Pro Landscaper December 2016

Concept to Delivery

December 2016

DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

DAVID HOUGHTON KINGS LANDSCAPES

VIDEO MARKETING PUT YOUR BRAND IN THE PICTURE

Agenda

WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO BETTER IN 2017?

London Legacy IDVERDE AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK

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WELCOME

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

December 2016 | Volume 6, Issue 12

December 2016

DAVID HOUGHTON

KINGS LANDSCAPE

S

VIDEO MARKETING

Welcome to December 2016

PUT YOUR BRAND IN THE PICTURE

Agenda

WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO BETTER IN 2017?

London Legacy

Firstly, thank you to everyone who exhibited, spoke at and visited the fifth FutureScape event, it was another amazing day and as well as a vital learning tool, it was wonderful to see so many members of the industry meeting up socially. We hope the visit was worthwhile and all visitors took away new ideas, new and renewed contacts plus lots of inspiration which you’re excited to start putting into practice!

Look out for seminar reviews and debate feedback coming up early in the new year.

The View from the Top debate threw up one idea that particularly excited us, it was an extension of the new GoLandscape initiative launched at

Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA Tel: 01903 777 570 EDITORIAL Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 579

FutureScape in that it’s not only new people coming into the industry that need to be educated as to what a great career landscaping can be. Ann-Marie Powell challenged the audience to engage in an interdisciplinary exchange; those of us long established in the industry may be knowledgeable about our own sector or discipline, but imagine what you could learn from spending a day with one of your peers working within a different area… a skills exchange between, say, a garden designer and maintenance operative, which are very different jobs.

We’d be happy for people interested in learning how we put a magazine together to join us for a day in return for a day at the drawing board

ADVERTISING Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 588 Sales Manager – Luke Chaplin luke.chaplin@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 584

Managing Editor – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 577

Sales Executive – Dale Keenan dale.keenan@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 571

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

Sales Executive – Adrian Crist adrian.crist@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 572

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

Horticulture Careers – Amber Bernabe amber.bernabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 581

Editorial Assistant – Max Dodd max.dodd@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 586

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

Production Editor – Susie Duff susie.duff@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570

Subeditor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570

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or on the tools, so we’d be interested to hear your views on this and hopefully we can take it forward.

So now, with the festive season approaching fast, we look back on 2016 as an all-round good year for business and (regardless of Brexit) one to build on for 2017.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all.

@jimeljays

Design – Kara Thomas, Fay Pritchard, Mandy Armstrong Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@ eljays44.com

@lisaeljays

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an affiliate member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an associate member of The APL

Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2016 subscription price is £95.00.

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

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

MANAGEMENT Managing Director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager Jamie Wilkinson Managing Editor Joe Wilkinson Cover image: © idverde/Strobix

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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CONTENTS

December 2016 INFORM

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Agenda COVER STORY What is the one thing the industry needs to do better in 2017?

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14

News Our monthly roundup of industry news

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News Extra Jessica Herbert talks about her new role as Askham Bryan College’s head of horticulture

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Association News

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

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News Extra The APL welcomes Ken White as its new chairman

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FutureScape 2016 We pick the highlights from this year’s event, which was the most successful to date

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30 Under 30 This year’s award ceremony was held at FutureScape 2016

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Concept to Delivery

KINGS LANDSCAPES

VIDEO MARKETING PUT YOUR BRAND IN THE PICTURE

Agenda

WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO BETTER IN 2017?

London Legacy

Let’s Hear it From COVER STORY

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Company Profile We get the lowdown on The Garden Company’s success from MD James Scott

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View from the Top Phil Jones looks at the next five years for the parks management sector

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Watch the Programme Andrew Wilson wonders if there’s a place for more client-centred programmes

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It’s Good to Talk When it comes to tendering, little replaces a proper conversation, says Adam White

37

Amazing Space A maze is an art form that’s due a renaissance, says David Dodd

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Contents.indd 4

December 2016

DAVID HOUGHTON

IDVERDE AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK

Kings Landscapes’ David Houghton

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DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN

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INSPIRE

38 Out of Pocket

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Pete Jones asks why getting paid on time should be so difficult

40 Power Range Technology has a varied role to play in landscaping’s future, says Angus Lindsay

42 The Rose of the North Post the peace agreement, Belfast’s parks are providing common ground

45 The Rise and Rise of Artificial Grass

Having reinvented itself as luxurious and low maintenance, fake turf is enjoying a new found popularity

Flower Play Jilayne Rickards brightens a front garden with swathes of naturalistic planting

54

Smooth Operator Blue limestone and swaying grasses give a contemporary feel to CW Studio’s design

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Urban Jungle Alfresco Landscaping update a domestic garden with Mediterranean plants

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London Legacy COVER STORY How idverde manages and maintains the capital’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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CONTENTS

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Very Berry Jamie Butterworth says berries are a great way to keep winter gardens rich in colour

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Coles Nurseries We interview MD James Coles and manager Vince Edwards to find out more about the nursery’s success

EDUCATE

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Exploring Effects Robert Webber says fresh challenges can bring new opportunities when it comes to lighting design

85

H2O A Powerful Messenger Sean Butler looks at two past RHS Chelsea gardens that have used water to convey a message

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Video Marketing COVER STORY Video is a key marketing tool when it comes to promoting your business New at FutureScape A range of new innovative products launched and showcased at this year’s event

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64 NURTURE

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Hot Tubbing

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Gardens, says Anji Connell, are more about leisure than landscaping these days

66

Inside ISS Interior Plants

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Lighting for Commercial Green Spaces Lorraine Calcott outlines the points to consider when lighting commercial areas

70

Landscape Specialist MD Steven Walley runs us through a newly updated initiative from London Stone

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Winter Warmers Cornus alba provides beautifully vivid seasonal colour, says Andy McIndoe

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Deck the Halls Ian Drummond is turning up the volume on Christmas planting with the bold beauty of amaryllis

Book Review The three big reads gracing Pro Landscaper’s coffee table this month

Catherine Clancy talks through the planting for a new townhouse garden

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Look Out For James Curnock has just won Apprentice of the Year at the Nectar Small Business Awards

Nurture News

Designer Plants

Products of 2016 Top landscaping products launched this year, from paving and garden huts to stone and play structures

A roundup of news from the UK’s growing sector

UK business manager Matt Gavin is confident the Interior Plants and Floristry division of ISS has a rosy future

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Commercial Security Fencing

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Etesia celebrates Mowing machinery and turf maintenance company Etesia UK is celebrating 25 years

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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INFORM

SPOTLIGHT ON

CONTRIBUTORS

Angus Lindsay Head of fleet, idverde

Pete Jones

Ross Hewitt

Business development and sales manager, LDP Ltd

Managing director, Secret Pie

Jamie Butterworth Show plant manager, Hortus Loci

Angus looks into the future of landscaping and the role that technology will play, taking in all possibilities from battery powered equipment to smartphone and tablet apps aimed at children.

Angus pulls on other industries that are already embracing the technological advancements available to them.

Pete offers some advice regarding an age-old headache – getting paid on time. A situation that most, if not all, companies have been in at some point, Pete believes that his company is in a position that allows them to weed out clients with a bad reputation, meaning that cash flow isn’t impacted too much.

Following on from his seminar at FutureScape, Ross talks video marketing for your business. In April of last year, stats revealed that Facebook alone played host to 4bn video views a day, and in October the number had doubled to over 8bn – now is the time to engage in video as a tool to promote your business.

Fresh off the back of picking up his award for being one of Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30s, Jamie Butterworth of Hortus Loci talks berries. In Jamie’s eyes, berries are miniature wonders that keep winter gardens rich in colour and texture, and he offers some rather unusual suggestions for you to keep in mind.

www.idverde.com @idverdeUK

www.ldp.uk.com @LandDesignPete

www.secretpie.co.uk @Secret_Pie

www.hortusloci.co.uk @Gardener_jamie

Other contributors Robert Webber Founder of Scenic Lighting

Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer

Lorraine Calcott Lighting specialist

Sean Butler Director of Cube 1994

Adam White Director of Davies White Ltd

Andy McIndoe Leading horticulturist

David Dodd Landscaper and lecturer

Ian Drummond Creative director of Indoor Garden Design

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INSPIRE

Anji Connell Interior architect and landscape designer

Phil Jones MD of ISS Facility Services Landscaping

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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INFORM

AGENDA

WHAT IS THE ONE THING THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO DO BETTER IN 2017?

FutureScape 2016 celebrated its fifth anniversary this year and many of the seminars on the day focused on what we can expect from the future of the industry. With this in mind, we asked leading experts in the sector what the one thing is that they think the industry needs to improve upon next year. Responses ranged from bettering the relationship between client and provider to pushing green spaces to the top of the government’s agenda...

Mark Camley Chair of the Parks Alliance

We all need to continue to make the case for our green spaces in 2017. The House of Commons’ CLG committee’s inquiry on parks will set the direction for next year and provide a rallying point for all of us who care for and protect our valuable green assets. In submitting the Parks Alliance’s evidence to the committee, it was great to see so many other contributions and that a quarter of a million people had signed the 38 Degree petition.

I expect the loss of experienced park staff will be a significant issue. The HLF’s recent State of Parks report found that three quarters of park managers report a reduction in staff and no local authorities expect to increase the size 8

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

of their parks workforce. In our evidence to the CLG committee we found that there is a decline in frontline skills; some 41% of park managers reported to us that horticultural skills have fallen over the past three years. As well as the obvious impact of having fewer staff, the reduction in skills means that the quality of our parks will suffer.

Sam Hasall Managing director, LandPro/Gardencosts

We get calls on a weekly basis asking if we know anyone suitable for a management position. We need a high-level academic course aimed at landscape management with a strong commercial element for profitability.

The role of the landscape engineer as opposed to the site trained operative or college trained horticulturist does not exist in our current education system. Colleges such as Merrist Wood offered this years ago but discontinued it.

Candidates emerging from this would ideally go into a site based position in order to get hands on experience; thereafter these graduates would be the next generation of landscape management. The construction industry gets their management by educating their candidates in building sciences or engineering. Why don’t we start producing professionals who elevate the status of the landscape professional to that of the construction professional?

Robert Webber Founder, Scenic Lighting

Value itself – I’ve just come from New York and whilst I was there I met a few landscape design and installation companies. They are such a valued resource amongst the other skilled trades in the USA. They don’t get into bidding wars, they don’t take any flak from clients or designers.

They know their place in the market and they have set up their stall for all to see.

It was a fresh approach and taught me to raise my game whilst selling the services that we offer, not just in the UK but beyond. Let’s take pride in what we do, the expert services that we offer, and the unique solutions for our clients.

That’s worth its weight in gold.

Angus Lindsay Head of fleet, The Landscape Group

Establish a stronger relationship between client and provider to better appreciate each other’s requirements, with the aim of working together to achieve results which satisfies stakeholders at all levels.

Key to this would be a greater understanding of budgets, resource management, technology, horticultural skills and the environment. All will www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INFORM

go a long way to get the best from our open spaces be it parks, housing, cemeteries or highways, rather than as it seems to be the current case of ‘cheapest price gets the job’.

Andy McIndoe Leading horticulturist

I feel strongly that designers and contractors need to put more emphasis on basic horticultural technique. Specifying suitable plant varieties and then sourcing quality plant material is only half the battle. The desired result is often sacrificed by poor ground preparation, hasty planting and a disregard of aftercare and maintenance.

All too often I see contractors cutting out planting holes in compacted ground to exactly the size of the root system; maintenance crews pruning with a hedge trimmer, with little regard to the season or what the plants are doing at that time – just two examples of bad practice that has become commonplace. These devalue a planting scheme and do nothing to raise the profile of the contribution landscaping can make.

The poor remuneration of those involved in horticulture, and the low value of landscaping compared to build development is an ongoing issue. Unless we can demonstrate the skills required to plant properly, prune correctly and why it essential to pay the right people to do the job, opinion of the value of landscaping will not change in the wider community. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Agenda.indd 9

Ian Drummond Creative director, Indoor Garden Design

We definitely need to see an improvement in the supply of house plants. I would like to see more interesting varieties readily and easily available, to give us greater choice. There’s such a surge of interest in house plants, homes are filling up with them and so the consumer demand is not only greater than ever, but it’s also more knowledgeable and discerning than it has been for decades and this trend is set to continue. We need to up our game to keep surprising our clients!

Noel Kingsbury Garden designer and writer

Be more adventurous in plant use. There is an irony here in that Britain is famed for its gardens and people flock from all over to visit them, yet our plant use in the public landscape is so conservative and unimaginative. With all the good work coming out of Sheffield University’s landscape department (recognised as a global leader) as shown off by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, there’s no excuse not to be more adventurous. And with so much good stuff going on in the rest of Europe, whether it’s

summer displays on French roundabouts, large-scale Dutch wildflower planting or ecology-based perennial plantings in Germany, there is no shortage of either inspiration or technical know-how.

John Wyer Managing director, Bowles and Wyer

There is not so much one thing that the industry needs to sort out but with so much uncertainty in the market over the next 12 months and beyond, so many things are changing. I think it is imperative that both firms in general and the industry itself gets its message straight about what it is trying to offer clients. It needs to be more focused and in doing so be more adaptive and able to take on new challenges as they arise. I think that is really more important than anything else facing the industry at the moment.

NEXT MONTH

WHEN REPLACING YOUR FLEET, WOULD YOU PURCHASE GREEN VEHICLES? Have your say: editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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INFORM

NEWS RHS reveals garden and floral line up for RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 The RHS has announced a selection of highlights from the upcoming RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 (23 to 27 May), sponsored by M&G Investments.

The pinnacle of the horticultural calendar and annually attended by HM The Queen, the world famous show is once again set to inspire millions through showcasing the best in gardening.

Show manager Tom Harfleet said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming back some of the best British and international growers as well as multi-awardwinning designers, and to be introducing some of the new rising stars of horticulture.

“We’re sharing a selection of the garden and floral line up for 2017 and look forward to announcing new horticultural content over the coming months. Watch this space.”

James Basson will be aiming for his third consecutive RHS Gold

medal with ‘The M&G Garden 2017’ for the show’s headline sponsor. Inspired by the majestic quarries of Malta, Basson will demonstrate the rich diversity of Maltese flora and the beauty of this harsh environment.

Other show gardens at the show include ‘The Royal Bank of Canada Garden’ by debut designer Charlotte Harris, ‘Breaking Ground’ by design duo Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliams, ‘500 Years of Covent Garden supported by Capco’ by Lee Bestall, ‘The Morgan Stanley Garden’ by 11-time RHS Gold medal-winning designer Chris Beardshaw and many more. www.rhs.org.uk

Major plans to improve Piccadilly Gardens revealed Legal and General Investment Management Real Assets (L&G), in partnership with Manchester City Council, has revealed multi-millionpound plans to regenerate Piccadilly Gardens.

Piccadilly Gardens is a key public space in Manchester city centre with a footfall of around 310k people a week – around 16m people a year.

Under the proposals there would be £2m worth of investment in improvements to Piccadilly Gardens to make the area more attractive and welcoming to families.

The garden improvements are part of a wider £10m investment by L&G which also includes plans to introduce family restaurants and a new coffee outlet.

Bill Hughes, head of real assets at L&G management, said: “We see the partnership with Manchester City Council and the proposal for Piccadilly Gardens as an opportunity to regenerate a prominent and well-used space. The proposed pavilion design will bring a new vibrancy to the gardens which we hope residents can be proud of and visitors to Manchester will see as a destination in its own right.” www.manchester.gov.uk

Hultons Landscapes completes Wright Landscapes acquisition Award-winning landscape services business Hultons Landscapes has completed its acquisition of Welsh firm Wright Landscapes for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition will see Hultons expand into North Wales, and follows its organic growth into the West Midlands and South Yorkshire regions earlier in 2016.

Lee Webster, managing director of Hultons Landscapes, said: “This 10

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has been a landmark year for Hultons and this acquisition is another milestone for us.

“We continue to achieve exceptional sales growth year on

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

year and this has allowed us to secure further investment to strengthen our business.

Meanwhile, our work in the sector is also gaining increased recognition and saw us win two awards from BALI this year.”

James Wright, founder and managing director of Wright Landscapes, added: “We’ve had a number of offers for the business however Hultons

Landscapes’ brand, vision and culture make them an ideal fit.

“Our clients will continue to receive the same high standards they have come to expect as both companies integrate over the next 12 months. Coupling Wright’s in-house experience with Hulton’s own expertise will allow the group to further build upon its strong credentials.” www.hultonslandscapes.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INFORM

John Melmoe to retire from Mitie awarded Willerby Landscapes £60m contract with Manchester After 40 years working in Airports Group the horticultural landscaping Mitie, the facilities management (FM) company, has been awarded a new five-year FM contract with Manchester Airports Group (MAG), consolidating FM services across three airports into one integrated contract.

MAG is the UK’s leading airport group, serving over 50m passengers and handling over 670,000t of air freight every year, through its ownership and operation of Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of London Stansted Airport and sponsor of the contract, said: “We have been working with Mitie for over seven years and it is a great credit to their team that we are developing our long-standing relationship with this new contract.

“Mitie was awarded the work after a rigorous and technical tender process. Mitie has extensive experience in the sector, and an ability to provide national 24/7 coverage underpinned by advanced technology.”

Phil Holland, managing director at Mitie, said: “We are proud to be building upon our relationship with MAG through this new and consolidated contract.

“Our long-running relationship is a testament to our market leading airport experience and we are confident that our expansive technology-led service capability will assist MAG in continuing to provide a world class experience for its passengers and airline partners.” www.mitie.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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industry, 33 of which have been with Willerby Landscapes as managing director, John Melmoe is handing the reins to the Willerby management team following his decision to take early retirement in March 2017.

The company has been working towards the smooth transition of responsibilities during the past three years by recruiting key management positions to support the continued growth of the business.

Having secured a number of prestigious landscaping projects over the years and winning accolades in the process, the

NEWS IN BRIEF Playscheme undertakes management shift for growth

Willerby Landscapes management team is now firmly placed to continue building on these successes and to steer the company through the next phase of transformation.

Rick Davies, operations director, said: “It is business as usual for the company as we enjoy continued success and growth. It’s a change in leadership, not a change in our strategy of being the leading hard and soft landscaping company in the UK.” www.willerby-landscapes.co.uk

Oak View Landscapes achieves Silver accreditation with Investors in People Oak View Landscapes has been recognised for the way that it supports, develops and manages its staff with an internationally recognised accreditation from Investors in People (IIP).

The company has achieved the Silver IIP Standard following a rigorous assessment process which looks at how businesses empower staff, recognise and reward good performance and deliver continuous improvement.

IIP expects the Silver level to be awarded to the top five percentile of organisations assessed. Oak View was congratulated for being “a successful and ambitious organisation that continues to outperform whilst focusing on quality provision and marketleading services.”

York-based play equipment company Playscheme is moving towards a change in strategy, going through a management reshuffle with the appointment of a new managing director, Steve Danby. www.play-scheme.co.uk

UK flood report calls for more tree planting

Confor has welcomed a Westminster committee report that proposes increased tree planting as part of a range of measures to reduce future flood risks. The forestry trade body submitted evidence to the EFRA committee and its chair, Neil Parish MP participated in a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry to discuss flooding. www.confor.org.uk

Thrive’s work praised

Managing director, Paul Downer, commented: “We are proud to have achieved the Silver level from IIP. The standard is constantly evolving with the assessment criteria becoming even tougher, so this is true recognition of the commitment that Oak View Landscapes has to developing and training staff. IIP is the way we chose to measure the company’s progress and benchmark our effectiveness in people management, staff development and ensuring that we keep pace with modern practices to ensure sustainable results.” www.oakviewlandscapes.co.uk

A gardening programme helping young people with special educational needs in Kings Heath Park, Birmingham run by the charity Thrive has received a grant of almost £20k from The Rowan Trust. The Grow and Learn programme offers practical training in gardening and helps to develop personal and life skills. www.thrive.org.uk

Curator appointed for RHS Garden Bridgewater

The RHS has announced Marcus Chilton-Jones as curator of its new garden, RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford, Greater Manchester.

Marcus joins the RHS garden from the Dorothy Clive Garden in North Staffordshire. www.rhs.org.uk

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 11

23/11/2016 11:20

INFORM

idverde to continue partnership with Basildon Council

John O’Conner completes £500k redevelopment

idverde has been re-awarded its grounds maintenance contract with Basildon Council following a competitive re-tendering process.

Services delivered under the contract include grass maintenance, hedge pruning, and maintenance of amenity planted areas and shrubs at a variety of sites throughout the borough.

John O’Conner has announced the completion of the £500k redevelopment of its plant and vehicle workshops in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, formally opened by the Mayor, Councillor Pat Mabbott, and Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps on 11 November 2016.

The redevelopment represents a significant reinvestment of the company’s profits and the provision of a state of the art maintenance facility which will create local jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.

The company is also celebrating its recent National Apprenticeship Service Large Employer of the Year Award, long service awards (25 years) for five staff, and its recent Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor accreditation.

idverde has introduced a number of innovations on the contract, including the new ‘Acorn’ contract management system, which offers real time quality monitoring for transparency between client and contractor. idverde’s chief executive officer, Nick Temple-Heald, said: “After working with Basildon Council for over six years we have a strong managerial, supervisory and operational team in place and have developed an excellent value for money service for the council and its tax payers.” www.idverde.co.uk

Mayor announces London Living Wage increase The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced an increase in the London Living Wage, which has increased from £9.40 to £9.75 per hour. He also revealed that a further 309 employers signed up to pay their staff the capital’s hourly rate over the last 12 months. This brings the total number of accredited businesses in London to 1,033 and means that London accounts for over one third of businesses paying the Living Wage in the UK.

Since 2011 the London Living Wage has increased by 17.5% and more than 60k workers in the capital have benefited.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “It’s great news that London is leading the way and over 1k businesses are now accredited, helping to make this a fairer and more equal city. I’m glad to say we’re well on track to see it rise to over £10 an hour during my mayoralty.” www.london.gov.uk

Mayor Pat Mabbott said: “It has been fantastic to formally open the redevelopment. John O’Conner has made a positive contribution to Welwyn Hatfield over the past 47 years and will continue to do so with the creation of more local jobs and apprenticeships, ensuring our borough remains a great place to live, work and invest in the future.” www.johnoconner.co.uk

ARE YOU GOING? DECEMBER 2 BALI Awards 2016 www.baliawards.co.uk JANUARY 10 BALI North Thames Regional AGM 2017 www.bali.org.uk

19 Party for Perennial www.perennial.org.uk 27 SGD Awards 2016 www.sgdawards.com

PLACE Design + Planning and Bell Fischer Landscape Architects merge PLACE Design + Planning and Bell Fischer Landscape Architects (BFLA), two award-winning London-based landscape architecture practices, announced their amalgamation at the beginning of November.

The directors of the enlarged company are Tony Edwards, Gordon Bell and Giles Hopgood.

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PLACE became an Employee Owned Trust (EOT) in July 2016; it is the first independent UK landscape practice to be structured in this way.

By giving all staff a stake in the company’s success, the directors believe they will deliver a better service for current and prospective clients, as well as operating more efficiently and profitably.

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Commenting on the merge, the directors said: “We have known each other and the respective

design teams for many years. The skill set and experience of the combined practice gives us the capacity to deliver a greater diversity of projects from a wider client base. The timing is extremely beneficial for the two companies, with an increasing requirement for residential and education projects.” www.placedp.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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22/11/2016 12:10

INFORM

LEADING LIGHT Pro Landscaper spoke to the new head of horticulture at Askham Bryan College, Jessica Herbert, to find out more about the courses offered by the college, her own route into the industry, and what she is hoping to achieve in her new role

Askham Bryan College has become one of the leading land-based colleges in the UK, providing a variety of courses from agriculture to engineering. The horticulture department alone offers a range of qualifications and opportunities.

Former arborist Jessica Herbert (pictured below) joined the York-based college as head of horticulture in August this year, after nine years at Moulton College in Northamptonshire. There she worked her way up from lecturer to arboriculture curriculum leader, to programme coordinator for a number of topics including horticulture, floristry and general education.

Jessica’s route into the industry was as a mature student, after initially pursuing a career as an executive PA in London. Looking for a change in direction, Jessica decided to retrain and gained a national diploma in horticulture with arboriculture.

In her new role at Askham Bryan College, she manages the higher education courses within the department. Jessica explains: “The college offers courses ranging from Level 2 all the way to Level 6. The horticulture department is split into horticulture, arboriculture and floristry and the horticulture part includes landscaping, sports turf and amenity horticulture. We also offer foundation 14

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

News Extra Jessica Herbert.indd 14

degrees up to a Bachelor of Science (BSc), as well as RHS courses.”

MAKING YOUNG PEOPLE REALISE THAT HORTICULTURE HAS GREAT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IS A NATIONAL CHALLENGE With so much already available at the college, we asked Jessica what she is hoping to achieve: “I’m hoping that we’re going to work more with the local community and I’m keen for us to grow our student numbers. Making young people realise that horticulture has great career opportunities is a national challenge, and it’s difficult to attract committed, able students – however, we are actively working on this.”

The college recently held a horticultural careers conference on 12 November to help attract prospective students, with two former students as the keynote speakers: chief executive of the National Land Based College (NLBC) Leigh Morris, and RHS ambassador Jamie Butterworth. This event is just one of the ways in which Askham Bryan College will be promoting horticulture as a viable career and working towards student recruitment.

Jessica is also keen to promote and develop opportunities available outside of the college which allow students to boost their skillset.

Askham Bryan College boasted an overwhelming success at the Ideal Home Show earlier in the year, with the students who designed and built a show garden being awarded Young Gardeners of the Year 2016, and the garden itself achieving Best in Show as well as a gold medal.

Askham Bryan College is already an established land based college, and with Jessica heading the horticultural department, it will only progress further. We look forward to following the student’s achievements and the college’s work with the local community. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/11/2016 10:46

ASSOCIATION

INFORM

NEWS

Parks Alliance matters

Moving forward The rst evidence session on ctober of the House of ommons LG ommittee s in uiry into parks covered many issues including the decline of parks the funding crisis they face whether parks should be a statutory service the importance of green

infrastructure and whether some housing should be allowed on parks. s part of a panel of four the arks lliance s vice chair Sue reland in evidence reiterated the importance of parks and that they are all about uality of life . Sue

Sue reland

told s about the lack of useful data on parks a long standing concern of the arks lliance and outlined fears about parks becoming semi derelict no go areas if the crisis is not addressed.

The arks lliance was pleased in the number of e cellent wide ranging submissions given to the in uiry. This shows how important parks are to people. However there was a shortage of written submissions from local

owls

aintenance Leamington Spa

TLG

authorities which reveals the challenge of limited resources local authorities are facing. t is e pected that the committee will take evidence from some local authorities in future oral evidence sessions and will also go to visit some parks.

BALI briefing GO Landscape building real careers

GoLandscape has launched The new careers initiative from L o cially launched at FutureScape with over students career changers and employers in attendance. ntroduced to close the widening skills gap in the industry by ensuring students leaving education have the right uali cations

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Association News.indd 15

skill set or apprenticeship guidance to go on to have real careers in a rewarding industry which is open to everyone from all walks of life. www.golandscape.co.uk BALI’s inaugural State of Trade survey a success The results from L s rst State of Trade survey has provided interesting answers from members to uestions around employment salaries and apprenticeships. The ssociation will now use some of this data when lobbying at government level which will provide a more accurate picture

of any identi able trends within its membership and how they as a result fluctuate against the land based sector and help inform political policy decisions.

40th year of BALI’s National Landscape Awards Tickets sold at a record pace with nearly people attending the industry s leading wards event in ecember which is celebrating its th year in . ttendees were treated to an afternoon of memorable entertainment including this year s rincipal Special and Grand ward winners who will already

have been announced by the time you read this so congratulations to them all.

Adtrak’s warm welcome L s new membership bene t partner dtrak has worked with L to create an e citing welcome e perience for new L members who oin the ssociation including a lu ury welcome bo and accompanying video which shows how to get the most out of membership.

The bo was sponsored by L Registered liate members Stone Group Ltd and S Ltd. Twitter: @BALI_Landscape

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 15

24/11/2016 10:55

INFORM

RHS report

Children’s Magic of Christmas at RHS Garden Hyde Hall Santa Claus and his elves will be visiting RHS Garden Hyde Hall as part of the Magic of Christmas Special on 25 to 27 November and 2 to 4 December. Families are invited to participate in atmospheric story time sessions with

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

Santa, where kids will be able to share their gift wishes with him. Christmas craft workshops will be available all day from 10.30am to 2.30pm. For more information please visit: www. rhs.org.uk/gardens/hydehall Christmas Glow at RHS Garden Wisley This festive season RHS Garden Wisley will come to life with a magical Christmas Glow display from 1 December to 2 January, which promises to be the biggest and best so far.

Families are invited to come and see a forest of gigantic illuminated ‘blooms’ as they light up the winter landscape and create an unforgettable Christmas atmosphere. The

RHS Garden Wisley

lights switch-on will take place at 6.30pm on 30 November and will feature a lantern parade and late night shopping. For more information please visit: www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley RHS London Christmas Show This winter the RHS will be hosting the new RHS London Christmas Show, from 17 to 18 December 2016, at the RHS Horticultural Halls. The show will offer visitors the chance to buy interesting plants and sundries

that will make ideal presents for gardening enthusiasts.

Throughout both days, visitors will also be able to learn more about how to grow their own fruit and vegetables from local and independent food producers.

On Friday 16 December there will be a late night shopping event to allow shoppers more time to spot their ideal Christmas gifts. For more information or to buy advance tickets please visit: www.rhs.org.uk/ londonshows www.rhs.org.uk/gardens

efig outline Are you ready for the festive season? Our members have been busy for the last two to three months installing Christmas in their clients’ premises. Of course, this task isn’t over yet, as they will be hard at work immediately after Christmas breaking down all these installations so that the way is clear for a good new year.

Winter weathers Many of our larger members

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Association News.indd 16

will be preparing to help their clients through the bad weather spells of winter too.

Clearing the car parks and walkways at clients’ premises ensures that employees and visitors stay upright and safe when the icy cold weather works against us.

Gritting is usually determined by the et ce predictions of ice and snow using salt which melts the ice and stops water freezing. efig Awards As if members weren’t busy enough, we’re also asking them to submit their entries for the ne t annual e g wards

of excellence. With a comprehensive entry form ready for them to download from our website, they can enter into several categories.

We always ask them to send in photographs to support their entries.

An impartial panel of judges will visit entries for design and maintenance categories

to validate and assess the entries. Obviously this is impossible for event or Christmas installations, so members must submit good photographs from many angles and close-ups of work in these categories.

Members will learn which of them have been successful at our new style annual awards event which will be held at the Barbican next year. All entries must be in by 3 February so that they are available for the udges rst assessment on 11 February.

Visits to sites will take place after that. www.efig.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/11/2016 10:56

INFORM

SGD bulletin

Tickets for SGD Awards ceremony 2016 on sale now Friday 27 January 2017 The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone, London NW1 6.30 to 10.30pm Join us at the SGD Awards ceremony on Friday 27 January 2017 for the garden design event of the year.

We are returning to the glamorous surroundings of the ve star Landmark Hotel, Marylebone where the ceremony will be presented in the grand ballroom and the drinks

reception held in the hotel’s main ballroom.

Journalist, broadcaster and designer Joe Swift MSGD is our host and in charge of entertainment for the evening.

The SGD Awards ceremony is not only a wonderful occasion to meet friends and associates, it is a unique opportunity to network with influential gures and

journalists in the garden design industry and the chance to celebrate the best in garden and landscape design. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting occasion.

‘Early bird’ ticket prices apply. Tickets start from £130 if purchased before 2 December 2016, thereafter tickets are priced from £150.

Visit the SGD Awards website for further information. www.sgdawards.com

The SGD are proud to be supporting Perennial at the SGD Awards ceremony.

Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people of all ages working in or retired from horticulture, when times get tough. A collection will be made for the charity during the ceremony. www.sgd.org.uk

APL update

New chair for APL The APL Annual Review took place at FutureScape in November, with Ken White from Frosts Landscapes taking over the role of chairman from Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants. Mark was thanked for the many developments that he has been involved with during his tenure and was presented with an engraved slab of Yorkstone, kindly provided by London Stone.

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Association News.indd 17

Mark will continue to be involved in the APL helping to shape many special events and using his enthusiasm and professionalism to support the staff at the HT to ensure these events are of ma imum bene t to APL members.

In other changes, Rod Winrow from Garden House Design takes on the role of vice chairman and Neil

Fisher from Hambrooks joins the committee.

APL Stone Seminar – Paving the Way Following the success of the APL Spring Seminar, a one-day APL Stone Seminar will take place on Tuesday 17 January 2017 at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire.

The technical seminar will tackle topics such as ethical and environmental sourcing, product availability, techniques and innovation. It will provide today’s landscaping contractor with a complete insight into the sector through a mixture of presentations and

interactive debates.

The APL Stone Seminar will take place alongside the HTA Contact Conference and the BPOA Spring Conference.

Delegates are welcome to stay after the seminar with industry colleagues from all three events at the joint dinner.

Places cost £75, plus VAT. Book now at: www.hta.org.uk/ aplstoneseminar Finally, places are booking fast for the APL Awards ceremony, sponsored by Bradstone, which takes place on 17 March 2017 at The Brewery in London.

Book your place at: www.aplawards.co.uk www.landscaper.org.uk

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 17

24/11/2016 10:57

INFORM

At the Annual Review meeting at FutureScape event on 15 November, Ken White from Frosts Landscapes was elected as the Chairman of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL). He takes over the role from Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants who had been chairman since 2010.

Pro Landscaper asked Ken what changes he hopes to implement during his tenure, he said: “I am not looking to make a raft of changes for the sake of it, but will listen to the needs of our members and further develop the APL family and community in line with those requirements. One of my main aims is to work closely with other associations to ensure that our industry is more cohesive.” Ken also commented: “I am looking forward to working with Rod Winrow as vice-chairman, Phil Tremayne and the committee to drive the Association forward.” Of Mark Gregory, Ken said: “His commitment and tireless enthusiasm has brought the APL a long way forward and myself and the committee intend to expand on this.”

Asked what he would like to have achieved in two years’ time, Ken replied: “Over the past few months, the committee has been developing a revised business strategy and value proposition.

So looking back I would hope to have seen many of these initiatives come to fruition. The time is right for all associations to work with a greater level of synergy rather than simply competing for membership. BALI has laid out its focus on commercial landscaping and maintenance through the National Contractors’ Forum and GoLandscape, both excellent initiatives. The APL is very much the go-to organisation for domestic landscaping for both the consumer and landscaper alike. Over the next couple of years

APL WELCOMES KEN WHITE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE APL lack some of the necessary skills to do so, the APL along with its delivery partners will be there to help develop those skills.”

Outgoing Chairman Mark Gregory will still retain close links with the APL, taking on an ambassadorial role and of his six years in the position he said: “It took us a while to get the

I AM NOT LOOKING TO MAKE A RAFT OF CHANGES FOR THE SAKE OF IT, BUT WILL LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF OUR MEMBERS AND FURTHER DEVELOP THE APL FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN LINE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS one of the APL’s primary objectives will be to develop and deliver a series of mentoring events to help young and established companies manage and grow their business. Most landscapers start their business due to a passion for either hard or soft landscaping and in some cases both, however they soon realise that they 18

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

NewsExtraAPL.indd 18

right team in place and I’m genuinely delighted that Ken is now taking over. A highlight of my chairmanship is the development of the cluster groups which has taken the Association out to the regions. Going forward I believe it’s vital for the Association to continue with the mentoring theme, and my future wish is for the APL to

be approachable, and to concentrate on professional and business development as well as teaching technical skills.” Finally, Mark stresses the benefit of knowledge sharing: “I didn’t join the APL as a way of gaining business for my company, I wanted to be a part of a community that shares knowledge for the benefit of all those people working in our industry.”

At the meeting, Ken White thanked Mark and the APL committee for the work they have done on behalf of the industry commenting: “On behalf of all APL members I would like to thank Mark for his commitment and tireless enthusiasm to the Association and the role he has played in helping to raise the profile of domestic landscaping. He had a dream that the APL would be a family, a community and his efforts over the last six years have achieved just that. He steps down leaving the Association in a very strong position which I and the rest of the committee look forward to building upon.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

24/11/2016 11:54

OUT & ABOUT

20 16

The industry came together at Sandown Park Racecourse on 15 November to showcase all that is good within the landscaping industry. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, FutureScape saw record numbers of visitors, exhibitors and special events which made this year the best yet. Here we feature a few of the highlights

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Pro 2016 19 19 Pro Landscaper Landscaper // December December 2016

23/11/2016 15:40

OUT & ABOUT

Mike Long at the launch of Go Landscape

Pro Landscaper’s Jim and Lisa Wilkinson

Horticolous @HorticolousUK @FutureScapeUK A fabulous day, so very inspired, great to see everyone, thank you

Pile Height Ltd @PileHeight What an awesome @FutureScapeUK that was! Thanks to everyone that visited us & the team will be in touch over the next few days #Popcorn

Phil Jones, ISS Facility Services Landscaping

Matthew Keightley @matt_keightley Huge thanks to the @FutureScapeUK @ProLandscaperJW team, cracking day and long may your success continue. #loveourindustry

The panel guests of The Love is in the Lighting

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Futurescape.indd 20

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 14:14

OUT & ABOUT

Marian Boswall @MarianBoswall @FutureScapeUK @ProLandscaperJW A really well organised day thank you!

Ann-Marie Powell, Ann-Marie Powell Gardens

Paul Downer @OakViewPaul A top class industry & networking event it gets better every year congratulations @FutureScapeUK @ProLandscaperJW

Lindum Turf’s Roger Moore interviewed

Ann-Marie Powell @AnnMariePowell Very much enjoyed speaking on this debate panel. Another great event – congratulations to @FutureScapeUK

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Futurescape.indd 21

Kebur Garden Materials @keburgardens We had a fabulous day yesterday at @ProLandscaperJW @FutureScapeUK was lovely to meet some old and new friends! #Futurescapes2016

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 21

23/11/2016 14:16

OUT & ABOUT

The panel guests of The Beauty is in the Build

Robert Barker Design @R_Barker_Design Thank you @FutureScapeUK for a great event and a lovely dinner. Met lots of new people and had a great time. Will look forward to next year’s Matthew Childs @mattiechilds Another great event @FutureScapeUK they get better every year! Congratulations on your 5th anniversary!

Rae Wilkinson @WilkinsonRae Thank you @FutureScapeUK for hosting another great day and lovely evening for our industry – many happy returns!

The panel guests of The Passion is in the Plants efig @efig_Ltd Thank you @FutureScapeUK Team for a wonderful event yesterday. Most enjoyable day :) Good to connect with the industry

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 15:41

OUT & ABOUT

2016 Award ceremony Pro Landscaper was pleased to recognise the winners of 30 Under 30: The Next Generation 2016 in an award ceremony held at FutureScape 2016 on 15 November at Sandown Park Racecourse. Michael Heap, of sponsors CED Stone Group, co-presented the awards with Pro Landscaper’s Nina Mason, and commented on how great it is to celebrate and promote the achievements of young people working within the horticulture and landscape sectors.

We would like to offer huge congratulations again to all of our 30 Under 30s, and look forward to following their progress over the next year.

1 Michael Heap, of sponsors CED Stone Group 2 Jim Wilkinson, owner of FutureScape 3 This year’s deserving winners!

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

30UNDER30.indd 23

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 23

23/11/2016 12:36

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A louvered roof just makes your day last longer.

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December_Adverts.indd 25

22/11/2016 12:12

INFORM

Let’s Hear it From

DAVID HOUGHTON Pro Landscaper met up with David Houghton of Kings Landscapes to talk landscape construction, rapid expansion and why he became the chairman of the North Thames region of BALI When and where did you start?

I previously worked for a landscape company based in Milton Keynes. This is where I met my wife and business partner Ruth. After a few years, we decided to take the plunge into the unknown and in March 2003 Kings Landscapes was formed. We started as a sole trading company with only myself, a van and a mower. After our first year Kings Landscapes gained limited status.

Where does the name come from?

My journeys to site often took me through South Hampstead, London, past a block of flats called www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Let's Hear it From.indd 25

King’s Gardens. I was stuck in a traffic jam when I noticed the sign on the flats and thought that would be a good name for a landscaping company.

What better name than Kings Landscapes?

How many people do you have now?

We currently employ 40 members of staff.

How is the business structured?

We focus on working as a team. Managing people 1 David Houghton 2 The team at Kings Landscapes Pro Landscaper / December 2016 25

23/11/2016 09:23

INFORM

is interesting – with some people you need to give them flexibility, others you don’t. You have to manage every person differently. We currently have three departments within Kings Landscapes– Construction, Maintenance and Residential.

What are the goals of the business?

We’re going to have completed our company expansion by April 2017. Our turnover target this year is £8m and our aim is to increase our percentage profit, expand our current client portfolio and become a recognised Tier 1 Contractor.

What percentage of your work is maintenance?

It used to be around 16% but it’s now fallen to about 10%. Our goal and objective this year is to have £750k turnover within the Maintenance department.

How do you find clients?

Word of mouth is key to our reputation with many of our clients now approaching us direct.

We always maintain our current client base as we are known for our proactive approach to projects.

And how do you win your construction work?

We have a skilled and experienced estimating department who tender for works. Our projects are mainly received through recommendation; we maintain a selective tender process. Our flexible approach with clients enables us to produce a bespoke tender package.

How quickly has your team grown?

The Olympics made a difference for Kings. We constructed two plots, albeit not making a huge profit. However this was a stepping stone from which we secured larger projects for the future.

We employed more knowledgeable, skilled staff to enable us to expand our portfolio and our reputation.

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Let's Hear it From.indd 26

How easy do you find it to recruit?

We tend to build from our current team, progressing and mentoring staff through the company. Recruiting people with the right skills and experience is difficult due to the current market, there is a lot of work out there.

How far geographically would you go for work?

Our geographical area is mainly within the M25, however we cover England and Wales.

Did you do any landscaping in terms of training?

I graduated from Writtle College in 1997 with a HND in horticulture.

I was lucky enough to

learn though my education that it is important to educate others. This doesn’t necessarily mean going to college – sometimes it’s more beneficial for the individual to learn on the job. We actively encourage anyone who would like to attend 1 Chorleywood 2 Royal Wharf 3 Kents Hill 4 Royal Wharf www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 09:24

INFORM

training courses and have a training matrix for all staff which is reviewed on a regular basis. Having a well trained and experienced workforce is key to our success.

Will you sell the business?

My aim is to nurture our current management team to take the reins and lead the business forward. Hopefully within five years we’ll have a commercial director who will carry the business on. When you buy a contracting company, you’re not only buying a portfolio, you’re buying the people and their knowledge which is key to the future.

WHEN YOU BUY A CONTRACTING COMPANY, YOU’RE NOT ONLY BUYING A PORTFOLIO, YOU’RE BUYING THE PEOPLE AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE Why did you get involved in BALI? I wanted to do my bit for the industry. When I started Kings Landscapes, we became BALI registered within three years. I’m now chairman for the BALI North Thames region, which I thoroughly enjoy.

What do you enjoy outside of work?

Family time is the most important thing – without their support Kings would not have been possible.I’ve recently completed the sponsored cycle event, The Three Peakers Ride Again, for the Perennial charity which supports people within the landscaping industry. I also love to watch and play union rugby. Every Sunday morning I train the junior rugby team of under eights and Kings is also a sponsor at Bletchley Rugby Club.

CONTACT Kings Landscapes Flaxbourne Gardens, Salford Road, Aspley Guise, Milton Keynes MK17 8HZ 01908 585 220 www.kingslandscapes.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016 27

23/11/2016 09:25

INFORM

COMPANY

PROFILE

Alongside celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Hertfordshire-based The Garden Company has just won its 21st BALI National Landscape Award. Pro Landscaper spoke to managing director and principal designer James Scott about the company’s success, and where he intends to take the business going forward

Can you tell us a bit about the company and how it was founded?

When I was 21, I worked as a designer and contracts manager at Capital Garden Landscapes, a company I joined straight after graduating from Merrist Wood College. After a couple of years I set up my own business.

In hindsight, I didn’t really have the experience, but the great benefit was that I could afford to make mistakes at that age without worrying about supporting a family or paying a mortgage. I and a business partner, whom I amicably bought out several years ago, took quite a few years to reach a point where we could employ other people and build a team. Employing the first one or two people is probably the most difficult stage, but we managed to get through it. Being a member of BALI was a great help, as I was talking to other contractors. One of the main reasons we joined BALI was to win awards to put ourselves in a better position to attract clients, and we’ve now just won our 21st BALI National Landscape Award.

In recent years I’ve become more involved with the SGD. I serve on council and this year will be my third running their National Awards, which has gone from strength to strength.

You are celebrating 25 years. How has the company developed over this time?

It’s gone from just two people to a company that employs around 20, and I do think we are one of the leading landscape design and construction companies in the country. We have a huge amount of skills within the business now. I’m still very much involved in day to day tasks, but I have come to rely more on key members of staff, such as design and landscape manager Alex Haerle and maintenance manager Joanna Mège.

Retaining key staff has helped immensely. Three of our six team leaders have been with me for 28

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The Garden Company Company Profile.indd 28

what we aim most of our marketing at and it’s our preferred type of business as well. We like to go through the design and build process and, if it’s local enough, do the maintenance afterwards.

I don’t particularly like the word ‘maintenance’ though – it’s more about nurturing the garden once you’ve finished it. We also build gardens for other designers. This is an area I would like to expand and I think we can provide a really good service. We do offer a design-only service but this is a quite low proportion of our work.

THE GARDEN COMPANY

in numbers

Established 1991 Employees 20 Turnover £1.5m Breakdown 75% design/ build, 25% maintenance Awards 21 BALI National Landscape Awards

more than 10 years, which is important for maintaining momentum. We can build good projects without me having to micro manage.

They help set the standard when new people come into the business.

Has the business always offered design, build and maintenance?

Yes, our core business is design and build. It’s

Which of the three divisions takes the higher percentage in terms of work?

Around 75% of our turnover comes from the design and build projects, of which 20% is building for other designers, 5% is design fees, and 75% is the design and build package. The final 25% of the overall turnover is garden or landscape maintenance.

What is the turnover of the company?

Our gross turnover is about £1.5m, compared to £30K when we first started. We’ve had plenty of opportunities to increase this if we wanted to, but not for the type of work we want to do.

What geographical areas do you cover?

We prefer to work within an hour of the office because it’s more economical – as soon as you travel more than an hour away, you have to think about additional labour costs, which could make you non-competitive in the market. From a managerial point of view, it also means the site can be reached quickly and easily. Where we’re based, this takes in all of North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and parts of Bedfordshire. We do travel further afield if it’s for a client who has moved out of the area or for a designer with whom we do a lot of work. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 09:12

INFORM

It comes down to three questions, and if you are able to answer ‘yes’ to two of these, then you should do the project: Will the project be satisfying? Will it be profitable? Will it move the company forward in some way?

What size projects do you normally undertake (size, length and value)?

In the early days, we would do pretty much anything to do with gardens, and to a certain degree we still do, particularly if it’s a regular client.

Starting off with a new client, however, the projects are usually a lot bigger. A typical design and build project can range from a few tens of thousands to

several hundred thousand. The size of the projects varies considerably, and can last from a few weeks to six months or more, and schemes tend to be phased which means we are often involved for years. Around 80% of our work is domestic, with the remaining 20% being commercial. What we do is very much led by the client’s needs, the situation, the property, and the surroundings. Our style tends to be quite naturalistic and plantfocused, with a strong underlying geometry.

Are there any projects that stand out for you?

It’s difficult to choose one or two projects as there have been so many, but the most satisfying

WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF SKILLS WITHIN THE BUSINESS NOW projects are the ones that stand the test of time and are developing well into nice gardens or landscapes. Though most of our work is domestic, I get a real buzz from public projects, seeing people interact in a positive way with them.

What are the future plans for the company?

There are fantastic opportunities out there in the design/build market. We want a controlled and steady expansion, to build the team. We’re looking to employ someone to the design team who has studied CAD, which we don’t use at the moment, and is something we’re looking to put in place over the next couple of years.

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

Training and attracting more talented people into the industry at a younger age. We need to champion what a great industry this is so that parents and career advisors recognise horticulture as a good profession.

We currently have five employees undertaking City and Guilds Level 2 or 3 national diplomas in horticulture. Four of those are on a full wage, but they’re actually doing apprenticeships. It’s quite costly in terms of time as well as money, but I think it’s really important to show that you are committed to training. I want my team to have careers rather than just a job.

1 Managing director James Scott 2 Bespoke building, swimming pool and terrace 3 The management and office team at The Garden Company 4 Travertine steps, basalt-clad pool and planting 5 London garden with hardwood steps and deck

CONTACT The Garden Company Ltd Chipperfield Garden Centre, Tower Hill, Chipperfield, Hertfordshire WD4 9LH Tel: 01442 832 666 Twitter: @gardencomp Email: info@thegardenco.co.uk Web: www.thegardenco.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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22/11/2016 12:16

VIEW FROM THE TOP PHIL JONES

Phil Jones discusses what he thinks will happen in the parks management sector going into 2017 With the current focus on parks and green spaces at ministerial level, it would be easy to reach the conclusion that 2017 will bring new optimism to the parks sector and among those who provide a service to maintain parks and open spaces, particularly with local authorities as their clients.

The message that many interested parties have been trying to get through to the government, seems finally to have got through to those who may be able to influence the course of green space management across the UK. Will this be good or bad for the grounds maintenance industry? Will the increased focus bring increased investment, or at least protection of current levels of funding? Will local authorities be encouraged to review how they procure their services? On this particular point of course, there is a longer term question hanging over procurement methodology, what with the uncertainty of Brexit looming.

Will the increased level of focus on parks and the uncertainty around procurement regulations allow local authorities to delay or cancel the outsourcing of contracts? Will more authorities, as has been seen a number of times this year, take contracts in house without due competitive process?

We have no clear answers to these and many other questions, which means we are left guessing as to the future.

A guess then: I can see the future of private sector outsourcing by local authorities in some areas of the country ceasing, as contracts are taken back in house in the misguided belief that it is more economical. I can therefore see a number of private sector grounds maintenance companies shrinking and some disappearing altogether. This will take longer than a year but www.prolandscapermagazine.com

ViewFromTheTopDec.indd 31

EACH YEAR ALWAYS BRINGS NEW CHALLENGES, SMALL AND LARGE. AS AN INDUSTRY WE ALWAYS RISE TO THEM, AND WE ALWAYS SURVIVE will happen. There has already been consolidation across the industry. One has to question if in a couple of years’ time, those who sought to acquire in this sector will still think it was a good business plan, given what I see as an ever-shrinking market.

What else will affect us in 2017? Well, we currently have forecasts from the Bank of England which point to inflation rises in the first half of 2017, with all that that entails for the industry. In addition to businesses having to increase their prices to maintain profit margins, where contractual obligations allow, marginal businesses will surely fail, thus increasing unemployment.

We have the first full year effect of the cost of the National Living Wage upon us. As great an initiative as it is, it still has a cost that in some contracts is unrecoverable from the customer, putting pressure on some businesses to make ends meet, having tendered at lower rates previously.

Growing seasons still appear to be lengthening, bringing longer operating seasons, resulting in increased periods of labour resource and use and repair of equipment, in turn leading to increased costs in contracts – again, some of which costs are unrecoverable from customers.

We are told that skill levels and availability of competent staff will still be a challenge and I agree with this. It’s easy to get used to the noise regarding this, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

All in all it looks as if we have a cocktail of challenges to deal with. Each year always brings new challenges, small and large. As an

The panel at FutureScap e 2016 put forward thei r views on what to e pec t over the ne t ve yea rs

industry we always rise to them, and we always survive. However, the magnitude of some of the challenges for 2017 and beyond suggests that some within our industry may struggle to survive the pressures on their businesses this time round, and that it may prove too much for some.

Once again we turn to those trade associations who represent us collectively to support and guide where necessary, during what will surely be a bumpy ride.

ABOUT PHIL JONES Phil Jones is managing director of ISS Facility Services Landscaping and is based at the company’s head office in Wo in urrey. e ained an in landscape construction and moved into rounds maintenance early on in his career urther ainin an . e has been ith the company since and as ell as runnin the landscapin business he sits on the UK operational management board of ISS Facility ervices and is chairman o . ollo hil ones @philjonesISS ollo andscapin @ISSLandscaping

www.isslandscaping.co.uk

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23/11/2016 11:48

WATCH THE PROGRAMME

INFORM

ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson considers the validity of programmes for the management of contracts and asks: with whom are we communicating?

It’s always good to produce a programme, whether a project is large and complex or small and straightforward. They frame the best of intentions at the commencement of works on site, but also allow the flexibility to change or modify as more detail emerges, or when the weather intervenes and spoils everything.

For commercial schemes they are essential, especially when overruns are likely and there may be a financial penalty. Three weeks’ lost revenue can be easily identified when a business cannot function as a result of late completion.

The programme itself is not set in stone, but forward planning and an early awareness can help prepare all parties for an easier ride.

But what about the private client? How might they ascertain and identify damages? For many of our clients, when faced with major rebuilds and extensive renovations, they will choose to rent and live elsewhere. The extension of their rental agreement may allow them to ascertain

IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO PRODUCE A PROGRAMME, WHETHER A PROJECT IS LARGE AND COMPLEX OR SMALL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD

suitable financial recompense, but for those living through the works or returning to the property before full completion, the waters are murky. It’s difficult to put a workable and agreeable figure to a contracting team extending their stay by two or three weeks, but the disruption and annoyance can be considerable.

For any of us who have experienced house extensions or renovations, the loss of privacy, difficulty in relaxing and general disruption or discomfort can be substantial and an overrun on a published programme, no matter what the reason, can be an unpleasant and deeply resented imposition.

The flexibility of the programme needs to be established from the outset, but ongoing communication is also essential, especially for the client. A designer will understand delays in lead times, difficulties in site preparation and workability in poor weather, and sometimes the difficulty in staffing a complex build, but who There’s nothing quite like a deadline to focus the mind!

Chelsea judging always bang on time communicates the bad news of

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delays – the designer or the landscaper?

Ideally it should be both. The landscaper knows first-hand the issues and the unfolding story of delays and hiccoughs. The designer also knows the complexities and demands of their scheme and both should be able to explain and prepare for bad news. Quality of workmanship should also be considered as part of this equation – there is little point in hurtling towards a given deadline if the finish and consistency suffer or vary across the scheme.

On a recent project, the client asked us for a more ‘client centred’ programme. The programme we were all working to was detailed and well devised, but the client found it complex and impersonal. What they were actually looking for as the project developed was the delivery of completed sections of the garden – spaces in which they could regain their privacy, enjoy the sunshine or relax with friends while work continued in other areas. I reflected on this and supported their request. It may well be fine for contractors and designers to talk programmes but the client focus is easily lost and as the paymaster, this is a pretty important consideration. In this case, a sense of how the client was living through the mess and disruption and what they were looking for was key – deadlines could still be identified within the revised approach, although some supply dates and on site storage needed more careful manipulation and organisation.

The end result is a client who at the end of a scheme is more willing to discuss and engage with, or accommodate, unavoidable delays rather than feeling excluded and neglected.

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

www.wmstudio.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 33

23/11/2016 09:48

INFORM

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

ADAM WHITE Adam White considers the often gruelling realities of competitive tendering – if clients could simply initiate a conversation, it would be far more productive Okay, I’ll say it: tenders are a waste of time, effort and money. Clients need to wise up, throw out the comparison charts and matrix scoring spreadsheets and talk to people instead. Ask for the basic info – insurance, accounts, case studies and references, and then hold an interview.

A conversation will be far more productive than reviewing cumbersome tables for days to make a decision based on numbers rather than true value. On a recent tender we had to complete a 50 page questionnaire and provide almost every company policy, only to be followed by a request for a free fully costed design up front!

Don’t get me wrong, clearly there needs to be a competitive process to find the right consultant or contractor; but we absolutely hate wasting time on something that was never going to be a success from the start. It’s infuriating to be asked to submit a free design and then discover you are one of ten shortlisted companies. That means nine teams will have invested a huge amount of time and money to then receive a one-line email saying ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

It’s not just the free design work which appears over the top. The RFPs (Requests for Proposal), PQQs (Pre-Qualification Questionnaires), the ITTs (Invitations to Tender) and frameworks all seem to be asking for more and more information. e-tendering We use a whole host of e-tendering portals which streamline the process for the client but often lead the consultant and contractor down the garden path. Sometimes you just need a 34

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Adam White.indd 34

quick clarification conversation, and this is impossible with e-tendering.

Another downside to e-tendering is the number of questions. It can seem like a marathon, and often the questions do not link to one another. They can be disjointed and badly worded. Sometimes the tenders are dense and confusing, difficult to navigate and even more tricky to access in the first place. When you are completing a tender via an e-tendering system, be sure to save your work regularly!

If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually find the budget, timescale and scope of works hidden somewhere in the documents. If these websites and e-tendering portals were to make just one improvement, it would be to provide this key information up front.

It’s frustrating to register interest in a project, only to discover after downloading the numerous forms that the project isn’t worth it.

I’ve lost count of the times a project sounded great in its title only to turn out to be a playground resurfacing job or the design and build of a play structure, often with a capital budget that is barely enough to cover the contractor’s preliminary costs.

To be fair, on the flip side e-tenders are environmentally friendly, share transparency of

CLIENTS NEED TO WISE UP, THROW OUT THE COMPARISON CHARTS AND MATRIX SCORING SPREADSHEETS AND TALK TO PEOPLE INSTEAD information, offer 24/7 mobile access, reduce the chance of non-compliant bids, and offer better security. This makes it even more of a mystery as to why they don’t improve them.

Of course all forms of competitive tendering are an important part of gaining value for money.

However, it would be appreciated by many small businesses if the pre-tender process could be refined to reflect and respect the huge upfront investment required to win a piece of work.

ABOUT ADAM WHITE FLI Adam White FLI is a director at Davies White Ltd, a multi award-winning chartered landscape architects’ practice in Kingston upon Thames. He is the youngest landscape architect to be made a fellow of the Landscape Institute and an RHS Gold Medal and BBC People’s Choice Award winner.

Twitter: @davies_white www.davieswhite.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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23/11/2016 11:51

INFORM

AMAZING SPACE DAVID DODD David Dodd gets nostalgic and touches on a topic close to his heart: mazes. Not often used in today’s garden design, David is hoping for a unicursal renaissance

A maze is an art form that is rarely thought of in gardens or landscape design these days.

I remember in 1991, which was my sandwich year as a Merrist Wood student; I spent the whole year travelling up and down the country visiting, researching and eventually falling in love with them. By luck, 1991 was also the International Year of The Maze and they were being promoted at several historical sites such as Hampton Court and Longleat; Britain’s oldest and largest hedge mazes respectively.

We were probably more easily pleased in the Seventies, so visiting a maze would be a fantastically exciting experience, whereas these days a child would find a maze a bit boring and pointless (unless they could find at least ten Pokémon hiding in it). I started studying mazes and labyrinths in my early twenties, which was when my mind was opened to their true mystery, as well as some very clever and beautiful design.

I’D LOVE TO SEE MORE MAZES BEING INCORPORATED INTO PRIVATE GARDENS AND PUBLIC PROJECTS TO KEEP THIS HISTORICAL ART FORM ALIVE

Mazes have been designed over several millennia and are spread all over the world. To this day I find it fascinating that one archetypal design has been found throughout the world.

Rocky Valley in Cornwall, Luzzanas in Sardinia, Padagula in India, Crete, Sweden, Ireland and Arizona all show evidence of the unicursal labyrinth (unicursal meaning ‘one-pathed’) – predominantly the seven-ringed labyrinth.

They’ve been used throughout history, representing fertility and creation as well as holding many other religious symbolisms. The South American ‘man in the maze’ symbolises the maze itself as the womb, with the man representing the seed penetrating the womb. When he reaches the centre (or goal as it’s known in maze terms) the ovum is fertilised, creating new life. In Finland and Sweden they would place a girl in the goal and boys would race to get to her, to win the fair maiden’s affections. Let’s face it – that sounds a little bit more romantic than Tinder!

Early Christians adopted and developed the unicursal maze pattern, which were used as places for reflection or penance, and they can still

be found in and around many churches throughout Europe today.

It wasn’t until the Renaissance around the 15th century that hedge ‘puzzle mazes’ became a popular amusement for kings and noblemen. To start with, they were only to be found in the wealthiest palaces, the most famous of which was Hampton Court.

Planted by Henry Wise and George London around 1690, this ‘hand-on-wall’ design can be solved by following the left side hedge in and out of every dead end until you reach the goal.

The maze survived the prospect of being ripped out by Capability Brown, who was given strict instructions from the king to leave the maze alone while he was the head gardener there.

With the passage of time, mazes have developed in all shapes and sizes around the world. The Japanese are particularly fond of 3D wood mazes where the wall panels actually move around, creating new pathways and closing others whilst you’re in it! My personal favorite has always been at Leeds Castle in Kent, where the ‘goal’ is a Greek mythology themed grotto with a quick exit tunnel.

I love designing mazes and even have a ‘man in the maze’ tattoo, but I’d love to see more being incorporated into private gardens and public projects to keep this historical art form alive – as well as add a little fun into our lives.

ABOUT DAVID DODD David Dodd has been in the landscape industry since the age of 17. Having studied and then taught at Merrist Wood College, he set up The Outdoor Room in 1995. In 2013, he went into business with landscape architect Joe Perkins to form Longview Design Ltd. David has also lectured in design and construction for over 20 years.

www.theoutdoorroom.co.uk

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23/11/2016 11:38

INFORM

OUT OF POCKET PETE JONES

Pete Jones discusses the age-old headache of getting money rightfully owed on time Why can it be so difficult to get paid sometimes? Service delivered as contracted, work signed off and clear payment terms and conditions in place, invoice dates met and yet you still wait for money in some cases. I accept that sometimes commercial payments slow down solely due to failings of individuals within the organisation, but large commercial businesses as a whole should do better for their subcontractors. It is a little easier to manage payments from private individuals, as you generally have a single point of contact and meetings are often face to face.

I’m sure every business approaches credit control in a slightly different manner but I am certain we all require the same outcomes – prompt, accurate payments within terms and if there is any revision to terms, to receive it within the revised timescale. It’s worth noting that we have all concluded the works as contracted, probably some 30/60/90 days previous to any invoice being due for payment.

It’s yet more frustrating to find out that a payment is likely to fall outside agreed terms and timescales, to then be told it will turn up on a revised date, only to be let down. How often does this happen?

Thankfully, not too often these days as we weed out those companies with a bad reputation. When it does, it can impact on a company’s cash flow severely, especially for the

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IT IS A LITTLE EASIER TO MANAGE PAYMENTS FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, AS YOU GENERALLY HAVE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT smaller contractors in the industry where there is little safety net available to bridge the gap.

The subject of payments is rarely as straightforward as it should be, especially when you take the time to consider the psychological side of the process. You may feel more inclined to give a larger, long-standing client some leeway due to your ongoing relationship, but how long do you ‘sit tight’ with this in mind before it becomes an issue? Taking that a step further, when and how heavy handedly do you then wade in and legitimately demand your money, without the fear that this historically fruitful relationship may be irreparably damaged?

This is made considerably more difficult if it is not a regular occurrence with that particular client. If this is the case, you may wish to

consider the wisdom in continuing along the journey with the client.

It’s easy enough to cease works on a privately funded project awaiting a payment, if nothing is forthcoming as agreed. To effectively put a commercial client ‘on stop’ pending payment, doesn’t tend to increase your tender enquiries in the future. It’s a difficult decision in some cases, in others quite simple, especially if it is an ongoing circumstance.

Over the years, the only consistently successful approach to payments and credit control has been through ongoing meaningful communication with the client, ensuring that all parties are aware of all pertinent dates and processes involved. Find the right person in a larger organisation and establish a rapport.

There’s no harm in ensuring that clients have received invoices and subsequently reiterating terms and payment dates to convey your expectations. This can ensure you are also clear when payments are due, in order to keep a sustainable, accurate and up to date record that you can interrogate appropriately and document the status of all monies owed. There is clearly no detriment in being efficient.

And what of those clients that are determined not to pay – ‘professional non-payers’? How you choose to deal with these is surely dependent on the size of the debt and the potential costs to recover it. If you’ve delivered as contracted however, why should you be concerned about recovering what’s rightfully yours?

ABOUT PETE JONES After 20 years in the landscape industry working across many sectors, Pete Jones is now creating and maintaining award-winning landscape solutions with LDP Ltd. He is a BALI NCF and BALI South Thames committee member investin time and effort to improve our industry wherever possible.

Twitter: @LandDesignPete

www.ldp.uk.com

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23/11/2016 08:41

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23/11/2016 11:24

INFORM

POWER RANGE

ANGUS LINDSAY Angus Lindsay looks into the future of landscaping and the varied role that technology has to play, from battery powered equipment to apps for children Electric power is on the increase. Be it in luxury cars or cordless drills, the humble battery has come a long way from the lead acid lump which languished under the bonnet, all but forgotten until that cold morning when it demanded the attention of a set of jump leads. Today’s technology has given us smaller, more powerful, more efficient and, barring a few melting phones, safer batteries, giving machinery manufacturers a clean canvas on which to design the next generation of power tools.

The main manufacturers in this field, Stihl, Husqvarna, Pellenc, and Bosch, are working hard to use these new power sources to bring us the next generation of superefficient zero-emission machines. It is up to us, the end users, to embrace these and make them part of our fleet equipment of the future.

Sure, it will take a bit of persuasion to get the hardened strimmer pilot to change from the high revving two-stroke machine they’ve grown up with to a lightweight, high torque option, but consider the benefits; no emissions, lower vibration, less strain on the operator, no fuel issues, fewer moving parts, and possibly less susceptibility to theft as you are able to separate the battery from the tool.

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In October this year, Husqvarna held its annual Silent City conference, which not only promoted the use of their electric range of power tools, but more importantly presented their Future Urban Parks Report. The basis of the report was to look at the role of the urban park in 2030 and was the combination of thoughts from 533 landscape architecture students from all over the world. The results make for interesting reading. With increasing pressure on land for building housing for our increasing population, green spaces within today’s cities are under greater pressure and becoming more important. Consider, if you will, pocket parks, pop up parks within buildings, rooftop parks, linear parks along canals and river courses, and even vertical parks. The mind boggles.

So where does technology fit in? Low emission electric power tools are available now, but what about using drones to inspect trees, water courses or field drainage? The drone is becoming more prevalent in agriculture to monitor crop health, so I don’t think it will be long before we see those inspecting trees.

How about sensors in trees to monitor air and water quality, the health of the tree and the general health of the park? I have talked before about robotic mowers and how their use is increasing, and here is an interesting statistic for you: one in three mowers sold in Sweden is a robotic mower, and they are not all trundling around gardens. Several contractors

ONE IN THREE MOWERS SOLD IN SWEDEN IS A ROBOTIC MOWER AND THEY ARE NOT ALL TRUNDLING AROUND GARDENS across Northern Europe now use robotic mowers to cut sites as diverse as security perimeters to business park lawns, and even roundabouts on busy road junctions.

One thing that all those attending the Silent City conference were in agreement with, was that we need to get more people out into our parks, and as an industry we all have a responsibility to do our bit to make this happen.

It is too easy for children today to sit using their phones or tablets and completely miss out on the outdoor growing up experience that our parks are there for. But the park needs to be more than just a green space with a play area; it needs to embrace new technology and become more interactive. This was the approach taken by one Dutch contractor who has developed an app similar to Pokémon Go, but based around parks and wildlife, and guess what? Use of the parks where it was available has increased. It just goes to show, that with some creativity, technology can have an important role to play in the future of our parks.

ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen.

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

Contact: angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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23/11/2016 11:26

INFORM

The

R SE of the NORTH

Belfast’s parks have had a tumultuous history, particularly in recent years. We spoke to the city council about the impact of the Troubles on its green spaces, and how those spaces are helping to provide (literal) common ground for the population post the peace agreement

O

f all the cities we’ve covered so far in this series, Belfast undoubtedly has the most turbulent background, politically speaking.

This is something that not only shaped the day to day life of its inhabitants, but also left a mark on the identity of its parks and green spaces, the use of which was – and to a degree, still is – segmented along sectarian lines.

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Belfast.indd 42

While ultimately stretching back to the 17th century, the recent history of what became known as the Troubles began in the late Sixties with violence at a civil rights march through Londonderry. It ended, at least for a considerable majority of the population, with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which restored selfgovernment to the province following three decades of violence.

One man who witnessed both the Troubles and its knock-on effect on the city’s green spaces is Stephen Quinn. He currently works as the community parks manager for the south of the city. We asked Stephen for an overview of the organisation’s parks offer, as well as an insight into the logistics involved in maintaining public spaces which have so often been out of bounds to large parts of the community. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 10:00

INFORM

THANKFULLY NOWADAYS, QUESTIONS OF RELIGION ARE NOT NEARLY THE ISSUE THEY ONCE WERE, EITHER IN TERMS OF THE POLITICAL LIFE OF THE CITY OR IN RELATION TO ITS PARKS

H mainly residential, so they really just want to be left alone.”

He continued: “In terms of organisation, at the time we split the crews into ‘red’ teams and ‘blue’ teams which we then sent into their respective areas around the city. You certainly couldn’t send a single individual to the wrong area; you could never send a Protestant member of the team to work in Falls Park for instance.

“In terms of difficulty between the staff themselves, people would play the ‘political’ card if they couldn’t – or just didn’t want to – go somewhere. We never had any problems amongst the teams though.”

He said: “Belfast has a lot of open spaces, particularly in the south, which is primarily residential. The city’s bigger parks include Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon, as well as the estate around Belfast Castle, which has about 1,500 acres of woodland and heathland.

“Regarding the Troubles, at its height it provided real challenges when it came to maintenance, particularly in areas with communities that were 100% one religion or the other. In terms of demographics, the west of the city is mainly Catholic, while the north is mixed.

East is primarily Protestant, and the south is www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Belfast.indd 43

No easy task Thankfully nowadays, questions of religion are not nearly the issue they once were, either in terms of the political life of the city or in relation to its parks. (Indeed, the city’s parks are actually one of the things that are being used to heal the wounds inflicted by the Troubles, more on which later.) That isn’t to say keeping the open spaces in top condition is by any means an easy task, however.

We asked Stephen about the logistics involved in the upkeep of Belfast’s green spaces.

What are the more ‘traditional’ challenges around resourcing and crewing? He said: “There’s about 300 parks across Belfast – about 80 of which are larger spaces – which are maintained by around 190 staff. They include gardeners, grounds keepers, park attendants, park wardens and playground inspectors.

“We also have 16 seasonal gardeners, as well as ten mobile facility attendants who look after the infrastructure around our football pitches. We split the workforce into small teams of twos and threes, or let them work as individuals. They all have their own areas across the city.”

Why was the decision made to keep all maintenance work in house rather than putting it out to tender? “Everything’s in house except our development work,” he said, “which basically means anything involving heavy machinery.

We’ve also got a tree tender – other than when it comes to basic maintenance.”

He continued: “One reason that we’ve kept it in house is that it’s actually quite difficult to tender out. There was a period in the mid-Nineties where companies were given the opportunity to tender for the work. We figured out our cost with a 5% profit margin, and submitted that alongside everyone else.

“In the end, there were only one or two bids, basically because of where we are geographically, and because of the political situation at the time. A lot of the companies were from England, and there were a lot of logistics involved, so it didn’t happen.”

The names of the roses If you’re from the British mainland, it’s easy to see Northern Ireland purely through the lens of the sectarian violence that plagued it for so many years. This is of course no surprise, given how central debates around both Irish and British identity were to the Troubles (and also given how often the violence spilled over into other areas of the UK).

There’s far more to the province than the darker aspects of its political history, however – not least its plant culture, which, when it comes to one species in particular, is as vibrant as anywhere in the world.

1 The Palm House, Botanic Gardens, Belfast 2 Autumn Fair, Botanic Gardens, Belfast 3 Joggers in Victoria Park, Belfast Pro Landscaper / December 2016 43

23/11/2016 10:00

INFORM

WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF MODERN DAY VARIETIES WHICH NUMBERS ABOUT 4,000, AS WELL AS IRISH ROSES, AND OUR TRIAL AREAS FOR ROSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

I ask Stephen about the local authority’s strategy when it comes to stock acquisition, and about the different styles of maintenance that occur throughout the city. “We acquire plants through a tender process,” he said. “We have a tree contract with Hilliers, as well as a tender for shrubs and herbaceous climbers. We also have a contract growing tender for bedding, and a contract for vegetable plugs.

“In terms of landscaping style, we have a variety of different settings. These range from the Victorian parks, with the railings around them, to more natural, leafy areas. A lot of money’s been spent in making the parks more user friendly, incorporating things like outdoor gyms, which at the same time brings us in line with the council’s strategy for helping people stay healthy.”

What’s the city’s main destination park, we ask. “In terms of events and profile, you’d have to say Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon, which is in South Belfast and houses our roses in the International Rose Garden. We’ve got a world famous collection of around 27,000 at this point.

“There are various different rose areas in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, laid out across different sections. We have a collection of modern day varieties which numbers about 4,000, as well as Irish roses, and trial areas for roses from around the world.

“Northern Ireland has a rose breeding heritage stretching back to the late 1800s, and we were probably the world leader around the turn of 44

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Belfast.indd 44

the century. It’s been a legacy ever since. The city is home to what I believe to be the world’s oldest rose breeding family – the Dicksons of Newtownards – who produced the likes of Shot Silk, Sea Pearl, Grandpa Dickson and Elina.

“In terms of rotation, we try and plant all the new ones in fresh ground – we never plant new roses where old roses were. When the plants decline, we simply remove them. The system’s designed to rotate, and the ground is meant to lay fallow for at least seven years.”

Every July, the 128 acre Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon hosts Belfast’s Rose Week, involving a variety of activities revolving around these most beautiful of plants. This includes workshops, demonstrations, as well as the city’s international rose trials, which are presided over by a team of international judges.

It attracts thousands of people every year (50-60,000 a week according to Stephen), and while certainly not a new event, signifies how far Belfast has come in terms of how it is perceived.

There is, however, more work to be done.

Bringing the city together Stephen Walker is the portfolio programme manager for Belfast City Council. While aware that the city continues to be split into two distinct, fundamentally oppositional communities, he has high hopes that parks and horticulture will continue to provide a way for people to come together.

Describing the situation as it exists currently, he said: “The tensions are still there, although

things have clearly improved. People still vote according to their religious convictions – Catholics for Sinn Fein or the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and Protestants for the Democratic Unionist Party/Ulster Unionist Party – and we still have our police lines. There are more peace walls than there were prior to 1994, believe it or not.

“The shared space agenda can still be difficult, which is clearly something that impacts on parks.

One upshot is that we’ve had to build more playgrounds than you would usually find in a city of this size, because people want to remain local when they go out. We have about 90 at this point, and it’s the same principle at work with games areas and football pitches. At the moment, people actually probably want more of those than they do new green spaces.”

He continues: “Having said all that, there are still a lot of cross-community activities in which parks play a big role. If you look at Alexandra Park in the north, a few years ago, a gate was put in the peace wall which runs through it, something which I think signifies a lot. Discussions are now going on to get rid of the wall altogether.

“Another example is Falls Park, located on the Falls Road in the west. West Belfast has traditionally been a difficult area, but the park now plays host to one of the biggest community orientated music events in the country.”

So ultimately, parks play their part by bringing people together? “That’s exactly right. People will mix naturally and organically – at least until an issue comes up. That’s just human nature. I’ve no doubt that, at this point, a lot of our parks are used by everyone.”

1 Play facility at Falls Park, Belfast 2 Stephen Quinn, park management at Belfast City Council 3 Ormeau Park outdoor gym equipment 4 Stephen Walker, portfolio programme manager, Belfast City Council

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 10:02

INFORM

REPORT:

THE RISE AND RISE OF

Artificial grass has come a long way in recent years. Previously perceived as best for sports, with a ‘plastic’ reputation, in 2010 the first display using artificial grass was featured at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. This was a huge step in showcasing the benefits of fake turf for landscapers, and the surface only continues to improve and impress Talking to the market leaders in the artificial grass industry, technological advances mean artificial grass now looks more natural than ever. From the look, to the feel, and even the behaviour of the grass, more and more companies are capable of replicating the real thing, meaning there are now some excellent surfaces available to landscapers.

Suzi Cowen is the European sales coordinator at TigerTurf. She says it is becoming normal for artificial grass to look natural: “I’ve been at TigerTurf for five years and the products available now are more realistic in their appearance than they’ve ever been. Five years ago the realistic look and feel of our products was something we almost considered a USP, but most manufacturers are now producing artificial grass which looks more natural. This in turn is making the market increasingly competitive.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

ArtificialGrass.indd 45

All about the base One of the biggest improvements to artificial grass has been a change to the base of the surface.

Stuart Hedgecock, managing director of Perfectly Green, explains: “When I first started 11 years ago artificial grass was more of an open, sparse product which needed an awful lot of sand in the bottom to make the long pile stand up like blades of grass. Over the past few years it’s moved away from sand and a curvy rootzone has been added, which really acts to make the blades stand up.”

Namgrass has also been focusing on creating a natural look at its factory in Belgium. Sales director Shane McCormick says: “With our customers in mind we have created a luxurious feel to our products, some have longer pile heights than others, and by adding in neutral and brown tones this gives a more realistic look.”

MOST MANUFACTURERS ARE NOW PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL GRASS WHICH LOOKS MORE NATURAL. THIS IN TURN IS MAKING THE MARKET INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 45

23/11/2016 12:00

INFORM

PEOPLE ARE MAKING THE LINK BETWEEN THE PRODUCTS THEY SEE AT SPORTS CLUBS AND THE SURFACES THEY CAN HAVE INSTALLED IN THEIR OWN GARDENS

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Shape shifting It’s all well and good artificial grass looking real, but a drawback in the past was the behaviour of the turf when a person walked over it.

Previously it stayed flat, leading to the use of sand or pellets to keep it standing upright.

Now, different shaped yarns have revolutionised the blades. Stuart Hedgecock says: “We now make the blades from yarn that has a shape to it, so you might have a ‘W’ shape or a ‘C’ shaped yarn. That encourages the blades to stand back up once they are walked over. It’s been a major development.”

Shaped yarns also help with the durability of the product, meaning landscapers no longer have to sacrifice aesthetic in order to find a material that lasts longer, particularly if the surface is going to be used for sports.

True colours Andy Driver, sales and marketing director at Evergreens UK, believes one of the biggest improvements to artificial grass for landscapers www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 12:01

INFORM

has been the introduction of a ‘thatched zone’ (an integral root zone including lighter shade yarns) and the vast choice of colours that the surface is now offered in. Andy agrees that manufacturers have not always recognised the needs of landscapers when creating grass: “In the early days we had to adapt sports surfaces by fibrillating them to make them more suited to landscaping projects, as the manufacturers did not make specific surfaces for landscaping. The only focus back then was on sports surfaces.”

Import, export Different companies have different perspectives on the best place to import artificial grass from when it comes to quality. Andy of Evergreens UK believes where you import it from depends on what your needs are: “The Netherlands, China and the USA are all now consistent manufacturers of quality products. Where to import artificial grass from depends on the specification and requirement of the product.”

On the other hand, Suzi of TigerTurf argues www.prolandscapermagazine.com

ArtificialGrass.indd 47

that artificial grass manufactured in the UK is the best option: “As biased as this may sound, UK buyers should look to buy British made artificial grass as it’s usually best to source from as close to home as possible.” The very fact that it is now an option to use artificial grass that has been manufactured in the UK shows just how far the industry here has come. TigerTurf even exports its products to European, African, Middle East and Far Eastern markets.

If you are thinking of importing, it’s worth looking into whether the manufacturer has the backing of any trade associations or industry bodies. Suzi believes this is important: “At TigerTurf, we are affiliated with the European Synthetic Turf Organisation (ESTO) and are also ISO accredited, so customers know they are buying artificial grass from a manufacturer with the backing of multiple third parties.”

Namgrass manufactures its grass in a factory in Belgium. Shane says: “Our factory is responsible for the research, development, quality testing and manufacturing of our grass,

which means we have full control of those processes and can ensure, not only does it meet EU regulations, but also our very own high standards.”

Leading the field As the quality of artificial turf has increased, so too has its use in sport. Gone are the days of football pitches covered in sand, giving players carpet burns and looking unnatural. Today artificial grass has been used in the Champions League for football, the Olympics for hockey and is a sought after surface for sports clubs and schools.

1 Evergreens UK 2 TigerTurf 3 Evergreens UK 4 Namgrass 5-7 TigerTurf

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 47

23/11/2016 12:02

INFORM

THIS YEAR THE INDUSTRY PREDICTS TO SELL 35% MORE SQUARE METRES THAN LAST YEAR

designed to give the surface that same freshly cut smell.

There are also a number of loyalty and discount schemes available. Suzi from TigerTurf explains its scheme: “We introduced a loyalty scheme last year, which means each of our regular customers is categorised as either a gold, silver or bronze partner. There is branded merchandise, marketing support, and a number of other benefits to be had at each level, with the most notable being a preferential rate on our products. Our gold partners benefit from our best pricing, which tends to be based on the volumes that they buy.”

With fake turf featuring in such high profile sporting events, it has received huge coverage and exposure – but has it had an effect on the landscaping industry? Suzi believes so: “I would definitely say that artificial grass is more accepted than it has ever been, because of how much more visible it is – and a lot of that visibility can be attributed to sport. It’s quite common for customers to call us with words to the effect of ‘a new 3G pitch has just been installed at my son’s football club and I hear you also do it for gardens’, so people are certainly making the link between the products they see at sports and leisure clubs and the surfaces they can have installed in their own gardens.”

New growth There are a number of new products coming to market that may be of interest to landscapers.

Stuart Hedgecock from Perfectly Green says: “Next season we’re looking to launch wooden edging which bolts together so it interlocks.

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That’s quite an exciting new product.”

Another new trend that companies are looking to develop is artificial grass that has been designed to look like decking. This can be useful for landscapes where a client wishes to have a garden that is easy to maintain and clean, but doesn’t necessarily want solely artificial grass. A decking styled grass can be used alongside the turf to complement it and stop the garden from looking overly green.

Andy from Evergreens UK is excited by the potential of the product: “One of our new products imitates decking – it’s low slip and a great way to invigorate tired wood, as you can simply install over the top of pre-existing decking. It’s still a market with room for plenty of growth, so we will see many developments over the next few years.”

One of the pleasures of natural grass lies in the smell when it is freshly cut, which some clients feel they will miss. Namgrass has now started supplying an artificial grass cleaner

Future In terms of what lies ahead, artificial grass is only going to become more realistic. Stuart says the industry is constantly improving: “We’ve got some exciting new stuff to come through next year. There are some new models and new shaped yarns, and some really realistic looking artificial grasses so the range will improve. It’s a constant evolution.”

We asked a range of artificial grass companies for their sales figures from 2015 compared with predicted sales for 2016. On average, the industry predicts to sell 35% more square metres of artificial grass than last year.

This is a huge rise and with the industry showing no signs of slowing down, proving artificial grass has moved past being seen as just acceptable, and is now a serious option.

1 Namgrass 2 TigerTurf www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 12:03

JILAYNE RICKARDS

51

Naturalistic planting in a front garden

SMOOTH OPERATOR CW STUDIO

54

Creating a relaxed, contemporary commercial space

URBAN JUNGLE ALFRESCO LANDSCAPING

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A domestic garden transformed with Mediterranean planting

LONDON LEGACY IDVERDE

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ANJI CONNELL (P64) INSIDE ISS INTERIOR PLANTS AND FLORISTRY (P66) LORRAINE CALCOTT (P69) LONDON STONE (P70)

INSPIRE cover.indd 49

Maintaining the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

INSPIRE

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22/11/2016 14:06

F

N O R

A G T

N E RD

PORTFOLIO

PROJECT DETAILS Project value ÂŁ30k Build time Three months Size of project 140m2

FLOWER PLAY JILAYNE RICKARDS

Bringing a front garden to life with vivid naturalistic planting

T

his front garden design was part of a total house renovation incorporating design for both front and back gardens.

The site slopes away from the house to a public pavement – 1.4m in height over 10m distance.

The house was built in the mid-1940s, so neither modern nor old.

The brief The primary object for the design was to include as much ornamental planting as possible. The garden was not to be a statement, rather to beautifully www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio 1 Jilayne Rickards.indd 51

merge in with its surroundings. Parking for one car was to be included along with bin storage and a path for the side access.

The design The design was based on curves to reflect the curves of the trees, both at the back and front of the house and nearby woodland. For hard landscaping, good quality York stone sawn setts were used, which were mellow and neutral yet slightly contemporary.

This design was all about the planting. The garden was very open to the passing public, so an evergreen Pro Landscaper / December 2016 51

23/11/2016 08:47

PORTFOLIO

hedge (Griselinia) was chosen to enclose the space and give some privacy and wind protection.

Buxus spheres and pyramids created structure, along with a small Cercidyphyllum tree and small apple tree. The rest of the planting was naturalistic, using a palette of purple, red, pink and violet with good seasonal interest throughout the year.

The landscaper’s supplier had a special offer on York stone setts, which was taken full advantage of. Some existing York stone was re-used along the stepping stone/gravel pathway.

Sharing a site with the main house contractor was problematic, as they did not stick to their own timeline, so the project was delayed which then ran into the poor weather of December. Sharing the front garden space for material deliveries whilst trying to construct the driveway was frustrating.

The house contractors were very focused on finishing, meaning the landscapers’ schedule was generally disregarded.

ABOUT JILAYNE RICKARDS Jilayne Rickards’ bespoke garden design practice in north London (covering the whole of the UK) produces designs from inception to completion.

Jilayne enjoys working closely with clients, architects and landscapers to deliver the best gardens possible for the client’s budget. She tends towards simple geometry where possible, complemented by a naturalist planting scheme encompassing all seasons. www.jilaynerickards.com

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Portfolio 1 Jilayne Rickards.indd 52

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 08:48

PORTFOLIO

BEFORE

DESIGN PLAN

1 Naturalistic planting including Iris, Paeonia, Daphne, Cirsium and Stipa gigantea

REFERENCES

2 Gravel pathway with reused York stone stepping stones

Garden design

3 Structural Box spheres with loose perennial planting

26 Ringwood Avenue Muswell Hill, London N2 9NS Tel 07801 946878 Web www.jilaynerickards.com

4 Allium nigra against Daphne and Nassella tenuissima 5 Drift of Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and Cirsium

Jilayne Rickards

Hard landscaping Butterfields

www.hbutterfield.co.uk Herbaceous Orchard Dene

www.orcharddene.co.uk Shrubs Europlants

www.europlants.net

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio 1 Jilayne Rickards.indd 53

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 53

23/11/2016 08:48

PORTFOLIO

SMOOTH OPERATOR

CW STUDIO Blue limestone and swaying grasses create a relaxed, contemporary space

C

W Studio designed the landscape for telephone answering company Moneypenny’s new £15m headquarters in Wrexham. The striking new building, designed by AEW Architects, is designed to accommodate over 1,000 staff. Set in a 10 acre landscape, it has its own ‘village pub’, an indoor treehouse for meetings and dramatic views over meadows, orchard, woodland and the countryside beyond, all designed to create a happy and relaxing setting for employees and visitors.

The brief The brief was to create an inspiring and stimulating environment and a place where staff want to be, with picturesque views and places to relax.

The site was originally agricultural fields and rough grassland with one hedgerow,

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Portfolio 2 Carolyn Willitts.indd 54

a 500-year-old oak tree and a seasonal pond.

The concept for the landscape design was to work with and enhance the incredible rural setting for the new building and to create a relaxing and inspiring landscape for the employees of Moneypenny.

The frontage A contemporary blue Irish limestone walkway leads to the entrance through a landscape of tall swaying grasses, echoing the natural landscape of the meadow beyond. Directional paths pre-empt desire lines towards the entrance and create spaces for seating within the planting.

The bespoke solid granite benches feature the greetings ‘Croeso’ and ‘Welcome’ in a vintage typewriter font with ink splatter as a nod to the work done by Moneypenny. The text was sandblasted into the surface of www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 08:50

PORTFOLIO

the stone using laser cut templates.

Planting beds feature an ‘ornamental meadow’ planting style, incorporating swathes of grasses with highlights of flowering perennials.

Layers of spring bulbs complete the seasonal transformations against a background of hornbeam hedges and evergreen Quercus ilex trees.

blocks in the meadow provides an unusual seating option for a sunny day.

An orchard, planted on a grid of mown paths in the meadow, adds a contemporary feel to the rural feature. The trees provide apples, damsons, plums and black cherries; all species were chosen to provide fruit for the staff to enjoy.

The meadows The 1841 Tithe map of the site shows a ‘garden meadow’ in this location, which we have recreated with five different wildflower mixes.

They cover a variety of locations from wetland and woodland edges to sunny grass mixes and a cornfield meadow mix beneath the orchard.

A hoggin path meanders through the meadow and groves of trees, while mown paths in the long grass offer additional routes for a lunchtime stroll. A circle of cropped stone

The wetland The timber deck to the rear of the building leads out to a wetland, which incorporates the

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio 2 Carolyn Willitts.indd 55

1 Verbena bonariensis to the front of Moneypenny HQ

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £660k Build time 15 months Size of project 43,500m2

2 An attractive setting for a special building 3 An Irish blue limestone path leads to the building entrance 4 Solid granite seating stones in the meadow 5 Bespoke welcome bench made from solid granite with etched writing

Images 1,5 © CW Studio; Images 2,4 © Hardscape; Image 3 © Aliva UK

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 55

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PORTFOLIO

existing small, seasonal pond on site. Deeper micro pools and islands were created within the shallow wetland to provide a variety of habitats for wildlife.

Sustainable drainage (SuDS) was used to collect the surface water from the car park and building, filter and discharge it into the wetland, whilst encouraging biodiversity and creating a pleasant environment for employees.

A wet meadow detention basin was designed to hold any overflow in severe weather.

Boundary planting Areas of broad-leaved woodland, wet woodland planting, native tree planting, and species-rich wildflower grassland were created along the site boundaries. New woodland planting to the north links the central woodland to the river corridor.

• Stone deck to the rear – Kobra granite ‘planks’ flamed • Stone seating circle – Split face solid Kobra granite blocks in a mown circle within the meadow.

Special requirements The extremely wet winter of 2015/16 created 56

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

Portfolio 2 Carolyn Willitts.indd 56

delays on site, as the clay soil to the rear of the building was too wet to work on with heavy machinery, delaying some of the tree planting until November 2016.

Planting included a total of 1,750 trees, which included: • 180 semi-mature trees around the building, meadow and car park • 1,570 woodland trees around the boundary • 150 oak trees • 165 birch trees • 165 rowan trees • 290 willow trees • 440m of hedges • 500 bulbs • Over 1,000 ornamental grasses • Over 1,000 wetland plants • 12,000m2 of wildflower meadow • 10 oak saplings from the 500-year-old oak tree on site were transplanted and replanted in the meadow to protect the heritage of the tree for at least the next 500 years.

ABOUT CW STUDIO Carolyn Willitts, director and founder of CW Studio, is a landscape architect based in Manchester who works all over the UK with architects, developers and private clients to create beautifully designed and functional spaces. Carolyn is involved with the detailed design and implementation of contemporary schemes, sensitive settings for listed buildings and private residential gardens. www.cwstudio.co.uk

Image 1 © CW Studio; Image 2 © Aliva UK

Sourcing materials CW Studio worked closely with Hardscape to select the natural stone and artscape techniques for the bespoke welcome benches, the cropped stone seating in the meadow, and all the paving on site: • Main entrance walkway – Carlow blue limestone, flamed with mixed fossil • Diagonal crossing paths – Kobra granite, flamed • Stone edging – Kobra granite, bush hammered • Stone benches – Kobra granite solid stone, honed with Artscape etching

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 08:53

PORTFOLIO

BEFORE

1 Split-face granite seating stones 2 Ornamental grasses bring a meadow feel to the frontage planting 3 The existing site 4 Constructing the wetland to the rear 5 Moving the solid granite blocks into position 6 Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpurem’ and hornbeam hedges to the frontage 7 The wetland with shallow areas, micropools and islands to create a variety of habitats

REFERENCES

DURING

Landscape architect

Bulbs

CW Studio

Boston Bulbs

That Space, 31-33 Princess Street Manchester M2 4EW 07971 415 162 info@cwstudio.co.uk www.cwstudio.co.uk

Tim O’Hare Associates

www.timohare-associates.com Soft landscape subcontractor

AEW Architects

Wrights Landscapes

www.wrightlandscapes.co.uk

Stone paving and benches

Hard landscape subcontractor

Hardscape

Bora Construction

www.hardscape.co.uk

www.boraconstruction.co.uk

Timber deck

Main contractor

John Brash

Pochin Construction

www.johnbrash.co.uk

www.pochins.com

Trees and plants

Development manager

Crowders Nursery

Hatrick Property Services

www.crowdersnurseries.co.uk Wildflower seed Phoenix Amenity Supplies

www.phoenixamenity.co.uk

Portfolio 2 Carolyn Willitts.indd 57

Soil consultant

Architect www.aewarchitects.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

www.bostonbulbswholesale.co.uk

Project manager Avid Property Consultants

www.avid.eu.com

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 57

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PORTFOLIO

T

he client saw Alfresco Landscaping’s display at the Olive Grove Nursery in Oundle and fell in love with the balance of Mediterranean planting, paving and decorative aggregates. They wanted their garden to be redesigned from a long and narrow expanse of lawn to an intimate, low

PROJECT DETAILS Project value ÂŁ10k Build time One week Size of project 50sq m

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URBAN JUNGLE

ALFRESCO LANDSCAPING Transforming a domestic garden with Mediterranean planting maintenance, contemporary tropical garden that would flow seamlessly, connecting their interior design with the outdoor space.

The design To achieve this, a seating area away from the house was designed with a staggered path to

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Portfolio 3 Alfresco.indd 59

create flow through the garden. By offsetting the path, the straight lines that a small garden with high boundaries creates were limited.

Mode porcelain paving from Bradstone in profiled dark grey was chosen to match perfectly with the grey marble tiling used in the homeowner’s kitchen. Light in the garden was restricted for a good part of the day, so a product that reduced the potential for algae build up and weathering was needed, making Mode the ideal choice. In addition, the profiled grey finish made it a near perfect match for the kitchen tiles, especially when wet.

In between the paving were areas of planting with mature Mediterranean plants, such as olive trees and palms, complemented by phormiums and hebes where the aspect was right. To cover the ground a contemporary solution was desired that was more substantial than gravel; 5t of Scottish pebbles were used, which were supplemented with Highland boulders in different sizes to give additional colour and texture.

Using a variety of sizes and Highland boulders created swathes through the planting, allowing the eye to be drawn around the garden rather than rising to the boundary walls and beyond. The boulders set the plants off beautifully and became a focal point in their own right, alongside the stainless steel water feature which offered reflection, movement and sound. This was further accentuated by the use of small spike and spot lighting, which was carefully placed to pick out the key features in

the garden in the evenings.

The site was set on heavy clay and as such drainage on the sloping site was a concern.

Plant and lawn survival had to be guaranteed,

1 Swathes of pebbles link the garden’s focal points 2 Evergreen planting for year round interest 3 Reflection and sound from the stainless steel water feature 4 Lighting adds a further dimension to evening entertaining

ABOUT ALFRESCO LANDSCAPING Owner Alastair Peat started Alfresco Landscaping in 2005. fferin desi n construction and plantin l resco andscapin creates outdoor spaces that re ect clients and their homes hilst offerin a desi n ed e that sets gardens apart. Alfresco Landscaping was a arded the nstaller o the ear accolade in the radstone ssured ards. he rm also pic ed up the i hly ommended a ard in the est arden rans ormation cate ory.

www.alfrescolandscaping.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

as well as ensuring the house’s damp proofing course wasn’t compromised. By diverting the water to the land drains the builder had installed, ensuring the planting in the shady areas close to the house was evergreen and very shade tolerant, and utilising a high quality artificial lawn, the feel of the garden was not compromised through the winter.

Access was tricky; the largest boulder weighed in at 300kg so avoiding damage to both installation and installers needed close attention.

The job from start to finish took a week and the client sent the team home with cases of beer and a bottle of champagne as a thank you. She said: “Thank you for sharing and

appreciating my vision. You have an incredible natural talent and a great team.”

1 Completed garden for relaxing and entertaining 2 Before – the sloping, featureless site 3 The wisteria arch was the only retained feature 4 Limited outdoor space, typical of a new build property

REFERENCES Designer Alastair Peat Alfresco Landscaping

39 Temples Ct Helpston Peterborough PE6 7EU Tel 01733 254 100 Email beingcreative@alfrescolandscaping.co.uk Web www.alfrescolandscaping.co.uk Mode porcelain paving in dark grey Bradstone

www.bradstone.com

BEFORE

Scottish cobbles and Highland pebbles Stone Warehouse

www.stonewarehouse.co.uk Stainless steel water feature Primrose

www.primrose.co.uk Planting Olive Grove Nurseries

www.olivegrovenurseries.co.uk Artificial lawn IGRASS

www.igrass.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

LONDON LEGACY IDVERDE idverde has the huge task of maintaining the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

1 Seed heads of Veronicastrum in the North American border in November (© idverde) 2 Kniphofia and Liquidambar providing autumn colour in the Southern Hemisphere border (© idverde) 3 The water labyrinth at night is a key feature in the South Park (© idverde/Strobix) 4 Flax, viper’s-bugloss and ox-eye daisy in the Fantasticology meadows in its third season (© idverde)

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £1.9m Contract length 10 years (with option for five year extension) Size of project 200ha

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PORTFOLIO

I

dverde is responsible for the management and maintenance of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which spans 200ha in Stratford, East London, specifically the horticulture, cleansing and waste management, waterways, play and irrigation.

Managing a park on this scale with such a diverse range of open spaces, facilities, events and social commitments is no mean feat.

The contract Following a competitive procurement process, BALI member idverde was selected as grounds maintenance partner in early 2012 in alliance with Engie as facilities management partner, delivering the comprehensive estates and facilities management contract. The maintenance contracts span a decade following the park’s official opening in April 2014, with potential for extension to 2029. The team moved onto site in September 2012 to help monitor the transformation works and begin maintenance as areas were completed.

Local investment The company employs around 55 staff across all services (including two apprentices), 20 of whom were trained through in-house pre-employment courses. Skills, volunteering and training are at the heart of the contract, providing local residents with opportunities to gain and pursue careers in horticulture. For example, the Our Parklife Community Interest Company – of which idverde is a founder member – is a social enterprise which provides a link between employers such as idverde and the boroughs. The scheme aims to reach the long-term unemployed and bridge the gap between jobseekers and available positions 62

Pro Landscaper / December 2016

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by opening up links with the hardest to reach residents and then providing skills, volunteering and training to prepare candidates for work on the park.

Sustainability The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park offers a unique opportunity to develop a park with sustainable management processes at its very core. The team is tasked with the delivery of sustainability through managing 45ha of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat, water quality, reducing carbon emissions, recycling and diverting waste from landfill, all under the expert guidance of Dr Catherine Norris, the company’s resident ecologist. Equally, the park provides opportunities to combine education, play and volunteering with involvement in biodiversity.

Waterways idverde is responsible for the management of the 6.5km of waterways that flow through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This represents a major challenge. Our waterways team has been active on site since January 2013 and since then the team has achieved substantial improvements in the cleanliness of the waterways.

ABOUT IDVERDE UK 1 The Park successfully gained Green Flag accreditation in its first year and has retained it each year since (© idverde) 2 Species-rich spectator lawns in the north park function for events, flooding and biodiversity (© idverde) 3 The River Lea in the north park with banks restored for biodiversity. 9ha of reed bed, which is now home to reed bunting, line the east and west banks (© idverde) 4 Trainees learn how to cut the lawns with pedestrian roller rotaries (© idverde)

In February 2016, The Landscape Group merged with Quadron Services Ltd to create idverde UK, the largest green service provider in the UK. o ether e offer services in amenity horticulture focusing on parks and open space management, grounds maintenance, tree surgery, street cleansing and landscape design and build. www.idverde.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

5 The south park team hand weeding Piet Oudolf’s planting – just a small portion of the 4ha of herbaceous perennials. Here, Sporobolus heterolepis graces the amphitheatre around Carpenter’s Road Lock (© idverde) 6 Our resident kestrel, who’s quite fond of hunting in the park and posing for pictures, demonstrating that biodiversity is establishing well (© Dr Catherine Norris) 7 Eschscholzia californica, the ‘California poppy’, used on mass to add impact to the planting (© idverde) 8 The waterways team monitors and maintains the park’s 6.5km of waterway, managing invasive species including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam and floating pennywort (© idverde) 9 The boulevard of oak and tulip tree is lit up at night with feature lighted globes (© idverde/Strobix)

REFERENCES Contractor idverde UK

www.idverde.co.uk Sundries, soil, bark, compost and seed Green-tech

www.green-tech.co.uk Waste disposal McGrath

www.mcgrathgroup.co.uk Tools and equipment Tudor Environmental

www.tudorenvironmental.co.uk Cedec CED Stone Group

www.ced.ltd.uk Play sand Massams Sand

www.massamssupplies.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INSPIRE

HOT TUBBING Anji Connell explains that gardens are now more about leisure than landscaping, with one in ten UK households having an outdoor hot tub

2016 is showing no signs of slowing down on the trend of ‘hot tubbing’. There has been much advancement in the technology of hot tubs, such as automated water treatments, increasing energy ef ciency and L lighting.

Hot tubs require less space and cost less than a pool, and they do not need planning consent or safety fencing.

Hot trends Hydrotherapy water massages which improve circulation, decrease joint pain and accelerate natural healing processes, aromatherapy in which scents combine with the natural flowing water and chromotherapy, the use of coloured lighting to help relax and rejuvenate the body, are

utchtub by Floris Schoonderbeek

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utchtub by Floris Schoonderbeek pigeon blue

all growing trends. The fantasy spa ‘Splendor’ from Watkins even has a built-in diverter valve to give personal massages.

We are going bigger with hot tubs and swim tubs, now two to three times larger than traditional tubs and big enough for the whole family and friends. They’re deeper too, to enable lap swimming with the use of counter current jets and tether poles.

Hot tubs can be controversial and regarded by many as naff, the ultimate ‘chav’ or swinger’s toys, with a nod to ‘look at me, I think I’m rich’. Others see them as a perfect choice for relaxing and de-stressing, a haven of peace and tranquillity, enjoyed by many as a wellness appliance to relieve back and muscle pain.

Keep ‘em clean Water in hot tubs is maintained at a high temperature which encourages microbial growth from agents introduced to the spa via bathers and dirt, as well as from the water source itself in poorly managed or

utchtub

ood by Floris Schoonderbeek

utchtub by Floris Schoonderbeek pebble grey

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© Patrick Y Wong

INSPIRE

Terrace by Skargards

designed hot tubs.

As the water is agitated in a whirlpool, aerosols are formed that are inhaled by bathers and others in the vicinity. The water must therefore be carefully managed to keep the water clean. Following the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines will allow for safe bathing, and improved water management systems are making clean water much easier to achieve and maintain.

Natural salt spas claim to allow easier, more natural means of keeping your water clean. Arctic Spas’ ‘Spa Boy’ has a power consumption monitor to calculate what your hot tub will cost, with built-in self-diagnostic controls that adjust temperature levels and manage the water by automatically sensing and maintaining ideal spa water conditions.

Panel by Skargards

Calculating costs In a country with variable weather, the energy needed to heat up and pump the water to make a whirlpool through a series of jets can be high.

Ensuring you have a well-insulated model that will maintain the temperature, with a solid well-sealed cover that stops heat escaping when not in use, will keep a check on your energy costs.

The award-winning Dutchtub by Floris Schoonderbeek for Weltevree is a stylish, freestanding hot tub powered by a simple wood re and lled with a garden hose. t has a comfortable ergonomically shaped bottom to accommodate four people and is handmade in Holland from weatherproof and colour-fast, high quality polyester.

The Dutchtub and Dutchtub Love Seat, made for two taking less water and less space, are available in terra red, pigeon blue, olive green, pebble grey, and Dutchtub orange. For a more sophisticated look, The Dutchtub Wood has the same polyester interior with a durable preserved

Regal by Skargards

wood exterior, that is also lightweight.

Swedish Company Skargards has three smart woodburning models: Regal by Terrace, Panel and the Regal, Skargards its premium model.

Voted Best Buy Spa 2016 by What Spa Magazine, the Sundance 880 TM series has a sleek low pro le with high performance and energy ef ciency and as with the Arctic Spa, they come with the SunSmart Cloud Control and the app that takes away any stress in having a hot tub.

Known as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of the hot tub world, the Jacuzzi J 470 claims to have minimal running costs.

The Luxema 8000 meanwhile stretches over two decks with an enormous flat screen TV, music system, a six-seater private bar, 125 Regal, Skargards separate jets and nine water pumps – it’s not for the shrinking violet!

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

Dutchtub by Floris Schoonderbeek (terra red)

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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www.anjiconnellinteriordesign.com

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INSPIRE

INSIDE

ISS INTERIOR PLANTS AND FLORISTRY Matt Gavin, UK business manager for the Interior Plants and Floristry division of ISS Facility Services Landscaping, is passionate about offering the right service while increasing long term sustainable growth

M

att has been business manager at ISS for a little over 12 months but has already seen some of his goals come to fruition, one of which was to develop and grow the in-house teams to self-deliver across the UK. As he says, “We now have in place a developed, strong, multi-skilled team who are able to attend to all of our clients’ needs, whether that be refreshing the floristry, maintaining planting schemes, or installing Christmas trees. The team’s proficiency means there is no limit to what we are able to deliver.

We’re happy to take on anything from a private house to an office space, whether that be installing a living wall or 300 new units. A team of highly skilled staff can do a huge amount.”

Role play ISS, the fourth largest company in the world in terms of employees, has 510,000 staff worldwide, of which 43,000 are based in the UK. Matt’s team is an intricate part of a global machine, with huge resources and expectations.

Each sector within the wider ISS business has a specific role to play, especially when they come together when bidding for or servicing an integrated services contract. Matt explains: “We supply everything from receptionists, to kitchen staff, to cleaners, security and landscapers. On an ISS integrated contract, before you even get to an ISS receptionist or an ISS kitchen, you would have already experienced an ISS managed car park or grounds. I think the interior side of the business bridges the gap between all of those.”

ISS doesn’t just become involved in the larger integrated contracts, it has worked hard to build its own portfolio of standalone contracts too. “There are some huge names who are now knocking on our door and by the end of this year we’ll be 66

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Inside ISS Interior Matt Gavin.indd 66

servicing a large part of Canary Wharf. In terms of our industry and some of the big brands, you can’t really get better than that.”

Sustainability “We are continuously looking at ways to ethically source our products,” says Matt. “We use a Dutch company called Nature’s Green for recycled planters. Nature’s Green is renowned in the industry because its planters are made of recycled office equipment. They take retired office goods, and recycle them into post-consumer plastics, which are finally moulded into the finished planters.

Our flowers and foliage are chosen from UK growers where possible or we buy direct from Holland and, of course, bulk orders reduce our carbon footprint.

“Workers are now demanding sustainable offices and healthy buildings. People spend more www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 15:37

INSPIRE

than 90% of their time inside artificial environments.

There is growing research which supports the link between sustainable buildings and improved health and there is a trend to incorporate nature into buildings. This is exactly where we come in.”

Design In terms of the design process, the ISS team takes a consultancy approach, making sure that the scheme suits the space, environment and ergonomic constraints. “We listen to what our clients tell us; it is always about the client first and foremost, their choices, their business, their identity and the lasting impression it leaves for their visitors, staff and end-users. We work very hard to make sure that we understand their ethics and values and then tailor a solution to meet their needs. As the ‘experts’, we are able to marry this with ensuring that the right type of product, at the right size and in the right space, is provided. We put planters into offices that if you took home would take up the whole house, but in the corner of a large office it would be the perfect choice.”

“Our account manager has worked in the industry for 12 years and she is involved with a large proportion of the design work. In terms of how we are going to take the design side forward – well, we are looking to invest in ‘flash players’, where we can drag and drop plant images etc into real life situations. A bit like augmented reality.”

Trends The interior design world and the interior landscaping world are driven by trends. Both are constantly changing and it is important to be up to date on the latest designs. Latest developments at ISS include green walls, which are popular as they are both space saving and environmentally friendly.

“ISS has many clients who are looking to ‘go vertical’,” says Matt. “Ornamental edibles are also on the up, with ‘the Locavore movement’ challenging people to buy food grown within a strict radius of where they live. However, it is important to balance these with our clients’ preferences – some clients still like planting schemes which give more than a nod to the Eighties. We use the right sort of questioning, to steer our clients in the best direction.”

Good for business Now Matt has settled into his role, he has some ambitious plans for the future. “The aim is to treble www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Inside ISS Interior Matt Gavin.indd 67

THE TEAM’S PROFICIENCY MEANS THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DELIVER the size of the business over the next five years.

The business ideology which has always served me well is ‘people, service, and profit’. I’ve always invested in the people who work for me, because if we get the right people in the right place then the service will be right. From there we will increase referral business and ultimately the profit growth.

“One of my corny lines is ‘inspiring a shared vision’. It’s all about your team, and them seeing that although you run the business, you are also hands on. As a manager you need to be involved, I have never asked any member of my team to do anything I am not prepared to do myself.”

Matt is keen to give young people a start in the industry. “Many of the teams I’ve managed have been more mature. We are proud of the fact that there are members of our team who have worked in the industry their whole lives, and they have the most amazing relationships with our end

users. Saying that, you still need the right proportion of new recruits to develop and train as successors and to ensure that the industry is well equipped with future talent.”

And what does the future hold for the interior landscaping sector? “I think times ahead are set to be exciting as long as we continue to invest in training and bringing new blood into the industry. The interiors sector needs to step up promotion of the benefits it can offer and continue to innovate itself in line with the way the world is moving. We need to get much more into the technical roots. I was always told that there is only one true subject – maths – and everything after that is a derivative. It is good to put the science behind things and use numbers to back that up.”

CONTACT ISS Landscaping ISS House, Genesis Business Park, Albert Drive, Woking, Surrey GU21 5RW Twitter: @ISSLandscaping Web: www.isslandscaping.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 67

23/11/2016 15:37

Limestone . Sandstone .

Building Stone . Flooring . Walling .

Masonry r . Landsca ry aping ap g . Res storat a ion . at

www.stonequ q arries.co.uk qu

01386 584384

01428 741655

Pleaching Topiary Hedging Specimen Trees & Shrubs Tel: 01428 741655

WHOLESALE CATALOGUE 2016/2017

December_Adverts.indd 33

Call for our 2016/2017 Wholesale Catalogue or to visit the nursery

23/11/2016 11:27

INSPIRE

Lorraine Calcott shares her best advice for lighting commercial outdoor areas, and what to consider before taking to designing

LIGHTING FOR COMMERCIAL

GREEN SPACES

When lighting a public green space, questions must be asked before you proceed.

Firstly, do you actually need to light? It may be that the police or local community do not want a lit up space to attract people after dark, and would rather leave it unlit to discourage antisocial behaviour or gatherings.

Initial considerations Once you’ve established that the area needs lighting, safety is your primary consideration.

Why does this walkway, car park or park need lighting and who will be using it after dark? Does it feel safe during the day, and if so, how do you keep that feeling at night? Who will maintain it and how frequently might it be vandalised or damaged? Consultation with your local crime prevention officer may be a good starting point and community leaders should also be involved as their input could be useful.

You’ll want to consider ecology receptors and any endangered species which may reside in or around the space. Think about aiming angles, location of luminaires and colour temperatures of light sources so that your design has the least impact on the environment as possible.

Sometimes you may find your project is adjacent to a waterway, train line or other cause for concern. Lighting near high risk areas should be risk assessed, and as always lighting design should be produced by someone who is competent to do so and who can properly address these risks.

The design It’s onto the fun part: actual design. Is your design to be purely practical, and just to provide light from A to B, or will it serve a more aesthetic function and create artistic features?

Sometimes it’s interesting to light structures and vertical surfaces rather than the ground; this adds depth of field to those viewing the space from a distance and gives height which can help www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Lorraine Calcott.indd 69

IF YOUR BUDGET ALLOWS, INTERACTIVE SMART LIGHTING CAN MAKE AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL WALK INTO A PLACE OF INTEREST to reduce any feelings of fear when entering an open space at night. Navigating a space lit in this way can be interesting for the visitor as well as giving clear visual orientation cues to guide them.

The photos above show a park in Crayford, Kent that was only lit by way of its architectural structures which peppered the route through the park. The underside of benches were lit with LED profiles to wash the ground under the seat and create a dramatic effect without upward light.

Over the river, the bridge housed LED lighting that was recessed into the handrail. This illuminated the bridge deck and provided safe passage across the river without allowing light to spill into the waterway and disturb the ecology.

However, this approach to lighting doesn’t work well in car parks or areas where mixed vehicular and pedestrian traffic may be present.

If this is the case, uniform lighting levels would be preferable that meet industry guidelines and ensure the safety of those navigating the space.

Good levels of vertical light may be required to show up faces and eliminate shadow between cars or buildings, and using white light sources means you can implement the SP ratio detailed in BS5489:2013 and reduce lighting levels, where appropriate, accordingly.

Whatever you are designing, always think about the end user and their needs or requirements. Make a space fun or interesting where you can. If your budget allows, interactive smart lighting can make an otherwise uneventful walk into a place of interest. Get creative, and let’s make public green spaces interactive, visual experiences as well as being safely lit.

ABOUT LORRAINE CALCOTT Lorraine Calcott is the founder and managing director of It Does Lighting Ltd – bringing ideas to light. www.itdoes.co.uk

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INSPIRE

LANDSCAPE SPECIALIST Pro Landscaper visited London Stone’s state of the art Langley Distribution Centre in Berkshire to speak with managing director Steven Walley about an updated initiative, Landscape Specialist, launched at FutureScape in November What is Landscape Specialist?

Landscape Specialist is our new trade only scheme exclusively for landscape contractors and garden designers. It’s basically a new and improved version of our existing Trade Club scheme. Members get some great benefits, the best one being a business profile on our website. Our website gets several thousand hits a week and a lot of those visits are from homeowners looking for landscapers and garden designers.

The postcode search allows homeowners to find Landscape Specialist members local to them. We’re getting great feedback from landscapers who are getting leads and winning projects off the back of this, so it really is a genuine benefit for members. Members also get their own welcome pack which includes our famous sample box, pointing and Millboard sample folders, a brochure and a handy on-site sketching pad.

How much does it cost to join the scheme?

It’s free to join.

Is it available to everyone?

In the past, and this is why we’re changing things a little bit, it’s been open to landscapers, designers, builders and anyone in the trade who

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WE’RE GETTING GREAT FEEDBACK FROM LANDSCAPERS WHO ARE GETTING LEADS AND WINNING PROJECTS OFF THE BACK OF THIS, SO IT REALLY IS A GENUINE BENEFIT FOR MEMBERS

wants to join. As of January, the scheme will only be available to landscape specialists, so landscapers, garden designers and landscape architects. There has always been an issue in the trade with landscapers feeling that builders encroach onto their territory, so we felt having other trades in the scheme caused a conflict with our landscape client base. We’re working on some other incentives for our other trade clients, so no one will be left behind. Our aim is to create a scheme that supports the whole landscape industry.

Is it available nationwide?

Yes, it’s a nationwide initiative and it’s all done online. It takes 15 minutes to get your profile live after approval.

What else?

All trade customers get a 5% discount on our products, but members of Landscape Specialist get an extra 5%, giving a total discount of 10%. We also offer on-site training for our pointing and sealing products – all free of charge. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INSPIRE

THE BENEFITS

What’s the aim?

The aim is to build stronger relationships with our clients. We have always considered ourselves to be far more than just a supplier – we want to be seen as a trusted industry partner. We have a great relationship with our clients and we’re not resting on our laurels, we want to keep building on this.

What are you doing for designers?

We’re finding more and more designers are specifying our materials, but not telling us about it. We want to encourage designers to let us know when our products have been specified so that we can advise them on value engineering, maintenance requirements, installation and complementary ancillary products. We want to support the specification process and make it as good as it can possibly be. Every time we are made aware of a specification, we are going to be offering designers a £25 John Lewis voucher or a donation on their behalf to Perennial or Greenfingers. We’re trying to get designers to get in touch with us and communicate ideas. We feel that we can add value to the specification process.

Connect profile Homeowners looking for a landscaper or garden designer can use the simple postcode search function within Connect to bring up a list of their 10 nearest Landscape Specialists. The Connect profile includes contact information, an image gallery of your completed projects, links to your social media channels, details of any trade associations you belong to and a brief list detailing your stone experience.

Free welcome pack Designed for use by members to make their clients’ lives easier, the pack will arm members with all the information they need to win projects.

Enhanced discount Landscape Specialist members are entitled to enhanced trade discounts, up to 10% with additional price breaks available on larger orders.

Free training Landscape Specialist members can take advantage of free on-site training for our range of marketleading pointing and sealing products. Training is carried out on the job by experienced technicians and tailored to provide users with complete knowledge in the effective use of these products.

How do you join?

The process is a 15-minute online form which will then be approved by our team, and the profile goes live. For every member that joins, we make a £5 donation to both Perennial and Greenfingers. For more information, please contact Diana Copot, technical marketing supervisor.

CONTACT London Stone Langley Distribution Centre, The Berkshire Garden Centre, Sutton Lane, Langley, Berkshire SL3 8AH 07455 133 056 diana@londonstone.co.uk www.londonstone.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Image supplied by Arbour Design & Build

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23/11/2016 13:00

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CATHERINE CLANCY The planting scheme for a new townhouse garden

WINTER WARMERS ANDY MCINDOE

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Andy McIndoe’s top tips for winter planting

DECK THE HALLS IAN DRUMMOND

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The boldness and beauty of amaryllis in the festive season

VERY BERRY

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JAMIE BUTTERWORTH How berries enrich the winter garden with colour and texture

NURTURE

DESIGNER PLANTS

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NURTURE

NURTURE NEWS Bourne Group invests in eightwheeled HGV with walking floor

In response to the ever-evolving legislation surrounding site safety, the Bourne Group has recently invested in the country’s first eight-wheeled HGV equipped with walking floor technology.

Drew Wetherell, sales account manager at Bourne Amenity Ltd, said: “Given the highly risk-aware environment we work in, it became necessary to get ahead of the game in terms of enabling our vehicles to discharge loads without the added risks associated with conventional tipper bodies.”

Bourne invests heavily into keeping ahead of new regulations surrounding lorry movements.

“It makes sense to pre-empt the changes that every firm will eventually have to make and ensure that the safety of our operators, and those in the vicinity of our vehicles, is paramount,” Drew explained.

The walking floor can accommodate 20t/35m³ loose loads. The vehicle can also help to position loads more precisely on site, removing the necessity of depositing the entirety of a load in one single position. www.bourneamenity.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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New plant introductions from Johnsons of Whixley Johnsons of Whixley has introduced a new plant to its commercial range aimed at landscape designers, architects and contractors.

Johnsons’ new herbaceous perennial, Geranium ‘Miss Heidi’, has many benefits for customers as it comes at a relatively low cost per m2 and is easy to manage. The plant features masses of pink flowers with darker pink veining that continue throughout spring and summer.

Unlike many other Geranium, most notably macrorrhizum types, the plant does not resent rough treatment

and can be crudely cut back at any time from the start of April to the end of August, and will quickly begin to flower again.

An alternative to box hedging is also now available from Johnsons of Whixley. Suitable for large commercial schemes, the Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’ is a hardy, upright, compact shrub that is disease free with glossy dark evergreen foliage which it retains during harsh winters. The plant thrives in sun and partial shade will tolerate most soil types, making it a suitable alternative to Buxus sempervirens for use as a small hedge. www.nurserymen.co.uk

Research identifies healthy ecosystem establishment Maggie Fennell, head of Boningale GreenSky, has revealed the findings of a PhD study to identify the best way of ensuring that beneficial micro-organisms thrive on green roofs.

Boningale GreenSky sponsored PhD researcher, Dr Tom Young, to investigate how microscopic creatures can be best introduced to a sterile roof substrate.

Their study found that applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum directly throughout the substrate is expensive and not very effective. However, applying ‘species rich diversity’ (SRD) inoculum to the plugs, or growing plants in pre-inoculated plugs, is a better way to ensure microorganisms establish successfully. www.boningale-greensky.co.uk

British Sugar TOPSOIL’s HortLoam chosen for new edible garden project HortLoam, British Sugar TOPSOIL’s new BS3882:2015 compliant planting topsoil launched in June, has been selected as the base planting medium for the new Global Growth Vegetable Garden at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford.

Mixed in a ratio two parts HortLoam with one part native clay and green waste compost, the soil will provide an open, friable and humus-rich medium.

The new garden, sponsored by Witan Investment Trust plc, has

been designed by Suffolk-based garden and landscape designer Xa Tollemache, with a circular layout sectioned into four quarters, each representing a different continent: Europe and the Middle East, Asia, North and Central America, and South America.

British Sugar TOPSOIL has been working with the team at Hyde Hall to develop the perfect mix for the oak-framed planters that will contain the vegetables. www.bstopsoil.co.uk

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Pro Landscaper / December 2016 75

22/11/2016 16:33

Sarcococca hookeriana humilis

Polystichum tsussimense

NURTURE

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’ Helleborus ‘Silver Rose’

Heuchera ‘Paris’

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’

Eupatorium purpureum

Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’ Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’

Designer PLANTS Catherine Clancy talks through the planting for a new townhouse garden

The brief was to create a garden for a new townhouse, and to accommodate a 2.5m x 5m cedar clad artist studio within the design. The 6m x 10m garden already had a new blue/grey limestone patio outside the house, and a seating area was required outside the studio.

The planting was key to the success of this design. The owners wanted an instant garden which looked great year round, and asked for shades of green, interesting leaf textures and some flower colour. A mix of blue and white was the preferred palette and the garden needed to be easy to maintain.

As with any garden of a new townhouse, the soil in the garden had to be completely refreshed; the existing compacted garden soil contained rubble and build waste. New enriched topsoil was brought in, and all rubble and waste removed.

Painting the bespoke fencing silver/grey made the garden seem brighter and provided a great backdrop to the planting. Stepping stones 76

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through the plants linked the existing blue/grey patio outside the house to the summerhouse and seating area at the back of the garden.

Planting some tall specimen Acer trees created an enclosed ‘secret’ feel to the garden.

Planting in tiers underneath the Acers gave a sense of maturity/permanence and seclusion.

Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Magic’, Hydrangea paniculata and Eupatorium purpureum were used at the mid-tier. Sarcococca hookeriana was planted to give winter scent and evergreen ground cover. The rest of the space between the paths, patios and summerhouse was filled with masses of ground cover planting; evergreen plants such as Polystichum tsussimense, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ for its long season of blue flowers, Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’ for blue spring flowers, Heuchera ‘Paris’ for its evergreen cover and pretty pink/red flower spikes. Masses of spring flowering bulbs were planted to bridge the gap between late winter and summer. Trachelospermum jasminoides was used to soften the new brick wall and trellis. Most of the plants came from Provender Nurseries.

Plant list

• Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Seiryu’ • Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’ • Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ • Betula utilis var. jacquemontii • Eupatorium purpureum • Geranium ‘Rozanne’ • Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Candy Love’ • Helleborus x nigercors ‘Emma’ • Helleborus ‘Pink Beauty’ • Helleborus ‘Silver Rose’ • Heuchera ‘Paris’ • Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’ • Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Magic’ • Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’ • Polystichum tsussimense • Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis • Trachelospermum jasminoides

ABOUT CATHERINE CLANCY Since 2005, Catherine has created high quality, beautifully planted outdoor spaces for clients. Her practice, Inspired Gardens by Catherine Clancy based in Blackheath, London, focuses on making the most of the space in small London gardens.

Catherine is a registered member of the SGD.

www.catherineclancy.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

22/11/2016 16:11

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23/11/2016 13:23

NURTURE

Andy McIndoe tackles winter planting, choosing to focus on Cornus as a winter shrub for providing vivid seasonal colour and interest

T

he intensity of colour that can be achieved in winter can be surprising.

Where the right subjects are chosen and managed properly, this can be the most colourful and interesting season without the need for flowers or foliage.

The stems of some deciduous shrubs positively glow in low winter light, their colours becoming stronger as the days grow colder. Best of all they excel on those grey days when the sun never breaks through. The secret to success is to choose the best varieties, grow them well and prune correctly. Sadly the effect is often lost through poor management and choosing the wrong subjects for the situation.

The red-barked dogwood, Cornus alba, is perhaps the best known shrub for its winter stems. The variety which produces the most intense colour is the green-leaved Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, which has glowing scarlet winter bark on upright shoots. In an open sunny situation the autumn colour of the leaves is superb: long lasting shades of red and flame that are amazing when backlit by sunlight. The cultivar ‘Baton Rouge’ supposedly has superior coloured bark, but most would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

THE STEMS OF SOME DECIDUOUS SHRUBS POSITIVELY GLOW IN LOW WINTER LIGHT, THEIR COLOURS BECOMING STRONGER AS THE DAYS GROW COLDER There are several varieties with coloured and variegated foliage which add colour to the garden throughout summer. However, the secret of success with Cornus grown for winter stems is hard pruning, cutting back to a few centimetres above ground level in early spring. This promotes vigorous upright shoots and the best colours, but at the expense of early summer foliage.

Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ is the green-leaved dogwood with greenish-yellow stems, often planted with Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’. As an individual plant it may not be the most exciting choice, but as part of a mass planting its value is 78

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WINTER WARMERS

Winter stems Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Andy McIndoe develops a horizontally branched habit with the youngest wood still flame orange in winter.

There are a number of newer cultivars of Cornus sanguinea including ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ which is more spreading in habit and scarlet orange along the entire length of the stems. Underplanting with evergreen ground cover – hedera, pachysandra, vinca or carex – enhances the appearance of the stems of all these dogwoods in winter.

unquestionable. In this instance the variety Cornus sericea ‘Bud’s Yellow’ is worth seeking out for its more vibrant colour.

Cornus sanguinea varieties all have light green leaves which mix well with other shrubs and perennials; the foliage also colours brilliantly in autumn. ‘Midwinter Fire’ lives up to its name. The branched stems are orange-gold at the base, and flame orange at the tips of the shoots. Even a single plant is a real feature in the winter garden.

This dogwood grows well on wet or dry soil.

Again hard pruning in late winter is essential for the showiest shoots, however it’s not unattractive when left to grow into a large shrub, which

THE INTENSITY OF COLOUR THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THE WINTER LANDSCAPE CAN BE SURPRISING Willows come into their own on wet and heavy soils. They grow quickly and produce straight, elegant stems when pollarded or cut to just above ground level every spring. The scarlet willow, Salix alba ‘Britzensis’, is the best known, producing glowing orange stems up to 2m in height in a season. Grown as shrubs, these stooled willows are lovely planted alongside water, where their glowing wands are reflected in still, cold water.

Mass planting of Cornus at Savill Garden

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

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

Twitter: @AndyMcIndoe

www.andymcindoe.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 09:56

NURTURE

I

feel that Christmas is never a particularly good time for restraint.

Minimalism isn’t right, and I’m just not feeling Spartan. Austerity? Forget it. And while cosy Hygge-inspired earthiness has its place, it’s nowhere that I want to be on 25 December.

I think we can all agree, it’s been quite a year, so whenever possible I’m turning up the volume on Christmas planting – though not in a musical-theatre-jolly-knees-up kind of way.

What I want to experience is even more statement glamour than that. I want to see something that has an operatic splendour that’s oh so elegant and beautiful. My wish is to see planting that is diva-like, a horticultural version of

DECK THE HALLS Ian Drummond

Maria Callas if you will. If there is one plant able to deliver the kind of in-your-face festive spectacular that we’re looking for, it’s amaryllis.

Everything about amaryllis could have been designed to take centre stage at Christmas.

There is something arresting about their very structure, their scale – they are the perfect yuletide diva. Even without the explosion of colour at the top they are something special; I love the bold simplicity of their elongated stems, an elegant fusion of strength and fragility. But it is the flowers that make them so eye-catching, because they have everything.

Amaryllis care

© McQueens

It’s important to remember that they will need support.

Although the stems look firm and strong, eventually the weight of the open blooms (each of which will last for up to three weeks) will cause them to bend and eventually collapse.

There are any number of stakes

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that can be used discretely for this purpose, but it’s interesting to make a feature of the support by inserting festive twigs like silver birch into the pot around the amaryllis, so that they become both a functional and decorative part of the composition.

The bulbs rot easily, so ensure they are planted in well drained compost and don’t let them sit in water. Other than that, give them as much light as possible and keep them out of harm – their proportions make them vulnerable to damage.

Native to South Africa, amaryllis blooms are available in a sunset of intense reds that are so gorgeous for Christmas – whether you like your reds brazen, like Rudolph’s nose (‘Liberty’), or with a velvety depth (‘Royal Velvet’ or ‘Tinto Night’), you

IF THERE IS ONE PLANT ABLE TO DELIVER THE KIND OF IN-YOURFACE FESTIVE SPECTACULAR THAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR, IT’S AMARYLLIS will find what you’re looking for. There’s even a candy stripe vibe, if that suits the mood – amaryllis ‘Clown’ has huge blooms of clear white petals that are feathered with a vibrant red up close, but from a distance resemble bold and cheerful Christmas stripes. If the only Christmas for you is white, then ‘Mont Blanc’ or ‘Ludwig Dazzler’ glimmer like fresh snow.

So deck the halls with amaryllis this year and merry Christmas one and all!

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

www.indoorgardendesign.com

Images ©thejoyofplants.co.uk

Ian Drummond considers the bold beauty of amaryllis, and what they can bring to planting around the festive season

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 79

22/11/2016 16:14

NURTURE

Berries are mini wonders that keep the winter garden rich in colour and texture, says Jamie Butterworth. Here he looks at some more unusual varieties to try

A

s we delve into the deep, dark, depths of yet another cold, wet, British winter there can be little in the way of flowers or horticultural interest to keep us inspired until the spring arrives. That is, of course, with the exception of berries, which stand out like glistening gems through the frosty mornings, not just providing an essential food source to birds, but also bringing cheer to all gardeners and landscapers with frozen fingers.

There are numerous commonly found plants that produce an abundance of berries throughout the autumn and winter months, from Illex through to Crateaegus, Sorbus to Rosehips, the list is really quite extensive.

However, there are many plants that produce this incredible showy display that deserve more recognition. Below are four of my favourites for this season that should be brought into the spotlight and appreciated for the real heroes they are.

Myrtus communis An amazing evergreen plant that is massively underused, from its heavenly sweet-scented flowers which are produced in spring and all the way throughout the summer months, through to the majestic deep blue/purple berries that are produced from the autumn throughout the winter. Fully hardy, and will withstand all but the harshest of British winter, but best planted in a nice sheltered spot just in case.

VERY BERRY

Jamie Butterworth delicate berries look stunning during the low sunlight of autumn into winter. A real must-have for a small garden.

Iris foetidissima Also known as the stinking Iris, it is far more glamorous than it sounds. It is an evergreen perennial that produces yellow to purple flowers

Actaea pachypoda ‘Misty Blue’

This North American native perennial adores shade, making it ideal for the covered part of the garden that gets a bit miserable at this time of year. Growing up to around 80cm, its biggest feature are the pure white berries that are produced on blood red stems, in addition to the creamy white flowers appearing in May. Styrax japonica ‘Fragrant Fountain’ A truly fantastic weeping cultivar of the ever wonderful Styrax japonica. Typically grown for its abundance of highly scented white flowers which are produced from spring onwards.

However, an additional treat are the sumptuous creamy white berries produced now. These

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in and around May, although these are nothing compared to the glistening orange jewels that are formed in large opening seed pods, and held throughout the winter months.

Hopefully these additional plants may inspire you a little for your December orientated planting schemes, proving there is more available than just Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ and Betulis utilis to provide interest into and throughout those winter months.

ABOUT JAMIE BUTTERWORTH Graduating from RHS Garden Wisley with a distinction in summer 2015, avid plantsman Jamie now works as show plant manager at Hortus Loci, growing the plants or major o er sho s such as Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton. Jamie is a YoungHort associate director and RHS Young Ambassador, promoting horticulture to young people across the UK. Jamie is also a gardening broadcaster for BBC Radio London.

Email: jb@hortusloci.co.uk www.hortusloci.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

22/11/2016 16:16

AWARDS 2017 Friday 17 March, The Brewery, London

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Bradstone’s Krystal Williams, and host Chris Collins presenting the Supreme Winner Award 2016 to Frogheath Landscapes.

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23/11/2016 11:31

NURTURE

Coles Nurseries is unique in what it has to offer landscapers. We speak to James Coles and Vince Edwards from Coles to find out more about their success and how they reached where they are now Coles Nurseries has built up a reputation as one of the UK’s largest growers of trees and shrubs for the commercial sector. The nursery, which started out as an eight acre field in Leicester, now boasts seven different sites totalling 548 acres with around 100 employees.

Managing Director James Coles is the fourth generation of his family to run the nursery, after it was founded by his great-grandfather James in 1913. Since then, Coles Nurseries has slowly expanded, but it has stayed true to its roots, growing specimen trees and shrubs.

James explains: “The company has always been very cautious. Although we have expanded to be one of the largest growers in JAMES COLES the UK, it’s taken 103 years. We know what we’re good at, and we have developed that into what we are today.”

The original eight acre field now lies about a mile away from the company’s head office, which is on its Thurnby site, where Coles Nurseries manages its admin, dispatch and propagation. Its largest site is Gaddesby, with around 300 acres.

Expanding Gaddesby was decided for a number of reasons, including client demand, and though the type of products at Coles has stayed the same as when it was founded, its offering has developed and increased.

Customer Development Manager Vince Edwards explains: “Historically, the shrubs were

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INTERVIEW

COLES NURSERIES 2L and 3L in size, but as the company has developed it expanded into larger 5L and 10L ranges. Coles is also known as a grower of bare root trees, but as the industry has developed the container tree has become more popular and we now stock a range of these as well.”

Clearly, Coles has the ability to adapt, which is made easier by its broad client range, from local authorities to inter-nursery trade, lessening its exposure somewhat to market trends. Its largest client base at the moment, however, is landscapers, as Vince tells us: “In 2009 when the VINCE EDWARDS housing slump was beginning, this wouldn’t have been the case. During this period we saw an increase in inter-nursery trade as smaller growers weren’t exposing themselves to production. Now, landscapers make up the biggest percentage in our supply and sales chain.

“The sectors change depending on which is buoyant – by having a broad spread we can manage our costs and alter production to suit demand.”

This client base can also benefit from an entirely unique offering from Coles: an NVQ Level 2/QCF 1 Unit in ‘An Understanding of the National Plant Specification (NPS)’, a set of guidelines helping plant buyers to receive reliable plant materials and like-for-like quotes from nurseries.

Vince wrote the course with accreditation in mind, so that someone undertaking it would have to attain a certain standard and understanding of the key principles of the NPS in order to achieve it.

“We wanted people to be able to take on the knowledge and have the ability to order stock from more than one supplier. The course looks at the principles of the NPS, why it’s important, and

COLES HAS THE ABILITY TO ADAPT, WHICH IS MADE EASIER

BY ITS BROAD CLIENT RANGE, FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO INTER-NURSERY TRADE focuses on the measurable areas within shrub production. It then looks at trees and what people should be looking for when stock arrives.”

Coles has been running it for six years, putting on two courses a year as well as being available as a CPD accreditation, which tends to be more popular with garden designers and landscape architecture practices.

With such a quality offering, why change?

We look forward to seeing more of the same from Coles Nurseries, with a continued steady expansion, and perhaps a couple of new product lines along the way.

CONTACT 624 Uppingham Road, Thurnby, Leicester LE7 9QB Twitter @Colesnurseries Email info@colesnurseries.co.uk Tel 0116 241 2115

www.colesnurseries.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 11:12

ROBERT WEBBER

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Challenging yourself through the use of lighting effects in gardens

H2O, A POWERFUL MESSENGER

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SEAN BUTLER The ways in which water can be used to convey a message

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How to use video marketing to increase engagement with your business

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EDUCATE

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23/11/2016 11:18

EDUCATE

As technology changes and so do garden design trends, we have fresh challenges and opportunities with which to push ourselves, says Robert Webber

very week am given a new challenge. The best way to light a onkey u le tree a fresh way to make a sculpture appear as if it s floating how to light a water feature so it appears bottomless, and how to practically light a children’s play area – these are all challenges I faced this week. Fresh challenges bring new opportunities to apply ‘outside the box’ techniques and edgy methods.

There are many standard lighting techniques that I teach garden designers, both in college and at cluster groups. Over the next couple of months I’m going to explore some of these in depth, so you will learn what an average spike spot can achieve when placed correctly with the appropriate lamp, colour and angle and the use of lters honeycomb lenses and frosted glass.

Lighting technique is very theoretical, and in some respects quite subjective. I have my preferred ways of lighting areas of the garden, but they are not always shared by every client.

For many clients, I endeavour to mock up a few effects using pretty much the same light but positioned differently using lenses and reflectors to show the e panse of effects possible. t s always good to see their faces

EXPLORING EFFECTS light up when you present them with their thoughts in real light.

For many garden designers, we give them a tester kit so they can practice lighting in their own gardens and present a few effects to clients. That’s what sets them apart from the crowd. Often a lighting picture you see on the internet is lit from different angles to capture the best picture. What you can’t see are the lights behind the camera that give you a misrepresentation. It’s always difficult when presented with such images, and having to explain that there’s a full studio of lights making those three bamboos look good.

There’s nothing like actually seeing what’s possible in real time. Learn how the colour of the sky changes throughout the seasons and how it changes lighting effects learn how at this time of year deciduous trees can be lit with

HAVING A BASIC STARTING POINT AND DEFINED LIGHTING EFFECT PERIMETERS IS ALWAYS BEST

just as much drama as when they’re fully clothed.

These are the challenges that we need to think about – creating drama for every season.

Having a basic starting point and de ned lighting effect perimeters is always best when you start to specify garden lighting and in particular the e act light tting needed. get drawings sent through every day in which a designer has speci ed a Hun a spike spot or lipta pillar light but not speci ed a lamp inside.

The nal result of any good lighting design should never really be about the tures and ttings but everything to do with the right atmosphere. In some respects, it’s not about spot lighting compared to external chandeliers – it’s all about the lamp and the way it’s positioned, which is something to bear in mind when works are being sent out for tender.

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

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

www.sceniclighting.com

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22/11/2016 16:43

H2O

EDUCATE

A POWERFUL MESSENGER Sean Butler discusses the use of water in gardens, pulling from two show gardens to highlight the message water can portray

Water has many dimensions. As creators of gardens, we have the ability to use it in all its forms – water is colourless, transparent, ethereal, gentle and very powerful.

This power can be used as a force to evoke many outcomes and emotions; here, I’m going to look at how water is used to convey messages.

Two gardens in particular at RHS Chelsea 2015 used water in this way: Charlie Albone’s garden ‘The Time in Between’, built by Conway Landscaping & Design which won a Silver Gilt medal, and Ruth Willmott’s ‘The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Garden’, built by Cube 1994 and also a Silver Gilt winner.

We should be encouraged to use the forces of water and add dimensions to our gardens.

It can provoke feelings within us that may be difficult to express, and can be manipulated in endless ways to capture a meaning.

Gardens are our stage – it’s up to us to add the theatre.

Designer Ruth Willmott Contractor Cube 1994

THE TIME IN BETWEEN Designer Charlie Albone Contractor Conway Landscaping & Design Charlie Albone, an Australian-based designer, created his first RHS Chelsea garden in 2015 as a space to ‘update’ his late father about his life since he passed away. Aged just 17 when he lost his father, Charlie had been keen to tell his father about his life.

An emotive space, the garden had different sections, each telling a story. The first section celebrated life with beautiful, romantic planting; a water feature in the second section was a space for reflection, and the third, at the rear of the garden, was an intimate space to sit, connect and communicate with loved ones. Varied textures and colours including silver, white, purple and pinks complemented

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THE BREAKTHROUGH BREAST CANCER GARDEN

the hard landscaping, with planting to be enjoyed and supply interest year round, with particular highlights in spring.

The brilliance behind the message in the water feature was the way in which the water fills the concave stone area slowly, allowing reflection of the surrounding plants to be seen clearly. Then, in the blink of an eye, the water disappears. You can really feel the sense of loss which this water feature was designed to portray.

In the UK, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes. It was important that this message was conveyed through Ruth Willmott’s 2015 garden.

The infinity pools are like glass, reflective and peaceful. The force behind each pool is a surprising 17,500L pump. Even though they are moving, it’s an invisible force. As you walk through the garden a sense of calm envelopes you. To symbolise the reality of the prevalence of breast cancer in this country, a second pump in each pool creates a subtle ripple, like a water droplet falling into the pools. (I designed a way in which I thought this could work, and through trial and error spent about 70 hours testing the idea on my driveway until it was perfect.)

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

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22/11/2016 16:39

EDUCATE

G N I T E K R A M O VIDE

Ross Hewitt explains how you can use videos as a key marketing tool when promoting your business

2015 was widely labelled as the year of the video. If you spend too much time on Facebook then you might have noticed through last year that your friends stopped sharing so many pictures of their cats and cakes and just began sharing videos. In April 2015 stats were revealed that showed that Facebook was playing host to a staggering 4bn video views every day. By October that figure had doubled and over 8bn videos were being watched every day just on that one social media platform.

Throw YouTube and Vimeo into the mix, as well as Instagram launching video capabilities, and it is becoming clear that the moving picture is shifting marketing pitches to a whole new level. You need to start setting your video stall up if you haven’t considered creating them already.

How can video content draw clients closer to you and encourage engagement with your business?

What questions can you answer? What content is already prevalent and sewn up by others and, more importantly, what content is hard to find yet would be really useful to your audience? ● Making one video is not a strategy, and neither will it get you found or sought after.

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start as you mean to go on. At least one video per month for the next four to six months is realistic, and will give you a great ‘test and learn’ environment to gauge whether video is something that can move your audience engagement up a few notches. ● Ideas for content will come a lot easier

than you might imagine if you give it a little thought. How about customer video testimonials? Can you tempt someone who can clearly string a sentence together

THE MOVING PICTURE IS SHIFTING MARKETING PITCHES TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

to get in front of the camera and big you up? Are you going to an event that warrants a bit of film time that you can share? Maybe a video interview with a landscape architect, or a supplier? ● When you’ve brainstormed a list of videos, separate the wheat from chaff, put the final list into a calendar and give yourself plenty of time to get them filmed and finished.

● You need to make the actual videos you create

as polished as possible. We’re not talking Hollywood standard, but for example, if someone is talking in the video you need to make sure the viewer can actually hear them. ● Buy a tripod; it makes for a much better video than tired arm shaky-cam effects. Film somewhere that has good lighting and get people to smile, even just a little bit. ● Aim to grab the viewer’s attention in the first five to 10 seconds – it’s crucial to keeping them watching. Make sure you have a very clear call to action at the end of the video. ● When the final cut is uploaded, don’t forget to share it as far and wide as possible. You want your work to take up bandwidth as well as disk space.

ABOUT ROSS HEWITT Ross Hewitt is managing director of digital marketing consultancy Secret Pie and author of ‘Savvy Social Media’. Ross began his digital marketing career in 1998 when social networking was ‘something you only did in a pub’. He set up Secret Pie in 2010 and has been helping clients get discovered and loved online ever since. www.secretpie.co.uk Twitter: @Secret_Pie

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22/11/2016 16:41

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24/11/2016 09:06 09:04

EDUCATE

New at

This year saw the UK’s largest landscaping trade event, FutureScape, celebrate five years at Sandown Park Racecourse on 15 November with record numbers of exhibitors. A range of new, innovative products were launched and showcased at the event, from tiny aggregates to large chippers and everything in between Bourne Amenity Bourne Amenity was promoting a variety of new soil blends and planting substrates. With SuDS very much on the industry agenda it was showcasing its new lightweight subsoil, developed for the roof garden market and the larger intensive planting schemes where rain water management is paramount.

Further to this, Bourne Amenity also launched a new sterilized soil blend, created from its extensive work with nurseries and ideal for avoiding unwanted weed seed interference, especially on a rooftop environment. Alongside these Bourne Amenity introduced a new silica sand designed specifically for use in the lower layers of tree pits, to assist with the flow of air and water and promotion of a healthy root base.

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Lighting for Gardens The lack in provision of brass lighting in the market was something Lighting for Gardens decided to tackle this year at FutureScape with the introduction of its new range of solid brass outdoor lights. Designed for the more casual garden environment, the lights come in a range of designs such as the Coachlight and Globe styles in order to fit the needs of a range of clients. The lights are also available with a nickel plating in order to provide a different finish.

Wildflower Turf An interesting alternative product launch came from Wildflower Turf, which was promoting its new book, How to Make a Wildflower Meadow, written and developed by managing director

James Hewetson-Brown. The book includes over 25 different case studies from wildflower projects, with information on how to go about creating the finest wildflower meadows with a simple step by step guide accompanied by illustrations, making the book simple to follow as well as highly practical with eco-friendly advice.

Garden Trellis Company The Garden Trellis Company is expanding with the introduction of a wide array of new products.

At FutureScape, it promoted its new Western Red Cedar wood trellis range, with the wood quality being distinctively aromatic and virtually knot free. The range is available in square and diagonal designs with fine sawn batons for a smooth, quality finish.

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24/11/2016 09:04

EDUCATE

microbiological activity and tree specific fertilizers, with a lifespan of up to 12 months. This is balanced with a starter fertilizer for rapid plant establishment and a synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

All this, to ease early tree acclimatisation to the planting area, enhance root and plant growth and increase tree survival rate.

Lumena A very striking FutureScape launch came from Lumena, in the form of its Pine Timber Bollard Light. The bollard itself is made of solid pine, which is resistant to both shrinking and swelling along with a brass brick light fitted into its side.

The lighting frame is made from solid brass with a rustic bronze finish and encases a standard LED bulb fitting.

Greenfix Representing a step forward in environmentally friendly technology was Greenfix’s Enviro-Lock, a vegetated wall system with a similar function to that of sand bags, but with far more natural technology which allows the build-up of the retaining wall system over time. This provides a multitude of benefits to the users such as improved aesthetics, reduced carbon emissions and noise reduction through the green wall insulation which absorbs sound, subsequently improving wildlife in the area.

LightPro An exciting new product launched was LightPro’s self-titled landscaper friendly lighting system. The range of products are sold individually, and

include wire, clips, connectors and a range of lights to account for the fact that no two gardens are the same. The electrical system is completely insulated allowing landscapers to fully install the system without the aid of an electrician. The system can be plugged into a standard 240V socket and run through a transformer which LightPro also provide, making the system accessible for the majority of households.

In Turf TerraCottem Arbor – a new soil conditioner – was launched by In Turf, specially developed for tree and shrub planting. Central to this latest formulation is the new generation polymers, which include humic acids to further enhance water retention capacity, soil structure and

1 Lighting for Gardens 2 LightPro 3 Wrekin Products

Wrekin Products A great new product addition to the landscape and ground engineering industry is the TreeBunker from Wrekin Products. The system is designed to provide unlimited amounts of uncompacted loamy soil for newly planted trees in hard landscapes. Research proves that trees in the urban realm when given sufficient soil are capable of growing to their potential canopy size and height, therefore providing the benefits big trees bring to our towns and cities, such as climate control, habitat, aesthetics and water management. The high strength system is loadbearing and capable of taking all types of vehicular loadings from pedestrians to HGV access.

FutureScape provided a platform for a wide range of product launches, and with a record number of visitors in attendance and continued growth over the past five years, we can expect even greater success next year.

4 Bourne Amenity 5 Wildflower Turf 6 Garden Trellis Company 7 Greenfix 8 Lumena 9 In Turf

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24/11/2016 09:05

EDUCATE

Flat ar in ll railings pe of fencing Flat bar in ll railings with chamfered top How it is secured nti vandal ings Life expectancy years nstallation process Set into diamond drilled holes in a concrete beam can be set into concrete foundations or baseplated if re uired rice range POA

isionMesh pe of fencing Swing gate wire mesh How it is secured elded into frames Life expectancy ariable nstallation process elded into swing gate frames supplied with anti lift o hinges rice range . m high from per L plus T uantity and trade discounts available

WWW.ALPHARAIL.CO.UK

WWW.KNIGHTFENCING.CO.UK

SiteSafe pe of fencing Secure temporary fencing system How it is secured Four way ad ustable bracket and ed into fork entry points Life expectancy ariable life e pectancy nstallation process ni ue single person nstallation cap to support fast and easy installation rice range From

WWW.HIGHSECURITYFENCING.CO.UK

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JACKSONS FENCING

HIGH SECURITY FENCING

ALPHA RAIL LTD

KNIGHT FENCING

COMMERCIAL SECURITY FENCING

Barbican pe of fencing ertical bar How it is secured acksons uni ue vandal proof connectors Life expectancy year service life guarantee nstallation process etailed product drawing downloads available on the acksons website rice range POA

WWW.JACKSONS-SECURITY.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 14:56

CLD FENCING SYSTEMS

EDUCATE

EXPERT VIEW: TEMPORARY COMMERCIAL SECURITY FENCING

FenceSafe Type of fencing Rigid mesh panel system How it is secured Patent pending bases that hold 200kg of ballast comes in three different panel systems Life expectancy 15 year manufacturer’s guarantee Installation process Four-way adjustable clamp system allows fence to be made true regardless of ground conditions Price range £40 to £90 per LM

ALEXANDRA SECURITY

WWW.FENCESAFE.CO.UK

Protek 1000 Type of fencing Welded mesh panels with horizontal triangular folds How it is secured andal resistant security ings Life expectancy 15 year guarantee Installation process The system is easy to install and allows the panels to be stepped Price range POA

WWW.ALEXANDRASECURITY.COM

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DAVID DODD

OWNER, THE OUTDOOR ROOM

What do you look for in the temporary commercial security fencing you use?

Two of the most important features you must look for in fencing are that it has high quality welding and the use of thick, strong metal panels to make any attempt at a break in as difficult as possible. There is also a surprising variety in cost if you are subcontracting the

work out, so it is always worth going to different contractors with the same specification to try and find the best price, like any landscaping job.

What additional features make the temporary commercial security fencing you use more secure?

High quality padlocks are essential to go with the fencing. They have to be as difficult to cut through as possible, this being the most important factor when buying them. To fix the panels in place we use rubber blocks at the base which are bolted and welded together, along with anti-tamper couplers to provide additional security when joining the panels together. Rubber footings should also be used to support the fencing panels and ensure they cannot be blown or knocked over.

In what type of projects do you use temporary commercial security fencing?

We use it when securing a working site which is not already within a secure complex such as a factory or new office block. Planning permission may be required depending on the height of the fencing being used, so it is always important to check before using it. You have to decide how secure you need the site to be and plan accordingly to ensure you fulfil your contract obligation, making the site as secure as feasibly possible.

What additional advice would you give to someone using temporary commercial security fencing?

Hording is a method I often use along with temporary fencing, either in front or behind it. This involves using plywood sheets to make it visually secure so you cannot see into the site, deterring break ins if there is no valuable machinery visible.

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23/11/2016 14:57

EDUCATE

THE POSH SHED COMPANY Southwold beach hut shed • Traditional beach hut design available in a number of colours • High diamond rear window, allowing maximum storage or shelving • Measures 5ft by 5ft, including 1ft veranda, with a number of additional accessories available to purchase • Unique triple wall construction and fully weatherproof walls, floor and roof • Five level lock on the door for high level security

ALL URBAN The Hoop Shelter • Created by Handspring Design, a new brand offering from All Urban • Constructed from timber and steel for a durable design • Noise reduction insulation ensuring suitability for residential areas as well • A multitude of seating possibilities available • Can be installed alongside a youth art project, working with teenagers and graffiti artists, to embrace community engagement

www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk

www.allurban.co.uk

COBRA MT250C multitool • Powered by a Cobra petrol 25cc engine • Four quality attachments; a grass trimmer, brushcutter, pole pruner and articulating long reach hedge trimmer • Robust guard to protect the user, pole pruner has a 30cm bar and chain • The hedgetrimmer feature has a 72cm shaft with 42cm cutting blade with 30mm tooth spacing • Articulating head allowing you to easily adjust the angle of the cut through 180° www.cobragarden.co.uk

PRODUCTS

2016

OF

NATURAL PAVING Vitripiazza A collection of the top landscaping products launched • High quality, vitrified Italian this year, from paving and garden huts to stone and play porcelain paving structures that could transform your projects • Nine different colours available in three ranges • Wide selection of accessories, including circle kits • Full bodied porcelain and extremely durable • Frost proof and easy to clean www.naturalpaving.co.uk

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TIMBERTECH EasyClean Range • Does not trap dirt or dust • Three options to cover a wide range of projects: Terrain, Tropical, and Legacy, available in a variety of colours and finishes • Low maintenance TimberTech wipe clean capped composite • Highly water/moisture resistant • 25 year residential fade and stain warranty

LIBERON Garden Colour Care Decking Paint • Two in one solution for both protective and decorative use • Ideal for exterior wooden flooring: soft, hard, exotic, smooth or grooved • Matte opaque finish • Washable and anti-slip with a five year guarantee • Available in five colours in 2.5L packs – medium brown, dark silver, gun metal, light silver and light brown

www.timbertechuk.co.uk

www.liberon.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 11:34

EDUCATE

HOPPINGS Q-Shades colour washed decking • Pre-stained with translucent matte black, brown or grey colour wash prior to Tanalith preservative treatment • Extremely durable • Shades can remain effective for two to five years • Available nationwide • Range consists of a privacy screening lath, featheredge, loglap and shiplap cladding and grooved/smooth decking

GREEN TECH gtSedum roof cassettes • Designed for extensive green roof installations • Incorporating a minimum of eight types of sedum into each individual cassette • New system designed to provide an instant and practical solution to green roofs • Requires minimal maintenance • Incorporates a drainage layer to aid capillary action and a filter layer to ensure that the lightweight substrate is not washed away

www.hoppings.co.uk

www.green-tech.co.uk

HARTLEY BOTANIC Opus Glasshouse • Bespoke made to suit a variety of projects • Offers an alternative contemporary style to traditional glasshouses • A perfect environment to display plants • Available in a range of colours • Launched at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 on the first Hartley Botanic show garden

SMITHS BLETCHINGTON Gabion • Gabion crushed limestone available in various sizes • Suitable for shoring up river banks and embankments • Baskets can be manufactured in welded or woven wire mesh • Able to accommodate different settlements • Can create stunning landscape/garden features

www.hartley-botanic.co.uk

www.smithsbletchington.co.uk

KINLEY SYSTEMS RoofEdge Premium • 100mm RoofEdge Premium supplied in rigid lengths • Designed specifically for biodiverse roof structures • Allows drainage from the planting zone • Suitable for use as a commercial edging system • Simple and quick to install

EGO POWER+ LM2102E-SP lawnmower • The brand’s largest cutting capacity of 52cm • Up to 50 minutes of run time, with LED headlights allowing it to be used any time of day • Powered by the industry’s first 56v ARC lithium-ion battery • Recharged from flat in just one hour • Weighs 28kg and has a 70L collection capacity

www.kinley.co.uk

www.egopowerplus.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PEOPLE

LOOK OUT FOR...

JAMES CURNOCK James Curnock, an apprentice of St Albans-based Lanwarne Landscapes, has just won Apprentice of the Year at the eighth national Nectar Business Small Business Awards. Pro Landscaper caught up with the 23 year old to find out more about his apprenticeship and his plans for the future

What was your route into the industry prior to Lanwarne Landscapes?

I struggled to get into the industry. I couldn’t afford funding for college and was over the maximum age for government funding, so I started to seek out an apprenticeship. After asking around at a few companies, I was fortunately given a position at Lanwarne Landscapes in January 2014. I came into Lanwarne on an NVQ Level 2 apprenticeship, the lower foundation, and since then have become a top tradesman.

PEOPLE AREN’T ENCOURAGED TO DO AN APPRENTICESHIP, THEY’RE TOLD TO PURSUE THE ROUTE OF COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, BUT MORE PEOPLE SHOULD DO IT What does your apprenticeship involve at the company?

My apprenticeship is around 70% work based.

I receive regular training on site by the company’s managing director James Lanwarne and two other members of staff. At the start of my course, I chose a number of units to study, and now have to submit evidence of my work as well as supplementary questions to show my understanding. So far, I have completed my NVQ Level 2, which ran for 13 months, and I’m currently working towards my Level 3 in amenity horticulture which will take 18 months.

Once I have completed this I will be a fully skilled site manager.

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Would you recommend an apprenticeship to those looking to be involved in the industry?

Definitely, the route of an apprenticeship is brilliant. A lot of people aren’t encouraged to do an apprenticeship, they’re told to pursue the route of college or university, but more people should do it – I think that’s why it’s such a big topic at the moment. You can do apprenticeships up to NVQ Level 4 now, which is the equivalent of a foundation degree at university. You get the addition of experience and you get paid, it’s a win-win.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

It’s just brilliant to be on site and create amazing gardens for people who really want them. I take paper plans from our in house designer Martin Lines, who designs show gardens and bespoke gardens, and put them into reality. Seeing the reaction of our clients when the gardens are completed is great.

career. It’s amazing, and it gives the landscaping industry some recognition.

How does it feel to have won Apprentice of the Year at the Nectar Business Small Business Awards?

Lanwarne Landscapes has been involved with Nectar before. James Lanwarne won Tradesperson of the Year at the Nectar Business Small Business Awards 2013, and when he saw that a new apprentice category had been added, he thought it would be great to nominate me. I was sceptical at first, but to have won is a massive reward for all the hard work that I’ve put in over the last couple of years, of the upcoming months to complete my apprenticeship, and then continuing on in my

How do you see your career developing in the future?

On completing my NVQ Level 3, I hope to grow within Lanwarne Landscapes. I’ve really found a home at the company and I’m well-suited to work there. It’s continuing to grow; the number of staff has doubled since I started, and I firmly believe in where my director wants to take the company. I’m in it for the long haul. We’ve also started branching out to show gardens, having won a gold award and Best Beautiful Border at BBC Gardeners’ World Live this year at the NEC Birmingham, and we’re hoping to exhibit next year too. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 12:55

EDUCATE

HOW TO MAKE A GARDEN GROW Heath Robinson

THE GARDEN AWAKENING Mary Reynolds

HOW TO MAKE A WILDFLOWER MEADOW James Hewetson-Brown

T

T

W

his alternative advice book on how to grow your garden was first published in 1938 as part of a series of picture based guides.

While the author is no expert on gardening, the trials and tribulations of attempting to grow a garden on the eve of the Second World War have been well captured.

The book contains a range of quirky contraptions, far too complicated for the task that they accomplish, such as the ‘Combined Telescopic Spaderake’ for digging and raking at the same time, and the ‘Inebriate Roller’ for making wobbly garden paths.

While the pictures are humorous, and some ideas bizarre, this small book is packed with useful tips such as how to make your garden attractive in December and what to do with your dustbin. Purchased for the tips or just for a laugh, this book will do the job.

Heath Robinson was an illustrator and cartoonist famous for creating fantastically complicated machines for everyday simple tasks.

he author of this book, Mary Reynolds, is the youngest woman ever to win Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Mary is also the lead character, portrayed

by Emma Greenwell, in the recently released film ‘Dare to Be Wild’.

This brilliantly designed book explains Mary’s view on caring for your garden as if it were your child. It’s all about finding the garden’s natural look, rather than forcing it to be something it’s not. Mary argues that you wouldn’t force your child to wear a pink tutu if they didn’t want to, so why would you force your garden to grow in a certain way?

While the ideas may not be completely orthodox in the industry, that is what makes Mary’s book so intriguing. Inside you’ll find fantastic ideas and some wonderful gardening advice, including plenty on sustainable living.

It is also beautifully presented with fairytale-esque drawings, which perfectly suit the style of the book.

ildflower meadows make an interesting feature to liven up any garden or footpath; they are also a great asset to wildlife. However, they’re often overlooked due to being difficult to establish and maintain. This book provides step by step guides and techniques which aim to make the process significantly more manageable.

A commonsense approach is taken throughout, meaning there is no need to be an expert on habitat planting or plant ecology to understand the process and carry out the work.

Written by James Hewetson-Brown, the book includes over 30 case studies demonstrating how wildlife meadows can enhance a variety of locations such as gardens, pathways and rooftop gardens.

Well illustrated throughout with picture examples at each stage, not only does this make it easier to follow the steps, it’s also thoroughly enjoyable to flick through and admire the meadows.

RRP £9.99

RRP £19.99

RRP £20

Publisher: Bodleian Library

Publisher: Green Books

Publisher: Filbert Press Ltd

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ETESIA UK CELEBRATES Mowing machinery and turf maintenance company Etesia UK is celebrating 25 years of innovation and design this year. French parent company Etesia SAS was founded in 1989, which then expanded operations to the UK two years later with great success and over time it has grown further, with operations now in over 30 countries, spread over five continents. After launching the first ride-on mower with direct ejection and integrated collection, the Hydro-100 in its first year, Etesia set the bar high, and has continued to do so with its products ‘setting the standard’ in its industry.

From an early stage Etesia has received recognition for its innovation, including accolades such as being the first company in the industry to be given the quality management standard award – ISO 9002 certification in 2002, followed by an ISO 9001 certification in 2009. In its first 25 years, Etesia continued to release innovative features, such as electronic tipping, a staple of its mowers for the last 10 years.

Determined to stay one step ahead of the competition, Etesia has been incorporating the latest technology into each of its mowers, starting with the launch of its ETMower range of robotic mowers in 2011, for use up to 20,000m2. This year has been no exception, with the incorporation of GPS guidance systems into its ride-on mower range with the use of flag markers, allowing the

operator to map out the exact area for the mower to cut within, saving valuable time in the commercial market. Another feature which is new for 2016 is the inclusion of disabled accessibility with the use of joystick controls, which can be mounted on either side of the Bahia ride-on mowers. The safety aspect of its products has also developed greatly, with the integration of remote control technology, ensuring that operators do not exceed the recommended length of time riding the mowers. This remote technology also allows operators to use their products on steep inclines without risking the safety of the rider.

In recent years Etesia UK has also expanded into electrically powered machinery to provide a greater range of economical and environmentally friendly products, including solar panelled charging capabilities in its Bahia M2E – the world’s first 100% battery-powered ride-on mower with cut and collect facility, released in 2012. Etesia UK’s operations director Les Malin says that “electric power is the future” for much of its machinery due

to lower maintenance costs and reduction in emissions, going on to say that “the possibilities are endless with modern technology”.

Etesia UK further enhanced its ‘green’ reputation as the company expanded to become the exclusive distributor of Pellenc battery powered tools in the UK and Ireland in 2010.

To celebrate its 25th birthday, Etesia UK held an event in Warwickshire, putting on a range of activities and showcasing its latest technology which was then officially launched at Saltex. The first of which is the battery powered Pellenc Cleanion brush, with adjustable speed and direction which can be fitted with a range of attachments such as a snow plough, making it a highly powered and versatile product. Etesia further displayed its commitment to the environment by announcing that it will be distributing Oeliatec’s weedkilling system, using 100% water heated to 120°C in order to kill weeds effectively, all the way to the root without the need for any harsh, damaging chemicals and reducing the risk to the operator as the system can be used in a wider variety of weather conditions unlike its chemical counterparts.

This anniversary for Etesia UK signifies the lasting impact it has had on the mowing machinery and turf maintenance industry which will grow further as the company continues to move from strength to strength.

Oeliatec machinery

Pellenc Cleanion

Disability accessible mower

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ETESIA SET THE BAR HIGH, AND HAS CONTINUED TO DO SO WITH ITS PRODUCTS ‘SETTING THE STANDARD’ IN ITS INDUSTRY

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

23/11/2016 08:36

JOBS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Location:

Xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxx xxx xx For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.

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

Call 01903 777 587 or email ellie.downes@eljays44.com with your vacancy.

Call 01903 777 570 or email hortcareers@eljays44.com with your vacancy

CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGER (GM)

ESTIMATOR / CONTRACTS MANAGER

Our client is a leading grounds maintenance company which carries out work for commercial clients throughout the UK and has a staff in excess of 50,000 people. Its nationwide network of local teams can deliver a professional service throughout the UK. The company currently requires a client account manager to work on a large account in the South West of England. The roll will entail increasing the company’s total revenue from the designated contracts and maximise the contract life cycle through integration of the contracts, and understanding the philosophy and culture of the customer.

Our client is an established sports turf and amenity company based in North London.

Our client has worked on a highly diverse portfolio of projects ranging from renovation of sports facilities to construction of amenity glasshouses and agricultural civils work and clients ranging from professional sports facilities to main contractors, golf clubs and other leisure facilities. The responsibilities of the role will include developing sales, identifying client needs and producing quotations, assuming complete financial accountability of clients, building and maintaining relationships with clients and more.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPE PROJECT MANAGER

APPRENTICE

This is an exciting opportunity to be involved with a restoration and redevelopment project for a large country estate. Hard and soft landscaping experience essential.

As an apprentice landscape assistant you will get to help our project teams build and renovate private gardens, doing hard and soft landscaping on a variety of scales.

Requirements and desired skills include enthusiasm, self motivation, experience of physical work, driving licence and a determination to succeed. Qualifications required are a minimum of three GCSEs at grade C or above, including maths and English. There is a great chance for career progression as we expand the scope and territory that we cover.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

ASSISTANT MANAGER

INTERNSHIP (THREE TO SIX MONTHS)

Oak View Landscapes Ltd has a vacancy for a recently qualified graduate to join our West Bergholt office-based commercial team. We are looking for a dynamic, driven person to assist in carrying out a sales and estimating role within our commercial department, reporting directly to the commercial director. You will be working with our select group of commercial construction companies, garden designers and landscape architects pricing and procuring contracts.

This amazing opportunity will give you full exposure to the garden design industry from carrying out everyday tasks to attending new client meetings.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

GARDEN DESIGN ASSISTANT

MAINTENANCE, SOFT LANDSCAPING AND HARD LANDSCAPING OPPORTUNITIES

HORTICRUITMENT Location: South West

TAYLOR2RECRUITMENT LTD Location: Somerset

OAK VIEW LANDSCAPES Location: Colchester

KAREN MCCLURE GARDEN DESIGN Location: Tunbridge An initially freelance role with a garden designer expanding to form to a design practice. We are looking for an enthusiastic garden design assistant with excellent Vectorworks Landmark 2016 skills. Requirements include a recognised qualification in garden design, planting or horticulture or equivalent professional experience. The applicant will need to be creative, have an eye for detail and a flair for design.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Jobs.indd 97

ANDERSPLUS Location: North London

GREENMAN LANDSCAPES Location: Saffron Walden

ARALIA Location: Sawbridgeworth

THE GARDEN BUILDERS Location: Fulham

Maintenance, soft landscaping and hard landscaping opportunities available.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / December 2016 97

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New Holland TC27D, 27hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 2312 hrs £7’500 John goes Deerewherever X740, 54” deck, Low-Tip choice of 2 £6’250 Saturday 21st March: The SaleCollector Field, it’sSDneeded New Holland TN55D with cab, 55hp, 4WD, Gear Box – 1751 hrs £15’750 £12’500 John Deere X748, 48” SD deck, Hi-Tip Coll. 24hp, 4WD, HST - 1188hrs Blakes Road, Wembdon, Bridgwater, easy work of(Ex branches, Yanmar FE280H, 28hp diesel, 4WD, turf tyres, roll bar – 262 hrs £ POA £7’500 EtesiaMakes Attila Bank Mower Demo) – low hours £1’500 TA6 7RS wet green-waste and mixed leafage £2’500 Ride-On Cylinder Mowers e Ride-On Cylinder Mowers 25th April: Oak Tree Saturday £3’000 4 Season shredder forThe year Buy from manufacturers and save £££!

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2659 hrs not visit our -choice of 3 from: £5’750 683022 Enquiries Tamlyns, High Street, BioTech™ chips £2’250 £9’950 Ransome Highway 3 – 1308 hrs JD 3235B with Cab, 22” 8 blade units, grooved front rollers – 2708 hrs £6’500 Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3BN £4’750 rtin JD 3235B, 22” 8 blade ESP units – 2691 hrs £7’500 Ride-On Front Rotary Mowers £ POA T John 01278 JD 3225C, 7 blade light-weight units c/w rear roller brushes – 2217 hrs £8’000 £4’500 tc Deere 458241 F1145, 62” RD deck, 28hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres – 2887 hrs ursery.co.uk er. or telephone for a brochure andchoice samples: Jacobsen G Plex, recently serviced & extra set scarifying units available £5’500 www.psdgroundscare.co.uk EJohn ross.whitcombe@tamlyns.co.uk Deere 1445, various deck sizes and hours of 7 from £6’500 nsnursery.co.uk Hayter LT324, 6 blade units with 10” fixed heads – choice of 10 from: £6’500 £8’500 2ursery.co.uk £6’750 John Deere 1445 with Cab, 60” SD1deck, Serviced – 2126 hrs Page 1 PROFESSIONAL www.tamlynsprofessional.co.uk W Plantoil 59x91mm_Layout 16/09/2011 15:56 Hayter T424, 5 gang, 6 blade – 30” units – choice of 2 from: £9’000 £13’900 John Deere 1545 c/w Ryetec 60” flail, 34hp, 4WD, HST – 900 hrs *Excludes£7’750 Vat snursery.co.uk Ransome Highway 3 – choice of 2 £ POA £9’000 Plantoil 59x91mm_Layout 1 16/09/2011 15:56 Page 1 Ransome Parkway 3, 30” 6 blade units – 1970 hrs £ POA s £9’750 PSD2700 - ELIET ProLandscaper Adverts 58x90.indd 2 13/03/2013 12:38 Diesel Bowser FawcettsLiners_B182919_1LB 1 2/2/10 12:47:01 £6’90015:43 18/07/2013 ���� �� Timber Products 13/03/2013 12:38 Ride-On Front Rotary Mowers £7’900 John Deere 1445, various deck sizes and hours – choice of 8 from: £6’500 £13’750 Timber Products John Deere 1445 with Cab, 60” SD deck, Serviced – 2126 hrs £8’500 £7’500 John Deere 1545, 62” RD deck, 31hp, 4WD, HST – choice of 2 from: £9’750 £12’500 For John all your golf, and4WD, landscape needs. n needs.£7’500 Deere 1565 withsportsturf cab, 62” RD, 38hp, HST – 1044irrigation hrs £9’750 Balmers GM Ltd, Manchester Rd, Dunnockshaw, in the UK John Deere 1600TMowers Wide Area Mower with canopy• –Manufactured choice of 2 from: £8’500 Ride-On Tractor Burnley, Lancs, BB11 5PF Buy online at www.lws.uk.com • 12 month John Deere 997 Zero Turn Mower, 60” deck, 30hp – 291 hrs warranty n needs. £1’500£9’000 John Deere GT235, 48” SD deck, 18hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 355 hrs Jacobsen HR6010 Wide Area Mower – 1615 hrs • 12v 40L/min pump £5’500 £2’500£ POA John Deere X320, 48” SD deck, 22hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 195 hrs Ransome HR6010 Wide Area Mower – choice of •2 440l & 220L optionsfrom: £12’000 from: £5’500 £3’000 John Deere GX355D, 48” SD deck, 16hp diesel, 2WD, HST – choice of 2 • AdBlue Ransome HR300, 60” RD deck, 4WD, HST – choice of 4 option available £ POA ! £5’500 John Deere X495, 48” SD deck, 24hp diesel, 2WD, HST – 1922 hrs from: £5’750 £6’250 John Deere X740, 54” SD deck, Low-Tip Collector – choice of 2 Commercial Pedestrian Mowers £6’500 £6’750 John Deere X748, 48” RD deck, 24hp diesel, 4WD, HST – 1380 hrs HugeBahia, choice32” of RD Ferris and Scag mowers £7’500 Etesia deck & collector, 2WD – 36”, 48” 52” Zero Turn mowers. £2’250 £8’000 CHAIN SAW OIL 2-STROKE OIL SAW BLADE OIL £4’750 Etesia H124DS, 48” RD deck, Hi-Tip Collector, 25hp diesel – 828 hrs ursery.co.uk £5’500 £ POA Etesia Attila Bank Mower (Ex Demo) – low hours s:snursery.co.uk from: £6’500 CHAIN59x91mm_Layout SAW OIL 2-STROKE OIL1 16/09/2011 SAW BLADE OIL 15:56 Page 1 Plantoil Compact Tractors from: £9’000 Tel 0345 230 9697 • www.lws.uk.com FREEPHONE 0800 013 7363 www.plantoil.co.uk www.landmarktimber.co.uk 0808 129 3773 £ POA John Deere X748, 54” Snow Blade, 24hp diesel, 4WD, HST – choice of 2 £6’750 £ POA JD 4600 & Front Loader, 43hp, 4WD, G.Box, Power Reverser – 4331hrs FREEPHONE 0800 013 7363 www.plantoil.co.uk £7’750 www.landmarktimber.co.uk 0808 129 3773 Pro www.prolandscapermagazine.com Landscaper / September 2015 123 John Deere 3320, 33hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 1230 hrs £9’000 SNOW CLEARANCE BASIS w w w.NEEDED r o c h foON r d sA. nNATIONAL et agazine.com 2/2/10 12:47:01 Timber Products JD 4410 & Front Loader, 34hp, 4WD, G.Box, Power Reverser – 2279 hrs 50 December 2012 www.prolandscapermagazine.com £9’750 Balmers GM Ltd, Manchester Rd, Dunnockshaw, www.prolandscapermagazine.com from: £6’500 Kubota B2410, 24hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 1720 hrs £6’900 Do you have a tractor / teleporter? We need you to clear agazine.com £8’500 Burnley, Lancs, BB11 5PF Kubota B2410 & Front Loader, 24hp, 4WD, HST – 1076 hrs snow as part of our winter maintenance programme. Ideally £7’900 from: £9’750 we would like you to work locally to your base and clear 20/08/2015 10:11 £13’750 Designers and 18/02/2015 14:42 Kioti DK551C with Cab, 54hp, 4WD, Gear Box – 612 hrs n needs. snow from our clients’ sites. Competitive rates offered £9’750 Neweasy Holland 27hp, 4WD, £7’500 manufacturers of n needs.

Makes workTC27D, of branches, wet HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 2312 hrs dependant on machinary type. from: £8’500 galvanised New Holland TN55D with cab, 55hp, 4WD, Gear Box – 1751 hrs £12’500 hardwood planters 18/02/2015 14:42 green waste and mixed leafage £9’000 Yanmar FE280H, 28hp diesel, 4WD, turf tyres, roll bar – 262 hrs and garden £7’500 mbled in £1’500 Contact us at gritting@ground-control.co.uk 4 Season shredder is effective in all £ POA furnishings £2’500 from: £12’000 Ride-On Cylinder Mowers conditions e £3’000 £ POA All products Johnand Deere 900suction Commercial Triple, 30” fixed units – choice of 2 £5’500 Smooth easy £5’500 manufactured in 2653A, 26” 8 blade units, spiral rollers, scrapers – choice of 4 from: £5’500 £6’250 feedJDsystem or design. the Cotswolds JD 2500 (A) (E), 22” 11 blade units, groomers, brushes, grass boxes £6’750 Produces using sustainable rs.Sundries -choiceeasily of 3 compostable from: £5’750 ng 683022 £2’250 timber BioTech™ chips JD 3235B with Cab, 22” 8 blade units, grooved front rollers – 2708 hrs £6’500 £4’750 artin £ POA CHAIN SAW OIL 2-STROKE OIL SAW BLADE OIL JD 3235B, 22” 8 blade ESP units – 2691 hrs £7’500 J o s e p h R o cwww.ground-control.co.uk h fo r d G a r d e n s L t d , JD 3225C, 7 blade light-weight units c/w rear roller brushes – 2217 hrs £8’000 ber.

P i pThe e r s EStables, n d , L e t t y GLondon r e e n , H e r tRoad, fo r d , S GBillericay,Essex 14 2PB CM12 9HS Jacobsen G Plex, recently serviced & extra set scarifying units available £5’500 www.psdgroundscare.co.uk Te l : 0 1INFORMATION: 7 0 7 2 6 1 3 7 0 EMAIL F a xINFO@OXFORDPLANTERS.CO.UK : 01707 262847 FOR MORE OR CALL 01608 683022 l.co.uk Hayter LT324, 6 blade units with 10” fixed heads – choice of 10 from: £6’500 £6’750 www.landmarktimber.co.uk 0808 129 3773 129 3773 E m a i l : s a l e s @ r o c h fo r d s . n e t gazine.com Hayter T424, 5 gang, 6 blade – 30” units – choice of 2 from: £9’000 £7’750 Ransome Highway 3 – choice of 2 Pro Landscaper £9’000 99 www.prolandscapermagazine.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com Pro Landscaper / March 2015 99 / December 2016£ POA BASIS agazine.com magazine.com Parkway 3, 30” 58x90.indd 6 blade units1– 1970 hrs £9’750 £ POA 12:38 agazine.com PSD2700 - ELIET Ransome ProLandscaper Adverts 13/03/2013 kshaw, 18/07/2013 15:43 £6’900 Oxford Planters.indd 1 04/06/2015 14:33 o clear Ride-On Front Rotary Mowers £7’900 18/06/2015 09:02 Ideally £13’750 John Deere 1445, various deck sizes and hours – choice of 8 from: £6’500 clear Classified.indd 99 24/11/2016 08:55 class.indd 99 14:44 £7’500 £8’500 18/02/2015 18/02/2015 14:42 18/02/2015 14:42 John Deere 1445 with Cab, 60” SD deck, Serviced – 2126 hrs ered

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