Pro Landscaper August 2017

Concept to Delivery

DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

THE EDIBLE BUS STOP

August 2017

Out & About

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

TINY PARKS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

Lounging around 12 SUPER SUN LOUNGERS

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www.lightingforgardens.com 19/07/2017 15:12 07/07/2017 09:37

WELCOME Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

THE EDIBLE BUS STOP

August 2017 | Volume 7, Issue 8

TINY PARKS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

Welcome to August 2017 Welcome to the August issue of Pro Landscaper. July turned out to be a great month, starting with the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (many congratulations to everyone involved). Well done to Adam White for winning Gold and Best in Show for the Zoflora and Caudwell Children’s Wild Garden. We were given a tour of the garden on press day, when it was already a big hit with the children visiting the show. It’s great to know that the garden will be relocated to the The Caudwell International Children’s Centre in Keele, Staffordshire – it’s the UK’s first purpose-built centre for multidisciplinary therapy programmes for childhood disability and research of neurodevelopmental

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

conditions. For our photos from the show see pages 19-21.

There’s so much to report this month, and particularly exciting was the first Pro Landscaper Tech event held at Google HQ in partnership with Adtrak. You’ll see from our coverage (pages 14-15) that we were limited to 120 attendees, but could have doubled that with the number of people that wanted to come along.

We’re hoping to put on more business focused events and will keep you posted.

Craig Moyes joined the SGD in April as chief operating officer, and we catch up with him to find out about his intentions to develop and strengthen the association on pages 16-17.

We also travelled over to Belfast to meet Steven Thompson from Out There, a company

ADVERTISING Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 588 Account Manager – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 587

Deputy Editor – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583

Horticulture Careers – Laura Harris laura.harris@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 580

Content Manager – Claire Maher claire.maher@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570

Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589

Editorial Reporter – Joe Betts joe.betts@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 573

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570

Editorial Assistant – Ellie Foster ellie.foster@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 607 Production Manager – Susie Duff susie.duff@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578

Subscription enquiries – Emily Maltby emily.maltby@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570

August 2017

Out & About

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

Lounging around

12 SUPER SUN LOUNGERS

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that centres around public sector landscape maintenance and is currently expanding, with contracts won in England and Scotland.

Welcome to David Binks from Landstruction, who is our newest contributor. His first column (on page 43) this month stresses the importance of taking on and developing apprentices.

By the way, not all of our out and about photos can fit into these pages, and most are posted on our Facebook page, so do look us up at www.facebook.com/prolandscapermagazine There’s so much more we’d love to highlight, but why not see for yourself and start turning the pages…

@jimeljays

@lisaeljays

Design – Kara Thomas, Mandy Armstrong Pro Landscaper is proud to be an affiliate member of BALI

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 2017 subscription price is £95.00.

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.

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

Production Editor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578 Subeditor – Kate Bennett kate.bennett@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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CONTENTS

August 2017 INFORM

8

Agenda What importance do you place on your online marketing strategy?

10

31

News Our monthly roundup of industry news

14

News Extra Reporting back from the Pro Landscaper Tech event at Google HQ

16

News Extra Craig Moyes on his new role as the SGD’s first chief operating officer

19

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2017

xx

Concept to Delivery

DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

THE EDIBLE BUS STOP TINY PARKS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

A look back at this year’s edition of the world’s largest flower show

Show 2017

29 30 Under 30 Previous winners share their experience

31

Let’s Hear It From Steven Thompson of Out There

34 Company Profile Steve Evans, Kingston Landscape Group

36 Landscape Architect’s Journal AHR

39 View from the Top Mitie’s Tim Howell discusses how technological advances benefit the industry

40 Scrap Value The scrap heap can be a great source of inspiration, says Angus Lindsay 4

Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Contents.indd 4

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12 SUPER SUN LOUNGERS

Let’s Hear it From OUT THERE

Previewing this year’s event

The latest updates from efig, SGD, BALI, RHS, APL and Parks Alliance

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW

Lounging around

23 RHS Summer Urban Garden

25 Association News

August 2017

Out & About

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41 Innocence vs Experience

INSPIRE

51

Andrew Wilson is concerned about increasingly demanding clients

42 For What It’s Worth

The Cotswold Garden Company gives a rectory garden a sleek and classic update

54 Pocket Rocket

Adam White looks back on his RHS Hampton Court Palace garden

43 Bright Young Things New columnist David T. Binks on the importance of apprentices

45 Floral Fantasy We delve behind the scenes at Harrogate’s impressive parks offer

Pastures New

Incorporating greenery into a London development with Garden Club London’s impressive floating park

58 Go with the Flow Artscape Design and Build brings a feeling of seclusion to a riverside space in Berkshire

61

A Homecoming Prayer A Japanese Zen-inspired space for a military barracks, constructed by Northumbrian Landscaping at Harrogate Flower Shows

64 The Edible Bus Stop Learning about the London company’s outsidethe-box urban gardening projects www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/07/2017 12:00

CONTENTS

86

The Hive Exploring The Hive wildflower installation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

88

Green Shoots Rigby Taylor takes us to Top Green’s grass breeding and trials facility in Angers, France

90

Topsoil for Roof Gardens Lightweight, free-draining soil solutions for rooftop projects

EDUCATE

95

Emotional Intelligence Sean Butler tells us why it’s crucial to have emotionally intelligent employees

98

Trend Setter New lighting technologies spell a bright future for Rob Webber

100 Helping You

Make A Profit

51 NURTURE

69

Love Horticulture Continuing our #lovehorticulture campaign, Hortus Loci’s Jamie Butterworth explains why this is the industry for him

70

Lounging Around With sunbathing season well and truly upon us, Anji Connell takes us through her stylish sun lounger picks

72

Life/Style Garden designer Rae Wilkinson on what makes her tick

75

Composite Decking

79

Nurture News

80

Fencing products designed to withstand the most rough-andtumble of environments

104 Edging Pro Landscaper selects a variety of the best edging products for domestic projects

Designer Plants

107 Micro Excavators

David Keegan creates a magical and unexpected ‘enchanted forest’ in a Manchester garden

83

Tough Customers

A roundup of the latest micro excavators, plus key features to look out for when buying one

110 What I’m Reading

Andy McIndoe suggests some hardy roses for difficult environments

84

Exotic Treasures Nothing beats the Vanda orchid for interior drama, says Ian Drummond: it really does have it all

85

Showstoppers Jamie Butterworth’s selection of the best flowers for late-summer colour

Contents.indd 5

103 Fencing for Schools

A roundup of news from the UK’s growing sector

Decking projects from around the globe

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Sam Hassall breaks down the easily-overlooked cost of edgings for paving

Frederic Whyte on The Education of a Gardener

by Russell Page

111

Look Out For Lachlan Rae

114 Little Interview Quick-fire questions to the people who make up our industry

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Pro Landscaper / August 2017

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The Vitripiazza collection is available in 20mm thick flagstones, designed for external use and also 10mm thick tiles, suitable for internal use, enabling designers and home owners to create a flush finish from garden to home.

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Distributed by Natural Paving Products

19/07/2017 15:13

INFORM

SPOTLIGHT ON

CONTRIBUTORS

David T Binks

Anji Connell

Andy McIndoe

Robert Webber

Managing director of Landstruction and Big Hedge Co.

Interior architect and landscape designer

Leading horticulturist

Founder of Scenic Lighting

In this month’s issue, we are delighted to introduce new columnist David T Binks, managing director of established landscaping firm Landstruction and Cheshirebased nursery Big Hedge Co. Sharing his views on a variety of topics related to running a business within the sector, David kicks off his inaugural column by entering the great apprentice debate.

With summer now upon us, Anji Connell selects and shares her top ‘sun loungers with a twist’ in her must-read column. Anji’s superchic and high-quality picks demonstrate elegance and comfort — from traditional designs, to something more daring and avant-garde. So sit back and relax, as Anji shows us how to lounge around in style.

This issue sees Andy McIndoe tackle the thorny issue of roses, renowned for their temperamental nature. Andy navigates the abundance available to bring us some of the toughest and most reliable plants on the market, and also offers advice on planting, to keep these deliciously fragrant blooms looking lovely all summer long.

In this month’s illuminating column, exterior lighting designer Robert Webber considers how lighting technology has progressed, and explores some of the continued challenges and changing trends.

As effects in lighting continue to evolve, Robert predicts the products of tomorrow and shares his hopes for future innovations within the industry.

landstruction.com bighedgeco.com @Landstruction @bighedgecompany

anjiconnellinteriordesign.com @anjiconnell

andymcindoe.com @AndyMcIndoe

sceniclighting.com @Scenic_rob

Other contributors Tim Howell Managing director, Mitie Landscapes Ltd

Adam White Director, Davies White Ltd

Sean Butler Director, Cube 1994

Angus Lindsay Head of fleet, idverde

Ian Drummond Creative director, Indoor Garden Design

Sam Hassall Managing director LandPro Ltd

Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Jamie Butterworth Plant manager at Hortus Loci

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19/07/2017 14:59

INFORM

AGENDA WHAT IMPORTANCE DO YOU PLACE ON YOUR ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY?

In the same month as our successful Pro Landscaper Tech event, we asked industry experts what importance they place on their online marketing strategy, and what this involves.

Joe Gratton Sales and marketing assistant, Shed Grounds Maintenance

Our website is an important part of our marketing strategy as it’s where potential clients research us and assess our professionalism.

We know from tracking software that they will often visit the website three or four times before making contact. This shows that the website is a showcase for our services, showing the type of clients we work with and the many certifications and accreditations we have.

This knowledge led to us to a complete overhaul of the website six months ago; we transformed it into a mobile-friendly and responsive design, as we know that the first time people look at our website will increasingly be on a mobile device or a tablet.

We regularly update the site with blog posts to demonstrate expertise, and we also keep an updated news section to let people know about advances in our business, new appointments and new contract wins.

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Social media didn’t exist for us a year ago and now we have over 1,300 followers on Twitter and rank in the top 25 nationally for social authority. This has increased our brand awareness with minimal investment, and it is an excellent way to reach people who would have otherwise never have heard of us. Our social media channels are also a great way to demonstrate the ‘behind the scenes’ elements of the company.

Claudia de Yong Landscape and garden consultant, Claudia de Yong Garden Design

I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t updated my website in a long time, and I am very embarrassed about it as I believe having a good online presence is essential in today’s world. A website is an online portfolio, and although the average time spent looking at one is only a few seconds, that is all it takes to capture someone’s interest. Pictures can speak a thousand words, so good imagery is vital. I love photography and take pictures at all stages of my projects.

However, websites on their own are not sufficient these days – you also have to regularly update Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest profiles, and write a regular blog. The problem is time, and I never have enough!

Holly Youde Creative director, Urban Landscape Design Ltd

At Urban Landscape Design Ltd, we feel that a strong online presence is essential for any successful business – we rarely advertise by other means. By focusing our marketing budget on optimising our online visibility, we get to engage with our existing clients, giving them access to our company at any time of day and encouraging potential customers to explore our opportunities. We feel that having a strong online presence boosts our credibility and helps drive the success of the business. We tailor our approach to different types of social media to suit our audience; whether its speaking business to business or engaging with customers, the possibilities for online marketing are endless.

Roxanna Jaudat Managing director, Mango Paving and Landscaping Ltd

Our online marketing strategy is of great importance to our business. A healthy online presence is an essential part of our brand awareness, providing another way for customers to contact us 24/7. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/07/2017 14:43

INFORM

Janine Pattison Director, Janine Pattison Studios

We live in a digital economy, and failure to engage with it will prevent your business from reaching its full potential. Your website is your shop window, and at JPS we have been working on a new website for the last couple of months.

It will be mobile device friendly, easy to navigate and full of high quality images of our projects. It’s vital to make your website easy to find, and getting some professional help with your SEO is money well spent. Potential clients are looking www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Agenda 2.indd 9

for companies that are engaged in their industry, and regular news updates and blog posts are vital to keep the site fresh and interesting. High quality images are important, and it’s worth getting them done professionally if you can’t do them yourself. Social media is enormously helpful in promoting your business – but be very careful what you post. It must be accurate and truthful, and under no circumstances should you denigrate a fellow professional on social media – it may come back and bite you!

Amanda Patton Owner, Amanda Patton Landscape & Garden Design

Most of my business comes from my online presence, so keeping it updated and fresh is critical to acquiring new clients. I have an SEO expert who periodically looks through my keywords and those of my competitors to see where I rank and how I can improve – it’s important that this comes from my own voice.

Encouraging clients to get a feel for my approach and design ethos from my words as well as my photos means I’m halfway to securing the business (and this works for me – most enquiries lead to business). For this reason, it’s also all written in the first person, and I never use the overused ‘we’, which is one of my pet hates.

Malcolm Gough Group sales and marketing director, Natural Paving Products

We have built an online marketing strategy around increasing brand awareness and supporting the industry. This doesn’t simply mean generating interest in our products, but offering practical advice and expert knowledge to installers, merchants and homeowners as well. This approach has helped us become a leading name that people know and trust. In turn, this means more demand for our products.

In addition, we help promote landscaping professionals through our rating platform, which is online-based. The scheme lets landscapers highlight their work and helps them enhance their reputation. We do not sell online and operate a very strict merchant-only policy, so another aim of our online presence is geared to supporting our valued merchant partners.

NEXT MONTH Should local authorities be responsible for ensuring parks are protected in the long term?

Have your say: editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Image ©REDPIXEL.PL / Shutterstock.com

The website is a great way for us to showcase our company. Images and visuals are a really effective way to present our work clearly and instantly get our message across. We use pictures to inspire our visitors to read through the facts and information on our site.

Blogs complement website pages with their more specific topics, and they help to keep website content fresh and up-to-date. They also show a bit of personality behind the business, which people like. With social media we can talk to a larger audience, build relationships and encourage visitors to visit our website. It is an effective way to be proactive in customer service, as it provides opportunity for customer feedback, too.

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20/07/2017 14:43

INFORM

NEWS Green-tech supply roof garden materials to Four Pancras Square, King’s Cross Green-tree’s intensive roof garden substrate and gt Roofdrain has recently been installed in the prestigious London development Four Pancras Square.

Four Pancras Square is a Grade A office building located to the north of King’s Cross railway station. The 170,000ft², ten-floor building is the final part of a cluster of nine office buildings.

The landscaping work was undertaken by Kent-based landscape contractor Willerby Landscapes, and Green-tech supplied them with its Green-tree Roof Garden intensive substrate for the containerised rooftop planting scheme. The substrate was ideal for the project due to its lightweight texture and good water-holding capacity, which ensures healthy plant establishment in harsh rooftop environments.

gt Roofdrain was also incorporated into the project, forming a lightweight, highperformance drainage layer that allowscollection and storage of water to irrigate plants with during drier periods.

Green-tech’s head of sales Richard Gill said: “Green-tree Green Roof Substrates are the go-to products for roof garden projects due to the lightweight and workable properties of the product, along with Green-tech’s ability to deliver products to more challenging city locations.” www.green-tech.co.uk

RHS and M&G Investments renew partnership for a further three years Under a new agreement, M&G will be the official sponsor of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the three years between 2018 and 2020.

M&G will also support the RHS’s Greening Grey Britain campaign, transforming grey spaces into planted-up green places.

Anne Richards, chief executive of M&G, said: “We looked at a number of other options for our marketing and sponsorship in the UK but quickly came to the conclusion that there was little out there to compare with our excellent partnership with the RHS. “Over the past eight years we have built a very close relationship with the RHS. We have much in common, not least a set of common values and a shared view that the best results come only with time and patience. There is no better fit for M&G in the UK. “We are particularly excited to work with the RHS on its outreach

programme, Greening Grey Britain.

As we know from our investments in real estate and infrastructure, gardening really can transform lives and bring communities together. So we are delighted to be able to offer not only financial assistance but also give our staff the opportunity to volunteer their services.”

Sue Biggs, RHS director general, said: “The fact that M&G is renewing its sponsorship of RHS Chelsea Flower Show reflects the outstanding relationship we have with the company and the excellent opportunities that the show offers.

M&G, an international asset manager and part of Prudential plc, has been the official sponsor of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show since 2010. M&G has also sponsored a show garden each year, winning six gold medals and scooping Best in Show for its 2017 garden design by James Basson. www.mandgchelsea.co.uk

Nurture Landscapes acquires Frosts’ landscape maintenance operations Nurture Landscapes has secured its fifth acquisition in 12 months, with the purchase of the landscape maintenance operations of Bedfordshire-based Frosts Group.

The acquisition increases Nurture’s turnover to £35m, and staff numbers to more than 500.

Frosts’ landscape maintenance business has annual sales approaching £4m; the 70-plus staff and contracts will transfer to 10

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Nurture on 1 August, along with divisional director Darrell Hedden.

Major clients transferring include Milton Park and Abingdon Business Park in Oxfordshire, ISIS Reach in Kent, the Upton Way residential development in Northampton, The Building Research Establishment in Watford and Bedfordshire University.

Most contracts will be managed out of a new office-depot near

Frosts’ base at Woburn Sands, under Nurture’s Midlands director Gordon Whyte. Others will be serviced from one of Nurture’s local regional offices across the country.

Peter Fane, managing director of Nurture, commented: “The acquisition offers great synergy with our business and we anticipate a seamless integration.”

Frosts manager James Frost added: “Nurture is the perfect home for the landscape maintenance business and I have no doubt that the staff and clients are in excellent hands.” www.nurturelandscapes.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 16:22

MOST INFLUENTIAL

MOST INFLUENTIAL

MOST INFLUENTIAL

INFORM

Most influential

Pro Landscaper announces search for most influential people within the industry After the success of Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation, we appreciate that the horticulture sector also has an abundance of successful and inspiration people who have been working within it for many years, and who are still guiding the progression of the industry today.

With this in mind, Pro Landscaper is interested to find out who the wider industry believes is currently influencing the UK’s landscaping industry. To this end, we will be telephoning

MOST

around 200 well-known people within the sector – award-winning landscapers and garden designers, leading suppliers and those who commentate on the sector.

Each person will be asked to nominate five people who are still working in the UK sector. They would be likely to fall into the category of landscapers, garden designers, landscape architects or gardening ‘celebrities’.These individuals will be highlighted in a supplement to be distributed with Pro Landscaper’s December issue,

INFLUENTIAL

Most influential

MOST

INFLUENTIAL

which will also be available to pick up at this year’s FutureScape event.

Eljays44’s managing director, Jim Wilkinson, says: “We’re really excited to be highlighting the most influential people within the industry, and we hope to produce what will be a fascinating and insightful record for those people guiding the industry into the future.” www.prolandscaper magazine.com

MOST INFLUENTIAL

The Land Trust acquires new sites to enhance valuable community green space across the UK National land management charity the Land Trust has announced its acquisition of new public open spaces in Cheshire and Shropshire, and has also confirmed contracts to manage the green space around housing developments in South Yorkshire and Leicestershire.

Spanning more than 16ha, the green space at Ketley, Shropshire is part of the Telford Millennium Community. It’s acquisition means it will remain a public open space, with long term management and funding plans in place.

News.indd 11

The 22ha site in Warrington, Cheshire, is part of the new Omega development, and will initially continue to be used by the developers. Over the next three years, however, it will be remodelled to create a new park.

Both sites were transferred to the Land Trust at the end of March

2017 with funds from the Homes and Communities Agency, enabling them to be managed sustainably for long term community benefit.

Additionally, at the end of March, the charity signed agreements to manage 350 acres of green space around the Waverley development in Rotherham. It will also manage New Lubbesthorpe, a community near Leicester that includes 75 acres of woodland and 250 acres of public open space and parkland. www.thelandtrust.org.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF Ordnance Survey releases map of Britain’s green spaces A government initiative to make it easier for people to locate green spaces has launched, with the release of a database and digital map identifying green space. The data includes all public parks, play spaces, playing fields, golf courses, public gardens and more. www.osmaps.uk/greenspace

Notcutts fund second bursary scheme at Thrive Ten students have completed their training in social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) at garden therapy charity Thrive, thanks to the Charles Notcutt Memorial Bursary. This year (2017), Notcutts has agreed to fund another bursary scheme, at a cost of £4,000. www.thrive.org.uk

New owner for Leonardslee Gardens Estate, West Sussex

Entrepreneur Penny Streeter, owner of the Benguela Collection, has acquired the Leonardslee Gardens estate in West Sussex, with plans to restore the site and open it to the public once again. The gardens are noted for their outstanding spring displays. www.benguelacollection.com

19/07/2017 16:25

INFORM

2017 APL WorldSkills semi nalists announced ver the past three months, the landscapers of the future have demonstrated their s ills at regional heats for the orldS ills UK andscape Gardening competition.

Horticultural students and apprentices from across the nation too part in the noc -out heats, run by the Association of rofessional andscapers A . he A is pleased to announce the 11 competitors that have qualified through to the A orldS ills semi-final, which will ta e place at Myerscough College in August this year, are Ryan ell, Myerscough College homas Cartledge, Reaseheath College osh ow, Scotland s Rural Colleges a e Hac ett, arwic shire College ordan Kno , College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise

Adam McGarry, iltshire College aniel McGeoghegan, Myerscough College iisi Selmet, Reaseheath College oshua Slater, Reaseheath College Samuel aylor, Myerscough College Kelvin hite, Reaseheath College The competitors had three tas s to complete in the heats, which were mar ed on quality of wor , attention to detail and wor practice by an e perienced A representative. as s included building a dec ed timber frame within two hours, a bloc paving e ercise and a plant identification test. All were mar ed against e act scoring sheets and, where appropriate, millimetre tolerances. he national semi-final will be held at Myerscough College, while the national final will be held once again at he S ills Show at the C irmingham, from 15-18 ovember. he A would li e to than sponsors Green-tech, Ma ita, Marshals and A ones for their continuing support of the competition. www.landscaper.org.uk

Routes into horticulture at Hever Castle & Gardens

Hever Castle and Gardens has teamed up with the RHS to provide horticultural qualifications, starting in September. Dedicated amateur gardeners and those loo ing to develop their horticultural s ills will be able to ta e evel 2 RHS certificates in the rinciples f lant Growth ropagation and evelopment, the rinciples of Garden lanning and Maintenance, and ractical Horticulture.

Students will be able to observe as the garden progresses from daffodils, hyacinths and bluebells in early spring to tulips in April, through to camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. In summer, roses ta e centre stage in the walled Rose Garden and

Shrub Rose order, while seasonal bedding and shrubs populate the ompeiian all. he courses can be ta en alone or together. hose who successfully complete all the necessary units for the three level 2 theory-based qualifications will gain the RHS evel 2 iploma in the rinciples and ractices of Horticulture, which is well-recognised in the industry.

Students who achieve it are well placed to progress onto further courses, or into employment.

Achievement is assessed with written examinations and practical assessments. uition fees include entrance to Hever Castle and Gardens for the course s duration. www.hevercastle.co.uk

BOST Future Gardeners scheme leads to success with idverde idverde has been wor ing with an side pen Spaces rust S as part of its Future Gardeners scheme, which offers unemployed people in the Southwar and surrounding area the opportunity to wor towards a career in horticulture. he Future Gardeners scheme includes a mi ture of training for a City and Guilds qualification at alworth Garden, practical e perience in community gardens 12

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Pro Landscaper / August 2017

around an side and help with C building and interview techniques. here are also tal s from people already wor ing in the industry, as well help getting wor -ready

from an employment advisor. articipants also complete days of wor e perience at a variety of locations, including Chiswic House and he Rose Society, and two wee s wor e perience with idverde on the company s central ondon sites. his is not the first time that idverde has supported schemes such as this; on its Queen Elizabeth lympic ar contract it wor ed closely with the community social

enterprise organisation ur ar life to provide horticultural training and opportunities for the local boroughs. his has led to a number of trainees gaining paid employment with idverde and similar organisations. nvesting in local areas through schemes such as Future Gardeners is a ey part of idverde s commitment to cultivating sustainable green communities in the areas it wor s in. www.idverde.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 16:26

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INFORM

Sponsored by Helping you achieve the perfect outdoor space Icelandic Black Pebbles - Exclusive to CED - as seen across a number of RHS Flower Shows

On Tuesday 11 July, Pro Landscaper partnered with design and marketing agency Adtrak to put on the first Pro Landscaper Tech event at Google’s headquarters in central London. 120 people from across the landscaping industry attended what proved to be an illuminating and useful day.

RHS Flower Shows 2017 - Trade Stand

Designer: Matt Maddocks - Maddocks Contemporary Design Material: Icelandic Pebbles

The afternoon took the form of three presentations. First, Jim Wilkinson introduced Wim Wauters, partner enablement manager at Google, who started with a few interesting statistics. For example, internet use has almost doubled worldwide since 2010, from 1.8bn to 3.4bn; by 2020, Google estimates that there will be 5bn users, with much of that growth coming from India and Africa.

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05/07/2017 15:48:33 19/07/2017 15:18

Jim Wilkinson, Eljays44 managing director

Taking away loads of good online marketing ideas @ProLandscaperJW @adtrak @CEDNaturalStone tech event #googlehq

In 2010 there were 5bn mobile subscriptions worldwide; by 2020 it is predicted that this will be 10bn.

This may seem strange, as world population is 7.5bn, but many people have multiple mobiles Research has revealed that more consumers are using mobile devices to connect to the internet, as opposed to desktop computers.

Wim explained that Google’s video platform YouTube is where technology is really moving forward, especially when it comes to advertising.

Expanding on Wim’s presentation, Ben Shaw from Google partner company Adtrak explained how his company can help businesses develop an easy-to-navigate website that works with the Google algorithm for search engine optimisation.

Paula Chalmers and Catherine Hills, from event sponsor CED Stone Group, then gave an insight into how the business uses social media to raise its profile. hey dispensed some useful tips, such as using a calendar spreadsheet for each social media platform to keep content fresh 14

Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Pro Landscaper Tech.indd 14

Gristwood and Toms @gristwood_ toms

Panel debate on ‘The Power of the Web’

al o all global web tra c comes via smartphones and tablets, so making a website mobile-friendly can make or break a user’s experience and avoid duplication. They recommended boosting the coverage of posts with paid marketing, and scheduling posts to make sure they reach customers at their most active times.

Looking forward to informative afternoon at the Tech Event held @Google HQ in #London courtesy of @ProLandscaperJW #ProLandscaperTech

o finish off the afternoon, there was a lighthearted industry discussion with panel members Jamie Butterworth from Hortus Loci, Phil Tremayne from the APL, and Chris Rutter and Anna Bridgeman from Adtrak. The day was very well received by its attendees, who enjoyed drinks on the roof terrace at Google HQ before heading back to put all the information gathered into action. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/07/2017 14:49

James Scott @gardencomp

INFORM

Fascinating to be at google HQ finding out about the mysteries of google. Thanks @ ProLandscaperJW @CEDNaturalStone

What is each platform best for?

Patricia Fox @PatFoxAralia Great debate on how to get seen online @ProLandscaperJW @Google

Aaron Robb, paid marketing specialist at Adtrak

• Twitter : Informal chat • Instagram : ‘Out and about’ photos • Pinterest : Photography inspiration • Facebook : Increasing exposure to potential customers • LinkedIn : Business-orientated

Amy Perkins @AmyPerkinsGD Great event on Tues – tips and tricks of social media and power of the web! @ProLandscaperJW @adtrak @CEDNaturalStone tech event #googlehq

The Adtrak team, led by account director Ben Shaw Anna Robinson, internet and social marketing at Adtrak

d_

Caspian Robertson @Caspian_Gardens

CED seminar featuring Paula Chalmers and Catherine Hills

Great fun yesterday in London with @adtrak @ProLandscaperJW @Google can’t wait to test my site #ProLandScaperTech

CED’s uses of social media • For brand recognition • As a form of interaction with the industry – sharing its customers’ work, inspirational projects or awards • To show that it is helpful, fun and offers encouragement • For reporting from events • As a way of personalising the business with staff interaction

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper Tech.indd 15

Nathan O’Connor, senior paid marketing consultant at Adtrak

Anthony George @Anthony_PCL After yesterday’s event I thought I’d join in the tech revolution #ProLandscaperTech #letlooseontwitter @ProLandscaperJW @PCLandscapes

Ben Shaw and Jim Wilkinson

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 15

20/07/2017 14:57

INFORM

CRAIG MOYES

Appointed first chief operating officer of the SGD 16

Pro Landscaper / August 2017

News Extra Craig Moyes.indd 16

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:50

INFORM

The SGD has recently announced a new role within the association, welcoming Craig Moyes as its first chief operating officer.

Pro Landscaper caught up with Craig to learn more about this new role and the effect he hopes it will have on the society and its members Craig, tell us about your new role.

Until I was hired, the SGD had been run by members for the members, so the primary purpose of my new role is to help relieve the SGD council of its considerable workload.

They’re all volunteers, so hopefully having someone like myself will free up the chair, Philippa O’Brien, and the rest of the team. This will enable them to focus on the bigger picture, rather than being involved in the day to day running of the society, which is predominantly going to be my role.

What could this include?

It could be as routine as administration, or it could be dealing with contractors or helping to deliver major projects. If the council has a particular project in mind, my role is to suggest different ways of making it happen, and to outline the pros and cons. The council would then decide which way they wanted to go, and I would implement their decision. In essence, I will be taking on some of the council’s workload so that they can concentrate on the strategic direction of the SGD, and on delivering value to its members.

Does the introduction of this new role mean that the SGD is looking to expand?

Most associations, regardless of their background or field, want more members, and the SGD is no different. Hopefully, having a chief operating officer will help to provide continuity to members. The SGD has been running for over 30 years, and during that time many people will have come and gone from the council. There’s a risk that you could be going over the same ground when you lack continuity, so I will help to provide this, and to bring on new council members when they leave or rotate. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

News Extra Craig Moyes.indd 17

How will you be looking to increase the SGD’s membership, particularly its new practice membership?

We want to increase it, but there’s also an adjudication process to go through. We’re trying to sign up new talent, working closely with colleges so students are aware of the society.

We’re always looking at ways to support them, including through the SGD’s accredited Educator Status scheme – that has been very warmly received, with 10 colleges now signed up. We also have the annual SGD Student Awards, which is a big attraction, and the number of entries has increased this year. We want to make sure that the SGD’s services are relevant to its members, and that members can see the value in them. There’s a lot of communication between associations about how to retain and recruit members – we can learn from other associations because their methods and skills are transferable.

This is something that I will be trying to bring to the SGD.

HOPEFULLY, HAVING A CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER WILL HELP TO PROVIDE CONTINUITY TO MEMBERS

So will we see new marketing strategies?

Yes. All associations have similar challenges, and if others have found good solutions then imitation is the highest form of flattery. If I can learn from other successful associations – even those that are in fields unrelated to horticulture, gardening or landscape architecture – then I will do so, and bring those successful methods to the SGD. Have you been involved in the SGD previously?

No, though purely by chance my wife is a garden designer, at the start of her career. My previous involvement in this type of industry was with Reed Travel Exhibitions, where I was portfolio director for a few of its large trade shows and conferences. I’ve been in the event business for over 25 years, organising conferences, award dinners and exhibitions, some of which have been international. The SGD has an annual awards ceremony and two conferences each

year, which I’m hoping to contribute to, though they are already very successful events.

Will you be using this experience to help develop new strategies for the SGD? The strategic direction of the SGD is determined by the council. I will help and have some input, but my role is more about the society’s business development approach – working with our service providers to ensure they are providing value for money to members, as well as looking at our current initiatives to see if they could be run more efficiently and cost-effectively. I will also help to ensure we have good training opportunities – this is something the SGD already does, but I’d like to see if we can improve those opportunities further and provide more relevant training. We offer design development days, which seem to be expanding fantastically, so I will help to ensure that they continue to do so.

What will be your next focus?

The most immediate focus will be the conference in November, and the awards ceremony in February next year. In between these will be the usual day to day running of a professional society.

Will the SGD be looking to employ further paid executives?

There are no plans at the moment. I am in awe of the effort that the council puts into the SGD. As volunteers, they all have their own successful businesses to run as well, so I’m amazed they’ve managed to do this for so long. It shows how devoted they are, both to the garden design industry and to promoting best practice. I think it’s a real testament to their professionalism and dedication that they are willing to give up so much time, and I truly admire their effort. As their employee, I am honour-bound to do the best I can to support them.

CONTACT 44-46 Wollaton Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2NR Tel: 01159 683188 info@sgd.org.uk www.sgd.org.uk

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 17

19/07/2017 14:50

Helping you achieve the perfect outdoor space Icelandic Black Pebbles - Exclusive to CED - as seen across a number of RHS Flower Shows

RHS Flower Shows 2017 - Trade Stand

Designer: Matt Maddocks - Maddocks Contemporary Design Material: Icelandic Pebbles

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05/07/2017 15:48:33 19/07/2017 15:18

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2017

INFORM

It’s been another successful year for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, which was held on 4-9 July in the 34-acre grounds of Hampton Court Palace in Surrey Despite having fewer show gardens than in previous years, the RHS still managed to impress, with stunning show features including the ‘APL: A Place to Meet’ garden and the ‘RHS Kitchen Garden’ designed by Juliet Sargeant.

The ‘RHS Watch This Space Garden’, designed

by Andy Sturgeon, stood out for a number of reasons – mostly because it was built by apprentices, trainees and students as part of BALI’s GoLandscape initiative.

Elements from previous gardens were used to create it, including from Sarah Eberle and Cleve West creations.

A total of 141 medals were awarded to the gardens, floral e hibitors and Flower & egetable o es, including 57 Gold Medals. Adam White and Andrée Davies’ oflora & Caudwell Children s ild Garden scooped Best Show and World Garden and People’s Choice, while Landform Consultants won Best Construction for the lind eterans UK t s All About Community Garden’. Best Conceptual Garden was awarded to Bill Wilder’s ‘Elements of Life’ garden, and ‘London Glades’, designed by Andreas Christodoulou and Jonathan Davies, was named Best Garden for a Changing World.

Congratulations to all the winners, and to the RHS for holding yet another impressive show.

RHS Watch This Space Garden

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

RHS HCPFS.indd 19

APL: A Place to Meet

WINNER Best Show and World Garden

he oflora & Caudwell Children s

ild Garden

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 19

20/07/2017 09:44

INFORM “I am really thrilled as this makes it two Golds this year and six consecutive Golds, which is an amazing achievement. I never thought I’d pull it out the bag so often! I should play the lottery on this basis.”

Paul Hervey-Brookes (Viking Cruises World of Discovery Garden)

Show Gardens

WINNER Best Construction Blind Veterans UK: It’s All About Community

Viking Cruises World of Discovery Garden

Best Conceptual Garden

“It’s an honour to receive a Gold medal, as well as Best Conceptual Garden, and many thanks to all Elements of Life who have helped and contributed. The Elements of Life served its purpose in three areas: educational, with good soil composition; garden design and artistic, by stretching the boundaries, and engineering, as we like challenges.”

Bill Wilder, designer of the Elements of Life garden 20

Pro Landscaper / August 2017

RHS HCPFS.indd 20

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

2017

THE GARDENS

Kinetica

©RHS / Sarah Cuttle

WINNER

“The Gold is great for everyone involved, but the Best Construction Award means so much for the 65 people involved in building the garden. It was a true team effort, led by Landform but also acknowledging the substantial effort from Tom Hare, Essex Oak Frame and Holkham Forge and their teams in particular. And we’ve never achieved this one before, either.”

Andrew Fisher Tomlin (Blind Veterans UK: It’s All About Community)

Conceptual Gardens www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/07/2017 09:44

INFORM

The Pazo’s Secret Garden

Southend Council Fun

n Sea

Gardens for a Changing World “After 12 months of hard work, I was really pleased to be awarded a Gold medal, and really pleased for our sponsor St Modwen and supporter UCARE – hopefully it’s raised their profiles. We’ve had outstanding press coverage, and to be featured on Gardeners’ World was a great experience. The public feedback has been amazing as well.”

Martyn Wilson (Brownfield – Metamorphosis)

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

RHS HCPFS.indd 21

rownfield

Metamorphosis

World Gardens

Great Gardens of the USA: The Charleston Garden

WINNER Best Garden for a Changing World

London Glades

©RHS / Sarah Cuttle

Colour Box

n the dge he Centre for Mental Health Garden

“We are so proud of our achievement and very excited about the amazing response we’ve had from the public and the RHS. It shows that sustainability in the landscape can be practical, positive and indeed very attractive. We are looking forward to exploring our principles further.”

Jon Davies (London Glades) Pro Landscaper / August 2017 21

20/07/2017 09:45

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19/07/2017 15:21 10/07/2017 16:19:33

RHS Summer Urban Garden Show

INFORM

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

RHS Summer Urban.indd 23

Pro Landscaper reports back from the preview evening for the second RHS Summer Urban Garden Show on 11 July at RHS Lawrence Hall, London A live and stri ing installations made this event, co-curated

by Cityscapes, stand out from other RHS ondon shows, and establish itself as the perfect place for ondoners with even the smallest gardens to find out how they can impress guests with plant choices and garden accessories. pen to the public on 12 and 13 uly, the show featured a remi ed version of Cityscapes Heart of Glass installation from the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, as well as ndoor Garden esign s display from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year, showcasing interior plants at their best. isitors could also attend a presentation by renowned landscape designer igel unnett on the importance of planting design in the urban environment. he following evening, awardwinning designer Cleve est gave a presentation on the healing properties of gardens in urban settings.

Q&A with Darryl Moore What led Cityscapes to co-curate this event? e did the first one last year at RHS indley Hall. e d wor ed with the RHS for quite a while, and had put forward proposals for shows before they invited us to co-curate a garden show. e created various installations and designed the whole layout.

How is this year’s show different from the first? ast year s show was a bit easier it was held in ovember and on a wee end, so it was much quieter. his time, it s right between RHS Hampton Court and atton ar , so it s caught up in the show season. t s also mid-wee , which ma es it a harder sell. o accommodate this, the show is running from 12- pm so that people can come after wor .

What are you hoping visitors will take away from the event? eople living in cities don t have a lot of space, and they don t have much interaction with gardens they often only have a balcony or indoor space. e hope to encourage them to

have plants in their homes particularly young people, who are finding it hard to get on the property ladder and are often living in smaller spaces. e wanted the Summer Urban show to appeal to a younger demographic than other RHS shows, to get young people enthusiastic about plants.

How have you remixed your RHS Chatsworth installation for this show? hen we did this installation for Chatsworth, two s eleton structures formed a sphere, suspended from Sir oseph a ton s Great Conservatory. t was a centrepiece, with a pond beneath it, a misting system and a mirror ball. t was a sustainable ecosystem, and a template for innovative horticultural technology. Knowing we were co-curating this show, we thought we d bring the installation here too. For the Summer Urban Garden Show, we split it in half, put it on the ground and created chill-out ones.

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 23

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19/07/2017 15:24

ASSOCIATION

INFORM

NEWS

efig outline Welcome, summer n efig s world, summer means a new year and a new committee. n une, efig members met at ondon s oc lands Museum for their AGM. Chair of nterprise lants Chris en in was reappointed chairman, G lantscapes managing director immy Gilchrist was reappointed vice chair, and

Carole lu aard of Koberg was reappointed membership secretary.

A visit to the Crossrail Roof Gardens in Canary harf had been organised prior to the meeting, led by oe Clus ey from la edown andscapes, who was responsible for the planting. he session then started with an interesting presentation from Green lue Urban about the best techniques and tools for planting trees in urban spaces.

will be announced throughout the year.

Key dates for efig s 2017 2018 calendar were agreed, including ational lants at or ee , a strategy review meeting in February 2018, and the efig Awards, which are scheduled for ne t April and will follow a similar format to this year s successful event. here are other plans afoot, but these

Office plant of the year e are pleased to announce that the Aspidistra won the coveted title of Favourite ffice lant of the ear 2017. t came out on top ahead of two other shortlisted plants, the ilea and the Sedum morganianum a a don ey tails . han s to the team at ro andscaper maga ine, particularly im and isa, for their input. www e co u

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Association News.indd 25

he dea of

ilderness

andscapes. esigned by Martin ines, anwarne andscapes • il er erit C C Sargent Garden ro-Gardens td, fordshire. esigned by amie anglands, ro-Gardens td • il er erit iving in Sync Garden Artemis andscapes, Kent. esigned by iv Seccombe, utside. he yevale Garden Centres Romance in the Ruins Garden, received Gold and est Show Garden. he esco very ittle Helps Garden too Silver. www landscaper or u

Amy

etland lants

he five gardens at the competition received • old t s ot ust About he eard Garden iving Gardens, ancashire. esigned by eter Cowell and Monty Richardson, iving Gardens • old etland lants he dea of ilderness Garden ig Fish andscapes, Herefordshire. esigned by Cherry Carmen, Cherry Carmen Garden esign • est onstruction ward and il er erit Contemporary ee and utterfly Garden anwarne

mage

APL Avenue at BBC Gardeners’ World Live impresses judges he five gardens built on A Avenue at C Gardeners orld ive have once again impressed the udges, with this year s results improving on last year. anwarne andscapes too home the award for est Construction, as well as a Silver Merit, and two of our gardens, by iving Gardens and ig Fish andscapes, were awarded a Gold. he eople s Choice

winner was ro-Gardens C C Sargent Garden, which received a lot of public attention and praise. ith all of our gardens ta ing home at least a Silver Merit, the high quality that A accreditation offers has once again been demonstrated.

inder

APL update

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 25

19/07/2017 16:19

INFORM

SGD bulletin Speakers announced for SGD Autumn Conference Five world-class speakers from the UK, Scandinavia and Australia have been announced for the SGD Autumn Conference ‘Water Ways’, taking place on Saturday 18 November 2017 at London’s Royal Geographical Society.

From the UK, international landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith will join Andrew Ewing, one of the country’s leading water feature designers, and award-winning garden designer Andrew

Wilson, whose recent projects include the Gold medal winning Breaking Ground Garden at RHS Chelsea 2017, where his use of water was central to the design.

The speakers will Hans Tavsens Park ©SLA share their projects pools, billabongs and waterfalls to demonstrate how water with rich horticultural colours, features and dynamic planting contrasting textures and can define a landscape. fragrances, his practice is Also joining the line-up one of the most awarded is Phillip Johnson, one of Australasian firms in the Australia’s leading sustainable industry. Mette Skjold, CEO landscape designers, whose of SLA, a Danish-based design philosophy centres landscape architecture on recreating habitats to practice designing some accommodate changing of Scandinavia’s most environmental extremes. contemporary and climateKnown for designing natural

friendly urban landscapes and public spaces, will also be in attendance; she will share how her practice seeks to solve urban challenges through a multidisciplined approach to water.

The speakers will explore different aspects of water in the garden and landscape, including natural pools and ponds, sustainable water, gardens for floodplains, wetlands, bogs and salt marshes, and the use of water features to engage and inspire the community.

Discounted ‘early bird’ tickets are available until 9 October 2017. Visit the SGD website to book online. www.sgd.org.uk

Parks Alliance matters

Pushing the agenda At the time of writing, we await news about who is to be the new Parks Minister, following Andrew Percy MP’s resignation from the role. We also await the Department for Communities and Local Government’s response to the parks inquiry – what action will be taken to support the plight of parks across the country?

The Parks Alliance stands ready to work with government

26

Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Association News.indd 26

and our partners to improve the operating environment for parks and their managers, supporters and visitors.

While the situation currently looks bleak, parks are moving up the political agenda as the UK media exposes the crisis – informed by the few bodies left to champion them. Rowan Moore’s recent article in The Guardian, ‘The end of parklife

as we know it? The battle for Britain’s green spaces’, explains that in spite of all the benefits provided by parks, our green spaces are facing their greatest threat for a generation due to viciously cut budgets, commercial exploitation and, in some cases, being sold for development. A recent Parks Alliance survey provides statistical evidence for the crisis, and underlines the fact that funding is by far the most urgent issue for parks across the UK.

The success of the Fields in Trust-inspired ‘Have a Field Day’ and Keep Britain Tidy’s ‘Love Parks Week’ clearly demonstrates the importance of parks to local communities. Love Parks Week saw thousands of events held in parks across the UK, encouraging people to celebrate the physical and mental health benefits that par s bring to communities.

The Parks Alliance will continue to campaign to put parks onto political agendas, and will also continue to work actively with the handful of organisations that are so committed to the cause. www.theparksalliance.org

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 16:20

INFORM

RHS report

RHS Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show From 3-6 August, RHS Garden Hyde Hall will be transformed into a floral fete, with its annual flower show attracting an array of beautiful displays from specialist plant nurseries and trade stands.

Visitors can enjoy the inspiring

Visitors view agapanthus at the RHS Hyde Hall Flower Show 2015 ©RHS/Helen Yates

garden displays, which will include many RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal winners, as well as seasonal highlights such as the ‘Dry Garden’. The show offers ample opportunities to browse and pick up quality plants from the nurseries, en oy a floral art marquee and artist’s pavilion, and watch demonstrations from experts. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ hyde-hall Carnivorous Plant Weekend at RHS Garden Harlow Carr For the first time, RHS Garden Harlow Carr will be hosting a Carnivorous Plant Weekend (12-13 August). Visitors can explore the weird and wonderful world of carnivorous plants

Attendees looking at carnivorous plants display ©RHS/SiRAstudio

with a programme of displays and talks. Specialist plant sales and stri ing displays will offer visitors plenty of ideas and opportunities to discover new favourites for both traditional and contemporary garden designs. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ harlow-carr RHS Garden Rosemoor’s first flower show A trip to Rosemoor is a must for anyone visiting Devon this summer, as the RHS garden

celebrates its inaugural flower show (18-20 August). Visitors will see the garden awash with floral displays and specialist nurseries brought to the South West by the RHS. With a country fair theme, there will be expert advice on hand from horticulturists, and a number of floral displays to delight and inspire. There will also be a host of rural crafts to explore. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ rosemoor www.rhs.org.uk

The Hot Garden in summer at RHS Garden Rosemoor ©RHS/Clive Nichols

BALI briefing Hampton success for BALI BALI and its members had a successful time at RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, promoting the RHS and BALI’s GoLandscape ‘Watch this Space’ garden to members of the public, the wider industry and the media.

The garden was designed by Andy Sturgeon and built by students and apprentices, under the watchful guidance of David Dodd from The Outdoor Room.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Association News.indd 27

BALI chief executive Wayne Grills also joined the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group’s (APPGHG) tour of the show, talking to MPs about the benefits and importance of GoLandscape, our students in the industry, and the ‘Watch this Space’ garden. BALI members also won two Gold and three Silver-Gilt medals for their show gardens.

The ‘Watch this Space’ Garden

RHS Young Landscape Contractor competition For the second year running, BALI is sponsoring the RHS Young Landscape Contractor competition, held at at RHS Tatton Park. This year’s young landscape contractor finalists – Karl Crowe from GK Wilson Landscapes, Elliot Hood from Garden Link, and Joshua Mcdonnell from Bespoke Outdoor Spaces – will be competing headto-head to try and take home the 2017 trophy.

Autumn trade show season A is confirmed to be e hibiting at ScotHort in September, and at SALTEX and FutureScape in

November. The BALI Awards will follow in December.

BALI Who’s Who directory 2017/18 BALI’s annual directory is now available for members, with 160 pages of member listings and articles penned by industry experts. The directory promotes over 850 registered contractor, designer and affiliate members. Contact darren.taylor@bali.org.uk to request a copy. www.bali.org.uk

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 27

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REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

TUESDAY14 NOVEMBER 2017 SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE ESHER, SURREY

www.futurescapeevent.com full 2017.indd 2

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Apply today

THERE’S STILL TIME TO ENTER THIS YEAR’S 30 UNDER 30 COMPETITION...

Showcase either you or a colleague’s contribution to the industry, earn recognition, and celebrate younger people working in the arboriculture, landscaping and landscape architecture industries.

We hope that by recognising and championing the fantastic work that young people within the industry produce, we can all inspire the next generation to build a career.

To obtain the application form, simply email joe.betts@eljays44.com.

The form will then be sent for you to fill in and return by 1 September.

Hear more about what some of our previous winners have had to say:

Scott Hawkes

Murielle Jayer

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“It was satisfying to be acknowledged with so many other talented individuals, to highlight the passion and skillset that the younger generation possesses. I have continued my role as a lead estimator; winning the 30 Under 30 award has elevated my confidence, and am now responsible for leading tender and bid meetings for new contracts.”

Scott Hawkes, Kings Landscapes

“Being part of the 30 Under 30 was a fantastic experience and emphasised my career progression. Since gaining this recognition, I have been given more responsibilities within my company. I feel excited and confident about reaching my eventual objective of becoming a sales director, and am looking forward to continuing working within the landscaping industry as it develops.”

Murielle Jayer, Platipus Anchors Ltd

Tom Downing

Ross Conquest

“Being named as one of the 30 Under 30 was a great honour.

The event was a brilliant opportunity to meet up with other winners. Things have gone from strength to strength: NT Killingley has secured a large order book for the coming year and is looking towards 2018, and is also investing in more apprentices with a view to progressing them through the company like myself.”

Tom Downing, NT Killingley

“It was an honour to be considered part of the future of landscaping, and it’s lovely when the landscaping community comes together like this. Conquest has been busy, winning further awards with Marshalls and four APL awards.

We took part in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show and hope to build our reputation in the years to come.”

Ross Conquest, Conquest Hard Landscaping Ltd

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19/07/2017 15:26

INFORM

Let’s Hear it From

OUT THERE Steven Thompson, managing director of Out There, talks rebranding, expansion and diversification with Pro Landscaper Can you tell us a little bit about the company and how it was founded?

It was originally a family business called The Landscape Centre, which was a garden centre and retail outlet but predominantly a domestic contractor. I joined 16 years ago and was asked to take a look at the grounds maintenance aspect of the business, as it wasn’t performing particularly well.

The owners at that time didn’t have much interest in that side of the business. Everyone was heavily involved in designing and building gardens, so the maintenance just drifted along in the background with little attention or effort given to it. I set myself a bit of a challenge – my previous experience had taught me what I needed to do to generate business, and I set about growing the grounds maintenance side of the company. Within the first couple of years, after significant growth, I was able to www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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demonstrate strong financial performance and could show the owners that, if we positioned ourselves well, we’d be in a good place to grow the grounds maintenance side significantly. I was appointed general manager with overarching responsibility for all business activities, and from there moved into an initial share acquisition.

Ultimately I ended up taking over the entire business, after five years at the company.

WE TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ‘OUT THERE’ ON THE CLIENT’S BEHALF – WHETHER THAT’S THROUGH DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, LANDSCAPING OR MAINTENANCE Did you make any changes to the company, and how has it developed since?

The garden centre and retail outlet closed down after the recession, and I looked at how we could take the landscaping side of the business forward. I was doing all of the tendering myself and looking at the public sector market here in

Northern Ireland – just getting an understanding of what was available, how we could grow the company, where we needed to be, what clients were looking for, what their expectations were likely to be in the future, and making sure we had all the appropriate accreditations – positioning ourselves to maximise opportunities as they came around. We’ve built the business to a turnover of over £9m, employing 240 people at peak season.

What percentage is grounds maintenance?

Pre-planned public sector maintenance and associated work makes up about 80% of what we do, so it’s the main service. We are very proud of our design and build function, and have won multiple BALI and ALCI awards over the years in recognition of the quality we deliver.

It remains an important cornerstone of the company, and as a horticulture graduate it is probably the part I personally enjoy the most.

Is the majority local authority work?

Yes; our biggest client is the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, an organisation that Pro Landscaper / August 2017 31

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INFORM

was formed in the early Seventies to take politics out of housing allocation. The Housing Executive controls the vast majority of social housing in Northern Ireland. We undertake all of its grounds and tree maintenance, and that accounts for a large part of what we do. We’ve recently secured contracts that take us up to 2024. These are typical multi-site contracts, incorporating large public open spaces and involving cyclical routine maintenance over 12 months. The business has grown to secure a fair percentage of the available market in Northern Ireland, and recently we’ve been looking at potential opportunities outside of Northern Ireland, in an attempt to build sustainable year-on-year growth.

Are your competitors other Northern Irish companies?

They tend to be. We’re different from many of the businesses here in that we’re not familyowned and owner-managed. Family businesses often compete for work in the geographical area where they are located, and they also carry out more commercial maintenance. Competition doesn’t go away, it will always be there and it will diversify. As we’ve picked up an increasing amount of public work, other companies have

THE IT SYSTEMS, INVESTMENT INTO OUR PLANT AND FLEET AND THE REBRANDING WAS ALL ABOUT POSITIONING OURSELVES TO EXPAND INTO NEW MARKETS been more competitive and hungry for the commercial maintenance and landscaping.

How do you structure your business?

There’s a board of directors – myself, the financial director, the business development director who looks after the tendering and so on, and the operations director. Below the operations director is the management team, then the working teams on the ground. On the business development side of the company, we have our landscape architects and our estimators and surveyors.

We use Microsoft Dynamics NAV for our back office, which interfaces with PDAs on the ground, running an application we have designed specifically for our requirements that records all day-to-day activities. This has been a revelation over the last couple of years – it has really helped us to streamline the business and

advance our technological capabilities in order to meet the ever-demanding needs of our existing and future clients.

The ethos of the business is to push responsibility down all the time, to get more out of the teams on the ground. I strongly believe that, while a board of directors or management team can do all the talking and selling and have the glossy brochures, the people interacting with our clients all the time are our staff on-site – heading out early in the morning in our vehicles, with our equipment, in our uniform. They are the face of the company, and we have to look after them, invest in them, push responsibility onto them and expect a certain standard from them. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re selling one business and delivering something else.

Why did you change the company’s name to Out There?

We’d been The Landscape Centre for a long time, and people still strongly associated us with the garden centre even after that part of the business had closed down – they had no idea about the other side of the business. We decided it was time for a change, and the revised brand was developed as part of our new strategy for growth.

My brief to the graphic designers was that I didn’t want anything green or with the word ‘landscape’ in it. I wanted it to be distinctive and portray our different approach to business – particularly in the management of our teams, our close connection to the communities we serve, how we deliver our contracts and what you can expect when you meet our people. That’s why we went with Out There, adopting it in October last year. The concept is that we take care of everything ‘out there’ in the outside environment on the client’s behalf – whether that’s through design, construction, landscaping or maintenance.

Would you ever offer facilities management or pest control?

We recognise that customers’ expectations can change, and these changes are often reflected through procurement practices. In that regard, we don’t rule in or out any particular area of service.

While we remain fairly specialised, we always adapt to our customers’ requirements.

We started to carry out winter gritting because clients were requesting it. In their grounds

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INFORM

maintenance contracts, customers often build in a requirement for winter servicing and maintenance, which started us off gritting a number of years ago. It’s sustainable work, maintains the turnover, and keeps fuelling jobs throughout the quieter winter period – it’s valuable work in that respect.

Tell us about your expansion into England and Scotland.

The IT systems, the significant investment into our plant and fleet and the rebranding were all about positioning ourselves to expand into new markets – we felt that there were a lot of companies in England and Scotland with similar trading names to The Landscape Centre. We wanted to catch people’s attention and make them see that we are different. We’re looking at how we can achieve good levels of sustainable growth in this business, without having to radically diversify the company.

How are you looking to do this?

We’ve spent time researching and analysing the wider UK market to understand the clients and the competition. We have a wealth of experience in the social housing sector, so we’re looking to expand that side. We’ve secured two contracts in England and Scotland to date, and are aiming to increase density and improve efficiency by growing further in these areas.

Have you taken into account Brexit and how it might affect you?

I’m not a ‘Remoaner’, but I was in the Remain camp. Like all businesses, we have to be able to adapt to the circumstances that are put upon us by the government, but I do have concerns. I came through a period here in Northern Ireland when we could not get staff. Recruitment was a real issue, crippling us when we were trying to grow the company – we couldn’t find the people we needed to do the work, skilled or unskilled. I was one of the first business owners to visit Poland in 2004 to hold interviews and bring people over to help us grow the company. There was a great improvement in the labour market, and that helped us and many other employers.

On the whole, people come to the UK to work – the strength and growth of our economy has meant that we have continually created www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR PEOPLE WELL ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN LEAVE, BUT TREAT THEM WELL ENOUGH THAT THEY DON’T WANT TO labour demand. I’m apprehensive about what it would mean for businesses here if that tap was suddenly turned off, and about the upward pressure it would put on wages.

How do you tackle the issue of recruitment?

We’re a City & Guilds training centre, so we have in-house assessors and carry out our own horticulture skills training internally. Our entire workforce has a minimum of a Level 1, and the majority has Level 2 or above. A lot of our employees had no previous connection with horticulture, so having the training centre gave them a connection to the trade and a level of understanding. It’s been good for staff retention, but if somebody does leave to work for another landscape business then we’re still happy; if you can keep people in the industry, it benefits all of us. I have always believed that you should train people well enough that they can leave, but treat them well enough that they don’t want to.

Do you belong to any of the associations?

We are members of BALI and ALCI (Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland). BALI has little influence in Northern Ireland, truth be told – there’s probably only ourselves and one or two other BALI-registered contractors over here. We won our first BALI award in 2008 and I am keen to get more involved as we continue to expand.

1 New Volkswagen fleet 2 Private high end, award-winning garden from Cushendall area 3 Greenmount walled garden 4 Community initiative work 5 Antrim walled garden 6 New John Deere fleet 7 Bangor Walled Garden

CONTACT Out There 181B Templepatrick Road Ballyclare Co. Antrim BT39 0RA Tel: 02893 345 610 info@outthereservices.com www.outthereservices.com

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 33

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INFORM

COMPANY

PROFILE

Pro Landscaper visited the HQ of Kingston Landscape Group to find out how managing director Steve Evans turned a weekend job into a multi-million pound company and why he plans to share its increasing profits with his employees How was the company founded?

After completing a Higher National Diploma in business studies at what was then Kingston Polytechnic, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. My family had always been involved in gardening, but that was the last thing I wanted to do – I wanted to work in the city and wear a suit every day. I didn’t have any money, so at the weekend I used to do gardening in Kingston. I bought a lottery ticket – my first and only – and won £1,000. The Prince of Wales had an enterprise scheme at the time where, if you put £1,000 into a bank account, you would get £2,000 a year to get started on your business career. I put the £1,000 into this scheme, bought a van and the business started from there. After a few years we purchased and started operating from an industrial unit in Kingston, which was the next stage up before our current premises became available.

Did you start out with the name Kingston Landscape Group (KLG)?

We were called Kingston Garden Services.

We changed our name last year to reflect where we are now – we’ve got a landscape business, as well as two nurseries. Kingston

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KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP

in numbers

Established 1986 Employees 80 Turnover £7m Breakdown 20% nursery, 80% landscaping Awards BALI Employer Excellence Award 2016 Garden Services sounds like a man in a van who comes to cut your grass, whereas we were undertaking projects in places like Leicester Square, so we had to rebrand. We’re also a group now, with lorries, nurseries, equipment and soil production.

Where do the nurseries fit in?

We bought this nursery in 2000, which was brilliant because we’ve always focused more on soft landscaping and this lets us control our

Steve Evans own supply chain. I’ve always liked and been involved with plants, though we do more hard landscaping now as I have employees with those specialisms. This nursery was previously owned by a lady who supplied props to London Weekend Television (LWT), and when it became available we moved from our place in Kingston.

When I first started, I used to get annoyed if a lorry broke down and I was waiting on site.

Because of that, I’ve tried to integrate things – I’ve got my own lorries and soil now, we receive turf deliveries every day, and we have our own nurseries for growing plants.

So the business has become more self-sufficient?

Absolutely. It’s good because with a lot of projects people expect everything to be done quickly, sometimes overnight, and we have the ability to do that. We’re very client-focused.

What is your typical client base?

It’s mostly commercial – property developers and housebuilders. We do a lot of work in schools, hospitals and universities, and some local authority infrastructure. We do a small amount of domestic as well, but primarily our clients are high-end developers in London.

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What would be a typical size project for KLG? Between £200,000 and £400,000, over a number of phases, although we did complete a project in Shoreditch recently that was effectively a window box – two bushes and a few flowers. We’re just looking after our clients – we’re not going to say a job is too small for us. We’re doing some really nice projects as well, including The Star and Garter, a large former hospital on Richmond Hill.

hard landscaping and other services. Water features are included as we have people with specialisms in working near water, as well as specialist subcontractors. We want to provide the best service that we can, so we’ve built relationships with contractors we trust.

When we first meet them, we vet them to make sure they have insurance and so on.

Then we use them, and if we like them we continue to use them.

What services has KLG come to offer its clients?

We’re big on soft landscaping and we have some very good subcontractors who do a lot of tree work. We’re doing a bit more hard landscaping now, we have an in-house team for that and we have fencing subcontractors.

Do you provide training for staff or offer apprenticeships?

We always have apprentices going through the two- or three-year system and because we use plant, we provide training for that. I’m a firm believer in training young people up to the standard we need them to be at, making sure that everyone is conscious of health and safety and has had basic training in using all the equipment. Some of the courses are only half a day, but it gives people the knowledge that’s going to help them – not only to carry out good quality work, but also to keep them safe.

We were commissioned to do weeding for the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth and I sent two employees on a two-day course on working near water, as they had to be harnessed. It was only to pull weeds out, but sometimes the less dangerous activities are where people become complacent.

So, does soft landscaping take the higher percentage in terms of work?

Absolutely. The nurseries are about 20% of our turnover, which leaves landscaping at 80%. Of that, 65% is soft landscaping, and the rest is

Where would you like to see the company in the next five years?

I’d like to see us doing much the same, but employing more people. It’s important to give people a chance, and I think we pay more than

Are your projects predominantly in London?

When we were building the business, we had to go where the work was, particularly after the recession. Now we’re a little choosier because there’s plenty of work. Before the recession, we were doing lots of projects for developers.

When they hit tough times we broadened our horizons and started working for civil contractors. When the developers came back, we had those plus our new contacts. Basically, we don’t fall out with anyone.

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Company Profile Kingston Landscape Group.indd 35

a lot of companies. People come in as apprentices or gardeners and move up to become supervisors or managers.

Something I’d like to introduce is profit shares – everyone’s working hard and deserves a slice of the cake. We’ve already met our profit targets for this financial year and we’re not even halfway through. We’re looking to reach £12m turnover by the end of 2019.

Finally, what is the one thing you think the industry could and should do better?

We need to give ourselves a bit more respect for what we do and charge accordingly – it’s an important job. When I left school, I said I wanted to get a job and wear a suit, but that’s not necessarily the right way to go – gardening and landscaping is much more high profile now. If you do a good job and provide a good service you can charge a good fee, which tumbles down to your staff.

1 The team at KLG 2 Farm Lane, Fulham for London Square 3 Kew Bridge for St George 4 Priory SEN School, Norwood for Bouygues

CONTACT Kingston Landscape Group Head Office, Bridge Farm Nursery, Hospital Bridge Road, Twickenham TW2 6LH Tel: 020 8893 8992 Twitter: @KLGUK Email: sales@klguk.com Web: www.klguk.com

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A96 Fochabers Bypass

INFORM

Blackburn Skatepark

LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECT’S JOURNAL

offices across the UK and internationally, the practice maintains a strong regional coverage with the projects it undertakes. It also benefits from having architecture and landscape under one roof, and has been able s an architecture and building to use architect colleagues’ advice on a consultancy practice, AHR’s legacy number of projects, including a commission dates back to the 19th century. The

by Dumfries and Galloway Council to improve company has since become multifaceted, the Balyett Stranraer Gateways as part of the with over 400 employees offering a number of Stranraer Waterfront Urban Design Strategy services – one of which is and Masterplan. landscape architecture.

The project aimed to “During the Sixties, Holford reconnect the town centre Associates – an architect and with the waterfront, and to planning consultancy firm – reposition Stranraer and Loch was part of the company,” Ryan as a visitor destination. explains Martin Robinson, Last year, AHR completed the regional director of AHR. “This first gateway at the Balyett is how we got into landscape Layby. “We created a simple architecture – it brought the shelter in an amazing location planning element into the looking over the loch, and Martin Robinson practice. We carried out adjacent to this was an old highway schemes in Glasgow café called The Bunker. We and environmental works in terms reclad this café after seeking the advice of of advising the National Grid on their power our architectural team on cladding and lines through the landscape, and that is where fixings, and it now sits really well within the the landscape element came in. We’ve had it landscape. This was a modest £50k project, ever since.” but we’re really proud of it.”

AHR’s landscape design services are The majority of AHR’s work comes from offered throughout the business, and with the education and transport sectors. “We

Martin Robinson, regional director of AHR, talks us through the company’s history and some of its most significant projects

A

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Blackburn Skatepark

undertake a lot of education projects, and this has been a good area of work for us over the last ten years. We also have quite a history with transportation and have completed a number of road schemes – the landscape is a large element of road schemes, and we have a big input.”

One of these schemes is a 7km-long section of road in northeast Scotland, the A96 Fochabers to Mosstodloch Bypass, which forms part of a wider scheme by the Scottish Government to fully dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen. Biodiverse planting was added to the route, which runs through the landscape of the Gordon Castle Estate, as well as certain mitigation measures to address visual and noise issues – maintaining the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and blending the road into these surroundings.

A more unusual transport project by AHR is the Emirates Airline, a cable car across the River Thames between Greenwich and Newham, which opened in 2012. “This is a transport project, but it includes public realm nodes around the station points, which we were involved in designing. At both stations there are beautiful semi-mature trees and really high-quality paving.”

Greening places that would normally lack green infrastructure is part of AHR’s approach www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:34

Network Rail York

INFORM

park

Stranraer Gateway

Emirates Cable Car

Network Rail York

to landscape architecture, which concentrates on placemaking – whether in towns, cities or the rural environment. One of the most rewarding projects for the company, in terms of placemaking, is the Blackburn Skatepark.

The community was the driving force behind this project: members of Community Action Blackburn lobbied for funding to create a place in the village for the youth while deterring antisocial behaviour, and were granted £250k by Big Lottery Fund’s Community Spaces Scotland.

“It was a very vociferous local community, and as a former mining community was always on the lookout to improve its environment and its social structure. The skatepark has become a real focal point of the village since it was completed 18 months ago.”

From community projects to multi-millionpound transport schemes, AHR is involved in a wide range of developments. As part of a £35m flagship campus project for Network Rail in York, AHR was commissioned to create the surrounding landscape for a new rail operating centre for the East Coast Main Line, as well as a training facility.

“When they started excavating the site, they found archaeological remains of the old turning circles, as it is next to York railway station.

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were covered up again. We utilised this, creating an almost mirror image of the turning circle within the paving. It sat really well in the south-facing courtyard, and it was really exciting to actually illustrate the past in a contemporary way and help people realise the scale of the turning circles that are buried underneath the building.”

FROM COMMUNITY PROJECTS TO MULTI-MILLIONPOUND TRANSPORT SCHEMES, AHR IS INVOLVED A WIDE-RANGE OF DEVELOPMENTS AHR is currently working on a residential scheme in Hull, implementing a rain garden into Queen’s Gardens, as Hull City Council is keen to use green infrastructure as part of sustainable urban drainage schemes.

Graduate landscape architect Anca Panait has also been shortlisted for RHS Young Designer of the Year; by the time this article goes to print she will have built a garden with a contractor at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, and the winner will have been announced. “As an employer, it’s rewarding to see our graduates entering

competitions and implementing their designs,” says Martin.

The practice is also looking at a series of schools in the northwest of England, and is seeing an increase in housing projects. “We acquired a new company in 2016, so there is a lot more housing coming our way, from masterplan through to implementation – which is really exciting and interesting.

“We’re also continuing to develop our BIM capabilities. Our architects adopted Revit quite early, and as a result, we have manipulated this to suit the landscape. We all have to be able to communicate with common software packages, and in the last ten years, three-dimensional work has been increasing quite dramatically. Our landscape teams are looking to assist in developing more landscape-related software.”

We eagerly await the development of this new software to bolt on to Revit, and to seeing more projects across the UK from the practice where it will integrate green infrastructure.

CONTACT AHR Email: martin.robinson@ahr-global.com Twitter: @AHRglobal Website: www.ahr-global.com

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20/07/2017 10:02

VIEW FROM THE TOP TIM HOWELL

Tim Howell considers how technological innovations are used in the industry and how they benefit businesses and clients Landscaping hasn’t changed significantly since the days of Capability Brown, inasmuch as it’s still people using tools and materials to build, manage and develop the green environment.

Our industry is not usually considered hi-tech or highly innovative and, while the horses and scythes of the 18th century have been replaced by tractors and mowers, it’s not apparent that the industry has embraced high levels of technology – it’s still people using tools and equipment, right?

Perhaps that’s the view that many people have of us – the cloth-capped gardener pushing a rickety mower – but if you look under the skin of what we do, there is indeed a very high level of innovation.

The machinery we use has become cleaner, more efficient, safer and more reliable. A modern commercial mower now has many of the features you’d expect to find on a high-spec car.

The chemicals and pesticides we use are safer and more effective than they have ever been before and, as technology improves, we can see even greater advances ahead.

However, where we’ve seen the biggest leaps forward in recent years is not in equipment or materials, but in the way we communicate.

Like it or not, we live in a world that relies on instant data and statistics, creating information that allows us to make decisions, focus our investment, fine-tune our thought processes and evolve the way we do things.

We shouldn’t be surprised if our customers also want to know what we as an industry are up to, so that they too can make strategic decisions on how they manage and develop their properties, and how they make their work spaces more attractive and healthy for employees. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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THROUGH DATA ANALYTICS WE PROVIDE INSIGHT THAT CAN TRANSFORM ORDINARY WORKPLACES INTO BRILLIANT, INSPIRATIONAL ONES At Mitie, we recognise our customer’s desire for live management information early, and we’ve set out to have market-leading technology throughout the business. We give our customers live and transparent data on what we’re doing for them, and what we plan to do for them.

There’s obviously a considerable cost to this and we’ve invested heavily, not only in designing and maintaining the software, but also in providing suitable hardware to all of our people.

This is no mean feat for a business that employs nearly 900 frontline gardeners.

The benefits? Our customers can see what we’re up to and can better understand the real costs involved in delivering our services. Our managers have all the data at their fingertips, which allows them to make immediate decisions to improve efficiency or quality. And, crucially, we’re safer; satellite tracking means that we know where everyone is and can make sure that they stay safe.

While we might have expected our people to be resistant to technology, particularly when it pinpoints what they’re up to, nothing could be further from the truth. People embrace new technology, and it has changed the way we all feel about what we do. It’s brought us closer together, both as a business and with our customers.

At Mitie, we are gatekeepers for the gigabytes of data generated every second across the thousands of sites we manage. We’re in a unique position to see how employees and visitors interact in the workspace, and through data analytics we provide insight that can transform ordinary workplaces into brilliant, inspirational ones.

The future is now. The data revolution is happening. Our workforce and customers are demanding, tech-savvy and data hungry. Don’t avoid it, join in – drive innovative change in the way our industry presents itself, and we’ll increase its value and worth. That will benefit all of us.

ABOUT TIM HOWELL Tim Howell has worked in the landscape industry for over 30 years. He is the managing director of Mitie Landscapes Ltd, where he has worked for the last 15 years. Mitie Landscapes employs over 800 people across the UK.

www.mitielandscapes.com

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 39

19/07/2017 14:20

INFORM

SCRAP VALUE ANGUS LINDSAY

One man’s scrap is another man’s treasure – Angus Lindsay praises the inventors among us, but gives a fair warning I doubt very much that anyone reading this won’t, at some point, have come across a pile of scrap, either on their own premises or that of a supplier, contractor or workshop. Machines, bits of metal and general junk all tends to congregate in the corners of the yard, behind a building or under a workbench. Scrap to some, to others it can be an inventor’s toolkit, the place you’ll find that one important component that costs a fortune and isn’t in stock anywhere. The question is: when does scrap become scrap?

Don’t get carried away – equipment very soon becomes junk

I suppose in today’s world it’s no longer classed as ‘scrap’, but ‘recyclable material’.

The days of going down to the ‘scrappy’ to get a part for your car have changed, as the oil-soaked scrap yard patrolled by an angry Alsatian has now become a highly efficient vehicle-dismantling operation. To a certain extent it’s the same with the machines we operate, though they tend to get recycled in a slightly different way – in the case of power tools, stripped down to their component parts to be used as spares.

Take care not to get carried away, though; equipment is changing all the time, and a stock of old engine covers, fuel tanks, pull starts and the like soon becomes obsolete as manufacturers change model types. It’s very easy to hold onto things ‘just in case’, but before 40

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you know where you are, you’ve started to hoard junk. You need to exercise an element of control and ruthlessness, even if it’s just to free up some space.

THE SCRAP PILE CAN BE A GREAT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND MATERIAL WHEN IT COMES TO AN IN-HOUSE ADAPTATION On the other hand, the scrap pile can be a great source of inspiration and material when it comes to an in-house adaptation, or the construction of something that the manufacturer didn’t include in their accessory list. Fabricating storage racks for strimmers, boxes for spare parts, bumper bars, additional carrying frames – all manner of labour-saving ideas usually start life in the scrapheap, following a bit of head scratching and scribbling. The farming press regularly runs articles featuring inventions that have been knocked up in the workshop to save time and labour; in some cases, they’ve even been adopted by manufacturers.

Be careful when designing in-house variations to equipment, though, and in particular any alterations to existing manufacturers’

your alterations affected the structure of the machine (which could void any warranty)? What would happen in the event of an accident? A failure attributable to the alteration of a piece of equipment or untested component will not be covered by your insurer, and could land you in serious bother.

Remember, some inventions may not strictly comply with legislation

I’m not trying to discourage budding inventors – they’re what made Britain great, and we have a proud heritage of inventing many of the things we take for granted today. Just don’t get carried away. Sense check what you’re doing; if necessary, engage a third party to build a prototype, check with the manufacturer or a supplier, or speak to industry bodies such as BAGMA (the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association) for advice.

I’m all for saving time, effort and cost by making tasks simpler and more efficient, but not to the detriment of safety, so consider any changes before you get carried away with the gas axe and welder. There may be a very good reason why your time-saving idea hasn’t been done before!

ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY

A simple fix or potential hazard? Take care and consider the consequences

components, guarding or safety systems. Your novel one-man transportation/cutting/collection/ cleaning/disposal fandango combination may save you time, but is it safe and compliant? Have

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 gained an MSc in agricultural engineering and mechanisation management at Silsoe, joining Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, and then idverde UK in 2009 as group head of assets and fleet.

Contact: angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 13:57

INNOCENCE VS EXPERIENCE

INFORM

ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson discusses the increasingly demanding nature of today’s clients, and worries that designers could be losing the joy in their profession I remember writing an essay at school in the early Seventies, in which we were asked to think about what we would be doing in the year 2000. My ambition in my early teens was to be a landscape architect, but not just any landscape architect – world dominance was, of course, the only option. How I was going to achieve this was a minor detail, not even mentioned or dreamed of at the time. I love the power of creative writing!

Well, here I am, well past the millennial deadline and still in search of world dominance (or perhaps not). Times and perspectives change as one matures, experience happens, and life

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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throws up questions and opportunities that change our thinking for better or for worse.

I do think that this chosen career in garden and landscape design is no longer the glorious and fulfilling career I once imagined. At a party a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to an interior designer friend who is just a few years younger than me. We both took the view that our work was getting harder, which was counter to our expectations. I’d welcome thoughts from older designers on this.

Is it the flush of youth (otherwise known as naivety) that allows us to be more carefree and to take on anything, whereas when we age we become more circumspect and cautious? With that early naivety comes a joy that is in danger of being lost as we worry about contractual issues, potential litigation, client demands, professional insurance and the increasing bureaucracy that sometimes threatens to drown out not just creativity, but the positivity that is a designer’s driving force.

I am certain that clients are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of the quality of garden they want to achieve. In one sense that is a concept I would support – Gavin and I strive for quality in everything we do, both in design and delivery. But additional support is now often required, as clients are increasingly unwilling to accept that gardens grow and change, that flowers don’t last all year round, that ongoing maintenance is a fact of life, that we don’t work a 24-hour day, that our experience and knowledge outweighs that of their friends and family members – I could go on.

Increasingly, clients seem to worry about the technicalities –

irrigation, watering, lighting – rather than enjoying their gardens as great outdoor spaces. The levels of triviality that we encounter are quite staggering, and from time to time we seem to be on the edge of marriage guidance, dealing with the overspill of dysfunctional relationships. Gavin and I are thinking of retraining as garden design psychologists – we think this could be a lucrative sideline!

I INSPIRE AND ENERGISE MY STUDENTS, BUT I TEMPER THAT JOY WITH THE FACT THAT THIS IS A JOB, WITH LESS SATISFYING ASPECTS Am I still in love with my profession? Yes, of course – I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

I can still inspire and energise my students to enter this wonderful career, but I am more frequently tempering that joy with the fact that this is a job, and all jobs come with aspects that are less satisfying.

The issues we have with clients speak volumes about our society – there’s a search for perfection that doesn’t exist, and a fault-finding attitude that often misses the bigger picture. Perhaps we all need to sit down and write ourselves that essay for the future – defining our aspirations on the page might just focus our minds on what is actually important.

Pictured: ‘Chelsea perfection? Are clients expecting this on a permanent basis?’

ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden designer and a director of Wilson McWilliam Studio. He is also a director of the London College of Garden Design, an author, writer and lecturer.

www.wmstudio.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 41

19/07/2017 13:53

INFORM

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH ADAM WHITE

After winning Gold, People’s Choice and Best in Show at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show following a 10-year absence, Adam White asks: was it worth it?

In early January I took a call from the RHS, asking me if we would consider returning to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show with a new show garden focused around children and nature. We were told there was a sponsor already lined up, and that a children’s charity was interested in working with us and had a home for the garden after the show.

After a chat with the charity and the sponsor, the ‘Zoflora and Caudwell Children’s Wild Garden’ was born. Accessible and inclusive therapeutic landscaping is something we are very passionate about at Davies White Ltd, and this project would give us the perfect platform to showcase the lessons we have learned over the past ten years.

When it comes to Hampton Court Palace you can expect 200,000 visitors during the week, several million watching on TV, and even more reading the press and media reports. You need to know your subject and have justification for all your design decisions. Thorough research is essential – there is no room for any woolly grey areas in your design. We spent months with families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and developed the design with Dr Julie Crocrombe, a clinical phycologist.

Our garden concept began as many do, with doodles and sketches on beer mats and napkins. It then took a slightly different turn when I agreed to be locked in a glass box for 50 hours in central London, to raise awareness of autism.

During my time in the box I made a scale 1:50 model of the garden, and spent hours talking to families affected by ASD. 42

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Once we had sold our design idea to the RHS selection panel, the real work began. Along with months of preparation for key elements, we had to source the huge trees, plants, stone and materials for a garden that had somehow increased in size from the original 200m2 to a whopping 500m2 (without an increase in the £100k budget).

The maximum build time is 15 days, and we knew this was never going to be enough.

We consequently decided to mock up as much of the garden as possible in our contractor’s yard, prior to accessing the show ground. This gave us the headstart we needed, but nothing prepared us for the biggest challenge of all – how to plant 4,000 plants in three days and create a 20m-long woodland stream. To achieve this mammoth task, we called upon volunteers from the Landscape Institute, and put out a ‘shout out’ on social media for extra help. Four stars of the future came forward – Thomas Stevens, Anna Butterfield, Nicky Chamberlain and Nigel Fenwick. Without their enthusiasm and drive we’d probably still be planting Trollius x cultorum ‘Cheddar’ and rolling boulders and stone around.

The garden was finally completed on the Saturday evening, ready for judging on Sunday morning. It’s anything but a relaxing experience, but the seven months of hard work were all worth it when we scooped Gold, People’s Choice and the highly coveted Best in Show.

None of this would have been possible without the help of all the volunteers and the input from the children at Caudwell Children, and support from the sponsor Zoflora.

Was it worth it? Yes – it was an amazing experience. Would we do it again? Ask me in 10 years’ time!

ABOUT ADAM WHITE FLI Adam White FLI is a director at Davies White Ltd, a double RHS Gold Medal, double People’s Choice and RHS Best in Show award-winning Chartered Landscape Architects practice. He is a Fellow and President Elect of the Landscape Institute.

Twitter: @davies_white www.davieswhite.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 13:49

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

INFORM

DAVID T BINKS Apprentices are the future of landscaping, says David T Binks – taking them on will help ensure the industry’s survival and narrow the skills gap We’ve all got a good ‘apprentice’ story, where the unwary recipient is the butt of a multitude of jokes. Some are more extreme than others – an apprentice’s ‘rite of passage’ at one firm I know of involves something akin to a stag party stunt (cling film, gaffer tape – you get the picture). But with Balfour Beatty chief executive Leo Quinn recently saying that he thinks construction sites will be ‘virtually human-free zones’ by 2050, with labour-intensive tasks being undertaken by ‘robo-builders’, we have to ask: are apprentices going to become an endangered species?

The landscaping industry often takes its cues from construction, but in this instance, the idea that robots will take over landscaping seems an empty threat. Programming an automaton to bang down courses of bricks in a straight line seems plausible, but you cannot automate the creative flair that turns a good landscaping project into a great one. Knowing when something is ‘too much’ on a scheme cannot be condensed into lines of JavaScript or C++ – it’s intuitive.

We need apprentices – they are the lifeblood of our industry. Without a stream of new people and new ideas flowing into our sector, it will stagnate. BALI’s GoLandscape is doing a great job of encouraging young people to take up careers in landscaping, and the ‘Watch This Space’ garden at RHS Hampton Court is a great initiative to show budding landscape professionals the bright lights of our industry.

Coupled with WorldSkills UK, events like these can often be the sparks that get people excited about landscaping, or the catalysts that make people change career. Once they’ve chosen this path, it is our job to encourage and educate them, to show them it’s more than just a job – it’s a lifestyle. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Don’t get me wrong, there can be a degree of frustration involved in taking on a 17 year old who has other ‘distractions’ going on in their life – but an apprentice can serve as a looking-glass for your business. The off-the-cuff comments of a fresh and inexperienced pair of eyes can prove very insightful, when taken the right way. An apprentice’s continual

WITHOUT A STREAM OF NEW PEOPLE AND NEW IDEAS FLOWING INTO OUR SECTOR, IT WILL STAGNATE

the way everyday tasks are carried out, or can bring you up to speed with other technological developments in the industry.

The Institute of Apprenticeships is aware of the extra effort that can be required when taking on a new starter, and accordingly it has restructured the way in which apprenticeships are funded. Since May 2017, companies with annual wage bills of less than £3m (so, most businesses involved in the landscaping sector) who offer apprenticeships to 16-18 year olds have not had to pay for any of the apprenticeship training, up to the maximum funding bands.

Furthermore, for businesses that have less than 50 employees, there is now a £1,000 incentive for taking on a 16-18-year-old apprentice. A business can take a budding new candidate and, starting from scratch, train them in mutually beneficial areas, moulding them into the ideal employee without it costing the earth to do so.

Obviously, nothing in life is ever that simple, but it is a great way of kick-starting someone’s career and helping to narrow the skills gaps you might have in your business. For more information, you can check out the BALI’s GoLandscape website or contact your colleges to discuss apprenticeship opportunities.

So, next time an apprentice is getting under your skin for not getting it right first time, think – would you rather that, or a Siri-esque voice telling you “I did not understand that command”?

Pictured: The ‘Watch This Space’ RHS Hampton Court Flower Show garden

ABOUT DAVID T BINKS

questioning of why things are done in a particular way, or whether there is an easier way to carry out a task, can prove tiresome – but it can also serve as a prompt to refresh

David T Binks is managing director of Cheshire-based Landstruction, which was set up in 2010 and now has 30 employees. It has won Gold medals at RHS Chelsea and RHS Tatton Park. David also launched the Big Hedge Co., which supplies and installs mature hedging and topiary nationwide.

landstruction.com, bighedgeco.com

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 43

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19/07/2017 15:27

INFORM

FLORAL fantasy

Pro Landscaper explores the work of the local authority in the horticultural institution that is Harrogate

W

hen it comes to horticulture, few places in the UK have a bigger reputation than Harrogate. The town is a perennial contender in the RHS Britain in Bloom awards, having won gold 11 times – including in 2016. Harrogate’s parks, meanwhile, are a major draw for tourists.

The spa town dates back to the 14th century, and currently has a population of around 80,000 – a number representing just over half the residents of the wider Borough of Harrogate, in which the town sits. The borough www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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council is responsible for an area that is approximately 500 square miles in size, and is also the home of other well-known destinations, such as Ripon and Knaresborough.

Picnicking, walking and flying kites Patrick Kilburn is head of parks and environmental services at Harrogate Borough Council. As such, he is responsible for the maintenance of its green spaces, as well as the overall implementation of the council’s strategy when it comes to parks.

“The parks in Harrogate developed primarily in the Victorian era, just as it was starting to become really popular because of its spa water,” he says. “A lot of them are quite traditional in design, with features such as bandstands.”

“Regarding the main destinations, we have Harrogate Stray, which is made up of around 200 acres of open grassland and is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. People use it for picnicking, flying kites, walking dogs and so on.

“There’s also Valley Gardens, which, like the Stray, contains a number of wells; the whole site covers around 17 acres. It’s situated in what’s known as Low Harrogate, and houses tennis courts, crazy golf, and a boating pool, among other things. It’s English Heritage Grade II listed.”

“One of the principal things we’ve wanted to accomplish is to introduce as many open areas as possible whenever there’s a new build, something which is linked to Section 106 legislation. One result is that alongside our traditional parks, we’ve been able to integrate Pro Landscaper / August 2017 45

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INFORM

what we’ve called ‘green walkways’, so people can go from A to B without ever having to go across a main road. A good example of that would be the Jennyfields estate, which was developed over a 15-year period by different developers, each with the requirement to integrate open green space.”

Everything coexists As mentioned, Harrogate has a proud history of success when it comes to winning horticulture awards. This is something that has been consolidated this year with Harrogate put forward to compete for the Britain in Bloom Champion of Champions award.

According to Patrick, the reason for this continued success is quite simple, coming down to an emphasis on quality in everything the parks

WHILE WE’VE HAD TO CHANGE THINGS IN RECENT YEARS, WE’RE STILL FIERCELY PROUD OF — AND INVESTED IN — OUR PLANTING SCHEMES service does. “While we’ve had to change things in recent years, partly due to budget cuts, we’re still fiercely proud of – and invest in – our planting schemes. We don’t use as many bedding plants as we used to, but we’ve made up for this by introducing more herbaceous areas. We’ve also brought in ‘wilder’ or mixed aspects to our planting, which is something a lot of councils have been experimenting with.

“From my point of view, the trick with getting the latter right is to pick something that is easy to maintain but also attractive, as well as being popular with the bees and butterflies in terms of pollination. We’ve had really good results with plants such as Cosmos, for instance, which is far more attractive to wildlife than something like marigolds. It’s not sterile – everything coexists.”

While Harrogate Borough Council may echo some other local authorities when it comes to aspects of its planting, Patrick says that it’s the standard of the plants themselves that helps keep the town’s parks offer at the head of the pack. To this end, Harrogate is one of the ever-dwindling number of councils that still grows its own plants, an effort that will only intensify in 46

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the next few years as the council pursues the building of a new, more modern greenhouse.

Patrick also uses an effective strategy when it comes to getting the best from his team, allowing them the freedom to make their own decisions in terms of maintenance. This invites his staff to take ownership of the work they do and the areas they look after.

“We’ve worked hard at instilling the principle that the team doesn’t need me to go and tell them when something needs doing,” he says.

“We work on the basis that they’re experienced and skilled enough to know what’s going on. I wouldn’t tell them they need to cut the grass in their garden, so why would I need to point out similar things at work. It’s taken a few years, but that’s now where we are.”

“We’ve got about 44 full time equivalent staff covering the 500 square miles of the district, most of whom are mobile,” he says, speaking of crewing more generally. “They work longer hours in the summer than the winter, which means we can have the staff when we need them most while still being able to spread the cost.

“In terms of skilling, we’ve got a mixture of experienced, trained horticulturalists, as well as staff carrying out less skilled – but still absolutely vital – roles, such as litter cleaning and hedge cutting. The latter is a mixture of full time staff and agency workers.

“Going back to the subject of how crews are deployed, years ago they all used to be static, which is something that ultimately just wasn’t feasible. Now we only have permanent gardeners in our premier parks, but that’s made a huge difference because it’s become their pride and joy. I know that if I ever tried to move one of them out and onto another patch, it’ll be over my dead body.

“I’m blessed with excellent team members, which makes a massive difference. My job is to maintain that commitment and enthusiasm, and increase their involvement.”

Integral to the community Harrogate’s parks are integral to the popularity and success of the town, providing a huge asset when it comes to tourism. At the same time, the green spaces in question are just as cherished by local residents, both as areas of natural beauty, and as a part of their daily lives. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:26

INFORM

Nowhere is this better-illustrated than in the story of Valley Gardens. The ongoing refurbishment of its Japanese-style garden is something that, for Patrick, shows just how important the community is to the life of the parks. He tells us the story, beginning with the local friends of the park’s efforts to raise the required £100,000.

“They applied for funding with our help, obtaining most of it from the Heritage Lottery Fund,” he says. “They’ve since got in professional agencies, come up with a full scheme, and recently moved contractors on-site.”

“With regard to the garden itself, if you’d seen it a few months ago, you’d have had no idea that it was supposed to be Japanese. Since the re-landscaping, though, it’s become something that the town can be really proud of, with a whole new planting scheme – including things like Acers – as well as bridges and water features.

“We modified the designs slightly to ensure it’s accessible to as many people as possible, but as far as we’re concerned it ticks all the boxes. It’s a real example of how proper engagement with – and lead from – the community can have fantastic results.”

According to Patrick, one thing it’s impossible to do when it comes to parks is keep everyone happy. Some people desire tranquillity, while others want activities and noise. Some will crave modern wilder spaces, while others like traditional Victorian landscaping. What you can do, however, is engage with the community, while planning your strategy carefully and inventively.

This is something that Harrogate Borough Council succeeds in doing, year after year.

HARROGATE’S PARKS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TOWN

1 The Royal Baths from Crescent Gardens ©Visit England/Visit Harrogate 2 Café in Valley Gardens ©Visit England/ Visit Harrogate 3 Blossom on the Stray, Harrogate 4 The Stray, Harrogate 5 Valley Gardens, Harrogate ©VisitEngland/Diana Jarvis 6 Tour de France tree sculpture, Montpellier Hill, Harrogate, ©VisitEngland/Diana Jarvis 7 Fountain, Valley Gardens, Harrogate 8 Flowers on the Stray ©Visit England/Visit Harrogate 9 The Sun Pavillion, Valley Gardens, Harrogate ©VisitEngland/Diana Jarvis

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PORTFOLIO

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PORTFOLIO

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he grounds of a beautiful Cotswold country house were transformed into an inviting space for a young family, with safe spaces for children and areas for dining and entertaining, as well as topiary, structured borders and an extended lawn. Despite the overhaul, it was important that a traditional feel was retained through beautiful planting, local materials and craftsmanship.

The brief The striking plans, from London-based garden designer Rachel Garrood, included several new terraces and pathways, a driveway, walls and seating areas, herbaceous borders, hedges and structural planting. The design required the complete demolition of the existing garden, as well as hard and soft landscaping, planting, and constructing several new spaces with clean lines and topiary.

The Cotswold Garden Company liaised with the designer throughout, and was able to share its expertise in sourcing local materials. The garden was to be used by the family for the duration of the construction, so it was vital that it remained safe for the children, with working areas safely cordoned off.

1 Sawn Yorkstone terrace, with box topiary and steel edged planting beds 2 The garden before and under construction with huge topiary arriving on site 3 Finely coursed Cotswold stone wall, Yorkstone cobble path and pleached crab apples 4 Bespoke oak gate and steel edged hoggin path 5 View of the front of the property

BEFORE/DURING

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Materials and build Attention to detail was key. Locally-quarried Cotswold stone for the wall was measured and sorted to ensure it was coursed with the smaller stones on top, and the 6mm thick mild steel edging that made up the path, lawn and driveway edges was welded on site by The Cotswold Garden Company. New terraces were created with sawn Yorkstone paving, each individual piece cut to size, while sawn Yorkstone cobbles were used for the paths to the pool, and reclaimed Yorkstone cobbles from a local manor house made up a seating area under the umbrella trees.

Sourcing locally, reclaiming and reusing materials was paramount, particularly because it helped to reduce the environmental impact of deliveries to the site.

All excavated soil was analysed in The Cotswold Garden Company’s on-site ‘soil hospital’ and was improved by adding compost and manure. This reduced the need for imported topsoil and disposal. Equally, existing stone and concrete was broken up and used as subbase where possible, while any debris taken off site was carefully stockpiled so that it could be recycled as clean aggregate or subsoil.

The Cotswold Garden Company used its local contacts to make sure specifications were perfect, including organising for its lighting supplier to do a night-time display to show how plants and trees could be lit, allowing the client to understand what was needed. The Cotswold Garden Company also designed and installed an automatic irrigation system and arranged for one of its suppliers to have bespoke oak gates made to the designer’s drawings.

In a rural setting with difficult access, local knowledge was essential. This was none more obvious than when two lorries delivering topiary from Holland arrived a week early and got stuck on the access road; The Cotswold Garden Company rapidly made arrangements with a local farmer to free and unload them.

Despite the access and delivery challenges, the project was delivered on schedule and in time for the client to showcase the impressive results at their annual summer garden party.

ABOUT THE COTSWOLD GARDEN COMPANY The Cotswold Garden Company is a multi-award-winning landscape contractor and garden designer with a reputation for outstanding work throughout the Cotswolds. It is one of the most experienced garden design and landscaping companies in the area, and the team has worked on numerous different projects, from cottage gardens and country houses to large estates and commercial commissions. www.thecotswoldgardencompany.co.uk

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REFERENCES Landscape contractor The Cotswold Garden Company

www.thecotswoldgardencompany.co.uk Garden designer Rachel Garrood, Rachel Garrood Garden and Landscape Design

07970 518 777

Cotswold stone and reclaimed stone Lichen Garden Antiques

www.lichengardenantiques.com Yorkstone paving and cobbles Bingley Stone

www.bingleystone.com Lighting and irrigation system LandscapePlus

www.landscapeplus.com Bespoke oak gates and steel edging G. L. C. & R. Williams

01666 505040 Plants

Genus Plant Sourcing Ltd

www.genusplantsourcing.co.uk Turf Rolawn

www.rolawn.co.uk Compost and manure Garden Supplies

www.gardensuppliesglos.co.uk

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POCKET ROCKET GARDEN CLUB LONDON An ambitious floating pocket park brings greenery to the Merchant Square development in Paddington Basin

Design With constraints of buoyancy, weight and weight distribution, high wind and varying water levels, and the existing biodiversity, the design evolved through several iterative processes. Existing elements, features and colours in the area also influenced the design to ensure the park would be cohesive with its surrounding environment.

Months of design discussions, modelling and collaboration with a marine engineer saw polyethylene modules chosen as the buoyancy unit. These modules gave more control over the park’s layout and enabled Garden Club London to create an array of discrete but interlinked 54

garden areas. This interlinking was achieved with bridges, so that the user would be conscious of being on water. The final design had a footprint of 729m2, consisting of a 689m² pontoon and a 40m2 independent planter. Covering around a third of the basin space, this size allowed Garden Club London to achieve the requirements of the brief while keeping the footprint proportionate to the body of water and ensuring freedom of movement for ducks and swans.

A series of bespoke galvanised steel sections sitting atop the modules provided a support base for the planters and surface treatment build-up. The custom nature of these sections enabled Garden Club London to form an overhang from the module edge; this helped to create a ‘shadow effect’ to hide the undesirable module aesthetic, and the additional height created a cavity of space for the running of service lines to Location water and power points.

Merchant Square, The park encourages interaction Paddington with the water, and the carefully chosen planting palette offers a Build time ©Jason Ingram FPP

I

mplementation of the Merchant Square masterplan has seen a revival of a historically significant waterside area.

The 11-acre site now consists of six buildings, including 554 residential units and 58% commercial space, and is occupied by around 10,000 workers and residents.

The 2,050m2 body of water at the end of Paddington Basin offered little amenity to the surrounding developments. The client’s aspiration was to construct a floating pocket park that would provide a green space for people to meet, exercise, play, work and relax, as well as adding a softer landscape element to an area dominated by dark, hard surfaces. Further requirements were for the park to be ‘something to write home about’ and become known as an attraction.

PROJECT DETAILS

1 Open-edge decked areas promote water interaction 2 Prunus serrula var. tibetica among seasonal under plantings 3 Open grassed area 4 Soft urban vibe against the cityscape 5 An appealing view for residents

Design: July 2016 Public consultation: September 2016 Build completion: May 2017 Size of project 729m²

6 A luscious green aesthetic for the formerly characterless basin

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©Jason Ingram FPP

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THIS UNIQUE PROJECT WAS A HUGELY EXCITING CHALLENGE THAT DEMANDED COLLABORATION ACROSS SEVERAL DISCIPLINES. NOT ONLY IS IT A TRULY ‘ONE OF A KIND’ GARDEN FOR LONDON, BUT A HUGE RETHINK IN THE WAY WE CREATE PUBLIC SPACE IN URBAN AREAS Tony Woods

1 Xxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 2 Xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 3 Xxxxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 4 Xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 5 Xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx 6 Xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx 7 Xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxx 8 Xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

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©Jason Ingram FPP

range of colours and scents throughout the year. There is a combination of secluded planted areas for quiet reflection and relaxation, along with open spaces for events and larger crowds.

Areas of composite decking and high-quality artificial turf cater for a range of activities, such as events and exercise classes; the two materials offer an appealing contrast of texture and colour against the planting. The large decked area contains a trio of removable shade sails that provide seasonal coverage from the elements for events, and along the western and southern edges of this area there are two mooring points for pedestrian taxi boats and visiting trade barges. Power, water and drainage has also been made available for business barges and boats.

Composite decking boards, associated fascia and bullnose edging, as well as LED strip lighting, were used in the event space and open-edge water interaction areas. Enhanced grain boards were chosen for their crisp, natural wood aesthetic, non-slip all-weather surface and lightweight, low-maintenance nature.

High-quality artificial grass was specified, adhering to the desired aesthetic and to constraints of weight, use and maintenance.

Low-maintenance glass-reinforced plastic planters house the 213m² of planting, along with four steel planters that contain a series of bespoke 2.6m-high cantilevered steel L-sections. These sections add an element of vertical structure to the park, along with the four Tibetan cherry trees, and provide fixing points for shade sails and mounted spotlights. Seating comes in the form of standalone and floating sapele hardwood benches.

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©Jason Ingram FPP

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The planting scheme was chosen to reflect the existing landscape; it adds depth of colour, texture and movement with a mixture of native plants, waterside favourites and specimens that can cope with the urban environment and exposure to wind and climate change – as well as attract birds and insects. An independent floating planter, inaccessible to the public, adds to the biodiversity by offering a sanctuary for wildlife.

A carefully thought out lighting scheme highlights the hard and soft elements of the park, and offers night use for the decked events area while minimising light pollution. The scheme involved installation of LED strip lighting to define decked edges and bench undersides, as well as plant uplighters and wall spots.

Challenges Acting as principal designer and principal contractor, Garden Club London was meticulous in its approach to this unique project.

The challenge of a build site on water, and the highly trafficked pedestrian area of Merchant Square Estate, meant consideration was required to determine site setup, build, and health and safety.

A site compound area was established away from the main site to ensure minimal disruption to the busy towpath areas adjacent to the basin, as well as providing space for welfare facilities, deliveries and storage. A smaller area was also established to

provide a solid groundworking area and storage for materials as they were transported to the water’s edge. The hazards of working near water saw Garden Club London implement the requirement for all contractors to have valid CSCS cards and appropriate PPE, with the addition of lifejackets.

Due to the highly trafficked tow path and general site access, Garden Club London faced restrictions on size of materials, movement times and load weights. This required the majority of materials to be assembled away from the build and then moved to the water’s edge outside of peak hours. Elements such as the 96 bespoke timber subframes were built in the site compound, transported to the basin edge and fixed to the pontoon as required.

Considering the tow path weight restrictions, heavier loads such as the 95t of topsoil were brought to site using traditional canal transport.

Not only did this save on manpower and countless trips through the estate, but it allowed these elements to be mechanically lifted directly into place. and eliminated the risk of traffic congestion.

ABOUT GARDEN CLUB LONDON Garden Club London was established by Tony Woods in 2012 and is now a fast-growing design and build company with big ideas, passion and vision.

Working in-house and collaborating with other industry professionals, Garden Club London has a growing reputation for rst class projects, both domestic and commercial.. www.gardenclublondon.co.uk

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ŠJason Ingram FPP

DURING

1 Shaded event space with power, lighting and free WiFi 2 A narrow-decked walkway connects the two spaces and reinforces the park’s floating nature 3 L-R: Nick Lie (project manager), Tony Woods (design director), Ben Dewhirst (project landscape architect) 4 Paddington Basin before

REFERENCES Principal designer and contractor

Planters, benches, GRP fender and cantilevered steel sections

Garden Club London

Europlanters

Pontoon modules

Lighting

Northern Pontoon

Collingwood

www.gardenclublondon.co.uk

www.northernpontoon.com Bespoke steel sections and entrance totem MKM Creations

www.mkmcreations.co.uk Timber Acre Lane

www.acrelanetimber.co.uk Artificial lawn

www.europlanters.com

www.collingwoodlighting.com/en Aurora

gb.auroralighting.com/Home.aspx Electrical install MJ Electrical Services Ltd

www.mjelectricalservices.co.uk Shade sails Kemp Sails (Shade Solutions)

www.shade-solutions.com/ information/fabrics

Namgrass

www.namgrass.co.uk Composite decking Millboard

BEFORE www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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www.millboard.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

WINNER

PROJECT VALUE UNDER £25,000

GO WITH THE FLOW

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PORTFOLIO

ARTSCAPE DESIGN & BUILD LTD Soft planting and secluded spaces for an enchanting riverside garden in Berkshire

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £16k Build time Three months Size of project 150m²

T

he owners of this attractive riverside property in Berkshire appointed Artscape Design & Build Ltd to improve their existing garden. The client’s brief included the provision of an area close to the river where they could dine, socialise and relax, enjoying views across the water. They were also keen for the design to include a good range of interesting plants.

Design and build Artscape Design & Build Ltd created two such dining and entertainment spaces, interlinked by a series of paths and an eye-catching boardwalk.

The first dining area is located on the upper terrace, close to the kitchen and conservatory, and was constructed using travertine paving to

match the conservatory floor. This ensures that the interior feels connected to the garden.

An access path was provided adjacent to the dining area, linking it to the conservatory and the side of the property, where it leads to the front garden. The paths were made using stepping stones set on gravel, and were edged with lavender and box hedging for both aesthetic and safety reasons.

From here, steps with a handrail and a composite material boardwalk draw you through the garden and towards the river, where the owners moor their boat. Creamy composite decking boards were chosen to work in harmony with the upper travertine paved terrace and cream coloured gravel, complementing the garden’s overall palette of soft, neutral tones.

1 An area for relaxing and socialising 2 Pastel planting with accents of hot colours 3 A path of Cotswold gravel with travertine stepping stones and lavender 4 Direction changes in the boardwalk 5 Seating to rest and enjoy the garden

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Weaving through the planting, the boardwalk leads to a second seating area constructed close to the water’s edge, where views up and down the river can be enjoyed from comfortable sofas. Subtle lighting was also installed between the house and the mooring, allowing the clients to enjoy their garden late into the evening; a bench, located just off the boardwalk, was included to offer pleasant views from a slightly shadier part of the garden. Given the garden’s proximity to the river, all decking in the design had to be well anchored, as the area is occasionally prone to flooding.

Artscape Design & Build Ltd reused as many of the client’s existing plants as possible, and complemented their soft tones with additional pastel-coloured planting – dotted with a few hot accent colours throughout. Planting was kept fairly low so as not to obstruct views of the river, but it has an ethereal feel with plenty of movement. All of the plants were carefully chosen to deliver year-round interest, with formal, clipped box balls adding structure.

ABOUT ARTSCAPE DESIGN & BUILD LTD

1 Path of Cotswold gravel with stepping stones 2 An area for enjoying views of the river 3 Construction of the subframe for the deck 4 Ready for the border preparation

Artscape Design & Build Ltd, founded in 1979, is a multi-award-winning company that is based in Berkshire and undertakes projects in the home counties. ffering a professional service, Artscape aims to bring knowledge, experience and creativity to its projects, ensuring work is completed to the highest standard.

www.art-scape.co.uk

REFERENCES Landscape design and build Artscape Design & Build Ltd

www.art-scape.co.uk Decking (limed oak)

The Millboard Company

www.millboard.co.uk Paving (travertine) London Stone

www.londonstone.co.uk Cotswold chip Country Supplies Ltd

www.countrysupplies.uk.com Plants Farnham Common Nurseries

www.fcn.co.uk

Lighting, garden furniture and bench

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Client’s own

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PROJECT DETAILS Project value £29.5k Build time 10 days (Harrogate) 12 days (Dishforth) Size of project 220m² (Harrogate) 415m² (Dishforth)

A HOMECOMING PRAYER NORTHUMBRIAN LANDSCAPING A Japanese Zen-inspired garden brings a place for quiet reflection to the Harrogate Flower Shows

D

esigned by Northumbrian Landscaping owner Peter Cunliffe, ‘A Homecoming Prayer’ was built as part of a larger memorial garden to commemorate the homecoming of the 6th Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (6RLC) from Germany to Dishforth Airfield in the UK. The biggest garden ever featured at the Harrogate Flower Shows, ‘A Homecoming Prayer’ was a collaborative effort between the 6RLC and Northumbrian Landscaping, working alongside Help For Heroes. It was intended that the garden would offer a reflective space and an oasis of peace, away from the busy hustle and bustle of an active military barracks. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Design and build The design was created to fit the space where the garden would eventually be constructed at Dishforth Airfield. As requested, it was split into three separate areas, each serving a distinct purpose. The section Northumbrian Landscaping took to the Harrogate Spring Flower Show is the area intended to provide a secluded place for reflection. At the request of the Corps, the garden was designed with a Japanese Zen feel and includes a prayer house and seating area. It offers the perfect place for thought and meditation, surrounded by calming scents and the sound of rippling water.

Design features The garden was designed with a circular theme, reflecting the Japanese regard for the moon and its inclusion in many Japanese garden designs.

All entrance and exit points are hidden, to suggest the feeling of being completely enclosed, and this ‘hidden door’ concept was also used for the cedar-clad prayer house.

The centre of the garden, viewed from the prayer house, is uncluttered to allow for quiet contemplation. This space is also a sensory area, and includes a line of lavender to provide

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scent and a water rill to create reflections and light; rustling bamboo envelopes the prayer house, adding a light acoustic element.

Looking out from the prayer house, the visitor’s vision is directed via the rill to a mountain scene.

Here, a lantern-like building, sculptured rocks and small conifers create a point of focus. From there, the garden opens out: planting is wrapped around two paths that parallel the perimeter from the entrance to the prayer house. One is a charred timber boardwalk that zigzags to meet the prayer house floor. The other winds through boulders and planting and over stepping stones, creating a circular journey around the edge of the garden.

The build was completed in nine days using weighty materials. Each upright for the prayer house was formed from 300x300mm, 3.5m long timbers, weighing nearly a tonne each. Some of the boulders, hand-picked from Johnsons Wellfield Quarry in Huddersfield, also weighed over a tonne, and were placed using rollers and sandpits. The fence uprights were pre-machined by the Veterans Woodcraft team to ensure a speedier build.

Materials All the materials for the project were generously sponsored by willing suppliers — many from a

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REFERENCES Design and build Northumbrian Landscapes

www.northumbrianlandscaping.co.uk Boulders and sculptural stone Johnsons Wellfield

solid crew of BALI members. The planting largely came from Wilkinson Landscapes, and the key features within the garden were lent by Northumbrian Landscaping, including the stone bench, lantern, granite bowl and water feature, and also some specimen planting from Peter Cunliffe’s own garden.

Special requirements and difficulties Northumbrian Landscaping was initially told to design for a £50k build, and it was thought that the garden would be entered into the RHS Tatton Flower Show in July 2017. Unfortunately, fundraising did not take off, so there was no budget outside of materials already obtained through sponsorship. The team was generously offered a grant from the North East Horticultural Society – on the proviso that the garden was built at the Harrogate Flower Shows. This provided

half the finance necessary, but meant Northumbrian Landscaping had five weeks’ notice before the build, rather than five months.

The following two weeks were incredibly fraught, with the team trying to gather the remaining sponsorship and materials needed; the garden ultimately depended on more money being raised during the show and via subsequent charity events.

1 At Home in Dishforth

www.johnsons-wellfield.co.uk Cedar timber Silva Timber

www.silvatimber.co.uk Boardwalk and prayer house timber Percy A Hudson

www.percyahudson.co.uk Fencing supplies Green-tech

www.green-tech.co.uk Plants Wilkinsons Landscapes

2 Hesco, BALI and the build team

www.wilkinsonslandscapes.co.uk

3 The intended user perspective

Bamboo

4 Central area of tranquility

Bamboo UK

5 Burnt timber boardwalk

www.ukbamboo.com

6 A place for reflection

Sedum matting

7 The Hub

Lindum

8 Mini mountain-scape 9 The vision and 3D model

www.turf.co.uk Stone bench, lantern, granite bowl and water feature On loan from Northumbrian Landscapes

ABOUT NORTHUMBRIAN LANDSCAPES Northumbrian Landscaping Ltd. is an awardwinning landscape design and build company based in Northern England. It runs an experienced and disciplined team, adopts the latest technology to drive the landscape industry, and is actively involved with community projects. www.northumbrianlandscaping.co.uk

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INSPIRE

The

edible

bus stop Mak Gilchrist and Will Sandy, respectively founding director and creative director of The Edible Bus Stop, talk to us about the importance of community gardens and their own creative horticultural installations, which are receiving countrywide recognition

O

ne of the last places you’d expect to find a park is in a London Underground station, but this is exactly what commuters at St James’s Park will now see every day, thanks to landscape architecture and design consultancy The Edible Bus Stop. Transport for London (TfL) commissioned the firm to help bring green space into the station, with the result being the Tiny Park at St James’s Park – a mini green space inside a former ticket office, featuring small tropical plants.

TfL is now looking at other stations in need of green infrastructure, as Will explains. “The Tiny Park has been very well received, and the managing director of TfL has insinuated that he would like to see them in other stations, so we’re exploring stations with the word ‘green’, ‘common’ or ‘park’ in their names. We want to create a green network underground.”

LANDSCAPING CAN BE A WAY TO ENGAGE CONVERSATION WITH PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE JUST WALK PAST The idea of a green network isn’t new to The Edible Bus Stop, whose name came from the original green network it created – The Edible Bus Route. It came about in 2011, when proposals were being considered for the development of a neglected space on Landor Road, Stockwell. It was in the same area where a guerrilla vegetable patch had been created a couple of years earlier, beside a bus stop.

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On seeing the planning notice, Mak rallied the neighbourhood, calling for a meeting at the local pub. “I didn’t have an objection to houses being built, but I strongly believed that the land should stay public. Extraordinarily, about 30 people turned up to the meeting; the jury was still out as to whether we needed more housing or not, but as soon as I mentioned the guerrilla vegetable patch, everybody smiled. It was a ‘eureka’ moment.

“Fortunately, Lambeth Council was supportive – the 138m² of land was classed as highways land on a technicality, and we were actively encouraged to carry on gardening. Will and I are not gardeners – I would class myself as a creative activist and Will trained as a landscape architect – but both of us felt strongly about the importance of public land in helping to create a community.”

Green layers From here, The Edible Bus Stop came into existence, and the firm is now looking at trying to add a green layer to the transport system, with community growing spaces along the routes. One ‘edible bus stop’ has now become three – the ‘Kerb’ garden, the ‘Hoopla’ garden and The Edible Bus Station, which is still at the planning stage.

This forms The Edible Bus Route, from Clapham Common to Crystal Palace.

Mak and Will took their message of edible community gardens to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2012, creating a postapocalyptic garden where the planting represented the community’s regrowth. The garden included a piece of street furniture that resembled doubleyellow lines, creating an element of wayfinding that could also be used as a bench for rest or for moments of interaction. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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All images ©2017 The Edible Bus Stop®

INSPIRE

“We’re playful but pragmatic in the way we approach each project, and I think that’s why we are getting a lot of commissions,” explains Will.

“People are looking for something other than a straightforward horticultural plan or landscape proposal. They want something that draws the eye and creates a moment of surprise.”

It is this approach that led street furniture manufacturer Vestre to contact them last year; it wanted to find a permanent location for its Stripes range, which had featured at Clerkenwell Design Week. After approaching Brixton BID and consulting with the local community, a garden was created at the entrance to a large housing estate on Coldharbour Lane, which had some history of antisocial behaviour.

“It turned this area around,” says Mak. “We added the street seating and replaced municipal planting with rosemary bushes and lavender. We recently refreshed the planting as part of the Chelsea Fringe Festival in May, adding lots of droughtwww.prolandscapermagazine.com

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resistant and long-living Mediterranean plants, as well as berries and herbs. We planted three fruit trees last autumn. The local police were sceptical about putting street seating in the area, but no vandalism has taken place, and it’s completely transformed the entrance. It actively encourages social behaviour.

Engaging communities “Through design-led initiatives and thinking slightly out of the box, landscaping can be a way to engage conversation with people who would otherwise just walk past. The Coldharbour Lane project is very humble, but it’s had a really profound effect.” The project received a wealth of support, particularly from Lambeth Council’s Housing Department, who ensured six broken street lights were fixed in time for the Brixton Design Trail as part of the London Design Festival 2016.

Assistance also came from Veolia, who supplied 2t of compost, and Pinnacle PSG, whose maintenance team pressure washed the area.

Support is key to The Edible Bus Stop’s projects, particularly local community support. To give people a chance to learn more about them and what they do, they will be taking part in Open House London in September, an event that sees private buildings open to the public.

They are also currently working on their headline submission for the Brixton Design Trail, part of the London Design Festival in September. “The design is under wraps until late summer because the element of surprise is part of the whole plan, but it will encourage further conversation about what is happening to public seating, and why we need to bring it back,” explains Mak. As with every other project, we have no doubt that there are many more surprises to come from The Edible Bus Stop.

Visit The Edible Bus Stop during Open House London, Sunday 17 September between 2-6pm in Loughborough Junction.

CONTACT The Edible Bus Stop Email: info@theediblebusstop.org

Twitter: @EdibleBusStop www.theediblebusstop.org

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Edible Avenue

INSPIRE

Location: Nine Elms Client: Vinci St Modwen Completed: 2017

International PARK(ing) Day London International PARK(ing) Day London Location: Concert Hall Approach, South Bank Completed: 2011 In 2011, The Edible Bus Stop took part in International PARK(ing) Day, where parking spaces worldwide are transformed into public parks. Its horticultural installations on the Concert Hall Approach included a planted-up pick-up truck and wheelbarrows filled with edible plants.

“The best outcome was what happened when we took it away.

People were stopping by the installation and wondering why the area wasn’t always like this – it got people thinking about green space and landscape architecture. It was our first foray into incorporating sculpture and surprise within horticulture and landscape design.” – Will

The Original Edible Bus Stop The Kerb Garden Location: Landor Road Client: Lambeth Council Completed: 2013 After being awarded funding from Lambeth Council’s Neighbourhood Enhancement Programme and The Mayor of London’s Pocket Park Scheme, The Edible Bus Stop transformed this space on Landor Road into a pocket park that was filled with edibles. The Kerb garden is now looked after by the community, with regular planting days still held regularly.

“It has five different fruit trees and is classed as an urban orchard. The residents are planting a lot of additional bee-friendly plants, which we also regard as edibles.” – Mak

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Edible Avenue is a recently completed project within the Nine Elms development, set to remain in the area until 2022. The team took an unattractive 1km boundary wall and brought it to life with local artist Mr Dane, who worked with the local school to co-create artwork using a variety of colours. White picket fences are interspersed, with new seating and planters that the community itself helped to plant.

“The children now have ownership of the design, and people have seen their neighbours or family working on the space. This alone has been a deterrent for vandalism and antisocial behaviour.” – Will

Projects A selection of The Edible Bus Stop’s unique horticultural installations

London Calling Location: Great Maze Pond Client: Team London Bridge and Fantasy High Street Completed: 2016 Team London Bridge put out a tender for innovative ways to demonstrate greening near Tower Bridge. The Edible Bus Stop took the telephone box and turned it into an installation, creating public seating by flipping the door on its side. Originally installed at Potters Field Park, it now resides at Great Maze Pond opposite Guy’s Hospital.

“The idea was that it would be in place for two weeks, but we gifted it to Team London Bridge. As it’s been designed so that it can be relocated, they are now looking at moving it around the many iconic locations in the area.” – Mak

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19/07/2017 14:54

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INSPIRE

Why I...

#lovehorticulture JAMIE BUTTERWORTH SHOW PLANT MANAGER, HORTUS LOCI

I

can’t remember a time when plants weren’t in my life. Growing up in suburban Wakefield might have meant I had little access to gardening, but this never deterred me. At the age of 12, I converted my grandparents’ back garden into my own allotment, and in the process turned them into keen gardeners themselves.

I chose to study horticulture at Askham Bryan College, followed by a diploma in Practical Horticulture at RHS Wisley, from which I graduated with a Distinction. During my time at GARDENERS DON’T JUST college it became clear to both myself NURTURE PLANTS, and my fellow students that our THEY NURTURE PEOPLE; industry is in crisis, suffering from GARDENERS GROW dwindling interest and a skills shortage.

To me, it’s a diverse, fascinating and OTHER GARDENERS stimulating world, but this is not the impression that most people have. In 2013, a group of us decided to form an organisation called YoungHort, with the aim of inspiring young people to consider horticulture as a career, and to futureproof our industry with new talent.

In 2016, I was asked to become an RHS Ambassador. Not only was this an incredible honour, it helps me to continue doing what I love – showcasing what I think is the best industry in the world. Opening the eyes of young people to the diverse possibilities that horticulture can offer is, without wanting to sound too dramatic, vital to our existence. We need to know how to grow food, care for our land and research better ways to feed our growing population. The roles and opportunities offered by horticulture are endless, and the best thing of all is the generosity of spirit that I benefited from as a child and still witness every day in the nursery – people sharing their knowledge and passion. Without that, I wouldn’t be where I am. Given the chance, gardeners don’t just nurture plants, they nurture people; gardeners grow other gardeners, and to me, that’s a truly wonderful thing.

Tweet us @ProLandscaperJW and tell us why you love horticulture using the hashtag #LoveHorticulture

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LOUNGING AROUND

INSPIRE

Comfort and style go hand in hand this month as Anji Connell explores sun loungers for those looking to relax, tan and socialise in eyecatching spaces ”Sun loungers are all about relaxation and quality leisure time,” says Simon Ray, managing director of Encompass. “Therefore, comfort is a must.”

Susan Tait, founder and creative director of the Australian Outdoor Furniture Company, agrees. “We are truly embracing our outdoor spaces, so there is a need to achieve maximum comfort. Customers are a lot more design conscious, and seek out unique pieces so that their outdoor furniture is just as attractive as their indoor.”

If you have a large space, you have plenty of choice. Modular sofa-style loungers can be moved around to create different areas, are comfortable and look uber-stylish (see Paola Lenti’s Agio range, or Manutti’s Kumo).

For sunbathing, a flatbed lounger is needed for an all-round tan, or better still one that has both vertical and horizontal settings, allowing you to sit up, read, have a drink and generally relax and socialise. Paola Lenti has plenty of options in this field, with its stylish and reclinable Surf, Baia, Cove, Daydream and Rams loungers. Time Out by Rodolfo

SUN LOUNGERS ARE ALL ABOUT RELAXATION AND QUALITY LEISURE TIME. COMFORT IS A MUST

Paola Lenti Portofino 70

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Talenti Breez

Dordoni Serralunga has a lacquered steel frame with both a fixed and reclining recyclable polyethylene bed, features a slightly arched linear shape for relaxing comfort, and comes in seven dreamy colours. Kettal’s lightweight, sleek Park Life lounger and Vondom’s solid, angular Frame lounger are also reclinable, and both have back wheels that make it easy to move them around.

The sun lounger options available to us are multitudinous, from the traditional to the downright wacky. Those looking for a cool, minimalist lounger will be spoilt for choice.

Andreu World’s Trenza has a steel base and woven bands for the seat and backrest, both available in a choice of colours, while Paola Navone’s Inout model also features woven bands and has a classic Riviera vibe.

Another retro-look Coro Loop lounger is the super stylish Nolita from

Pedrali Nolita

Paola Lenti Frame

Pedrali. It comes in some gorgeous colours and is super chic and comfortable for lounging and sunbathing. Those seeking comfort can go for Kettal’s cushioned Mesh lounger, which has a sturdy, luxurious look and is available in alumunium, teak and 34 colours. Roshults’ Garden Easy Daybed, meanwhile, is a simple but contemporary design, a perfect combination of function and form in true Swedish style.

For something more deconstructed, try Paola Lenti’s super comfy, beanbag-style Float lounger, or even its Cuscini range, a series of structured cushions that allow you to soak up the rays wherever you are – all you need to do is roll them out. Equally avant-garde but a little more sculptural are the sun loungers available from Vondom, with its new Faz, Jut and F3 models all offering something eye-catching and different. Paola Lenti’s shapely Wave land Frame loungers always looks good, while Talenti’s Breez is a work of art in itself. And for all the style mavens and keen travellers, there’s Marcel Wanders’ design for Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades – three independent modules that interlock to form a stylish chaise.

Whatever the choice, sun loungers need to be durable – preferably made with all-weather materials that resist rust, mould, sun fade and sun degradation, so that they are as long-lasting and maintenance-free www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:56

INSPIRE

Pedrali REVA

Inomo Waves

Vondom Jut

as possible. Do look for guarantees, and go to known brands that work with the latest technologies to enhance their products’ lifespan.

The generously sized REVA Garden day-bed, designed by Patrick Jouin for Pedrali, and the chic Arik Levy Shine lounger for Emu both tick these long-lasting boxes.

“Our customers like to invest in high quality designs that they know will stand the test of time – and the weather,” says Tina Mahoney, director of Go Modern. “We’ve seen a wide range of designs launching this year, from sleek, minimalist, ‘barely there’ pieces, to those that are adventurously sculptural and vibrantly colourful.

Most of our outdoor furniture is completely weatherproof and designed to last forever, requiring virtually no maintenance.”

For lounger fabrics, both Tina and Simon advocate Batyline, a woven polyester fibre that keeps its shape perfectly, is long-lasting and weatherproof, and is resistant to stretching and tearing. This fabric is featured on Coro’s rocking Loop lounger, which can be cleverly folded and hung up to save space, and their Boomy deckchair. Deckchairs in general are having a real moment: Gloster’s Voyager two-person deckchair is rather fabulous, as is Paola Lenti’s Portofino deckchair.

“Fabrics also need to be UV, dirt and mildew resistant,” says Mahoney. “Sunbrella is the leading manufacturer of outdoor material, and at the top end of the market, we’ve seen a growth in demand for Nautic Leather.”

If there is a swimming pool, you can site your sun beds directly in the water if it’s

Manutti Kumo

Paola Lenti Wave

shallow or has a shallow side, or you could set one up on a platform overlapping the water – a fabulous way to keep cool. Inomo’s stunning ‘Waves’ sun loungers can be enjoyed on land, sand, in the pool or in the sea, securely anchored in shallow water.

For more traditional settings, natural rattan is an attractive choice. However, it is not resistant to rain and frost, hence many companies’ switch to synthetic PE (polyethylene), or HDPE (high-density polyethylene).

These are woven fabrics that have an eco-friendly manufacturing process and are recyclable, weatherproof, mould-resistant and tougher than a cheaper PVC weave.

Marcel Wanders for Louis Vuitton

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Coro Boomy

ABOUT ANJI CONNELL Internationally recognised interior architect and landscape designer Anji Connell is a detail-obsessed Inchbald Graduate, and has been collaborating with artisans and craftsmen to create bespoke and unique interiors for a discerning clientele since 1986. Anji is a stylist, feature writer and lover of all things art and design.

www.anjiconnellinteriordesign.com

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INSPIRE

WORK

Best project: The most enjoyable projects are the ones where the client allows me to be really creative, and where the site or the brief provides something intriguing that I can run with. I recently worked on a project like this in Surrey, with a very engaging Norwegian client who had decided to carry out a groundbreaking Dutch barn conversion. My client was very excited about the potential of his rusty steel-framed building in an overgrown field, and his enthusiasm was contagious. My main brief was ‘to create a dynamic and synergistic scheme to bring seclusion and drama to a stunning rural setting’.

Colleagues: I work with a few landscape contractors, but my main contractor tends to be Outdoor Options – its project handling and level of finish is outstanding, and we have worked together for many years. Its owner Brian Herbert and I met while working for the landscape designer Anthony Paul, who was my main source of work during the ten years I was a soft landscaping contractor, prior to becoming a designer.

Best learning curve: Doing show gardens after 10 years of designing real gardens has been a multifaceted learning curve. The process of creating a garden for a show is intense, and good for honing design and management

INSPIRATION I’m constantly inspired by nature, from the micro to the macro scale, and this is the most prominent thing that informs my work. Many people inspire me too, mainly in their drive and focus or their creative honesty. When I left art college, I did some conservation work with the Sussex Rangers, and one of my college tutors had a studio near our office in Stanmer Park. It was there that I met Johnny Woodford, sculptor for Cleve West’s amazing garden pieces in the late Nineties. I was in awe of his chainsaw sculpture techniques and the pieces he was creating, and when I saw them in Cleve’s gardens it opened my eyes to how art and nature can form fascinating and exciting combinations. A few years later, I went to work as a gardener in Hannah Peschar’s sculpture garden, where the idea of art and nature was galvanised for me.

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processes generally. These are not real gardens, however, and I have learned a lot about purpose versus showmanship.

The best elements of the experience were the industry connections I forged, and embarking on my first collaboration with a sculptor in creating the HUG bench with Alun Heslop.

Mentors: Anthony Paul was my first garden design mentor, and he taught me that landscapes could be artistic and dramatic spaces that could also be deeply connected to their location. This is still an ethos that inspires me in my work.

What do you hope to achieve in the next 12 months?

Garden and landscape design is very client- and budget-driven, and this can curb any tendency to be adventurous. I always strive to have the confidence to be true to my creativity, and I’m keen to encourage my clients to be bolder. I’m also aiming to finally make the time in my busy work schedule to become a fully fledged MSGD and BALI member.

LIFE/STYLE Rae Wilkinson

Garden designer Rae Wilkinson opens up about life, career and her inspirations

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 15:15

INSPIRE

PERSONAL If I had my way I would spend most of my time pointing a camera at flowers and rocks, or studying them with pencil and paper, or with my hands in a pile of clay. I went to art college when I left school because creativity is in my blood, and I’m at my happiest if I’m creating or capturing something beautiful or fascinating.

The other time I’m happiest is when I’m doing yoga. It’s a pastime I can wholeheartedly recommend, to bring a sense of inner stability and physical balance. It has helped me along my way most of my life, sorting out gardening injuries, stress and anxiety, and I am deeply grateful for the consistent healing it brings.

E

TRAVEL I went trekking in Nepal in the late Nineties while working out what to do with my career, and was utterly blown away by the landscape and scenery in the Himalayas. I stayed there for many weeks walking and exploring, and was deeply moved by the beauty and majesty of the mountains, rivers and forests, and the welcoming kindness of the people. To this day, mountains are one of my favourite places to hang out, a passion that my husband and I share – to the extent that we spent our honeymoon climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

I would love to see Japan one day, as the landscape there fascinates me both in its natural and cultivated forms. Travelling, for me, is about taking in the scenery and soaking up the culture, and I hope to travel more with my children to open their eyes to some new and exciting places.

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INSPIRE

KEBONY

HAVWOODS

Kebony Clear Natural bath renovation on the banks of the River Rhine, Germany

Trekker Fluted Composite Decking in Anthracite Ferrari garage showroom, Wilmslow

When the natural bath of Murg was renovated, Kebony Clear was the perfect choice due to its sustainable nature and durability. Kebony requires no maintenance beyond normal cleaning and is resistant to wear and weathering, despite exposure to high levels of moisture. In addition, Kebony has a 30-year warranty. This product has transformed the bath into a unique and family-friendly place, which has become a top attraction for locals and tourists.

Price: £15 per running metre KEBONY.COM/EN/

Made of recycled wood and plastics, fully recyclable and is easy to install using fixing clips. Easy to maintain, the decking requires nothing more than an occasional wash with water. It is UV-treated for fade resistance, so although it will mellow slightly, the colour will stabilise after two or three weeks. This is one of the largest commercial decking projects Havwoods has done, and Trekker Fluted offered a slipresistant surface that coordinated with the chosen outdoor furniture, creating a cohesive scheme.

Price: £63.54 per m2 WWW.HAVWOODS.CO.UK

COMPOSITE DECKING EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS LTD Exterpark Tech SHIELD Yoho Mall, Hong Kong

Exterpark composite decking with Magnet Fixing system was used for the Yoho Mall. The patented profile and clips eliminated the need for screws and pre-drilling, while specially manufactured aluminum joists were laid directly onto pedestals. Yoho Mall was fitted with approximately 200m² of Exterpark Tech Classic. This is the perfect solution for most commercial projects as it requires no maintenance, only requiring periodic cleaning.

Price: £80 per m2 WWW.EXTERIORSOLUTIONSLTD.CO.UK

DURA COMPOSITES Dura Deck Type 146 Little Explorers, Dubai Little Explorers is an exciting mix of education and entertainment for children aged two to seven. The focus is on learning and acquiring skills in a fun, safe environment, with the 2,000m² space organised into five zones that each offer a fascinating and varied experience.

Dura Deck Type 146 in Teak offers excellent slip resistance, even when wet – and is the ultimate low maintenance composite decking solution for this demanding commercial environment.

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PROVENDER

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Dan Pearson (Photo: Sir Paul Smith)

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Tim O’Hare

Hear from award winning designer Dan Pearson, Laura Gatti planting designer for Bosco Verticale and Tim O’Hare on soil issues with podium landscapes Visit www.palmstead.co.uk/events for full details and to book online Tickets are £39 (inc. VAT), which includes buffet lunch and a stimulating exhibition from a range of selected suppliers

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19/07/2017 16:05

DAVID KEEGAN

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A back garden in Manchester is transformed into a forest haven

TOUGH CUSTOMERS ANDY MCINDOE

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Hardy and versatile roses, for those tricky areas

SHOW STOPPERS JAMIE BUTTERWORTH

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Show season may be over, but you can still put on a great floral display

THE HIVE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

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Learning about biodiversity at the Royal Botanic Gardens’ new wildflower installation

PLUS...

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NURTURE

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20/07/2017 08:45

NURTURE

NURTURE NEWS Speakers announced for SoilsCon 2017 This year’s annual soils conference, organised by soil scientist and landscape consultant Tim O’Hare, takes place on Wednesday 18 October, and will provide delegates – including landscape architects, garden designers, landscape contractors, housebuilders, developers, soil suppliers and local authorities – with knowledge, practical ideas and solutions to take away with them and apply to their own projects.

For the third year running, an impressive line-up of seven respected industry speakers promises a full day of professional development and networking.

Additionally, and for the first time, Tim O’Hare Associates will be holding a soil surgery throughout the event, where delegates can speak to a consultant about their specific soil queries.

Topics this year will cover the management and re-use of

UK growers meet and collaborate at the WinTree UK User Forum 2017 Nine of the most forward-thinking nurseries met in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire, eager to hear about the latest developments to nursery management software, WinTree.

Developed by TSD International, WinTree software is recognised across the UK and Europe as the

most intuitive, flexible and comprehensive software package available, designed and continually improved specifically for, and in liaison with, horticultural and trading nurseries.

An opportunity to discuss, share and collaborate with other growers outside of their everyday production www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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realms, this is the third UK WinTree User Forum; the event has been a welcome addition to the industry’s business development calendar.

Representatives from established users Boningale and Crowders joined more recent adopters of the WinTree software, Nicholsons and Cheviot. There were also two new clients that will be starting with WinTree this summer, and who used the forum as a way to further explore their new software’s potential and to quiz other users on its workings.

The WinTree UK User Forum is one of a number of TSD International’s initiatives aimed at developing communication and sharing ideas within the industry.

TSD International is a Dutch software solutions company with over 35 years’ experience in the UK horticultural market. www.tsd.nl/en

The presentation programme will see talks from industry leaders such as Tim White, senior associate at Tim O’Hare Associates LLP, Carolyn Willitts, founder and landscape architect ‘greenfield’ site soils, new generation at CW Studio, Dr Louisa Robinson-Boyer, head of soil conditioning technology, the research and development at client’s perspective, soil Plantworks Ltd, and leading on considerations for podium Thamesmead, Dr Phil Askew, landscapes, designing valuable director of landscape design and landscapes from the soil up, sustainable urban tree planting, and management at Peabody. www.timohare-associates. mycorrhizal fungi and its role in facilitating water and nutrient uptake. com/soilscon-2017

Wyevale Nurseries supplies 660 trees for sacred spaces Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford has been chosen by The Conservation Foundation to supply 660 bee-friendly trees to the Trees for Sacred Spaces initiative. The trees will be planted in London churchyards later on this year.

Andy Congera, amenity and landscape sales manager at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We are so pleased to be supporting this initiative. We will be providing 12 different species to the project, which is also supported by the Church of England and the Mayor of London.

“With 660 free trees up for grabs, there is enough for every church in London. The trees can be planted in churchyards or donated to a school, community group or other faith organisation.”

The free trees will be available between late October and late

November 2017, and include 12 different species: hawthorn, bird cherry, wild cherry, whitebeam, crab apple, rowan, lime, tulip tree, Italian cypress, black mulberry, strawberry tree and yew. Those interested are advised to make sure they have an appropriated planting site before registering. www.conservation foundation.co.uk/trees www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk

SEND US YOUR

NURTURE NEWS! editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk

01903 777 570

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NURTURE

Trillium chloropetalum var. giganteum

Podophyllum pleianthum

Central seating area, steps leading to bog garden

Salvia omeiana ‘Crûg Thundercloud’

Rodgersia podophylla

Designer PLANTS David Keegan pushes the boundaries of the common garden space for this ‘enchanted forest’ project

Every so often, a project comes along that allows for a less restrictive approach to design.

Freed from the average constraints of ‘a place for the kids’, or ‘terraces to catch the sun’, this project allowed for something completely different in both approach and planting palette.

Existing trees provided the inspiration for the space, along with the shade required to create the right environment for a forest garden. When viewed in pictures, and from the kitchen window, one could easily believe that the area is part of a much larger forest – an intentional deceit. Here, that illusion is reinforced, and boundaries suffused, by a line of Camellia. This takes the eye higher into the canopy of existing ash, a single glorious pine and a sweeping cherry, which takes your breath away once 80

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covered with its pale pink blossom in early spring. This is further enhanced by the arrival of the woodland bluebells, accompanied by Saxifraga hirsuta’s fine haze of flower spikes.

In reality, this area was a tiny lawned space to the rear of the property, hemmed in by dense conifers and hiding a mound of grass clippings and garden detritus. The brief was to create an

evolving picture that would be visible from the kitchen window. One of the main advantages of the area in question was its raised elevation in relation to the house, which meant the soil level was virtually on a level with the bottom of the kitchen window and worktops. This gives the

effect of a raised bed, drawing the eye directly into the vicinity of the forest at ground level.

The initial planting outline is added to and tweaked season on season. One of the biggest gambles to begin with was the introduction of tree ferns to lend height, volume, texture and difference. Many thought it completely bonkers to include tree ferns in a garden in Oldham, Manchester, but with the client’s understanding of the risks, we pressed ahead. Thus far, our gamble has paid off handsomely – so much so that we have added to the initial number in recent years.

The largest tree fern stands at an impressive 9ft tall. Weighing in at about half a ton, it required six men to carry it to its planting location. The fronds on these ferns are the biggest I have seen outside of either New Zealand or Devon and Cornwall, and last well into two years before they must be trimmed to make way for new fronds.

In the six years they have been in situ, we have covered the crowns against frost only twice, without damage or consequence. Meanwhile, the www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:45

Dryopteris wallichiana

NURTURE

Plant list

Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana

Dicksonia antarctica against blossom of existing cherry tree

perimeters of the central space are framed by evergreen ferns, some planted to the base, others between reclaimed limestone boulders – once a favourite of the Edwardian gardeners, and now a favourite of mine.

Another rare find and much prized plant is the Lophosoria quadripinnata, which, though originating in Central America, has done extremely well here. It was a lucky find at a specialist fern nursery, World of Ferns, which has sadly since closed down.

A Podophyllum pleianthum has done exceptionally well, to the extent that it has self-seeded — a fine and exotic looking plant, www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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it is a joy to behold. Adding to the uniqueness of the project, the main planting palette was devised with many plants sourced at my favourite UK-based nursery, Crûg Farm — home to two of our most intrepid and infamous plant hunters, Sue and Bleddyn Wynn Jones. This is the place I like to visit when a project offers the opportunity for experimentation and rarities, with the result that many of the plants used in the forest garden have the bonus of not being widely available.

No matter the season, there is seldom a dull moment in the forest garden, and that, after all, is what we all strive to achieve when designing a space – whatever its brief.

ABOUT DAVID KEEGAN David Keegan is a multi-award-winning garden designer based in Manchester, whose design philosophy centres on a naturalistic planting style.

www.davidkeegangardendesign andlandscapingconsultancy.co.uk

• Allium ursinum • Arum palaestinum • Asarum caudatum • Asplenium scolopendrium • Atrichum aff. undulatum • Athyrium niponicum var. pictum • Beesia calthifolia • Begonia annulata • Begonia grandis subsp. evansiana • Begonia taliensis • Blechnum chilense • Cacalia delphinifolia • Camellia sinensis japonica • Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ • Crocus ‘Flower Record’ • Crocus vernus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ • Cyclamen purpurascens • Darmera peltata • Dicksonia antarctica • Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’ • Dicentra ‘Stuart Boothman’ • Disporopsis aff. undulata • Disporopsis arisanensis • Disporum leucanthum • Dryopteris wallichiana • Fatsia japonica • Galanthus nivalis • Helleborus orientalis subsp. guttatus white • Hyacinthoides non-scripta • Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana • Impatiens omeiensis • Ligularia fischeri var. megalorhiza ‘Cheju Charmer’ • Ligularia ‘The Rocket’ • Ligularia intermedia • Lonicera similis var. delavayi • Lophosoria quadripinnata • Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ • Molopospermum peloponnesiacum • Narcissus poeticus • Narcissus pseudonarcissus • Podophyllum pleianthum • Polygonatum stenanthum • Polystichum munitum • Polystichum polyblepharum • Polystichum proliferum • Primula vulgaris • Reineckea carnea • Rheum acuminatum • Rheum palmatum ‘Atrosanguineum’ • Rhus typhina • Rodgersia pinnata ‘Chocolate Wing’ • Rodgersia pinnata ‘Crûg Cardinal’ • Rodgersia podophylla • Salvia omeiana ‘Crûg Thundercloud’ • Sanguisorba hakusanensis • Saxifraga hirsuta • Trillium chloropetalum v. giganteum Pro Landscaper / August 2017 81

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19/07/2017 15:56

NURTURE

Andy McIndoe suggests a selection of hardy and versatile rose species for a variety of situations

R

oses can be temperamental; even those described as diseaseresistant and ideal for landscape planting falter in some conditions.

Others, especially some of the so-called groundcover roses, are so rampant that they smother their neighbours and are a challenge to maintain. Late summer is a good time to review your roses, after the demands of the first flush of flowers and hopefully just before an encore.

TOUGH

CUSTOMERS Andy McIndoe

Rosa ‘Bonica’ with geraniums and salvia

with deliciously fragrant double blooms of warm pink. A tough, reliable and healthy shrub, it is ideal for a shot of summer colour and scent in a scheme with other shrubs and perennials.

Beds of hybrid tea and floribunda varieties rarely appear today. They are too labour intensive, and performance often declines after a season or two. However, there are a few shrub roses bordering on this category that are worth

Rosa Flower Carpet White

Widely planted in Europe, the Flower Carpet series is generally excellent. The original Rosa Flower Carpet is a strong pink and a great performer. Its shining emerald leaves persist into winter, and flowering is almost continuous.

Tolerant of pollution and poor soil, it is often seen on road embankments, but do not let that put you off. It works well with purple Berberis and sun-loving shrubs such as Cistus.

Rosa Flower Carpet White is more sophisticated and less vigorous, with dark green foliage and loose clusters of white semi-double blooms. It performs well with some shade and makes a great partner for green and white variegations, Choisya and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’.

Rosa ‘Fru Dagmar Hastrup’

In light sandy soil and coastal conditions, the Rosa rugosa hybrids are unbeatable. Their pleated bright green leaves are reliably diseasefree, and most have large, colourful hips after the flowers. Native to the seashore, the species is well-adapted to poor, light soil – unlike most roses, which prefer heavier ground and moisture.

The pale pink, single Rosa ‘Fru Dagmar Hastrup’ is a reliable, compact plant that flowers freely www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Rosa ‘Rosy Cushion’

and fruits well. Pruning and maintenance is minimal. The double-flowered, crimson-purple Rosa ‘Roseraie de l’Hay’ starts to bloom early,

Rosa ‘Roseraie de l’Hay’

but flowers dwindle as the season progresses.

However, it is wonderfully fragrant, forms a large bushy plant, and maintains good foliage – an excellent backdrop to perennial planting.

Modern varieties with rugosa in their breeding are certainly worth looking out for. The David Austin rugosa hybrid Rosa ‘Wild Edric’ is a strong growing plant, excellent for an informal hedge. The semi-double, cerise-purple blooms

looking out for. Rosa ‘Bonica’ is a modern shrub rose with a long flowering season, often blooming from early summer right through to winter. Fresh green, healthy leaves and a well-branched plant make for a good shrub; it deserves wider use in planting applications. Rosa ‘Rosy Cushion’ bridges the gap between shrub and groundcover: flowering freely with pretty, single dog rose blooms, it ticks all the beefriendly boxes and is due for renewed interest.

Notes on planting • Use a mycorrhizal dip when planting bare root roses, to aid establishment.

• Watering is essential in the early part of the first season, to encourage root formation.

• Use a rose fertiliser when planting, and ideally half way through the first year.

• In areas where disease is an issue, feeding twice a year and watering in dry weather is often more effective than spraying.

ABOUT ANDY MCINDOE

Rosa ‘The Mayflower’

have centres packed with golden stamens, and are fragrant, free-flowering and healthy. Another David Austin variety, Rosa ‘The Mayflower’, is less obviously rugosa-bred: a compact shrub

Andy McIndoe is a practical horticulturist with more than 30 years’ experience in ornamental horticulture.

He has designed and advised on gardens of all sizes and has been responsible for 25 Gold medal winning exhibits at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Twitter: @AndyMcIndoe

www.andymcindoe.com

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 83

19/07/2017 13:54

There’s nothing better than the Vanda orchid for bringing some drama into an interior, says Ian Drummond

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t always throws me when I’m asked to name my favourite flower, because with such an abundance of beauty, how can you single one out? Not to mention the variables of colour, scale, form and function, which only add to the dilemma – it’s not an easy question to answer.

Or so I thought. Because actually, when I considered all the attributes we look for in the world of indoor planting, there is one flower that in my opinion really does have it all, and that’s the Vanda orchid. Here’s what makes these plants so special.

©At Home with Plants, RHS Chelsea 2017

NURTURE

EXOTIC TREASURE Ian Drummond

Simply gorgeous – intricate, dramatic and beguiling. They bloom several times a year in an array of fabulous, exuberant colours and sizes, from tiny orange to gigantic purple. Even the colour blue, which is usually so rare in nature, comes in a variety of exquisite hues, often speckled or dappled with white like the wings of an exotic butterfly.

SCALE

Humidity couldn’t be more essential for these plants, and this is because they take all their nourishment and moisture from the air – some species require as much as 80% humidity. This can be provided with a humidifier or by simply spritzing – just don’t let them sit in water, because they won’t survive.

VANDA ORCHID

Take your pick; these beauties range in size, from miniatures (and I mean tiny, get-your-magnifying-glass miniature) to enormous goliaths that are several feet tall.

ROOTS Unusually, a feature in themselves, which add to the whole drama of the Vanda ensemble. The roots like to be uncontained and untrammelled by soil, which will only suffocate their free spirit. They are happiest hanging free, or clinging epiphytically to the bark of a tree or cracks in rock or stone.

The Vanda orchid is indigenous to the southern slopes of the Himalayas and the region from India to South China, where they grow high up in the trees. This exotic heritage explains much of what makes them unique, but also dictates the care they need in order to thrive.

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Ian’s all-time favourite

This love of humidity lends itself perfectly to the use of Vanda orchids in bathrooms, especially wetrooms, where they can be suspended from the ceiling on fine wires to create a ‘curtain’ around the shower area. Hung like this, the plants are displayed to their greatest advantage because they are elevated to ceiling height, their roots trailing freely like the tentacles of the most exquisite sea anemone. It’s a look I created at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year; if you want to get closer to nature in an interior environment, I can’t think of a better way.

Vanda ‘Pachara Delight’ is prized for its spectacular deep blue colour and the scale of its petals.

• Height: 41cm tall • Bloom season: Twice a year • Flower spike average: Four-12 blooms • Flower size: On average 9-13cm wide.

© www.thejoyofplants.co.uk

FLOWERS

ABOUT IAN DRUMMOND Ian Drummond is the creative director of Indoor Garden Design, Europe’s leading interior landscape design company. Based in Highgate, north London, IGD has been bringing nature into offices for over 40 years.

www.indoorgardendesign.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:01

NURTURE

Show season may largely be over, but there’s still time for fantastic late-summer floral displays, says Jamie Butterworth

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ugust as an adjective means respected and impressive, and we should look at ourselves in this light as we reflect on all of the efforts that precede this month. The majority of the major horticultural shows are over; it is a time to take stock, take a breath and allow ourselves time for both a pat on the back and a look to the future.

SHOW STOPPERS Jamie Butterworth

Agapanthus ‘Navy Blue’

Dahlia ‘Mystic Fantasy’ This dahlia is the epitome of a showstopper, featuring luminescent flamingo pink flowers with golden centres that contrast dramatically with its dark purple, almost black foliage. They are on the shorter side, approximately 40-60cm in height, so don’t require staking in a border and work fantastically well in pots.

Achillea ‘Paprika’

Echinacea ‘Hot Summer’

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Echinacea ‘Hot Summer’ This fantastic coneflower displays a kaleidoscope of colours in just one plant. The young flowers are yellow, then turn orange as they mature before finishing as a vivid red — at any given time you could have all three colours on just the one plant. They attract all the right visitors to the borders, work as a cut flower, and stand well into the frosts, making attractive skeletons in the border and providing birds with winter food. What more could you want?

Agapanthus ‘Navy Blue’ Agapanthus ‘Navy Blue’ has, without a doubt, been one of our most talked about plants this year. It’s a fantastic, stately and dramatic agapanthus with strong, arching stems that are topped with the deepest blue flowers. They look stunning mass-planted in a border, and also perform particularly well in pots surrounding a seating area. Treat them mean to keep them keen, as they will do much better if you restrict their roots.

Dahlia ‘Mystic Fantasy’

ABOUT JAMIE BUTTERWORTH Graduating from RHS Garden Wisley with a distinction in summer 2015, avid plantsman Jamie now works as show plant manager at Hortus Loci, growing the plants for major ower shows such as RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton. Jamie is a YoungHort ambassador and RHS ambassador, promoting horticulture to young people across the UK.

jamie.butterworth@hortusloci.co.uk www.hortusloci.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 85

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Images ©Lorenz von ehren

At Hortus Loci and the Plant Centre at Hortus Loci, we are particularly enjoying the nursery at the moment, and the riot of colour that this time of year brings. August sometimes gets a bit of a bad rap: the spring ‘stars’ are over and the ‘late bloomers’ haven’t yet had their time to shine. To me, though, it is just a matter of planning. August is when we can bring into play what I like to call ‘The Showstoppers’: the flamboyant, glamorous and occasionally unpredictable prima donnas that dazzle you for just a month or two and then disappear again, leaving you yearning for more. These are fantastic for the mid-summer

border, but they need understudies to really be shown off to the max. Stalwarts such as Achillea ‘Paprika’ or Geranium ‘Rozanne’ work well, as do some of the grasses – something like Miscanthus ‘Red Chief’ or Deschampsia ‘Garnet Schist’ would be perfect.

Images ©Lynn Keddie

WE ARE PARTICULARLY ENJOYING THE NURSERY AT THE MOMENT, AND THE RIOT OF COLOUR THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR BRINGS

NURTURE

The

HIVE Pro Landscaper explores The Hive, a wildflower installation at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to find out how it was created and how it is educating visitors about biodiversity

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omposed of 170,000 aluminium pieces and standing 17m tall, The Hive at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has attracted thousands of visitors since opening in June last year. Originally created as one of 70 temporary pavilions for the Milan Expo 2015, to showcase the importance of pollinators in UK food production, it has become a multi-award-winning structure for UK-based artist Wolfgang Buttress.

It remained on show at the Milan Expo for six months before the Department for International Trade, which led the UK’s participation at the event, asked Kew if it would be a temporary home for The Hive – it had both a suitable landscape, and the right horticultural Client UKTI and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Artist and creative lead Wolfgang Buttress Architect BDP Engineer Simmonds Studio Wildflower supplier Wildflower Turf Ltd

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expertise. The Hive opened last year after four months of reconstruction, and is expected to remain at the gardens until the end of 2017.

As an artistic impression of a beehive, the structure itself is a showpiece, with its 1,000 LED lights driven by vibrations from a live beehive within the gardens. Key to the theme of the installation, highlighting the link between food and pollinators, is the use of wildflowers.

The UK pavilion at the Milan Expo aimed to combine art with the design of the landscape, and this continues at Kew. Visitors are immersed in sweeping paths of wildflowers as they walk towards The Hive’s entrance, with boards explaining the importance of pollinators and how they benefit food production.

Wildflower turf was used to provide immediate impact and a guaranteed result, as there was a short time frame between The Hive’s relocation and its reopening; Wildflower Turf Ltd supplied both the UK pavilion and the installation at Kew. The products used were the same for each site, though the wildflowers at the Milan Expo sat on raised copper beds, while at Kew they are in a more natural setting.

Kew wanted The Hive to blend in with the surrounding landscape and to engage people – not simply through colour, but through the design of the landscape itself. The wildflower mixes are a variety of UK native perennials that

are suitable for a range of pollinators, from bees to butterflies and other fauna. Wildflower Landscape 34 was used as a broad-spectrum wildflower mix, made up of 34 species of grass and wildflowers to create a species-rich habitat. Wildflower Turf Border 49, a low maintenance and cost-effective alternative to conventional garden flower beds and borders, was also incorporated.

As a more robust turf was needed on the steep bank beneath The Hive, it was grown to have additional root material for added strength.

Since installation, Wildflower Turf has used a topdressing of Wildflower Earth – a seed-based growing medium – as an enhancement tool to provide extra colour and species diversity.

“I was so pleased with the turf – it had instant results and there were no damaged wildflowers in the sward,” says Tony Kirkham, head of arboretum and horticultural services at Kew. “All the team at Wildflower Turf were extremely helpful and went out of their way to ensure that the turf was delivered in a timely fashion, fresh from the nursery. They showed an interest, and there was regular communication to ensure that the job was carried out to the highest standard.”

With any wildflower installation, the measure of its success is in its establishment and the biodiversity it encourages. At The Hive, however, the educational aspect took precedent over the biodiversity, which Kew is already rich in. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:31

NURTURE

The Hive educates visitors through landscape design and interpretation boards placed among the wildflowers. Kew says that this visual learning has been a real success, particularly for children, who are swept up in the excitement of finding out what is inside the installation. As a result, visitors are leaving Kew with a greater knowledge of biodiversity and pollinators.

As well as installing the wildflowers, an in-house team at Kew is now responsible for maintaining the meadow. Though generally low maintenance, the meadow requires at least one cut and remove a year, opening up the sward so the parent plant can thrive the following year. If the material is left it will smother existing plants and reintroduce nutrients, which only benefits the dominant plants and any weed seeds.

The installation will be moved from Kew by the end of this year, but the team will be adding bulbs supplied by Wildflower Turf in the autumn, which will sit under the turf. Though this will make it less of a native meadow, the bulbs still offer pollination and will add additional impact for the rest of The Hive’s time at Kew. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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NURTURE

On 21 June, leading supplier Rigby Taylor invited members of the press to view its partner Top Green’s seed breeding and trials facility in France, to discover more about the processes that grass seed varieties undergo between concept and end user

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igby Taylor works closely with research-based specialist supplier Top Green in order to create its products. Based in the historic city of Angers, Top Green invests heavily in research and development, with 125 years’ experience in plant breeding.

Out on the fields, Stephen Alderton, Top Green’s assistant managing director, showcases tall fescue progeny in their first year of planting.

“There are 15,000 individual plants, all sown by a machine in straight lines using GPS,” explains Stephen. “They will be here for two years. During this time, we assess the plant’s ability to be a parent, because we’re still using the same traditional methods in terms of breeding – crossing plants and letting pollen and nature do their work, with no genetic manipulation.”

These plants will be assessed for basic characteristics, such as drought tolerance and growth habit. To create a polycross, the parent plants need to be producing pollen at the same time. Out of the 15,000 individual plants, around 750 will be suitable parents.

We next see tetraploid perennial ryegrass – one of Top Green’s key research projects. benefits from double the chlorophyll for energy production and increased stress tolerance compared to traditional diploids, with deeper and denser rooting as well as superior disease and drought tolerance.

“Traditional diploids have plateaued in terms of performance – we can’t go any further,” says Stephen. “Tetraploid perennials are where the future lies in terms of amenity ryegrass.

“We don’t have direct contact with the market – we breed and produce. Rigby Taylor is in contact with the market, and we base our activity on its end user feedback. Rigby Taylor feeds back on the current objectives and future trends. We then bring this into the breeding programme.”

After two years, the parent plants are assessed for seed yield to ensure they’re economically viable, as well as for basic 88

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GREEN SHOOTS characteristics. Then begins the process of making them into a variety. They will be tested in turf conditions for three years. 90,000 individual m² plots reside on the area of land we visit; one third of these is in its first year of planting, another third is in its second, and one third is in its last. Each plot is scored regularly by hand, but this summer the facility will be testing a

TRADITIONAL DIPLOIDS HAVE PLATEAUED IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE – TETRAPLOIDS ARE WHERE THE FUTURE LIES IN TERMS OF AMENITY RYEGRASS

Glasshouse isolation – early multiplication

drone on the fields – it has bought a programme that can assess the visual aspects of each plot and score them, saving time. Successful parent plants are taken to a greenhouse at the trials facility, and natural crossing takes place as the plants are left to flower.

Top Green’s Angers facility is its genetic base, where all seeding and research is carried out, and it’s here that the company’s gene bank resides. There are perhaps a million different types of seed in the gene bank; all of the seeds’ basic characteristics are recorded on a computer, so that they can be used in new varieties when these characteristics become sought after.

One sought-after characteristic is shade

tolerance, which Rigby Taylor forecasted as the next market trend around 20 years ago. A number of species and varieties were tested in shade tunnels, to see if there was a difference between them. As the market developed, grow lights were added to the shade tunnels, and the effect on the different species and varieties was observed. The same mixtures and cultivars are tested both in and out of shade with simulated wear applied; the benefits of tetraploid perennial ryegrass blends can be seen, appearing greener and denser than diploids alone.

On a separate site, Euroflor flower seeds for green roofs are being tested. Euroflor is marketed

by Rigby Taylor in the UK, and has a number of benefits for landscapers and local authorities that are looking to create flower meadows. These include the reduction of operating costs and water consumption, and the conservation of biodiversity.

Jayne Leyland, Rigby Taylor’s grass seed product manager believes there is a lot if interest in the use of Euroflor on green roofs. “These are harsh environments and we need to know what will survive. Mixes under trial are in their third year and have not been touched in this time. We’re getting information about which plants are good at surviving difficult situations.”

To close the visit, we were told about the company’s innovative new grass seed treatment Germin-8. Pre-applied to each individual grass seed, it is activated when the seed comes into contact with moisture in the rootzone. This treatment is available on all mixtures in the Rigby Taylor ‘R’ range of grass seeds.

With so many innovations in the pipeline and a great partnership with Top Green, we’re sure that Rigby Taylor will continue to be a market leader. We look forward to seeing some of the trials it has seen come to market, in around a decade. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 16:29

NURTURE

Rigby Taylor grass seed

Trial plots assessing wear and disease tolerance

Fields showing one year parent breeding plants

Root growth measurement – Tetraploids left, diploids right

Close up of one year parent plants

Seed mixtures shade trial

Seed mixtures light trial

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Second year parent plant breeding trials

Attendees of the press trip on 21 June

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 89

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NURTURE

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This soft skill is often overlooked but always crucial

TREND SETTER ROBERT WEBBER

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The future of garden lighting looks bright

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19/07/2017 16:16

EDUCATE

Don’t neglect emotional intelligence, says Sean Butler – it’s a critical quality for any good businessperson

Conventional wisdom holds that business success is the simple result of hard skills, clear thinking and bold risk-taking. However, recent research suggests that emotional intelligence — sometimes derided as a ‘soft’ skill — is also a key ingredient in a leader’s effectiveness, and therefore in the success of a project or business.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to: • Recognise, understand and manage our own emotions.

• Recognise, understand and influence the emotions of others.

Having had my own landscape company for 25 years, I have found that training designers to take a good brief is one of the hardest things to do. Usually fresh out of university or college, they come with an amazing talent of fresh and creative ideas. It is our job to bring these ideas down to earth – and to clients’ budgets. Over the years, I have been training my designers and my landscapers to be able to recognise, understand and influence the emotions of others, as well as managing their own.

A carefully worded sentence can have a very positive outcome when liaising with clients.

Being able to hold back, listen to customers carefully and digest takes experience, which only comes with time – but it can also be sped up through in-house training.

Inexperienced designers and landscapers often say the first thing that comes into their head when asked a question by a client. Being excited at the prospect to win a contract or a www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE commission for a design takes over their own emotional intelligence. Designers, in my opinion, should always seek advice from a contractor before giving any indication of cost to a client. It is often the case that they want the design, but give too low an estimated budget to win them over. Emotional intelligence gives you the ability to think logically – and logical thinking helps to result in a good outcome for the client, the designer and the landscaper.

There are five attributes associated with emotional intelligence: 1. Self-awareness: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and how your actions affect others.

2. Self-regulation: Exercising your emotions – and also exercising restraint and control.

3. Empathy: Connecting with others on an emotional level.

4. Motivation: Being self-motivated, resilient, optimistic and flexible.

5. People skills: Resolving conflicts, collaborating with others, demonstrating leadership and creating a positive atmosphere.

By seeking out employees with a high level of emotional intelligence, businesses can create a

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO THINK LOGICALLY, WHICH ALWAYS RESULTS IN A GOOD OUTCOME FOR THE CLIENT, THE DESIGNER AND THE LANDSCAPER more positive workplace, increase employee retention, and install better project performance.

Increasing emotional intelligence within your staff is also proven to reduce lost time through absenteeism, and accidents in the workplace. If you employ landscapers or designers who possess the ability to influence a prospective client’s emotions, you will greatly improve your win-to-build ratio. With everything to gain, assess your organisation today and ask yourself: “Is my business intelligent enough?”

ABOUT SEAN BUTLER Sean Butler is a landscape designer and director of Cube 1994. With a background in civil engineering, Sean has an in-depth understanding of the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built landscape. www.cube1994.com

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 95

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20/07/2017 14:30

EDUCATE

Robert Webber looks to the future of lighting, taking into account how the industry has changed in his 20 years at Scenic Lighting In the 20 years since I started Scenic Lighting, nearly everything has changed in the world of lighting. Processes, technology, effects and application are all different — it is a constant evolutionary process, which we have always tried to stay at the forefront of. To help us see and influence lighting trends within domestic gardens, I try to spend one day a week looking at new products, both pre-market and through our network of suppliers. We always want to test these to their limits before we specify them within any of our designs.

Trends are very subjective – one person’s innovative idea can be the next person’s kitsch.

One example of this is the use of fairy lighting, or festoon lighting as we call it: strings of lights that can be used across pergolas, around archways or running through trees. It’s an idea I’ve been exploring for the last 20 years, but to be honest the products have all stayed more on the DIY market side of things.

PROCESSES, TECHNOLOGY, EFFECTS AND APPLICATION ARE ALL DIFFERENT — IT IS A CONSTANT EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS Technology has bought LED festoon lighting, but it is still near impossible to find a fairy light that can withstand our English climate all year round. The weather has a massive detrimental effect on the delicate cabling often found feeding these lights. The only answers we have are to either remove the lights at certain times of the year – although this is both expensive and logistically difficult – or 98

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TREND SETTER just wait for the inevitable phone call and replace them when they fail.

One piece of technology that I’m becoming increasingly excited about is controllable colour change, or RGB as most people call it. This is where you can set the light to a particular colour using a simple IR controller, selecting colours to suit specific occasions. However, I’m probably the harshest critic of using coloured light within a garden setting, having seen so many badly lit ones using red, green and blue!

I’m far more interested in being able to adjust white light to a colour temperature that suits the object or feature I wish to enhance.

There are very few lights on the market that allow you to change the colour temperature of a white light, so that you can have the warmest colours within one scene and some higher temperature white colours within another, all from the same fitting. I have been trialling some for a manufacturer that we know, but the technology isn’t ready for market or packaged as a quality garden light that we would install.

I believe that in the near future we will be using these lights to extend scene-setting capabilities beyond simple dimming; we will have lighting that

can change its tone to enhance a garden, taking into account natural light. It’ll start in the commercial market, as they have far bigger budgets than you and I, but it will filter through eventually – watch this space.

I’m also keen to see and use more British products in our designs. I have a long-standing supplier, Gwyn Carless, who handcrafts lighting in Derbyshire, using sheets of glass to create contemporary fittings with LED technology. I would love to see more young British creatives being taught the art of manufacturing light fittings for a growing market like ours. Who knows – after Brexit it could become a great export.

ABOUT ROBERT WEBBER Robert Webber is the founder of Scenic Lighting, a specialist exterior lighting company based in Berkshire.

He designs and installs garden lighting throughout the UK and internationally. Robert can be contacted on rob@ sceniclighting.com or via his mobile on 07766 051 000.

www.sceniclighting.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:03

Are you a tradesman?

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20/07/2017 09:44

HELPING YOU MAKE A

EDUCATE

PROFIT

Sam Hassall helps you to ensure your profit from landscape contracts by knowing your costs. This month, the costs of edgings

The costs of edgings to pavings

Pavings, paths, turf and plant beds all have optional edgings. When pricing the surface, the edging may need to be measured and priced as a separate entity. Even when the paving flows to the edge, the treatment of the edge detail may have added costs, which should be considered if you want to make sure that you get the maximum profit from your job.

So far in this series, we have looked at the cost of labour, excavation and bases. The next logical step in laying paving is to place edges to the proposed area.

Purpose of edgings Edgings perform two basic functions: decoration, and lateral strength and support. In many cases they perform both functions simultaneously. To the right is a list of common edgings, and the ones we are looking at within the scope of this cost investigation. The base requirements of each are shown.

Bases of edgings As the edging often has to provide a function to retain paving surface, it should be set on a concrete base. The costs for excavating the edgings are not covered here, and readers should refer to the July 2017 issue of Pro Landscaper or the LandPro website for this information.

The most common base for the edging is in-situ concrete, poured into an excavated trench. The costs of these bases are dependent on a number of factors: • Length and depth (volume) • Complexity (straight or curved) • Material delivery format (site mixed or ready mixed).

Types of edging Material

Description

Base requirements

Haunch

Concrete

Extended base of edging

Timber edge

25-50mm tanalised timber and pegs

No base

Metal edge

Proprietary, or custommade aluminium or steel edgings

No base

Precast concrete edge

Plain or textured concretes

Concrete base 150mm deep x minimum 2x width of edging

Brick edge

n flat, on edge, in header or in stretcher bonds. In single or multiple rows

Concrete base 150mm deep x width of edging

Block edge

Headers, stretchers or proprietary edgings

Concrete base 150mm deep x minimum 1.5x width of edging

Precast concrete kerb

Plain or textured concrete

Concrete base 150mm deep x minimum 1.5x width of edging

Stone edge

Indian granite or York etc.

Cut 100-500mm wide in general

Concrete base 150mm deep x width of edging

Setts

Granite or York, single or multiple rows

Concrete base 150mm deep x width of edging

Notes on the tables: • All data is at cost • The labour rate is £25 per hour • There is no barrowing time allowed, from the point of delivery to the point of laying the edging • Don’t forget to add on your profit.

Bases for pavings – Costs per linear m of edge Costs of bases for edgings All of the concrete bases are laid onto a 50mm bed of compacted blinding – usually a granular crushed material: • Blinding cost: £20 per tonne • Site mixed concrete: £140 per m3 (see the cost data pages at www.landpro.co.uk for how this price is made up) • Ready mixed concrete (Mixamate): £100 per m3.

100 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Sam Hassall.indd 100

Blind Base dimensions (mm)

Concrete

50mm

Labour Site mixed

Readymix

TOTAL COST

Output

Cost/m

Site mixed

Readymix

Width

Depth

£

Volume

Cost (£)

Cost (£)

m/hr

Labour (£)

Total

Total

100

150

0.11

0.02

1.65

1.20

13.33

1.88

3.64

3.19

200

150

0.22

0.03

3.30

2.40

6.67

3.75

7.27

6.37

225

150

0.25

0.03

3.71

2.70

5.93

4.22

8.18

7.17

300

150

0.33

0.05

4.95

3.60

4.44

5.63

10.91

9.56

400

150

0.44

0.06

6.60

4.80

3.33

7.50

14.54

12.74

500

150

0.55

0.08

8.25

6.00

2.67

9.38

18.18

15.93

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 16:40

EDUCATE The next table details the fixing of the various edging treatments onto the bases in the previous table. If the edging treatment you are selecting requires a base, add the costs of both tables.

Edging treatments The table on the right examines the costs of various materials. The column ‘other’ shows the cost of other materials (usually mortar) required to lay the edging.

Edging treatments Type of edging

Material cost (£)

Unit

m/hr Two-man team

Labour (£)

L-shaped aluminium edge 150mm deep

22.50

m

18.0

2.78

Metal edge 5mm mild steels

Other (£)

Total (£)

Timber and metal edges

18.00

m

5.0

10.00

Timber edging 25mm and peg straight

2.25

m

12.0

4.17

Timber edging 25mm and peg curved

2.25

m

6.0 ea.

Timber edging 25mm morticed junctions (time each)

Precast concrete (laid to bases, priced separately)

25.28 28.00 0.05

6.47

8.33

0.05

10.63

3.0

16.67

m

Precast edging to 50mm thick

2.20

m

8.0

6.25

0.18

8.63

Precast kerbs 50-150mm thick

2.50

m

6.0

8.33

0.45

11.28

16.00

m

6.0

8.33

0.45

24.78

Blocks laid to header course butt jointed

2.50

m

7.0

7.14

0.72

10.36

Blocks laid to stretcher course butt jointed

1.25

m

10.0

5.00

0.36

6.61

Flat headers butt jointed

£6.50

m

4.0

12.50

0.81

19.81

Flat headers mortar jointed

£5.80

m

3.0

16.67

0.81

23.28

Flat stretchers butt jointed

£2.75

m

8.0

6.25

0.42

9.42

Flat stretchers mortar jointed

£4.75

m

6.0

8.33

0.42

13.50

Brick on edge headers mortar jointed

£9.50

m

3.0

16.67

0.81

26.98

Brick on edge stretchers

£2.75

m

8.0

6.25

0.42

9.42

4.20

m

2.0

37.50

0.14

41.84

Chinese granite 40mm thick 250mm wide

13.75

m

2.0

37.50

1.75

53.00

York edgings; Site dressed or cut 250mm wide

21.25

m

1.5

50.00

1.75

73.00

York edgings; Site dressed or cut 400mm wide

28.00

m

1.0

75.00

2.80

105.80

York edgings pre-cut; 250mm wide

18.00

m

1.5

50.00

1.75

69.75

Stone kerbs New granite edgings 150mm thick

Block edges 200 x 100 PC £8.50/m2

Brick edges PC £0.55 each mortar beds Brick size 200 x 48 x 85 mm

ABOUT SAM HASSALL Sam Hassall is the UK’s only dedicated specialist landscape cost consultant. As managing director of LandPRO Ltd, his range of services include providing cost and implementation information to landscape design professionals and contractors. Sam’s expertise are gained from his formal training, and many years of experience in the landscape industry. Sam also compiles the Spon’s External works and Landscape price book, and developed the market leading LiberRATE Estimating system.

www.landpro.co.uk; Tel: 01252 795030

Double bands of bricks or blocks Stone/slab edgings Granite sett edging

All prices exclude delivery

Haunching Many of these edge treatments require haunching to complete the work.

Select the output of your team and the cost, based on the following table.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Sam Hassall.indd 101

Rates above x 2

Metres/hr

Cost/m (£)

Materials (£)

Total (£/m)

10.0

2.50

4.04

6.54

8.0

3.13

4.04

7.17

4.0

6.25

4.04

10.29

Conclusion Using these tables gives you the theoretical cost of edgings, and represents the true cost in an ideal situation.

Very rarely are landscape sites absolutely ideal, so readers should apply productivity factors to these tables.

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 101

19/07/2017 16:41

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19/07/2017 16:20

EDUCATE

ALEXANDRA SECURITY Protek 656 The Protek 656 mesh fence system is ideal for playgrounds, car park areas and perimeter security, and is particularly suitable for use around sports enclosures.

Its flat panel system uses twin horizontal wires 6mm in diameter, welded to a 5mm vertical wire. Fixings are either plastic or metal clip, but for added security a full-length clamp bar can be applied. Schools looking for a tougher ball court can upgrade to Protek 868, and can also consider special rebound sections for the bottom half of their fencing. All twinwire fencing is available with matching single and double leaf gates.

Price: POA WWW.ALEXANDRASECURITY.COM

CLD FENCING SYSTEMS Ultimate with SafeTFix Ultimate with SafeTFix, by CLD Fencing Systems, is a unique profiled rigid mesh fencing system with no external fixings, designed to be used in schools.

Ultimate offers strong profiled panels with close wire centres, enabling it to withstand the daily stresses and strains of a school environment. Ultimate utilises 165 x 38mm mesh apertures, and 5mm-diameter wire as standard. It is available in heights of 1.8, 2.0, 2.4 and 3.0m.

Price: Starts from £28 per linear metre WWW.CLD-FENCING.COM

FENCING for schools

KNIGHT FENCING Acoustic fencing

ZAUN LTD BowTop railings Schools can do more than simply secure a perimeter with fencing. Specialist sports fencing can form part of the field of play with true rebound characteristics, while decorative fencing adds to aesthetics and branding. BowTop fencing is ideal for play areas. It follows RoSPA guidelines, with finger-trap free hinges on gates, and spaced bars and bows to minimise the risk of trapped wrists or necks while offering parents an unhindered view of their children.

Price: POA WWW.ZAUN.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Fencing.indd 103

More and more local authorities are choosing acoustic fencing for schools, and there’s a very good reason for this: effective noise management. Acoustic fencing for schools can cut noise by as much as 50%, which makes it a sound investment in more ways than one. School noise barriers offer a range of benefits for pupils, teachers and neighbours, such as effective sound protection, enhanced pupil learning and positive relations with local residents. Additionally, pupils are guaranteed outdoor break and games time without the worry of noise complaints. Acoustic fencing also boasts appealing aesthetics.

Price: Starts from £100 per linear metre, supplied and erected WWW.KNIGHT-FENCING.CO.UK

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 103

19/07/2017 15:06

EDUCATE

STONEMARKET

HAHN PLASTICS Recycled Plastic Sleepers Recycled Plastic Sleepers are made from 100% recycled plastic, are available in lengths from 1m-2.8m, and weigh 35-100kgs. They do not crack or rot, need no maintenance, produce no splinters and do not contain the toxic preservatives that are normally found in wooden sleepers. Ideal for landscaping, play areas or casual seating.

Price £40.04 per 1m length WWW.HAHNPLASTICS.COM

Arctic Granite Edging Offering a premium quality, Stonemarket’s Arctic Granite Edging has a subtly textured surface and is available in two contemporary colours, Glacier and Midnight. Arctic Granite edging will contrast or coordinate with a wide range of products, including the rest of Arctic Granite range.

Price: From around £35 per linear metre WWW.STONEMARKET.CO.UK

EDGING

domestic setting

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Bradstone Smooth Natural Sandstone Round Top edging in Rainbow

Rite-Edge Professional Lawn Edging Rite-Edge provides low maintenance edging made from aircraft-grade aluminum, with a smooth rounded top and castellated body to provide maximum strength. It is light, easy to handle, quick to install, and can be used to create corners, curves and informal shapes. Available in a range of colours, with a life expectancy of more than 25 years.

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Bradstone’s premium Smooth Natural Sandstone Round Top edging in Rainbow is an ethically sourced and natural stone product with an elegant rounded top and superb colour and veining variations. Designed to complement Bradstone’s Smooth Natural Sandstone paving, the units (measuring 600mm x 150mm x 20mm) are available in packs of 120.

RRP: £7.50 per unit WWW.BRADSTONE.COM

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104 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Edging.indd 104

Sawn Versuro Borders

Step Risers

Sawn Versuro Borders are part of Marshalls’ Fairstone brand for ethically sourced natural stone. Carefully selected, the edgings are available in a choice of four colours: Caramel Cream Multi, Silver Multi, Golden Sand Multi and Autumn Bronze Multi. The smooth finish gives a modern look and coordinates with Marshalls’ other Fairstone Sawn paving products.

Price: From around £45 per linear metre WWW.MARSHALLS.CO.UK/ HOMEOWNERS

While not all homes offer space for a sophisticated garden design, almost every home has steps that can be enhanced with the use of decorative edging. Paving and walling manufacturer Tobermore produces a range of Step Risers, which are available in a variety of solid and blended product colours. In addition to its decorative properties, the product creates a distinctive edge that delineates the step area for users.

RRP: From 54p to £1.63 per block WWW.TOBERMORE.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 15:44

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19/07/2017 16:21

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20/07/2017 12:37

EDUCATE

KUBOTA

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Volvo EC27D compact excavator Operating weight – 2730kg • Gross power – 20.9hp • Engine – Volvo D1.1A • Bucket capacity – 0.034-0.0119m3 • Overall width – 1550mm Price: POA

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Cat® 300.9D mini excavator Operating weight – 985kg • Gross horsepower – 18hp • Maximum dig depth – 1,731mm • Maximum ground level reach – 3,023mm • Maximum dig force – 8.9kN Price: £12,999

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Case CX26C mini excavator Kubota Tier 4 Final Engine • Maximum reach is +10% higher than previous series Can be fitted with additional bolt-on counterweight, increasing stability and lifting capacity • Auto shift down • Standard anti-theft device Price: From £80 a week

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EXPERT VIEW: HOW OFTEN DO YOU CARRY OUT MAINTENANCE CHECKS ON YOUR EXCAVATORS, AND WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR? We currently run a combination of our own

the only maintenance required between services is that

excavators and hired-in plant. The principle of

of things such as track tension, greasing points, linkages

machinery maintenance is similar in both cases. We inspect the machines daily when they are in use and

MATTHEW MAYNARD

CONSTRUCTION DIRECTOR, BOWLES & WYER

Our owned plant runs on 500-hour service intervals,

record the results of the inspection on a site record. Any

which works out at around 10-12 months between

issues that cannot be dealt with by the operator are

services. We run JCB’s LiveLink, which is a web

noted, the foreman is informed, and action is taken.

interface that keeps track of each machine’s location,

If we have an issue with hired-in plant we ask the hire

status and hours of use – this is incredibly useful

company to send a fitter, and if our own plant has a

when we are planning the next service. Annual

problem we have an arrangement with our local JCB

servicing allows us to carry out PUWER and

dealer for call-out repairs. Other than daily inspections,

LOLER inspections at the same time.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Excavators LK.indd 107

and occasional fuel filter changes.

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 107

19/07/2017 15:52

EDUCATE

A key part of a landscaper’s job is crafting the landscape itself. Geoff Smith, Kubota UK’s dealer manager, recommends features to look for in micro excavators, for landscapers working on jobs that require both compact and powerful machines Excavators are a dominant force in the construction market. However, the landscaping sector is now experiencing a big rise in the usage of compact construction machinery for groundworks — whether it’s releveling a back garden, contouring a golf course, building a public garden’s new profile, or constructing the foundations of a large patio.

Previously seen as a piece of auxiliary machinery, used once in a blue moon, the increased use of micro excavators is testament to their improved technology, compact frames, fuel efficiency and the versatility they offer in their ability to perform a variety of different applications. So, what exactly should you look for in a micro excavator?

Accessibility Getting an excavator through a door or other restricted area can often be harder than the actual job itself. An excavator that boasts a fold-down ROPS frame and a track width adjustable down to 700mm allows for accessibility in the tightest of spaces, making it

THE IDEAL

EXCAVATOR for landscapers

suitable for a large range of projects.

Manoeuvring through a garage or a gateway to the back of a property is now much simpler and requires far less manpower, saving time and labour costs.

THE INCREASED USE OF MICRO EXCAVATORS IS TESTAMENT TO THEIR IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY, COMPACT FRAMES, FUEL EFFICIENCY AND THE VERSATILITY THEY OFFER Applications One of the most desirable and beneficial features about micro excavators is their ability to easily switch between a multitude of buckets and attachments. These can include a standard digging bucket or a screening bucket, which allows for the refining of soil and the separating of natural materials.

A breaker can also be used in some instances, making light work of breaking down concrete or stone that might be too big or heavy to move in its initial state. It’s amazing how powerful even the most compact excavators are nowadays, allowing for optimum productivity throughout the working day.

Low ground pressure Depending on the surface, whether it’s a bowling green, golf course or simply a back garden, the ratio between an excavator’s weight, track width and impact on the ground can

108 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Excavator feature.indd 108

be critical. The higher the weight-to-track width ratio, the more pressure is put on the surface area, meaning more damage to the landscape.

Clearly this is not a desirable outcome, and it will only require more time and costs for repairs later down the line. To this end, a machine weighing under 1.5t with an adjustable track width of up to 990mm is recommended.

Comfort Long working days on the job can take their toll on the operator if they are seated in an uncomfortable position. This is why side lever pilot control options are incredibly useful, if not essential. The levers are usually mounted on foldable sidebars, so accessibility into the operators’ platform is not affected.

Safety Not only does an adjustable track width offer strong accessibility, it also contributes to zero tail swing and a stable digging platform. A zero tail feature means that the upper swing frame rotates within the extended track width, allowing swing operation in restricted areas and thus preventing damage.

All of these features are valuable, and illustrate the versatility of micro excavators such as the Kubota K008-3 or U10-3. They also demonstrate how increasingly productive these machines are becoming, as the industry continues to evolve and innovate.

CONTACT Kubota UK Tel 01844 268000

www.kubota.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 15:43

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20/07/2017 17:06

EDUCATE

WHAT I’M READING Frederic Whyte, Frederic Whyte Garden and Landscape Design

FREDERIC WH

Y TE

Title Education of a Gardener Author Russell Page Publisher Harvill Press, 1994 I have lost count of the times I have read Russell Page’s ‘Education of a Gardener’.

It was recommended to me by Rosemary Alexander, the doyenne of The English Gardening School, and since then I have returned to it frequently. I took it off the bookshelf recently in preparation for a visit to La Mortella, the garden Page created on Ischia with the Waltons.

When there are so many gardening books to be read, such dedication requires justification. Everybody has their own revered masters of design, and Russell Page is very much one of mine. He was a true artist, with a profound empathy for, and knowledge of, the materials of his trade – plants.

HORTICULTURAL ODYSSEY ‘Education of a Gardener’ ought to appear on the reading lists of all garden design courses.

It reminds us that, as designers, we have a duty to our clients and ourselves to engage continuously with the raw materials of our art, and the cultural contexts in which we live and work. The book chronicles Russell’s life in the form of a horticultural odyssey, which began in the Lincolnshire of his childhood. Russell loved plants, and, combined with his studies in art at The Slade, he created some of the most 110 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

What I'm reading.indd 110

sophisticated garden layouts and planting combinations ever executed.

While certain chapters take a biographical slant, others set out Russell’s approach to planting design, discussing his favourite trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and roses.

Clearly, trends in planting change; he does not discuss, for instance, ornamental grasses. This does not matter, as the subtle artistry of his work can be applied to any plant group and combination.

A true maestro, Russell Page concerns himself primarily with design. His genius was rooted in horticultural knowledge and artistic genius. Though, as designers, we should all be au courant with detailed specifications, I for one prefer to leave such essential details to landscape professionals. Too often these days, designers play at being landscapers and vice versa, often resulting in either aesthetic or technical disaster. Both are equally valid professions, but the skillsets required for each, though complementary, are completely different.

A MASTER AT WORK In ‘Education of a Gardener’, Russell describes various projects, both in the UK and abroad.

He describes the relationship with his clients, the spirit of the place and his approach to the overall design. His work is truly inspiring in its magical blending of character, place and artistry. These are the three elements that should always serve as shibboleths to us as designers, rather than the correct specification of hardcore and the layout of subterranean drainage systems.

Russell’s relationship with his clients provides fascinating reading. Mid-career, he found success in Italy, working for the Agnellis, their relatives and sundry connections. At Tor

San Lorenzo, San Liberato and the Villas Silvio Pellico and Perosa near Turin, he resurrected the sublime formality of the Italian garden, combining it with English-style planting schemes. The results complement the architecture of the residence and the surrounding landscape; I am fortunate in having visited both.

His plans and drawings are works of art in themselves, and I have often returned to those that appear in an exhibition catalogue published by The British School at Rome in order to find a solution to a particular aesthetic issue. His ability to deal with tricky spaces is beyond comparison. For those of us who enjoy glossy coffee table-style books, Gabrielle van Zuylen’s ‘The Gardens of Russell Page’ is a must. The sign of a true artist, such as Russell, is when they do not have to rely upon convoluted designs, zany materials for zany materials’ sake, and weird and wonderful planting combinations. As the great gardeners of the Italian renaissance and Arts and Crafts movement teach us, a restrained use of natural materials, both in soft and hard landscaping, are enough to create the most inspirational of outdoor spaces. Russell Page was most certainly their heir.

ABOUT THE BOOK Famous landscape gardener Russell Page shares his experience in ‘Education of a Gardener’, from his training through to the creation of his many gardens, which are still influential today. Photography by Marina Schinz brings Russell’s gardens to life, alongside unpublished pictures from the author’s files.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/07/2017 14:22

EDUCATE

LOOK OUT FOR...

LACHLAN RAE 25-year-old Lachlan Rae, Young Horticulturist of the Year 2017 and gardener at the Auchendolly Estate, discusses his experiences in the horticulture industry

What first encouraged you to pursue a career in horticulture?

I was always interested in being outdoors, but it was never as clean cut as “this is what I want to do”. I left school at 17, at a bit of a loose end in terms of what I was going to do. I looked into some local colleges and saw that one offered a course in horticulture, and I decided to go out on a limb. It was a year-long course and was very general, but I enjoyed it – particularly the practical elements. After that, I took on a few seasonal posts – one at a local garden centre, and another as a groundsman on an estate.

What has been your route into the industry since then?

I began working as a self-employed gardener. It was just general maintenance, such as cutting grass and hedges, but I soon realised that there was a lot I didn’t know. I enrolled on another course, this time in Edinburgh at the Royal Botanic Gardens and at Scotland’s Rural College. I did quite well there, and that was how I got into the job I’m in at the moment.

Tell us about winning Young Horticulturist of the Year 2017.

The heats were held all around the country in different colleges or gardens. The regional final www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Look Out For.indd 111

for Scotland was held at Threave Gardens in Castle Douglas, and there were eight of us competing. Myself and the other contestants were asked questions individually, as well as questions on a buzzer. There were also rounds of plant and weed identification, where we were given samples to look at. Following my success there, I was moved on to the final, which was the same as the previous rounds – albeit a bit more intense. I was successful there as well – but just by the skin of my teeth.

I CAN SEE MYSELF INVOLVED IN GARDENING MEDIA, EITHER WRITING OR IN TELEVISION, AND PROMOTING THE CAREER AND LIFESTYLE BENEFITS THAT HORTICULTURE CAN BRING PEOPLE How does it feel to have won that award, and how has your career developed since?

It’s been absolutely great – it’s nice to have a bit of recognition for the hard work I’ve put in.

Beyond that, it’s been lovely to become recognised by other parts of the industry, such as Pro Landscaper. The real bonus has been

the £2,500 travel bursary prize – money to spend on a horticultural trip of my choice, which is lovely. I’m currently planning that, and I’m

hoping to visit the Himalayan region. I want to see plants that are often grown in the UK in their natural environment.

Would you recommend going down the competition route as a young horticulturist?

Yes, absolutely. There are quite a few reasons why, including the chance to meet other people and, if you do well, the great opportunities that present themselves after the competition. This was my fourth time entering and my third time of reaching the final, so knockbacks do happen and it’s good to take that away and learn from that as well.

What are your future career ambitions?

At the moment I’m fairly settled in the job I have and I’ve got a young family, which is my priority – we’ve got a pretty ideal lifestyle. In the coming years, I’ve got a bit of involvement with a few organisations who are looking to promote horticulture, gardening, garden design and landscaping among younger people. At some point in the future, I can see myself involved in gardening media, either writing or in television, and promoting the career and lifestyle benefits that horticulture can bring people.

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 111

19/07/2017 14:18

JOBS

For full details on all jobs, please go to For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk. www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Call 01903 777 587 or email ellie.downes@eljays44.com with your vacancy.

Call 01903 777 580 or email laura.harris@eljays44.com with your vacancy

CONTRACT MANAGER

PROJECT SUPERVISOR (HORTICULTURE)

A contract manager position has become available within our Camden contract. This role will be based in Camden, reporting directly into the operations manager. You will be an experienced manager with a can-do attitude and have strong leadership skills to maximise performance. You will be familiar with working in a multi-site environment and will be a confident communicator, liaising with key internal and external stakeholders.

We are a family run business that is looking for a project supervisor to help deliver our extensive range of tree planting projects across the South West. You will have practical experience in landscaping or gardening, good communication skills with the ability to supervise staff, good plant and tree identification, a relevant qualification in horticulture, landscaping or arboriculture, and a full, clean EU/UK driving licence.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

HANDS-ON OPERATIONS TEAMLEADER MANAGER

FULL TIME SKILLED/SEMI-SKILLED LANDSCAPER

You must have at least five years’ experience in the horticultural industry, estimating experience, sales and communication skills, scheduling and logistics skills, motivational leadership skills, a clean driving licence and reasonable knowledge of driving in London and be educated to degree level (qualifications in horticultural and business strategy desirable).

We are seeking a self-motivated candidate with previous experience of completing quality domestic hard landscaping projects successfully. You will need to possess a broad range of landscaping skills, have a positive attitude, communicate well with others and be an enthusiastic reliable team player.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

EXPERIENCED MAINTENANCE GARDENER

LANDSCAPE ESTIMATOR

Ideally you will have at least two years’ experience of working in a similar position, in a demanding city environment with van driving experience. The work will be a mix of maintenance visits, soft landscaping and planting projects. You must have good plant knowledge, a proactive approach to plant care and garden maintenance, and be able to deliver a high level of customer service and be comfortable leading a team.

We are seeking an estimator to join the team, producing estimates for domestic and commercial landscaping and living wall projects. The person appointed will work closely with the senior estimator in pricing new contracts. We seek candidates that have knowledge of the landscape industry (soft and some hard) and be happy to work as part of a team. Candidates should have previous knowledge of pricing works, be methodical and computer literate, and possess a mathematical and practical approach to this role.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

TEMPORARY GROUNDS OPERATIVE

DESIGNER/LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT

Our Enfield-based contract is seeking a grounds operative to join its busy team, working on commercial and residential sites in Enfield and the surrounding area. Working within a team to carry out grounds maintenance to high standards, the successful candidates will ideally have experience in horticulture and grounds maintenance. Duties include general horticultural maintenance, hedge cutting, grass cutting, and so on. Excellent customer care skills and a ‘can-do’ attitude are essential. A driving licence is an advantage.

Our client is a well-established and renowned high end domestic residential landscape business. They now have two exciting opportunities for designer/landscape architects to join their expanding business. You should have relevant experience and/or qualifications along with experience in Autcad plus hand drawing abilities.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

ID VERDE Location: Camden, London

OUTDOORSPACE DESIGN Location: London

THORBURN LANDSCAPES LTD Location: South West London

GLENDALE Location: Enfield, London

112 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Jobs.indd 112

TREE RESEARCH Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

BONINGDALE LTD Location: Shropshire

HORTICRUITMENT Location: London

TAYLOR2RECRUITMENT LTD Location: Bedfordshire

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PEOPLE

JUSTIN PAXMAN Director, Paxman Landscapes www.paxman-landscapes.com Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

On the whole, yes. We’ve thrown ourselves into the creation of some stunners at Harrogate over the past three years and it’s a really collaborative experience.

Show visitors come to be wowed, to see plants and hard landscaping in contrast and unison, to be inspired, to prompt their own imagination. That’s why we make ours as transferable to a real garden landscape as possible.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

I’m not particularly well travelled, so I would have to plump for the UK. Nothing beats an evening in my local Yorkshire beer garden, overlooking fields, moors and distant hilltops, watching the sunset!

What would you blow your budget on?

Nothing! I would always save and invest.

One person in the industry you’d love to meet?

I’ve met Charlie Dimmock

114 Pro Landscaper / August 2017

Little Interview.indd 114

and Katie Rushworth but I’m not really ever starstruck — we’re all stars in this business!

One thing that would make the industry better?

More young people wanting to join our landscaping family. It’s so hard to get youngsters to consider the hard but incredibly rewarding work we do in landscaping.

Best piece of trivia you know?

My surname comes from the olde English pre-7th century word ‘pac’ meaning bundle, and the Anglo-Saxon word ‘mann’. It came to mean ‘one who bundles and trades goods themselves’.

So, pretty much what we do now – hard graft, hefting and transporting landscaping materials to site!

Couldn’t get through the week without…

A big family-sized hug from my children.

Your favourite joke?

Why do fungi pay double bus fare? Because they take up ‘too mushroom’.

Best recent invention?

The mobile phone — the speed and fluidity of communication has given us an office in our pockets.

Pro Landscaper asks quick-fire questions to gain a small insight into the people who make up our industry. To take part email lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

i

JULES CLARK Director, Blue Daisy Gardens www.bluedaisygardens.co.uk

What’s your go to reference book?

Google – I’m a techie, always researching online.

Favourite seasonal plant?

Anything daisy-like: Leucanthemum, Echinacea, Rudbeckia.

In no more than five words, what would be your ideal project?

Resolutely eco and wildlife friendly.

Best moment in your career thus far?

Committing to Blue Daisy full time.

One piece of technology you couldn’t live without?

My PC, phone, and camera equally.

Favourite sandwich filling?

Ham, beetroot, rocket, mayo and plenty of pepper.

Karaoke song of choice?

None! There is no song on earth that would make my singing voice acceptable.

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Sigourney Weaver – for no other reason than she’s a little bit kickass.

Favourite sporting memory?

Every event at London 2012 Olympics – epic.

What’s top of your bucket list?

At the moment, Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/07/2017 10:18

PEOPLE

NEIL SUTCLIFFE Owner, Creative Roots www.creativeroots.com

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Absolutely, it’s a chance to show the public what we can do.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Australia – they get more use

out of their outside spaces, and there are some fantastic ideas coming from there.

One thing that would make the industry better?

No more free garden design.

What would you blow your budget on?

The right water feature.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Caffeine withdrawal is now classified as a mental disorder in the US.

One person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Andy Sturgeon, his journey has been a real inspiration.

Role model as a child?

My dad.

TOBY LEWIS

STUART TICKNER

Installation specialist, Scenic Lighting

Nursery manager, Provender Nurseries

www.sceniclighting.com Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Inspirational.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

I love Cyprus’s courtyard gardens.

What would you blow your budget on?

Lighting!

One person in the industry you’d love to meet?

I’ve already met the best in the game – Mr David Dodd.

One thing that would

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Couldn’t get through the week without…

Coffee.

Your favourite joke?

My retirement plan.

Best recent invention?

The smartphone – I don’t have to rely on being in the office.

www.provendernurseries.co.uk make the industry better?

Executive decisions being made earlier on in a project.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Light is nothing without a surface to reflect off.

Role model as a child?

Batman.

Couldn’t get through the week without…

John Smith’s Extra Smooth.

Your favourite joke?

Just bought one of those universal remotes? Well, that changes everything.

Best recent invention?

Brushless power tools!

What’s your go to reference book?

The Diagnosis of Ill-health in Trees, and the Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs.

Favourite seasonal plant?

That’s a hard one, but I would say Edgeworthia chrysantha.

In no more than five words, what would be your ideal project?

Specimen tree planting.

Best moment in your career thus far?

Becoming nursery manager at Provender Nurseries.

One piece of technology

you couldn’t live without?

My Felco No. 2 secateurs.

Favourite sandwich filling?

It has to be chicken.

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Any ginger actor should cover it.

Favourite sporting memory?

Becoming the World Champion in Eskrima (stick fighting) out in Las Vegas in 2012.

What’s top of your bucket list?

See the Northern Lights.

Pro Landscaper / August 2017 115

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