involved feedback from the staff, clients, suppliers and industry commentators. No stone was left unturned – we were completely honest about the past. We shared client feedback, the direction in which we had travelled, the competitive landscape and our future ambitions.” Phil explained that it is more than just a change in logo; the branding and new culture has to run throughout the business. It is essential that it reflects all the hard work that the team has put in over the past 18 months improving the overall performance. He continues: “I was keen that the name wasn’t a typical landscaping name, a plant or tree name, but that it did have a meaning and reflected a progressive, professional landscaping business. Though lots of names were discussed, Cultura was the name we kept coming back to. It’s linked to horticulture (the Latin meaning is ‘care’ or ‘cultivate’) and reflects how we want to cultivate our relationship with clients, suppliers, staff and the industry as a whole. “We also added ‘Group’ to the name as we see potential in expanding our offering over the next few years. We are excited about the opportunities for the future. We want to grow our share of the quality-driven schemes, and work with additional contractors to deliver
quality jobs, on budget, and within the agreed schedules – a challenge, certainly, but I’m confident we will succeed.” The rebranding coincides with a move to a new office just off the A3 near Farnham, Surrey which is at the heart of the majority of the company’s contracts, therefore reducing time on the road for employees and making it a lot easier for clients to visit. It is also located in lakeland and forest, a statement about how Phil wants it to be an environment in which Cultura’s people can enjoy working. The company will also retain its office on the south coast for some of its admin and support staff. Phil is very upbeat about the rebranding and future of the business; he’s pleased with the way that the team has bought into the new culture and he’s impressed with developments that have already taken place. With everything in place, Phil is confident the team, the new office, branding and ethos will take the company to the next level.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/07/2020 19:37
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01/07/2020 22/07/2020 12:48 16:36
INFORM
Heron Street Community Garden Manchester LUC IS HELPING TO TRANSFORM A STREET IN MANCHESTER WITH AN INSPIRING COMMUNITY PROJECT
I
n previous issues, Future Projects has Campus of Manchester Metropolitan University, featured some of the largest commercial a multi-million pound scheme which opened six schemes across the globe. From the years ago. And then there’s the £23m ‘Hulme 175-acre futuristic Woven City Living’ development by One in Tokyo to the construction of the Manchester, which has brought 170 whopping Expo 2020 Dubai, which is new, sustainable homes to the area. expected to host 25 million visitors – Next to be revamped in its own OF AREA WILL BE and will now be taking place next year unique way is Heron Street, one of due to COVID-19. But what about the the main streets in Hulme which has plethora of other projects taking place been chosen as ‘one to watch’ by the within the UK, and not just in the Manchester School of Architecture, capital but up north? Manchester City Council and partners. This month, we’re homing in on They selected the street as it has Hulme. Once a disreputable district “great potential for change”, with in the city of Manchester, Hulme has opportunities for creating a more become a thriving community which sustainable district. has received more than £400m in Prolific planning, landscape and development funds since the 90s. ecology consultancy LUC has been OF MANCHESTER IS Prior to this, the suburb had become appointed to work alongside them, notorious for Hulme Crescents, as well as with local residents, to a large and poorly designed public create a communal green space housing development that was built where the streetscape is currently in the 70s and demolished just dominated by hard landscaping. two decades later. “The project originated from Images of these bleak concrete blocks have students on the Masters of Landscape been replaced with the lush greenery of Hulme Architecture course,” explains Ben Wayles, Park, for instance, which was completed back in consultant landscape architect in LUC’s 1999. Hulme is also now home to the Birley Fields Manchester office. “They created aspirational
65% PLANTED
20.4% GREEN
SPACE
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designs that transformed the street into a shared space for play and socialising through the introduction of rain gardens, green walls, traffic calming measures and functional planting.”
THE PROJECT ORIGINATED FROM STUDENTS ON THE MASTERS OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE COURSE These designs were then built as a temporary ‘Living Exhibition’ last year, with donations from suppliers such as GreenBlue Urban, Enviromesh, Furnitubes and Urbanscape. From this, LUC was approached to create a more permanent space, and Ben says the need for spaces such as these has become even more evident as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Due to current travel restrictions, large portions of the UK’s urban population have limited or no access to any kind of green infrastructure, which is shown to have detrimental social effects. “Access to green spaces positively influences mental health and wellbeing, whilst also addressing climate change issues such as air pollution, flooding, loss of biodiversity and other environmental impacts. Reclaiming unused land, such as that at Heron Street, and implementing new green infrastructure provides numerous benefits for the community and the environment.” It also shows how green infrastructure can be added to the urban environment and provide a much-needed green space for residents. “Collaboration with local residents and stakeholders has created ownership of the project and resulted in a design that prioritises simplicity and buildability, ensuring this scheme is implemented without the need for multiple funding applications,” says Ben.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
23/07/2020 15:06
INFORM
P R OJ ECT D E TA I L S
A
Issue
T20-0002_LD_GA_002 T20-0002
For Comment
Drawing Nr Job Nr
Status
Drawing Title
Scale @ A3
Heron Street Site Design - Trees in Planting Area
Client
Hulme Community Group
1 : 100
6th Floor. 55 King Street. Manchester. M2 4LQ +44 (0)161 537 5960 manchester@landuse.co.uk www.landuse.co.uk
Reused Materials Concrete Pavers - Approx 335 (450mm Heron Street - Sustainable Streets x 450mm) Project
Chk
3m
400mm) Concrete Foundations - 0.08m3 (30mm depth) LUC3 Manchester Sub Base - 0.17m
Proposed Benches - 2 (Approx 1800mm x
Landscape Furniture Description Drn Blocks - 15 (Existing concrete pavers as fill) 1 2 Planted Pallets - 14 + structural timber 0
Mulch - 2.2m3
Iss Date Gabion
Proposed Resin Surfacing - 59 m2
Soft Landscaping Ornamental Planting - 42.7 m2 Proposed Climbers - 2.2 m2 Green Waste - 4.4m3
Hard Landscaping Gravel Surfacing - 12.5 m2 (0.65m3)
Existing Gates & Brick Pillars EXISTING GATE & PILLAR
MATERIAL QUANTITIES
Edging
& Lighting Tree
Existing Services SERVICES & LIGHTING COLUMNS Columns
Proposed PROPOSED TREE PLANTING Planting
Proposed Kinley Freestanding Bench
Proposed PROPOSED SEATINGWooden
Bonded Surfacing
PROPOSED SEATING
PROPOSED RESIN Resin Proposed BONDED SURFACING
PROPOSED CLIMBERS Proposed Climbers
Blocks
ORNAMENTAL PLANTINGPlanting Ornamental
Raisby Golden
GABION BLOCKS Gabion
PLANTED PALLET Pallets Planted
BOUND GRAVEL Gravel Surfacing SURFACING
KEY
Notes Do not scale from this drawing. All dimensions are drawn in millimetres. Drawing & design copyright LUC. Reproduction of this drawing in whole or in part is prohibited without prior permission.
Client Manchester School of Architecture, Manchester City Council and partners Landscape architects LUC Suppliers GreenBlue Urban, Environmesh, Furnitubes and Urbanscape
T20-0002_LD_GA_002
T20-0002
Drawing Nr
Job Nr
A Issue
Heron Street Site Design - Trees in Planting Area
26.02.20
Heron Street
Sustainable Streets
Drawing Title
For Comment
1 : 100 Scale @ A3
Status
Hulme Community Group Client
Heron Street - Sustainable Streets Project
6th Floor. 55 King Street. Manchester. M2 4LQ +44 (0)161 537 5960 manchester@landuse.co.uk www.landuse.co.uk
LUC Manchester
530 2,000
2,470
1,000
1,800
400
1,000
1,000
800
930
1,800
2,470
2,030
450
975
2,000
2,250
Heron Street Site Design - Trees in Hardstanding Drawing Title Status
Hulme Community Group
PROPOSED RESIN BONDED SURFACING
Client
Heron Street - Sustainable Streets
RESIDENT PARKING
Project 6th Floor. 55 King Street. Manchester. M2 4LQ +44 (0)161 537 5960 manchester@landuse.co.uk www.landuse.co.uk LUC Manchester 1
0 Iss
Date
Chk
PROPOSED SEATING
For Comment
Scale @ A3
3m
Drn
PROPOSED SEATING
2,070
1 : 100
2
SERVICES & LIGHTING COLUMNS
A Issue 2
Description
3m Drn
Chk
Concept Design
T20-0002_LD_GA_001 Drawing Nr
Description
PROPOSED TREE PLANTING
2,250
530
2,300
T20-0002
Date
EXISTING GATE & PILLAR
930
1,000
Job Nr
1
0
Iss
1,800 450
1,800
PROPOSED CLIMBERS
ORNAMENTAL PLANTING
PLANTED PALLET GABION BLOCKS
BOUND GRAVEL SURFACING
Notes Do not scale from this drawing. All dimensions are drawn in millimetres. Drawing & design copyright LUC. Reproduction of this drawing in whole or in part is prohibited without prior permission.
Gravel Surfacing - 12.5 m2 Gabion Blocks - 15 (using existing concrete pavers as aggregate) Planted Pallets - 14 + structural timber Ornamental Planting - 44.3 m2 PROPOSED AREAS EXISTING GATE & PILLAR PROPOSED TREE PLANTING SERVICES & LIGHTING COLUMNS PROPOSED SEATING PROPOSED SEATING PROPOSED RESIN BONDED SURFACING PROPOSED CLIMBERS ORNAMENTAL PLANTING PLANTED PALLET GABION BLOCKS BOUND GRAVEL SURFACING
Notes Do not scale from this drawing. All dimensions are drawn in millimetres. Drawing & design copyright LUC. Reproduction of this drawing in whole or in part is prohibited without prior permission.
Future Projects LUC.indd 13
400
975
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800
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“This project promotes sustainability through the reuse and repurposing of materials that would otherwise be wasted,” says Ben. “It seeks to change the perception that the only green spaces of value are ‘out of town’ and therefore need travelling to, by creating a local, sustainable and diverse green space for the residents of Heron Street and the wider community in St Mary’s. The Heron Street project shows how small-scale green infrastructure projects could be implemented across the UK in a sustainable and achievable way, building on the incredible community spirit highlighted during these uncertain and unfamiliar times.” Alongside these reclaimed materials, around
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THIS PROJECT PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE REUSE AND REPURPOSING OF MATERIALS
65% of the space will be used for planting specimen street trees, shrub planting and herbaceous planting. Focal points will be created along the street using a mixture of ornamental flowering trees and fastigiate trees. Pollinatorfriendly species, including Echinacea purpurea and Lonicera periclymenum, will join structural grasses such as Calamagrostis varia and other flowering plants such as Lavandula angustifolia. “Increased planting also provides natural drainage and can help reduce the heat island effect, which is exacerbated in this location by the expanse of hard landscaping. The planting selection, whilst attracting wildlife, ensures easy maintenance for local residents, but also year-round interest,” adds Ben. The Heron Street Community project shows that it’s not just large, commercial schemes which make a difference; it’s these small, local projects which are changing the way our cities look and providing green space to those most in need.
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To minimise wastage, elements from the Living Exhibition will be used in the permanent scheme, including gabions and sedum panels. Reclaimed concrete slabs from the existing site will fill these gabion blocks, and wooden shipping pallets have been transformed into planted walls. Existing poor quality sub-soil will be kept on site and combined with green waste to create a manufactured topsoil for use in planting beds and tree pits.
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22/07/2020 22/07/2020 09:48 16:34
INFORM
Let ’s Hear it From AFTER ONLY FIVE YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY, TOM MASSEY HAS ALREADY MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF, PARTICULARLY WHERE SHOW GARDENS ARE CONCERNED. THE MULTI-AWARD-WINNING GARDEN DESIGNER SHARES HIS HIGHS AND LOWS OF CHELSEA BEING CANCELLED THIS YEAR, AND HIS SHOW GARDEN EXPERIENCE SO FAR
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wo weeks after this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show should have taken place, Tom Massey – rather than basking in the glory of what would have undoubtedly been a successful show for the budding designer – is on a call with Pro Landscaper (face-to-face meetings being against government guidance at this time) talking about the impact of the show’s cancellation. These are by no means as negative as you’d assume: firstly, the plants for the show garden have been put to good use which, in turn, has led to some fantastic – and quite touching – publicity. Just before lockdown was announced, Tom managed to plant up the courtyard of Derriford Hospital in Plymouth with around 300 plants that were originally destined for his Yeo Valley Organic Garden at Chelsea. Days later, Tom spotted a story on BBC News. An 84-year-old explorer named Robin HanburyTenison, who’d been in an induced coma for a number of weeks and had nearly died a number of times, first started to feel better when he was wheeled out to the garden that Tom and volunteers from Yeo Valley had managed to plant. ‘Feeling the sun on his face and seeing the flowers was a u-turn in his road to recovery’ – “it was incredible to read that,” says Tom, who was clearly thrilled with this impact. “Robin has since talked a lot about the power of gardens to aid recovery. It was a really nice story to hear and I hope it helps to enforce the importance of gardens in hospital spaces.” Hanbury-Tenison spent seven weeks in the hospital fighting coronavirus and is now on the path to recovery at home. Derriford wasn’t the only hospital to benefit from Tom’s Chelsea plants, either. Around
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©Britt Willoughby Dyer
GARDENS AND PUBLIC SPACES HAVE BECOME SO IMPORTANT DURING THIS CRISIS
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INFORM
2,000 of them were also donated to five hospitals in London – closer to home for Tom, who is currently based in Mortlake in South West London. Chelsea being cancelled by the RHS because of COVID-19 also presented the opportunity to create an online version of the show. Virtual Chelsea, which went ahead in the same week as its physical counterpart should have taken place, was an assortment of unique videos from the designers and exhibitors set to appear at the show, including Tom. “It softened the blow for me, having the RHS ask us to produce a video for their virtual show,” says Tom. “It gave me and the team at Yeo Valley something to do around the time of the show.” It also, undoubtedly, made Chelsea accessible
ANYONE, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD COULD ATTEND VIRTUAL CHELSEA, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT. BUT I DON’T THINK IT REPLACES THE PHYSICAL SHOW
with his family, and has been renovating throughout lockdown. “I was trying to demonstrate that even if you haven’t got the space or budget to achieve a Chelsea garden in your own property, you can still take elements of the design and incorporate these into a smaller space and on a smaller budget.” Whilst a solely virtual show might be a one-off for Chelsea, Tom hopes that the RHS website might play a bigger role in the event going forward, providing bitesize videos for those who cannot attend the show, or for those who have attended and are looking for more information. He’s also hoping to see the Yeo Valley Organic Garden at next year’s show. “Instead of looking at it as a cancellation, I’m looking at it as a postponement until 2021. Everything’s quite uncertain at the moment, but I’m having positive discussions with the sponsor about doing it next year. “Perception of the importance of gardens and public green spaces has been hugely boosted during this crisis and lockdown period, so hopefully this will encourage sponsors to buy into garden design and horticulture, and use it
to help them promote their brands at the shows. The main thing is having the confidence to invest upfront; they need to commit a year before the show. The RHS’ deadline for next year’s Chelsea is 31 July, and by then we could still be in some form of lockdown, so it’s difficult for sponsors, and for the RHS, to know whether the show will even be allowed to go ahead next year.” It’s a pragmatic view; the cancellation – or postponement – of such an important event in the horticulture calendar could be a tough pill to swallow, but Tom has a wealth of show garden success to fall back on. Since retraining to be a garden designer at 28, having previously worked in animation, Tom has collected awards for four show gardens – two at Hampton Court, one at Chelsea, and one at the Singapore Garden Festival, which achieved a Gold medal as well as an award for best indoor lighting design. His first foray into show gardens saw him gain not only his first Gold medal, but also the award for Best Conceptual Garden. The UNHCR ‘Border Control’ Garden for the UN Refugee Agency at Hampton Court in 2016 was a joint venture with fellow graduate John Ward. “We sat down together after the course finished and thought we’d take the pressure off by teaming up and doing a show garden in the first year out of college – we were inspired by the RHS shows and were aware of the publicity and attention a show garden can bring for your career.” Before the show, Tom had already been pegged as one to watch, becoming one of Pro Landscaper’s inaugural 30 Under 30: The Next
for a wider audience. “It was open to all – there were no tickets and the videos are still available online. Anyone, anywhere in the world could attend Virtual Chelsea, which I think is great. “But I don’t think it replaces the physical show. For me, seeing those show gardens, talking to the designers and seeing the materials and plants in person, is a highlight of the year. Gardens are a multi-sensory experience, and whilst digitally you’ve got sound and sight, you haven’t got smell, touch and taste. And although some of the gardens are unachievable for most people, they should inspire people to take even a small idea away.” Tom took a leaf out of his own book for his video for Virtual Chelsea. Using the plants and the organic principles his Chelsea garden was set to promote – and which sponsor Yeo Valley wholeheartedly embraces – he created his own organic garden in London. He set about transforming the narrow plot outside his own property, a building he’d recently purchased
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INFORM
YOU CAN APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC TO ANY GARDEN
Generation after graduating with distinction from the London College of Garden Design, where he now guest lectures. After he set up his own practice, he picked up awards for both the commercial and residential categories of the Society of Garden Designers’ Student Award. Then, Hampton Court was an opportunity to start working towards a goal that he’d set of winning a Gold medal on Main Avenue at Chelsea. “It was a really good year at the show, just before it started getting hit by sponsors dropping out and numbers falling. Hopefully, that will build back up again. It Is going to be interesting to see what happens over the next few years and whether sponsors will have the confidence to commit, knowing that another pandemic could be just around the corner.” Despite sponsorship starting to take a hit, Perennial sponsored Tom’s second garden at Hampton Court the following year, and by his third garden – at Chelsea – he was being contacted by sponsors, rather than the other way around. “When you’re starting out, no one’s going to approach you because they don’t know who you are or what you do, but once you’ve done a couple of show gardens, sponsors are aware of you and know you can deliver.” Like Tom’s first show garden, The Lemon Tree Trust Garden for Chelsea in 2018 also set to highlight the plight of refugees, with this particular design inspired by Tom’s visit to a refugee camp in Northern Kurdish Iraq. “Show gardens are a really interesting way to use gardening and horticulture to tell a story. They allow you to be creative and work with brands like Yeo Valley or charities like the Lemon Tree Trust, to help share their message and explore complex or current themes through gardening, which I find really exciting.” The concept and the organic principles behind his latest Chelsea garden are ones that Tom will be taking forward in his projects, trying to promote them with his private clients. He’d always used sustainable methods, and had
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been aware of organic principles, but is now looking to further encourage clients to consider the benefits of these. “People assume organic is messy and wild – not necessarily what you would associate with an ornamental garden space – and there is also a perception that organic only refers to food production. I have found that is quite a common misconception. But you can apply organic principles to any garden. You can have areas for wildlife or plants that encourage and support pollinators or increase biodiversity. These often come hand
VISIT TO NAOSHIMA, JAPAN
in hand with installing a garden anyway; if you’re planting up deep borders with flowering perennials, that’s going to be massively beneficial to lots of different forms of wildlife. People do a lot of things without knowing that they’re employing organic principles.” Now five years in, Tom says he’s starting to get the types of projects, budgets and clients he’d hoped to gain. He will be collaborating with architects Studio Weave to install a pavilion for London Design Festival titled ‘The HotHouse’, which will stand in Stratford for a year and show a range of exotic plants that could soon be possible to grow outside in the UK. Most of his work is private residential, not just in London but as far afield as Cornwall, ranging from budgets of tens to hundreds of thousands. He adds that high expectations and low budgets are still common, though. “There’s still a problem with garden design being undervalued. Often, it’s not helped by TV programmes that
show radical transformations with a budget of £1,000. There’s a disconnect between garden design and architecture costs; people don’t associate the two as being similar.” It’s architecture, in fact, which helps to inspire Tom’s designs, alongside other influences, including who Tom calls “the usual suspects” such as Piet Oudolf, James Hitchmough, Nigel Dunnet and Tom Stuart Smith. The landscapes Tom visits also help to shape future designs. “Landscapes really inspire me. I’ve travelled quite a lot, visiting places like Japan and Singapore, seeing the way architecture is incorporated into the landscapes over there. On this Japanese island called Naoshima, there’s world class art and architecture in this tiny rural fishing village. I find that juxtaposition really interesting.” Whilst COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on Tom’s practice, enquiries are still coming in. “The benefits from Chelsea are immeasurable, so missing out on that has definitely been a blow, but hopefully it’ll be made up for next year if the garden goes ahead.” As the UK remains in lockdown, and RHS shows having been reluctantly scribbled out of schedules, Tom is keeping himself busy with his practice, house renovations, and cycling on the quieter, less polluted roads of London. But Tom is very much looking forward to returning to the work he loves – show gardens. And we all have our fingers crossed that, next May, we’ll be exploring the much-anticipated Yeo Valley Organic Garden with him. 1 Perennial Sanctuary Garden ©Britt Willoughby Dyer 2 The Yeo Valley Organic Garden 3 Precious Land, Singapore Garden Festival 4 The Lemon Tree Trust Garden ©Britt Willoughby Dyer 5 UNHCR Border Control Garden ©Samuel North 6 The Lemon Tree Trust Garden ©Britt Willoughby Dyer
C O N TA C T Tom Massey Studio 59 North Worple Way, London, SW14 8PR Tel 07946 406619 Email hello@tommassey.co.uk Twitter @tommasseyuk Instagram @tommasseyuk
www.tommassey.co.uk
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A DA M W H I T E VIEW FROM THE TOP
ON 30 JUNE, ADAM WHITE WELCOMED OVER 200 GUESTS TO HIS FINAL LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE (LI) PRESIDENT’S REVIEW WEBINAR WHERE HE HANDED OVER THE PRESIDENCY TO THE LI’S NEW PRESIDENT JANE FINDLAY
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was delighted to welcome guests as I handed over the presidency. My international guests included, James Hayter from Adelaide, Australia (president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects), Sujata Kohli (president of the Indian Society of Landscape Architects) and Iris Hoi (president of The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects). James opened by sharing a message on behalf of IFLA: “I would like to say thank you for your contribution during your presidency of the LI. You have been an inspiration and a great ambassador for the profession – not just in the UK, but globally. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and all at IFLA look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.” Iris Hoi spoke of Hong Kong’s effective management of COVID-19. She reflected on the importance of government recognition of the profession in Hong Kong. Sujata Kohli focused on the relative youth of the landscape profession in India and the importance of education and skills for the growth of the profession. I was then joined by Florence Williams, from Washington DC, USA, key note speaker at the LI Awards in 2018 and author of The Nature Fix. I was keen to hear from Florence again and discuss the importance of time in nature, in light of the global lockdown. After several dress rehearsals, it became apparent that it was going to be almost impossible to do a traditional PowerPoint update of my two years in the allocated 20 minutes. So, with the help of Prima Vista Films and a wealth of archive footage and photos, we set about making a presidential highlights film. The result is this film – a lovely moment in time captured whilst sat in my local community
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garden in Kingston upon Thames. Find it on our Instagram page (@davies_white) or on YouTube. This final president’s review webinar gave me the perfect opportunity to congratulate our members that have recently been promoted from CMLI (Chartered Member of the LI) to FLI (Fellow of the LI) status, and also those that have been made Fellows via the LI Invited Route.
THE LI HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO BROADENING THE PROFESSION TO BE A HOME FOR ALL PROFESSIONALS PRACTISING ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE SECTOR Fellowship of the Landscape Institute (FLI) is the highest form of chartered membership awarded. Those promoted from CMLI to FLI included: • Kim Wilkie FLI • Ruth Holmes FLI • Carolyn Willitts FLI • Sarah Gibson FLI • Tom Stuart Smith FLI • Helen Woolley FLI • Richard Sneesby FLI • David Watkiss FLI • John Wyer FLI • Steve Morgan FLI • David Finch FLI • Sarah Jones Morris FLI • Katharine Schofield FLI
Under my presidency, the LI has been committed to broadening the profession to be a home for all professionals practising across the landscape sector. They span diverse landscape skills such as urban design, garden design, horticulture, landscape construction, education, landscape science, parks management, landscape policy and of course our largest fields of practice, landscape architecture and landscape planning. I was delighted to welcome and congratulate the latest invited route members, many of which were awarded FLI status for their contribution to the development of the profession: • Andrew Wilson FLI • Brian Evans FLI • Jo Thompson FLI • Andrew Halksworth FLI • Marian Boswall FLI • Nick James FLI • Mark Gregory FLI • Cecil Konijnendijk AFLI • Juliet Sargeant FLI • Matthew Haslam CMLI • Nigel Dunnett FLI • James Dymond CMLI Due to the lockdown, the presentation of the FLI certificates will be postponed until a future event can safely take place. In the meantime, new FLI’s will be invited to attend the next College of Fellows meeting and be part of promoting the profession through a number of initiatives. If you wish to join the LI, or are a CMLI member wanting to apply for Fellowship, then please get in touch: membership@landscapeinstiute.org.
ABOUT ADAM WHITE PLI Adam White PLI is a director at Davies White Ltd, a double RHS Gold medal, double BBC People’s Choice and RHS Best in Show award-winning Chartered Landscape Architects practice. He was president of the LI, and is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute. Social media: @davies_white
www.davieswhite.co.uk
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17/07/2020 09:33
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INFORM
ANDREW WILSON THERE’S ALWAYS ONE
ANDREW WILSON LOOKS AT HOW DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES CAN WORK WELL TOGETHER, DESPITE SOME NOT SEEING IT THAT WAY
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he date 30 June was a red letter day for me as I watched the handover of past president of the Landscape Institute Adam White to incoming president Jane Findlay. A review of Adam’s two years in office emphasised the way in which various organisations within our sector have been brought much closer together, which is overwhelmingly a good thing. I must admit to having a vested interest in the event as I was conferred the honour of Fellow of the Landscape Institute (FLI) – and not only me but also Mark Gregory, Jo Thompson, Marian Boswall, Richard Sneesby and Tom Stuart-Smith – all of whom have worked especially hard in the field of garden design. This in itself is a major step forward in acknowledging the work that we do and the discipline of garden design.
It seems perhaps that not everyone sees it that way. A few weeks before the LI event, I was approached by Mary Keen as she prepared a piece for The Telegraph. She asked about the importance of horticulture and plant knowledge for those wanting or training to be a garden designer. She was writing especially in the light of the lockdown and how this had affected people, particularly those considering a career change. I responded in some detail, as for most
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of my 35-year career in garden design teaching, this question has reared its head quite regularly. We had a great discussion as a result – Mary is one of our most knowledgeable planting designers, but she was completely open to the points I raised in response. Of course garden designers are dealing with plants in their work, of course horticultural knowledge is invaluable and of course it is
A PURE TRAINING IN HORTICULTURE DOES NOT MAKE A GARDEN DESIGNER. IT WOULD BE LIKE TRAINING A BUILDER AND THEN ASKING THEM TO DESIGN A BUILDING useful to handle plants, observe their nuances, successes and failures. But a pure training in horticulture does not make a garden designer. It would be like training a builder and then asking them to design a building. God knows we need horticulturists, but we also need garden designers. They are not the same nor are they interchangeable. So why am I getting hot under the collar about this? Well, there was a response to the Mary Keen article online – just one, yet it niggled. It suggested alternative viewing that thankfully didn’t include garden designers, a suggestion or insinuation that somehow pure horticulture was the true pathway and garden design wasn’t.
I’ve heard it all before, about getting your hands dirty, being in touch with the soil, tending and seeing plants through their life cycle, physical labour, etc. All very worthy and laudable, but none of this is garden design. Personally, I prefer the honesty of landscapers such as Richard Curle who admires the creative role of the garden designer and admits freely that he wouldn’t know where to start given a blank sheet of paper. I admire people like James Aldridge who, having completed a degree in horticulture at Wye, realised that if he wanted to be a garden designer he would need that specific training. An increasing number of horticulturists are accepting this need for design training but for those who change career from a different sector, the majority undertake horticultural training either before or after their design studies, often coupled with hands-on experience. Can we please accept the different skill bases and accept that working together with mutual respect is far more productive than calling out each profession or discipline? After all, designers create gardens that in turn produce a substantial amount of work for the horticulturally trained, for nurseries, landscapers and a plethora of artisans. Pictured: Horticulture or garden design? Award-winning Hertfordshire garden by Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam
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.
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B E N W E ST A WILD VARIETY
BEN WEST EXPLAINS WHY ONLY USING NATIVE PLANTS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST OPTION
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n these pages, I recently extolled the virtues of garden ‘weeds’ in light of their potential to re-connect us with nature; I proposed a move away from our entrenched revulsion toward a position of reverence. As much as I love native wildflowers and have learned much about myself and the wider world from a close relationship with them (not to mention benefitted immeasurably from their medicinal and culinary properties), I don’t want to give the impression that I’m an advocate of allowing our plots to go completely to seed. Rather, I’m looking to promote a more laissezfaire attitude that permits weeds be cherished rather than demonised in order to improve the biodiversity of our gardens, and our nation, as a consequence. The key component here is the notion of surrender, of letting go of deeply held opinions when faced with evidence that suggests they might be damaging or just simply unfounded. This is a lesson we can all take on board whatever our feelings on what constitutes a successful garden. For instance, proponents of wildlife gardening have traditionally espoused using only ‘native’ plants. However, research by Dr. Ken Thompson and his colleagues at the University of Sheffield suggests otherwise. Ken is a plant ecologist who was part of the ‘Biodiversity in Urban Gardens’ or ‘BUGS’ project which investigated the significance of urban gardens in Sheffield for natural diversity back in 2000. Their findings blew apart the doctrine that held ‘native’ superior to ‘alien’ plants in terms of their ability to support wildlife. Ken and the team found that, so long as they delivered the goods in terms of providing food, shelter and a place to raise young, most wildlife didn’t much care for the
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origins of any particular plant. In fact, more importance rested on schemes that were diverse and varied in flower type and shape, rich in nectar and planted in swathes of the same species. Gardens providing successional planting and extended individual flowering periods also
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCE THAT NATURE LOVES A BIT OF ORDERED CHAOS
displayed increased biodiversity. In addition, pollinating insects showed a preference for plants closer to the ancestral species rather than highly modified versions such as double flowered varieties. The BUGS project also discovered a list of other features those wishing to increase biodiversity should include in their gardens, namely trees, ponds, compost heaps, walls, hedges and, importantly, combinations of the above to provide variation and diversity. The project also stipulated avoiding the following elements: closely mown grass, extensive areas
of hard surfacing, the use of chemicals and, last but not least, excessive tidiness. It has always been my anecdotal experience that nature loves a bit of ordered chaos and this was supported by the BUGS project findings. Think of the grass snake in the compost heap, the whitethroat nest in the bramble patch or the pile of cinnabar moth caterpillars on that scrap of ragwort you forgot to weed out. This is the very essence of wildlife gardening and affirms why a little bit of ‘conscious neglect’ goes a long way. It is important not to understate the significance of loosening up our attitudes. If we are to redress the imbalance that 50+ years of over-zealous gardening has instilled, then we must stop treating gardens like we do the rest of our uptight, downtrodden and increasingly straight-jacketed lives, whichever side of the fence we are on. Those wishing to gain a sharper understanding of what wildlife gardening is really all about should read the illuminating ‘No Nettles Required’ by Ken Thompson. Please do drop us a line with your thoughts and feedback on Ben’s article at info@landscapingsolutionsltd.co.uk
ABOUT BEN WEST Ben West spent his formative years exploring the landscapes of Staffordshire, and studied environmental management at Keele University, prior to moving to Surrey and setting up Landscaping Solutions. The firm has since won many RHS medals and BALI Awards. Ben wishes to use his passion for natural landscapes to direct the firm’s future trajectory, and ensure clients consider nature when planning landscaping schemes.
www.landscapingsolutionsltd.co.uk
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n the autumn of 2015, Peter Reader Landscapes was approached by Kenham Building Ltd which was redeveloping a Victorian postal office in a prestigious West London location into a secluded luxury house. Central to the design was an open courtyard area which the key rooms and bedrooms wrapped around through two storeys. In keeping with the move to ‘greening the city’, Kenham Building Ltd was keen that the space felt like a garden rather than a courtyard. Given its integral position, it was important that the garden and house flowed together and that the garden delivered a wow factor.
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Internal views – from inside to out Rill winds around/under floating patio Sliding doors enable inside/outside flow Raised planters with an evergreen core and seasonal perennial highlights of colour Anemone ‘Ruffled Swan’/Liriope/Ferns Semi-hardy Muehlenbeckia flourishing Metal detailing elements of the design Reflective pools bring space and light
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Design and build Despite the small size of the garden, Peter Reader Landscapes was keen to divide the space with level changes, virtual rooms and small journeys. These features serve to give the garden interest, whilst a blend of construction materials including white render, a powder coated steel rill and planters, limestone pavers and black pebbles, add beauty and are used in such a way as to keep the garden cohesive. The three areas designed into the garden are a bench seating area under pleached, evergreen Quercus ilex trees, a ‘floating’ patio providing space for alfresco dining, and an area of raised planters containing evergreen topiary and perennials. Water tumbles into the garden from a steel blade in the far wall, through a series of falls, and snakes under the floating patio, finally finishing in a reflective pool at the opposite side of the garden. The flowing water creates soothing sounds and visual movement, whilst the still pool reflects the sky and brings light and space into the centre of the house. The main pathway zig-zags through the raised planters before crossing over the pool. At this end of the garden are the large sliding glass doors into the house, allowing the living areas and the garden to blend seamlessly together as the matching grey limestone slabs of both inside and outside flow through the space. Planting consists of evergreen topiary giving all year structure and character, complemented by a mix of shade-tolerant plants selected for varying leaf colours and shapes. Finally, a select palette of repeat flowering hardy perennials provides a long season of colourful interest.
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5 Challenges Given the small space that is very fixed by its solid wall boundaries and the complexity of features such as the water feature, this project required meticulous planning and attention to detail and close working with the architects and other artisans involved in its delivery. The build phase was particularly challenging as the relatively small space of the house and garden proved a crowded environment with many competing priorities across different aspects of both house and garden builds. The final finished effect was well worth the challenge though.
ABOUT PETER READER L A N DSCA P ES Peter Reader Landscapes provides an award-winning garden design service based in North London and the South East. Previously a doctor, and having retrained three years ago at KLC Design School, Peter has a versatility of design styles as demonstrated by his two RHS show gardens – from the crisp modern outdoor garden room of Al Fresco to the ephemeral naturalistic perennial style of Four Corners.
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www.readerlandscapes.com
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REFERENCES Contractor Kenham Building Ltd kenhambuilding.com Patio and pathway stone London Stone www.londonstone.co.uk Pumps and lights Landscape plus www.landscapeplus.com Quercus ilex Pleached trees, Quercus suber and Ilex topiary Architectural plants architecturalplants.com Shrubs and perennials Hortus Loci hortusloci.co.uk Aquatics plants Anglo Aquatic Plant Company Ltd www.angloaquatic.co.uk Metal works Outdoor Design www.outdoordesign.co.uk
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ESCAPE M O N K E Y I S L A N D E S TAT E ADDING VALUE DESIGN
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H AV I N G R E C E N T LY O P E N E D I T S P R E S T I G I O U S B O U T I Q U E H O T E L , M O N K E Y I S L A N D E S TAT E I N B R AY, L U X U R Y H O T E L G R O U P Y T L N E E D E D A D D I N G VA L U E D E S I G N T O C R E AT E A ROMANTIC AND SENSORY EXPERIENCE FOR ITS GUESTS
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PROJECT D E TA I L S Build time 4 months Size of project 7 acres Awards The Surrey Hills Trademark Award
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onkey Island Estate lies on the picturesque island in the River Thames, in the historic village of Bray. Monkey Island has a fascinating 800-year-old history, having been the haunt of monks, royalty, aristocrats and a host of famous writers and performers. The Pavilion and Temple buildings have been completely restored and renovated by YTL Hotels and opened last summer, to provide 57 guest rooms, three sumptuous suites, a gourmet restaurant and quirky barge spa. With YTL’s new hotel’s door just opening, the surrounding island’s seven acres of gardens needed to be reinvented. The neglected estate provided a relatively blank canvas for Adding Value Design (A V Design) to work with as director Bradley Burgess and his team set about creating a fresh, contemporary soft landscaping design.
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Brief The brief required a garden which entices the guests throughout the seasons but also, as it is an island, must look stunning when viewed from every angle from the surrounding River Thames. It was clear when it secured the contract for The Monkey Island Estate, that A V Design should create a dramatic outdoor space to complement the luxurious interiors of the hotel, whilst challenging some well-established garden rules. 1 2 3 4
Wisteria Arch frames the building perfectly Herbaceous and Mediterranean borders Elliott stands amongst the prairie borders Many of the prairie plants used in the borders, have holistic and healing qualities 5 The Grand Avenue, a perfect backdrop for events 6 Soft palette of flowers adopted by A V Design 7 Plants found in the ingredients of the carefully selected spa treatment products were chosen
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Design and build A V Design incorporated eight different planting styles, something Bradley believes most designers wouldn’t have considered. These winning combinations provide interesting and harmonious patterns across the Estate. The gardens infuse traditional herbaceous, prairie and architectural block planting borders, creating a sense of place, carving out views and vistas which encompass the key ingredients to A V Design’s style of garden design. With the unusual layout of the existing hard landscaping and lighting, the focus was therefore to design and implement the soft landscaping. A V Design has now completed the first phase of the garden redesign. This includes a dramatic central avenue of large pleached hornbeam trees. These structural specimens are framed by low hedges of soft clipped yew, which house rich blocks of successional planting. In spring, the borders are filled with tulips, daffodils and alliums, and in the summer A V Design’s signature planting scheme can be seen, which consists of Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, with accents of purples from Allium sphaerocephalon and blue agapanthus.
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8 Yew hedge frames the view of the River Thames 9 The vibrant orange furniture sets contrast beautifully with the planting colour combinations 10 Bradley Burgess and his dog Elliott 11 White hydrangea, blue agapanthus and purple alliums fill the borders on the Grand Avenue 12 The Arrivals Lodge at Luxury Boutique Hotel 13 Shepard’s huts with various tree specimens
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Monkey Island’s quirky Spa Barge is moored on the edge of the island, and A V Design has created a soft prairie style walkway down to the spa. The planting around the estate also incorporates many perfumed, botanical plants used for their medicinal qualities such as rosemary, fennel, heather, lavender and horse chestnut which can be found in the ingredients of the spa’s ‘Moss of the Isles’ natural products. A V Design has also created deep perennial borders outside the hotel’s bedroom windows which are deliberately planted with hardworking perennials that require very little watering and maintenance, to avoid disturbing guests enjoying their stay at the exclusive hotel.
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Challenges From the very start of the project, Bradley and his team were faced with some rather unusual landscaping issues, including having to wheelbarrow in 220t of new topsoil and compost onto the island by hand, over the footbridge. Any large construction equipment and diggers had to be transported across to the island on a barge.
A B O U T A V D ES I G N A V Design is headed up by Bradley Burgess who has worked in the property and design industries for more than 16 years. With combined skills in surveying, property development, garden and interior design, Adding Value Design offers a tailor-made service to add value and style to a client’s property. Applying its knowledge to the whole property, inside and out, A V Design aims to deliver a harmonious approach to design with an impeccable project management service for both private and corporate clients.
www.addingvaluedesign.com BEFORE
REFERENCES Designer, soft landscaping and maintenance A V Design www.addingvaluedesign.com Plants Creepers Nursery www.creepersnursery.co.uk
DURING WORKS
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Greenhouse Alitex www.alitex.co.uk
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PROJECT D E TA I L S
LIVING THE
Project value £23,700 Size of project 8m x 9m Awards Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT Awards 2019, Design Under £25,000
HIGH LINE
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BURGHILL ROAD LARA BEHR GARDEN DESIGN T H I S SO U T H LO N D O N GA R D E N WAS D ES I G N E D FO R A C O U P L E W H O R E Q U I R E D A C O N T E M P O R A R Y S PA C E I N W H I C H T O R E L A X A N D E N T E R TA I N , I N S P I R E D B Y T H E I R T R I P T O N E W Y O R K A N D T H E H I G H L I N E PA R K
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teep and impractical, the stairs down to the original garden were crumbling with the patio at the bottom too small for any real use. Where was previously a shed base, now laid their garden table and chairs. The fences, although rather new, were constructed badly with panels in need of being restored. A slope at the end of the garden made the space seem smaller, further accentuated by the poorly assembled fence, which decreased in height with every panel. Drainage issues around the house were also present, with the steps and patio not having adequate fall built in or sufficient drainage, triggering damp problems and making the steps slippery and unsafe.
DESIGN PLAN
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Client brief Lara Behr Garden Design’s clients requested an area for growing vegetables and herbs, and emphasised that they wanted a garden which gave them flexibility and incorporated various locations for sitting, dining and entertaining guests.
The clients were keen to have a bold planting scheme which complemented their interior. It was essential to them that the garden looked good when viewed from the inside due to the bi-fold doors which opened to their main living space. Design and build Lara Behr Garden Design designed a masterplan for the clients, simplifying the hard landscaping and focusing on making the garden practical, replacing the steps and dividing the garden into defined areas connected by paths. Due to the level changes in the garden, designing the new steps proved challenging, and it was important for them to be practical and easier to use. The steps were extended on either side, ensuring they were usable as seating and to hold large planters – which had the added benefit of breaking up the hard landscaping. Plank paving was then used to gradually blur the edges of the patio at the bottom of the steps and again soften this area.
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Blue-grey granite from London Stone was used for paving due to its hard-wearing properties and natural base to the colourful, vibrant planting. A bespoke style boundary between the main paving area, gravel paths and planting areas was fashioned. Buff gravel was used to add warmth to the hard landscaping scheme and to provide contrast to the paving colour in places where the two main materials met, generating a much more functional surface. Budget constraints meant that entirely new fencing was not feasible, however adjustments were made. A handful were reinstated, and others modified so they no longer stepped down in level on each panel. Painted in dark grey, the panels reflect the colours found in the open plan living room. Planting was designed to give bursts of seasonal colour at various times of the year, with grasses used for texture and screening off different areas. Evergreens such as ferns, grasses and Hedera helix were used throughout to give interest, even during the colder months – an important factor due to the garden always being viewed from the main living space. Areas that receive more contrasting colours such as orange and purple were used to contrast with the dark painted fence and modern interior dÊcor. During the summer, colour intensifies becoming strong and vibrant using Geum and Echinacea purpurea. Towards late summer, smaller, taller, textural perennials such as Veronicastrum virginicum and Vernonia arkansana become the focus. Structured seed heads from perennials chosen to give textural interest, become the focus during autumn and winter. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Simple layout, areas separated by planting Different style of seating area in the garden Plank paving merges with planting House view of the strong structural element Bold colourful planting is repeated throughout Fire pit area with Corten benches Calming colours for granite paving and gravel Photographs ŠAnnaick Guitteny Photograpy
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VISUALISATION PLAN
Special features The pergola located on the west side of the garden became a focal point within the vista. A light structure which gives sculptural contrast to the surrounding plants, without dominating the space, was strategically placed to allow the clients to have a sunny spot to relax in whilst still having a sense of enclosure.
Challenges Initially, the project consisted of Lara Behr Garden Design just adding some planting. After discussion between the team and clients about how they use the garden, it became apparent that the garden was neglected and in a state of disrepair. In addition, the garden was laid almost entirely to lawn with a small patio area, which couldn’t properly fit their garden furniture, resulting in the space not being easy to use nor being used to its full potential. It quickly became apparent that the garden was going to require more than just planting which presented a challenge with the budget restraints.
ABOUT LARA BEHR GARDEN DESIGN Based in Sydenham, South East London, Lara designs outdoor spaces that sit comfortably within the client’s personal style, providing a space which serves as an extension of the home. Practical and sustainable planting is central to her philosophy and these schemes follow a straightforward maintenance plan, assuring year-round interest and structure.
www.larabehr.com
REFERENCES Garden construction Edward Davies Design www.edwarddaviesdesign.com
BEFORE
Paving London Stone www.londonstone.co.uk Gravel and stabilisation system CED Stone www.cedstone.co.uk Plants How Green Nursery www.howgreennursery.co.uk
BEFORE
Corten firewood storage The Pot Company www.thepotco.com Sponeck chairs and table IOTA Garden www.iotagarden.com
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BACK STEPS
Timber raised beds Harrod Horticultural www.harrodhorticultural.com
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LANDSCAPE A R C H I T EC T ’S F JOURNAL
FOUNDED OVER 25 YEARS AGO, AS A MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANY TGP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS HAS BEEN ACHIEVING BIG THINGS. WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SOME OF ITS AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS, IN ADDITION TO WHY DIRECTORS GARY STODART, MARK ELLIOTT AND ANDREW GARDNER ARE FEELING POSITIVE COMING OUT OF LOCKDOWN.
TG P L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T EC TS
ounded by Rachel Tennant and Nicola Garmory, today TGP Landscape Architects is run by its three directors, Gary Stodart, Mark Elliott and Andrew Gardner. The company recently celebrated its anniversary by sharing 25 of its favourite projects on its website. These projects included a diverse selection from a development strategy for Aberdeen Science Park, to conservation and management proposals at Whitby Abbey, and many other projects of varying size and complexity. You’d be forgiven for thinking TGP Landscape Architects has a sprawling team but, in fact, all of these projects are delivered by a team of just nine, based in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle offices.
WE CAN DO A PROJECT FROM START TO FINISH, OFFERING THAT CONTINUITY AND PERSONAL TOUCH VALUED BY CLIENTS Though a relatively small practice, one huge benefit which comes from working with TGP Landscape Architects is its ability to develop and manage projects from conception to completion, delivering every stage of the project. Unlike larger practices, TGP Landscape Architects won’t cost a fortune, and yet unlike smaller practices, it can offer clients its wealth of knowledge. Andrew says: “We can do a project from start to finish, offering that continuity and personal touch valued by clients.” Mark adds: “There’s hardly an area in which we don’t specialise, offering the service of larger companies, but on projects both small and large”. South Marine Park was one such project. Stretching 4km along South Shields seafront, this Victorian complex of parks and grounds had many of its historic features. Whilst it was important to recreate its original character, the new design also needed to respond to contemporary requirements.
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TGP Landscape Architects acted as lead consultants, working on the preparation of successful Stage 1 and Stage 2 proposal submissions under the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Parks for People Initiative, to the Stage 3 detailed design and implementation management. At a project value of £5.56m, works included restoration of the terrace, lake, bandstand, and various other enhancements. The company subsequently produced a 10-year management and maintenance plan and helped develop a Creative Partnership Associated Arts Programme. South Marine Park has gone on to win Best Park or Garden 2009 in the Horticulture Week Awards, Local Government Streetscape Award for lighting 2009 and a Green Flag Award. Environment Creating sustainable and environmentally friendly spaces is high on TGP Landscape Architects’ agenda, but it often finds that others aren’t quite on the same page: “In Scotland, there’s a lot of talk and design work without there being much on the ground,” Gary explains. “It will happen, but it’s just going to take a bit more time. So, we’re finding we have to ‘bang the drum’ with relevant authorities.” Nevertheless, TGP Landscape Architects continues to bang the environmental drum, aiming to be sustainable, reduce maintenance and increase biodiversity.
Another project just 1.5km from Newcastle’s city centre is the former Maynard’s Toffee Factory – a Victorian building with the tallest remaining industrial chimney in the area. As part of 1NG’s Economic Masterplan, the building provides ‘move-on’ accommodation for those in the creative industries. This location is unique, as much of its external space is a north-facing and damp riverfront. However, this provided an opportunity to use native species like ferns and mosses, as well as specimen trees and both native and exotic shrubs and grasses. Its Ouseburn Valley surroundings are within a designated conservation area, and so the external works needed to be sensitively designed, whilst meeting the objectives to
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contribute to a sustainable and high quality project – all of which resulted in the project achieving a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating. Active travel routes The company has designed numerous Active Travel Routes (ATR’s) within incredibly diverse locations, from coastal bays in the Outer Hebrides to the most urban areas of Glasgow. Though all locations and solutions are unique, the improvements aim to create safer, more inviting and better utilised routes. Mark says: “We have experience in numerous areas, but one area we’re gaining a lot work in is Sustrans funded work to create active travel links.” In Ayr, South Ayrshire Council appointed TGP to investigate ways in which the public realm and accessibility might be improved, creating a complete network that connects numerous destinations, such as the college, rugby club and new leisure centre with the town centre retail areas. This included revamping footways, reducing street clutter, improving signage, enhancing town centre links and making cycling and walking networks more attractive. The overall programme is to be joint funded by the council and Sustrans to develop a series of projects that will foster the use of sustainable access and reverse the town’s retail decline. The road network through Craigneuk and Wishaw also needed to become more appealing for cycling and walking, as the volume of traffic has created a hazardous and unpleasant environment. At 2.2km long, the new route combines mixed-use paths, segregated cycle routes, ‘quiet routes’ and bespoke 3m-wide footpaths and cycleways within Wishawhill wood. The Main Street (west) and woodland sections are now complete and already providing safe access. However, the western section along Meadowhead Road is now the subject of a more comprehensive design by TGP Landscape Architects in association with WYG, reducing on-street parking and introducing rain gardens, planting and paving that will considerably improve the road corridor.
COVID-19 A new £50m Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund will help Councils support communities, focusing heavily on retail areas and other public places as cities gear up to reopen. Mark explains: “That’s exactly what the government is after. COVID-19 has brought the viability of town centres to the forefront of people’s, local authority’s and the national government’s minds and they’re putting real money towards making retail areas attractive and safe.” The ‘new normal’ future Though emergent work opportunities may be ‘right up TGP Landscape Architects’ alley’, it’s also true that if central government budget cuts come in to cover the diversion of funds to counter COVID-19, it could affect landscape architecture first. Andrew explains: “I’ve been at the company for 20 years and we’ve always had a wide portfolio, never focusing only on one area. That has stood us in good stead through previous troubled times, so we continue to build more skills within the team.” Even though the company already uses an abundance of industry-leading software, Gary says: “We’re reviewing what else we may need, as the lockdown has given us a chance to upskill, so we’re not ruling out getting new software if it will benefit our clients.” In doing so, TGP Landscape Architects hopes it will continue to be prepared for whatever comes its way. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Former Maynard’s Toffee Factory, Newcastle Sandgate Visual South Marine Park Toffee Factory illuminated at nighttime South Marine Park Meadowhead Road visual
C O N TA C T The Square,95 Morrison Street Glasgow, G5 8BE Tel 0141 429 2999 Email info@tgp.uk.com
www.tgp.uk.com
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RENSON LOUVERED CANOPIES
A S M A N Y LO O K TO R E VA M P T H E I R GARDENS AFTER A SHIFT IN THE I M P O R TA N C E O F O U T D O O R S PAC E S D U R I N G LO C K D OW N , D E B S W I N R OW E X P L A I N S H OW TO ST Y L E A G A R D E N FO R A C O U P L E , A N D W H Y I T C A N B E S O E N J OYA B L E
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he most important consideration when planning a garden for a couple is that they need to be enjoyable spaces to spend time in. More than ever, our outdoor spaces are becoming vital to our wellbeing and need to have many purposes. Taking the same amount of care when furnishing and decorating your couple’s gardens as they have to their interiors will add personality and a certain unique charm,
becoming an outdoor retreat to simply share together or as a magnet for guests. If they have family that has now left the nest, this may be their time to have a garden that is finally all about them; joyfully parting with the beloved trampoline, clearing out the shed filled with bikes and toys and allowing them to make their outdoor space a little more grown-up. The 'couple' market is a delight to design for, as the flexibility of what can go into the garden can allow us creatives to steer away from the everyday essentials of the normal elements of other shared outdoor spaces. Sitting and chatting Defining your client’s style is a great first step to creating their version of a perfect outdoor living space. Most clients when asked will have fond memories of spending time outside, whether that be from their own individual childhoods or
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from their journey through life as a couple. Maybe it is a timeless, formal, and calm memory from a hotel courtyard when they shared a romantic breakfast – zones well defined, furnishings traditionally styled and decorative, inviting them to share a coffee and catch up on the news of their days. Maybe it is vibrant and exotic memory, from an outdoor space of a resort, with the focus being on living all day outdoors – catnapping on comfortable sunbeds, grabbing a drink from a bar, and a choice of music to play. Living alfresco When the weather is kind, there is little to stop us living outside if we have the right space to relax in. With the uncertainty of what the new 'normal' is going to bring us, couples are looking for ways to extend and adapt their outdoor living space, as much as those families with children at home too.
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Patio living Quiet seating areas that invite restful companionship or reflection are probably best for more traditional areas of patio design. Does this area lend itself to a view of the garden, across a field or perhaps DESIGNED BY ABIGAIL HAZEL even glimpse a sea view? With many fabulous outdoor furniture designs available, some using fabrics that are now water resistant, there is no reason why the comforts they enjoy inside cannot be repeated outdoors. Include lighting, music, and rugs underneath. Divide up areas Use wall elements to divide gardens into well-defined areas. These can be designed in many forms from a solid wall, a glass panel, a simple row of trees or even a raised planter or bed. By giving your couple different areas of the garden, they can relax together or alone at different points throughout the day. Dividers can also serve to create privacy and shelter, bringing a sense of intimacy to their outdoor area.
Eating and drinking Create welcoming and comfortable spaces for dining and relaxing. This might be a simple bistro set ready for breakfast, or a well-defined dining space with large table and chairs. Think about making the dining space inviting for two with extendable tables and stackable chairs when they wish to dine with others. Define even further with overhead shelter enhancing intimacy. That can be as simple as a tree branch or sail shade, or as substantial as a canopy or pergola.
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Work and play As our calendars are becoming all too familiar with the 'working from home' option, consider offering the ability for couples to work outdoors, rather than in their home. Whether that be to a beautifully designed outdoor office, or simply the thought of electrics going in early on to allow recharging laptops and phones while working from the garden table. Perhaps make this space multi-purpose, an office area during the day, turning into a party place for the foodie couple by night. Spa elegance Creating a spa and wellbeing area with outdoor sauna or a hot tub will invite outdoor fun whatever the temperature. With many of us working out with YouTube coaches, dedicating an area for workout mats, rowing machines or bikes is also a fabulous way to encourage your couple to use their outdoor space.
Being practical – utility areas Every property has utility zones and your couples' garden will be no exception – places where tools, firewood, compost bins and the like are kept. Storing these in cupboards is an attractive and tidy option and may mean you can keep them close to where they will be used, rather than hidden from the design. Putting plants on top of the cupboards, such as herbs or potted plants, helps them fit into the landscape. Even shelves neatly packed can look attractive. Achieving it together Bonding together over the garden’s final design can be wonderful for your clients and it is quite often more of a neutral zone, perhaps not as defined by either of them as areas of indoors might be. Be sure to incorporate at least a few of each of their wishes so they both get a sense of belonging to the space as individuals, as well as a couple. Encourage them to learn new skills ready for living outdoors. Maybe it is a new way of cooking outdoors, growing from seed, dressing the sofa with throws, or simply dropping their mobiles into a basket before they enter the garden – now there’s a thought!
ABOUT DEBS WINROW Debs Winrow, creative director of award-winning 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
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22/07/2020 18:43
INTERVIEW 48 GARDEN CLUB LONDON
©Bourne Amenity
LONDON
INTERVIEW 50 JOHN WARD, AOBA LANDSCAPES
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TOWER RANGER
DAVID WILLIAMS OF GROUND CONTROL AT TOWER OF LONDON
FUTURE PROJECTS
WOOD WHARF AT CANARY WHARF
54 COVID-19 IN
THE CAPITAL
LONDON
HOW HAS LONDON RESPONDED?
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SUPPLEMENT
COMMUTING IN THE CAPITAL
MARIAN BARKER
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PORTFOLIO: ROOF GARDEN
PHILIP NASH DESIGN
60 ARBOR FOREST PRODUCTS
COMPANY PROFILE
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BOURNE AMENITY
COMPANY PROFILE
GREENBLUE URBAN 64 COMPANY PROFILE
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VESTRE
COMPANY PROFILE
TORC POTS 68 COMPANY PROFILE London Leader and contents.indd 47
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WELCOME
ockdown is slowly lifting, and the You can also learn more about how aftermath of the pandemic is certain companies countered the starting to show. There’s talk of coronavirus pandemic initially. Our main uncertainty and issues with the interviewee, Tony Woods of Garden Club supply chain, as well as huge financial hits London, reacted before lockdown was and projects put on pause. It’s not all bad even announced and – spoiler alert – news, though. Appreciation of gardens and the response is impressive. green spaces appears to have soared, and Nevertheless, there are still challenges some companies we’ve spoken to ahead. Whilst there might be more are being bombarded with prospective candidates to fill enquiries from eager vacant roles, there are new clients looking to issues to consider such as LONDON IS transform their GRADUALLY GETTING use of public transport, outdoor spaces now which Marian Barker from BACK ON TRACK – they’re spending Fresh Horticultural Careers WITH RETURNING more time in them. tackles on page 56. TO NORMALITY The hustle and It would be difficult NOT NECESSARILY bustle is slowly starting for us to avoid talking THE GOAL to return to the capital about COVID-19 in our and sites are reopening, London special, and heavily albeit with social distancing too, but we hope you can take measures in place. Schemes such as away the positives from these pages – the new Wood Wharf development, Canary the past successes, with more to come, Wharf’s first residential venture, are back and the growing number of green-fingered up and running, whilst the maintenance clients getting in touch. London is gradually of some of the most famous tourist getting back on track – with returning to attractions, such as the Tower of London, normality not necessarily the goal. Its never ceased. You can read more about landscape is no doubt going to look both of these in the pages ahead. different in the future.
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 47
23/07/2020 15:21
LONDON AS GARDEN CLUB LONDON APPROACHES EIGHT YEARS OF WORKING IN LONDON, WE FIND OUT FROM ITS DIRECTOR TONY WOODS HOW THE COMPANY HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS, AS WELL AS HOW IT’S DEALING WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
INTERVIEW
GARDEN CLUB LONDON
NICK LIE AND TONY WOODS
Garden Club London (GCL) has been working in London for eight years now. How has the company evolved over those years? Our target client has changed and we’ve really refined what we do. Our mantra is, as far as we can, to work for clients that we want to work for, on projects that really interest us, where we can design, build and maintain that space. Nick Lie became operations director in February, joining me as a director. I wanted to start to share some equity with people who have really contributed to the success of the company. Nick and I both have our own skills and different ways of interacting with our teams, which creates a really nice balance. When GCL started it didn’t have a build department – now it’s on target to generate £2m a year. We’re also working with other designers
PADDINGTON FLOATING POCKET PARK
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on their builds. Not only do they appreciate phone talking about projects we knew our attention to detail, having an in-house we didn’t want to do, for clients we knew design team can come in handy when we weren’t looking for. So, we decided to making quick revisions or asking for advice. outsource all our enquires to a call centre Since we started, we’ve also made a where they ask for as much information as conscious effort to hire more women. possible. We’ll then only respond to clients We now have a female senior landscape who actually send in images and a brief, architect, a female landscape architect, which saves a lot of time. a female trainee landscaper and a female horticulturist. It’s really changed the How important is it to have high quality dynamics of the teams in a positive images of your projects? way. Because they work through It’s vital. The first photoshoot different departments, it has I paid for cost me double WHEN GCL made us all work more what my design fee was STARTED IT DIDN’T collaboratively and for that project. But it’s HAVE A BUILD communicate a bit better. been a fantastic investment Hiring apprentices was because that project DEPARTMENT – NOW on our radar, too. What we has gone on to feature IT’S ON TARGET didn’t agree with was the in several top named TO GENERATE pay grades for apprentices magazines. You have to treat £2M A YEAR – you just can’t live off them. some projects like a marketing We had to leave the Living task almost. You want a client to Wage Foundation scheme as it is buy into the quality of your work and very rigid on its pay guidelines, so we the extra mile you’ll go for them. We haven’t could hire trainee landscapers – who go spent anything on paid marketing for two to college part time – and pay them more. years. The only spend is on professional In terms of clients, the top end has photography, which is paying off as we get definitely grown – there are more a huge amount of enquires from Instagram. millionaires in the UK now and that certainly shows. I think people in London What are some of your favourite are realising that if their property is worth projects you’ve worked on in London? £1.2m, spending 2% of that value on the I often prefer working on our domestic garden is a really good investment. There’s residential projects, because you can really still a slight barrier with the general public, create a sense of place. With residential though. Even in small gardens, to get the projects, the client has often bought into you quality of work they want, clients may need as a designer. And at the end, you get to see to spend around £25k, but often the figure how much they get out of their new garden. they have in mind is more like £2,500. The Ned Hotel in London has also been great to work on. The team there are really How does GCL deal with enquires? creative, and they’re committed to getting the It took about five years to learn this lesson. right result, as opposed to focusing solely on Before, we would spend hours on the budget. We’ve been redesigning the planting
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22/07/2020 12:29
LONDON
POP-UP FOR BRITISH LAND
SGD AWARD-WINNING ROOF GARDEN
RHS CHELSEA 2018
scheme – it’s a big living plant machine; you can take 100 plants there and you barely notice anything because it’s so big. It’s a really cool place to go. One of your biggest learning curves? Saying “no”. When you’re a small business, it can feel like if you don’t chase every single enquiry, you’ll end GARDEN DESIGN IN ITALY up having no work. I was burning myself out chasing enquires because I felt like I owed them something for taking an interest in It’s been really useful that staff have In terms of parks and open spaces, us. But, if you’re working ridiculous hours and their health care package during this time – I think the public definitely has a greater you don’t get on with the client, you may as especially since it includes daily advice on appreciation of those spaces, and why well have been sitting at home with no work. mental health and wellbeing. I also just told we all need to help look after them. It’s hard to get your mind to think that way, everyone to try and enjoy it, especially those In the domestic market, I hope the especially when you are first starting out. But the with children. We won’t, hopefully, ever increase in demand means they can charge reality is, you most likely will get more work, and experience anything like this again. a bit more and live a better lifestyle. It all while you’re working on the Staff are back to work helps to improve the image of the industry project that isn’t going well, now, and we’ve put and the value of what we do. you might be turning measures in place to ensure down projects that are safety. We’re lucky What’s next for GCL? good business. Now, because on a lot We’re working on a few international instead of feeling guilty of builds, we’re the projects; a Tuscan villa in Italy where we’re when a client gets upset only company on recreating the landscape, and a project in the or angry if we turn down site. Staff who are living Far East. We’re also working on more design THE THAMES WATER GARDEN AT HAMPTON COURT with anyone vulnerable their project, I feel relieved projects across the UK. Places like Edinburgh, GARDEN FESTIVAL 2019 because they would likely have been Cardiff and Bristol are looking for have been difficult to work with. given their own vehicles and green roof specialists, and assigned to sites where they we’re getting a lot of requests. YOU WANT How has GCL dealt with the pandemic? can work on their own. The pandemic has also A CLIENT TO BUY We closed before the lockdown because myself changed the way we think INTO THE QUALITY and Nick just didn’t feel like it was right to be How do you think the about working from home. open. Working in London was especially risky. industry will be coming Some thoughts include OF YOUR WORK AND We’d recently hired four new staff members, out of the pandemic? possibly taking the money THE EXTRA MILE and they had only been with us for a week when GCL’s enquires are up a we spend on renting an YOU’LL GO this happened. They weren’t eligible for the good 40%. I think right office, and putting that FOR THEM furlough scheme, so GCL made the commitment across the board it’s going to towards our employees’ to cover their rent and bills. We had to evaluate help boost the industry. It’s forced wages. We can then rent out what might happen after coronavirus, and even older-fashioned companies without a meeting room when we need it in our worst-case scenario, we knew we’d need an online presence to up their game, and get the teams together over meals, all of our employees. and they’ve seen the benefits of that. making the work-life balance a bit more even.
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Pro Landscaper / August 2020 49
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LONDON
Azara Landscapes has just undergone a rebrand to become Aoba Landscapes. Tell me why you made this decision? Following a reorganisation of the business last year, I felt it would be the right time to rebrand to represent a fresh start. Aoba is the Japanese word for fresh green leaves and represents the joys of spring and new growth. I really liked the positive meaning as it ties in with what we believe in as a company – that some of our happiest times are spent in the garden with the excitement of new growth and things ever-evolving.
What’s your design style and where do you get your inspiration? Very strong geometry that is softened by a clever use of planting. It’s relatively modern, though; we’ve also designed more traditional gardens. My inspiration comes from all around me, and I take pictures everywhere I go. It might be a cool piece of architecture, or something I see on a walk or at a show. What challenges come from working in London? Access can be a real issue. It’s often through the house, so you need to be very mindful about what you can get in and out. Trees need to be carefully selected, bearing in mind their eventual size. Boundaries become really important too as they are constantly on view. There’s also nowhere to hide in a small garden; every small detail needs to be thought through.
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INTERVIEW
JOHN WARD AOBA L A NDS CA PES
JOHN WARD TALKS US THROUGH HIS PERSONAL DESIGN ST YLE AS WELL AS HIS FAVOURITE PROJECT TO DATE AND EXPL AINS WHY AZARA L ANDSCAPES HAS UNDERGONE A REBRAND TO BECOME AOBA L ANDSCAPES What’s your career highlight? Hampton Court in 2016. I teamed up with Tom Massey and we designed a garden called Border Control for The UN Refugee Agency to raise awareness of the refugee crisis and the risks that many people are forced to take to find sanctuary. The outer rim included rubble, dead trees and barbed wire, surrounding a shelter and beautiful meadow, representing sanctuary. It was a huge learning curve, as I was newly qualified, and we really wanted to do the subject matter justice. We won a Gold Medal and Best Conceptual Garden and had one of the judges in tears – it was a very emotive garden.
How has Aoba Landscapes managed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic? The design-side of the business was able to continue with staff working from home and client presentations via Zoom. The landscaping-side had to shut down completely at first. Many in our work force are officially contractors under the Construction Industry Scheme, so it was a bit worrying for a time as the furlough scheme had been released, but there was no word as to what help self-employed individuals might receive. We were fully prepared to support staff financially, but thankfully the self-employed benefit scheme was released. Now lockdown measures are relaxing, we are back on site with new working practices in place around social distancing
and enhanced hygiene to reduce the risk to both our workforce and our clients. How do you think the industry will be coming out of lockdown? There are some real positives, and then some medium-term concerns. As lockdown has eased a little, we’ve had a backlog of work now coming through. We’re also seeing an entire population that have been living in their gardens for months, and they’re looking at their gardens thinking: ‘Maybe we should do something with this’. We’ve never had so many enquiries, but time will tell how many of those turn into good projects. My other fear is a rise in unemployment and an inevitable recession on the horizon. One thing is for sure, though, and that is that people really appreciate their outside space – now more than ever. We’re seeing a real change in what people value, and I think that can only be positive for our industry. What are Aoba Landscapes’ future plans? We are currently expanding and looking to hire a contracts manager and estimator so that I can spend more time developing the business and doing what I love – designing gardens. I’d also love to do another show garden. We had actually designed the planting scheme for Tom Raffield’s RHS Chelsea stand this year, so we hope we can pick that back up again next year – fingers crossed.
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22/07/2020 11:05
LONDON
TOWER RANGER WITH THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY, AND MILLIONS OF VISITORS EVERY YEAR, WE FIND OUT FROM HEAD GARDENER DAVID WILLIAMS WHAT IT’S LI KE TO MAINTAIN THE GROUNDS AT THE TOWER OF LONDON
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tanding at 50ft tall and 28ft thick, the Tower of London has been part of London’s skyline for nearly 1,000 years. Protector of the Crown Jewels, home of the Yeomen Warders and a flock of pampered ravens, said to be its guardians, the tower attracts over three million visitors a year. Famously, Sir Walter Raleigh was granted access to a courtyard outside the infamous Bloody Tower where he cultivated a small garden of exotic plants. Today, this garden replicates the planting that Raleigh used in his remedies, including rosemary, bistort and mint. The rest of the 18 acres of grounds are also maintained by Ground Control which have a longstanding relationship with Historic Royal Palaces. Though head gardener David Williams was only recently appointed head gardener, he has worked at the Tower of London for nearly nine years. David, his two assistants and three robot mowers are responsible for the tower gardens, the moat and a small park which sits on the outskirts. As well as the typical work to maintain the garden’s immaculate look, the job often sees the team abseiling down banks. The planting is natural in style, with summer and winter beds changed up every year. Lavender is one of the tower’s more
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prominent plants, joined by more aromatic planting such as rosemary and sage. “My favourite area is the bowling green,” David says. “It’s a sun trap, and visitors can only see it from the outside, so it’s like your own little sanctuary full of herbs and roses.”
AS WELL AS THE TYPICAL WORK TO MAINTAIN THE GARDEN’S IMMACULATE LOOK, THE JOB OFTEN SEES THE TEAM ABSEILING DOWN BANKS It isn’t all sunshine and roses though, as 17,000 tourists flock to the site every day, and maintaining the grounds without disrupting their experience comes with its challenges. Noise restrictions are put in place, and the team has to work to a very structured schedule, not just for the sake of the visitors, but also the residents. The recent lockdown due to COVID-19 left the grounds feeling quite surreal: “I’m a Londoner, so I’m used to seeing a crowd. To walk around the site and only see the occasional resident has actually been a bit unnerving,” explains David. “It’s been nice too, as the residents have been helping with the gardening – which has also helped their mental wellbeing.” When it comes to a career highlight, it’s not hard to see why David struggles to pick
just one. In 2014, on 11 November the last of 888,246 ceramic poppies were placed, joining the sea of red flowers which surrounded the Tower of London. Forming an installation called Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red, each of the thousands of poppies represented a British and Commonwealth soldier who died in the First World War. Facilitated by hordes of volunteers, the first poppy was placed in June with David himself placing more than 500 poppies. In November 2018, the Tower of London helped to commemorate the end of World War One, as the moat was filled with thousands of individual flames. The visual spectacle Beyond the Deepening Shadow was once again installed by a team of volunteers, who had to visit the site daily to replace every single liquid candle. Perhaps his most treasured memory at Tower of London though, was made last year, as David said “I do” in The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula. “It was a fantastic day,” David tells us. “And in 500 years’ time, when they’re looking through the registry, they’ll see my name. To be part of the Tower of London’s history is just incredible.” For HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, Historic Royal Palaces is planning an extraordinary display. The moat will once again host an installation, as a walk-through garden inspired by the Commonwealth countries will be created.
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 51
22/07/2020 11:07
LONDON WOOD WHARF, BASED IN THE PROMINENT C ANARY WHARF, IS SET TO BRING NEW AND IMPACTFUL GREEN AND RESIDENTIAL SPACES
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FUTURE PROJECTS
WOOD WHARF CANARY WHARF
alking through the developing, mixed-use district of Wood Wharf feels as though you’ve veered off into a separate city entirely. With temporary walls lining the route through the site, it’s a quiet, meandering path to the newest addition to Canary Wharf. You’ll mostly encounter those in high vis jackets who are hard at work ensuring each phase of the project is completed on time and to the highest standard. This is, after all, a private estate owned by the prolific Canary Wharf Group, which transformed a 97-acre site of derelict land on the Isle of Dogs back in the late 80s into an area which is now widely recognised as one of the top financial hubs in the world. And now, Canary Wharf is set to welcome its first residents with Wood Wharf. As you stroll through, your eyes can’t help but look up towards the bold 58-storey building known as One Park Drive. With three differently designed sections, this geometric skyscraper demands attention – unsurprisingly, this is the signature residential building in Wood Wharf, with two others sitting alongside it. Designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, One Park Drive is also one of the tallest buildings of its kind in London, and with all the trimmings to accompany such a claim – a 24-hour concierge service and plush amenities including a health
WOOD WHARF, BY THE TIME IT IS COMPLETED IN 2023, WILL HAVE NINE ACRES OF PUBLIC SPACES AND PARKS club and gym and a cinema room. It’s proven popular already, with 68% of the 483 apartments having been snapped up and the first of these residents due to move in towards the end of this year. Its smaller counterpart, 10 Park Drive, stands at 42 storeys, with 70 homeowners moving in over the summer. The building, designed by
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LONDON
13.6HA COMPLETION
EXPECTED
2023 ONE PARK 58 DRIVE STOREYS
3,600+ HOMES
9 ACRES
Stanton Williams, was the first to be When designing the green spaces in constructed on the site. It boasts a terraced Wood Wharf, Peter says there are many sky garden on the 13th floor, as well as a fitness needs to which they needed to respond. club from the renowned (and pricey) gym “First of all, the density of the architecture is group Third Space. For those looking such that open space for walking to rent rather than buy, there’s or lying in the sun is [vital]. 10 George Street, which has The second need next to PROJECT DETAILS been developed by leasing open space is colour; we and management have this herbaceous Client Canary Wharf Group Masterplanner Allies and Morrison company Vertus, prairie border all Landscape architect Wirtz International part of the Canary along the water Landscape contractor Willerby Landscapes Wharf Group which edge. We also have Environmental Impact BDP launched last year. a mound of mown Building architects Allies and Morrison, It would be lawn and cushions of Darling Associates, KPF, reasonable for you clipped beech which Herzog & de Meuron, to think that these integrate and hide Stanton Williams Architects, buildings – with sleek functional features Grid Architects, architecture and jawsuch as ventilation shafts Patel Taylor dropping interiors – are and emergency exits. what the Canary Wharf Group is “The open relying on to pull in prospective space is an interesting residents, and they do play a large part, but collection of three sitting masterplanners Allies and Morrison have placed areas; one of these is a public realms at the heart of the 13.6ha site too. separate park on the east Wood Wharf, by the time it is completed in side surrounded by high-rise 2023, will have nine acres of public spaces and buildings. I call it the ‘romantic parks, with Belgium-based Wirtz International park’. It has a central lawn Landscape Architects behind the designs, surrounded by trees and having previously created Jubilee Park in shrubbery, in which we’ve Canary Wharf two decades ago. tried to do an interesting mix “That project stayed on the radar of the of flowering shrubs that go on management of Canary Wharf,” says Peter from spring to autumn. Wirtz, owner of Wirtz International. “They “Last but not least is tree called us, and we went through several planting. We tried to plant preliminary designs – most of the people trees that are successful but that you don’t from Jubilee Park are still at Canary Wharf, see much nowadays, like hackberry and so we knew each other very well and the liquidambar. Also, some evergreen oaks that confidence was there from day one.” are not used much in England but actually
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come from there, like the Fulham oak. We tried to make it very rich and multi-faceted.” Wirtz International had to overcome some challenges, though, one of which anyone who knows the area will be well aware of. “The wind, it’s merciless there,” says Peter. “That, and the harshness of the dockland edge; the water is quite dark. To create an environment for the human being, which is so minute compared to the scale of the space and the height of those buildings and the wind turbulence generated by these, is not so easy.” The team is achieving it though, with the project well underway. This year – as director of residential sales at Canary Wharf Group Brian De’ath says – is “a real milestone in the development of the area”, providing a broader offering than simply office space for Londoners. De’ath added: “We are excited to see Wood Wharf grow into a flourishing community filled with beautifully designed homes and wonderful social spaces, supported by a 1,000 strong Canary Wharf Group team working around the clock to ensure the private estate remains one of the best maintained in London.” Proving Wood Wharf is not just a vanity project, the Canary Wharf Group has high hopes for its first residential complex and the green spaces which are a central part of this; there’ll certainly be more schemes to come, and it’s no longer predictable what these will be for this London district.
Images ©Wirtz International nv
OF OPEN SPACE
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t the end of March, London was eerily quiet. Oxford Street, usually bustling with thousands of avid shoppers, was deserted. Gone from London Bridge was the sound of heels clacking on the pavement. People no longer spilled out onto the street from the bars in Shoreditch grabbing a post-work pint – after all, most workplaces had closed. WHETHER A SITE SHOULD CEASE OPERATING OR NOT The capital had, effectively, been brought WAS UP FOR DEBATE, AND THE ADVICE VARIED to a standstill. DEPENDING ON WHICH PART OF THE COUNTRY YOU But certain workers were encouraged to WERE IN. SO, HOW DID LONDON RESPOND? AND WHERE continue after lockdown was announced DOES CONSTRUCTION IN THE CIT Y STAND NOW? on 23 March. These ‘key workers’ included NHS staff, those in the emergency services, supermarket staff – and, perhaps surprisingly, people working in construction, their job for 48 hours, starting from 7pm on those in the construction industry. Whether requires them to travel to their place of 23 March. When this period was up, and this applied to landscapers, however, was work, and they can continue to do so.” having received no clarification from the a bit of a grey area. It was even murkier for With a worrying lack of clarity for those government, chief executive Wayne Grills those working in London; whilst Prime in the landscaping sector, did companies issued a statement asking its members Minister Boris Johnson said choose to continue operating and to consider whether operating was an construction should continue, with what measures in place? “unnecessary risk”, adding that “there the Mayor of London Sadiq As restrictions slowly lift is also a moral responsibility to ensure Khan was arguing the and an increasing employers feel safe and secure”. WHILE YOU’RE opposite. He took number of people Shutting down a business for an action, too, closing all getting back to work, uncertain period of time has huge financial WEIGHING UP WHETHER Crossrail and Transport where does the implications, though. And while you’re YOUR BUSINESS CAN for London (TfL) sites. industry now stand? weighing up whether your business can take TAKE THE HIT, YOU’RE To make matters And how could the hit, you’re also taking into consideration ALSO TAKING INTO worse, commuters the shape of our the health and wellbeing of your staff. CONSIDERATION THE took to social media to landscapes in London was initially one of the worst hit HEALTH AND WELLBEING bemoan the number of London change areas by coronavirus; it was even labelled the OF YOUR STAFF construction workers on going forward? “epicentre”. Would workers feel safe on site? the Tube, claiming they As soon as lockdown To tackle the latter, the Construction outnumbered NHS workers. came into effect, the British Leadership Council published Site Khan had to bear the brunt of this, Association of Landscape Operating Procedures (SOP) and the and maybe a little unfairly – it was Alok Industries (BALI) was chasing the government released advice for social Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, government for clear guidance on whether distancing, which included frequent hand Energy & Industrial Strategy, who published the landscaping industry could continue, washing, maintaining the two-metre social a public letter to the construction industry and how. In the meantime, BALI distance, and keeping teams working on 31 March saying: “We know that for many recommended its members cease trading together rather than mixing up shifts.
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IN THE
CAPITAL
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Alistair says idverde also had to alter the Green service provider idverde UK tried to way it worked. “Our operations changed stay ahead of the curve, keeping in line with immediately with one person per van, no use government advice but also putting its own of public transport, and when each project measures in place before lockdown was even was risk assessed, we found that some announced, with health and wellbeing at the operations had to stop,” he says. “We also forefront of its decisions. “We wrote to all our liaised with the supply chain to clients two weeks prior outlining the determine their capacity to steps we were taking to deliver deliver products and there operations safely and the was a very mixed changes to our site operating IT WAS ABOUT response.” Team sizes procedures such as increased COMMUNICATING cleaning and stopping REGULARLY WITH THE were reduced on smaller sites and deliveries non-essential visits to TEAM AND MAKING became contactless, site,” says Alistair Bayford, COLLABORATIVE whilst some projects were operations director of DECISIONS demobilised until all of the London and the South East. CLAIRE BELDERBOS materials could be delivered. For London-based Kings Landscapes took Belderbos Landscapes, it was vital a similar stance, choosing to that employees felt comfortable with continue on sites where social distancing whichever decision they took. “It was about and other safety measures could be followed, communicating regularly with the team and though some main contractors shut the sites making collaborative decisions so that no-one themselves. “Several sites that we were felt they had to do something that they didn’t working on put things on hold and closed want to do,” says sales and marketing director down, so we did have to furlough a few team Claire Belderbos. “They recently said that members,” says Kevin Goodall, business and they feel their welfare has been put marketing manager. “But we came back very as a priority. It’s sometimes hard when quickly because construction was the main you’re a small company, you don’t have the industry that [the government] tried to keep infrastructure of a large company in place, going and because most sites had so it was nice to get that feedback from staff.” implemented their own guidelines, which Like idverde, Belderbos has remained cautious throughout when it comes to are even stricter than the governments.” working on site. “London has got more space Claire Belderbos says they are also finding restrictions when it comes to construction, that demand for their services is still positive, but the government guidelines are being but – as idverde has experienced – the supply updated all the time, and we’re being diligent chain has been affected, which is at times in following them,” says Claire. “It takes more making it difficult to meet customer time because advanced planning is needed expectations. “It may be in the future that in order to be able to work within the pricing for materials could go up, but all we can guidelines, but as long as you allow do as a responsible company is monitor the more time for this, it’s doable.” situation and make decisions as it changes.” Other costs may rise too, says Alistair. “The cost of project delivery will inevitably increase, and programmes may extend to
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accommodate lower outputs from reduced size teams. We’re all going to have to get used to things in construction costing more as we increase the measures to keep our colleagues safe and as we offset any risks. I’ve been amazed by the sudden insertion of COVID-19 clauses which we’ll all now need to get used to and, importantly, make provision for.” The positive, according to Kevin, is the way the industry is responding. “We all suffered from trade supply, everyone was in the same boat, but it was quite good to see how the industry came together as one – and I’m not just talking about landscaping, but construction on the whole. We continued where sites were continuing and provided support for other sites as well.” There will be a “slow down” though, says Kevin, when we spoke in early June. “Sites that were about to go live and be constructed have been pushed back. There’s a lot of uncertainty, so clients are waiting to see what happens next. It hasn’t hit us yet, but no doubt that slow down will affect everybody. The media is talking about a big bounce back, though – the sooner that happens the better.” But how could projects differ in the wake of COVID-19? Temporary infrastructure is already being put in place in London to widen pavements and add cycle lanes. The London Streetscape programme is aimed at reducing pressure on public transport and improving social distancing on high streets to avoid a second spike, but it’s been hinted that these measures could become permanent. “Our public realm, particularly in cities, is overwhelmed,” says Alistair. “There will of course be a short-term response and we’ve seen that with the signage and floor markings, taping off benches and in some small parks, one-way systems – even closures in a few cases. I believe that specifiers will be focused on a space’s resilience to pandemics and more consideration might be placed on materials used for furniture and their size, how easily features can be cleansed, path and entrance widths widened, and how the space might be secured and managed in a pandemic.” From site safety to transportation, to the way our landscapes look in the future, the impact of COVID-19 is likely to go beyond 2020. The way we work in the capital may have changed indefinitely.
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ransport has always been an issue for recruiters in the capital. Cost, reliability and accessibility are perennial issues that add a layer of difficulty particularly in the landscape sector, with cost being the main issue. Over the last 20 years of recruiting for the sector, these challenges remain unchanged, particularly in an industry where pay rates and salaries have not increased at the same pace as transport and living costs. With its early starts, most of our clients drive to site and therefore do not experience the costs and difficulties in using the transport system in London; although driving has its own inherent problems with the cost and availability of parking particularly onerous. Business managers and owners usually expect staff to make their own way to sites, and don’t always consider the travel implications.
The last two decades have seen a notable reduction in the number of people who drive, let alone own a vehicle. The cost of owning and driving a vehicle in London with its parking restrictions and congestion has become increasingly prohibitive for all but the more senior or higher-paid staff in our sector. In the early years many of our clients picked up staff from agreed meeting points across London, which was a generally workable option. However, with the volume of traffic and the introduction of the Congestion Charge and now ULEZ, this is potentially no longer a viable option. Cost is a major factor for our workforce, with a large number of operatives earning less than the London Living Wage of £10.75 an hour (£24,000 pa). With travel costs on the capital’s transport system ranging from £35-£60 per week, it represents a significant
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COMMUTING
IN THE CAPITAL MARIAN BARKER CONSIDERS HOW TRAVELLING TO AND FROM WORK IN LONDON HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY CORONAVIRUS chunk of the week’s pay. As a direct consequence of this, staff limit the distances that they are prepared to travel. This, together with greater awareness of environmental issues, has resulted in a large number of the workforce preferring to cycle. This in itself, whilst being good for the air quality (just look at what lockdown has done for pollution levels) and the environment, presents its own set of problems when recruiting. It restricts the distances staff can travel and the time required to get to work.
WE CAN SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNIT Y TO REVIEW WHAT IS REASONABLE FOR US TO EXPECT OF OUR STAFF TRAVELLING IN TERMS OF TIME AND COST Coronavirus has changed little in terms of the general issues of travel throughout London of which cost is the primary. What it does mean, however, is that the bicycle is currently the number one choice of transport for work seekers, many of whom feel deeply reluctant to get back on the underground and buses. Maybe now as we re-emerge from lockdown, we can see this as an opportunity to review what is reasonable for us to expect of our staff travelling in terms of time and cost. It may be that in the aftermath of the virus we will see more acceptance of flexible working so that we are not all emerging on the roads and transport system at once. It remains to be seen what effect the compulsory working
from home will mean to the numbers returning to the capital’s office space and how that will impact costs, the Congestion Charge having risen already to compensate for the reduction in traffic volume. Will the bus companies or underground follow suit? One thing of which I feel confident is that the virus has brought about far greater awareness and appreciation of the value of our parks and open spaces as well as our own gardens – with this, our industry will return stronger than ever with much greater importance as well as value for those across the landscape and horticulture sector. It’s an opportunity too for us to look at the people we employ and how we can attract the best talent in to our industry – perhaps one of the areas we can look at is how we help get people to work. Maybe that’s remuneration or more flexible hours, but travel is an important issue for us all to consider.
ABOUT MARIAN BARKER Marian has spent her entire career within the recruitment sector and has worked as a senior manager for major high street companies. In 2000, she took the plunge and started Fresh Horticultural Careers, originally known as Andersplus. For the past two decades, her passion for recruitment has become a passion for horticulture, and the business has become one of the go-to recruiters which focuses on the landscape and horticulture sector. www.freshhortcareers.com
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(INCLUSIVE OF VAT)
1
£95K
BUILD TIME
8 WEEKS
©Pete Meakin/Meakin Media
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SIZE OF PROJECT
200m2
PORTFOLIO
H
aving been one of the first to move into a penthouse apartment on ‘The Island’, Philip Nash’s clients had concentrated on the interior design and were now ready to focus on one of the largest roof terraces on the new development. Whilst the views were extensive, the terrace was very plain, with standard concrete paving slabs, an intrusive lift shaft positioned in such a way that views from inside the apartment out onto the terrace were obstructed, safety balustrades and no planting. Though it was a bland space, there was a lot of potential. Philip Nash’s clients wanted a rooftop oasis in which to entertain and relax – something they currently felt embarrassed to do, due to the terrace looking so uninviting. Design and build One of the first things Philip Nash Design needed to think about was how to aesthetically incorporate the lift shaft head, since it was such a prominent intrusion. The answer was to make it the main focal feature of the terrace, transforming its appearance and utilising its form. A glass water wall was crafted to sit in front of the shaft, with water cascading from a reflective pool into a catchment pool. Built-in planters brought in the perimeter Yew hedging, obscuring both sides of the lift. The result – the lift shaft is totally hidden. The door thresholds on the terrace were previously awkward to navigate, and
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Portfolio Philip Nash Design.indd 57
LONDON LIFT-OFF
although raising the paving flush with the threshold eliminated this issue, it also created another, BARNES QUARTER reducing the relative height of the safety balustrading that AN UNSIGHTLY LIFT WAS THE FOCAL encompassed the roof POINT OF THIS LONDON TERRACE. IT terrace. Therefore, split WAS UP TO PHILIP NASH DESIGN TO levels were created, with DISGUISE THIS AND CREATE A ROOF a lower decked lounge area. Raising the main terrace GARDEN WORTHY OF ITS VIEWS provided an added bonus of being able to install ‘unseen’ shallow planters around the perimeter of the living room, so the clients were able to look out over low planting and onto the garden beyond.
PHILIP NASH DESIGN
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Nothing could be allowed to damage the roof lining. Whilst the structural engineers’ weight calculations and assessment of the design provided a significant level of confidence, during the construction phases it was paramount the contractors made every effort to protect the integrity of the roof. The crane was arranged for two separate days and space on the roof to store materials was restricted, so a considered schedule was crucial for a smooth and efficient operation. The first lift involved removing the existing paving and clearing the terrace, then the individual water feature elements, stone paving, pedestals and the series of larger planter modules, topsoil and Leca. The narrower perimeter planters would be brought up in the lift. The second crane lift brought up the Trespa sheet cladding, decking boards and all the plants, including a triple trunk Trachycarpus fortunii, two olive trees, three Yucca rostrata, three Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ and 120 root balled Taxus baccata. The utility area accommodated the water feature filtration system, balancing tank and pump, as well as lighting and irrigation programming units.
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DESIGN PLAN
BEFORE
Planting Philip Nash Design wanted the planters to look as though they were part of the fabric of the building. This was achieved by prefabricating a series of modular galvanised planters. Internal adjoining sides were set lower than the outer sides, with ‘C’ channels capping the joins. The outsides were clad in 6mm Trespa sheets, flexing sufficiently to the curves, and the RAL colour matched the frames and soffits of the building. The yew perimeter hedging, slow growing and easy to maintain, provides an effective windbreak for the exposed site. The plants chosen needed to be low maintenance. A combination of Mediterranean planting with a touch of ‘classic’ was selected, providing an evergreen framework complementing the flowers, which would bloom in spring and summer. Tulips will start the procession, followed by Allium ‘Purple sensation’. Agapanthus africanus burst into huge blooms after the Lavender angustifolia ‘Munstead’ have cast their aromatic swathe of colour and P.Nash
BARNES QUARTER ROOF GARDEN
1:50 on A2
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Trachycarpus fortunei are stripped of their husk, making them look like a new variety of palm. Direct views of the local vicinity are screened off, providing a comforting sense of enclosure and privacy, but the wider, open and expansive views are left, and they are what makes this garden so special. The sunlight catches the water flowing down the kiln formed glass, throwing out a myriad of dancing shards of light around the garden. By night, the lighting scheme creates a lovely serene glow. 1 Bird’s-eye view 2 Sunken seating area/reflection on waterwall 3 Rooftop dining 4 Kiln formed glass waterwall 5 Closest to the plan view 6 Reflective upper pool captures the sky 7 Yucca rostrata 8 Rooftop oasis Photographs ©Philip Nash Aerial photographs ©Pete Meakin/Meakin Media
ABOUT PHILIP NASH
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Philip Nash is a contemporary landscape and garden designer who has been awarded RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold and Silver medals. His internationally acclaimed projects are wide ranging, from city roof terraces and courtyard oases, to rural and coastal landscapes. Originally established in West London in 1986, the practice has recently relocated to South Devon, designing outdoor spaces nationally and internationally. Its objective is to exceed clients’ aspirations by creating progressive, innovative design solutions to the highest standards. www.nashgardendesign.co.uk
DURING WORKS
REFERENCES Designer Philip Nash Design www.nashgardendesign.co.uk Contractor Beaux Arts Landscaping Ltd www.beauxartslandscaping.com Blue Grey Yorkstone paving London Stone Ltd www.londonstone.co.uk Kiln formed glass Fusion Glass Designs www.chelsea-fusion.com Furniture Dedon www.dedon.de Plants Philip Nash Design www.nashgardendesign.co.uk/ plant-supply-service Trespa built-in planters, water feature top and collection pools Philip Nash Design www.nashgardendesign.co.uk Irrigation system Argo Irrigation www.argo-irrigation.co.uk Lighting design Philip Nash Design www.nashgardendesign.co.uk Installation Scenic Lighting www.sceniclighting.com
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LONDON
COMPANY PROFILE
ARB OR F O R ES T PRODUC T S
PRODUCTS Trex Transcend Trex Transcend is the top of the range decking product and is available in a range of rich, stylish colour options.
LEE HEITZMAN, TREX REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR ARBOR FOREST PRODUCTS, T E L L S U S W H AT M A K E S T R E X S TA N D O U T
Q&A How is Trex different from its competitors? Trex is the world’s number one composite decking brand; it stands head and shoulders above its competitors both in terms of appearance and performance. Trex decking boards feature a unique solid core and are capped on three sides, which allows the core to breathe, while the co-extruded cap means the surface won’t delaminate from the core. Trex also offers lengthy warranties against fading and staining, guaranteeing that the deck will still look fantastic in years to come. What type of products does Trex offer? The Trex collection includes three decking options: the top-of-the-range Trex Transcend, Trex Enhance Naturals and Trex Enhance Basics, for those who want a more cost-effective option. The range also includes fascias, railings, and now Trex decking lighting as well. What has been the most interesting London project to date? One of our TrexPRO platinum installers built a deck for someone who is possibly London’s highest profile resident – but unfortunately those are all the details I’m allowed to share about that!
CASE STUDY
60 Pro Landscaper / August 2020
Company Profile Arbor Forest Products.indd 60
What environmentally friendly strategies do you have in place? Trex is made from 95% recycled materials, and from post-consumer waste such as plastic bags, so it reduces the amount of waste going to landfill – we’re very proud of the products’ environmental credentials. In fact, a 46sqm Trex deck contains 140,000 recycled plastic bags and, in total, Trex saves more than 300,000t of plastic and timber waste material from landfills each year. We keep our carbon footprint as low as possible when it comes to deliveries too, using our innovative ‘Warehouse on Wheels’ system to ensure that we have fewer vehicles out on the road. Do you have any new launches or exciting plans for the rest of the year? After launching our beautiful lighting range earlier this year, we are starting to see sales pick up. But that doesn’t mean that we are done for 2020; we’re also bringing to market a new substructure solution, and we are due to launch a new Trex Protect Joist and Beam tape – both of which will enhance the performance of Trex decks.
Chislehurst This beautiful deck was the first in the UK to feature the new Trex Outdoor Lighting collection and was installed by Roger Brown and Luke Brown of Browns Landscape, a TrexPRO Platinum installer. The project features a Trex Transcend deck in Island Mist with Gravel Path borders; the stairs leading to the tub are also constructed using Trex Transcend. Each stair is picked out with Trex stair riser lights, while the edge of the deck features the subtle glow of Trex recessed deck lights too.
Trex Post Cap Light The bestseller in the Trex Outdoor Lighting range, combining effective ambient lighting with energy-efficient technology. Post cap lights sit atop Trex railing posts and provide a warm downward glow.
Trex Signature Railing Trex Signature® Railing is available in two colours – black and bronze - and provides a durable and stylish outdoor railing system to complement any deck.
CONTACT Arbor Forest Products Ltd Barrow Road, New Holland North Lincolnshire DN19 7RR T 01469 532300 E sales@arborforestproducts.co.uk W www.arborforestproducts.co.uk Twitter @Arbor_Forest Instagram @Arbordeck
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TAKE YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE FROM INVISIBLE TO INVITING From stairs to railing posts to deck perimeters, Trex® Outdoor Lighting™ combines effective ambient lighting with energy-efficient technology, and the innovative ‘snap and go’ connection system makes set-up simple.
01469 535 415 www.arbordeck.co.uk sales@arborforestproducts.co.uk
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LONDON
COMPANY PROFILE
BO UR N E AME N I T Y BOURNE AMENIT Y’S SOIL SAFET Y TIPS FOR ROOFTOPS PROJECTS
CONTACT
PRODUCTS
The Wharf, Rye Road, Kent TN18 5QG
Lightweight Intensive Roof Soil This is now one of the widest utilised lightweight planting media on the market. It combines low bulk density with high-quality topsoil performance, allowing drainage at an adequate rate.
T 01797 252 299 E info@bourneamenity.co.uk W www.bourneamenity.co.uk Twitter @Bourne_Amenity Instagram @bourne_amenity LinkedIn bourne-amenity-ltd
ABOUT Bourne Amenity has been supplying hard and soft landscaping materials to the industry for more than 40 years. It works with the country’s largest civil engineering companies and most prestigious landscape designers and contractors, ensuring its materials and delivery methods are second to none.
Q&A
Jonathan Bourne, sales director
What should you consider when choosing soil for a rooftop project? “Rooftop planting schemes are a challenge for many reasons. Initially you must consider the bulk density of the material at field capacity and ensure that the substrate complies with the architect’s specification. This will ensure that the soil performs as well as you would expect of a high-quality ground level material. Maintenance at height is always more challenging, let alone the costs associated with replacing a dud material. Always engage a trusted (and preferably GRO accredited) supplier that can produce relevant and recent data on their substrate. Ask around the industry if you have concerns about your supplier.”
Extensive Substrate As a member of GRO, Bourne Amenity helped develop the BS8616:2019 standard for green roof substrates. Its extensive blend for low maintenance sedum roofs is used on rooftops across the country. Wildflower Lightweight Substrate Wildflowers are all the rage, on green roofs too. Bourne Amenity’s wildflower substrate is a lightweight version of its low fertility blend, used to create a fantastic roof top finish.
CASE STUDIES
Whitechapel Station Roof
King William Street, London Bridge
Landscape Contractor: Kings Landscapes
Landscape Contractor: Frosts Landscapes
This project involved tight coordination due to the restricted access and location (above a rail track). The design of the station canopy meant placing a green roof on a curved barrel vault, pitched from 0-22°. This required a high degree of planning, meticulous attention to detail, planning and installation. The pitched areas required the addition of substrate retention battens to stop materials migrating down the slope.
This was a challenging project in central London delivering a wildflower roof garden through Bourne Amenity’s long-term client Kings Landscapes. More than 40 species of wildflower and plants bring this roof to life. Bourne Amenity delivered more than 300m3 of bespoke Intensive Roof Substrate in a combination of 1.2m3 bags and poly bags. There was also a sedum area using its newly accredited BS8616:2019 extensive blend and double washed silica sand for drainage.
Located adjacent to St Paul’s Cathedral, a new office development has been transformed by the installation of a beautifully designed and constructed public ‘pocket’ garden and a private roof terrace, all designed by Tom Stuart-Smith Ltd. The building extends below the garden and Bourne Amenity supplied a significant volume of lightweight topsoil for the project. Trees were carefully manoeuvred into position, working closely with the landscape architect on all planting.
Landscape Contractor: Blackdown
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2-6 Cannon Street
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Company Profile Bourne Amenity.indd 63
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LONDON
COMPANY PROFILE
GREENBLUE URBAN WE FIND OUT HOW GREENBLUE URBAN AND ITS PRODUCTS ARE MAKING A P O S I T I V E I M PAC T I N T H E I N D U S T R Y
ABOUT The previously named Greenleaf was formed in 1992 by Dean Bowie due to the lack of available products on the market to prevent tree mortality. Family-run business GreenBlue has expanded to 30+ dedicated employees with a brand-new purpose-built site with inhouse manufacturing and warehouse facilities distributing ArborSystem® products across the world. The ArborSystem® incorporates the key elements of best practice tree planting into one easy to specify package that allows for seamless integration into complex urban areas.
URBAN TREE PLANTING DESIGN GUIDE
PRODUCTS ArborFlow In 2013, Greenleaf changed its name to GreenBlue Urban, signifying the company’s ever expanding product range and expertise into the world of SuDS and the utilisation of urban tree pits as stormwater management solutions and the introduction of the ArborFlow™ system. RootSpace In 2016, GreenBlue launched the next generation of its soil cell system, RootSpace®, with industry leading load bearing capacity and soil void ratios, shortly followed by RootSpace® G2, now available in heights of 400mm and 600mm with up to five different height configurations. HydroPlanter Most recently, GreenBlue has launched the HydroPlanter™, a modular, bioretention rain garden system that can be retrofitted into highways schemes and new developments of any size. Installation is fast, simple and offers significant savings to alternative methods whilst also making it possible to pre-calculate hydrological performance.
The key to successful urban tree planting is below ground – out of sight but potentially manifests above ground for many decades. The GreenBlue Design Guide puts together key items of successful urban tree planting into one document for specifiers and installers.
CONTACT Headquarters Northpoint, Compass Park, East Sussex, TN32 5BS London 117 St John’s Street, Farringdon, EC1V 4JA T 0800 018 7797 E Enquiries@greenblue.com W www.greenblue.com Twitter @GreenBlueUrban
CASE STUDIES
London Wall Place This multi-award-winning development right in the heart of the city has released a new piece of public realm in the most ancient part of London. Make Architects led the development of the new commercial space whilst Spacehub of London led the landscape design. GreenBlue helped with the planting of a number of trees in connected planters below ground using the StrataCell soil cell system.
64 Pro Landscaper / August 2020
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Old Guys Hospital Working alongside ESL Landscape Contractors and LDA Design, the trees will provide benefits to all for many years to come with sufficient soil volumes by the use of RootSpace 600 soil cells. With the many utilities found on site there was much need for Root Management, stabilization with ArborGuy and above ground Castle Tree Grilles to complement the paved areas.
BBC Television Centre Building, White City GreenBlue assisted landscape architecture firm Gillespies on the delivery of this public realm redevelopment outside the old premises of the BBC Television Centre. StrataCells along large linear tree pits, underground guying, Root Management and integrated Castle Tree grilles with aeration and irrigation were all installed to ensure these trees are a continued success.
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22/07/2020 10:56
Establishing the future urban landscape.
St Martins Precinct, Caversham
We enable sustainable cities for improved quality of life. World’s leading provider of tree pit solutions. Building a greener environment for future generations. SuDS solutions for flood risk management. Advisors in urban design offering on-site support.
greenblue.com 0800 018 7797
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LONDON
COMPANY PROFILE
VESTRE
Q&A
WE FIND OUT HOW VESTRE’S S U S T A I N A B L E P R O D U C T S H AV E B E E N E N H A N C I N G P U B L I C S PAC E S
ABOUT Vestre is a Scandinavian manufacturer of urban furniture that is both beautiful and durable. For more than 70 years, it has helped create social meeting places for millions of people. Vestre has made a long-term commitment to sustainability in all parts of its operations and has embedded nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals within its business plan.
Romy Rawlings, commercial director
CONTACT T +44 (0)7780 770945 E uk@vestre.com W www.vestre.com/uk
What should be considered when choosing street furniture for public realm projects in London? “Life on the street is tough and furniture needs to be able to withstand whatever is thrown at it! Our products are incredibly robust, with warranties to support this claim. We offer a lifetime warranty on steel against corrosion and 15 years on our powder coat adhesion and all timber – which is sustainably sourced and long-lasting softwood only, for ethical reasons. Maintenance requirements are also minimal. Whether providing a splash of colour, blending quietly into the background, complementing surrounding architecture, or supporting an area’s branding, we offer almost 200 RAL colours to choose from – all at the same price. And finally, shouldn’t we all be choosing carbon neutral? Our production has been for 10 years now and every year we drive down our carbon impact even further.”
PRODUCTS
Stripes Stripes is a modular furniture system offering rectangular and circular benches that can be placed on their own or in combinations (with complementary planters, for example).
Vroom Vroom is a highly modular furniture system that can be combined to form various layouts. Tables, litter bins, planters, and cycle stands are also available.
April Go April Go consists of a sturdy range of bistro style chairs, benches and tables that can be folded away or stacked when not in use. Planters are also part of the family.
Porto Porto is a robust and extensive system of freestanding and wall mounted timber seating with many height and width versions available. Back and armrests may be added.
Bloc Bloc is a diverse furniture family of seating, tables, litter bins and planters that is extremely popular in all Vestre’s markets.
Parklets 2.0 Parklets 2.0 extend pavements to provide more space for people and plants. They are designed to be rapidly installed in parking spaces that are no longer in use.
CASE STUDIES Creekside East, Greenwich Based on the Deptford Creek, Creekside East is a new development of approximately 250 rental homes, with associated public realm and private amenity roof terraces. It is part of a new residential development in South East London. Vestre supplied Vroom benches and tables, Bloc seats and tables, and Stripes circular seating to the project, which was designed and specified by BCA Landscape.
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Uxbridge High Street Working to an original masterplan from DK-CM Architects, Vestre has supplied many Stripes benches to this project over the last couple of years. A versatile range of rectangular, semi-circular and full circle benches have been placed to provide a wide range of seating options. Specified in a selection of green and yellow shades, Stripes brings a contemporary splash of colour to this traditional town centre.
Bromley High Street Freestanding Porto benches providing inclusive seating have been installed through Bromley High Street to a specification from Studio Egret West for London Borough of Bromley. With the intention of making the area a greener and more biodiverse place, stakeholder responses have been extremely positive, and the new resting places are appreciated on this busy high street.
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22/07/2020 18:59
Porto Design: Espen Voll, Tore Borgersen & Michael Olofsson
Forum bicycle rack Design: Espen Voll, Tore Borgersen & Michael Olofsson
vestre.com
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LONDON
COMPANY PROFILE
TOR C P OT S H Y LT O N H U G O R E V E A L S H O W T O R C P O T S HAS BECOME SO UNIQUE IN THE INDUSTRY
PRODUCTS ASA A very popular model; curvaceous and gorgeous. Perfect for an olive tree. Price: £552.50 (RRP) (46cm high)
Q&A How is Torc Pots different from its competitors? Torc Pots is different in that we make our pots by hand. Many of our competitors use a system whereby they pour materials into a mould which inevitably produces a more generic looking pot (which some people like, I would add at this point!). However, this is not the Torc style. We prefer to see some soul and character reflected in the textures that we can achieve by making them by hand. We are a rare breed (so I’m told by our clients) as it seems that the large-scale pot and planter is as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel! The largest pots we have made to date were in excess of 2.5m tall and 2m in diameter. As we aren’t restricted by moulds, we can pretty much achieve any size or shape our clients request. We’re being asked increasingly for bespoke designs, particularly in commercial projects, which we always embrace. Recently we have been asked to personalise pots with clients’ own logos, which is also do-able.
look he was aiming to achieve, involving metallic finishes and patinas, along with planters in varying heights. His objective was to “fence” off a small area in front of his mews house to place a table and chairs. He also wanted pots robust enough to withstand the odd ding from reversing taxis which had been a recurrent problem. Our pots are very robust indeed and, therefore, are up to the job.
What type of products does Torc Pots offer? We offer bespoke pots, planters and outdoor furniture of any shape or size. Scale and bespoke is our USP.
What environmentally friendly strategies do you have in place? We use various products to reduce our use of cement and, therefore, our carbon footprint. We substitute 15% of the cement content with fly ash and micro silica. We also use a percentage of glass sand which comes from recycled bottles; we work with a local recycling company, trialling various recycled sand products, with the aim of using 100% recycled sand in the future. All the water in the studio is captured from rainwater from the roofs of our studios or recycled from the wash bay. We don’t use a kiln to dry our pots, so there is no energy usage; our pots are cured through hydration. Also, once planted, our pots will be a home for trees and plants for decades to come as the material is so robust.
Most interesting London project to date? One of the most interesting projects was a mews house in Notting Hill. We provided bespoke troughs and cubes to create a partition wall. The client was very engaged in the design process; he knew exactly the
Any new launches or exciting plans? There are far too many plans to even list, but one that is near to fruition is the ‘organach’ range launch – think misshapen, slightly off-key and asymmetric. Hot tubs, plunge pots and water features are also on the agenda.
CASE STUDY
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Company Profile Torc Pots.indd 68
Richmond, London The old adage “less is more” does not always apply; when pots are presented in quantity such as for this project, there is no denying it really makes a statement. Obviously, not everyone has the space to accommodate pots of this scale and quantity, but they really looked incredible planted up.
BRANN Statuesque statement pots which are ideal for an entrance or as a standalone piece. Price: £852.80 (RRP) (115cm high)
BOW A classic shape which will look good in any situation whether it is a small or large size. Price: £1,856.00 (RRP) (122cm high) .
CONTACT Le Grand Mourier St John, Channel Islands T +44 1534 717104 E nicole@torcpots.com W www.torcpots.com Instagram @torc_pots
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23/07/2020 14:46
UK’S LEADING LANDSCAPING TRADE EVENT
SAVE THE DATE 17 - 18 November 2020 ExCeL London LET’S GROW TOGETHER REGISTRATION OPEN SOON Advert Template PL.indd 7 save the date.indd 1
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FEATURE GARDEN BENINGBROUGH HALL
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©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
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23/07/2020 12:21
NURTURE
F E AT U R E GARDEN
BENINGBROUGH HALL BENINGBROUGH HALL HAS SEEN 300 YEARS OF G A R D E N T R A N S FO R M AT I O N S . W E S P E A K TO H E A D G A R D E N E R S A M S H I P M A N A B O U T T H E P L A N S TO T R A N S FO R M T H E G A R D E N S O N C E M O R E W I T H T H E D E S I G N E X P E R T I S E O F A N DY ST U R G E O N , A S W E L L A S H OW R E O P E N I N G H A S B E E N W I T H N E W S O C I A L D I STA N C I N G R U L E S I N P L AC E .
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t’s fair to say that lockdown has given the public a new found appreciation for their green spaces – perhaps more than ever before. Over the last few months, thousands have made the most of their local parks, nature reserves and beaches, so it’s no surprise that when the National Trust reopened the gates to some of its gardens, tickets sold out within hours. The date 3 June marked the National Trust’s phased reopening of its parklands and gardens, and Beningbrough Hall was among the 29 gardens and park properties chosen. Visitors are required to book a ticket with a half hour allocated arrival time. As they enter the gardens, reception can be found on the avenue of trees which avoids the need to enter any buildings while on site – bar the toilets which have social distancing measures in place. “Everyone is so happy to be back. Having no one in the gardens has felt very odd,” head gardener Sam Shipman tells us. “All our visitors have been incredibly positive – spending time on reception lifts your heart. We’re in a good location for friends and families to meet, and visitors know what they’re getting with the National Trust.” In fact, there has been a noticeable increase in visitors from further afield since reopening, with Beningbrough Hall having previously seen a majority of local returners. It’s not hard to see why people have been attracted from further afield though. Beningbrough Hall is an Italian Baroque inspired mansion. Eight acres of gardens spread out from its walls, with 365 acres of parkland as a backdrop. Its north court contains formal lawns, mirrored by the south lawns. A laundry courtyard lies at one end of the house, joined by a woodland wilderness area containing a playground. Moving away from the house there are a series of formal gardens and a conservatory, for which Sam and his team grow flowers. Rolling lawns stretch in the other direction with herbaceous borders surrounding a walled garden, which runs into an American garden full of wild planting. The walled garden contains over 40 varieties of apples and pears grown for the café.
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The double border, as it is referred to, is made up of soft mellow colours while the south border is full of warm coloured planting, including a variety of Dahlia 'War of the Roses'. The gardens are managed by Sam and his team of seven who are joined by around 50 volunteers a week. It’s a good job too, as Sam and his team are also responsible for neighbouring National Trust properties Treasurer’s House and Goddards House and Garden.
WE HAVE A GARDEN THAT HAS LOTS OF HISTORY THAT WE JUST DON’T KNOW, AND WE’RE NEVER GOING TO KNOW But Beningbrough Hall is in the midst of a complete overhaul. For more than 300 years these gardens have been shaped by Beningbrough Hall’s owners – from the wealthy teenager who inherited it, to its use as an RAF billet. Now, Sam and his team are rejuvenating them once more with the design talent of Andy Sturgeon at the helm. Little is known about the specifics of the gardens so, unlike many other National Trust properties, Beningbrough Hall’s gardens aren’t tied to a certain era or style. “We have a garden that has lots of history that we just don’t know, and we’re never going to know,” explains Sam, “so we have the ability to do here what people have done in other historic houses through time – bring in a designer to redesign their garden. By doing that, we've got that chance to showcase what people can grow in North Yorkshire in their own gardens.” The plants for the project have been grown by Beningbrough Hall, sourced from within National Trust and from the National Trust’s nursery in Devon. The team is still required to source from other nurseries though, which can prove difficult when you are peat free. “We tend to find that peat free nurseries are either very specialist, only growing a certain type of plant, or they just don’t advertise it because they’ve always been peat free. It takes a lot of leg work to source the right stock,” Sam explains. The National Trust made the decision to stop using peat to grow plants in 1999. Today, any plants bought, propagated or grown at National Trust properties are peat free, and though Sam notes sourcing peat free is becoming easier, there’s still work to do. “We would see a real difference if some more of the big players in horticulture went peat free.” In 2011, the government pledged to phase out the use of peat in garden products by 2020 and in commercial use by 2030 – perhaps the nudge the industry needs.
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Despite the difficulty sourcing plants, in 2016 the ha-ha walk was the first to see a change. Marking 300 years of Beningbrough Hall, this area saw 300,000 bulbs planted. As spring emerges, 200,000 white snowdrops and 100,000 vibrant yellow daffodils and pale purple crocus will draw in visitors to a part of the garden which was often missed before. The second year of the project saw the creation of the pergola. Previously a strip of grass and path running along a wall, it has had many lives over the years. This being the first garden to be built, the team wanted to finish it to an RHS Chelsea Flower Show standard to give visitors a flavour of what the rest of the garden will look like. This will be the only garden with fully developed planting, but it will allow visitors to get a taste for Andy’s design style which will be echoed across the garden. Wisteria 'Alba' will continue to grow up over the pergola giving shaded pockets while underneath, striking plants such as blackpurple Iris 'Sable', decorative Galium odoratum and Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia are interspersed by Taxus cubes.
WE WOULD SEE A REAL DIFFERENCE IF SOME MORE OF THE BIG PLAYERS IN HORTICULTURE WENT PEAT FREE Though lockdown may have somewhat hampered the progress, the third year of this huge project will see the development of the Mediterranean garden. The space set aside for what will become the largest of the new gardens to date, has previously had many different lives – most recently, sunflowers had been planted in its borders in hopes of controlling the infestation of bindweed. A series of walls will split up the space, with planting in-between and a decorative water feature as a central piece. As the name would suggest, the garden will be inspired by the Mediterranean, but planting will not exclusively be from the there. Plants from the Americas, China, Australasia and more will be used, giving Sam and his team the opportunity to showcase what you can grow in North Yorkshire. There are more plans as well – create a woodland garden surrounding the playground; add another walled garden in the laundry courtyard; change the borders – as currently the soft coloured double border is home to a
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misplaced red hot rose; and develop an American garden. As you walk through this garden, you will see planting from all different parts of America. An East Coast zone will have a 'New England feel' in autumn, while a South American zone will feature Jurassic plants such as the monkey puzzle tree. A bog garden will also be created in this space. The ongoing project is not just benefitting the gardens either. “When you work with someone like Andy who is at the top of their game, it raises your game as well and you become a better gardener,” Sam tells us. “It’s great for him too, because normally he creates a garden and then walks away. We have the opportunity here to tweak things as we go, and learn what does and doesn’t work for the garden.” Visitors will have to wait a while to see these projects come to fruition though, as the transformations are part of a 12-year process. It was important to Sam and his team that Beningbrough Hall’s visitors were brought on the journey, too. Instead of creating a 'ta-da' moment where everything had been done behind the scenes, they saw the transformation every step of the way – and could even get their hands dirty. Over the past two years of work, visitors have been invited to plant bulbs on the ha-ha walk, dig up and then keep the plants from parts of the garden, and help replant the pergola garden. This has attracted people from all walks of life, from design students to a slightly hungover hen party. “The National Trust is for everyone,” Sam tells us. “What’s happened recently is with so many people spending more time in the gardens and wanting more out of them, there’s a been a surge in gardening. That can only benefit us as an industry in every respect.” For Sam and the team, the focus will remain on inspiring its visitors and helping them take a little bit of Beningbrough Hall home with them.
1 Visitors in the Walled Garden ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris 2 Red admiral butterfly in the garden ©National Trust Images/Robin Grover-Jacques 3 Beningbrough Hall ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey 4 Visitors and gardeners in the Kitchen Garden ©National Trust Images/John Millar 5 Vine in the glasshouse ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris 6 Dahlia Honka Red in the gardens ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris 7 Close-up view of Rose William Lobb in the walled garden ©National Trust Images/Stephen Robson 8 View of the Parterre in the West Formal Garden ©National Trust Images/Ian Shaw 9 Flowers in the walled garden ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris
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NURTURE
A P P E A L I N G TO A L L
THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHY IT’S NOT ATTRACTING A MORE DIVERSE WORKFORCE, SAYS NICK COSLETT
T
he death of George Floyd in America has stimulated an almost global awakening with the #BlackLivesMatter campaign and marches. I do not want to jump on the bandwagon as I have hopefully no bias (conscious or unconscious). However, it is true that in our industry those from the BAME community are vastly underrepresented, especially at senior level. There should be some 13% if we are to follow the national make up. In my 40 years in this industry, I never had the opportunity of even interviewing anyone from a BAME background for any of the posts I filled – something I’m not proud of. That situation needs to be addressed. Research shows those of different migration backgrounds appreciate the natural world and our landscape differently to the white majority. Could this influence the appeal of working in horticulture and landscape? More research is required here, please. What should the UK horticulture and landscape industry do about this, considering that the sector contributes some £23bn to the UK’s GDP and so is not some cottage industry? Nationally, black Afro-Caribbean boys and white working-class boys historically under achieve at school despite extra resources steered in their direction. Thanks to Mr Gove when he was Education Secretary, the accountability system put the onus on a more traditional curriculum promoting the English
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Baccalaureate (EBacc). Horticulture, botany, natural world and rural studies do not form part of this, and so any route map from school to college in terms of a horticulture or landscape career is missing. The new T Levels (these are Level 3 and equal to A Levels) do include horticulture, but not until post-16 education. There is also a Level 5 apprentice degree in the pipeline, so demand and awareness will need to be created for that.
IN OUR INDUSTRY THOSE FROM THE BAME COMMUNITY ARE VASTLY UNDERREPRESENTED, ESPECIALLY AT SENIOR LEVEL
the truth and we all know this. However, this knowledge is not getting out into the wider population nor to those few remaining schoolbased careers folk. We need to keep improving our professionalism and industry image. We all know there is a skill shortage across our industry but attempts to address it are piecemeal, along with industry segmentation and different industry bodies all ploughing their specialist furrow. Education and employment are one of the 2015 “asks” of government from the RHS’s Ornamental Round Table coalition but progress on this appears to be slow. What do we do as individuals to encourage youngsters from all backgrounds to see the rewards of working in the landscape? I volunteered as a GoLandscape ambassador and have attended a few events. However, I’m the stereotype – an old white guy, not young and definitely not trendy! Do we know what is required to attract youngsters from all backgrounds into our industry? We need to increase the understanding here. If we don’t know then we need to find out why. That’s a worthwhile task for our industry bodies to take on as a unified group.
ABOUT NICK COSLETT The RHS and others work hard with some success at primary school level, but at secondary the curriculum does not give us space. Our industry image is also poor, with a perception of grubby working conditions, low pay and amateurism. For those with some application, interest and talent, this is far from
Nick initially trained as a landscape architect, then parks manager, and for the last 20 years, he has worked with Coblands and Palmstead nurseries, running the Soft Landscape Workshops. He’s also been involved with BALI as national and regional chairs. Now, he is a BALI National Landscape Awards judge and Chalk Fund trustee.
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23/07/2020 12:29
NURTURE
DEMANDING DIVERSITY IT’S TIME FOR ACTION. LEWIS NORMAND SAYS WHY THE HORTICULTURE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO WORK HARDER TO APPEAL TO THE BAME COMMUNITY
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Our perceived skills seemingly comparable to that of litter picking in the eyes of a previous Prime Minister and with no great enthusiasm shown by the two that have followed him. I am unable to recall any Prime Minister in my lifetime who has placed particular value on
WE ALL SHOULD BE DISCUSSING RACISM AND PREJUDICE AND WORKING TOWARDS A BETTER WORLD professional ornamental horticulture, despite several being keen gardeners in later life. We lack a dedicated Minister with portfolio for horticulture and instead we find ourselves bundled in together with agriculture, the environment, fisheries and food under the vast Defra remit. Since politically nobody seems to know how to help us, we endeavour to band together
using our various professional bodies to show our appeal to the outside world through engagement campaigns. This is still a struggle. Why can’t we appeal to potential industry entrants? What are we doing wrong? Logically, we must conclude that, having had a 20+ year issue with appeal, we cannot yet be doing a great deal right – or at the very least, we aren’t appearing to for the outside viewer. We’ve all recognised that average earnings are lower than they could and indeed should be, but this is true of plenty of other industries that don’t have the same problems recruiting permanent employees. On top of a general anxiety of not being able to appeal to younger entrants to the industry, we have a terrible problem with our appeal or image to potential BAME community applicants. The recent BLM (Black Lives Matter) discussion has encouraged me, and I am sure a great many others, to think about ethnicity, overt and covert racism, and the ways in which we treat one another. Like others, it has encouraged me to contribute towards positive change. Afterall, ‘If you are not part of the cure, you are part of the problem’, as the sentiment of the much misattributed and equally much paraphrased quote goes. As a middle-class white man in his early 40s, I may not have experienced much in the way of racism personally, though I have witnessed it happen to close friends and defended them as best as I could from it. You may think I am not the right person to be discussing it; I disagree. We all should ©Sevenstock Studio/shutterstock.com
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hrough my years in horticulture (some 20+ now), I have seen a constant anxiety from educational and professional bodies over the need to recruit to the industry. We have struggled since I set out, bright-eyed and enthusiastic, to appeal to a new audience. This has led, with an inevitably ageing workforce and the deaths of experts without protégés, to business and institutional closures and an ever-growing skills deficit. Techniques, disciplines and continued research that would otherwise have been passed down through generations trained by experienced growers, craftspeople and skilled horticulturists have been lost and our technological lead in world horticulture has diminished. Every couple of years a new initiative has been established with a remit to change the appeal of horticulture to prospective students and career entrants. Good work has been done, but nothing ever truly sticks. I have droned on before about how perception from up high has been an issue for us to appear desirable.
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be discussing racism and prejudice and working towards a better world where we see our differences in colour and ethnicity as important, but not a threat or a target for abuse or oppression. I have, over the years, personally encountered more than a little anti-Scottish sentiment, which while unnecessary and hurtful does not impact on my day-to-day life like racism does to our BAME brothers and sisters across the world and, importantly, has never affected my opportunities to work or live. Now, as I find myself considering this subject in greater detail than I ever have before, I’ve become more acutely aware that, while I have worked with and have a number of friends in the industry from BAME communities, there is a very noticeable inequity in the balance of white people to black, Asian and all other ethnic minority people across the industry. To me, this reads as a horribly prescriptive way to write about friends and colleagues, exclusively in terms of their skin colour, but perhaps much of the awkward discomfort felt in considering our
WHY CAN’T WE APPEAL TO POTENTIAL INDUSTRY ENTRANTS? diversity in this manner has led to us avoiding the problem rather than tackling it. We can’t all shuffle around the edge of the school hall staring at our feet to avoid dancing! In terms of statistics, an October 2019 report produced for the UK Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group found that British-born white people make up
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approximately 95% of the entire workforce in UK ornamental horticulture. Approximately 3.5% were non-UK born white workers. Finally, and embarrassingly for the industry, a miniscule 1% was made up of ‘any other ethnic group’, both UK born and from overseas. Based on an estimated working population in the industry of between 335,000-370,000 full and part-time workers (from the same report), this translates to between 3,350 and 3,700 non-white ornamental horticultural workers across all of the UK. This is abysmally lacking in diversity and serious questions need to be asked as to who we are trying to reach out to, not just in general, but specifically why we are not appealing to our BAME population as a serious option for study and employment. Even acknowledging that the UK resident BAME population sits at around 14% of our total population (approximately 7.2 million people, according to the 2011 Census for England and Wales only), the lowly 1% of all ornamental horticulture employees represents a substantial imbalance in our industry. While it is a tremendous oversimplification, if we had proportional representation of BAME workers in ornamental horticulture compared with the general population, we would see between 46,900 and 51,800 people rather than the 3,350 to 3,700 workers that currently represent the non-white professional ornamental horticultural community. So, we find ourselves at a crossroad of questions we urgently need to find answers to. Are we institutionally racist in our appointments and promotions within the industry? Are we passively racist in our failure to try to engage with and appeal to BAME communities as an industry? Are we simply doing a poor job of encouraging all potential applicants irrespective of their ethnicity by failing to engage effectively? I don’t have the answers, but I suspect all of these and other factors are true here. How many of you reading this have heard of school careers advisors recommending
WE DON’T ENGAGE DIVERSELY WITHIN OUR EMPLOYABLE POPULATION horticulture to someone because they ‘aren’t academic’? I feel that fundamentally we are ill-understood by those outside the industry and we make inconsistent, poorly connected and often underwhelming efforts to showcase our value and appeal to our potential next generations of students and employees. We don’t engage diversely within our employable population and for no obvious or good reason. We must improve. We have to enlighten careers advisors on our merits and our aims – this strikes me as something that was doable a long time ago, but clearly hasn’t ever happened, or simply didn’t work. We also need to broaden our reach for new employees and remove the now obvious barriers holding back younger and BAME entrants to the industry. Through this we grow in terms of culture and contribution and we can build a sustainable future for the industry as an inclusive, balanced and welcoming paragon. We have a long way to go.
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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23/07/2020 16:33
NURTURE
N U R S E RY
FO C U S
GARETH GILPIN, THE NEW SALES MANAGER AT CREEPERS NURSERY, E XPL AINS HOW THE COMPANY SURVIVED – AND EVEN THRIVED – IN LOCKDOWN
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he first week in a new job tends to be the easiest one, with the hardest tasks being to sit through a lengthy introduction from HR and to decide which side of your computer screen your pen pot should sit. Gareth Gilpin, though, was thrown straight in at the deep end. On the evening of his first day at Creepers Nursery, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK would be going into lockdown for three weeks – a period of time which is still ongoing three months later (at the time of writing). So, for the rest of the week, Creepers Nursery set about ensuring as many orders as possible were delivered to clients, in what is typically the
busiest time of year, and bedding down and potting stock. One week later, it all went quiet; orders were delayed, and two-thirds of staff were furloughed. Rather than dwelling on this, however, Creepers Nursery set about making changes to make the most of a bad situation. Gareth, who’s based on the Surrey site, took over the nursery’s Instagram page, posting far more frequently and attracting potential customers. “I tried to post as many pictures as possible of our stock. There was a lot of engagement from new clients – small scale landscapers and garden designers who, because we had more time, we could invite to the nursery and let them walk around, practicing safe social distancing. We have limited amounts of people come in and have a queuing system outside.
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“We’re a large wholesale nursery, so our normal order value is typically £10K-£20K; suddenly, we’re doing lots of smaller orders and deliveries. We’ve taken our minimum order
IT’S BEEN CHALLENGING, BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH IT value down from thousands of pounds to just £800 for a direct delivery.” Along with a more active social media presence and new, smaller clients – Creepers’ typical client base includes large landscaping companies and housing developers – the nursery is also stocking a more diverse range of plants. Known for big specimens, large shrubs, multistem and pleached trees and topiary, Creepers is now stocking smaller perennials to accommodate its new clients and is using its UK growers far more than it would typically do so in a year. And slowly, the business has been picking up. “It wasn’t long before we were busy again. After a month, most of the staff had returned. The London branch in Wandsworth opened on 1 May and that’s been absolutely flat out –
partly because local nurseries had shut down, so we had a huge amount of knock-on business. “For the last five weeks, we’ve had two drivers on the road delivering every day, making multiple drops. They all have face masks and are taking protective measures. All of us have been tested, so we could have an idea of who had been infected at any stage or not.
“It’s been challenging, but we’ve gotten through it. It’s not been a normal spring, but it hasn’t been devastating.” And despite Creepers always having exceptional customer service, Gareth says lockdown has improved this further, with the team spending longer on enquiries. This is going to continue even when coronavirus is no longer front-page news, too,
asking new clients to visit the nursery and see stock for a more personal service, as well as spending more time on individual quotes. The crucial period, Gareth says, will be October, which would usually be one of the busiest months for Creepers. The team is optimistic, though – different approaches and avenues explored have meant Creepers is coming through lockdown an even stronger business, with an even greater appreciation for its clients, both long-term and new. Tel: 01932 821 626 www.creepersnursery.co.uk
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22/07/2020 11:32
NURTURE
GREEN-TECH
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Twenty-eight specimen trees have been planted in full GreenBlue Urban ArborSystems, providing segregation between vehicles and pedestrians. The tree pits are linked together, providing maximum rooting space in uncompacted aerated soil, giving the trees the best opportunity of attaining species potential. These trees also provide a measure of pollution absorbance, and help with stormwater management by treating water runoff from paving areas through the tree pit soil. GreenBlue Urban worked with Glasgow City Council, civic engineers, landscape architects Urban Movement and tree consultants from idverde UK. www.greenblue.com/gb
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The Post Building was a transformation of a Royal Mail sorting office on New Oxford Street in Central London. Previously, the site had been derelict for more than 20 years, but it has now been brought back to use, reconnecting the building with the city. In total, eight multi-stemmed trees were planted on a beautifully laid out rooftop green space. With the trees exposed to strong winds it was imperative that they be effectively secured. Platipus RF2SPECIALP Tree Anchoring Systems were used to anchor the trees into planters bespokely manufactured with its own anchor points. www.platipus-anchors.com
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 83
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Helping you create beautiful landscapes Professional advice, technical know-how and a trusted supplier for your landscaping project With over 13,000 landscaping products in our portfolio, the team at Green-tech can work with you to source the correct products for your project. We have a wealth of experience of supply chain integration, working with you to get the best products at the best price, delivered on time for your project. • • • • • • •
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23/07/2020 17:48
E D U CAT E
BIRKDALE: DEALING WITH THE EXTREME
P94
I N S I D E E D U C AT E T H I S M O N T H PA G E 8 7 F I G U R I N G O U T F U R L O U G H , PA G E 8 8 V E C T O R W O R K S , PA G E 8 9 L E E B E S TA L L , PA G E 9 0 A N G U S L I N D S AY, PA G E 9 2 L AT E S T K I T: S T U M P G R I N D E R S , PA G E 9 3 T H E T R A D I T I O N A L C O M PA N Y: E D G I N G PA G E 9 4 F E N C I N G : D E A L I N G W I T H T H E E X T R E M E PA G E 9 7 C H O O S I N G C L I E N T S
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23/07/2020 17:03
EDUCATE
T
he starting point is an employer can make furloughed staff redundant. Unlike salaries, redundancy payments cannot be claimed back under CJRS. Employers will need to balance the expense of redundancy payments against the increased expense in salary contributions required by CJRS from 1 July 2020. If the conclusion is redundancies are commercially necessary or the affected employees’ roles are genuinely no longer required, the redundancy process can begin. The procedure depends on how many redundancies are likely. If the redundancies are for 20 employees or more, there is a legal requirement to consult with the union (if one is recognised); otherwise, employee representatives must be elected. The secretary of state must be notified. If the number is fewer than 20, employers will only need to speak with the employees affected, unless their redundancy policy has additional consultation obligations.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BEING FURLOUGHED MUST NOT COUNT AGAINST AN EMPLOYEE WHEN CONSIDERING POSSIBLE REDUNDANCIES Employers must consider the appropriate pool of employees (if selection is necessary) and establish a proposed set of objective selection criteria to score employees against. It is important that being furloughed must not count against an employee when considering possible redundancies or carrying out the scoring exercise. Employers must then write to those in the pool (‘the candidates’), explaining why redundancies are necessary, how many, and who else is considered, and the proposed criteria, process, and timetable. Special rules apply to employees who are pregnant or on maternity, adoption or shared
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F I GU R I N G O U T
F U R LO U G H
IL AN BR AHA AND JASON MCKENZIE OF OR ACLE SOLICITORS SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE RULES AROUND FURLOUGH. THIS MONTH, WE ASKED: CAN FURLOUGHED STAFF BE MADE REDUNDANT DURING THE CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME (CJRS), OR NOT UNTIL ITS END DATE IN SEPTEMBER ? LEGA LLY, WHAT IS THE POSITION AND WHAT ARE THE CORRECT PROCEDURES?
parental leave. Employees must be advised of their right of accompaniment to meetings by a trade union representative or work colleague. The candidates should be invited to a meeting. At the meeting, the information in the preceding letter must be explained and candidates reassured that ways of avoiding redundancy are being explored. It must be made clear – redundancies are only a possibility at this stage. Suggestions of ways to avoid redundancies should be requested and, if suggestions are sensible, followed. Consider asking for redundancy volunteers. The scoring exercise is then completed. Scoresheets should be sent to candidates (with anonymised scores for others, or confirmation of which quartile they are in) with the minimum score for avoiding redundancy. Everyone below the minimum should be invited to another meeting to review their scoring and allow them to explain whether they think they have been underscored. If they need to be re-scored, this may move them above the minimum, replacing another candidate. If so, hold a second meeting with that candidate. If their comments are not accepted, a note must be kept of the reasoning. Explain again no final decision has yet been made. If there is no suitable alternative employment and scores remain below the minimum, candidates should be invited to a final meeting, informed they are now chosen for redundancy and are being given notice. Employees can take time off to seek new employment and can still suggest an alternative position with the company. This is the time to
explain the calculations for the redundancy payments and confirm their last day. If they have holiday outstanding, consider inviting them to take it during the notice period. The right of appeal must be communicated, with an explanation of how and the deadline. All meetings should be followed up and confirmed to employees in writing. It is a difficult time for employees and employers. It is important to follow the procedures to ensure fairness, transparency, and legal compliance for all concerned.
A B O U T O R AC L E S O L I C I TO R S Oracle Solicitors is an award-winning law firm with expertise in employment, commercial, criminal defence and extradition, personal injury and aviation. Oracle was founded in 2002 by managing director Sajjad Shan and has since grown to include offices in London, Belfast, Frankfurt, and Addis Ababa. It prides itself on its no-nonsense client-focused approach. It has recently launched its Employment Protection Scheme – please visit:
www.oraclesolicitors.co.uk/what-we-do/ employment-protection-scheme
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 87
22/07/2020 11:35
EDUCATE
THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO MASTER VECTORWORKS, KATARINA OLLIKAINEN TELLS US ABOUT THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
O
ne of the most exciting things is learning something new – that Eureka moment when things fall into place. But how do you get from being a newbie to really mastering Vectorworks design and BIM software? Starting out, you’ll probably stick to the basic toolset, with a few excursions into parametric tools. However, the more you learn, the more interested you’ll be in increasing your toolkit. To move to the next level, think about workflows and processes. Understand the reasons why you’re doing something and what effect this will have on your design. You start the clock, and one thing leads to the next. If you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, you can always find a way to do it. One thing to remember is that you’ll never be done learning! I’ve seen that you can reach the same result seven different ways in Vectorworks, and your level of success depends on how comfortable you get with as many of the different ways as possible. The joy comes when you don’t have to think about what tool to use; it’s second nature to you. Vectorworks has several paths for learning, but your first stop should be Vectorworks University (university.vectorworks.net). This is our training platform with everything from two-minute snippets explaining details of workflows to 16 hours of videos covering core concepts broken down into shorter videos. EVEN THE SIMPLEST DESIGN WILL BENEFIT FROM EXPANDING YOUR COMFORT ZONE IN VECTORWORKS. COURTESY OF VECTORWORKS, INC.
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GAINING
CONFIDENCE IN VECTORWORKS
In light of the pandemic, Vectorworks is offering free access to its Core & Intermediate Concepts Training course on Vectorworks University. You can sign up for free with your email address. Vectorworks University keeps track of your courses, so you can start modules and come back to them later, allowing you to learn in your own time. The site is divided into four parts based on Vectorworks’ different products: Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight and Fundamentals. Architect and Spotlight support the AEC and entertainment industries, respectively, while Fundamentals is a set of modules to give you a starting point, covering everything from setting up your workspace to
IF YOU HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO DO IT basic rendering. In the Landmark section, you’ll find recorded webinars, workflow videos and structured exercises for each step of landscape design. If you retain things better in an instructor-led environment, Vectorworks UK has a training department with scheduled courses for all disciplines, run by enthusiastic and knowledgeable trainers. Currently, training is online due to the pandemic; however, we look forward to the time when we return to in-person training opportunities. You can also book individual training sessions if you have a specific subject you’d like help with. When I started my design career, I booked a day of one-on-one training – this was the best investment I could have made! I spent the whole day asking questions, jumping from one subject to the next, and came out feeling like I had travelled light years!
We also do consultancy-based training, where we put together a programme specifically for your company based on where you are and what you want to achieve. This can be an effective way to move a whole practice to a new area of expertise, including BIM workflows.
VECTORWORKS UNIVERSITY CONTAINS THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED TO MOVE FROM NEWBIE TO MASTER. COURTESY OF VECTORWORKS, INC.
For our Vectorworks Service Select members, we have our weekly Friday webinars, covering different topics in more detail. If you have any suggestions on topics or want to sign up, email us at uktraining@vectorworks.net to let us know. Last, but not least, we have the Vectorworks Forum: forum.vectorworks.net. This is where the Vectorworks community can discuss and ask questions – it’s a friendly group that’s always happy to help and a great place to get inspiration. Whatever path you choose, remember; the best way to learn is to do. Even better when you can have fun doing it!
ABOUT KATARINA OLLIKAINEN Katarina Ollikainen is the landscape industry specialist at Vectorworks UK and is involved in the continuous work on BIM implementation. Her main focus is on workflow, collaboration and information exchange, as well as working with the development team on making Vectorworks Landmark as user friendly as possible. Katarina’s most recent job was as senior designer for Ann-Marie Powell Studio where she had the opportunity to run some of the studio’s largest projects.
www.vectorworks.net
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
22/07/2020 12:06
EDUCATE
ST E P I N TO THE FUTURE J
oin me on a futuristic journey and imagine it’s winter 2060. As I approach my VirtiPlace, the door slides open when it recognises me. I sit in my new, ergonomic, custommade digichair that a clever device reminiscent of those old 3D printers just churned out (you must remember those from back in the 2020s). VirtiPlace? Oh, sorry, let me explain. For a few years now, every new build home has a VirtiPlace; essentially, a room (and some houses have more than one) where you can choose to be anywhere in the world, with anyone else. These high-tech spaces range in style from basic boxes to luxurious environments depending on your budget, and they combine visual technology to replicate an environment, holograms of people and animals, outstanding sound and realistic smells (all filtered for purity, naturally!). We shop in them, socialise in them, relax and even simulate sunshine for those all-important feel good rays during the winter months. They mean that our homes can be smaller, and our environmental impact is tiny.
Most homes have an internal VirtiPlace and an external VirtiSpace, and it’s in those external spaces I design from my VirtiPod, where today I’ve chosen to be located in New York on the 34th floor of a luxurious skyscraper. As the tech recognises it’s me, it’s set the temperature to
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just right, with a light breeze and a delicate whiff of Trachelospermum with undertones of freshly cut Fescue. I log in and check the progress of a new garden we’re currently building in Spain. The robotic creatures are labouring away, laying flooring with perfection. There are no delivery delays, because everything is manufactured on site from waste materials (using the same technology that just produced my chair). Wow, for a moment there I just had a flashback to the tiresome days of 2025 when same day delivery on all items was only a fully automated affair, delivered by driverless vans jamming up the roads; when products were automatically reordered by the human site staff, who had to
THERE ARE NO DELIVERY DELAYS, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS MANUFACTURED ON SITE FROM WASTE MATERIALS manually scan QR codes on the products as they ran out. And, it was only five years previous to that when we had to devise solutions to transport staff who couldn’t drive or travel in the same vehicle as someone else. Nightmare! Thank goodness for the silent, daylight charged robots constructing the gardens 24 hours a day, with no need for PPE or welfare units. And, because each piece is made to measure on site, there’s no waste, no dust, no cutting and no mistakes (except from the programmers!). Satisfied that the construction-bots (CoBots, as we like to call them) are working well, I have a meeting with my human team, who are located all around the world (I get the best people that way) and thanks to the
LEE BESTALL PLAYS WITH WHAT GARDEN DESIGN MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOUR DECADES FROM NOW
HoloTech (holographic people) it feels like we’re all sat around the same conference room in Miami. The daylight intensity auto adjusts and so does the temperature and humidity,
and as the staff virtually ‘arrive’, I greet them with a virtual handshake (the development in virtual presence technology has been amazing over the past decade, and the virtual hug was a game changer). As we start the meeting and we launch the conference, the key speaker begins with the opening title ‘The future of external space in 2100’. Now I know some of you will be reading this thinking: no, that’s not for me. But I assure you, it will happen. Maybe not for everyone and maybe not until after 2060; so, until then we’ll go back to the wet, muddy construction sites full of potential risks to health, slow delivery, lack of available stock and 12-week wait times on bespoke products. Enjoy!
A B O U T L E E B E S TA L L Lee Bestall has been designing and managing the construction of gardens in his signature style for more than 10 years – and his honest, genuine passion is infectious. He regularly writes gardening and outdoor-style articles for magazines, is brand ambassador for Spear & Jackson and a stand-in presenter for BBC Radio Sheffield’s Gardeners’ Question Hour. www.bestall.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 89
22/07/2020 11:14
EDUCATE
ANGUS LINDSAY PONDERS THE CURRENT SUFFERINGS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, AS WELL AS HOW MANAGEMENT OF OPEN SPACES COULD CHANGE POST-PANDEMIC
A
s we emerge from several weeks’ lockdown – which will hopefully have paid off and we’ll see some sort of control over the coronavirus pandemic – our world as we know it, whilst familiar, has changed considerably. We cannot praise enough the work of all the essential workers who have kept the country moving and looked after those struck down by COVID-19, and I personally want to thank all those in the supply chain who have kept things moving. It has not been an easy time and we are far from returning to where we were six months ago. Despite the lockdown and ban on all but essential travel, the criminal fraternity continues to wreak havoc, with many businesses suffering significant thefts over the last few weeks. In one such event, a bowling club lost all their equipment, but the break-in was not investigated by the police. However, when the same club organised a demo of a replacement mower, which was done in accordance with social distancing guidelines, they were then visited by the police over reports of an illegal gathering. Whilst the initial lockdown was challenging, gearing everything back up to come out of it is a significantly greater hurdle to surmount, and it is interesting to observe people’s reactions during this period. As businesses start to return, the breaks in the supply chain begin to show themselves. The vehicle forecourts may be open for business, but the manufacturing
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plants are several months behind in production and struggling to get components through their supply chain. It’s hardly surprising that new machine sales have seen a significant drop, but it looks as if we have all managed to keep going in some form or other by utilising what we have available. Many suppliers have had to face the harsh financial reality of orders being cancelled, which has seen their turnover halved. On the plus side, and thanks to the good weather, many people have rediscovered their garden and, as a consequence, the sale of equipment to the homeowner has helped offset the losses to the commercial sector.
businesses won’t survive and redundancies are inevitable, which will see a significant amount of willing labour on the market. Hopefully, this will see a change of direction for some people who, having spent long periods at home, now look to
AS BUSINESSES START TO RETURN, THE BREAKS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN BEGIN TO SHOW THEMSELVES
horticulture and the landscaping sector for their next career move. Could this then mean a return to more people working in our parks and gardens and them being managed more as a multi-functional asset rather than just an open space? People need these environments to get away from the daily pressures of life, and they should be maintained as green havens of tranquillity: litter-free, safe and, above all, to show off what we can do as an industry.
As mentioned in my last article, it is encouraging that there has been recognition of the value of our parks and open spaces and the part they play in maintaining wellbeing, not just for us as humans, but wildlife and the planet in general. Maybe the changes following coronavirus will see a further change in the way these sites are managed as local authority budgets will again be under huge pressure, with the focus being on health, welfare and social care. Could these sites come under the control of friends groups, external organisations or a completely new government department? As we recover from the lockdown and with new social distancing regimes in place, many
THE LOCKDOWN HAS SEEN A RESURGENCE IN GARDEN MAINTENANCE
A B O U T A N G U S L I N D S AY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. He has an Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation Management MSc from Silsoe, and joined Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, then idverde UK in 2009.
angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
22/07/2020 10:48
WE REMAIN OPEN, HOWEVER DELIVERIES ARE NOW CONTACTLESS
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23/07/2020 17:13
EDUCATE
KIT
STUMP GRINDERS F I N D O U T W H AT ' S O N O F F E R F R O M A C O U P L E O F T H E L AT E ST S T U M P G R I N D E R S O N T H E M A R K E T, A S W E L L A S A WAY TO L E A R N A N D E N S U R E S A F E P R AC T I C E
BANDIT SG-40 Advancements have led to the Bandit SG-40 taking over from the already successful ZT1844. The SG-40 is a highly productive grinder that packs power plus portability. It aggressively tracks down and sweeps away stumps with ease. A newly designed spindle and hub assembly promotes a long-lasting lifetime of oscillating motion and a new swing geometry extends the cutterwheel grinding width to a massive 47”. With that type of coverage area, you’re sure to spend more time grinding at the stump rather than repositioning. Available to pre-order. www.globalrecycling.eu
DON’T BE STUMPED! Safe practice is vital when it comes to using a stump grinder. Those new to this machine should take a training course, such as the one offered by awarding body Lantra, to meet the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. • Improved better centre of gravity • Sealed slew bearing • New track tensioning system • Three-position swing-out operator console • 18” diameter cutter wheel
PREDATOR 460
• 25hp Kohler Engine EFI • Self-propelled electric drive
• 30" Wide • 15" Grinding depth • 39" Cutting slew
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One of the most affordable pivot stump grinders in its class, the 460 is a high performance, low fatigue machine that will handle any stump, large or small. The big brother of the Predator 360, this stump grinder has an in-built central pivot, allowing the operator to slew the cutter wheel effortlessly while grinding. With a hybrid electric drive and fuel injected Kohler engine, the 460 is low emission and fuel efficient. www.predator-mfg.com
The one-day, hands-on course teaches users how to operate a stump grinder correctly and safely. On completion, a certificate of training will be provided. Those attending the course – from arborists to grounds maintenance operatives – will learn the health and safety guidelines and legislation, as well as the risk assessment and emergency procedures. Lantra also covers the appropriate PPE, along with checks, maintenance and operation, amongst other areas. Practical experience will be provided, too, and an assessment will need to be passed at the end of the day. www.lantra.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
22/07/2020 11:37
ADVERTORIAL
THINKING
OUTSIDE T H E B OX T H E T R A D I T I O N A L C O M PA N Y S H A R E S W H Y E D G I N G IS A MORE DIVERSE PRODUCT THAN OFTEN THOUGHT
W
hen creating or improving an existing landscape, few things can add so much detail to a garden or driveway with so little effort than good quality steel edging. Traditionally, products such as steel edging have been used for driveways and lawns to delineate areas and to achieve clean lines. This works to create areas that feature minimal maintenance which is often specified by landscape and garden designers. However, when you allow yourself to think outside of the proverbial box, these products can have many different, exciting uses. Taking designs to a whole new level, Corten or mild steel edging can be used to create architecturally beautiful hard landscaping installations such as an amphitheatre, steps or eye-catching raised beds. The Traditional Company has worked hard to build and maintain a reputation of being the best in the business, in fact, the Legacy edging and estate fencing products are often specified as the quality benchmark on many landscaping
and housing tenders. Experienced in working with a range of customers including landscape architects, property developers, local authorities and private individuals, The Traditional Company can take your project from concept to installation. Standard sizes of Legacy edging best used for driveways and lawns include 150mm or 100mm deep; but when looking at a bespoke project, the only real limit is your imagination. Look for a product that is strong enough to withstand the activities that it will have to regularly endure, such as mowing; 5mm-thick edging not only looks striking when installed, it is robust enough to handle even the most heavy traffic areas of a garden, yet it is still malleable which allows you to create wonderful seamless curves.
BENEFITS OF LEGACY STEEL EDGING • Creates a clean separation between driveways and lawns • Stops the movement of gravel onto lawns, reducing ongoing tidying and maintenance • Made from solid steel, it does not become brittle with cold weather or rot • Easy to install using standard tools • No unsightly bolt heads or lap joints visible on the open face of the edging • Preformed corners create sharp, crisp geometric shapes • Strong and durable to withstand lawn mowers and garden machinery • Available in a variety of thicknesses and heights to suit all requirements • A cost-effective way of keeping driveways and gardens looking great • Legacy steel edging can be supplied in kit form for self-installation
CAS E ST U DY Designed by award-winning garden and landscape designer Jo Alderson. Working with landscape designers, The Traditional Company was tasked to make an amphitheatre from Corten steel. These large steel steps form a very cost-effective way of making a significant feature and are a perfect use of space on steeply sloping ground. It also acts as a seating area for visiting family and friends. Corten rusts to a uniquely beautiful deep amber patina which acts as a natural defence against weather and rot.
C O N TA C T The Traditional Company 26a Burrough Court, Burrough on the Hill, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2QS Tel 01664 431759 Email info@thetraditionalco.co.uk Instagram @thetraditionalco www.thetraditionalco.co.uk
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22/07/2020 11:40
EDUCATE
E
arlier this year, Britain was rocked by two major storms – Ciara and Dennis. The powerful windstorms caused structural damage in many areas, and this was compounded by the fact that they hit the UK within a week of one another. Unfortunately, climate change is causing this type of extreme weather event to become a more common occurrence. In fact, environment minister Rebecca Pow recently stated that Britain “needs to begin adapting to more frequent extreme weather events”. Individuals across the construction sector should listen to the minister’s advice, including those who offer fencing solutions, as they can no longer afford to install products that don’t offer long-term durability and performance. In the past, landscaping professionals had limited options when choosing a fencing material. Primarily, the choice has been between timber and concrete fence posts; but both materials have limitations, especially in an
STEEL FENCE POST SYSTEMS OFFER A SUITABLE OPTION FOR VOLATILE WEATHER CONDITIONS
era of extreme weather. Whilst concrete posts offer tremendous strength, they are prone to chipping, which can lead to water ingress. When left untreated, water ingress can adversely affect the integrity of concrete fencing posts and makes them more likely to become further damaged and break. Timber fence posts are even less suited to extreme weather conditions, as the material carries a far greater risk of splitting and rotting when exposed to the elements. Additionally, timber solutions provide minimal protection against high winds, making them again more susceptible to structural damage in the current climate. Fortunately, steel fence post systems offer a suitable option for volatile weather conditions. Modern steel fence post products, such as
94 Pro Landscaper / August 2020
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DEALING WITH THE
E XT REME
W I T H E X T R E M E S E A S O N A L W E AT H E R B EC O M I N G M O R E C O M M O N , I T I S I M P O R TA N T TO S E L EC T E X T E R I O R P R O D U C TS W H I C H P R OV I D E LO N G -T E R M D U R A B I L I T Y. H E R E , J O H N A B E R N E T H I E , M A N AG I N G D I R EC TO R AT B I R K DA L E , D E TA I L S W H Y G A LVA N I S E D ST E E L F E N C E P O ST SYST E M S S H O U L D B EC O M E T H E G O -TO O P T I O N FO R L A N D S C A P I N G A N D F E N C I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S
DuraPost® by FENCEMATE, enable landscaping professionals to install strong, durable and versatile fences, which outperform even the most extreme British weather. In fact, the galvanised steel solution has been tested to withstand winds of up to 110mph. Durable, galvanised steel solutions are also extremely lightweight, clocking in at around 80% lighter than traditional concrete solutions. As such, steel fence posts are simple to install and transport between sites. Furthermore, while a concrete fence post installation normally requires two installers to complete, a steel fence post installation can be completed safely and easily by a single individual. This, in turn, can help fencing professionals reduce time spent on-site, as well as reducing labour costs.
Steel fence post systems also offer greater flexibility in terms of design, with a variety of durable powder coated colours to choose from,
including popular shades like Anthracite Grey. It is also possible to colour coordinate steel fence posts with colour matched accessories like post caps, capping rails and gravel boards. As such, those who opt for this innovative solution are able to deliver long-lasting, reliable installations, ensuring that they are sleek and stylish at the same time. Designed by industry experts and backed by a 25-year guarantee, galvanised steel fence post systems such as DuraPost® by FENCEMATE now offer fencing and landscaping professionals a reliable option when looking to design fences with long-term durability and performance in mind.
ABOUT JOHN ABERNETHIE In 1985, John Abernethie founded Birkdale as a fencing contractor and has since built the company into one of the UK’s leading suppliers of gate and fencing accessories. With his extensive trade experience, John was ideally placed to develop the GATEMATE® range in 1999, followed by the FENCEMATE®, SITEMATE® and finally the DuraPost® range in 2019. All Birkdale products are designed with the installer’s interests in mind and the brand is now known for combining high quality components with a quick and efficient installation method.
www.birkdalesales.com/durapost-trade
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
22/07/2020 10:53
EDUCATE
P R OJ EC TS
ARTIFICIAL GRASS F O U R A R T I F I C I A L G R A S S C O M PA N I E S G I V E U S TO P T I P S O N I N STA L L AT I O N A N D S H O W C A S E P R O D U C TS T H R O U G H O N E O F T H E I R P R OJ EC TS
TOP TIPS FOR INSTALLATION 1 Use new and clean tools for a neater finish. A carpet kicker is a great tool to use for finishing touches. 2 Leave the grass to settle once it’s rolled out. 3 Use a special nozzle on the glue cartridges for applying glue at the joints. This greatly speeds up the process as it simply glides through two sections of turf and gives a flawless finish. 4 Carry white spirit in case you get glue on the grass, as it is easy to clean when wet. 5 To get a more natural result, crown the subbase and chamfer at the perimeters. 6 Consider moving around items in the garden which could quickly flatten artificial grass and become unsightly. 7 Once the grass has been installed, it should always be infilled with silica sand to finish. The infill helps stabilise and keep the grass pile upright and looking good. Infilling with sand also helps to dissipate any heat so your grass stays cooler during our (very rare) UK heatwaves.
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PERFECTLY GREEN
EVERGREENS UK GROUP
P R OJ E C T ST A N D R E WS P R I M A R Y S C H O O L P R O D U C T M YST I Q U E
P R OJ E C T W O O D S I D E C A R E V I L L AG E P R O D U C T L A Z Y L AW N ® WO N D E R YA R N 3 6 M M
A stunning artificial grass installation of Perfecly Green's Mystique artificial grass – a super soft and dense grass with four different coloured yarns that give it a very natural springtime look. Excellent for areas that will have a high footfall, hence why it was the product of choice for St Andrews Primary School. It created a lovely open space and soft surface to accompany all the new playground equipment, and the school was delighted with the end result. www.perfectlygreen.co.uk
At this impressive development in WCS Care's Woodside Care Village in Warwick, iGRASS installed its LazyLawn® Wonder Yarn 36mm. The product was selected to enhance the communal areas and contribute to the wellbeing of the residents. The ‘village’ area, featuring iGRASS turf, is complete with a shop, launderette, hair salon and signage, and the home even has its own spa and cinema. The gardens feature a bike track, outdoor gym equipment, mini golf course, and water features. www.evergreensukgroup.com
TIGER TURF
NAMGRASS
P R OJ E C T WOLVERHAMPTON ADVENTURE GOLF P R O D U C T G O L F 1 8 A N D LO N D O N 3 5
P R OJ E C T WA R D I A N LO N D O N P R O D U C T VA N Q U I S H
Wolverhampton Adventure Golf is a brand-new facility located at Perton Golf Club near Wolverhampton. There was high demand for the course, meaning the products selected had to not only be high quality and durable, but look realistic, too. TigerTurf’s Golf 18 has been used for the main putting areas and the surrounding fringe areas are London 35, complementing the exciting dinosaur theme, running water and over 1,000 plants. www.tigerturf.com/uk
Namgrass was approached by Wardian London in 2018 to complete a 20,000sqm installation for high-rise apartment blocks in the district of Canary Wharf. Namgrass was given the task of creating a UV stable and flame-retardant grass turf without sand infill. So, it created Vanquish – a medium-length turf with a dark green finish, weighing 2,523 grams per m2, making it durable and long lasting. www.namgrass.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 95
22/07/2020 10:50
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23/07/2020 12:38
EDUCATE
M
arch 23 marked the beginning of what would become months of lockdown for the UK. Though it was a tough time for many, one good thing may have emerged – people started to understand why green spaces are so valuable. New research from the RHS shows that “nearly six in 10 people (57%) now value their gardens more than previously.” Whilst it remains to be seen what this will mean for our parks, it seems the landscape industry may already be seeing the result. “It’s been so incredibly busy,” explains garden designer Cheryl Cummings. “I’m having to turn away work because I just can’t do it all.” So, with a surge in enquires, how can you ensure that a client is for you without wasting time and money?
CHOOSING
CLIENTS
WITH A RISE IN ENQUIRES IN RECENT MONTHS, AS THE PUBLIC TURNS ITS GAZE TO GARDENS AND GREEN SPACES, HOW CAN YOU MAKE SURE THAT A CLIENT IS RIGHT FOR YOU WITHOUT WASTING TIME AND MONEY?
WE OFTEN ASK WHICH IS THEIR FAVOURITE GARDEN OF OURS ON OUR WEBSITE AND WHY LE E B ESTA LL, B ESTA LL & CO
When determining whether or not a job is right, Bowles & Wyer asks three questions. Firstly, is it financially viable? Secondly, will it be enjoyable? And thirdly, will it improve the profile of the business? “We call it our mantra,” managing director Dan Riddleston explains. “As long as we can answer ‘yes’ to at least two of those questions, we will usually consider a job worth accepting.” Getting a potential client to fill out a detailed questionnaire before booking a site visit can help to determine the answer to these questions and save time. But whether it’s a phone enquiry or a questionnaire, what exactly should you be asking? In order to find out if a client has a realistic time frame and budget, and if they’re serious about undertaking a project, asking basic questions such as what work they are looking for, when they want the project to be completed and how they heard about you can help. “Determining the size of works and budget straight away is very important and this can usually be done via email,” explains Ross Conquest, managing director of Conquest Creative Spaces. “We work on a rule in the
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office now, that if it isn’t a paid consultation or survey, a budget can be confirmed via email.” “We often ask which is their favourite garden of ours on our website and why,” explains Lee Bestall, managing director of Bestall & Co. “We also make sure to find out what made them call us. If it’s location, it could just be that you’re local. If they say ‘we’ve been researching for ages and we finally found you’ then they’ve probably put in quite a bit of effort to find you, so are worth the visit.” If a client is genuine, with realistic expectations and they have chosen you, sometimes it feels wrong to turn down work. “An approach by a prospective client is flattering, it’s all too easy to take on every piece of work coming our way,” explains Cheryl. But you need to make sure the project is right for you, too. Figure out if the project’s location works for you. If you are building the garden, is it within easy reach of your main suppliers? If you’re designing, you may want to ensure you can make regular visits. Ensuring you have the same values and vision as your client can also be important: “On commercial projects, if
someone is just ticking boxes it can make the whole process very difficult. If they are properly engaged in the process and love what we’re doing, it’s a lot more enjoyable for everyone,” explains Dan.
MAKING YOUR WEBSITE A SHOP WINDOW FOR YOUR COMPANY IS ALSO A GREAT WAY TO ATTRACT THE RIGHT CLIENTS FROM THE OFFSET When you are finally in a position where you feel the project is right for you and a site visit is now necessary, don’t be afraid to charge for this initial consultation. “The key here is valuing your time,” explains Ross. “If it takes you ‘X’ amount of your time to do, why aren’t you charging?” Finally, making your website a shop window for your company is also a great way to attract the right clients from the offset, hopefully enabling you to continue to work on projects which are right for you and your company.
Pro Landscaper / August 2020 97
23/07/2020 15:53
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23/07/2020 17:54
P EO P L E
OUT AND ABOUT PULBOROUGH BROOKS
P101
I N S I D E P E O P L E T H I S M O N T H PA G E 1 0 1 O U T & A B O U T: P U L B O R O U G H B R O O K S , W E S T S U S S E X , PA G E 1 0 2 3 0 U N D E R 3 0 U P D AT E : J O S H U A N O A K E S , PA G E 1 0 3 L O V E H O R T I C U LT U R E : S A R A H M O R G A N , PA G E 1 0 6 L I T T L E I N T E R V I E W S People Cover-2.indd 99
22/07/2020 19:46
PRO LANDSCAPER WANTS TO CELEBRATE PROJECTS WITH A VALUE UNDER £25K. AFTER ALL, THEY’RE JUST AS IMPORTANT FOR THE INDUSTRY’S REPUTATION AS THEIR LARGER COUNTERPARTS
The smaller projects are often underappreciated; these awards are here to shout about the extreme technical ability, problemsolving skills, and work on a budget that these projects so often demonstrate. They rightly deserve their own awards ceremony.
small project
BIG IMPACT
TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2020 ExCeL LONDON
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
Contact: smallprojectbigimpact@eljays44.com
www.prolandscapermagazine.com/small-project-big-impact
Strulch was developed at Leeds University by Dr Geoff Whiteley. It is made from wheat straw, is an earthy brown colour has a neutral pH and lasts on the surface for up to two years. Strulch stops weeds germinating by blocking light, retains moisture in the soil and the added minerals and texture deters slugs and snails. 150 litre bags of Strulch are available on pallets of 12, 25 or 48 bags. Delivered within 4 working days. Trade discounts available
www.strulch.co.uk
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01943 863610
info@strulch.co.uk
23/07/2020 18:54
OUT & ABOUT
PEOPLE
PULBOROUGH BROOKS, WEST SUSSEX R U N BY T H E R S B P, P U L B O R O U G H B R O O K S I S A N AT U R E R E S E R V E H O M E TO A VA R I E T Y O F H A B I TATS A N D B U R ST I N G F U L L O F W I L D L I F E . WA L K I N G I TS N AT U R E T R A I L S , F LU R R I E S O F B U T T E R F L I E S E X P LO D E O F F P L A N TS , I N S E C TS B U Z Z A R O U N D YO U A N D T H E S O U N D O F C R I C K E TS C H I R P I N G F I L L S T H E A I R – I T ’ S N OT H A R D TO B E L I E V E T H AT T H I S I S O N E O F T H E R I C H E ST A R E A S FO R N AT U R E I N T H E C O U N T RY
With over 80% of lowland heath lost from the UK in the past few centuries, Wiggonholt Heath, part of Pulborough Brooks, is doing important work in regenerating the habitat. RSPB Pulborough Brooks forms part of a partnership to restore and recreate 648ha of heathland at 41 sites across the South Downs National Park – alongside which, 9km of heathland corridors are being created to allow animals to migrate between these important wildlife havens. Pulborough doesn’t let its hard work go over its visitors’ heads either, with signage on regenerating the hedgerows, why they have created areas with high fences, how to create wildlife-friendly gardens without wasting water, and why managing woodland as a coppice is important.
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PEOPLE
RHS WISLEY – PLANTING
BARANGAROO PARK, SYDNEY
3 0 U N D E R 3 0 U P DAT E
HIGHLINE, NYC
JOSHUA NOAKES A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE JOSHUA COLLECTED HIS 30 UNDER 30 AWARD IN 2015. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO FIND OUT WHY HE MADE THE JUMP FROM CONSTRUCTION TO DESIGN
F
ive years ago, when Joshua became one of the inaugural 30 Under 30: The Next Generation at the age of 22, he was working as a landscape operative for IPM Facilities. He had a goal of moving further into the commercial sector and of bringing new and innovative sustainable design influences into the industry. Well, he’s certainly progressed with both of these, but maybe not on the same path Pro Landscaper would have predicted. Fast forward to 2020, Joshua is working towards gaining his MA in Landscape Architecture at the most prolific UK university in this field – Sheffield. “When I left school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” admits Joshua. “Growing up, I was always encouraged to be outdoors; my parents were keen gardeners and the majority of my family worked in the horticulture industry. So, straight after school I went to work as a landscape contractor for five years. “When I was 20, I went to Merrist Wood College, and at that point I knew I wanted to go more into the design side after working on various show gardens with the landscape department at IPM.” Joshua’s stint on the construction side was hugely beneficial, though. “You can look at designs in more detail and have a better idea of how it’s going to be maintained and how, logistically, it’s going to be constructed. I’m quite lucky I had those five years.” He excelled
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throughout that time, too. In the same year Joshua picked up a 30 Under 30 award, he also won BALI Chalk Fund Best Student 2015 and he gained distinction in all 18 modules of his Level 3 landscape construction course. From there, Joshua embarked on his undergraduate degree with the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield. To add to his experience, Joshua spent six months during his second year at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, as part of a study abroad exchange.
AT THAT POINT I KNEW I WANTED TO GO MORE INTO THE DESIGN SIDE “It was great to go over there and learn landscape architecture from a different perspective. In Australia, they are much more focused on the hard landscape, so the course is more engineering and construction based, and the approach to planting design is different too.” After three years, and with a BA (Hons) to his name, Joshua needed to complete a one-year work placement before returning to gain his Masters. Joshua chose Hampshire-based fabrik, and one year turned into two. When we spoke, Joshua had only a month left with the firm
CONCEPT SKETCH
until going back to university. “I’ve really enjoyed the studio atmosphere there, it’s very creative. They do a lot of commercial and public realm work, which is nice. I’ve also enjoyed being back down south” – Joshua is originally from Hampshire – “and the close proximity to London.” Alongside working with fabrik, Joshua had been preparing for his first show garden at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, which was later cancelled due to COVID-19. “The garden was a combination of the plant knowledge I’d learned from Sheffield and Sydney, and was based on how planting can affect and benefit mental health; but unfortunately, it’s been put on hold. I’m hoping we have a chance to resubmit next year, the concept will still be very apt.” Until then, Joshua will be back at Sheffield, and once he has completed his final year, he will be looking to achieve his chartership. In just five years, Joshua has already achieved a great deal. It would be no surprise at all if, in another five years, Joshua is not only a chartered landscape architect but has a portfolio of show gardens under his belt, too. Follow Josh on Instagram and Twitter: @landscape_josh
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
16/07/2020 10:31
PEOPLE
WHY I...
# LOV E H O RT I C U LT U R E Sarah Morgan BSc Hons Hortic, MSGD, MCIHort
SARAH MORGAN GARDENS AND CHAIR OF THE SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGNERS
I
count myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to follow my childhood passion of all things earthy, natural and beautiful. From formal education to a career in horticulture and landscapes of 42 years to date, horticulture has taken me on a meandering journey of commercial crop production, scientific research, gardening, landscape design, environmental lobbying, management consultancy, education and now to chair of the SGD. Every day I have learned something new, been challenged to develop new skills and engaged with some fascinating clients, colleagues and students. So why is horticulture not recommended as a career at schools, or embedded more in the curriculum, when it offers such diversity and opportunity? Without the support of some fantastic folk in my life, horticulture may have remained just a healthy interest. Thanks go to my parents for giving me the freedom to ’disappear’ all day to explore the natural world and for not flinching at my first attempts in gaudy bedding throughout the entire garden at the age of seven; for challenging precepts of what subjects constitute ‘academic’ at school, and for finding me my first weekend job at a local specialist plant nursery. I am grateful to my mum for raising unpopular environmental concerns with me as a child and for championing the organic movement. Hats off to my school for offering O Level in horticulture and for letting me take it to A Level, to then support progress to a degree at Wye College, London University, studying horticultural science. Under the nurturing eye of my tutor and mentor, Tom Wright at Wye, I learned to view plants, landscapes and ecologies in a whole new way, and gained a friendship and correspondence that lasted until he sadly passed away in 2016. Put simply, it is the combination of knowing you are making a difference to the health, experience and environment of clients, with the help and support of a wider team of highly skilled professionals, that motivates my love of horticulture.
EVERY DAY I HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING NEW, BEEN CHALLENGED TO DEVELOP NEW SKILLS
T W E E T U S @ P R O L A N D S C A P E R U K A N D T E L L U S W H Y Y O U L O V E H O R T I C U LT U R E U S I N G T H E H A S H TA G # L O V E H O R T I C U LT U R E
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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16/07/2020 11:58
JOBS
For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 570 or email ben.cumberland@eljays44.com with your vacancy
LANDSCAPING ASSISTANT
APPRENTICE LANDSCAPER
Landesigns is seeking an enthusiastic, committed landscaper to join its established team based in Hertfordshire. Experience of working in the landscape industry is essential to this position as well as having the enthusiasm for the project and the commitment to the job. The successful candidate with need to assist with all types of hard and soft landscaping. They should have the ability to listen, think for themselves and be able to take commands from the site foreman. Strong communication skills are vital for both colleagues and, most importantly, customers. The ability to read designer plans would be beneficial.
Landesigns has been trading for 17 years and prides itself on its customer service, the quality of its work and attention to detail on every project. The Hertfordshirebased company is offering an apprenticeship to the right candidate. The role includes carrying out most aspects of soft and hard landscaping mostly in St Albans, Harpenden and the surrounding areas. They may also carry out grounds maintenance including mowing, strimming, planting and weeding, along with assisting in the maintenance of the tools and equipment. An interest in gardening, landscaping and working outdoors is essential.
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANT
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM LEADER
Bestall & Co is looking for an implementation assistant. The successful candidate will be required to work under the direction of the implementation team leader to set out and plant up finished gardens and assist in accessorising with products where necessary. This will include assisting with unloading deliveries, quality checking plant health, following planting and setting out plans, and planting to agreed procedures. Applicants must have a keen interest in horticulture, love working outdoors and have great attention to detail. Horticulture qualifications are desirable but not essential.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the timely delivery of all planting and aftercare aspects of Bestall & Co’s garden builds. They will need to set out and plant up clients’ gardens and accessorise with products where necessary with the assistance of an implementation assistant. This includes receiving and unloading deliveries, quality checking plant health, following planting and setting out plans, and working to agreed planting procedures. This role also involves being responsible for undertaking regular aftercare schedules in clients’ gardens. They must be committed to growth and personal development, and attend CPD days and performance reviews.
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
SKILLED LANDSCAPER
NURSERY SUPERVISOR
Outdoor Creations is offering a great opportunity to join an award-winning and growing landscape contractor. Applicants must be skilled landscapers with a wide range of experience in landscape construction and enjoy the interaction that comes with being a key member, working within the company’s numerous landscaping teams. There will be the potential to progress and to lead landscaping teams for the right individual. Landscaping qualifications are desirable but not essential. Candidates will need to prove a variety of hard landscaping skills, from paving to brickwork, carpentry and groundworks. Applicants must have a full, clean driving licence.
Home Grown Hotels and Lime Wood Group’s nursery is responsible for distributing high quality vegetable seedlings and potted herb cuttings to its sites across the south of England. It produces more than 1,500 trays of seedlings and 10,000 cuttings every year. The company is looking for an enthusiastic, experienced person to join its team. It is offering a competitive salary and excellent company benefits. Previous nursery experience is essential. In addition to main duties, the successful candidate will be responsible for health and safety, as well as complying with legislation, ordering and stock management.
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE OPERATIVES
PROJECT OPERATIONS MANAGER
This is an opportunity to join one of the UK’s leading landscape contractors, Willerby Landscapes, based in Edenbridge, Kent. Due to the expanding business, it has vacancies for maintenance operatives. The successful candidate will work as a team member carrying out landscape maintenance on both commercial and domestic schemes throughout London and the South East. Punctuality, enthusiasm and excellent attendance, along with a full driving licence, are essential. There are excellent pay rates available for the right candidate. A CSCS card would be an advantage but is not essential.
Based in east Bristol, CPS Grounds Ltd is a well-established and expanding grounds maintenance company working primarily in the education and sports field sector. It has an exciting opportunity for an experienced projects/operations manager to take a senior role in developing, delivering and managing its landscape and outdoor projects department as well as working on the daily operations. The successful candidate will manage the team to deliver a high level of service to both new and existing clients. With a current client base of 200, they will have the opportunity to take ownership and grow the department, supporting existing relationships and developing new ones.
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk
LANDESIGNS Location: Hertfordshire
BESTALL & CO Location: Yorkshire
OUTDOOR CREATIONS Location: Kent, Sussex and London
WILLERBY LANDSCAPES Location: Kent
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LANDESIGNS Location: Hertfordshire
BESTALL & CO Location: Yorkshire
HOME GROWN HOTELS AND LIME WOOD GROUP Location: Hampshire
CPS GROUNDS LTD Location: Gloucestershire
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
23/07/2020 17:30
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23/07/2020 09:48
PEOPLE
106 Pro Landscaper / August 2020
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IN LOCKDOWN
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
MANOJ MALDE
ANN-MARIE POWELL
Owner, Manoj Malde Garden Design
Principal, Ann-Marie Powell Gardens Ltd
www.manojmaldegardendesign.co.uk
www.ann-mariepowell.com
One thing that’s changed in daily routine that will continue post-lockdown? Zoom meetings will definitely continue. They have really kept things going for many small businesses.
You’re self-isolating – who’s your favourite person to be locked up with? My other half Jules is wonderfully supportive. Besides him, I have loved hanging out with the wonderful community of 10K folk each day on my personal Instagram account @myrealgarden.
How many cups of tea/coffee are you now drinking per day? I tend to drink a cup of tea in the morning and another in the afternoon – I have stuck to that. Best new series or book you’ve discovered? ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ by Heather Morris and ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ by Peter Wohlleben – I would recommend everyone read this book. It is fascinating. What is your background noise when working from home? At the moment, it’s cowboy builders next door who have been doing my head in throughout lockdown. However, if I want energy then it’s Nightcrawlers and if I want something calming then it has to be The Protecting Veil by Steven Isserlis. Is the government doing a good job of keeping you informed? I believe the government has done a fairly good job of keeping people informed although some of the information has sent mixed messages; it also depends on how people translate those messages too. Whether the decisions that the government has taken are right, that is questionable. Best new follow on social media? I love Instagram; it’s visual, colourful and creative. Two that come to mind are Helen Fickling – loved her pics of her travels in India – and Matthew Wilson. I loved his informative video clips.
How many cups of tea/coffee are you now drinking per day? Not so many actually – once at my desk, I’m ridiculously focused and often forget to drink! Best new series or book you’ve discovered? I’m currently reading ’The Pottery Gardener’ by Arthur Parkinson and have watched ’Normal People’, ‘I May Destroy You’, ‘Dead to Me’ and ‘Hanna’ during lockdown, but my absolute favourites have been ‘Grayson’s Art Club’, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 5’ and ‘War of the Worlds’ (2019). An eclectic mix to say the least! What time is ‘wine o’clock’? Around about 7pm in the week, 5pm at the weekend! One must have SOME self-restraint?! What is your background noise when working from home? Radio 6 music all day long. I literally cannot work without background music. Is the government doing a good job of keeping you informed? I actually think the email contact they’ve sent out has been encouragingly regular, but I haven’t always been able to decipher it, and it’s seemed a constantly shifting thing. Thankfully, I have the support of a brilliant accountant and an outsourced human resources department.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/07/2020 10:09
PEOPLE
SHANE MCCORMICK
IAN DRUMMOND
A L ASTA I R P E AT
Landscaping director, Talasey Group
Director, Indoor Garden Design
Director, Alfresco landscaping Ltd
www.talasey.co.uk
www.indoorgardendesign.com
www.alfrescolandscaping.co.uk
You’re self-isolating – who’s your favourite person to be locked up with? Just my family, I don’t need anyone else.
You’re self-isolating – who’s your favourite person to be locked up with? My partner Allan of course and our puppy Hamish who is an adorable Cavapoo.
You’re self-isolating – who’s your favourite person to be locked up with? My wife of 18 years; this is giving us the chance to spend time together with our two lovely children rather than the normal relay that is everyday life.
One thing that’s changed in daily routine that will continue post-lockdown? Zoom, and Microsoft Teams chats – can’t beat them. How many cups of tea/coffee are you now drinking per day? At least 10. Best new series or book you’ve discovered? Married at First Sight Australia! I know… What do you miss most about pre-lockdown life? Giving my son a cuddle as he doesn’t live with us. DIY or gardening? Gardening. What time is ‘wine o’clock’? Is there a time? What is your background noise when working from home? Sky News or Clubland Classics – a right mix. Is the government doing a good job of keeping you informed? Yes, definitely, though they have had lots of criticism. Everyone would do it differently knowing what we’re now faced with. What’s your predicted date for returning to normality? Maybe after a cure is found. Best new follow on social media? Cancer Research UK.
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One thing that’s changed in daily routine that will continue post-lockdown? It’s been incredible to be able to use digital technology for meetings. So, instead of travelling in my Mini Countryman all over London, I get to do them from home. How many cups of tea/coffee are you now drinking per day? I’m holding back on coffee, but the tea is on tap. Best new series or book you’ve discovered? Netflix: ‘Pennyworth’ starring Paloma Faith. Also, ‘Unorthodox’ is incredible and the new ‘Killing Eve’ series. DIY or gardening? Gardening all the time! I am totally clueless when it comes to DIY! What time is ‘wine o’clock’? We try to wait until after breakfast! What is your background noise when working from home? Radio – it varies from Smooth FM for background easy listening and then Radio 4 to keep updated with the news and current affairs. I’ve also created an IGD playlist filled with gardening themed tunes. Is the government doing a good job of keeping you informed? I don’t think so. They have a tough job and it’s been good having daily updates, but for the past few weeks it’s been hard to discern what is actually being said.
Best new series or book you’ve discovered? You have got to give ‘Once Upon A Time’ a go; it works for both our six and 11-year-old, as well as the parents. What do you miss most about pre-lockdown life? Shaking hands and hugging friends. What time is ‘wine o’clock’? 7pm. Still trying to extol some sort of self-control. Although I have now found the taste for red rather than white. What is your background noise when working from home? Choice is music on SoundCloud, reality is the laughing and hum of happy children. In hindsight, what would you have prepared in advance? My wife has been on it with the food, and I am quite happy to not be DIY-ing, but our own garden hasn’t had so much care and attention for a long time! Is the government doing a good job of keeping you informed? Not totally. They seem to be slipping changes of advice under the radar onto their website without making the public aware. Best new follow on social media? Just discovered Instagram for the business – a whole new lifetime to waste looking at a screen now.
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