Pro Landscaper August 2023

LET'S HEAR IT FROM

Paul Baker, Holland Landscapes

SALARY vs DIVIDENDS

How should you be paying yourself as company director?

HACKNEY'S NEW HEART

Blakedown Landscapes has transformed Shoreditch Park

Choosing the right SUCCESSION PATH

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Welcome

We hark on about it, but the labour shortage that the industry is facing has a series of consequences, not least the future of reputable landscaping companies. It stunts their growth when they’re unable to fulfil potential projects, and it puts even more pressure on succession planning. It’s the latter that we’re exploring this month. There are a variety of options out there, each with their own merits. Crowders, for instance, has pursued the acquisition route, selling up to sustainable behemoth RSK Group. Oak View Landscapes’ Paul Downer is hoping to pass down the company to the next generation in his family, whilst Peter Fane is building a leadership team capable of running Nurture Landscapes without him. Then there’s the possibility of transitioning to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), as per Connick Tree Care.

Regardless of the chosen route, a founder or owner is bound to want the legacy of their business to continue – and that comes down to retaining the best and brightest of employees and providing the tools for them to succeed and progress through the ranks. These employees, if nurtured, will aid an acquisition, support a generational shift, help to build or even be part of a new leadership team, and will be proud to be part of an EOT, ensuring the ethos of a company is not lost in transition. There might only be one founder, one owner or one managing director, but it takes more than that to build a reputable company and to continue that reputation for years, if not decades, to come.

6

Are nurseries feeling the heat from the hosepipe bans?

A UK heatwave has impacted sales for some, whilst others are more concerned about the impending ban of peat

21

Salary vs Dividends

Kim Sones offers the pros and cons of how a director can choose to pay themselves – weighing up salary vs dividends

25

Knowing the Numbers

Is every company obliged to complete a P&L statement? Oracle Solicitors’

Polly Grieff and Ancia Hussain provide all the answers

CONTENTS August 2023

26

Coal, Carbon... and a three-point turn Green targets might be missed by politicians, but businesses can set their own, says Jason Knights

30

#BringBackBench Are benches the underappreciated, unsung heroes of our urban environments? Christopher Martin shines a spotlight on them

41 Positivity Through Propagation Brexit might have had negative consequences, but Mark Straver says Hortus Loci is finding new ways to thrive

FEATURES

45

Let’s Hear It From...

Paul Baker

Holland Landscapes’ managing director on the company’s 35th anniversary and the integral role the APL has and continues to play

51

Making an Exit Succession planning isn’t easy, but it’s unavoidable, and there are various routes to go down

74

Dining Out

Clients are looking to eat al fresco, not just in the summer but year-round. Matt Evans advises how you can create their ideal outdoor dining area

PORTFOLIOS

57

Next Tier

Adam Vetere Landscape & Garden Design's sustainable transformation of a traditional cottage garden into a multi-purpose contemporary courtyard

63

Room with a View

This Greater Manchester garden needed a complete overhaul by DK Design Associates to bring beauty and year-round interest back into the clients' outdoor space

69

Hackney’s New Heart Blakedown Landscapes has successfully refurbished Shoreditch Park into a diverse and inclusive space for the community

ALSO

12

Building ‘Keys’ Skills

One year in, TASK Academy has built its first show garden and founder Rupert Keys is thrilled

15

Across the Pond Landscapeplus has become the UK distributor for the North American water feature giant AquaScape Inc, whose naturalistic approach sets it apart

82

Five Minutes With...

Ollie Pike

The RHS Young Designer of the Year finalist speaks to us ahead of the competition at Tatton Park

ARE NURSERIES FEELING THE HEAT

from the hosepipe bans?

There’s little change in confidence from last month, it would seem. Only 20% said they were feeling more confident, whilst the majority (60%) of respondents said they felt the same.

This includes nurseries, despite 60% saying that their quotes were up from the previous month. It might be down to relief that there’s “no sign of a slow down” as one nursery put it, adding that their enquiries and orders are “still on the way up”.

Nurseries are facing a series of ongoing challenges, though. There’s the incoming peat ban, which is a “big challenge for UK nurseries, with many varieties proving difficult to grow in the current alternatives,” says a nursery. “With the news that Defra is going to allow the continuation of importation of foreign plant stock grown in peat media the UK nursery industry is going to be at a big disadvantage in the next few years.”

Then there’s the soaring summer temperatures. One nursery in the South of England says that they have not “suffered as much from the drought conditions” this year, whereas the lack of rain “was starting to affect sales” last May.

In the East, another nursery is feeling the pinch, though, saying that their biggest problem is reports of potential droughts, as the “media’s hype that it will be hotter

than last summer and lots of drought orders/hosepipe bans coming is killing sales.” So, despite being above target from October to March, the heatwave is taking its toll.

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS MORE CONFIDENT COMPARED TO LAST MONTH

The cost-of-living crisis is seemingly making clients more careful with their budgets – at least, that’s what the design and build sector is finding.“Clients are more cautious about committing to large spends. They want to ensure value and [they’re] more likely to get alternative costings,” says one company. Another said that clients are becoming “picky’ with small issues and “occasionally holding this as a way to not pay invoices.”

33% Projects

25% STAFFING NUMBERS SAY THEIR HAVE GROWN 55% CONFIDENCE HAS DROPPED FOR 35%

ARE 20% 33% 20%

NUMBER OF QUOTES HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE TURNOVER IS LOWER FOR 67% OF GARDEN DESIGNERS 80% 27%

ON 47% 30% 35%

OF NURSERIES 20% 53%

Design and Build Projects

Despite this, and costs being high according to another design and build company, they still “seem to be getting projects at present.” One said that the number of enquiries they’d received in May 2023 was double that of the previous year. Forty percent of design and build companies reported an increase in enquiries, though only 20% said that their conversation rate had increased.

MORE PROJECTS Conversion Rate Enquiries 20% 40%60%80% 100% 33% 47%

Those who have seen an upturn in the number of the projects that they’re working on compared to the same time last year are in the minority in each sector. Only a third of garden designers (33%) said it had increased, whilst 67% said that their conversation rate had slumped. It's not quite so bleak for commercial landscaping, where only 33% reported a dip in their conversion rate. But only 17% said that their number of projects had risen from May 2022, and one said that they were struggling as a result of the government pausing HS2 Phase 2a with only six weeks’ notice. They said it “immediately stripped 65% of our turnover,” despite the government stating there would be little impact on the contractors working on this phase. The company said this is “simply incorrect and shows how disconnected things are”.

IDVERDE HOLDS ONTO PROLIFIC OLYMPIC PARK CONTRACT

Award-winning landscaping provider idverde has been re-awarded the ground maintenance contract for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding public realm, 11 years on from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The £24m renewal involves continued large-scale landscape and grounds maintenance across the 560 acres, facilities management, and volunteering programme, in support of the park’s future. The eight-year contract will see idverde establish new planted areas such as the London Blossom Garden, a succession of apprenticeships and

ROUNDUP

Industry Updates

HTA DESIGN TO LEAD NEXT STAGE OF CRYSTAL PALACE PARK REGENERATION

HTA Design has officially been appointed as the lead consultant and landscape architects by the council to lead the next stage of development, which will see widespread improvements across the park in the coming years, including the restoration of several historic sites.

The estimated £17.5m works now include the planned restoration of the Grade I listed Crystal Palace dinosaurs and the landscape situating the 1854 sculptures’ island. The Grade II listed Italian Terraces located near Paxton will be rejuvenated into a space to host community events, with improvements

also planned for the Lower Paxton axis of the park set, including the construction of a new playground area.

Councillor Yvonne Bear, executive councillor for renewal, recreation and housing says: “It is an exciting time for this iconic park as we begin to bring forward our ground-breaking plan and create a future for the park that is fitting of its remarkable past.”

In September, Crystal Palace Trust will take over day-to-day management of the park in another stage of the wider £52m regeneration plan, with works underway to restore the Grade II* listed subway. hta.co.uk

job opportunities, and the introduction of cleaner robotic equipment.

UK CEO of idverde Kristian Lennard, says: “We are delighted LLDC has recognised the passion and opportunity we want to bring to this important area of London. Breathing life into our cities and suburbs, creating places where people and nature can thrive together, is key to our ambition.”

The scope of this contract covers the external areas of the park, including infrastructure and parkland and key buildings, including Stratford Waterfront and the Stadium Island areas. idverde.co.uk

POISONOUS OAK PROCESSIONARY MOTH FOUND IN DERBYSHIRE

Anumber of oak trees in the Long Eaton area of Derbyshire were confirmed by the HTA to be infested with the oak processionary moth. The trees are currently being treated and surveillance is ongoing to direct appropriate preventative measures to avoid potential spread.

OPMs feed on several species of oak trees, stripping the trees of leaves, impacting their growth and leaving them vulnerable to further disease. For humans, the species can cause painfully irritable rashes and eye and throat infections.

The pest was originally found in London, but the radius has seen an expansion rate of 6km a year in suspected response to climate change, as the increase in temperature better replicates the species native home of the Mediterranean.

An eradication programme is currently under way in the region to trap the pest, with the Animal and Plant Health Agency investigating how the species came to be in Derbyshire. hta.org.uk

RSK GROUP ACQUIRES CROWDERS NURSERIES

Sustainable solutions provider RSK has acquired Crowders Nurseries, a seventh-generation family-run wholesale nursery business.

Crowders has been cultivating plants for more than 200 years, operating out of two locations in Lincolnshire: Horncastle and Woodhall Spa. It provides wholesale solutions on a multi-sector scale from government organisations, local authorities, landscape contractors, landscape architects and construction firms throughout the UK, the Channel Islands, Ireland and Europe.

Chief executive Robert Crowder, who will continue to lead the business, says: “RSK came along at the right time. Its service offering in the environmental sector is a complementary fit for us, and its sustainability credentials and ethos mirror our own values.”

RSK operates in a majority of the economy sectors, including those with great sustainability and environmental responsibility. RSK Group chief executive officer Alan Ryder says: “This is an acquisition that will support many of our endeavours in the environmental and infrastructure sectors.

"With a production capacity of 330 acres, and as a provider of hardy wholesale nursery stock to commercial landscape professionals, landowners and public sector organisations, Crowders is a valuable addition. Crucially, this is also a business that is aligned with RSK’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Crowders has secured further contracts spanning the coming four years. rskgroup.com crowdersnurseries.co.uk

ZOE CLAYMORE ON EMPOWERING RENTERS TO GARDEN

People’s Choice Award winner, The Wildlife Trusts’ Renters’ Retreat in partnership with garden designer Zoe Claymore, highlights ways to support the natural colonisation of local wildlife in residential gardens, employing transient tenant friendly features. prolandscapermagazine.com/zoe-claymoreon-empowering-renters-to-garden

UNBLURRING THE LINE BETWEEN THERAPEUTIC HORTICULTURE AND HORTICULTURAL THERAPY

Promoting therapeutic horticulture, Annabelle Padwick, founder of Life at No.27, advocates for a clearer depiction of the connections between horticulture and mental health. prolandscapermagazine.com/unblurringthe-line-between-therapeutic-horticultureand-horticultural-therapy

This year’s People’s Choice Awards at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival have favoured concepts around cancer research and renting. The Cancer Research UK Legacy Garden scooped People’s Choice for the Show Garden category.

Award-winning designer Paul HerveyBrooks returned to Hampton Court for the first time in seven years to design the garden in partnership with Cancer Research after his partner passed away from the disease. The garden symbolises the isolating nature of cancer, but is also a love letter to life, conveying hope through tranquil planting and reflection through a still pool.

In the Get Started Gardens category, it was The Wildlife Trusts’ Renters’ Retreat that got the most votes from the public.

The National Wildlife Trusts’ first Hampton Court garden ‘Renters Retreat’ was designed by recent design school graduate, Zoe Claymore and built by Frogheath Landscapes.

The garden showcases ways to support the natural colonisation of local wildlife in residential gardens, using only transient tenant friendly features to empower renters and create an accessible entry point into gardening. rhs.org.uk

ADDING A POP OF COLOUR TO THE COMMUNITY

RHS Level 4 Diploma students have transformed the Arch Community Centre, Woking. Student Lois O’Connell’s winning design, ‘Live in Colour Garden’ gives the communal space a breath of fresh air, informed by, and designed for the local community. prolandscapermagazine.com/addinga-pop-of-colour-to-the-community

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER REVEALED AT HAMPTON COURT

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Building

‘KEYS’ SKILLS

After completing around 60 show gardens, it perhaps won’t come as a surprise that Rupert Keys most recently won the top award at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live. The Newson Health Menopause Garden – which he constructed for his wife, garden designer Ruth Gwynn – scooped Best Show Garden as well as a Platinum Award at the event in June.

It bodes well too for those undertaking landscape construction courses at TASK Academy, which Keys set up last year. Students will be learning from a man with more than 30 years’ experience in the industry who has successfully run his own company –Keyscape Design & Construction –throughout this time and now has yet another award under his belt.

Better yet, trainers and students from TASK Academy took part in the most recent success. Three people who had completed a course joined Keys to help build the Newson Health Menopause Garden for their first experience of creating a show garden.

“I hadn’t built a garden like this under the TASK banner before, so I wanted to put it out there and use people who have that connection with TASK, especially the students,” says Keys. “We even

had the Bradstone Employee/Apprentice of the Year, Eliot [Johnson], come to help us for a couple of days. He was awarded two courses with TASK and wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for his second course, so I invited him to help on the garden which was an ideal opportunity for him to experience the challenge of building a show garden, and he really delved in and was a huge help.”

This was Keys' goal when he set up TASK, to help upskill the industry, but also to encourage people to enter landscaping. “We have started to work with our local schools now which has been a really positive note. Six students from Pershore High School came to us and we gave a 20 minute talk in the classroom, which felt like they were back at school, so we took them for a look around the five acre site and then gave them the task of laying bricks – all of a sudden their characters came out because they were doing something practical. There were three girls who weren’t too sure about what they wanted to do, and on the minibus back to school they all decided that they wanted to go into horticulture.

“It makes you feel proud and emotional at times, to have made them aware of how fun and what a rewarding career horticulture can be; you don’t have to be someone who is in an office to earn lots of money. You can be someone who works outside

A year into the TASK Academy, founder Rupert Keys shares the pride of having students take part in a show garden and balancing his new venture with his 30-year business

Things are changing in our industry and people are becoming more appreciative of horticulturists and gardeners and they are willing to pay for a good service

THE TASK TEAM (FROM L-R): RUPERT KEYS, DESIGNER RUTH GWYNN, LUCY BILTCLIFFE AND JOHANNA BRAND

and still earns a very decent living. Things are changing in our industry and people are becoming more appreciative of horticulturists and gardeners and they are willing to pay for a good service.”

Keys continues to run his own design and build company but has been slowly working towards dedicating himself entirely to TASK. “I knew Keyscape was going to come to an end, but it’s a slow transition because Keyscape is still my main breadwinner. That is now starting to be taken over by TASK, but I don’t know how many years or months it will be until Keyscape won’t be around, I’m still holding onto it; 30 years of Keyscape is a long time and after that period of time it's very difficult to let go. I still enjoy building gardens under the Keyscape banner, but

I also like to build gardens under the TASK banner to encourage more people into our industry and give students the experience.” One option that seems off the table for now is an acquisition of Keyscape.

Keys says he’s reluctant to sell as the core of the business is him and his wife, who runs the design side. Both have always used other designers and landscapers, though, and Gwynn is engaging with other contractors more in developing her ‘Meadow Cut Flowers’ business and Keys is pulling back from domestic work on site. He has no intention of pulling back from show gardens, though, and he and Gwynn are clearly a winning combination. “Having been married to Ruth for 27 years, and working with her professionally for about 20 years, I let Ruth get on and do what she does best, and she lets me get on and do what I do best; we both know that the other is doing what’s expected of them. Outside of

our marriage, there’s that really strong bond at work too, and if we’re ever unsure of something we always have that support from each other.”

For this year’s garden, Keys did his own research into the menopause to better understand Gwynn’s concept behind the garden.“It’s to gain awareness of menopause and wellbeing, but also about having a space where people feel very relaxed, and there are lots of elements in the garden that people can take away and create themselves quite inexpensively. That is one of the beauties and one of Ruth’s visions – that people can take parts away, like building an outdoor kitchen out of drainage collars rather than building a big timber frame platform, or buying a bath” – yes, there was a bath in the Newson Health Menopause Garden – “from Facebook Marketplace for £50.”

That’s Keys’ approach too – creating something that can help others. Through TASK, students can choose from one- to four-day courses across a range of hard landscaping specialisms such as dry stone walling and porcelain paving, as well as a general beginners’ landscaping course. The academy is seemingly setting up its students for success, whether that be learning key skills or being part of an award-winning show garden. The last 30 years may have been spent building a reputable landscaping business, but Keys’ biggest achievement is surely this new venture.

©Ollie Dixon Photography

RUTH GWYNN, DR LOUISE NEWSON, ALAN TITCHMARSH, RUPERT KEYS AND RACHEL DE THAME AT BBC GARDENERS WORLD 2023

©Ollie Dixon Photography

RUPERT KEYS AND RUTH GWYNN AT BBC GARDENERS WORLD 2023

30 years of Keyscape is a long time and after that period of time it's very difficult to let go

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It started with a turtle. Greg Wittstock wanted to build a water feature for his beloved pet whilst on summer break from college, and so set about on a series of trial and error until he built one that was fit for purpose. Since then, he has built a multi-million-dollar company from a base in Chicago, supplying products for water features to thousands of installers as well as offering a local installation and maintenance service.

Aquascape’s focus is on connecting people to water ‘the way nature intended’, and its approach and simple-to-install products have attracted a cult following in the UK. That’s where Landscapeplus comes in. As a trusted and popular supplier for irrigation, lighting and water feature products already, a group of installers approached Landscapeplus to see if it would consider stocking Aquascape, adding its large-scale distribution to develop the UK market.

So, for the last two years, Landscapeplus has been in talks with Aquascape, and earlier this year director Sam Cox and Chris Reynolds, who heads up Landscapeplus’ aquatic business development, hopped on a plane to visit Aquascape’s Chicago office. What they found would rival Google’s reputation for staff wellbeing. The third floor of the site is dedicated to employee welfare, with a gym, sauna, cold plunge pool, as well as racquetball and basketball courts. In its reception area, there’s a nod to the founding of the company, with snapping turtles in a tank. “For people who like water features, it’s like walking into Disneyland,” says Cox. Fittingly, the 256,000ft2 building is called Aqualand.

But whilst this is undoubtedly impressive, it’s not what convinced Landscapeplus to become the UK distributor for Aquascape. “The tipping point was when I started understanding more about their systems. The traditional way to keep a body of water clean is UV lights and mechanical filtration, whereas Aquascape works on how it can make a natural waterfall filter the water at the same time.

It’s been two years in the making, but Landscapeplus is now UK distributor for North American water feature giant Aquascape Inc. which wields an approach that may be more naturalistic than the UK market is used to

VISITING AQUASCAPE CHICAGO

The amount of kit involved is minimal. Their motto is to work with nature, so they limit the use of chemicals or UV lights, opting for biological filtration instead. It’s a different approach.”

From Aquascape’s point of view, it would be gaining a trade-only UK supplier with strong links to the landscaping industry and one which could handle large volumes of product. The Landscapeplus team is undertaking training too, to be able to best inform clients about the Aquascape systems. It’s this necessary level of service and industry connection which has meant Aquascape has avoided going into the UK garden centre market through retail-focused distributors, where retail staff might not have the same knowledge or training of the products. Landscapeplus was founded more than 20 years ago by two installers who noticed that the irrigation market “was being poorly served from a supply point of view,” explains Cox. So, they decided to do it themselves; one continued to run the Londonbased installation company for several years after, and the other moved back to the Cotswolds to set up Landscapeplus. In other words, the trade-only company has plenty of experience as an installer and supplier to be able to best sell Aquascape, and it will be able to offer training to potential installers.

They will continue to supply Oase products too, as the brand’s biggest trade only supplier in the UK, but Cox says the products are very different. “Oase are a German brand whose systems are built around mechanical filtration and large UV lamps. It’s like chalk and cheese, compared to Aquascape, which will essentially

have a skimmer built into the pond on one side so that you don’t see it, with a hidden pump that will circulate water to come down a waterfall through a Biofalls spillway filter. The finished feature resembles a natural rockery or watercourse. It’s super simple and super effective. There’s a place for both in the market.”

There’s a range of products from Aquascape too, from standalone water fountains, to ponds and recreational ponds, to pond-less water features. But the overriding theme is that each product looks as though it is a natural part of the landscape, which Cox says is becoming more popular with clients here.“If you look at Chelsea gardens, for instance, they’re going back to a more natural look, whereas five years back everyone wanted straight lines and tiny water rills. I think we’ll go back to wanting gardens to look as natural as possible and we’re now teed up for this.”

Landscapeplus will be showcasing the Aquascape system at the SGD Conference on 18 November.

I think we’ll go back to wanting gardens to look as natural as possible and we’re now teed up for this

AS K THE EXPERTS

Creating an RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden is an all-consuming intense period of work. Taking stock now a few weeks later, it is time to capitalise on the success to promote my expertise and gain clients.

There have been some immediate gains. I have noticed a flurry of new enquiries as a direct result of the exposure, and it has opened doors to new types of clients and geographical areas of works. These clients are not asking me to re-create my Chelsea garden, but have reached out because they liked an element of my design, my style or approach.

The other immediate bonus from Chelsea is that my existing and previous clients are enjoying a ‘sprinkling of gold dust’ that they feel I have now given their designs. Being associated with a medalwinning designer has made them value their own gardens and validate their choice in choosing me to design their gardens. This will hopefully lead to more word-of-mouth recommendations.

Show gardens are theatrical installations, based

The panel

HOLLY

YOUDE

Chair of the APL, Holly Youde, is a director at Urban Landscape Design in the North West and The Landscape Academy, a purpose-built training centre dedicated to landscaping in the UK.

JAKE CATLING

on the aspects of a real-life garden, but intensified for the moment of the show. Not all real gardens are photographed at the perfect time so having these ‘souped up’ ones in your portfolio and website can make a big impact and get clients excited.

I am careful to explain to clients that a show garden represents a fixed moment in time whilst their garden will evolve and change like all gardens across the seasons. And that, of course, is the joy of the real garden; you can create a whole range of different ‘wow moments’ as the garden develops across the seasons.

In my experience, the RHS medal logo carries respect with clients and winning Gold at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival definitely helped reassure potential clients about my capabilities. But Chelsea’s high profile really punches through with the public, and I’ll certainly be using it in my pitch – and, of course, adding the medal logo to my email, website and social sites.

I will also be using social media and blogs over the coming months to extend the ‘Chelsea effect’. For example, I can make my Chelsea garden relevant to prospective clients by taking elements of the design and relating it to real domestic gardens – e.g. how to use water in the garden, textural planting, etc.

I am definitely learning on this so watch this space and see if it works! And I would be interested to hear from other designers after Chelsea about their experience too.

Jake founded his domestic landscaping company, The Landscaping Consultants, aged just 24. He is now a BALI board director and the BALI South Thames chairman, and has delivered various awardwinning gardens and outdoor spaces.

KEN WHITE

Ken White, former chairman of the APL, leads the multi-award-winning Frosts Landscape Construction, which carries out large commercial and private estate projects across the UK.

ROSEMARY COLDSTREAM

Rosemary has won numerous awards for her work, creating high-quality gardens for both domestic and commercial clients. She is a fully registered member of the SGD and sits on the board of directors at BALI.

SARAH EBERLE

Chelsea’s most decorated designer boasts a collection of RHS medals and is a member of the LI, SGD and the Institute of Horticulture. Sarah strives to create as sustainable gardens as possible.

After designing a garden at Chelsea, how can you use this experience to gain clients?

Rosemary Coldstream shares how to make the most of your show garden once the visitors have left

I am careful to explain to clients that a show garden represents a fixed moment in time whilst their garden will evolve and change like all gardens across the seasons

Tax is a complicated subject and, for most people, probably a little boring too. However, ensuring that your personal income is drawn in the most tax efficient way will give you a bigger bang for your buck! As a director of a limited company, you have the flexibility to decide which is the best way to pay yourself.

So, there are various ways to pay yourself an income from your company. A limited company is legally separate from you as the director so you cannot simply keep the profits in the same way that a sole trader can. Instead, you will need to decide how much to pay yourself and in what form the income will be extracted from your company.

What is the most tax efficient way for a director to take an income?

Typically, the most tax efficient way for a director of a limited company to pay themselves is through a combination of salary and dividends drawn from the profits; but getting the right balance can be quite tricky as each director’s circumstances is different.

There are various factors to consider when deciding on the right combination, such as the company’s profit, the reduction of your personal and company’s tax bill and whether you want to allow for certain state benefits (e.g. state pension).

Why a salary?

Taking a salary from your company will mean having you on your company’s payroll, just like your employees. The benefits of taking a salary as part of your income are:

• Build up qualifying years towards your state pension

• Retain maternity or paternity benefits

• Making higher p ersonal pension contributions

• Easier to provide evidence when applying for a mortgage

SALARY DIVIDENDS vs

Questioning how to pay yourself as a company director? Kim Sones shares the pros and cons of both options

• Reduction of the company’s corporation tax as your salary is an allowable business expense

• Your salary can be taken even if the company makes a loss However, there are also drawbacks. Both you and the company must pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) when your salary reaches a certain amount.

Why take dividends?

A dividend is a share of the company’s profits. Profit is the money the company has left after deducting all business expenses, including taxes. If there is no profit,

then no dividends can be paid. If there is more than one director or shareholder, then the dividends must be split depending on the proportion of shares they hold. You do not have to pay all profits as dividends, the company can retain the profits for a number of years.

Many directors of small companies choose to take the majority of their income as a dividend because this is usually more tax efficient. The benefits of taking dividends as part of your income are:

• Dividends are paid at a lower rate of tax than a salary

• There is no employer or employee National Insurance Contributions payable on dividends

• You can choose the frequency of the dividend payments

Getting the right balance can be quite tricky as each director’s circumstances is different

You can reduce your tax bill significantly by taking most of your income in the form of dividends, but there are risks involved with this approach. Dividends can only be paid out of company profits after tax so, again, if the business does not make a profit, then dividends cannot be drawn. If a director accidently takes a dividend and there is no profit to cover it, then it will be classed as a director’s loan which must be paid back, potentially with interest.

If you plan to rely on dividends for most of your personal income, ensure you have a good accounting system in place and can monitor your profits so you can react to any changes in profit levels if needed.

How to set your income level for 2023/24

There are some factors to consider when working out the most tax efficient income from your company. (See table below).

INCOME TAX

• The tax-free Personal Allowance is £12,570 per year, which means no tax is payable on this amount

• Thereafter the basic rate of income tax is 20% from £12,571 to £50,270

• The higher rate of tax is 40% from £50,271 to £125,140

• The additional rate of tax is 45% and applies on income above £125,141 per year

EMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE

• If you have at least one other employee, you may qualify for the £5,000 employment allowances which means the company does not pay the first £5,000 of Employers NICs per year

Optimum director’s salary level for 2023/24. The most tax efficient salary for all directors, assuming your personal allowance has not been reduced, is £12,570

EMPLOYEE’S NICs

• The starting rate is now the same as the Personal Allowance at £12,570 per year

• You pay 12% NICs between £12,571 and £50,270

• You pay 2% on earnings above £50,270 per year

EMPLOYER'S NICs

• The company pays 13.8% on wages above £9,100 per year

DIVIDEND TAX RATES

• Personal Allowance up to £12,570 – tax free but will be used up by any salary taken

• Basic rate from £12,571 to £50,270 is 8.75%

• Higher rate from £50,271 to £125,140 is 33.75%

• Additional rate over £125,141 is 39.35%

this year. There will be no personal tax deducted and only a small amount of employers NI to pay by the company. If profits allow, you could pay yourself £37,700 at the lower dividend tax rate of 8.75% before you hit the higher rate. This is in addition to the salary of £12,570.

It is important to consult with an accountant when deciding on the best approach to drawing an income from your company. They can provide personalised advice based on your specific circumstances. This will help you to make the right decision in drawing the most tax efficient income from your company.

LOWER EARNINGS LIMIT

• To qualify for the State Pension, you must earn above £6,396 per year (LEL)

DIVIDEND ALLOWANCE

• The first £1,000 of dividends are tax free

use their knowledge to help them set goals and make good decisions for their business.

Instagram: @kimsonesaccounts

Email: kim@sonesacccountancy.co.uk sonesaccountancy.co.uk

Kim Sones, owner of Sones Accountancy Services Ltd, specialises in bookkeeping and accountancy for the landscape gardening industry. She is passionate about helping landscapers to ‘know their numbers’ and

KIM SONES

Kim photograph

©Sarah Cockerton

You can reduce your tax bill significantly by taking most of your income in the form of dividends, but there are risks involved with this approach

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Aprofit and loss (P&L) statement is an accounting document comparing the total income of a business against its debts and expenses. It’s an indicator of the financial health of a company, based on its ability to generate income, manage expenses and sustain a healthy profit margin. It is created on a quarterly or annual basis.

Why are P&L statements important?

A P&L statement is one of the most important financial statements a small business can prepare. A useful tool for both business owners and outside analysts, it gauges the long-term profitability and viability of a company. It helps businesses to measure the effects of operational strategies on finances and inform of ongoing strategies.

Is a P&L statement

a legal requirement?

In the UK, an annual P&L statement is compulsory for limited companies. While unincorporated businesses are not required to file a P&L statement, it is good practice to do so, as the information required is the same information HMRC requires the business to file.

What is in a P&L statement?

The top line of the P&L statement is “revenue”, the total amount of income associated with the company’s primary

NUMBERS Knowing the

Polly Grieff and Ancia Hussain explain P&L statements –are all businesses obliged to complete one, and how is it used?

operations. Deducting “expenses” necessary for the running of the business, (rent, cost of goods, freight, and payroll, etc.) results in the “net operating income”, a measure of profitability representing the company’s earnings from its core operations.

The bottom line –“net profit” – of the P&L statement takes into account depreciation of assets, outstanding debts, interest payments, additional income from secondary operations or investments and one-time deductions for extraordinary events, such as lawsuits.

The P&L statement’s subtotals reflect important information, such as the total amount of long or short-term debt, cost of raw materials used to create goods for sale, overhead costs, and taxes.

Entries give specific company cashflow information and gives oversight of origin of its funding and expenditure. The P&L statement is unique in its ability to provide a comprehensive context for assessing financial fitness.

How do you analyse a P&L statement?

The important element to analyse will be the context of the revenue and expenses of a business during a specific period of time, as follows:

• the gross profit margin, which is the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting the cost of goods sold.

• the operating expenses, such as salaries, rent, and marketing.

Close analysis of these areas will give an indication of the stated “net income”, (the profit or loss after all expenses have been deducted). Analysing and testing these numbers will provide insight into the financial health of a business.

P&L statements are an essential tool for analysing a company’s financial performance and making informed decisions. Providing a clear picture of a company’s revenue and expenses, a P&L statement can help managers identify areas of cost reduction, revenue increase and improvement in overall financial health.

“Knowing is half the battle”, and knowing where you stand through accurate P&L reporting can mean the difference between success and failure for any small business.

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The P&L statement is unique in its ability to provide a comprehensive context for assessing financial fitness

COAL, CARBON...

and a three-point turn

The leader of the opposition began the year with promises of green prosperity and a drumbeat of secure, green and well-paid ‘made in Britain’ employment opportunities.

Alas, Labour’s pledge towards ‘Great British Energy’ was abandoned only six months into the year. Contrary to the claim that an £8bn national wealth fund would result in a zerocarbon economy, the party has performed a U-turn on the plan to invest £28bn a year up until 2030 in the so-called green economy.

Adding fuel to the burner, ministers are now set to block plans to ban new coal mines. In a move that seemingly turns back time, the singular project is set to produce 400,000t of greenhouse gas emissions a year. Despite analysis suggesting coal mining generates as much methane annually as the oil or gas sectors, political figures such as Secretary of State, Michael Gove are claiming the project would have an overall “neutral effect” on the climate.

All of this couldn't be more mistimed. Currently, global biodiversity stands at 75% of preindustrial levels, absurdly below the 90% average considered sufficient to maintain the ecological processes on the earth.

Historically, biodiversity has time and time again been politically deprioritised and governmental progress in preventing the depletion of our natural world has been abysmal. Reflecting on the 20 targets defined by world leaders in 2010 at the biodiversity summit in Japan, zero have been achieved.

Now we are facing what some dub as the ‘sixth mass extinction’, it is perplexing to see we are not working actively towards the biodiversity targets set at the UN COP 15 Biodiversity Conference last December to protect 30% of land by 2030 and are instead removing pledges to invest in the regeneration of our natural world by the very same year.

The good news is, while global leaders are dragging their heels, businesses are making significant strides in structuring environmental initiatives. Companies like WWF, E.ON and Royal Mail are taking decisive action by integrating science-based targets within their corporate responsibility initiatives. Likewise, Unilever and H&M are leading the charge in calling on governments to make it mandatory for companies to measure and reveal their impact on nature.

As custodians of nearly 90% of the UK’s countryside and waterways, the private sector

has the power to utilise their land mass to deliver nature recovery on a global scale. Businesses can achieve this through the implementation of tree planting and rewilding projects that aim to restore natural ecosystems and natural habitats. For businesses that don’t have access to swathes of green spaces, there is opportunity to invest in biodiversity credits from other businesses, with the objective of encouraging biodiversity whilst also bolstering their own green targets. Incentives exist for this business action too, with property companies now required to generate 10% biodiversity net gain across new sites as part of the Environment Act of November 2021, therefore the credit system is mutually beneficial.

With one million species facing extinction by 2040, our natural capital is desperately at stake. The days are far gone where biodiversity can mindlessly be left on the backburner. Indeed, politicians should be held responsible for prioritising biodiversity; however, solving the biodiversity crisis is only realistic if corporations and political leaders alike roll up their sleeves and form a unified front. Now is the time to act.

JASON KNIGHTS

Jason Knights joined Ground Control as managing director in 2020 following 10 years in leadership roles at Wates. His last role was as managing director of SES Engineering Services, now a division of Wates Construction Group, following Wates’ acquisition of Shepard E Construction Services in November 2016. A specialist M&E services business, Jason grew SES and created its excellent reputation in the industry, transforming it from loss-making to profitability in four years. ground-control.co.uk

If politicians can’t stick to green targets, then businesses need to take action themselves, explains Jason Knights

The good news is, while global leaders are dragging their heels, businesses are making significant strides in structuring environmental initiatives

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GRDN Landscape + Garden Design (Photography by Alister Thorpe)

The last few weeks (June into July) have been marked by one or two stark contrasts. I run, and have for over 30 years, an intensive programme of garden design created for career changers. The majority of my students already have a first degree, often a second too, and the majority have benefited from a successful career or come with solid life experience, so they do know how to study.

I pull no punches at interview about the time they need to invest into the programme and the way in which they need to invest in all parts of the discipline of garden design, including construction detail, planting design, specifications and CAD in the support of their conceptual designs.

I run the course this way quite intentionally, not because I am some sort of masochist but because I am intent on delivering a confident graduate into the profession. I include contractors within the teaching staff to deliver a different view of garden making, a range of designers to offer alternative thoughts or processes, landscape architects to help with

AND, RELAX

…

Andrew Wilson reflects on the end of another academic year and the need to include construction as part of a garden design course

larger scale projects and working technical consultants to bring information up to date.

Sometimes I am confronted rather abruptly by an alternative world in which this whole approach and ethos seems irrelevant or unnecessary. I interview prospective students and naturally understand (and hope) that they will have made comparisons with other educational providers. A proportion come hoping that the course will not be too

onerous, whether for our main garden design programme or our shorter construction design programme. Talk of correspondence or distance learning programmes often comes up which over a much longer period of time may deliver a result. The difficulty is that many want a short-term experience fitting conveniently into their often already busy lives.

In a separate discussion with a group of practising garden designers, however, I was asked how people knew what a concrete block was, its dimensions and applications. After my initial surprise, I responded with a few questions, one of which asked about whether this person had studied garden design. Their answer was yes but, when pressed, they admitted that their chosen programme included no information about construction –that’s 50% of the whole subject of garden design completely out of the window. Asked how they managed to deliver successful gardens, the response came that they left the construction to the contractor. Again, that’s 50% of a garden then.

I found myself wondering what my students might make of this approach where college and graduate deliver half a scheme. I’m sure they would enjoy the extra time off but perhaps not enjoy so much the inadequacy apparent when they start to practice. Perhaps also they might not accept the 50% discounted fee that surely comes with this approach to garden design!

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

ANDREW WILSON

I run the course this way not because I am some sort of masochist but because I am intent on delivering a confident graduate into the profession

A VIEW OF THE TRANSCENDENCE GARDEN AT CHELSEA 2023 BY ANDREW WILSON AND GAVIN MCWILLIAM SHOWING CONSTRUCTED AND PLANTED ELEMENTS COMBINED AS ONE COMPOSITION

#BRINGBACKBENCH

Christopher Martin is heading the charge to better appreciate urban benches

It’s August, so it’s holiday season, and in the city the pace of life seems slower. Even those not choosing to escape for the country adopt a holiday feel – seeking restaurants with outside space, propping up pubs for evening sundowners, and soaking up the evening sun on urban benches.

Samuel Beckett wrote, ‘We spend our life trying to bring together in the same instant a ray of sunshine and a free bench,’ and nothing feels more true right now.

Benches in cities have always stood for generosity. Walk through ancient Italian cities and you’ll find them built into the walls of palazzi, making the building a part of the city, a public forum, despite being private, extending a helping hand to people outside and inviting them to rest. And to this day, benches are still social places where people can sit, chat, and watch the dance of urban life unfold.

Relevant more today than in the immediate past, benches also indicate that the city is a place that we can all be part of, without having to spend money or consume. In this way, the public bench is a symbol of a civic city.

In the UK, the public bench came into its own during the 19th century, as the industrial age made cast iron – a material eminently suited for the outdoors – cheap and easy to make, and mould into some rather elaborate shapes. I was lucky enough to do a public realm project on Northbank a few years ago, and if you head down to Cleopatra’s Needle you’ll find some of the best – and most outlandish – expressions of civic city bench design, with benches giving people the opportunity to rest atop sphinxes and camels.

These exuberant expressions of civility in the city shaped and still shape our image of London, as they do cities across the world. With this, cities have an opportunity to shape and change their image, to map it more closely with views of quality of life, safety, relaxation, and at least a place that supports a moment of respite.

With all this, I am reminded of a ‘situation’ happening near me right now. A local resident has changed the character of a street – for the better – by installing a bench around a tree on a beautiful corner of Bloomsbury. This bench was immediately

enjoyed. Pedestrians taking a breather; school children sitting on the way home; and construction workers having a break at lunch. The demand for this bench is evident; however, as one can expect, the council doesn’t allow people to install benches on streets themselves and removed it, twice. This has led to a local #BringBackBench campaign, highlighting the support for the bench.

The lesson here is that – as we do with design projects – we should co-design opportunities to sit and listen to local people about where to put new benches. If the bench is the symbol of the democratic city, their placement should benefit from democratic process too.

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

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

Benches also indicate that the city is a place that we can all be part of, without having to spend money or consume. In this way the public bench is a symbol of a civic city

THE BLOOMSBURY BENCH CAMPAIGN THE PETITION

Designed

PITFALLS

of fake grass

Many garden designers and contractors consider the words ‘artificial grass’ to be dirty words and, to be fair, they have got a very strong case considering the harm it does to the environment and wildlife. Nothing, in my opinion, can beat a well-maintained and well-manicured British lawn. However, in some instances, this is simply not achievable. Where I live in Glossop we have a heavy clay soil, situated in a valley with heavy rainfall. There are some north-facing gardens that get little sun and are only usable three weeks of the year if you’re lucky – especially if you have children who will churn up the lawn every time they play out and tread the mud in the house. Some clients/parents simply don’t have the money to excavate a minimum of 600mm, tip off-site all spoil, install drainage, topsoil and turf and maintain it. So, this is when artificial grass has a place in my book.

Taking all this into account, I find myself called out to many expert witness commissions where artificial grass has been poorly installed and requires reinstalling. This creates more issues with landfill and so increases the carbon footprint of artificial grass when common mistakes are made.

The first most common issue is jointing two rolls of artificial grass together. If not jointed correctly the join sticks out like a sore thumb – as shown in the picture below (see Figure 1).

The second issue is using sharp sand, as opposed to Grano dust as the bedding/ screed layer directly beneath the artificial grass. When sharp sand is used it has the propensity to deform underfoot when wet –similar to walking on a beach (see Figure 2).

Many of you will have experienced the all too familiar smell in summer of artificial grass when clients have dogs. It’s

horrendous and that’s primarily down to incorrect sub-base installation. However, when artificial grass is laid on a permeable sub-base, and clients are informed of how to maintain the artificial grass, the smell of dog urine can be managed quite well. I would always recommend selecting an artificial grass with a pile height of around 30mm to help with cleaning up after dogs. Last, but by no means least, is the old favourite for most landscaping projects, and that’s the sub-base – a lack of it or the incorrect sub-base for the end usage.

Alan Sargent’s book entitled ‘Artificial Grass in Domestic Gardens’ is most certainly worth a read as it cuts out many grey areas for landscapers.

GARETH WILSON

Leaving college at 17, Gareth has worked in the landscape industry since 1989. Progressing onto high-end projects, he has picked up 7 RHS gold medals. He is a member of multiple professional bodies. He provides technical and product advice to large companies, mentors and trains contractors and garden designers in landscape construction and on show gardens logistics across the UK. Gareth also provides mediation services, he is a member of the BS7533:102 committee and is an industry awards judge. gkwilsonlandscaping.co.uk

This creates more issues with landfill and so increases the carbon footprint of artificial grass when common mistakes are made

If you’re going to use artificial grass, you might as well install it correctly, and Gareth Wilson explains how

Figure 1: Incorrectly jointed artificial grass

Figure 2: Incorrectly using sharp sand

STONE? Sustainable

Nick Coslett explores whether the stone industry can reach carbon zero as he continues to investigate sustainability in the landscape industry

Sustainability poses a considerable challenge to stone use across our industry. Inevitably, stone has an unavoidable carbon footprint due to its production and transport. Some suppliers have approached this hurdle by going down the route of using carbon offsets; however, offsetting – paying others to reduce emissions or absorb CO2, even in temporary compensation of yours – is not actually reducing your footprint.

It is true that any reduction of CO2 reduces the greenhouse gas on a global scale, so equipping families in the developing world with lower emission cookers and erecting solar panels somewhere is not a bad thing. But it places the task to a third party, and you lose control and become reliant on the honesty and professionalism of the chain delivering those reductions and there will be ‘administration’ costs to dilute the benefits. Greenpeace, WWF and many environmental organisations have doubts about the efficacy of carbon offsetting.

For true sustainability, perhaps we need to look at the circular economy – the lifetime costs and emissions of the stone used. The current trend to using thinner slabs with ever stronger mortar beds eliminates the ability to re-use/ repurpose that stone when its initial use becomes redundant. The only recycling possible then is for it to be crushed and be used as a foundation aggregate. The difficulty lies in viewing lifetime costs as these are paid for at the outset, placing the full sustainability burden on the initial client. There may be political will to fund this more sustainable route within local authorities, but they and private clients can’t help but look at the magnetic attraction of cost.

In discussions with Giles Heap of CED Stone,

he suggested that a 25-30mm hand riven (rather than machine cut) sandstone slab shipped from India and delivered to site had a comparable carbon footprint to a 50mm+ sawn Yorkstone slab trucked to the southeast from its northern quarry. The cost of these slabs is not the same, but the deeper, heavier slab can be laid on a cement free or loose base such as sand, which facilitates re-use and relaying for second or multiple layouts. Therefore, if carbon footprint of stone is similar, isn’t it best to use the right material and use local stone? Giles gave the example of the Grosse Strasse in Nuremberg, Germany, where massive slabs (approx. 1.23m x 1.23m x 100mm) were originally laid unbound in the 1930s to form the Nazi Party rally grounds. Despite their original purpose, this hardscape has withstood the tanks and traffic of close to 100 years without movement. Should we build it once with the ability to reuse?

Is the long-term sustainable future using heavier slabs laid on unbound bases?

What is the average life span of current hardscape schemes both public realm and private? I suspect it’s only 10 to 20 years as a maximum. In a time when we see some urban buildings being demolished and rebuilt after just 20 years use, it is up to the landscape practitioners to discuss sustainability and lifespan with their clients. They can choose a ‘one-time use’ thin stone or porcelain slab (gas fired to over 1500oC) which will be irretrievably bonded to its mortar with no flexibility for reuse or to look at using more local stone in heavier slabs.

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

NICK COSLETT

Inevitably, stone has an unavoidable carbon footprint due to its production and transport

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HELL ROUNDABOUT

Itend to do most of my travelling for work during the spring and summer, and inevitably a good bit of this is by car so that I can get to events and see clients and projects. While driving this year I have noticed examples of both good and bad roadside and urban planting. Some councils and volunteer bodies do great things with pockets of land, roadside verges, pots and containers, green wall and roofs and much more – diverse, visually interesting, species rich planted spaces.

Whilst some areas do it really well, others do a terrible job, often with little or no planting in beds clearly designed for this purpose. It is my hope that councils realise the value that good landscape, environmental and ornamental horticulture brings to a space and that funding is the issue here. While unlikely, I hope for increases in funding on environmental and ornamental projects to rectify this in the future.

One area that I see consistently falling flat on its face with countless missed opportunities are sponsored roundabouts! Few aspects of horticulture make me as

annoyed as the utter misuse of roundabouts in terms of planting and benefit to local environment. Sponsored roundabouts have become all the rage, but I ask myself when seeing a large roundabout on a multilane road, with nothing more than sloppily cut grass, very low biodiversity and a few signs promoting a local company: ‘Do they think this is a good advert for their business?’ For councils running the maintenance of roundabouts, it is an easy cash grab to have them sponsored, but you would think that the companies paying for this service would at least expect them to be well maintained in order to justify the cost and align it with their brand and appeal. Tatty pockets of poorly maintained grassland help nobody and nothing here and we must demand better.

There are, of course, good and even great examples of roundabouts planted with biodiverse, mixed species planting; for instance, a large roundabout in Broxden, Perth very near to my home features sculpture, pine trees, understorey shrubs, meadow and mown

grassland. It adds to the landscape rather than detracts from it. Then there’s Sissinghurst, Kent, which has a roundabout designed by a garden designer and showcases ornamental garden plants in the style of an American Prairie planting.

Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough of Sheffield University have revolutionised the planting of verges, park edges and roundabouts, just as they have on large scale projects like the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, while they and others have experimented and refined plant mixes and detailed their environmental and wildlife benefits, many councils and regions have done nothing to adopt planting strategies in these spaces.

I understand that the cost of establishment and, more specifically, maintenance is the reason why areas like roundabouts get little attention from councils. I also understand that road safety will be a contributing factor to why most are not planted, with visibility across a roundabout critically important in some instances. I would argue that planted roundabout spaces, which partially occlude

Tatty pockets of poorly maintained grassland help nobody and nothing here and we must demand better

There are thousands of roundabouts across the UK which could be greened for the benefit of many, says

Lewis Normand

views across the roundabout tend to encourage people to be more cautionary in progressing through them and so you don’t have drivers coming on to the roundabout without looking as we have all encountered when on the road.

On researching this subject, I found out that the UK has a group of roundabout fans, called the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society (UKRAS) – I may well join! They produced a calendar of 12 roundabouts in Redditch that sold over 100,000 copies worldwide! I obviously need to go to Redditch at some point to see how special their roundabouts are.

While I suspect many of the roundabout appreciators out there are doing it ironically, we should be able to see them as valuable connective spaces in our landscape and with the potential to benefit local wildlife and contribute positively to the local environment as much as the visual appeal of an area.

In 2015, it was estimated that there were some 25,000 roundabouts in the UK. This figure differs radically from an alternative estimate of ‘more than 10,000’ that I have seen on a few websites. In that we can’t get an accurate figure, this is a somewhat academic rather than practical exercise, but I thought I would look at the land mass taken up by roundabouts.

I must assume that these are all proper roundabouts and that we aren’t including dot roundabouts in the mix here. I also must take two other approximations; the first is that all roundabouts could be

planted up (we all know that isn’t possible due to their use, position and other factors), and the second is that they are an average size of four metres wide (another huge generalisation, but I suspect if anything, this is an underestimate on average width rather than an over estimate).

Using school maths of the area of a circle being πr², we get the total area of roundabouts in the UK being between 125,664m² (for 10,000 roundabouts) up to 314,159m² (for 25,000 roundabouts). This roughly works out to 35 or 77 acres of land (17.5 to 38.5 football pitches, if this helps to visualise), with much of it being greatly underused and/or terribly maintained; this is not, on the face of it, a vast amount of space. But if we look at these smaller unloved pockets of land across the country as opportunities for nature centred design, we could really make a significant impact on the local environment and the overall beauty of our spaces.

Urban horticulture, in particular, would benefit if we adopt a nature lead opportunistic design approach to previously undervalued and underutilised spaces. Our lamp posts, bus and smoking shelter roofs, security fencing, central reservations to roads and many other spaces would all benefit from greening and these new planted spaces need not be maintenance heavy but would all improve the aesthetic and environment of

the spaces they already exist within, just as more consistent, planned and appropriately maintained roundabout planting would.

Corporate sponsorship could still be used to fund this work and businesses would benefit from having their brand associated with something positive and memorable for the right reasons, rather than at best prosaic and often bloody awful. It might even become desirable marketing space, which could drive up price and competition for advertisers looking to associate brands with quality, which would be great for the councils. The beautification would benefit the residents and visitors of now choice individualistic spaces and, finally, the improved biodiversity would be great for the atmosphere and local wildlife populations – all good things!

It’s not rocket science; it is just taking pride in our local environment and aiming to do better. The costs need not be high and through advertising, they could readily enough be self-funded.

Lewis has worked in a wide variety of roles within horticulture over a 20-year career. He has lectured on garden design and horticulture, and designed gardens in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Since 2011, Lewis has focused on nursery sales, now working as sales manager at Bernhard’s Nurseries, and has helped to launch a number of new plants into the UK plant market. He is a specialist supplier to show gardens, supplying more than 100 gardens at major shows.

LEWIS NORMAND

If we look at these smaller unloved pockets of land across the country as opportunities for nature centred design, we could really make a significant impact

POSITIVITY

through PROPAGATION

MOVING ON POST-BREXIT

At the time, leaving the EU was a horrific struggle for British nurseries like us, who imported rare and wonderful plants from across the channel. But three years on, we've moved forwards with a new focus on innovation and propagation.

As I write this article, our team are preparing to export an order of plants to Europe for the first time since Brexit. Using the Defra website (which appears to have been developed around the same time they cracked the 'Enigma' code) to list the 28 different plant species was a trying experience, to say the least! The online system brought up 141 errors, with no indication of what the errors actually were; but with a bit of patience and a few phone calls, we finally got it right and the delivery is set to arrive in the Republic of Ireland on time.

Despite frustrating processes like this, we're now pretty accustomed to jumping through these new post-Brexit hoops. There's no arguing that withdrawing from Europe

the extra paperwork, plant health inspections, VAT reconciliations, and new admin costs now involved with importing plants from the EU, many of our fellow nurseries either gave up or went broke trying to make it work.

But three years and one pandemic later, we've managed to hit our stride, give or take a few bumps along the road. We hired a great clearing agent, and we now have a designated member of staff who spends the majority of their time managing the mountain of paperwork and clearance documents. We've re-kindled our valuable relationships with most of our European suppliers by finally visiting them face-to-face (something Covid stopped us from doing), and we're successfully shipping 300 to 400 lorries full of European plants across the channel per year.

While we're proud of these achievements, if Brexit taught us anything, it's to prepare for the unexpected and we wanted to find new ways to safeguard our future. When we left the EU, Boris urged everyone to "buy British!" But while we can be proud of our British bedding plants and perennials, that’s easier said than done when it comes to things like trees, topiary and hedges, which we have always typically sourced from our European friends.

years before setting up and running Fromefield Nurseries in 1988. He's been a member of the International Dendrological Society for over 30 years and co-wrote 'The Story of Trees: And How They Changed the Way We Live,' a beautifully illustrated book published in 2020. Not only has Dave been instrumental in helping us to grow plants and trees that are typically difficult to produce for our customers, but he's also played a significant role in training the next generation of propagators.

MARK STRAVER

hugely impacted the UK’s horticultural industry when it first happened, and it felt like we were watching a slow-motion car crash happen in front of our eyes. With all

We knew we had to look for ways to become more self-sufficient in our own plant production while still offering our customers the extraordinary variety of plants they’re used to seeing at our nursery. We, therefore, established a new propagation facility and hired industry legend Dave West, who joined our team as head of propagation in the autumn of last year. Dave was originally a propagator at Hillier Nurseries for nine

Mark Straver is a thirdgeneration nurseryman based in Hampshire and has worked with plants since the age of 16. He is joint owner and director at Hortus Loci, which he founded with Robin Wallis in 2011. He’s known in the gardening world for his ability to source the best wholesale plants internationally, using his extensive knowledge, connections, and experience in the industry. hortusloci.co.uk

Hortus Loci is finding ways to thrive since Britain left the EU, as Mark Straver explains

We've moved forwards with a new focus on innovation and propagation

CERCIS CANADENSIS F. ALBA MULTISTEM

ONE OF DAVE WEST’S PROPAGATION TUNNELS

VAN DEN BERK NURSERIES

Project: One Thames City

“For the One Thames City project, a large number of mature trees were selected. At our nursery, trees are regularly transplanted and pruned to promote optimal growth at their new location. To ensure large trees received proper treatment during transport and installation, the employees of the selected contractor, Elite Landscapes, underwent a special tree course at our nursery. This enabled them to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to handle mature trees with the utmost care. With specialised transportation and trees equipped with edge protection, safe delivery was guaranteed. We are proud to announce that the mature tree planting was completed on 23 July 2023. This project is the result of meticulous planning, collaboration with landscape architect firm Gillespies, and a commitment to caring for trees throughout the entire process.” vdberk.co.uk

WYKEHAM MATURE PLANTS

Project: Private garden, West Yorkshire

“Wykeham Mature Plants has been supplying the trade with large trees for over 45 years, from heavy standard to semi-mature. Selecting the right trees for the job of course includes matching species for the conditions on site, but another challenge can be that of access. Screening for privacy remains a popular reason for tree planting, but rootballs can sometimes be too large to be moved into modern gardens. At Wykeham, due to on-nursery preparation, surprisingly large specimens can be dug with a rootball size which will squeeze through most gates so, although heavy, can be moved using a sturdy sack trolley. These have been used on several jobs; for example, one using our large standard-trained cherry laurels (pictured, underplanted with 7-8ft variegated hollies) were used for screening in a garden accessed through a 76cm wide gateway.” wykehammatureplants.co.uk

TREERIFFIC MOVE

Leading nurseries talk us through supplying mature trees to a standout project

MAJESTIC TREES

Project: Private garden, Berkshire

“This prestigious project in Berkshire has had many repeat orders. Sarah Shynn, our sales manager, has worked with this designer for many years, and the client wanted the finest and biggest trees, so he came to Majestic Trees. There are too many trees to tell you about all of them, but this particular Cedrus libani is a monstrous 3,800L pot, 10 to 11m tall that is a real beauty. In this series of pictures you can see it being brought from the nursery to the yard by one of our telehandlers; the incredible solid rootball because it was grown in an AirPot; the strength of the rootball as it is tipped over for tying up; and the tree loaded and on its way in convoy leaving the nursery for the job.” majestictrees.co.uk

PRACTICALITY BROWN

Project: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

“How do you choose what to showcase to over 130,000 visitors? This was the dilemma facing Graeme Jenkins, director at Practicality Brown (Horticulture) Ltd when he designed the instant hedge specialist’s trade stand and garden installation at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this year. The concept needed to show the range of Practical Instant Hedge™ as well as screening trees. The final design, entitled ‘Playing with Shapes’, cleverly incorporated both, using a selection of instant hedges and trees from the nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire together with the stunning Diana, The Huntress sculpture by David William-Ellis. pracbrown.co.uk

THE BEAUTY OF PORCELAIN

Over the last decade, it has become increasingly clear that the construction industry must make significant changes to accommodate evolving environmental concerns, regulations and legislation. One such change will be the choice of materials.

In the past, two key factors primarily drove material choice - cost and availability. Today, industry regulation means other considerations impact that decision. Most notably, safety and environmental impact. It is within this context that interest in porcelain as a construction material of the future is growing.

Style and energy-efficient performance in a single material

Porcelain offers more than a slick finish. As well as fantastic durability, it boasts outstanding thermal performance. Porcelain’s thermal inertia ensures heat is stored within the material and released slowly and uniformly, helping buildings avoid extreme spikes and drop-offs in temperature.

Efficient heat storage and dispersal translate to energy savings in the long run, suggesting porcelain can play a critical role in energy-efficient construction systems.

More eco-friendly manufacturing processes

Porcelain typically depends on less energyintense extraction and manufacturing processes than similar materials, making it a more eco-friendly choice. Made from widely available clay, water and feldspar or quartz, the material’s comparatively low environmental cost is further improved by the thermal energy recovery system utilised in modern manufacturing processes.

Just as important is the material’s recyclability. Porcelain’s long potential lifespan means it will outlast most other building materials. But when it does reach the end of its life, it is recycled easily and cost-effectively. This means it is suitable for organisations looking to emphasise circular economy practices. By ensuring easy recycling and reintegration into new manufacturing processes, porcelain helps break the linear manufacture-use-dispose lifecycle and establish a more efficient and sustainable manufacturing loop.

EPC Ratings and de-risking against stranded assets

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is the most widely used measurement of energy efficiency in construction and forms the basis for much of the UK government’s regulation and legislation. In April 2023,

all commercial property must achieve a minimum EPC rating of E. The government hopes to enforce a minimum EPC rating of by 2030.

Consequently, significant remediation will take place over the next seven years. For context, approximately 70% of the City of London’s commercial property currently holds a sub-B EPC. To prevent a premature write-down in value or a high-value asset from becoming a liability, property owners must future-proof their buildings by utilising long-lasting materials with proven eco-credentials. This will prevent another round of expensive remediation work should targets and regulations shift again.

In this respect, porcelain is an excellent choice and will prove popular amongst construction professionals seeking to eliminate the possibility of prime real estate becoming a stranded asset.

The new RYNO Porcelain range

To meet the needs of architects and construction professionals, RYNO has launched a new porcelain paving range. Fully compliant and manufactured in an eco-aware and sustainable manner, it is an excellent choice for both new-build and remediation projects.

As well as benefiting from EN 15804+A1 EPD, ISO 14021 and LEED V4 certifications, the RYNO porcelain range boasts excellent slip resistance and achieved excellent scores in the Booted Ramp and Barefoot tests. Available in a range of finishes, it is non-combustible and can be integrated into our innovative TerraSmart™ and BalcaSmart™ Paving systems.

Learn more about RYNO porcelain paving and our paving systems visit us at: www.rynogroup.co.uk/pl

ECO-FRIENDLY INSPIRED BY NATURE NON-COMBUSTIBLE SUSTAINABLE

“ THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE

THIS BUSINESS HAS EVER FACED IS COVID AND US HAVING TO ADAPT TO THAT”

Holland Landscapes is celebrating its 35-year milestone having overcome its toughest obstacle yet

In another life, Paul Baker might have been an app developer, or an IT technician. He left school at the age of 16 to study computer science at college. But after three months, Baker had had enough of education. So, until he figured out what he wanted to do, he went to work for his dad’s landscaping business. He’d been working there unofficially since the age of 12 but had no intentions of pursuing it as a career.

“As much as I liked the money, I didn’t like landscaping; it was hard work and not what I wanted to do,” says Baker. Gradually, though, as he started to bond with the other team members and be given more responsibility, there was a shift in his mindset.“I started enjoying being outdoors and I was starting to learn more; I was given more responsibility instead of just digging holes and making tea. I naturally grew to like it.”

Fast forward to 2023 and Holland Landscapes is celebrating 35 years in business, and Baker has taken over the day-to-day running from his dad, Chris – happily, I might add.

“I wasn’t fast-tracked because I was family, and I think that’s important for anyone who starts out in landscaping. You need to learn all the basics before you can start telling someone else what to do – that's important.”

Baker started out as a labourer, working up to running his own team, and nearly 10 years ago he was introduced to the back-office side of the business before coming off site completely a couple of years later with the help of horticultural business consultant Neville Stein. Baker now runs the business entirely, with his dad as a “silent partner”.

“It was always the plan that I would take over, and I guess I’ve been slowly doing that since 2016. I put together a seven-year plan for the business with Neville in 2018, which included growing the teams, expanding the business and doing more maintenance – but then Covid got in the way of that and changed our plans massively. The biggest challenge this business has ever faced is covid and us having to adapt to that.”

But it arguably also presented an opportunity for Holland Landscapes. With seven weeks off from work, Baker decided to set up a new remote arm of the business called My Garden Design. It was already running its own garden design company Tapestry Design Studios, which was set up in 2016 to serve the local market and surrounding areas from its base in Colchester, Essex.

“We were working with some really good local designers, but they couldn’t keep up with the number of enquiries that we were getting

to design. So, we decided to contract our own designs as Holland Landscapes. It went really well, so we set it up as a separate business to offer design to other landscapers as well and to market ourselves differently.”

My Garden Design is a different offering altogether, though.“Before Covid, a landscaper in Lincolnshire asked us to do a design for him. It would have cost a fortune to send our designer up there, so I asked him to measure the site and take photos and said we’d design it remotely – and it worked well. It planted the

seed in my mind that this is something that could be a good project. When Covid came along, I decided it was the time to get My Garden Design up and running. I spent a good few weeks with my web designer working out what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it, then we launched it in July of the same year.”

With around 20 designers on the books, a garden design can be turned around in four weeks.“The landscaper can strike while the iron’s hot once they’ve had the enquiry,” says Baker.

“So, if it’s a local design, then it goes through Tapestry the more traditional way, with our lead designer Katie [Moyes] visiting the client, taking the brief and designing the garden. My Garden Design is purely for other landscapers up and down the country, because we design it in their name then. It's sometimes hard to find good local designers and I want to help landscapers understand that they shouldn't be designing for free. We’ve all done it, and I put my hands up as we’ve done it ourselves, but we shouldn’t be designing for free. For a small fee, which should be charged to the client, you can take that away from yourself and gain some time and probably earn a bit of money as well. Once a landscaper has seen how well it works, then they do come back to us; a lot of our business is repeat.”

I wasn’t fast-tracked because I was family, and I think that’s important for anyone who starts out in landscaping

So, whilst the pandemic might have slowed down the future growth of the company, Holland Landscapes still looks vastly different from when it was first founded back in 1988. Chris Baker had been a betting shop manager working for his brother whilst gardening at the weekends until he decided to take it up full time. He carried out other maintenance too, be it washing cars or painting houses. A turning point came when he built a one-acre garden in Frinton, which the owners asked him to maintain. It sparked a desire to aim for the higher end of the market.

“It was to separate ourselves from the competition,” explains Baker.“Whatever we did, we did to a high standard, but it just didn't stand out that what we were doing was any

different to anyone else locally. So, we wanted to spread our wings a bit further afield and do some high-end jobs and work with designers. That's why we decided to change our marketing, so that we didn't have to compete on price, but we were competing on quality.”

At the time, Yellow Pages representatives would offer free business advice to those spending enough money, which Holland Landscapes was doing. So, when Baker and his dad told their rep that they wanted to move into the high-end market, he guided them on their advertising and marketing to attract those jobs. “And it worked – really well,” says Baker.

Being a member of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) was also key to building the business’ reputation. Holland Landscapes joined in the late 90s and Baker would attend a business improvement scheme with his dad when he was in his late teens. That’s when he started to network with other members and see the benefits. “The APL has given us good business support and mentorship; it’s been a staple part of our business.”

Just over 10 years ago, Baker was invited to join the APL committee by Tim Briercliffe, the general manager at the time. (His first meeting was also the first for current general manager Phil Tremayne). Baker even took up the role of vice chair for a year, though business commitments prevented him from taking up the chairmanship. He admits that if he were asked now, it might be a different story.

“I would certainly be interested.

I love being a part of the APL, I love being part of the committee, and I love helping people in the industry.

I've helped out many landscapers for free just because I want to see people do well in their business, because it all helps our industry improve and become a better industry. With the APL, it's about giving back. The APL has given a lot to me, so I think it's my turn to give back to the APL, to its members, and help out where we can, and the cluster groups are fantastic –they're worth the membership alone.”

When Holland Landscapes was first looking to step into a different market, there weren’t that many high-end landscapers at the time, says Baker – and that’s just one of the ways the industry has changed over the last 35 years, he adds.

“There’s a lot more landscaping companies than there used to be, and there are a lot of good landscapers out there now. Companies like ours are training up people, who then go and set up on their own after a few years. They’ve multiplied to generate some really good landscaping companies.”

1 APL Supreme Award winning garden located near Colchester

2 Rear terrace in Brentwood

3 Corten steel feature wall in a Colchester garden

That's why we decided to change our marketing, so that we didn't have to compete on price, but we were competing on quality

Katie Moyes

Ben Jackson

Doug Jones

Paul Baker and Chris Baker

Training the next generation of landscapers is important to Baker. “It's extremely hard to find someone who is as skilled as they say they are to come and work for you. People are often working for themselves or they're happy where they are, and you can't train someone's attitude; they've either got it or they haven't. So, we try to find someone with the right attitude and give them the training they need, whether it's on site or somewhere else, and nurture them – and hopefully they'll stay with you and help build your business that way.”

As a result, Baker says Holland Landscapes has a low turnover of staff. “We look after our guys really well, and we tend to hold onto them for quite a few years.”

Holland Landscapes currently runs two teams, one carrying out the high-end landscaping for which the company has become known, and the other team completing what Baker calls “smaller works” such as fencing and artificial grass installation – jobs that are typically completed in fewer than five days, which are a “really good platform to train new members of staff.”

For now, this is how it will stay, as Baker says Holland Landscapes is still “riding the waves of Covid” and there is a cost-of-living crisis to contend with. Once the economy is on the up, though, a growth plan will be put back in place. The website for My Garden Design is being redesigned at the moment ready for a “hard push”, for instance. And if it takes off, it will become its own entity separate to Holland, like Tapestry. Holland Landscapes will continue with its in-house training too and building a core team of people who can help to grow the business.“I’d like to see two teams building high-end gardens, maybe two teams doing smaller work, and possibly a maintenance team as well. But we need to make sure we grow at the right time and not when the demand isn’t there. We have to grow organically, and it if takes three years longer than planned, then so be it.”

But there’s a condition – Baker insists that his work/life balance remains. “I don’t work evenings and I don’t work on the weekend, so

that I get some really good family time. I have two young children that I need to keep happy, and I’m renovating a house at the moment, so I finish at five and then I’m done for the day. Whenever I consider business expansion, I need to make sure that I can keep that balance in check.”

Celebrating 35 years of Holland Landscapes and helping his dad to build the company as it stands today, Baker has every right to make such demands. Whilst there have been numerous highlights throughout the years, the most meaningful is one 16-year-old Paul Baker probably would not have envisaged himself saying: “Even to this day, we’re building great gardens with lots of happy customers year on year. We go back to see gardens that we’ve built 20 years ago to see how well they’ve endured, and to see people still so pleased with their garden, even after all this time, is amazing.”

4 Circular terraced garden in Danbury, Essex 5 Bespoke outdoor kitchen and dining area with pergola to define adjoining space

We try to find someone with the right attitude and give them the training they need, whether it's on site or somewhere else, and nurture them

MADE TO measure

Allgreen’s entire range of stones are available as bespoke, which is why natural stone is such a sought after building material and inspires creativity. The main limitations with a natural product include the quarry block size, suitability in specific applications and lead times. Our bespoke offering launched in 2010 when we focused on specification and design and we discovered a lack in the market for bespoke services with short lead times. Our combined stock and bespoke business model has enabled us to provide a comprehensive selection of standard sized paving from stock, complemented by a variety of bespoke options across all formats. This offering provides you with greater freedom in design and a wider a range of options.

What’s available?

Offering a superior choice from over 50 stones, we have created a unique collection of standard format paving, walling and setts, all available from stock. We also offer bespoke products from our

stocks of primary cut slab or for unique requirements we can produce from source, offering greater flexibility in

tables; security and defense; steps; and bridges. Our ability to customise to specification and tailor stone to suit the preferences of the client in a range of stone types is why Allgreen has become the market leading supplier of stone.

Sourcing stone

Our feature stones and raw blocks are primarily cut from UK and European quarries. Our collective expertise to work in harmony with nature creating customised features from plans and drawings is one of the extraordinary features of our company.

Assisting clients

Our specialised team comprises of highly skilled consultants and masons, who have more than 50 years of collective experience, and are trained to assist with the specification and development of custom requirements. Our passion for natural materials drives us to source new stone, discover new finishes and formats enabling us to lead the way in innovation and setting trends.

Lead times

Our lead times for bespoke from stock products are currently three to four weeks. We have the ability to facilitate additional production capacity for priority and special projects, which is offered at an additional cost and subject to availability. Bespoke from source lead times can vary from 6 to 12 weeks, depending on stone type. We deliver all bespoke items using highly trained drivers with crane assisted offload on specialist transport frames, packing crates and heavy-duty protective packaging. allgreen.uk

specifications and lead times, whilst allowing you to create a truly customised product. Our bespoke capabilities include CNC and water jet cutting; finish matching; profiling; bespoke weathering and aging; special projects with lighting; audio and water features; and bespoke lettering and inlays.

Some of our commissions include fire tables; sculptural and architectural art; seats and

Bespoke aggregates

Bespoke aggregates is another exceptional feature which has developed and shaped our range of aggregates and blends. We believe that our expertise in sourcing specific aggregate types, colours, and shapes is unique, and combined with our ability to process, crush, screen, blend, wash, package and deliver, it has led us to become the brand of choice.

Allgreen’s bespoke offering allows you to tailor products to your clients’ needs

BESPOKE FEATURE STONE

Allgreen’s entire range of stones are available as bespoke

©Colm Joseph Garden Design

BESPOKE BRASS INLAY

BESPOKE WATER FEATURE

EXIT MAKING AN F

or more than two centuries, Crowders Nurseries has been a family-run company. It was founded in 1978, with its current CEO Robert Crowder being the seventh generation in his family to lead the Lincolnshirebased nursery. But this summer came the somewhat shocking announcement that Crowders had been acquired by sustainable solutions provider RSK.

“Nothing goes on forever,” says Robert Crowder – especially when your three sons are successful in their own right. Crowder’s children are pursuing careers across the globe. “I’m very proud of the fact that they’ve chosen their own careers and they’re all standing on their own two feet. Having encouraged them to be independent throughout their lives, the quid pro quo is that there is no succession for my longstanding family business.”

RSK approached Crowder at the right time, when he was already looking at various options for how the business would continue; when you’re in a family business, succession planning is always on your mind, says Crowder. But he didn’t want his children to feel any pressure. “If their hearts weren’t in it, then there was no point in trying to encourage them to do that.”

That doesn’t mean it was an easy decision to sell. It was a “very emotional moment” for Crowder. “It’s probably easier if you’re the founder of the business to make the decision to pass it on, because it’s absolutely your baby. But when you’re the seventh generation, you consider yourself to be a caretaker. It’s a different psyche.”

RSK felt like the right fit, though. The company name would remain, as would its branding. In fact, nothing but the names on the shareholder register should change for the time being, says Crowder, and each business acquired by RSK is left with a “high degree of autonomy to determine its own future.” The management team will remain too, including Crowder himself for at least two years.

“Because they've got 180 companies, they cannot micromanage each individual one, so they're actually dependent on the management team of the companies that they buy to stay on and continue to run them. That was really attractive because the name continues, the management team continues, the culture continues, under a different ownership.”

Succession planning is vital for founders and owners hoping their legacy will continue

Having encouraged them to be independent throughout their lives, the quid pro quo is that there is no succession for my longstanding family business

Robert Crowder, CEO Crowders Nurseries

Building a team

Someone with plenty of experience on both sides of an acquisition is Peter Fane, who serves as executive chairman of the Nurture Group. Fane sold his previous grounds maintenance company Waterers Landscape to ISS Facilities Management in 2003 but was left “a bit disappointed” by how it was then “subsumed” into ISS. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, says Fane. But Waterers has since lost its name and its identity. “What it stood for has, to a large extent, gone. And so, I was keen for Nurture to have a longer life and for the brand and what we stood for to last into the future – and it’s more likely to do that with the structure that I put in place over these last couple of years.”

Last January, Nurture announced it had appointed a new CEO, Gareth Kirkwood, and Fane would move into the role of executive chairman. “We’ve grown so substantially, and it was the point where we went through the £100m turnover that I realised, when I was talking to banks and investors about the next stage of the Nurture journey, that I had to futureproof the business."

Investors were looking for structure, and Fane wanted to build a business to last, so he needed the “top team” around him to do this. Kirkwood was brought in as CEO, freeing up Fane to focus on strategy and its own acquisitions, of which Nurture has completed nearly 50 to date.

There are now three non-executive directors who hold Fane, Kirkwood and the chief financial officer Daniel Ratcliffe “to account”. There are also two board members from All Seas Capital, which owns 19% and has “the same values and approach” as Nurture.

“It’s been fantastic for me to feel that there’s a much wider, deeper team there to build a business, not just today but to see the business five or 10 years down the line. I view this as writing a book, and it’s just setting the scene for the next chapter and the chapter beyond that.”

Fane and his brother Mark still own the majority of the Nurture Group and will continue to be a major influence on key decisions with eight now “steering the ship,” says Fane. A business needs to be strong enough to deal with “the ultimate unexpected exit plan,” adds Fane. “If you build a wonderful business and it's all singing and all dancing, but you've got no structure in place, and you suddenly get run over by a bus, then the last stage of your business planning has been very poor because you've left something behind that has no leadership. It's not easy sometimes to let go, but if you want to build anything of any substance, then you really do have to give people the responsibility and believe in them and let them get on with it.”

Employees first

Liz Nicholson and her husband Niel are also placing their faith in others, but they’re considering an employee ownership trust (EOT), where owners sell at least a 50% stake in the business to a trust of which all the employees are beneficiaries. Like Robert Crowder, Nicholson's children are not looking to be involved in taking over the family business, so succession planning is “interesting”, she says.

Founded more than 40 years ago, Nicholsons has grown to more than 200 employees. But Nicholson says the company is “less about size and quantity” and is instead driven by quality, and it’s because of this that selling the business is off the table.

“We feel our business has never been driven by profitability and if you were going to have somebody come in and invest in it, our understanding is they'd want to get the maximum profitability out of it; the ethos might be lost in a big way, and the risk is they'd dress it up and sell it on. This is very much a family business, and we regard ourselves as a family, so a straight sell isn’t at all attractive and never has been.”

A management buyout is an option but would require raising a lot of equity, says Nicholson. An employee ownership trust is “more possible,” with Nicholson and her husband selling at least 51% and retaining the remainder as they plan to move away from the business in the next three years or so.

Employee ownership trusts are seemingly becoming a more popular option.

Manchester-

I view this as writing a book, and it’s just setting the scene for the next chapter and the chapter beyond that Peter Fane, executive chairman, The Nurture Group

based landscape architecture firm Planit-IE has switched to being employee owned, as has environmental consultancy LUC, groundwork contractor Fitfield and commercial landscaping company Maylim.

Connick Tree Care also became employee owned earlier this year. Managing director Mike Connick had been introduced to the idea around four years ago and, after some research and consideration, he started the process of moving to an EOT model.

“It’s a great process and it’s a win-win situation; it’s good for me, but it’s also good for the employees, who have got no financial outlay and yet they’re the owners of a company who share in the profits and in the way it’s run.”

The transition has been somewhat easy as it’s mostly “business as normal” and there’s “a lot of continuity” for the team. Connick Tree Care has gone from one to 75 employees over the last 38 years, and there are a lot of people who have made it a success, says Connick. “It would be a shame to let a third party change that...Now, the employees are very much the way forward, and I’ve been really pleased with the way it’s run so far.”

Connick still remains central to the day-to-day operations of the business, but he is gradually phasing out his involvement by reducing the days he works each week via the ‘5-4-3-2-1 approach’. He’s now working three days a week, which will drop down to two next year and one day per week the following year, though he will remain involved with a spot on the board of trustees for the next 10 years.

“I've got a very good leadership team, and have done for a while, and they are taking on more responsibility. As I reduce my responsibility, there's plenty of energy, enthusiasm and ability to take on more.”

Succession in mind

Selling the business, acquisitions and mergers, management buyouts, EOTs –with so many options available, how do you choose what’s right for you, and how do you prepare your business for any eventuality?

“Start with the end in mind,” says business coach Nick Ruddle.

“What are you trying to achieve and how much do you want to walk away with? Because if you don’t know that, then you don’t know how long it’s going to take or what you need to build.”

You also need to get the business valued by a professional.

“There are so many different ways to value a business, and if you own the land or the building then there’s asset value too. An accountant knows how to value what that business is worth, in terms of if you were to sell it. If that falls short of what you need, then you can ask your accountant for the numbers you’d need to get there.”

His advice is that everyone should build a business as if they are going to sell it. “Consider whether the business can still grow and operate without you. Have you got the right systems, documents, procedures and processes in place? Are they easily accessible and up to date? What are your numbers, in terms of turnover, net profit and gross profit? Getting an ISO accreditation can help to build this framework too.”

Once you know what you want to walk away with, you can reverse engineer the business to achieve that goal, says Ruddle. Part of that is ensuring staff retention. “You have to build a culture that’s really solid, with clear values in place and a vision for the business that everyone understands. You need to hold appraisals and ensure there are measurements for success, so put KPIs in place to measure the performance of each individual, each department and the business. Having the right culture, the right people on the bus, with good management systems and processes in place that people follow on a regular basis is so crucial.”

You also need to identify who could be the leader in the business if you took yourself out of the equation – “someone who understands the nuts and bolts of the business” who can be trained and developed with the necessary management and leadership skills. Prospective buyers are likely going to look for this as well, says Ruddle, as they might not necessarily be looking to run the company themselves. Identify these “future stars” and let them know that they have been earmarked as a manager or even managing director.

Communicate your plans with them early on and put them on the right track, says Ruddle. But as for when you plan to sell the business, this can be “very disruptive”, so Ruddle recommends waiting until only a few days before signing.

It’s good for me, but it’s also good for the employees, who have got no financial outlay and yet they’re the owners of a company who share in the profits and in the way it’s run

Mike Connick, Managing director, Connick Tree Care

Robert Crowder brought in his co-directors once he was approached by RSK, and then informed the heads of departments about three months before completion. He waited until the day after the deal had been done to address the rest of the team. “The first message was ‘all your jobs are safe’, because that’s the first thing people think about; their terms of employment hadn’t changed and the continuity of the employment continues,” says Crowder.

As for building a business as though you’d one day sell it, Crowder says this is great advice, but difficult when you have a 225-year-old company which hasn’t always been developed with that in mind. “It's a different culture, and I'd say that's a massive difference between family businesses which have been through one or more generation, and an owner founded business, where Nick's advice is absolutely spot on.”

Keep it in the family

Paul Downer, managing director of Essexbased Oak View Landscapes, is a testament to how business coaching can help prepare for what Peter Fane would call ‘the next chapter’. He has been working with Ruddle for more than 10 years and has been batting away acquisition proposals in favour of lining up his children to take over the family business in a few years. “I wanted to build a legacy going forward,” says Downer.

His son, James, is a young site manager in Yorkshire, who grew up in the family business and went on to study construction

project management at university. “He’s grown up with contracting, construction and landscaping, so that’s his forte and he wanted to do that. He’s got a lot of strengths and I feel he’s got real potential for the business.”

As Ruddle says, building the right team has been crucial, and Downer has been able to cut down to a four-day working week and start divorcing himself slightly from the company over the last couple of years.

“You have to stand back, train, mentor and let other people pick up skills, so that if you're not here, the company continues running; there'll be challenges, but no different to the challenges that would be there if you were here.”

Downer put together a five-year plan and created the roles, looking at where extra resources or expertise would be needed.

“We always want to recruit from within where we can, to give people the opportunity to develop and grow their careers with us. Although we’ll be transparent and open by offering it to anyone to apply, you generally earmark people from their skillset and have discussions with them when you’re

doing their performance reviews and personal development plans, looking at how they can map a route.”

Downer acknowledges that he’s lucky to be the sole owner of Oak View and can therefore be flexible, but somebody has to replace him. He admits he has somewhat dangled a carrot for his son to come into the business, setting up a (currently dormant) development company and the land-owning site company with rent-paying tenants, as well as Oak View Landscapes.

Downer is also expanding the existing four-acre site with another eight acres and will be developing the two acres behind the offices into a commercial site.

It is an extra incentive to join the family business, though it arguably helps that his son is already passionate about the industry. Regardless of the succession plan, the business needs to be an attractive proposition to the next owner, and one which has a legacy in mind.

You have to stand back, train, mentor and let other people pick up skills, so that if you're not here, the company continues running

Paul Downer, managing director, Oak View Landscapes

Reach new heights with your projects. Discover our wide range of large trees.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project value

£35k

Build time

Six weeks

Size of project 100m2 Awards

The Association of Professional Landscapers Awards

2023 – Soft Landscaping and APL Collaboration (with JJH Landscapes)

TIER Next

ADAM VETERE LANDSCAPE & GARDEN DESIGN

THE CONTEMPORARY COURTYARD GARDEN

For years, this garden had been a traditional cottage garden with herbaceous, perennial planting. But with a new garage-cum-garden workshop attached to the house via a ‘wraparound’ portico, a contemporary courtyard design was wanted by the clients for part of their sloped garden. Sustainability was a priority for both the materials and the plants chosen. All building materials needed to be durable and hardwearing, as well as sourced locally or within the UK, whilst the planting was to be low maintenance and drought tolerant where possible to limit water usage. The clients wanted to relocate as much of the

existing herbaceous perennials where possible within the site, and they wanted to enhance the biodiversity and ecology of the overall site.

With all this in mind, the courtyard had to offer the clients a space to relax and entertain family and friends. There needed to be flexible zones for cooking, dining and seating, and a small water feature to enjoy the sound of the water when outside. Being south-east facing, it could be used throughout most of the year, so providing year-round interest was essential.

Levelling up

Terraced hard-landscaped zones were created using mid-grey porcelain paving and limestone gravel. Mild steel retainer planting beds showcase drought-tolerant architectural plants which will thrive on the south facing slope of the courtyard and provide year-round interest. These are intersected with large boulders, leading down to a Corten steel water table for a contemporary look. The herbaceous, perennial plants from the previous traditional garden were replanted elsewhere.

Before construction, the area was CT scanned for electric cables and telecom, and trial holes were dug to locate the depth of the existing drain run to ensure it was not present at the levels at which the team would need to work. Unwanted foliage was cleared and removed, with any bulbs found being saved for relocation, leaving a blank canvas to cut and fill to the new garden levels. Steel pins and level lines set out the garden design, tailoring it to the slope of the landscape.

Before steelwork could start, minor adjustments were made and an extra step added, and electrical ducting was installed to allow for power to the water feature and garden lighting. For future additions, extra ducts were included to avoid having to dig up the project to install these.

The steelwork was fabricated around the large olive trees and boulders that were set out into position on site, which Adam Vetere notes was time-consuming as “the detail in scribing around the rocks was one of the most important parts of the project”.

Soaring standards

With the steelwork complete, 13m3 of certificated topsoil was brought in for the planting beds and three tonnes of horticultural grit was rotavated into the planters to aid drainage, while new levelled lawn areas were turfed.

The blockwork construction for the steps and ramp were started and the porcelain paving and cladding were completed.

Finally, the gravel areas were finished, and the porcelain was pointed to match the existing patio area.

The team had anticipated the project taking four weeks, but then had to take into account the scribing of steel around the rocks. So, an extra four days were added, and additional works requested brought the total length of the build to six weeks. The client was impressed, commenting: “The quality of our contractor’s workmanship was exceptional for the entire build, particularly the attention to detail.”

1 View looking north-east – agave and Yucca rostrata in raised steel planters

2 Limestone boulders and intersecting mild steel detailing

3 View looking south-east. Ancient, gnarled olive tree – Olea europaea

4 View looking south-east over the Adezz Corten Steel Water Table

5 Lighting supplied by Hudson Lighting: Midi Spike Spots

6 Drought-tolerant ‘Rock Garden’ planting with aloes, aeoniums and Lampranthus spectabilis

Protective measures

Whilst the result was impeccable, there were challenges throughout the project. Access for excavators was only through an exterior set of double doors and over existing porcelain paving under the portico. So, the team had to take great care to ensure the paving was not damaged, laying OSB boarding which also aided the transit of 500kg boulders and the two mature olive trees to their destinations. For the heavy pallets of building materials, OSB boarding was also laid on the main gravel driveway.

Then there was perennial climbing vine bindweed to contend with in one of the existing planting beds. All soil was removed from the affected area, down to around 600mm to virgin ballast ground, to prevent it invading the new planters.

When welding outside, the use of shielding gas became difficult in the tough, winter weather conditions. Therefore, a small weather shield was created and held, when required, during the welding process.

There was no problem that Adam Vetere and contractor JJH Landscapes could not overcome to create a contemporary garden fitting for the new garden workshop, and it proves to be one which will boost biodiversity and last for years to come.

REFERENCES

Landscape contractor JJH Landscapes jjhlandscapes.co.uk

Porcelain paving Marshalls marshalls.co.uk

Gravel Willis & Ainsworth willisandainsworth.co.uk

Boulders Rock Farm, Shepton Mallet

Mild steel Buy Metal Online buymetalonline.co.uk

Planting Premium Plants premium-plants.co.uk Provender Nurseries provendernurseries.co.uk

Water feature Adezz adezz.com/en-gb

ABOUT

Adam Vetere is a multiaward-winning garden and landscape designer. After graduating from the London College of Garden Design in 2019, he set up Adam Vetere Landscape & Garden Design and now creates gardens that combine his passion for plants with a focus on sustainable design. adamvetere.co.uk

7 View looking west. Clients’ existing Citrus limon and Citrus sinensis ‘Chislet Navel’ pictured.

8 View looking south beyond the Contemporary Courtyard Garden. Clients’ existing multi-stemmed Syringa vulgaris ‘Madame Lemoine’ pictured.

Photographs ©Ellie Walpole

Call 01903 777 570 or email mark.wellman@eljays44.com

GARDEN EDUCATION MANAGER

WALWORTH GARDEN

Location: London

Walworth Garden is an educational and environmental charity that provides learning and horticultural therapy in a garden that is open to all, seven days a week. Join Walworth Garden at an exciting time in its development and its growing education department. This role will take the helm as it adds more teaching space, and opens up more learning opportunities for its wider community. It will provide significant opportunities to contribute to the strategic goals of the charity for its community and beyond, and have a positive impact on both the horticulture sector, and London’s wider landscape.

GARDENER

THE AUCKLAND PROJECT

Location: Durham

The Auckland Project is a collection of heritage attractions including galleries, gardens and parkland, centred around Auckland Castle. The successful candidate will be working to assist in the development and maintenance of a wide range of gardens. From its walled garden to a range of gardens within the castle curtilage, including water features, courtyards, wildflower filled wilderness areas and a medieval bowling green. The applicant will also help maintain other gardens throughout the estate including hotels and car parks. It will be a varied and rewarding role.

HEAD GARDENER, NORTH YORKSHIRE

CLIFTON CASTLE FARMS

Location: Yorkshire

Clifton Castle Farms is looking for a full-time gardener. The applicant should have some training or practical knowledge of gardening; this could be via hands-on work experience or a recently qualified horticulture student. Clifton Castle Farms has a large walled Victorian kitchen garden and grows a wide range of fruits and vegetables for the house, keep chickens, hens and pigs. In addition, there are wildflower meadows, orchards and flower beds to look after. During the winter months when things are quieter in the garden, the role will include getting involved in a variety of other tasks.

OPERATIONS MANAGER NORTH REGION

JOHN O’CONNER GROUNDS MAINTENANCE LIMITED

Location: Leicestershire, Yorkshire

The operations manager would be responsible for contracts via contract managers and business development in a designated region to ensure resources are planned, organised and able to deliver services to an excellent and compliant standard that meets customer and company requirements and exceeds financial targets. They will lead by example and deliver continuous improvements in safety, environmental, quality, customer satisfaction and financial performance. Working alongside the business development team, they will be responsible for managing and production of tender submissions, including estimating and writing method statements.

Privacy in gardens can be created using trees to hide or screen out an undesirable view. Trees grown for this purpose often have a clear stem up to fence panel height around 1.8-2m with a full bushy canopy above, forming a good screen above the fence line. This type of screening is particularly useful if the garden is overlooked by neighbouring properties or to retain lower-level exposure to an attractive wall or area.

Screening trees

Practicality Brown can supply a range of top quality trees for screening, which are particularly useful for creating privacy. We have a range over evergreen trees in stock at our nursery in Iver, Bucks:

Pleached trees

We also have a range of pleached trees in stock, which can be used in the same way; pleached trees can be effective for formal screening and where space is limited.

tree & edge ursery

As well as the screening trees, Practicality Brown grows a range of premium quality Practical Instant Hedge™ at the nursery in Iver.

You are welcome to visit to view both trees and hedges.

email: rees@pracbron.co.uk or call 01753 652022 for more informaion

Ilex Nellie R Stevens

Magnolia grandiflora

Ligustrum japonicum (pleached)

Photinia Red Robin

For full details on all jobs, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

Room with A VIEW

DK DESIGN ASSOCIATES

BRAMHALL GARDEN, GREATER MANCHESTER

On first sight, this domestic garden in the small village of Bramhall was heavily in need of a revamp, says garden designer David Keegan. Land behind an existing double garage at the end of the garden sloped into the neighbouring property, with no clearly defined boundary. In front of the garage were the remains of a covered-up driveway, and the wrought iron fencing to the side of the garden was rusty and falling apart, with no screening. To resolve this, a new timber perimeter fence was installed to maintain privacy and painted black to blur nicely into the background.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project value

£60k+

Build time

3 months

Size of project 450sqm

The clients – one of whom is an architect –had created a picture-perfect interior for the house (it even has its own Instagram profile), and they needed the garden to match; one that was low maintenance, family friendly and included edible plants.

The glass doors from the living room frame a view of the garden, and Keegan used this to form his design. It also impacted how the garden should perform for the year, needing to have year-round interest.

One of the first tasks was to demolish the double garages and remove the concrete base beneath, as well as the driveway remains and the old iron fencing. Once complete, a line of multistem birch trees was planted to the boundary, interspersed with dogwood for the fine, red colour of the defoliated branches throughout the winter months. Gabion baskets create the connection with the interior space, says Keegan, and add further visual interest for winter.

At the side of the house, a deep step led up to a pair of French doors; Keegan wanted to replace this with level access to increase the connection between the internal and external spaces. So, Millboard platform decking was used. The clients’ office also looked out onto this area, so Keegan was keen to introduce colour and trees, and the boundary has been kept simple with ivy screens. It has gone from a space hardly used by the clients to one they use often, when sitting outside for a morning coffee.

The planting for the main outdoor area creates what Keegan calls a “grazing garden” because the majority of the plants are edible whilst also looking decorative. There are herbs including fennel, oregano, sage, chives, various thymes, rosemary and lavender. Fruit trees such as fig, plum and apple have been planted, along with strawberry plants. Rather than looking wild, the edibles look colourful and ornamental.

1 Dining terrace porcelain paving and herbs

2 Forming flower head Salvia purpurea

3 Allium flower head Allium aflatunense

4 Creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum

5 View through dining terrace into the garden, bespoke garden seat and gabion feature baskets

A lawn forms the centre of the garden for the clients’ four-year-old to play on. He also has a dedicated play area created using bark chips towards the end of the garden, behind the gabion cages, which are clad with Millboard at the top and sides for safety as well as being an aesthetic consideration. The back section of the garage has been used as the new retaining structure for the play area and to help create a boundary between this garden and the neighbour’s.

Improving what was previously an undefined boundary was one of the biggest challenges of the project, as was the old garage and accessing the site. The house is situated on a main road and access is partially hidden, which created a few problems with deliveries, especially at peak times. But a banksman managed the process to keep these at a minimum. After three months on site, the outdoor space has been transformed into a garden which arguably deserves its own Instagram.

REFERENCES

Landscape construction Garden360 UK mygarden360.com

Oak sleepers Arnold Laver laver.co.uk

Gabion baskets Gabion1 gabion1.co.uk

Decking Millboard millboard.co.uk

Porcelain paving London Stone londonstone.co.uk

Turf Lindum Turf turf.co.uk

Plants Bespoke Garden Elements Ltd

Topsoil Tarmac tarmac.com

ABOUT

David Keegan is an international, national and regional award-winning garden and landscape designer. His design philosophy centres on a naturalistic planting style. David’s garden design projects are located around the UK, in Manchester, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire and the north-west of England. dkgardendesign.co.uk

6 Millboard clad gabions screening play area 7 Garden furniture chosen by clients: nardioutdoor.com

Fulfilling the need to award those in the industry that would otherwise go unrecognised

Who can enter?

People can either enter themselves, or nominate a colleague, manager or industry contact, whether that be in the supply chain, a subcontractor or from anywhere else.

The nominee must currently work in the sector, and must have been with their current company for at least the last 12 months.

The idea is that this initiative shines a light on those that show true commitment which may have gone unnoticed until now.

When is the deadline?

All entries must be in by 14 August 2023.

When is the award ceremony?

The awards will be presented at a lunchtime champagne reception at FutureScape, Wednesday 22 November 2023.

Wednesday

NEW HEARTHackney’s

PROJECT DETAILS

Project value

£1.7m

Build time

11 months

Size of project 7.1ha

BLAKEDOWN LANDSCAPES

Shoreditch Park is one of the London Borough of Hackney’s largest parks at 7.1ha, located at the heart of the Hoxton and Shoreditch community in the south of the borough. It was created 50 years ago this year, on a site which was formerly terraced housing damaged during the Blitz, and where prefab housing had been built in the years following the Second World War.

In recent years, however, the context and use of the park has been influenced by a growing population and new adjacent developments including the Colville Estate Regeneration, one of Hackney’s biggest building projects, providing 935 new homes by 2030; the Gainsborough Building, a 280-apartment gated community and the Britannia Development Scheme, which has delivered a state-of-the-art new leisure centre, a 1,100 pupil secondary school and will soon deliver new council homes

The Shoreditch Park Improvement Project is one of the biggest green spaces investments in Hackney in recent years and will secure the future of the park for generations to come. The brief from the client was to create an asset which would foster openness and enclosure, create a heart to the community, stitch together the existing park zones, connect the park to the surrounding developments, and develop a safe and welcoming space.

Working together

The design has been a committed collaboration between Hackney Council and landscape architects LUC, with input from local ecology and biodiversity experts, and shaped by engagement with the local community, particularly young people who helped design key aspects of the park. In total 1,900 local people and park users told Hackney Council what to protect, what to change and how to create a space that works for the community both old and new.

The Shoreditch Park Team – Hackney Council, LUC and Blakedown Landscapes, as main contractor – has worked to ensure the success of this complex project. This team effort has been built upon by Blakedown with practical landscape best practice to ensure the quality of the finished product and value of the scheme was maximised.

The refurbishment project to create a greener, more diverse park has seen many landscape improvements focusing on ecology, sport and recreation, and play. Delivered in separate phases, the site was sectioned into activity zones which allowed each work area to be isolated for public safety, whilst the park remained open. However, due to inclement weather the original scheduled phases became delayed, demanding flexible working and programme rationalisation to ensure project deadlines remained uncompromised.

For every generation

A previously well-used open space for both informal football matches and recreation,

a 1.5ha football pitch had severely degraded due to the underlying shallow and compacted soil, a legacy of its former use as terraced housing and streets. Following an in-depth soil survey by Tim O’Hare Associates, extensive renovation works were carried out to improve the soil quality and aid drainage. The pitch will be subject to a 12-month establishment period, during which time pedestrian access will be prohibited and secondary drainage will be installed.

Design proposals for the playground centred on creating an exciting space that would push the boundaries of play opportunities and cater for children of all ages and abilities. Imagined in collaboration with Young Hackney and local school children, the goal was to use mainly sustainable sources of materials and as such, the new play equipment favours wood and includes contractor-made pieces using sawn logs.

The play area is defined by a large 1.8m spinal mound which runs along the northern

section and was formed using soil from both the existing playground and other site generated fill. In a re-design exercise, Blakedown re-engineered the mounds to ensure that the maximum amount of on-site spoil was utilised as part of an environmental initiative. Additionally, a semi-circular path was created which links the new repositioned gates from which all other paths and play zones connect. Growing elements were also incorporated to avoid sterile and flat surfaces; these included flowering plants and textured and coloured trees and shrubs.

Inclusive sports

The consultation results identified a requirement for additional, freely accessible sports provision and, to this end, a new dedicated sports hub was created featuring a MUGA (multi-use games area), outdoor gym and beach volleyball court.

These works posed quite a challenge as the ground contained extensive amounts of

concrete hardcore which required to be broken out before any construction could begin. Additionally, accessibility requirements meant that the beach volleyball court required a complete re-design by LUC, which led to installation complications solutioned using Blakedown’s expertise and practical guidance.

The MUGA was co-designed by the children at the Shoreditch Park Adventure Playground and Lois O’Hara, a Brighton-based artist whose bold colourways encourage people to move, whether mentally or physically. It has been constructed with a porous macadam surface and an attenuating sub-base immediately below which overflows into a soakaway.

Centrally linking all the new elements of the park, and planted with several new trees, is the Tree Plaza, a place for sitting and resting. In total 72 new trees have been planted site-wide, both native and non-native. The Tree Plaza is now home to the relocated bronze ‘Javelin Thrower’ statue, which has been part of the Shoreditch Park area since the 1970s, formerly sited outside the old Britannia Leisure Centre. Further improvements have

seen the Dorothy Thurtle Gardens transformed with new seating, new entrances and pathways, ornamental planting and an informal play trail formed with timber-based play equipment. The Dorothy Thurtle Gardens was one of the first sections of the park to be laid out in the 1970s and this upgrade will better integrate the gardens into the park and surrounding street.

One of the many new signage and interpretation features was the construction of an exciting new boundary to the existing Adventure Playground using feature fence panels made of recycled wood. The façade captures words, poems and kennings from local young people on their thoughts about the park. Each panel was designed to fit inside the existing metal fence posts and underneath runs a row of gabion baskets infilled with stone, keeping the timber off the ground and providing ecological habitats for invertebrates.

3 Rain gardens ©Paul Upward Photography

4 Grading and levelling the sports pitch ©Paul Upward Photography

5 MUGA ©Jannine Newman Photography

6 Feature Wall ©Hackney Council

7 Tyre swing in motion in new playground ©Paul Upward Photography

Biodiversity boost

The overall landscape masterplan seeks to take a holistic approach to ecological enhancements, weaving them throughout the entirety of the scheme. They incorporate measures such as rain gardens and swales, hedgerows and linear planting, log piles and hibernacula, bird and bat boxes, a green roof to the welfare building and a wildflower meadow with nectar-rich plants to help support native pollinators and habitats for invertebrates.

The rain garden at Bridport Place provides a sustainable drainage option and was formed using Scottish beach cobbles, boulders, and stone crossing points set amongst clumps of marginal planting. Additionally, it has provided a solution to the conflict between speeding cyclists and pedestrian park users by narrowing the path and forming a chicane along its length. Bridport Place is the last remaining fragment of the historic street pattern that existed within the footprint of the park before the site was damaged by bombs in the Second World War.

The soft landscape strategy ensured that all topsoil and sub-soil generated throughout the construction process was retained and subsequently re-used as either fill or a planting medium. Improved planting to the park included trees, hedges, shrubs and climbers, perennials and grasses.

Hackney Council is working to make Hackney a place for everyone, where all residents, whatever their background, have a chance to lead healthy and successful lives; a place of which everyone can be proud, with excellent services and public spaces, thriving businesses and strong communities; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. The Shoreditch Park landscape masterplan has

and will make a positive contribution to Hackney’s vision for the future of its borough and to the park and its users, resolving key issues and strengthening the park’s identity and sense of place.

REFERENCES

Client Hackney Council hackney.gov.uk

Landscape architect LUC landuse.co.uk

Civil and structural engineers Civic Engineers civicengineers.com

Blakedown Landscapes is an award-winning landscaping and civil engineering specialist delivering high quality projects throughout the UK. With more than five decades of experience, its extensive knowledge spans all sectors from local authorities, royal parks, commercial developers, schools and universities to highend luxury developers. Much of its work is as a result of long-term relationships based on trust and expert workmanship. blakedown.co.uk

Environmental graphic design and narrative wayfinding Wolfströme Design richardwolfstrome.com

Bespoke furniture, timber feature panels, brass plaques Standard8 standard8.com

Street furniture Woodscape woodscape.co.uk Broxap broxap.com

Boulders CED Stone cedstone.co.uk

Safety surfacing DCM Surfaces dcmsurfaces.com

Plants

Robin Tacchi Plants robintacchiplants.com

Trees

Van den Berk Nurseries vdberk.co.uk

ABOUT

8 Wildflower meadow ©Paul Upward Photography

9 Views of the Dorothy Thurtle Gardens Play Trail ©Paul Upward Photography

THE HEATTurning up

Budding brand KönigOutdoor is hitting the ground running with its luxury outdoor kitchens

It’s only two and a half years old, but KönigOutdoor is already making its mark. This year alone, the brand appeared on one of the most talked about gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – created by prolific garden designer and landscaper Mark Gregory – and has launched a showroom at the Sky House Design Centre in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

The outdoor kitchen manufacturer is taking full advantage of a growing trend for cooking outside – which is showing no signs of abating –and has been in the works since before the pandemic. Parent company Midland Stone Centre, which has been operating for 20 years, has traditionally been

ceramic-type product. “A lot of fabricators shied away from it as it was too difficult to work with,” explains KönigOutdoor’s managing director James Bull.

“But because of its benefits – being scratch and heat resistant and non-porous – we persevered and did a lot of R&D about how

price points for steel frame or brick clad kitchens, we realised we couldn’t compete with them, so that’s not what we’re about.

"We’ve always been about doing things as well as we can, and people’s expectations for outdoor kitchens have increased in the luxury end of the market – that's where we’re starting to see that come to fruition.”

monolithic, but we’re going to develop different ideas and maybe start utilising different materials.”

a stone fabricator for the indoor worktop market. Around eight years ago, it started fabricating with large format sintered stone. But there were challenges to using this manufactured,

to best manufacture it. Bit by bit, the failure rate and speed to produce it all improved. So, we looked at other ways to use it.”

Since the two families behind Midland Stone Centre were all passionate about al fresco dining, creating outdoor kitchens seemed like a natural progression, and KönigOutdoor was launched in 2021. Whilst the growth in outdoor kitchens has mostly been in the middle-to-lower end of the market, it's now the higher end which is starting to pick up, says Bull – and it’s this market that KönigOutdoor is tailored towards.

“When we were looking at the

The new showroom at the Sky House Design Centre gives a glimpse of what to expect from their outdoor kitchens. Three setups are showcased, each in varying styles and with different functions, such as handle-less doors and drawers, a bar-style seating area with a granite worktop and cedar support, and the ability to add gas, water and electrical services.

There are more designs to come from KonigOutdoor too. “We have a very unique signature look, with everything being quite

The flexibility of the design is one of the biggest draws of working with KönigOutdoor –that, and the fact that each kitchen is made here in the UK. Enquiries also spiked after one of its bespoke kitchens featured on The Savills Plot to Plate Garden at Chelsea, the concept of which really tied into the ethos of the company, says Bull. Looking to the future, KönigOutdoor’s focus will be on continuing with product development, finding new solutions, and continuing to build partnerships – all with quality at the heart of everything it does.

People’s expectations for outdoor kitchens have increased in the luxury end of the market

Dining Out

There’s nothing like it – preparing a meal with your nearest and dearest, all hands to the pump, chopping, cooking, pouring drinks. We’re social creatures in an era where much of our lives exist within the realms of technology and online, so it’s important to remember what makes us tick: great food, a well-chosen drink and good company.

Let’s face it, you’re unlikely to make the effort to cook and sit outside to eat unless you’ve got a space that easily facilitates it. Functionality is a key element in considering a dining space. I always think about worktop/ prep space and its proximity to seating first before considering other elements – a ready to go area as much for a midweek bowl of pasta after you’ve put the children to bed as for a long lunch with guests on a Sunday afternoon.

When considering an outdoor kitchen and dining area the first thing to do is think about what creates a good restaurant experience when you go out for dinner – you need to achieve the same thing at home.

Intimacy is key; creating an immersive and private space means that the client and their guests will feel at ease and relaxed.

Combinations of screening, structural planting and covered seating can assist in ticking this crucial box. Nobody wants to sit with their back to a room, and it should be no different in a garden. From a seating point of view, fully covered seating areas also offer you the benefit of year-round usage. One of the most successful I’ve seen was contained within a glasshouse; vines overhead and a selection of potted trees created a greenhouse café-style dining situation – perfection! An out of season event such as a bonfire night party or new year’s celebration doesn’t have

to end huddled around the TV indoors. A great dining area will enable you to create an outdoor cooking experience that affords the client opportunities to be involved in the cooking process. As always, consider lighting to extend the evening into the lower light hours beyond dusk, and use dimmable fixtures so you can turn light up and down to best suit the use on any given occasion. Music can link nicely with lighting, and any good AV contractor should be able to link this to a wireless controller so the client can create the perfect soundtrack to a get together.

Seating is crucial; you wouldn’t want to sit on uncomfortable furniture inside, so you certainly won’t when you’re outside either.

Matt Evans suggests the key ingredients to creating the ideal al fresco experience

Creating an immersive and private space means that the client and their guests will feel at ease and relaxed

THE SAVILLS GARDEN AT THE RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2023, DESIGNED BY MARK GREGORY, SHOWCASED BEAUTIFULLY HOW TO CREATE A GARDEN WITH AL FRESCO DINING IN MIND

Choose dining furniture that complements the rest of the garden and its key elements. Look for material samples before you order, and in an ideal world try before you buy. Most suppliers have a long lead time (especially during the summer) so it’s worth considering the furniture as one of your pre-requisite items, not only to assist with budgeting, but also to help you plan the space from an arrangement perspective.

Putting the dining space in proximity to a lounge area affords the client the opportunity to move away from the table and relax once they’ve finished eating. Why move inside if you’ve a considered space to enjoy outside? Extend the living space into the garden, and in doing this creating continuity with the surrounding garden is really important. Try to continue your planting palette into the scheme, create repetition in materials, but crucially make the space a destination within the context of the rest of the garden, an additional focal point, somewhere you gravitate towards – ultimately, a space you want to spend time in.

an outdoor kitchen, think about the durability of proposed materials: the maintenance that will be required and the extent to which it will be exposed to sun and things like leaf litter in the autumn. This year I’ve read a number of articles detailing fridges that have faced the sun, acting more like greenhouses than coolers, defeating the object entirely.

Create the AL FRESCO experience

Coco Wolf

Enhance an outdoor area with the Tamarindo Swivel Barstool – a highquality, versatile seating solution inspired by Costa Rica's captivating landscapes. Price: From £2,480 cocowolf.co.uk

The majority (80%) of our design briefs now seem to include an outdoor kitchen requirement. The units themselves range from elaborate prefabricated units and bespoke designs working with a collaborative supplier, or something as simple as a worktop and BBQ with boxing to hide services. Ultimately, the project budget will guide you. When choosing or designing

THE HAMPTON MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, DESIGNED BY FILIPPO DESTER, WAS A CONTEMPORARY SPACE PERFECT FOR EATING OUTDOORS AT THIS YEAR’S CHELSEA

Why not include edibles within your planting plan? Plants like chives, creeping rosemary and fennel add not only an edible interest but texture and form to a planting scheme that other plants cannot. Picking herbs and edibles engages guests with your garden, creates conversation and brings people together, which to me is the whole point of it.

MATT EVANS

Matt Evans is the managing director and design lead at The Garden Room Living and Landscape Studio, based in Poole, Dorset. The Garden Room is a young, creative design studio founded by partners in life and design, Matt and his wife Elle Evans. Located just a stone’s throw from the shores of Poole Harbour and the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, they operate across Dorset, London and the south of England offering garden design, project management and planting as well as specialist aftercare. thegardenroomstudio.com

Caribbean Blinds

Classic Outdoor Living Pod™

The rotating louvered roof of this minimalist Classic Outdoor Living Pod™ allows you to play with light and shade when open and is completely watertight when closed.

Price: From £12,995 including VAT, installation and five-year guarantee cbsolarshading.co.uk

Light Visuals

Wall Mount Fixed Downlight LV-BL410

Extend the hours of the dining area with these lights, which are fully module and made in England from 316 stainless steel with a black powder coat finish. Other colours are available.

Price: £243 lightvisuals.co.uk

©RHS/Tim Sandall

GRILLO

Grillo outdoor kitchens

Price: From £4,500

GAZE BURVILL

ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH!

“As outdoor kitchens become ever more popular, people’s expectations of them increase. We’re noticing more and more customers wanting options for personalising their outdoor kitchens, but without the cost and challenges of a fully custombuilt kitchen. Our SLATTED range was designed specifically to meet this requirement. A simple yet transformative addition to our range, SLATTED comprises a range of fantastic accessories that can be affixed to slatted feature walls. It offers the flexibility to dramatically alter the look and function of a kitchen and adds some real personal flair.” grilloliving.com

Price: £8,660 (incl. VAT) Cocktail unit

“Although we offer our own standard kitchen unit cabinetry, customers increasingly expect to incorporate bespoke elements, so our design team is always busy! Outdoor socialising has become the norm, and our new cocktail cabinet, with all the toys, has been a hit. Beautiful oak cabinetry, designed for long life outdoors, smooth, soft-close drawers, plentiful storage, and highest quality outdoor spec appliances and weathertight cupboard design. All our oak is sustainably sourced, and of the correct specification for long service outside, and we design and make all cabinetry at our Hampshire base.” gazeburvill.com

OUTDOOR

OFFER OPTIONS FOR SOCIALISING!

kitchens

Exploring impressive outdoor kitchens with a personal touch for clients' individual needs

GARDEN HOUSE DESIGN

Vlaze ADAPT outdoor kitchens Price: From £4,200

“Outdoor kitchens and their innovative designs are anything but dull, with integrated fridge/freezers, invisible induction hobs under the ceramic worktops, sit up bars and even dishwashers. Whilst this is capturing the most tech lovers of clients, there is also a fantastic new trend of colour hitting our design boards with indigo blues, bright yellows or soft pastel colours all making their way into client designs. Our handmade Vlaze ADAPT outdoor kitchens with the variety of cabinet sizes and features allow us to design in colour without losing any of the functionality of the perfect outdoor kitchen solution.” gardenhousedesign.co.uk

MAKE IT BOLD!

KÖNIGOUTDOOR

KönigOutdoor kitchen

(Typical 2.5x2.5m layout with two end panels, Fulgor three burner grill, BeefEater glass door fridge and installation)

Price: From £22,000 (excl. VAT)

MAKE

“Many homeowners would like their outdoor space to reflect the internal décor of the house, so there is a demand for outdoor kitchens with the look and functionality of an indoor one. Block built outdoor kitchens are limited in design possibilities, detail and aesthetics, whereas an outdoor kitchen from a specialist supplier such as KönigOutdoor can have drawers, pull out units for gas bottles and waste bins, raised units for pizza ovens, sink units and cabinets manufactured to the size necessary to fit the space available. Within reason any design requirement can most likely be accommodated. There are dozens of available decors and units that can be supplied with handles or handle-less.”

konigoutdoor.co.uk

KönigOutdoor kitchen designed by Stevens Design

'A La Carte' outdoor kitchen collection

Popular

Which products are proving to be the porcelain trendsetters this year?

PORCELAIN

TALASEY GROUP

Bellezza Lite is an innovative new 16mm lightly textured, natural stone-effect porcelain paver, available in a choice of three colours. It’s lighter in weight, so better for handling and cutting. It is a new addition to Talasey’s Vitripiazza collection of high-quality, hard-wearing vitrified porcelain paving.

Price £25 per m2 including VAT talasey.co.uk

LONDON STONE

London Stone’s Large Format Porcelain is proving a popular choice amongst designers and landscapers for a contemporary look. Yard Porcelain (pictured here) adds pale grey tones which contrast beautifully against vibrant planting. Price £76.50 excluding VAT (online price) londonstone.co.uk

PAVESTONE

Pavestone Dolomite Grey Porcelain Paving Slabs (1000x500x20mm)

The Dolomite porcelain large element paving range has been created having been inspired by some of the world’s finest examples of natural stone. A wide variety of textures guarantees a natural appearance.

Price £58.99m2 (MSRP, £1,238.79 for a 21m2 pack of 42 slabs) pavestone.co.uk

RYNO GROUP

A stylish range of pavers inspired by nature and designed to complement any exterior design, featuring high-performance, high-quality ceramics, environmentally conscious manufacturing, bespoke fabrication and kerfing for wind uplift. Tarvio Basalt Anthracite has all the elegance of natural stone, recreating 20th-century Milanese architecture.

Price From £30 to £70 per m² excluding VAT for RYNO® Porcelain Paving rynogroup.co.uk

Large Format Porcelain

RYNO® Tarvio Basalt Anthracite

Bellezza Lite

©Isola Garden Designs

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Turf Care, trailers & more!

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SECRET STAR OF THE SHOW

Edging is often an unsung hero, but it was a key component of these Hampton Court show gardens

CORE LP

The Cancer Research UK Legacy Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

• Designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes • Built by G.K Wilson Landscapes

Edging used: CORE EDGE 100mm in Anthracite Grey. Price: £49.99 (including VAT). Paul Hervey-Brookes said The Cancer Research UK Legacy Garden is a “love letter to life” and the “most personal garden” he has ever made. It touched the hearts of the public, winning the People’s Choice Best Show Garden Award, as well as a Gold medal. Hervey-Brookes and contractor Gareth Wilson trusted CORE EDGE to define the garden, forming sweeping curves in the paths and detailing the beautifully planted borders. corelp.co.uk

STRAIGHTCURVE

The Inghams Working with Nature Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

• Designed by Butler & Parker • Built by Acacia Gardens

Edging used: Zero-Flex 100mm garden edging. Price: £18.32 per metre (trade price excluding VAT). Zero-Flex garden edging provides an unmovable edging option that will stay true over time. Here, it defines the seating area in this garden, with the Yorkstone straddling that line to link the hangout space with the natural planted areas. It's understated but has to be perfectly straight to support the designer's intent. straightcurve.com/uk

KINLEY

The Vitamin G Garden at RHS Malvern Spring Festival and RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022

• Designed by Alan Williams with Jo Whiley

• Built by Landscapia (Malvern) and Landform (Hampton Court)

Edging used: Borderline. Price: £13.79 per metre (including fixings) 3x100mm untreated (*subject to change, due to fluctuating steel prices).

The Vitamin G Garden appeared at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in May before being relocated to RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. This design incorporated relaxation areas with a meditation platform and social areas in the circular lawn – edged with Kinley’s steel Borderline. The garden provides great style at minimum maintenance & environmental impact. kinley.co.uk

Five minutes with OLLIE PIKE

Pro

Landscaper speaks with RHS Young Designer of the Year finalist

Ollie Pike ahead of his garden debut at Tatton Park

Tell us about yourself and your journey into landscape architecture.

I have been working as a landscape architect since graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2020. I would spend my summers in Somerset where my grandparents' garden became my greatest inspiration. I would do whatever I could to help them, from chopping logs to cutting flowers – we would create arrangements to display in the church next door, which would later become a place of huge importance to me.

I was fortunate enough to work alongside Harris Bugg Studio for two years, involved in some great opportunities, allowing me to meet some amazing people whilst working on projects across Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.

How did you come to work alongside The Bible Society at Tatton?

At Chelsea in 2021, I discovered Sarah Eberle’s Psalm 23 Garden which was sponsored by the Bible Society. I thought it captured the spirit of the psalm so perfectly, and even on the busy show ground still engaged so many with its beautiful sense of calm.

Bible Society is an amazing charity that believes in inviting people to discover the Bible through all kinds of different media, including film, garden design and community gardening. We strongly believe that gardens help communicate stories and messages in ways nothing else can.

I approached them with my idea, and it was clear that we both could see how the message would speak into people’s experiences.

Moving forward, what goals do you have within the industry?

My aim is to work for a variety of projects, from private to community. I would love to create spaces with meaning to benefit both people and wildlife. I am a big believer that gardens and landscapes are for everyone and want to create spaces that can benefit everyone.

What’s next?

Following the flower show, the Psalm 27 Garden will be relocated to Sheffield General Cemetery, within its community memorial garden. I’m hoping this will create a space for people to escape, reflect and contemplate. It’s the perfect destination and will allow the garden to live on in its intended purpose. After that – a break! Before diving back into a new rural project with a private contract in the Cotswolds.

with my own personal experiences of our local churchyards and how they can offer us protective spaces to reflect. I hope the garden will also inspire others to seek out nature in places where they too can engage with nature and leave feeling restored as this garden shows the progression and the beauty in life and passing.

Are there any other up-and-coming creators you believe deserve more attention?

Up-and-coming gardeners deserve more attention, such as the amazing people who have been growing the plants and flowers used to create projects such as the Psalm 27 garden. I’ve been working with Cliff Bank Nursery in Harrogate – a group of young and experienced gardeners from York Gate. Their planting and organisational skills are priceless!

Who do you hope to inspire with your work, the Psalm 27 Garden?

This is a garden for everyone, not just those who are religious. I want people to discover the messages of hope, courage, reflection, and guidance. The ideas from Psalm 27 also fused

©Bible Society/Alex Baker

I am a big believer that gardens and landscapes are for everyone and want to create spaces that can benefit everyone

THE PSALM 27 GARDEN