Concept to Delivery
January 2015
DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN
FUTURESCAPE 2014 How to master NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY THE LITTLE INTERVIEW
GRACE LANDSCAPES
TRANQUIL RETREAT 2014 BALI AWARD WINNING PROJECT
THE WILD SIDE OF THE FENCE
Wildlife friendly design
GRUBBY GARDENERS
2014 BALI AWARDS
Grand and Principal Award Winners
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WELCOME
Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN
January 2015
FUTURESCAPE 2014
January 2015 | Volume 5, Issue 1
GRACE LANDSCAP ES
TR ANQUIL RETREAT
How to master NIGHT PHOTOGRAP HY THE LITTLE INTER
2014 BALI AWARD
VIEW
GRUBBY GARDENERS
Welcome to January 2015
WINNING PROJECT
THE WILD SIDE OF THE FENCE
Wildlife friendly design
2014 BALI AWARDS
Grand and Principal Award Winners
DAVID DOMONEY Cover.indd 18
ALL TALK – AND ACTION…
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Welcome to January and the start of a brand new year, one in which we want to continue with the debates started at the fantastic FutureScape event last November. See feedback and photos from the event on page 52 of this issue. One of the big topics of your feedback (for which we are very grateful) was that we now need to take
action on some of the issues raised, this is very much one of our action plans for 2015. Pro Landscaper is also excited to announce the launch of a letters page where you can have your say on anything ‘landscape’ related – there are bound to be topics you want to state your opinion on, or reply to something you have seen or read in the magazine. We want to hear from you, so please do take the time to drop us a line. Also, see the news pages for an announcement about Pro Landscaper’s ’30 under 30’, more details will follow on this shortly. In this issue Jim and Lisa with David Dodd and Kate O’Shea at the 2014 BALI Awards you will find a great
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spread all about the BALI Awards last December on page 12, it may seem a long time ago now but it will still be very much at the forefront of all the successful businesses, remember to promote your success to your client base, there is no point going to all the trouble of entering and winning if you don’t shout about it! As well as three inspiring portfolios, we also have an article on how to make your designs more wildlife friendly by Hampton Court Gold medallist Tracy Foster. Also, we have a ‘Grubby Gardeners’ Little Interview special – ten of the participants of the Perennial charity fundraising calendar have let us find out a little more about them on page 71. Happy New Year!
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Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2014 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.
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CONTENTS
January 2015 6 News Shed Round up of industry news
10 Have Your Say NEW: a selection of emails to the editor
15 Association News
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efig launches a new campaign and it’s 2015 Awards; the SGD announces it’s spring conference; shortlisted entries are revealed for the APL Awards 2015; BALI celebrates it’s Award winners and updates readers on upcoming events; and The RHS calls for help in completing a plant survey OPINION
19 View From The Top How do we increase peoples’ perception of value asks Phil Jones
20 All Tenders Are Equal There is a vast difference in how contractors complete tender documents, David Dodd explains
23 Make Mowing Fun We have a responsibility for making our industry appealing to the next generation says Angus Lindsay
25 And Another Thing... Andrew Wilson reviews the View From The Top debate at last year’s FutureScape
27 World Skills Competition This Worldwide competition can raise the awareness of UK landscaping standards believes Jody Lidgard Concept to Delivery
BUSINESS TIPS
28 Put Your Prices Up! Steve Clarke says have faith in what you do and charge what you’re worth
29 How To Survive And Thrive As A Garden Designer
This month Janine gives advice on how to get clients to pay
30 In The Night Garden How to perfect your skills whilst photographing at night time, with Jonathan Ward
FUTURESCAPE 2014 How to master NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY THE LITTLE INTERVIEW
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GRACE LANDSCAPES
TRANQUIL RETREAT 2014 BALI AWARD WINNING PROJECT
THE WILD SIDE OF THE FENCE
Wildlife friendly design
GRUBBY GARDENERS
2014 BALI AWARDS
Grand and Principal Award Winners
33 Let’s Hear It From TV personality and landscape gardener David Domoney talks about his career in horticulture
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DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN
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CONTENTS
52 FutureScape - In Pictures A look back at the successful landscape event in November NURSERY
55 Nursery News
CONTRIBUTORS Phil Jones MD of ISS Facility Services Landscaping David Dodd Landscaper and lecturer
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News and information from around the country including nursery notes from Agrumi
Angus Lindsay Head of Fleet at The Landscape Group
56 Plantsman’s Plot A variety of winter plants and trees from nurseries accross the UK
PRODUCTS
59 Setts In The Street Michael Heap advises how to lay setts in situations with heavy vehicular traffic
62 Paving
Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer Jody Lidgard WorldSkills technical lead and landscaper Steve Clarke Sales mentor
Latest Products Janine Pattison Garden designer
63 Topsoil Latest Products
42 PORTFOLIO
39 Glory Days Rebecca Smith Garden Design and Consultancy created a nostalgic cottage garden
42 Art Of Stone Transformation of the garden of an Arts and Crafts property undertaken by Bluefish Landscaping
64 Wood Products Latest Products
62
EQUIPMENT
66 Equipment News
67
67 General Latest Kit PEOPLE
69 What’s Your Role Richard Waddell from Moore Environment
71 Little Interview Grubby Gardener’s special
50 The Wild Side Of The Fence
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30 SGD Awards Millennium Gloucester Hotel, London www.sgdawards.com 27-30 IPM ESSEN Essen Germany www.ipm-essen.de
2014 BALI Principal Award winning project Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield was redeveloped into a peaceful space for patients by Grace Landscapes
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
ARE YOU GOING? JANUARY 20-22 BTME Harrogate International Centre www.btme.org.uk
46 Tranquil Retreat
Tracy Foster’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show garden in 2014 showed how to encourage wildlife into the garden
Jonathan Ward Photographer and garden writer
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FEBRUARY 20-21 RHS London Plant & Potato Fair RHS Horticultural Hall www.rhs.org.uk
Pro Landscaper / January 2015
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NEWS
NEWS SHED Glendale Liverpool apprentices recognised in glittering awards ceremony
Apprentices, new recruits and their trainers were recognised at the fourth annual Glendale Liverpool Recognition Awards at Liverpool City Hall in November. The awards recognise the achievements of 16 and 17-yearolds classified as NEETs (Not in Employment Education or Training) taken on under the City Council’s collaboration with Glendale, which looks after all of the city’s parks, cemeteries and recreational spaces. The ceremony was opened by Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, with an inspiring presentation by Olympic
London College of Garden Design announces new courses The London College of Garden Design has announced a series of courses aimed at helping designers and landscapers achieve their goals. Mark Gregory, who is leading the 6
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bronze medallist, Steve Smith. Adam Ryan, 25, one of the apprentices graduating on the night said: “Coming from a disadvantaged background, I had nothing really going for me. When I jumped into this job it kept me on the straight and narrow, it sorted me out and gave me confidence. Now I’m a mentor for the younger apprentices.” Peter Cosgrove, manager of Glendale Liverpool said: “I am so proud of each and every member of my team here tonight. They all deserve this recognition.” Cllr Munby said: “It’s now 15 years since Glendale and Liverpool City Council started working together and it has proved to be an excellent partnership. Not only do they maintain the city’s green spaces and facilities, but their apprenticeship scheme is helping to transform lives.”
courses said: “The easiest way to get stressed is when a project fails to live up to expectations so we have invited leaders in the field of design and landscape to tell
Greenfingers announces winner of inaugural design competition The winner of the inaugural hospice garden design competition run by Greenfingers and KLC School of Design was announced in a ceremony at Chelsea Harbour in November. Former KLC student, Rachel Parker Soden won the competition with her ‘Halcyon Daze’ design. Entrants were asked to design a ‘teenage space’ for a hospice garden, thinking about what would appeal to teenagers, giving them a dedicated area to indulge in every day teenage activities. Shortlisted candidates were invited to present their designs to a panel of expert judges comprising Emma Hanford, Greenfingers Garden Projects Manager, and esteemed
garden designers Ann-Marie Powell and Clare Matthews. Emma Hanford from Greenfingers commented: “Rachel’s design, which has a festival vibe, included so many elements that will appeal to teenagers including a den, tipi, fire pit and communal spaces where they can relax with friends and family.” Rachel Parker Soden said: “I feel incredibly privileged to have had my design selected as the winner. I am ridiculously excited to be working with Greenfingers to make the design concept for the teenage garden become a reality!” Rachel’s design will now go on to be incorporated in one of Greenfingers’ future children’s hospice gardens.
New funding for women in the land-based and environmental sector announced Lantra’s new Women and Work programme is offering funding to help women who are employed, volunteering or in apprenticeships within the environmental and land-based industries, an area in which women are significantly under represented. Funding is available for technical and management training started and completed between the
first of October 2014 and March 20, 2015. Spaces are limited so don’t miss out! There are two funding strands available. Strand one is for employed women with a minimum training spend of £200. Strand two is for young women, second career changers and women furthest from the work place. For further information please email lantra.business@lantra.co.uk
us how they do it. One of the hardest tasks is to get the costing of a project right.” Jason Lock of DeakinLock and Dan Riddlestone of Bowles & Wyer will join Mark to discuss this on January 13. On February 24. Anne-Marie Powell and Olivia Kirk will share their communication tips and on March
17 designers Patricia Fox and John Wyer join Mark to discuss successful projects, awards and referrals.The three sessions run from 6pm to 8pm at Regent’s University in central London, ensuring busy professionals can attend. They cost £39 for all three if booked before 12 January. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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NEWS
Frogheath Landscapes wins Tomorrow’s People ‘Local Partner of the Year’ Frogheath Landscapes received the title of Tomorrow’s People ‘Local Partner of the Year’ in a ceremony at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in Knightsbridge, London in November. Tomorrow’s People is a charity that has helped more than 470,000 young people into work since 1984. Frogheath, a Sussex based landscaping company took on its first Tomorrow’s People participant in 2012 though Heathfield Works! – a ten week programme focused on unemployed young people in isolated areas. Steve Moody co-owner of Frogheath said: “We have always
been passionate about the future of the younger generation and wherever possible we give work and training opportunities.” Winner of the Michael Guthrie Award for Outstanding Achievement, Tim Dinnage, 18, had been excluded from two schools, was homeless and known to the police. Within two weeks of signing up to Heathfield Works! he changed his life and took on voluntary work at Frogheath Landscapes. He said: “Without Heathfield Works! I dread to think where I’d be now. I love my job and look forward to going to work and getting paid. I have a future. I’m really happy.”
Rachel de Thame confirmed to support the inaugural Party for Perennial Celebrity gardener Rachel de Thame will attend the inaugural Party for Perennial. Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping all horticulturists in times of need.
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The Party for Perennial on 15 January promises to be a fun-filled evening of fine food, entertainment and fundraising with top entertainers and horticulturists in attendance. Rachel said: “Perennial offers a unique service for all those working in horticulture. The party sounds like a brilliant way for professionals to network early in the season and for
Pro Landscaper launch initiative to find the industry’s rising stars
NEWS IN BRIEF Chelsea tickets on sale
Tickets for the 2015 RHS Chelsea Flower Show are now on sale. www.rhs.org.uk/shows
Landscapers win tenth Marshalls award
Aura Landscapes, Southampton, has won its tenth Marshalls award for exceptional landscaping projects. This year Pro Landscaper is looking for the industry’s rising stars, we need to identify the best 30 people under the age of 30. You/they can be a landscaper, designer, architect or supplier, you can either self-nominate (nothing wrong with self-publicity!) or be nominated by colleague or manager. Look out for more information on the Pro Landscaper website www.prolandscaper magazine.com or see full details in next month’s issue of Pro Landscaper.
amateur gardeners to have a fun evening and learn more about this wonderful charity.” Musicians Simon Bates and Harry the Piano will provide a range of live music during the event. They will be joined by magician Fay Presto for a unique cabaret show. A raffle and auction will also take place during the evening with some fabulous prizes already confirmed. ProLandscaper is proud to be a sponsor of Party for Perennial.
LDA Design win prestigious award
LDA Design won the prestigious President’s Award at the 2014 Landscape Institute Awards for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.
Green-tech donates to competition
Green-tech is donating a range of growing media to the 2015 Young Gardener of the Year competition, organised by David Domoney in association with the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community.
First Emirati designer at Chelsea
Kamelia Zaal of Al Barari, Dubai, will be the first Emirati landscape designer to show at Chelsea 2015, ‘The Beauty of Islam’ will be constructed by The Outdoor Room.
19/12/2014 10:41
NEWS
Landscape Institute urges a landscapeled approach to flood defences and garden cities The Landscape Institute has welcomed the Treasury’s announcement on flood defences and garden cities and urged a landscape-led approach to both. Warning that the £2.3bn of flood defence measures was ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, former president Sue Illman said: “There’s an urgent need to build greater resilience to flooding in the UK. We desperately need to rethink the way in which we manage, store and distribute our water.” On garden cities, it outlined how landscape-led design can create an adaptable, dynamic, exciting and beautiful city for Bicester. Noel Farrer, president of the Landscape Institute, said: “A landscape-led approach to planning this new urban space will ensure that it’s created as a distinct place with a strong sense of character to which people can relate.” The Landscape Institute’s five principles for landscape-led garden cities are, start with the landscape; work within the landscape; develop a positive relationship between town and country; build a place worth living in and create vibrant places.
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Willerby Landscapes receives the BALI Grand Award for a record fifth time BALI Registered Contractor Willerby Landscapes took the Grand Award for a record fifth time at the 38th BALI National Landscape Awards, held at London’s Grosvenor House. BALI National Landscape Awards recognise excellence in landscape design, construction and maintenance achieved by BALI members. The ceremony was hosted by broadcaster and former cabinet Minister Michael Portillo, with more 110 entries for a total of 79
awards and a record 820 BALI members and guests present. Willerby Landscapes, based in Kent, were awarded BALI’s highest accolade, the Grand Award, for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South Park Plaza scheme. Greg Allen, chair of the adjudication panel said: “The amount of work achieved in such a short space of time was breathtaking and given the scale and complexity of the project, the fit and finish was remarkable.
Willerby Landscapes is a worthy winner of this year’s Grand Award.Life Memberships were bestowed by the BALI Board of Directors on Richard Gardiner, Martyn Mogford and Paul Cowell, who were deemed to have made an exceptional contribution to the association and its membership.
Chartered Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year 2015 competition is launched The Chartered Institute of Horticulture (CIH) has launched its Young Horticulturist of the Year 2015 competition, which gives horticulturists the opportunity to compete for the Percy Thrower Travel Bursary. The £2000 bursary enables the winner to travel anywhere in the world to study a subject related to their chosen field. The competition is run in three phases with local heats, eight regional finals and the Grand Final at the National Trust’s Barrington
Court in Somerset on May 9. Andrew Gill, President of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture said: “I am always impressed at entrants’ knowledge. There are no
losers as the contestants all get the chance to network and broaden their horizons.” The 2014 YHoY winner, Chris Parsons said: “I’d recommend anyone working in or studying horticulture to compete in YHoY. I’m hoping to use my bursary to fund a trip to Taiwan to see its unique flora.” The closing date for entries is February 10, 2015. To find out more about the 2015 YHoY competition and how to take part visit www.horticulture.org.uk
18/12/2014 11:45
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HAVE YOUR SAY YOUR OPINIONS, YOUR VIEWPOINTS Is something rattling you? Why not air your views on current landscape topics via email to the editor at editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk
More participation needed Having attended many industry events through the years, I was concerned the same topics would be raised again at FutureScape’s View From The Top debate with no conclusion on how to resolve them! Unfortunately this is precisely what happened! Poor education and a lack of well trained staff was highlighted. Nick Coslet asked how many of the audience had spoken at their local school or asked their local college what their future training strategy was. Not many raised their hands. Many in the audience will remember attending colleges where they gained a balanced overview of many subjects so that they could specialise according to their interest or skill level. The reduction of students with this training has left a shortfall, resulting in a watering down of the syllabus and standards, affecting us all. We haven’t engaged enough to make a change but have consistently looked to somebody else to do it for us; which is clearly not going to happen! We have the skill level and the knowledge that colleges need. We are the ones designing new roof gardens, green walls, irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting systems, resolving
Invest in the future generations I attended FutureScape in November and my partner and I joined the View From The Top debate. The question was asked: “What is a small landscape budget?” to which one of the panelists answered £30,000. For my business it can be anything from £1,000. It was suggested that we don’t need programmes airing small garden makeovers but I feel they freshen up the garden world. I may not be as experienced as the panel, but if we can reach a greater audience with a value for 10
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technical issues etc. We are the ones responsible for biosecurity and good professional practice! Many of us are members of the numerous industry organisations, all of which play important roles but remain fragmented! We have to ask why, but whatever the issues, the real question is: “What are we going to do about it?” We need to engage and work with our organisations more, we need to attend AGMs to change constitutions and codes if they are at fault or need updating. We could use industry events like FutureScape to our advantage and change the future. Perhaps the debate needs to be a workshop, with a panel of industry CEOs, presidents and chairs. A professional facilitator could be appointed with a series of key topics established throughout the year in Pro Landscaper so the audience can fully participate and take action. We can work together, the Olympic park proved this. Perhaps at the next meeting we could create an action plan for us all to follow instead of just debating the issues. Paul Cowell PCLandscapes and former BALI Chairman
money garden, this can’t be a bad thing. To be a landscaper or a garden designer is a truly skilled job, we need to pass on our skills and invest time in young budding tradesmen and women. Fresh faces need to be brought into the gardening world, so why not involve people just starting out in the panel debates next time? Everyone can learn from each other and pass on what the budding landscaper didn’t know, or the experienced missed out on. Charlie Benton Benton Landscapes
Support your association I also attended the BALI AGM at Saltex but felt I went to a different meeting to the one Phil Jones attended. This will be the first year in many when subscription fees have risen in line with inflation and the accounts of the organisation are healthy with a structured plan in place. Membership is growing and with new staff the association is now far more effective at supporting members and promoting the industry.
I am proud to have been a member of BALI for close on 20 years. However, I would prefer to see associations working together more and even sharing resources. Think of the savings that could be achieved and channelled into moving our industry forward, promoting the industry and influencing policy makers. The BALI-NCF has struggled, though new leadership offers the chance of better progress. There are tentative steps in the right direction and even bolder ones when there is a common interest. However, in all my years organising and arranging diverse events, we only get about 25 per cent of the regional membership companies attending and the main absentees are the larger firms. Despite surveys and requests for topics, events etc the larger companies are happy to not get involved. I know getting involved with BALI has benefited my employer – you get out what you put in. Nick Coslett Palmstead Nurseries www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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NEWS EXTRA
Bob Field BALI CHAIRMAN With the appointment of Bob Field of Robert Field Landscapes as new BALI Chairman in September 2015, Pro Landscaper found out a little about him and what he would like to achieve during his tenure
How long have you been in landscaping and why did you choose it as a career? I’ve been in the industry for 30 years. I’d been a quantity surveyor in London and then Hemel Hempstead and was made redundant in the early Eighties recession. I’d always wanted to work outside and both my parents were keen amateur gardeners. What is your history with BALI? At college BALI was regularly mentioned and as I wanted to set a high standard, the only way of being recognised was to have a BALI membership. At the time other trade organisations just seemed to want your money and didn’t vet you, so BALI was definitely for me. I used to attend BALI North Thames regional meetings as I realised it was a good place to network and it gave me an opportunity to listen to and understand the industry. I became regional treasurer, vice chairman and eventually in 2007, chairman. I was asked to join the national board in 2009 and I accepted as I felt it important to represent the smaller contractors. I became vice chairman in 2012 and finally took over from Chris Carr in September 2014. What are the goals for BALI under your chairmanship? I would like to continue the improvement in membership www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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benefits and services including seminars and workshops, ensuring BALI maintains its position as the association of choice. I hope the issue of the skills shortage will be addressed and to this end, it will be important to continue the good work that Paul Cowell started in establishing the Landscape Collaborative Working Group. The benefit that landscaping, can bring to society and individuals should not be underplayed. Recent conferences and the FutureScape debate topics back this up.
If we look back in two years’ time, what would you like to have achieved and why? With our updated vetting and Quality Standards Review procedure, we aim to attract and retain more members. Existing and potential members will be able to see exactly what is required for membership; clients will be able to understand the benefit of using a BALI member and to have peace of mind that they are using regularly vetted contractors, designers and suppliers. There is potential for growth in a number of sectors and whilst we definitely face continued budget cuts in the public sector parks and gardens, our members continue to build their partnerships in this sector. Despite the issues they face, they continue to deliver excellent value. We are continuing to see growth in the commercial construction side of the industry and our work in the highways and house building sectors has definitely driven growth within BALI this year. What will happen to BALI’s membership fees? I hope BALI will continue to approach this with sensitivity for member companies and the economic issues we all face. However, BALI must reflect inflationary costs as well as looking at what is needed to achieve member objectives. What are your plans for the National Contractors Forum? We are in the process of appointing a new chairman for the BALI-NCF group, elected by its membership. The group has organised two really successful training days, one on HAVs and
the other on safe mowing on banks. The latter was so oversubscribed that we are planning another for March 2015. What are your views on how industry associations could work better together? We already work with many other associations, and collaborated with the RHS on the Horticulture Matters report. We have been invited to join some of the HTA forums and through Paul Cowell have established the Landscape Collaborative Working Group. This group could become the ‘lead voice’ to government and the public. BALI also has a position on The Parks Alliance transitional board, championing parks and open spaces. We work with a host of industry organisations on a wide range of subjects and continue to receive invites onto more working groups and forums to represent the interests of both landscaping and BALI members. When time allows, what do you enjoy doing outside work and landscaping? Having moved to Cornwall there is nothing better than walking along the coastal path or if time is short, down to the beach. The countryside is so beautiful, it makes you feel great to be alive. Dee and I have settled into a lovely, friendly village. The amateur dramatics group has ensnared both of us. In a recent production I was ‘trapped’ into being assistant producer. Our beautiful cottage needs a little TLC so that’s taken any spare time and I’m trying to compile a book of letters between a courting couple just after WW2. When all else fails a swift jar in the local talking to villagers always raises the spirits. Pro Landscaper / January 2015 11
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2014NEWS BALI National Landscape Awards The 2014 BALI National Landscape Awards took place at the Great Room, Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane on Friday 6 December. The glittering ceremony celebrated the best of the best in the landscaping industry and Pro Landscaper offers its congratulations to the Grand and Principal winners
The 2014 Grand Award winner sponsored by Rigby Taylor
2014 BALI National Landscape Awards – Grand, Special and Principal Award Winners The 2014 Principal Award winners Domestic Garden Construction Cost under £30K sponsored by Cuprinol Bartholomew Landscaping Private Residence, London SW1V
Willerby Landscapes Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South Park Plaza, London E20
Domestic Garden Construction Cost between £30-60K sponsored by Marshalls Water Gems (Alba) Private Residence, Edinburgh
The 2014 Special Award winners
Domestic Garden Construction Cost between £60-100K sponsored by Johnsons of Whixley Designscape Private Residence, Stafford
Design & Build sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil
Graduate Gardeners Private Residence Overlooking Stroud Valley Best Newcomer sponsored by Wienerberger
Bluefish Landscaping & Equestrian Development
Hard Landscaping Construction (NonDomestic) under £300K award-winning project by The Outdoor Room
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Domestic Garden Construction Cost between £100-250K sponsored by Crowders Nurseries J&S Scapes, Walled Garden Domestic Garden Construction Cost over £250K sponsored by Euro Plants UK Graduate Gardeners Private Residence Overlooking Stroud Valley
Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost under £300K sponsored by Bourne Amenity Elmtree Garden Contractors Bristol Harbourside Building, 4 Millennium Promenade, Bristol Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost under £300K sponsored by Willerby Landscapes The Outdoor Room Guys & St Thomas’ Charity, Orchard Lisle Courtyard, London Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost between £300K-1.5m sponsored by Quintons NT Killingley Uppingham School Science Block, Rutland Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) Cost over £1.5m sponsored by Sodexo Willerby Landscapes Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South Park Plaza, London E20
Bluefish Landscaping & Equestrian Development receives the Best Newcomer award
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Best Innovation/Technology award for Frosts Vertical Module
Design Excellence Award Overall Scheme under £50K sponsored by Vectorworks Christine Whatley, Sylvan Studio The Orchard House, Calne BALI Registered Contractors and Registered Designers Joint Submission Davies White & Gerald Davies Otter Nature Playground, Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough Community and Schools Development sponsored by Brett Landscaping Grace Landscapes Kirkwood Hospice, Huddersfield Restoration and Regeneration Scheme sponsored by Topgreen Ground Control Burgess Park BMX Track, London SE5 Grounds Maintenance Private Value under £50k sponsored by Kubota Creative Landscape Company Private Residence, Oxfordshire Grounds Maintenance Free Public Access sponsored by QLawns Quadron Services Southwark Park, London SE16 Grounds Maintenance Limited Public Access sponsored by Paynes Turf Nurture Landscapes Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
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Sports Ground and Leisure Facilities sponsored by Springbridge MJ Abbott London Irish RFC Training Facilities, Sunbury-on-Thames Interior Landscape Installation Only GP Plantscape Skyscanner, Edinburgh Green Roof Installations and Roof Gardens sponsored by Quadron Services Gavin Jones Limited Coca-Cola HQ, London International Award sponsored by CED Beijing Tsinghua Tongheung Urban Planning & Design Institute Huludao-Xingcheng Coastal Trail, Huludao, China Best Innovation/Technology used in a Landscape Scheme sponsored by Green-tech Frosts Landscape Construction Frosts Vertical Module (FVM) Affiliate Exceptional Service sponsored by Sureset Harrod Horticultural Employer of the Year sponsored by Andersplus GP Plantscape
Top: Stephanie Harrod and Andrew Barringer – Affiliate Exceptional Service for Harrod Horticulture Second top: Life Memberships of BALI presented to Paul Cowell, Richard Gardiner and Martyn Mogford Above: Clive Ivil of Quadron, BALI Chairman Bob Field and Nigel Bowcock, Acre Landscapes Right: Artur Kredens and Barry Burrows from Bartholomew Landscaping pick up their award for Domestic Garden Construction under £30K Pro Landscaper / January 2015 13
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Do you want to design a show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show? Following the success of the previous years, we are pleased to announce the popular Jacksons Show Gardens Design Competition, will run for a sixth year - with a new spin this time – the winner will have their design for a large show garden brought to life at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in June/July 2015. The judging panel will be from Jacksons Fencing, plus two members of the Society of Garden Designers and a key member of the RHS. The competition is open to members of the Society of Garden Designers (at all levels). For more info and brief go to www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/showgardens Jacksons Fencing Head Office Stowting Common Ashford Kent TN25 6BN www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk Tel: 01233 750393
Mediterranean Memories by Sally Perigo winner of Jacksons Show Gardens Competition 2014
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Association
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NEWS
Happy, healthy New Year! An infusion of plants is what we need for January and the winter blues. It’s the period of winter ills and of resolutions to be healthier. efig has the perfect answer – a reminder for everyone and every business – we are launching Healthy Plants, Healthy You day on January 14. Once again, the campaign will mainly play out on social media and we’re asking for your support in joining our campaign. We will be promoting why plants are best prescribed for a healthier you, especially in the workplace, where
efig outline germs can spread quickly. But we won’t be forgetting the many other benefits that having plants in the office can offer. On the day you can contact us on Twitter using the hashtag #plantswork, send us your ‘deskies’ – a form of selfie – showing your must-have items on your desk including your plant. Post pictures to our Facebook page and let’s start the year generally shouting out about plants. Keep an eye on our
SGD bulletin SGD Spring Conference Spring heralds new beginnings and for the SGD a new London venue for its Spring Conference. The Royal Geographic Society on London’s Kensington Gore
Garden design by Sarah Price
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will be the location for BEYOND BORDERS 2: Into the Long Grass on Saturday March 21, 2015. Many delegates cite ‘inspiration’ as the reason for coming to SGD conferences and the spring 2015 conference will be no exception. BEYOND BORDERS 2: Into the Long Grass will review planting design today; how we use grasses with other plants; the role of grasses in sustainable planting design and how grasses work with
website for more information as it becomes available. www.efig.co.uk Starting the year positively January means one thing for efig members: the deadline for your Award entries. Every year efig rewards members for professional excellence from design and installation to on-going maintenance and outstanding technicians. In the first two categories Roof Gardens and Container Outside Landscaping are included alongside Interior Landscaping.
other plants to create naturalistic associations. Using ornamental grasses in planting design started in the late 19th century and since then enthusiasm for the extra dimension they bring to planting schemes has waxed and waned. Grasses have gone through fashionable periods: from the renowned Karl Foerster to the new perennial movement of the Eighties and Nineties, through the bold romantic gardens of Oehme and van Sweden, steppes, prairies and meadows. Now, grasses are a distinctive part of our planting palette. The stellar line-up of speakers includes: garden writer, lecturer and designer Noel Kingsbury, the UK’s leading ornamental grass
Additional categories include Special Events, Christmas Events and Overseas Design and Installation projects. These three categories are judged on photographic or video evidence. Members must submit their entries – all with initial photographic evidence – by January 21. At the beginning of February the judges will meet to look at the entries, which will be considered purely on the evidence submitted. In the main two categories the judges will personally visit the locations to assess the quality of the entries. Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will be announced at the annual Awards dinner in March or April. As has been the tradition at the Chelsea Flower Show for many years, efig judges give awards to all that have reached the Gold, Silver or Bronze standard.
Knoll Gardens (photo by Neil Lucas)
expert and plantsman Neil Lucas, and Sarah Price, designer of Chelsea gold medal winning gardens and part of the team behind the planting design of the Olympic Park gardens. The event will be chaired by garden designer, tutor and The SGD Awards judge, Richard Sneesby. Tickets start at £104 with early bird discounts applied. Students’ tickets start from £77. For further information on all tickets prices and to book online please visit the SGD website: www.sgd.org.uk
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Association
NEWS
The Association of Professional landscapers (APL) has announced the shortlist for the APL Awards 2015. The annual awards ceremony, sponsored by Bradstone, takes place on Friday March 13 at The Brewery in Central London and will recognise and reward the high standard of landscaping carried out by APL members. The entries were deliberated upon by an expert panel of judges including Richard Barnard (Hillier Landscapes),
The judging panel
APL update Bob Sweet (ex RHS Head of Garden Judging), Sorrel Everton (Gardens Illustrated), Robin Templar Williams (Robin Williams and Associates), and James Steele-Sargent (Arun Landscapes). The shortlist is as follows: ● Project Value Under £10,000 MJM Landscape ● Project Value £20,000£30,000 Greenscape UK Ltd, Landspace ● Project Value under £25,000 T S Landscapes, M & N Horticulture, Oakley Landscapes, Artscape Design & Build Ltd, Amenity Trees & Landscapes, Arbworx Ltd, Frogheath Landscapes ● Project Value £25,000£75,000 TS Landscapes, Willowbrook Landscapes,
Artscape Design & Build Ltd, Stewart Landscape Construction Ltd ● Project Value £75,000£150,000 The Outdoor Room, Frogheath Landscapes, James Bird Landscapes Ltd, Millhouse Landscapes Ltd ● Project Value Over £150,000 Chester Gardener, Stewart Landscape Construction Ltd, Landform Consultants Ltd ● Feature Landspace, RG Landscape & Construction Ltd ● Hard Landscaping Greenscape UK Ltd, Julian Barclay Ltd, Oakley Landscapes, Walmsley Shaw Ltd, Arbworx Ltd, Landspace ● Overall Design & Build M&N Horticulture, RG Landscape & Construction Ltd, Artscape Design & Build Ltd, Amenity
Trees & Landscapes, Arbworx Ltd, Frogheath Landscapes, Landspace ● Community Garden Willowbrook Landscapes, Garden House Design, Bowood Landscapes Ltd ● Rising Star Holland Landscapes Member of the judging panel Bob Sweet commented, “It is encouraging to know that there is so much landscaping talent within the APL. We can be proud of our gardening heritage in Britain, and this competition aims to identify the best of the best. All the entries deserve a big round of applause.” So book your place at the main event in the APL calendar at www.aplawards.co.uk and be among the first to hear the winners announced. With thanks to our sponsors: Bradstone, Anders Plus, British Sugar Topsoil, Sovereign Turf, Classiflora, Easigrass and Platipus and media partners HTA News and ProLandscaper.
BALI briefing 2014 BALI National Landscape Awards If you weren’t at the BALI Awards on December 5, you missed the most amazing celebration of professional
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landscaping there has been in this country, ever. Around 850 BALI members attended and witnessed stunning schemes by BALI designers and contractors. Many
congratulations to Willerby Landscapes, winners of the Grand Award for an unprecedented fifth time for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, South Park Plaza, and to all Principal and Special Award winners. Put next year’s date in
your diary – Friday December 4, 2015 – and start thinking about the scheme you could enter. BALI Membership Survey The results of our recent survey will soon be available. Members’ feedback is crucial to ensuring
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 11:28
ASSOCIATION NEWS
RHS report RHS calls on ProLandscaper readers to share insights into plants that can tolerate extreme weather Data from the Met Office indicates that the UK is set to see more frequent milder, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers. In response to this climatic change, the RHS is asking gardeners to share their insights into the plants they know cope well with extremes of wet and dry weather, by completing a survey from RHS gardening advisors. Although not strictly a scientific study, the results from the survey will help to inform future research priorities for RHS scientists. They will also be added to the existing plant information
available on the RHS website for gardeners to use to help them in a changing climate. ProLandscaper readers can complete the short survey at www.survey monkey.com/s/Plantsfor changingconditions
the team at Landscape House delivers what is important to you and your business and it tells you how well the team is performing, highlighting any areas where we need to improve. That said, BALI has passed its recent ISO 9001 audit with flying colours so hopefully this will be reflected in the survey. In the run up to Christmas, BALI is busier than ever: ● Members’ Quality Standards Review Visits are
currently being booked in for 2015 by Emily and Carly at Landscape House ● BALI Standards Working Group Following the recent publication of the revised vetting and review procedures for Full Contracting members, the Group is meeting to review the vetting criteria for Affiliate and Designer members ● Member renewal packs are being prepared, ready for sending out to members early
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RHS Photographic Competition results Last month the hunt for the world’s best garden photographer came to an end as the RHS announced the results of its annual photographic competition. French photographer Alain Jouno was named RHS Photographer of the Year by a panel of expert judges for his evocative image of a foggy winter’s morning in
esteemed flower and garden photographers, and Chris Young, Editor of The Garden, were unanimous in their decision, choosing the winning images from Matin d’hiver embrumé au Parc Botanique thousands of entries de Haute Bretagne by Alain Jouno from around the world. For anyone interested in the Parc Botanique de Haute entering this year’s competition Bretagne, Brittany, winning the launch date will be the top prize of £2,000 and a announced later in the year. year’s RHS Gift membership. Seventeen-year-old Catherine Sim from Glasgow This month, don’t miss took RHS Young Photographer From January 17 to March 8 of the Year for her image of the Glasshouse at RHS Garden a crow in flight (below), and Wisley will become home to received £500 to spend on the hundreds of exotic butterflies, Wex Photographic website. free to fly and settle amidst the The prestigious judging tropical plant collection, giving panel, comprising Clive visitors the rare opportunity Nichols and Andrew Lawson, to walk among them. A new two of the world’s most highly addition for 2015 is the display of sculptures depicting butterflies and caterpillars, by Alison Catchlove. Butterflies in the Glasshouse is a great winter day. ProLandscaper readers can beat the queues by pre-booking a time slot for weekends and half RHS Young Photographer of the Year Crow in Flight by Catherine Sim term at www.rhs.org.uk/wisley
in 2015. Remember, if you renew online before February 20 you will save three per cent on your annual fee ● ROLO Health and Safety Awareness Course Contractors tendering to update BALI’s ROLO course are currently being interviewed and the contract will be awarded imminently ● Designer Assessment Day The next opportunity for designers to achieve BALI Registered Designer status
is in January, date to be confirmed shortly ● Regional AGMs These begin in January and will be completed by March. For details of your region’s AGM, visit the BALI website at www.bali.org.uk. The team at Landscape House wish all members – and prospective members who may be reading this briefing – a healthy and prosperous 2015. We look forward to working with you and for you!
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The Materials
The Schemes
The Lifestyle
Wise choice. Owls Hoot; Private residence, Cheshire. Materials used: Carlow Blue limestone paving and cladding. Architects: Matthew McNulty Architects, Manchester.
New display area now open! T: 0845 050 5592 P58_GRIFFIN.indd 1
www.stockscape.co.uk 15/12/2014 11:07
OPINION
VIEW FROM THE TOP Points raised at the last FutureScape hint at the hard work ahead for the landscaping industry when it comes to recruiting young people and increasing the customer’s perception of value, says Phil Jones
It’s January and I’m looking forward! We’ve had another tremendously successful year at ISS and I am extremely proud to be part of such a high performing and high achieving team. The actual achievements are in the past, but the effects of such accomplishments have further laid the foundations for future success. It is these foundations that are important and how we build on them that really matters. I remember seeing a lecture by Christine Laggard, the MD of the International Monetary Fund, where she started by saying, “The clues to the future can often be read from the tea leaves of the past.” I believe this to be true. Most things have been experienced by someone else at some time, and most lessons of the past have been ignored, only to be re-experienced somewhere along the way at a later date. In looking forward, therefore, I want to briefly look back. Not back very far, just as far as another successful FutureScape last November.
MOST THINGS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED BY SOMEONE ELSE AT SOME TIME, AND MOST LESSONS OF THE PAST HAVE BEEN IGNORED, ONLY TO BE RE-EXPERIENCED SOMEWHERE ELSE ALONG THE WAY AT A LATER DATE I again took part in the View From The Top debate, which produced a number of differing views about how best to enhance the way that the public see the landscape industry and how to increase the perception of value within what we all do, therefore increasing the numbers of new entrants and widening our customer base. A number of people pointed to the very necessary inspiration of young people as a part www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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of the process. The usual credible cry for everyone to spend more time focusing on youngsters by going into schools to give career advice was voiced. It’s not an easy task these days to provide motivation for youngsters when there are so many more seemingly trendy options than landscaping. The expectations of new entrants to our industry have changed beyond recognition since I turned up at the gate of my first employer many years ago. In my case I was simply looking for a job, as well as getting my hands dirty and working outside in all weathers. It was never going to be that financially comfortable, but it was still a passion inside me. Add to the financial challenge the modern day lack of job security and there’s small wonder that it is hard to sell landscaping to young people. What about the specific question of how to increase perception of value? The customer’s perceived value of goods or services affects the price that he or she is willing to pay for it. Unless we address this we will always struggle to attract the right quality people to provide that valued service. Far from appreciating the true cost, most customers simply have an internal feeling for how much our services are worth to them. In order to obtain an appropriate price for our services, we may need to pursue marketing strategies to create a higher perceived value. How should the landscape industry go
about creating a higher perceived value for its services? My solution lies within helping our customers to recognise the value they are getting before they make their initial purchase, and afterwards for each subsequent purchase. I want my customers to view our services as irreplaceable; the only way to solve their problems and fulfil their needs. To achieve this we need to demonstrate the most valuable, tangible benefits our customers stand to gain by purchasing our services. Why, then, did I want to look back to the FutureScape debate? The answer is, in identifying the clues for the future, I believe the debate showed as an industry we are way off demonstrating the value in landscaping that we all know is there. We’ve got work to do in 2015 and beyond!
ABOUT PHIL JONES Phil Jones is Managing Director of ISS Facility Services Landscaping and is based at the company’s head office in Woking, Surrey. He gained an HND in landscape construction and moved into grounds maintenance early on in his career, further gaining an MBA. He has been with the company since 1987 and as well as running the landscaping business he also sits on the UK operational management board of ISS Facility Services. Follow Phil Jones: @philjonesISS Follow ISS Landscaping: @ISSLandscaping
www.isslandscaping.co.uk
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18/12/2014 11:03
OPINION
ALL TENDERS ARE EQUAL...
(OR ARE SOME MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS?) A poor tender package does no one any favours, says David Dodd. Strict guidelines, a detailed specification and time well spent are key to getting it right
One thing that really delighted me in 2014 was to see just how busy everyone was after three or four tough years going through the recession. Everyone I’ve spoken to in landscaping is saying how snowed under they are pricing for projects, many of which are for gardens in the region of £200,000 plus. However, just how many of those jobs are being priced for on a perfectly, or even slightly, level playing field? Sorry, this isn’t going to be a juicy conspiracy theory, insinuating all projects are a stitch up; it’s more of a concern that projects, of any scale, simply aren’t being sent out to tender properly. I’ve got absolutely no problem with not winning a job if I know the tender package has been correctly set out with strict guidelines and it has been priced on an exact like for like basis. What I do have a problem with is losing a job to a competitor who’s pricing for something completely different. So how is this possible I
IT’S MORE OF A CONCERN THAT PROJECTS, OF ANY SCALE, SIMPLY AREN’T BEING SENT OUT TO TENDER PROPERLY hear you ask? Well, more often than not, it’s down to a very poor or even non-existent specification and the contractors tendering have been left to work it out for themselves. One party may suggest a cheaper way of doing something that isn’t necessarily on the spec. I know some contractors who actually like a poorly detailed specification as they can manipulate the lack of 20
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Four
information to their own advantage, put in a low tender, get their foot in the door and then start racking up their costs as the build goes on while blaming the designer for not giving all the correct information in the first place. So what are the correct procedures for designers and architects to get truly comparable tenders? One of the most important tender documents which is so often omitted is a Bill of Quantities. Before a tender is even sent out, the quantities should have been calculated for the contractor to fill in their unit rates for each operation. For specialist or unquantifiable work, where drawings have not necessarily been prepared (eg irrigation), a provisional sum should be specified by the designer for the contractor to include. This removes the opportunity for the contractor to put in a deliberately low figure on such items to get their bottom line down. The ‘invitation to tender’ letter should include a realistic deadline date for the return of all costs. As part of the tender package a plain unmarked envelope should be provided for all costs to be returned to the client, by the due date. Failure to meet this should lead to automatic elimination from the process. All tenders can then be opened at the same time with both client and designer present. This may sound old fashioned and slightly draconian, but at least it’s fair.
No Three
In recent years the tender process appears to have become much more relaxed for whatever reason and I’m not always quite sure why designers insist on seeing the costs first before submitting them to the client. It’s incredibly frustrating having put in a cost for a job to be told weeks later that they are still waiting for the price back from other contractors. It also leads to questions regarding the integrity of the tender. It’s always worth remembering it takes a long time to price a project properly and accurately, especially when designs are more complicated and bespoke. It involves one or two site visits, various meetings, numerous phone calls and emails to suppliers followed by hours of collating all the information required. The alternative may be to just choose a preferred contractor, but I’ll leave that for another issue... ABOUT DAVID DODD David Dodd has been in the landscape industry since the age of 17. After 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
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
17/12/2014 09:15
Western Red Cedar Decking Precision made by Nature When choosing a decking material, appearance and performance are of paramount importance. Western Red Cedar is precision made by nature, combining the unrivalled beauty of coastal grown timber with high durability, stability and resistance to decay for the ultimate natural decking product. As Cedar specialists, Silva Timber supply the finest selection of Western Red Cedar decking in the UK. With various grades, profiles and lengths in stock alongside an extensive range of professional wood care products, fixings and components, we’ll provide all you need to create stunning outdoor living spaces. For the natural choice, speak to the Western Red Cedar experts.
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OPINION
MAKING
MOWING FUN With electronic devices encouraging an ever more sedentary lifestyle, says Angus Lindsay, we have a responsibility to make our industry more exciting and attractive to young people and pass on our skills and enthusiasm for landscaping to future generations Firstly, congratulations to the Pro Landscaper team for another successful FutureScape, an excellent event at which attendance seems to have doubled over previous years. The View From The Top session provided some lively discussion and debate as usual, but with a common theme focusing on where our industry is going and how we can make it more appealing to the next generation. Whilst the event was well attended, there seemed to be a distinct lack of younger attendees – a point raised on several occasions in the evening sessions. So are we doing enough to make our industry the career of choice for the next generation?
AS AN INDUSTRY WE NEED TO BE PROUD OF WHAT WE DO AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS INTO IT BY VISITING SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND EMPLOYMENT FAIRS With technology allegedly making life easier, to the extent that we don’t even have to get out of bed to do our shopping, we all benefit from
View From The Top at FutureScape
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new technology, but you still have to get out there and do the job (despite what people may think, turf doesn’t lay itself – not even artificial turf). Is it that our technology driven society is developing a generation that is becoming averse to manual work? We are more than happy to sit on a park bench and work from an iPad, but possibly with no comprehension of how the bench or the environment in which it sits got there or was constructed. But hey, there must be an app for it somewhere. How can we make our industry more attractive to young people? You would think that with this easier life we would want to make more of our environment and the green spaces around, if for no other reason than to keep fit and enjoy the outdoors. As such, promoting this should be at the top of the government and local authorities’ agendas. So why isn’t there a queue of people ready to join our industry? Are we doing enough to promote it? Personally I feel that along with the industry itself, the media has a role to play. We see plenty of gardening and makeover programmes and our sports coverage is second to none; but do we give any air time to the people who construct and maintain the pitches or design and build these spectacular green spaces? TV documentaries have covered refuse collection, construction, public transport and pest control – all extremely important roles in society. A recent series looking at agriculture entitled ‘Young Farmers’ has done a world of good to attract youngsters into a career in agriculture; so what about
landscaping, arboriculture, grounds maintenance and even grave digging! Maybe we need some A-list help to promote our industry It’s easy to be critical and I take my hat off to those who brought us the original gardening programmes as well as the new blood. But what about the more commercial aspect of the industry? A year at Kew is great but a world away from renovating a park in Tower Hamlets. I recently visited Reaseheath College, which has a fantastic facility with a portfolio of courses covering everything from agricultural engineering through horticulture to adventure sports management, all in an amazing learning environment. But they used to do fine turf management, arboriculture and landscaping. We all have a responsibility to have a succession plan and ensure that the skills learnt today are passed on and used tomorrow. There are too many instances where this isn’t happening, with valuable experience lost when people retire. As an industry we need to be proud of what we do and make every effort to encourage others into it by visiting schools, colleges and employment fairs, and how about organising youngsters to visit parks and landscaping projects so they can see, hear, smell and experience what makes us all so passionate about this industry. ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY As an agriculturist, 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 as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. During this time he also spent a year at Silsoe, gaining an MSc in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation Management. Returning to the UK he joined Glendale as machinery manager in 1994 – going on to become Company Engineer – before joining The Landscape Group in 2009 as Group Head of Assets and Fleet. Contact:
alindsay@thelandscapegroup.co.uk
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OPINION
Andrew Wilson answers some of the questions left hanging at the FutureScape ‘View from the Top’ debate in November last year The ‘View from the Top’ debates provoked some interesting responses at FutureScape back in November, but I remember being left open mouthed on certain issues as the call came through to dinner. The contractor as designer discussion certainly warmed things up, but there were several questions which remained unanswered. I sit on the education committee for the RHS, which was recently reconfigured in an attempt to address some of the points raised at the Sandown Park event. Fundamentally there is no way that any of our current organisations, whether individually or en masse, can change the educational agenda and its curriculum in any major way. The RHS and IoH have made major inroads into horticulture in primary schools. The fact that secondary schools remain a challenge is no fault of these organisations as the pressure is on for schools to perform and for parents to get their children to A level and beyond. Yes, we might bemoan the fact that too many want to get to university when perhaps other routes should be considered, but at present this process is a fact of life.
MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE IN HORTICULTURE, LANDSCAPING AND DESIGN ARE RUNNING A BUSINESS – THAT IS WHAT’S ATTRACTIVE TO SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS AND LEAVERS, SO WHY DON’T WE TALK ABOUT THIS? What is certain is that gardening or practical horticulture is not in itself going to win students or pupils over, especially at secondary level. Most other options or disciplines offer an attractive salary, a company car, travel – in other words an exciting or lucrative way of life. Most successful people in horticulture, landscaping www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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AND ANOTHER THING... and design are running a business – that is what’s attractive to secondary school pupils and leavers, so why don’t we talk about this? There’s little point in dressing it up as earthy gardening. The sooner we realise this as a sector, the more likely that we can attract and recruit a larger number of people and allow them to realise the wider benefits. Parents might also be encouraged to consider it a worthwhile option, and at present they have more influence than careers teachers, who went west many years ago. As the debate rolled on, several good points were made about the media and its influence, a particular bugbear of mine. Television at the moment is not the gardener’s, horticulturist’s, landscaper’s or designer’s friend. The various production companies and main commissioners are interested in quick fixes, audience or viewing figures and entertainment rather than education. It is possible to excite and transfix people without some kind of sensationalist ending. I for one stopped watching garden TV years ago, I have better things to do with my life. But – or even BUT – we are deluded if we continue to support this kind of programming in an attempt to win the younger generation over. One call from the audience asked for a new Alan Titchmarsh, a call that I would support; we
should all support it. Not because we have no time for Alan but because he represents an older generation and a different time or agenda. Older viewers may still swoon for AT but young hipsters want someone different, someone who represents their views and interests. The second panel was asked what they were doing about the worrying state of horticulture. Well – writing about it, teaching, going into schools, sitting on committees, sitting on panels to encourage debate and questioning. That’s just me by the way, but we should all be doing this on a regular basis. Most young people are inspired by someone at some point, they have someone close to them, or a friend who can help, advise or suggest a line of research and discovery. This is what we should be offering, what our television should be delivering and what our wider media in all its forms need to consider. Let’s get on with it! 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
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16/12/2014 16:49
Helping To Create Sustainable & Useable Landscaped Spaces For Public & Private Clients. Designer: Kate Gould - Contractor: The Team Landscapers
Designer: Cassandra Crouch
Designer: Kazuyuki Ishihara
Designer: Aralia Garden Design
Designer: Letts Wheeler - Contractor: Eurovia
Designer: Water Gems (Alba)
Designer: Berkeley Homes - Contractor: Scotscape
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16/12/2014 11:59
OPINION
WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION Jody Lidgard says the WorldSkills landscaping competition offers valuable training in life skills, drives up standards and can give all of us a more global perspective I have been around the WorldSkills community and the competition for the last eight years and can think of no better vehicle to be involved with when it comes to developing and training vocational excellence in young people. I am a bit of an odd bod in the sense that I divide my time between landscaping and teaching/training. Having an interest in both sides of the fence I find the two complement and inform one other. To begin with, I entered learners into the WorldSkills competition around 2006 when BALI ran the national heats. We were soundly thrashed and returned home armed with the notion that success in competitions was down to thorough pre-competition activity. The logic behind why I strongly support the WorldSkills landscaping competitions is simple.
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Firstly, they enable young people and adults to identify and develop their talents. Skills give everyone the opportunity to exercise mastery – to generate something of value, create positive identity and a sense of community. The training and involvement in WorldSkills teaches essential lessons for life; that success can follow effort, that one can exercise control of one’s environment, that problems can be faced and overcome. I see it as much about the individual’s soft skills, attitude and approach to the work as any qualification achieved. Done well,
WORLDSKILLS TEACHES ESSENTIAL LESSONS FOR LIFE – THAT SUCCESS CAN FOLLOW EFFORT, THAT ONE CAN EXERCISE CONTROL OF ONE’S ENVIRONMENT, THAT PROBLEMS CAN BE FACED AND OVERCOME competition activity can transfer the dynamism and pluralism of working life to any business, college or training environment, adding authenticity, pace and maturity to teaching and learning. Secondly, the competitions show that technical and vocational skills are built through challenge and problem solving, they are responsive to need and will decline with under use. There are few workplaces that can offer continuous challenges and problem solving in any dependable way. Skills competitions help to fill the gap and provide stimulus and visibility to our industry, as well as the vocational
education and training system. They provide valuable additional standards and objective feedback against those standards. This can mean a significant contribution to business and industry, exploring untapped potential. As a vehicle, WorldSkills enables us all – learners, teachers, trainers and employers – to witness quality and learn from it. Finally, competitions offer us the chance to connect the UK’s vocational standards with a global economy. Where the WorldSkills standards are being driven through more than 50 countries, the shared good practice and work methods are fascinating. As technical lead for the landscape gardening competition run by the APL, I know we can grow and develop this competition at a national level and see a good throughflow into the international arena. We are helping set the bar for the landscape industry. On February 9, 2015 we will open applications for the next heat and we would be delighted to be struggling with applications from within the industry that match and, even better, exceed those applying from colleges.
ABOUT JODY LIDGARD Jody Lidgard of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces has been in the landscaping industry for 20 years. After studying at Otley/Writtle college he worked as a landscape contractor and taught landscape construction and horticulture at Askham Bryan and UCS Otley. Working abroad in various locations for leading designers, his ability to gain the best from the people he works alongside has led him to his ongoing involvement with WorldSkills competitions. info@jodylidgard.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 27
15/12/2014 16:39
BUSINESS TIPS
HERE’S AN IDEA THAT WILL RUFFLE SOME FEATHERS...
PUT YOUR PRICES UP! Sales mentor and business speaker Steve Clarke advises businesses to buck the price cutting trend, have faith in their product and charge what they’re really worth Okay – we see all and sundry going on sale. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Boxing Day Sales, January Sales... It’s never ending. But I dare you to be different. The majority of people don’t just buy on price. If you want to see an increase in profits, put your prices up! No, really. I delivered a talk on how to boost your sales and profits called ‘Champagne results on a beer budget’ at FutureScape 2014 in November, sharing low cost and no cost ideas that the audience could take back to their businesses and implement. Now you can too. One of the tips that I shared on the day was to put your prices up. I walked the show chatting with exhibitors prior to my talk. One of
the first exhibitors I stopped and chatted with was Ken. He proudly told me about his product, (a specialist wood treatment) and how it was better than any of the other well-known brands sold at retail. I casually asked: “So, how’s business, Ken?” “Great,” he replied with a big smile. “Fantastic, then put your prices up.” I said thinking he’d respond negatively to the idea and we’d have a debate about market pressures, which would also serve as a warm up for me before taking to the stage. “We increased our prices a few months ago, by almost 25 per cent.” “Wow, well done and what happened to sales?” I asked. “Sales are up over 200 per cent” he said with an even bigger grin. If your products or services are really somewhere between good and great – people will pay the right price for them. Have faith. There’s always going to be someone offering something similar at a lower price, but not your products, your service or your expertise. There’s always someone that will offer a cut-price deal, but will they end up with a happy customer? Will you lose a few customers when you put prices up? Possibly. But guess what? They’ll be the pain in the backside ones you don’t want to deal with anyway, the troublesome ones that take up too much of your time, the ones that quibble over everything and probably pay late too. Charge what you’re worth I was in Sydney, last year in the central business district, amidst the hectic shopping scene. Buskers merrily plied their trade. There were some stand out
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musicians and one in particular grabbed my attention. Yet even the best were busking for change. Quite a few had CDs for sale too, all at $10 a time. I listened to this one guy for ages, he was brilliant. When he finished his set I went over and thanked him. I also made a polite suggestion: “You’re so good, put up your prices, Tom.” I just can’t help myself, even when I’m meant to be on holiday. “You’re worth it,” I said and I meant it. He laughed at first, then said: “But look, it’s what all the other guys are charging, $10 a CD.” He was comparing himself to ‘similar’ musicians; it was what he believed to be his market pressure. “But they’re not playing your guitar, they don’t play like you – they’re not you – charge what you’re worth.” “Okay, what have I got to lose?” He scribbled a fresh sign: $20 each or two for $30. I went about my shopping, he went back to his guitar and pleasing the crowds. When I stopped by an hour later he was one happy busker, he had more than doubled his takings from the previous set. Are you charging what you’re worth? I guarantee most of you could put your prices up! He laughed at first too. ABOUT STEVE CLARKE An exceptional sales mentor and sought after motivational business speaker who draws upon his own first hand experiences. He built his last UK business to £30m in annual sales in just eight years, sold out and retired at 45. Now he helps businesses around the world generate more leads, more sales and more profits, and with less blood sweat and tears. www.eurekasales.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
17/12/2014 09:09
BUSINESS TIPS
HOW TO
SURVIVE & THRIVE AS A GARDEN DESIGNER When it comes to money, getting what you deserve isn’t always as easy as it should be in the garden industry. Janine Pattison offers some tips on persuading clients to pay up Surviving as a garden designer can be difficult – some clients will be unwilling to pay a fee for what they consider to be something that you enjoy and should be doing for nothing. Agreeing decent fees and then actually getting the money in once the work is completed can be a struggle. Some clients will always be difficult to get money from and will invent all sorts of reasons not to pay you. My advice is to make sure that you have agreed in detail beforehand what you are providing and what the agreed fees are. A signed contract in place before you start work is always recommended. And always take a deposit up front.
SOME CLIENTS WILL BE UNWILLING TO PAY A FEE FOR WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY AND SHOULD BE DOING FOR NOTHING Try and make sure your contract covers you for as much as possible – we had completed a design for a project and the client suddenly sold the property and didn’t want to pay for the design! Developing your paperwork will take years and it will be worth getting it checked over by a legal professional to make sure that you have closed as many loopholes as possible. Some clients positively enjoy looking for inventive ways to avoid paying your invoices. If you haven’t followed your procedures to the letter then if unfortunately you end up in court, you are likely to come unstuck. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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GETTING PAID The legendary Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants once told me, “Approach every project as if it is going to end up in court – then you will make sure that your paperwork is up to scratch and you will be well prepared if you have a problem getting paid.” Joining one or several of the professional bodies in our industry is a very good idea. The Society of Garden Designers (SGD), The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) are the leading bodies to consider and they offer professional membership, training courses, support groups and networking opportunities which are very valuable. Their various publications are always read from cover to cover at Janine Pattison Studios. Once you have joined a professional body you will have access to things like templates for contracts, standard terms and conditions you can download and use, and something we have found very valuable as BALI members, access to a free legal advice helpline. Resolving a dispute can be time consuming
and distracting and it is always recommended to attempt mediation before launching into legal action. The Government service Money Claim Online is a quick, simple and cost effective way to help you get paid. So long as you have all your paperwork in hand then you can start the process off online and a chain of events is set in motion. We have used it a number of times after other efforts have failed and been successful every time. Often just starting the process will focus the mind of your recalcitrant client. Nobody wants County Court Judgements (CCJs) against them as they seriously damage one’s credit rating. ABOUT JANINE PATTISON Janine Pattison MSGD is a multi award-winning garden designer and horticulturalist who trained with English Heritage at Eltham Palace in London and at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester. A registered member of the Society of Garden Designers, the
British Association of Landscape Industries and the Garden Media Guild, Janine is also a highly qualified RHS horticulturalist. www.janinepattison.com
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 29
17/12/2014 09:34
TECHNICAL
Jonathan Ward reports on the final RHS Show of the year
IN THE NIGHT GARDEN
B
efore you head out into the dark, it will pay dividends and save you time if you plan ahead. For instance, pick some good photo locations by scouting out the spots that have interesting lighting and architecture. It’s best to arrive at your location with plenty of time to set up. The best low light photographs are to be found when you have some light and colour in the sky, so aim to be ready to shoot in the hour or so before and after sunset. In the depths of winter the best time to photograph garden lighting is the 20 minutes before and
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after sunset. This is especially the case with floodlit gardens; these will be more interesting and exposures easier if the brightness of the sky and that of subjects lit by artificial light are balanced. The most important thing to remember is to look carefully through the viewfinder before you shoot. It’s always tempting to only see what you want to see, so take the time to look at what’s really there. Instead of focusing on the part of the picture you like, look for anything that you wouldn’t want to be in the scene. Are there telephone
wires in the top of the frame? Do the elements of the picture collide in confusing ways? When photographing garden lighting, it’s almost always the case that it will look its best when shot without any additional light, in fact this is a cardinal rule when it comes to getting good pictures of lights – turn off your flash. This leads on to the next important point. If you’re taking a picture without a flash, you will need a slower shutter speed. With your camera set to fully automatic, this will happen spontaneously but it may mean you need to mount your camera on a firm surface to avoid
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
17/12/2014 10:17
There are particular considerations when trying to show off your work in low light conditions. Jonathan Ward shares his experience of garden landscaping photography around twilight
Winner of Best Lighting at the Gardening World Cup 2014, Japan
camera-shake. A tripod is best, but if you are shooting from a low level you can use a bean bag or even a bag of compost to hold it steady. As the light starts to fade, the auto focus on your camera will struggle so you will need to switch this off and look at the screen or use the view finder to focus manually. It may not be obvious how to do this on some cameras so you might need to refer to the manual. If you are shooting down the garden, the illumination from the house behind you will affect the light entering the camera, so once you are set up, switch off all the lights you don’t want in the
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Jonathan Ward TW.indd 31
image. You might not be able to do anything about lights from neighbouring houses, but by using a lens hood you can reduce any unwanted light from entering the camera when you take the picture. It’s not always a natural partner where electric lighting is concerned, but when taking photographs at night, water is your friend. It seeps up the colour, softens it and adds a charming glow to your images. You don’t have to rely on a pond to get this effect, consider wetting paving or damping down the foliage of plants, the water will then pick up and reflect the light.
ABOUT JONATHAN WARD Horticulturists are usually found elbow deep in soil, grafting cuttings, carrying out back breaking digging, weeding and practical design. But what about photography, training courses and consultancy work? For Jonathan and his business Ginger Horticulture it’s about much more than the practical nature of working with plants it’s about sharing knowledge, technical expertise and representations of plants which are designed to enhance their beauty.
www.gingerhorticulture.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 31
17/12/2014 10:18
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15/12/2014 09:58
INTERVIEW
Let’s Hear it From
DAVID DOMONEY Landscape gardener and TV personality David Domoney believes that inspiring kids to earn extra pocket money by doing gardening jobs instills a great attitude in young entrepreneurism and appreciation of the garden.
How did you end up in this industry? I was always very active. When I was a kid I was a cub and a scout and in the seventies they had ‘bob-a-job’ week, when we were encouraged to go out, do some jobs and earn money for the club funds. When bob-a-job week finished and the scouts stopped doing jobs, I went back round to Mrs Cooper’s and asked if they would like me to mow their lawn regularly, but this time for my financial gain. She said: “Oh that would help Harry and I out, he’s not as able as he was.” Then I went around to all of the others and started up a little lawn cutting and garden maintenance business for the pensioners. They were grateful for it, I was earning a few quid (much more than a paper round) and with the benefits of not getting up at 5am and being surrounded by the scent of freshly cut grass, with the added bonus of a slice of Victoria sponge, a cup of tea and Harry telling me old war stories. So I think my entrepreneurialism was kicked off at 13 years old. I thought working outside was fantastic – it was either going to be with farming or horticulture, something that connected me with the outdoors. So my father paid for me to study horticulture at Warwickshire College. From that I then gained a coveted three year apprenticeship with Notcutts and went on afterwards to study at both Hadlow and Pershore colleges of horticulture. It is so good to see apprenticeships back in fashion, I believe that our industry will benefit greatly with this generation of employer/educator partnership. I gained full time employment with Notcutts, working in their nurseries , garden centres, and on their Chelsea Flower Show build team. I went on to head up sales and marketing for the Anglia Group, the largest nursery growing group in the UK, gaining a sound knowledge of plants, how to grow them and planting combinations. The thing in this game is you can never learn enough with plants, and a nursery will give you plenty. My first Chelsea Flower Show was 1981 (shocking to think if you add up all the Chelseas, I have been to a third of them). Back then I was on the show team with Notcutts, no fork lifts, all hand balled off the lorry while hearing the creaking of the old canvas marquees. You www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Pro Landscaper / January 2015 33
19/12/2014 11:59
INTERVIEW
had to walk miles to get a can of water for the plants. Back in the day, anyone who designed or landscaped had to have a foundation of connectivity with plants. What I would say to anyone who wants to accelerate their plant knowledge is to work weekends at a garden centre in the plant sales area. It’s the most pleasurable experience as you’re talking to people who are passionate about plants. Even for those who have come into landscaping or garden design through a non-horticultural route, you are asked every gardening question you can think of, you research in books, check text on packaging,
THE MORE PEOPLE THAT GET INTO GARDENING, THE MORE IT ASSISTS THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE
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plant info on labels, and develop your gardening knowledge on site, right there as people ask you. Oh, and you’re getting paid for it. When did you get into television? I first got into television in the late Seventies, when at 14, I acted as a tearaway in a TV show for what was then ATV (Central Television). Then I auditioned for another show, which was similar to Grange Hill and I didn’t get the lead that I wanted. Then years later, I was back. TV has a way of catching back up with you. I teamed up with Carol Vorderman on the Better Homes show in the late Nineties and did four years of that, building gardens, patio paving etc, it was bloody hard work. It was a rival to Ground Force. I had Carol Vorderman and Tommy had Alan Titchmarsh. The problem I had, was that I didn’t have many helpers, I had to do most all on my own. Of course, gardens weren’t really seen as the sole element of the show, it was shared with the interior. I would lay the lawn, start planting the borders and then I’d come in the next day only to find the kitchen units laid down on my new lawn (someone was going home in a growbag that episode, I can tell you). We would be outside in the cold with rain pouring down; I would be trying to give the few helpers I had a motivational chat while soaked to the skin and covered in mud and look behind me through the window to see an interior designer nonchalantly leaning on the fridge, warm and cosy with a cuppa and a Kit-Kat. I also did many shows for ITV in the early 2000s, including three series of 60 Minute Makeover, a show where you had to clear and create a garden in under an hour. It took clever planning. You had an hour and a half to prep before assembling it all. They were challenging times.
Do you do any gardening outside of television? We periodically create gardens for Television and sporting personalities; the last couple that are public knowledge were for Phillip Schofield and Michael Owen. We also design show gardens at the RHS shows and I have three projects on with domestic gardens, two in the UK and one abroad. I have a sizeable garden in Stratford and I’m currently in the process of landscaping three acres of it. And if that’s not enough, I garden then write weekly about it on my page in The Sunday People. What is your reflection on the TV gardens that you have done? Do you think they benefit the industry? Without question they do. The current viewing figures for Love Your Garden top at around four million. On BBC Gardeners’ World it’s about two million. We need to actively promote gardening to a wider audience. Television, radio, magazines and the like inspire people to get into gardening. Love your Garden probably appeals to more because there’s always a human story. If more people are talking about gardening as a hobby as opposed to sport, interior design or even holidays, we all actively benefit. What about the perception of landscapers and designers and the timeframe and costings involved in TV gardens? We like to show beautiful looking gardens and if we limit the budget, the full effect does not come across. The gardens at Chelsea and Hampton Court are shop windows; they’re inspiring and showing people how beautiful gardens can be. Love Your Garden shows how important it is for families that take such a positive view in such difficult circumstances. What do you think of the coverage of Chelsea Flower Show on the TV? I think the BBC does a great job of highlighting a vast array of show gardens and interior displays. To film that live alongside all the other activities of creating the gardens then the crowds visiting is an amazing job. Chelsea is a very rich show to be involved in. There is as much interest inside the formal marquees as there is around the outside and as a landscaper, designer and www.prolandscapermagazine.com
19/12/2014 12:00
INTERVIEW
horticulturist, it’s great. I have been fortunate to have won medals in both the major categories, Show Gardens and Floral Marquee plant exhibits. Back in the day, I used to sneak my mum and dad in with a pass because the best part about it all is the day before Chelsea is finished, when the floral bunches are being carried in and people are using hair dryers to open flower buds – the true theatre of Chelsea. The other thing that I like is the moment before the royals visit and they’ve cleared everybody else out of the show ground. If you’re an exhibitor you get to walk around an almost empty Chelsea Flower show, you can stand and breathe it all in. It’s a very personal thing to see and appreciate all the plants with such beauty that it puts a lump in your throat. The magic of the plants as the individual is huge. Then walking round the gardens, without being shown or guided around, experiencing a personal connection with the beauty of it, is a privilege. No media can capture that; that’s the essence of being there first hand. You’re passionate about education and you say gardening is now present in key stage one and two but there’s nothing at key stage three. All the more reason for the industry to support the secondary schools, especially when it comes to school leaving age. I believe that we are sandwiched between two of the greatest gardening generations, the only two that have been taught about gardening at school. My father was taught as part of dig for victory, when parts of parks were put aside for growing. Key stage one and two in schools today are being taught gardening for the first time, so we are sandwiched in between them and the best part about this is that kids and grandparents are sharing a common interest. There’s a campaign that I’ve been raising awareness for with the RHS, a campaign to get grown-ups growing as part of the Campaign for School Gardening. We currently stand at 19,000 schools with school gardens. Our plan is to attempt to emulate the ideas www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Let's Hear it From David Domoney 2.indd 35
WHAT CAN WE DO AS AN INDUSTRY? ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT HORTICULTURE AS A SERIOUS CAREER and projects that kids are doing at school with their parents at home. So leading on from that, what do you think about horticultural colleges and courses? I was very fortunate with Notcutts to be part of the show team at 17 or 18-years-old. I want to give young kids the opportunity to get show garden experience at a very early age, because in most show garden experiences it’s about deadlines, pressure, achieving the impossible. I had an idea to create a competition between the leading colleges in horticulture today – Writtle, Bridgewater, Askham Bryan, Chichester, Capel Manor, Warwickshire and Shuttleworth. They go head to head at the Ideal Home show, creating their own mini show gardens. We reckon that so far we’ve given 250 kids direct experience of show gardening before they even leave their college gates. They’re meeting other people, going to London, networking, and of course creating their own show gardens. I encourage landscape employers to come and have a look, they’re really high-end quality gardens from young British
talent. It’s very professionally judged. Alan Titchmarsh and Diarmuid Gavin have judged, I have, people from the Prince’s Foundation, Carol Paris the Director General of the HTA, John Lord plus some landscape architects, so it’s really strict. Each year the theme is different. 2015 is based on creative use of space and water harvesting. We have enjoyed three personal visits from HRH the Prince of Wales and he encourages the students and personally delights at their creations. Do you think there is enough happening inside colleges to produce the next generation? As a governor of the London Colleges of Horticulture at Caple Manor, I am close to the curriculum and activities of land based courses. The quality of education in the UK’s horticultural colleges is second to none, we have great lecturers who have a passion for plants, design and landscaping and I think business and education should enjoy a closer working relationship. I think with schools and colleges, businesses that can, should get involved. I can’t tell struggling businesses to wade in with money
1 David with the Love Your Garden team – Alan Titchmarsh, Frances Tophill and Katie Rushworth 2 Launch of the Young Gardener of the Year at the Ideal Home Show 3 Encouraging schools to ‘grow their own’ Pro Landscaper / January 2015 35
19/12/2014 12:00
INTERVIEW
but I would encourage businesses to work with their local higher education centres because it’s the greatest opportunity to meet and see potential as the students are leaving. What can we do as an industry? Actively encourage people to look at horticulture as a serious career. To a local horticultural business that’s saying that they’re not getting the cream of the crop, I would say, turn up to school/college careers days and talk about how good it is to landscape – the independence, working with nature, the fair pay, job security and having a skilled career. It’s what many parents would see as a good result for their child and through horticulture (in our many sectors) we have it in spades.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE LOCAL BUSINESSES TO WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL HIGHER EDUCATION CENTRES BECAUSE IT’S THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND SEE POTENTIAL AS THE STUDENTS ARE LEAVING You also campaign for communities to garden. How’s that going? It’s a big deal for me. I am in my third year with Cultivation Street, campaigning for the return of
front gardens. We have lost seven million of them to tarmac and gravel; where there were cherry trees, there are now wheely bins. The benefits of front gardens are not only aesthetic and environmental it also has a huge positive social impact for our streets and communities in the UK. I raise £20,000 in prizes for communities that will share their inspirations and stories to motivate others to team up with their neighbours to make a difference on Britain’s streets. Any landscapers who know of or who have worked on streets with great front gardens, please get in touch with me. So what’s next for you? I have started filming my regular slots with ITV’s This Morning programme, presenting gardening items throughout the year. I also start filming a new series of ITV’s Love Your Garden in May and sign off in August. At RHS Chelsea I have always fancied creating a scientific and educational exhibit, so we are doing it this year. At RHS Hampton we have a sizeable marquee and I am pulling together many colleagues from television for a celebrity theatre, presenting inspirational talks on their passion to promote gardening.
1 David and HRH The Prince of Wales 2 David at home gardening 3 ITV’s This Morning with Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield 4 Heading up Cultivation Street.
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ABOUT DAVID DOMONEY David is the gardening ambassador for Thrive, a charity that supports disabled, disadvantaged people through gardening and social horticultural therapy.
Email: info@domoney.tv Twitter: @daviddomoney Web: www.daviddomoney.com
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
19/12/2014 12:01
READY-SPACED, READY TO PLANT, READY WHEN YOU ARE.
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PORTFOLIO
GLOR Y DAY
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SHORTLISTED
REBECCA SMITH GARDEN DESIGN & CONSULTANCY www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Portfolio 1 Rebecca Smith 2.indd 39
Screening, privacy and the clients’ memories of old-fashioned cottage gardens packed with colourful borders and scented flowers were key to this formal garden’s design Pro Landscaper / January 2015 39
17/12/2014 11:10
PORTFOLIO
T
he clients spent much of their childhood in both Kenya and the South of France and wanted a formal garden influenced by their memories of old-fashioned gardens full of scent and colour. They requested traditional plants such as repeat-flowering roses in soft, pastel colours, clematis, lavender and box hedging to create a scented courtyard to be used for outdoor dining for their family of young boys and for more formal entertaining. Both clients are keen gardeners and do much of the work in the garden themselves. As this area of the garden is overlooked by many windows of the house and also from both the office and flat, planting needed to be predominately evergreen and hold its own through the winter months. Special attention also had to be paid to screening across the garden, as the flat is tenanted. The client was very involved in the design process – she had strong ideas of the look she was after for the garden.
Design and build Key aspects to consider on this job were screening and privacy. As mentioned previously, it was a small space and overlooked by tenants. The rose swags helped to blur the site lines across the garden between the house and flat, as well as adding essential height to the scheme. A pair of pleached malus trees were planted to help screen the neighbour’s bathroom window from the evening sitting area. The existing garden was slightly tired and dominated by a large concrete slab that was surrounded by different types of paving, all of which breached the damp-proof course of the cottage and had to be removed from the site. All levels were reconciled to appropriate heights and a combination of paving and shingle was laid to create an area that needed less maintenance than the lawn had required. The existing paving was lifted and cleaned for reuse in the client’s vegetable garden.
ABOUT REBECCA SMITH GARDEN DESIGN & CONSULTANCY Rebecca Smith Garden Design & Consultancy is based in rural north Hampshire but carries out projects across the South of England, ranging from multi-acre sites to tiny back gardens. Rebecca received her diploma in horticulture from the English Gardening School in 2006 and trained in Garden Design at the Garden Design School in Painshill Park in 2007/8.
www.rsgardendesign.co.uk
1 View to the entrance of the flat across the newly completed garden 2 View to the flat entrance after the perennials were planted 3 Before: awkward lawn and differences in levels 4 After planting the buxus and lavender hedges 5 Before: view to the entrance to the flat shows different paving and general lack of cohesion in the garden
DESIGN PLAN
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Portfolio 1 Rebecca Smith 2.indd 40
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
17/12/2014 11:18
PORTFOLIO
PROJECT DETAILS Project value ÂŁ10,000 Build time 9 months Size of project 128.5m2
REFERENCES Garden designer
Lavender
Rebecca Smith
Long Barn Lavender
Wyck Farmhouse, Wyck Lane, Wyck, Alton, Hampshire GU34 3AL Tel 07985 290630 Web www.rsgardendesign.co.uk
The Old Sheep Fair, Bishops Sutton Road, Alresford, Hants SO24 9EJ Tel 01962 738684 Email orders@longbarn.co.uk Web www.longbarn.co.uk
Landscape contractor James Green Bsc Hort Greener Landscapes Ltd
Paving and shingle
Springfield, Woodrove, Twyford, Winchester SO21 1EX Tel 01962 711236; 07803 297896 Email info@greenerlandscapes.co.uk Web www.greenerlandscapes.co.uk
Old Station Yard, London Road, Kings Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 7QA Tel 01962 883708 Email sales@worthysandandballast.co.uk Web www.worthysandandballast.co.uk
Pleached trees Griffin Nurseries
Worthy Sand and Ballast
Tel 01428 741655 Email enquiries@griffinnurseries.co.uk Web www.griffinnurseries.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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WINNER
Domestic Garden Construction Cost £250k & Best Newcomer
ART OF STONE PROJECT DETAILS Project value £275,000 Build time 44 weeks Size of project 615m2
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BLUEFISH LANDSCAPING A mix of York stone and moving water was used to transform the south and west terraces of this impressive Arts and Crafts property
O
ldwick Copse is a substantial and impressive house that has been significantly extended and refurbished to a high specification. Externally, the property is in the Arts and Crafts style, with attractive mixed elevations of brick, tile and exposed timber; corbelled chimneys under a plain tiled roof were originally designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who was so influential in this part of the country.
The client instructed the design services of Michael Edwards Architects, who had worked with Bluefish Landscaping on many occasions, and a Belgian landscape architect company, Avantgarden. The brief Both architects were given the same brief and the main conclusions were that the design needed to: ● Create a bigger living/entertaining area around the west and south sides of the house www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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● Include moving water within the scheme to
help disguise the traffic noise from the main road at the front of the property ● Include planting and lawns to soften the hard landscaped areas on the terraces, due to there being a difference in levels between the new terraces and the existing garden ● Include one disabled access point from the terrace into the main living room area ● Make a big effort to ensure the right materials were used to complement the period of the house After the initial set of drawings were completed and agreed by the client, the brief then evolved further on a week by week basis, www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Portfolio 2 Bluefish Landscaping 3.indd 43
which was quite an intense process. BlueFish Landscaping was the main contractor for the project and oversaw the day to day running and organising of the project. It dealt with sub-contractors for specific specialist jobs and any problems that arose. The deadline and budget was set by the client at the beginning of the contract and BlueFish Landscaping was able to complete the project on time and within budget. The company provides a full management service with all its contracts which meant it was able to relieve the client of all day to day queries, and in doing so BlueFish Landscaping managed to exceed the client’s expectations.
Site access At the start of the project there was a turning circle within the driveway. It was decided to remove this to help with the logistics of moving delivery lorries around the site. On completion of the project this was reinstated and it has now been extensively planted.
1 New York stone pier and pier cap 2 Overview of the south terrace 3 New York riven stone paving with brick detailing on the West terrace 4 Overview of the west terrace 5 Radial cut York stone coping around the circular pool on the west terrace Pro Landscaper / January 2015 43
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A lot of care and consideration had to be taken when building the terraces due to the maturity of the surrounding gardens and lawns of the property. BlueFish Landscaping set a perimeter boundary of 1.2m around the new terrace walls so that it limited the damage to the surrounding lawns. Any damage caused to the lawns within the boundary was then reinstated and now look as good as new. Unusual features One of the main features of the new design was the large scale water feature on the west terrace. Due to its size and the weight of the water contained within it, a lot of thought had to be put into the way the main floor and walls were constructed. Hollow concrete blocks containing steel reinforcing rods were filled with concrete and used to form some of the internal walls of the water feature. The main outer walls and floor were constructed from steel cages linked together with steel reinforcing bars, and then shuttering was built to form the walls. Wet concrete was then pumped between the shuttering to form the walls and floor. At each stage of the construction it was necessary to keep an eye on where the concrete walls needed to stop and the dry stone walls needed to start, so that it didn’t jar when filled with water. The majority of the walls were rendered inside the water feature, but the walls within the centre pond were clad using a sawn York stone, which were then grouted and sealed.
ABOUT BLUEFISH LANDSCAPING BlueFish Landscaping & Equestrian Development Ltd is a landscape contractor operating throughout Surrey and the South East. Our team of highly skilled and dedicated craftsmen combined with flawless project management ensures projects are completed to the highest of standards. Our expertise, experience, reputation and capability are such that we can take your garden from concept to completion encompassing construction excellence with meticulous attention to detail.
www.bluefishlandscapes.co.uk
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Glass reinforced plastic (grp) was used for the waterproof lining throughout the water feature. Again, thought was required at this stage as some walls needed to be watertight out of the water so that they were waterproof at a different point in another level of the water feature. The two main ponds’ extensive filtration systems and the necessary pipes and cable were built in at the different stages throughout its construction. A series of Oase foaming jets in the two main ponds, along with all the pipework to service them, were installed by BlueFish Landscaping. The pipework within the middle pond was concealed by a suspended floor which was tiled using the sawn York stone. Another main focal point on the west terrace was the centre spiral. This was made up of six cut pieces of new York stone (all cut on a radius), mitred Michelmersh 50mm pavers and Michelmersh tiles laid on edge. All materials were cut on site.
Unexpected problems As the footings for the retaining walls of the west terrace were dug, BlueFish Landscaping started to come across the drainage pipes that took away rainwater from the house. It was decided that the best solution was to completely renew the drainage run out of the way. So they rerouted the pipework, dug a new soakaway and overcame the problem. As there were two different landscape architects involved with this project the company was often presented with alternative designs proposed at each stage of the project. On occasions this made progress awkward, but with various meetings BlueFish was able to accommodate and incorporate elements from both architects. Levels As the proposed new levels of the terraces were to be 1.5m higher than the existing lawn level at its highest point, a lot of planning had to be put into how the build up of the terrace areas was to be achieved. Over time the built up areas couldn’t subside and cause extensive damage to the rest of the areas. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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PORTFOLIO 1 Constructing the south terrace 2 James Fish at his drawing board 3 Construction of the reinforced concrete block retaining walls to form the perimeter of the west terrace 4 Setting out the brick edging detail that will form the centre spiral and brick paving out the new levels and lines of the 5 Setting west terrace 6 NewYork stone paving has been cut on a radial measurement to form part of the centre detail 7 Construction of the York dry stone walling and piers
All of the hard landscaping was firstly filled with clean crushed hardcore. This was compacted in layers to achieve the best compaction rate. Once at the correct level the hardcore was blinded over with a 125mm layer of MOT type 1 – this again was compacted in layers. The final part of the build up and the finish of the sub base was a reinforced concrete cap. This was 125mm thick and incorporated a reinforcing mesh that was tied together with steel banding. The concrete was levelled and the use of a vibrating poker helped to take the air out of the concrete, which also strengthens it. The areas that were turfed and planted were initially half filled with top soil, some of which had been created on site and some of which was bought in from a recycled source. This was left for approximately 12 weeks, in which time it settled and was then ready to be topped up again. Over the following 15 weeks this soil level was added to, slowly building it up to the required finished level. The build up could be carried out in this way as the company was on site for 44 weeks, and the risk of further settlement within these areas was greatly reduced as a result.
REFERENCES Main contractor
Pond suppliers
BlueFish Landscaping & Equestrian Development Ltd
FTS Aquatics Ltd
26 Chestnut Ave, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8UL Tel 01252 321511 Mob 07799 218286 Web www.bluefishlandscapes.co.uk
Unit C Prospect Commercial Park Alresford SO24 9QF Tel 0844 8001860 Web www.ftsaquatics.co.uk Plant supply and landscaping Avantgarden
Landscape architect Frances & Michael Edwards Architects
Roysted, Hambledon Road, Busbridge, Hydestile, Godalming, Surrey GU8 4AY Tel 01483 423455
Wijnegemhof 1, 2110 Wijnegem, Belgium Tel 032 3353 6864 Web www.avantgarden.be Aggregate supply JR Morris Aggregates
Tel 07831 811186 Chambers Aggregates
Tel 01483 504595 Stone Supplier
Type of stone ● N ew York walling stone was used for the dry stone walls ●N ew York riven paving was used for the main paving areas ●N ew York riven paving was used for the wall coping, this was machine cut to the correct width and thickness ● Michelmersh 50mm clay pavers were laid on edge to form the brick paving areas and centre detailing www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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B&S Natural Stone Ltd
Pond GRP Fibreglassing
Newbrook Farm, Pound Lane, Upper Beeding, West Sussex BN44 3JD Tel 01903 810420 Web www.bandsnaturalstoneltd.co.uk
Gee-Grp
Unit 5A Friths Farm, Colchester Road, Stones Green, EssexCO12 5DF Tel 07899 856291 Web www.gee-grpfibreglassing.co.uk
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PORTFOLIO
TRANQUIL RETREAT KIRKWOOD HOSPICE GARDEN BY GRACE LANDSCAPES Skillful management and a sensitive touch ensured these new gardens at a hospice in Huddersfield exceeded all expectations
PROJECT DETAILS Project value ÂŁ183k Build time Two months Size of project 2,2000m2
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www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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I
n October 2011 planning permission was granted to build a 16 bed inpatient extension at Kirkwood Hospice, Huddersfield, with improved external landscape, private courtyard views and accessible gardens. Planning for the garden commenced when the public were asked what they would like to see in the garden at the hospice spring fair in 2012. This was followed by an open evening where service users past and present were asked what features of the garden were important for them as users. These ideas, along with those of staff, volunteers and neighbours were used to put together the design brief. Jeremy Parker from Fira Landscape Architecture had to pull together the requirements of the communities who had put forward their ideas in order to produce a scheme that would satisfy them all. The existing garden at Kirkwood had evolved through the dedication and hard work of a group of garden volunteers who had planted and tended the grounds to provide a tranquil corner for all. They were devastated to lose the majority of their garden to the new development but Jeremy consulted
1 The existing tree surrounded by new paths 2 Garden from the seating area 3 Labyrinth with tulips 4 Garden rooms 5 Tulips with the bridge in the background
SITE CONSTRAINTS ● Due consideration and sensitivity to the residents was
required and noisy, disruptive activities were mindfully carried out during acceptable hours.
● Access This was restricted due to multiple contractors on
site and all contractors had to access the site through a temporary hole in the boundary wall. Daily meeting were held with the main contractor to provide logistics for deliveries and site activities. All sub contract trades had to be programmed in accurately to avoid overlap and delay.
● The old concrete pond This had been constructed in the
lowest part of the garden and was prone to flooding from the adjacent stream. In order to overcome the likely risk of further flooding a robust concrete head wall had to be designed and implemented before the installation of a custom made butyl liner. This was naturalistically disguised using local sandstone and river washed cobbles. The head wall had to be carefully positioned to avoid encroachment under the new resin bound gravel pathway which had been designed to circulate the garden taking in the back of the pond.
● Site services Both existing and new including the
6 A view across the garden to the hospice buildings
sewerage pipe meant that the pond position had to be adjusted on site to avoid any future problems.
PRINCIPAL WINNER
Community and Schools Development and Outstanding Charitable Contribution
● Levels Previously sloping ground had to be remodelled
in order to accommodate the new pathways and the links to and from the new bridge over the pond. Lack of space under the new gabion walls meant that the positioning of the bridge had to be exact to allow the paths to be installed at the correct width for wheelchair and bed access.
● New planters The elevated position and sloping
garden rooms of the new extension created complications with the placing of the preconstructed painted timber planters. To set the planters level the feet were raised, creating unsightly gaps. These were later filled in with painted timber skirts to match.
● Memorial block and pavers The original design
incorporated both in the same path but due to incompatibility in size an alternative was required. The solution was to create an entire brick paver path and included the granite blocks laid flush in the resin bound path under the tree.
● Existing planting This was to be retained meaning that
the labyrinth had to be set out using GPS with coordinates provided by the landscape architect.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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with them at every stage and Grace Landscapes Chairman, Tim Grace, consoled individuals and positively promoted the new garden at weekly meetings. Many shrubs had sentimental value and were carefully lifted, stored at Grace Landscapes and designed back into the new scheme before being replanted. The volunteers were taken on nursery visits to introduce ideas for the new planting scheme and their thoughts taken into account. Tim Grace worked with them to improve the existing garden, helping to dovetail it into the new development. Construction During the construction period, it became obvious that the design would need to be changed to suit the site conditions, incorporate new ideas and overcome unforeseen problems. Routes of paths were amended to minimise gradients and give access for all, whether on foot, in a wheelchair or bed. Extra paths were added to allow bed access between the existing car park and the garden rooms. They also had to marry in with existing permanent structures, planting and services. The pond had to be altered to accommodate an existing water inlet from the neighbouring stream with a head wall designed on site. With limited access due to the interface with the main contractor and a short contract period, decisions had to be made quickly and acted upon immediately if the deadline was to be met.
ABOUT GRACE LANDSCAPES Established in 1978, Grace Landscapes Ltd offers a comprehensive and professional service including construction, maintenance and design and build. Our aim is to work with clients to provide a scheme to meet their specification and expectations, be affordable but of a quality that we are proud to put our name to. We specialise in high quality construction and maintenance schemes and have achieved national recognition including five Principal and 10 BALI Awards. The company is 9001 QMS and 14001 EMS accredited.
www.gracelandscapes.com
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Outcome The volunteers have really taken the new garden to their hearts; a joint venture between them and Grace Landscapes has seen the construction of new raised beds adjacent to the main entrance and a vegetable garden to provide fresh produce for the patients. Recently retired Joint Chief Executive Christine
regular basis. Patients and their relatives can enjoy a moment of peace away from the harsh reality of the hospice inpatients wing. Staff can also take a well-earned break from a tough day, clear their heads and take stock of things. There is no barrier between inside and out; the garden has been brought into the hospice and has become a major talking point both locally and nationally. “The landscaping and garden rooms look great. The family of one patient was quite overwhelmed when their father was able to go out into the sun and appreciate the gardens in a wheelchair. It was something they thought they would never see. What a testimonial to the Grace Team and Jeremy! We love it! Thank you so much.” Hilary Turner, Joint Chief Executive
Springthorpe couldn’t believe how much bigger the garden feels despite being smaller. It considerably exceeded her expectations, making the area accessible and an enjoyable space. There has been much positive feedback, including a listener to local radio calling in to say what an excellent job Grace Landscapes had done in developing such a beautiful and functional garden for so many to benefit from. The finished garden has truly surpassed everyone’s hopes and benefited the community as a whole. For the first time in five years, the hospice was able to hold its annual Light Up A Life celebration in its own grounds. Hundreds of people walked round the garden holding candles, making for an unforgettable and emotional December evening. With the improved access residents of the neighbouring Oxfield Court, a learning centre for disabled adults, now use and enjoy the garden on a
“Over the last 12 months we have worked very closely with Grace Landscapes in the design, development and planting of our new garden following the rebuilding of the inpatient unit. Grace Landscapes, under the personal direction of Tim Grace, has developed a fantastic garden for the hospice which is a delight to the eye and will be of immense benefit to the patients, all of whom can now look out from their beds onto some part of this splendid floral extravaganza. The choice of plants and their layout is just beginning to demonstrate its beauty for the first time. Along with the newly laid lawns and the new resin footpaths, we are going to have a show garden that both the gardeners, the hospice and the patients can be justly proud of. We have held weekly meetings with Tim Grace and he has guided us in what we should be doing in our garden and at the same time he has agreed to any request that we have given him. Grace Landscapes has gone the extra mile to be helpful and to make a splendid success of this garden. It has been our pleasure to work with them.” Stephen Bailey, Volunteer Gardener May 2014
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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1 Xxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxxxxx x. 2 Xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. 3 Xxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. 4 Xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx. 5 Xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx. 6 Xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx. 7 Xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx. 8 Xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx.
REFERENCES
1 Grace Landscapes’ granite block set in resin 2 How the garden looked prior to work 3 Setting out the labyrinth 4 The pond in front of the hospice
5 Block paving, old and new
Main contractor
Steel edging
Grace Landscapes
Kinley Systems
7 Leeds Rd, Mirfield, West Yorkshire WF14 0BY Tel 01924 481200 Web www.gracelandscapes.com
Haywood Way, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4PL Tel 01424 201111 Web www.kinleysystems.com
6 Placed granite blocks set in tarmac
Landscape Architects
7 Planted banking
Fira Ltd
8 The pond during construction 9 Planting taking place
Jewellery Business Centre, 95 Spencer Street, Birmingham B18 6DA Tel 01215 231033 Web www.fira-la.com Plants Knowl Park Nurseries
Knowl Road, Mirfield, West Yorkshire WF14 9UU Tel 01924 481200 Web www.knowlpark.co.uk Bridge CTS bridges
Abbey Road, Shepley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD8 8BX Tel 01484 606416 Web www.ctsbridges.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Planters Street Design
Unit 47 Hayhill Industrial Estate, Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire LE12 8LD Tel 01509 815335 Web www.street-design.com Resin-bonded paving SureSet
32 Deverill Road, Trading Estate, Sutton Veny, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7BZ Tel 0800 612 6501 Web www.sureset.co.uk
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WILDLIFE FRIENDLY GARDENS
THE WILD SIDE OF THE FENCE TRACY FOSTER GARDEN DESIGN Following the success of her Hampton Court Palace Flower Show garden in 2014, which won a Gold medal and the People’s choice award of Best Small Garden, Tracy Foster gives tips on how to make your designs wildlife friendly
I
t was an exciting challenge to be tasked with creating a show garden at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 2014 to demonstrate how to design gardens that are friendly to hedgehogs and other wildlife without compromising on style. The garden was named ‘Hedgehog Street’ after the nationwide project run jointly by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). It was split into three sections in different styles to 50
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Tracy Foster Hedgehog garden 3.indd 50
show that being wildlife friendly does not have to mean having the stereotypical scruffy look. Whatever the style and design of your plot, it is vital to include a small hole (just 130mm square) at the bottom of every solid boundary so that hedgehogs can pass safely from garden to garden, giving them access to a large and varied habitat. Research has shown that these spiny creatures can travel a mile in one night as they search for food and mates. Impassable fencing is undoubtedly contributing to the
problem of the drastically falling hedgehog population, which has diminished by a third in the past decade to fewer than one million. Those of us who work in the landscape industry have the power to give our native wildlife a chance to thrive. Garden designers and landscape professionals can ensure they specify at least one hedgehog hole through (or under) the base of each wall or fence that they propose. Hedges, of course, need no special modifications and also provide a perfect refuge for wildlife. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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WILDLIFE FRIENDLY GARDENS
Apart from creating access holes, here are some other wildlife friendly ideas from the show garden that can be adapted for any design: ● Include water to offer a safe place for animals and birds to drink. This can be a small bowl, smart contemporary pool or natural pond. Just make sure that any animals that fall in can climb out easily. Piles of stones or strips of chicken mesh can save lives. ● Dense planting provides cover and also nesting materials. Grasses are wonderful for this and look great in contemporary planting schemes. ● Providing food and shelter for insects will also help to support birds and animals that feed on them. Flowers don’t have to be limited to native plants as many non-native varieties are just as attractive to pollinators. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Tracy Foster Hedgehog garden 3.indd 51
The Hedgehog Street project is seeking partners from the fencing industry to produce fence panels or gravel boards with a ready-made hedgehog hole. Henry Johnson, Hedgehog Officer at the PTES, says, ‘Links have already been made with Quercus Oak Fencing and Bespoke Trellis Company, who made fencing for the show garden, but we are keen to speak to other interested fencing manufacturers.’ If you
ABOUT TRACY FOSTER GARDEN DESIGN
would like to take advantage of this opportunity please email henry.johnson@ptes.org 1
Dense planting, a safe, shallow water feature and a hedgehog hole in the wall make this contemporary garden ideal for wildlife
2
A traditional wildlife garden
3-5 A series of three garden sections in different styles, with a range of hedgehog holes 6
Providing shelter for insects will also help birds and animals
Tracy Foster (MSGD) is a multiple RHS gold medal-winning garden designer based in Yorkshire. Designing gardens in a variety of styles since 2002, she also runs short courses and provides coaching and consultancy on design, planting and wildlife gardening.
www.tracyfostergardendesign.co.uk
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17/12/2014 10:44
Highlights from...
DESIGN
BUILD
We take a pictorial look back at the 2014 FutureScape event at Sandown Park last November
M A I N TA I N
SAVE THE DATE: T 52
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E: TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2015 www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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NEWS
DESIGN
BUILD
... AND HERE’S WHAT YOU THOUGHT
M A I N TA I N
EXHIBITORS
AND ON TWITTER...
“
What really makes this special for me is the personal way this show is promoted and delivered. It is a generous event attested to by the highly enjoyable evening dinners and talks and I come away year on year saying ‘That was a good day.’ Sam Hassall, Landpro Limited
”
“
A really great show to meet new faces within the industry or to catch up with existing contacts. The team are always on hand and happy to help during the setup, show, or breakdown. We will definitely be back again. Harry Hitchcock, Coles Nurseries
”
Rae Wilkinson – Thank you all for a great day, thoroughly enjoyable event and great to be a part of it all. Janine Pattison – What a day! Still reeling with the mental overload – seminars, suppliers, contractors, friends, contacts – amazing!
Jacksons had a very successful FutureScape event. Thanks to all at Eljays, who put on another terrific show this year, we look forward to the next one...
Alitura Design, Sussex – Off to highlight a landscaping solution I came across at @FutureScapeUK to a client, sample received already after only 2 days.
“
Mike Burton, Trulawn – Thank you @FutureScapeUK a totes amazeballs day. Looking forward to next year.
“
”
Jacksons Fencing
Congratulations to the entire team for a superb event yet again. FutureScape never fails to give us the suppliers the opportunity to speak to genuine, decision making buyers! Andrew Wayre, Tamata (UK) Limited
”
VISITORS
“
I thought the show was first class, by far the best I have been to this year.
”
Philippa O’Brien
“
Thought the show was great. Good atmosphere – one of the best I have been to...
”
Dusty Gedge
“
It was a great show and exhibitors promoting their products were very enthusiastic, which is much more than I have experienced at other trade shows. I managed to see three seminars which were all very good and well attended. Most certainly a date in next year’s diary as it’s a show not to be missed. Mick Gammage
”
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David Dodd – Brilliant day – one of the best things to have happened in landscaping. Henry Thomas Garden Design – My first time @FutureScapeUK great speakers and exhibitors. The Landscape Group – It was a great event, thanks to the team and we look forward to supporting you next year. ClaberUK – @FutureScapeUK had a great day yesterday, spent most of today searching online for a new pair of feet! Land Design Partnership – An event like @FutureScapeUK provokes thoughts throughout the industry. We all need to put those thoughts to good use. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 09:40
NURSERY
NURSERY NEWS Boningale releases latest ‘Plants for Wildlife’ New Palmstead student workshop catalogue with updated Breeam Guidance Boningale Nursery, one of the UK’s largest nurseries has released the third edition of its ‘Plants for Wildlife’ catalogue for architects and contractors keen to maximise their BREEAM ecological credits. A must-have for contractors and specifiers involved in planning landscaping schemes for building developments, this latest edition, released at FutureScape 2014, features updated guidance on BREEAM suitable stock and an extended range of the SkyPlugs range from Boningale
GreenSky, the company’s award winning department specialising in plants and substrates for green roofs. The catalogue sets out hundreds of plant species that encourage ecological diversity and attract myriad wildlife to new-build sites and green urban spaces. Frank Sandford, Sales Director at Boningale Nursery, says, “It offers at a glance plants that ecologists are more likely to reward BREEAM credits against. This alleviates a lot of research time for busy contractors.” www.boningale.co.uk
SunPatiens receives prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) SunPatiens, from leading independent producer and supplier of young plants Earley Ornamentals, has been awarded the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). The award helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden and builds on the flower’s reputation for landscaping performance, offering growers and retailers significant commercial opportunity. Of the SunPatiens entered, the following colours were awarded the RHS AGM: • Compact Blush Pink • Compact Electric Orange www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Nursery News 3.indd 55
Palmstead is arranging its Student Landscape Workshop for February 3, 2015 to be held at Merrist Wood College. This is a one day seminar/workshop for landscape and horticulture students wanting inspiration, careers advice and technical updates. The event is a great opportunity to network and further your career. Horticultural colleges are being contacted and students and Young Horts invited to what is always a stimulating day. www.palmstead.co.uk Pro Landscaper wants to hear from you! In 2015 we want to support the industry’s nurseries who provide a vital service to landscapers and designers. We have a widely read nursery section every month; a place
• Spreading White variegated leaf • Spreading Salmon variegated leaf Earley Ornamentals’ managing director, Simon Earley, said: “What an achievement for the team. This really has been the year for Earley’s SunPatiens. We’ve been getting great feedback from customers using SunPatiens for parks bedding so we knew it was an exceptional performer. We expect to see a particular boost for the awardwinning colours.” www.earleyornamentals.co.uk
where you can report your achievements, update us with news on contracts and contractors you have supplied to, plus inform readers about new catalogues or special offers. Don’t miss the chance to let
NURSERY NOTES
It’s been a busy year at Agrumi. Our unique topiary pieces have been much admired at the shows over the summer and autumn. At GroSouth our chief topiary artist, Luigi, created some really amazing figures from scratch using box privet on three-dimensional metal frames and won us the show award for most innovative stand. Recently we’ve been making human-size characters of the original Tenniel drawings from the Alice in Wonderland books ready for the 150th publishing anniversary next year. We’ve also been fulfilling major commissions from the BBC, ITV, Radley bags and St Christopher’s Place in London’s Oxford Street. Although we prefer to use living plants for our topiary (like box privet and Star Jasmine) we can also make pieces covered in artificial box and grass or LED lights (see photo below of our giant stiletto shoe). Our specimen, ornamental and architectural trees and plants and evergreen screening have also been popular as usual. Take a look at topiary art.co.uk and agrumi.co.uk to see more about what we do and give us a call to see how we can help.
readers know about your services. Email us today to let us know what’s going on around your nursery, any special events or developments or even new members of staff and promotions. Don’t hesitate – email Iszara.morgan@eljays44.com with details and any relevant images.
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NURSERY
PLANTSMAN’S PLOT A round-up of trees and plants available at some of the country’s best nurseries
This Arbutus unedo killarney ‘Strawberry Tree’ is a native of south west Ireland and the Mediterranean is, unusually for an ericaceous plant, tolerant of lime. It is a small evergreen with brown, shedding bark and its flowers and fruit are produced in the autumn. A good choice for exposed and coastal sites, it is also great for urban plantings. A winner of the Award of Garden Merit in 2002 and of a First Class Certificate in 1933, it does well in most soil types, but prefers it moist. Don’t be afraid to hard prune if getting untidy as if this is done in late March/April it grows back beautifully. We grow it as both a bushy shrub and a full standard tree. Young shoots are tinged red which contrasts well against the dark green leaves. www.barchampro.co.uk
From left to right: Ilex crenata ‘Dark Green’, ‘Twiggy’, ‘Glory Gem’, ‘Blondie’ and ‘Convexa’
Ilex crenata – we all know it and as an alternative to Buxus it just can’t be beat. However, alongside the better known Ilex crenata ‘Dark Green’ and ‘Blondie’ are some new kids on the block. All sounding rather similar on paper it is only once you set eyes upon them that the difference is clear. Some new Ilex crenata types here at Provender Nurseries are: ‘Glory Gem’ – tiny dark green leaves on dark brown stems. The very compact in habit ‘Twiggy’ – slightly lighter leaves than most of the other Ilex crenata that emerge light green and age to dark green, held on burgundy stems. Leaves are very slightly serrated to the edge. Very compact growth. Why not visit our Facebook page for more detailed images of each Ilex crenata type we have in stock. www.provendernurseries.co.uk
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The summer seemed to just keep going last year in Edinburgh as this Saxifraga fortunei ‘Hiten’ shows. All sorts of plants had a second burst of flowering last year and we are not sure whether this means the flowers on the Rhododendron were early or late! Either way it was an incredible year and all sorts of plants thrived and looked at their best. We look forward to what this new year brings! www.kevockgarden.co.uk
Euonymus alatus, known variously as winged spindle, winged euonymus or burning bush, is a spreading shrub which reveals unique corky winged branches once it has lost its leaves. Inconspicuous for most of the year, in the autumn the leaves turn from green to a spectacular shade of crimson and scarlet. Great for a shrub border, it flowers in spring and grows to a maximum height of 2.5m. www.walnuthillnurseries.co.uk
Known as Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata is an evergreen conifer native to the western parts of North America. This plant will do best on a moist but well drained soil. It is extremely versatile and can be grown as a single specimen or planted in groups for screening and hedging. While not as fast growing as Leylandii, it grows well, keeps its colour throughout the year, tolerates shade and responds well to being clipped. Thuja plicata is available from Deepdale Trees as either a standard or feathered plant up to 12m high. www.deepdale-trees.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 10:01
NURSERY
To appear in Plantsman’s Plot, please send your plant of the month, details and image to editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk
Astilbe arendsii ‘Astary Red’ is a fully hardy herbaceous perennial that provides a fantastic flush of feathery red flower to the garden, even at this late stage in the year. Best grown in either full sun or a more shaded area on loamy, moist soil. Growing up to 50cm this is a great plant to use for a flash of vibrant colour in a border and even performs well when grown in a container. www.crowdersnurseries.co.uk
Mahonia from the Berberis family has yellow bark (if you scratch it) and yellow roots. It is a useful group of evergreen shrubs, some very architectural, while others form good groundcover. Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ is a great plant, ultimately growing up to two to three metres. They are hardy and have architectural leaves 50cm long clothed in pairs of slightly spiny leaflets. Not so spiny as to be a H&S hazard, but scratchy and a deterrent to excessive handling. Around December they flower with long racemes of fragrant yellow flowers to brighten up a winter’s day. Just what we all need. www.palmstead.co.uk
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www.gopixpic.com
The Phormium has been and remains a mainstay of the landscape industry. With a wide range of foliage colours from the simple greens and purples of the more upright tenax forms, to the striking variegated types such as ‘Pink Panther’, ‘Apricot Queen’, ‘Jester’, ‘Yellow Wave’ and ‘Flamingo’. The arching nature of the foliage combined with the colour range allows for inclusion in almost any scheme. They are also ideal as a specimen in a planter or used in a raised bed, as the soft foliage causes no danger. Plant in a well-drained sunny spot with protection from cold winds. www.colesnurseries.co.uk
This Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ is a variety of dogwood and a must have in any planting scheme. The orange, red and yellow stems in winter brighten up dull areas and would be an excellent backdrop. It thrives well in most conditions, but it needs a moist, welldrained position. It is medium to slow growing, so pruning is not required for the first five years – it’s a very low maintenance plant. Small white and yellow flowers will appear late spring. A true British native, it’s unfortunately not recommended enough. We offer these in a 3, 5 and 10 litre. www.tamarnurseries.co.uk
The spectacular, extra large white bracts of Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ (Chinese Dove Tree) are borne on plants of a young age and small size. A slow growing cultivar of Davidia involucrata, the handkerchief sized flowers produced by ‘Sonoma’ also appear earlier in the season than others in the species. Roy Lancaster has said that this tree is among his favourites and the delicate, hauntingly beautiful bracts and cinnamon-coloured bark, which provides winter interest, make it easy to see why. As yet, this rare tree is not freely available in the UK, but Agrumi has 3m tall specimens available now. www.agrumi.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 57
18/12/2014 10:03
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15/12/2014 12:44
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There are a number of important points to consider when laying setts in a civic area with traffic, says founder of CED Stone Group Michael Heap
Laid bound A bound structure is far simpler than an unbound one. It used to be described as a rigid structure and, visually, it appears to be. However, it is actually elastic, one that will bounce back to its original form after the load has been removed. You’d expect it to continue forever and it may if fatigue has been taken into account. A roadway is a dynamic situation in which the surface is being continually vibrated – to bits if it is not competent. The success of the surface isn’t dependent on the setts, jointing mortar, bedding mortar, the base or the foundation, but on all five being competent and working together. With bound construction, the base is concrete. A highway engineer will design the base in accordance with BS 7533 (currently part 10 for setts, but a new design document is due in 2015). Before there was such a standard, my advice was that the concrete base should be able to carry the traffic on its own, with the setts just the wearing course. There is one more aspect to mention which has received scant attention from designers. Water will find its way through the surface layers, permeating the joints or even the stone itself. The bedding layer and the base need to allow that water to dissipate downwards – they must be significantly permeable. Surface layer construction Many designs have failed with the surface layers, as it is often an area of highway design that the
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WITH VEHICULAR TRAFFIC engineer hasn’t encountered before. The current BS 7533 part 7 gives excellent advice. Setts do not fail in compression with the typical granites we use, the issues arise with the mortars, the installation and, of course, the devil in the detail. Whatever the level of traffic, the first consideration is to bond the bedding mortar to the concrete base. The base should be clean and a bonding agent applied before spreading the bedding mortar. The setts need to be clean before being placed into the bedding mortar. This is best achieved by washing them and by doing so immediately prior to installation. Dust is the enemy of a good bond and it needs to be removed, hence the great preference for sawn sided setts, as these can easily be freed of dust. Forces are also distributed evenly from a sawn surface. This minimises the maximum impact on any particular part of the structure. The aim is to keep that impact level under the threshold above which fatigue begins to affect the structure. To achieve maximum bond between the setts, the bedding and the jointing, the setts should be primed with a bonding agent. Having placed them, the joints have to be filled. Gravity is useful here because it never fails. A slurry spread over the surface will find its way into all parts of the joints. Timing is vital as the surface of the setts needs to be cleaned of jointing mortar before it stains the surface. A well-designed mortar will allow this to be done in a reasonable timescale. Systems that allow the contractor to tell whether the process has been completed satisfactorily are preferred. I have seen failure through use of a bedding mortar system where the mortar was good, the aggregate good, but there was no way to tell for sure that the mortar had reached the parts it needed to.
Surface layer design Setts take their strength from the sett next to them, through the mortar. If there is no sett, there must be a totally rigid structure to provide that support. And by rigid, I mean rigidly connected to the setts. Failure comes at the boundary between setts and other materials. This failure can happen adjacent to the kerb, but the level of the forces here is usually low unless the kerbs are hit by vehicles, so special consideration should be given to protruding corners. The most common failure occurs where the sett surface meets the tarmac. Tarmac is a material that deforms under load, it is plastic not elastic. If setts meet tarmac, the last line of setts needs to be supported. Often, a deep, haunched, flush kerb has been laid, concreted onto the sub-base, with the concrete base for the setts in-filled after. Because there is no full connection between this flush kerb and the concrete below the setts, with sufficient traffic a small crack will appear at the junction between the setts and the flush kerb. Intuitively this method should work, but it does not, and once a crack has appeared the first row of setts is unable to support the second row and so on, leading to a cascade failure. On its own, this is the single most common cause of failure of setts in the highway. Once again, BS7533 has solutions, this time in the annex to part 7. The setts need to be laid in a concrete dish. A concrete log is needed up the side of the setts, either to the surface or just below the tarmac wearing course. Reinforcement is inserted into the concrete under the setts for the last metre and left exposed while the setts are laid. It is then rolled up around the setts to rest inside the concrete log. The setts finish more stylishly if there is a flush kerb between them and Pro Landscaper / January 2015 59
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the tarmac, but structurally it makes no difference as long as the flush kerb is held within the concrete log. Personally, I prefer the flush kerb to be the same thickness as the setts so the concrete base can remain at the same level and thickness throughout.
required. Setts laid across the street with a staggered bond is the norm. Setts laid in a fan shape are equal in performance. Setts laid at 45° to the traffic are better, as are those laid in segmental arches. Setts laid in a grid are worse and need to be substantially thicker as a result.
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Paving elements
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Example of shallow channel kerb edge restraint between rigid construction and Asphalt carriageway
Example of shallow channel kerb edge restraint between rigid construction and asphalt carriageway
the expansion joint in the concrete below. Any resulting crack in the surface should then be in a tidy, managed location. If the traffic level is low, this can be a more economical solution, but this induced crack is what it says – namely a crack – so the setts on either side are not supporting each other. Serious traffic levels are likely to lead to failure in due course. Laying pattern The current standard makes no real issue of the pattern of laying but the new revision will. Pattern is not so critical with bound systems as with unbound, but it is still significant. The laying pattern should determine the thickness of setts 60
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Joint width Taking into account the tolerances allowed in sawn sett sizes by BS EN 1342 and the necessity for ensuring the jointing mortar reaches all parts, setts at 100mm wide and 100mm deep should be laid with joints of 8mm, with 10mm joints for setts at 150mm or more deep. Joints for cropped sided setts will be necessarily wider. Skid resistance Highway engineers place great store on the skid resistance of roads, which is mostly achieved through the skid resistance of the aggregate used in the wearing course. This is quoted as the Polished Stone Value (PSV). The test can only be applied to an aggregate, so an equivalent test had to be devised for measuring the skid resistance of solid stone. This is stated as the Polished Paver Value (PPV). The method of stating the results has been managed to provide a similar set of numbers to what would be obtained by a PSV test. A common way of providing texture to a granite or basalt is to flame-texture it, but this comes at a cost as it weakens the surface of the stone sufficiently to affect the PPV value (note that this is not significant on a pedestrian surface, where the ease of cleaning of the flamed surface
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Size of sett Knowledge of the vehicular traffic levels is critical. If not known but only estimated, an extra 50% safety factor has to be applied. Heavy lorries and all types of buses are so dominant in their effect that it is almost possible to ignore cars in the calculation. Currently a bus counts as 2.6 standard axles (STAs) and the major levels of traffic are split at 60, 200 and 1000 STAs per day. Up to 200, a sett at 100mm thick will suffice, above 200 the thickness is to be at least 150mm, rising to 180mm at 1000 STAs. The width must not be more than 150mm and also not more than the depth. The optimum for performance of the mortars is a cube (more precisely a square in plan) but rectangular setts with a length up to twice the width are acceptable.
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Expansion joints The next issue to consider is expansion joints in the concrete below. This is difficult as any expansion joint between the setts is a joint of no strength and therefore one that cannot provide the necessary lateral support to the setts. Initially, aim to do without any expansion joints at all. If this is not possible, try to ensure all expansion joints run parallel to the rows of setts and make a visual feature of the expansion joint by installing a flush kerb on either side. This flush kerb will be pinned to the concrete base with a series of steel dowels. The alternative, included in BS7533, is to form an induced crack in the line of joints above
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5 Sub-base 6 Channel kerb
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7 Steel dowel pin fixed into kerb using proprietary resin system
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8 Movement joint sealed with proprietary low modulus sealant
Example of low movement Example of lowmodulus modulus movement joint using joint shallowusing channel kerbs pinned to base shallow channel kerbs pinned to base All diagrams: Steintec UK
is beneficial). Most commercially available mechanically textured granites and basalts have a PPV below 55, the best we have found so far being 59. The essence of a good stone is one that is tough and abrasion resistant but that wears differentially, ideally a combination of minerals, some durable and some very durable. Stone types Sett streets survive from Victorian times and even earlier, and although they were laid unbound we can learn from the types of stone that have worked. In general they are igneous or metamorphic. Rarely are sedimentary stones free from laminations. When York stone was used for streets, the beds in the stone were placed vertically so that when cracks appeared, the stone was restrained from breaking apart by the sett next to it. For Italian porphyry, which is a material of igneous origin but pyroclastic so deposited in layers, the separation of those layers is essential to stop frost action causing failure. Many granites and basalts will perform well in terms of strength and do not fail in compression, but skid resistance is the issue to check. Final word The design is only as good as the way it is applied. It is vital to ensure that the design is followed, so make it clear at tender stage that this will happen! ABOUT MICHAEL HEAP Michael Heap is the founder and owner of CED Stone Group and has been advising on design and facilitating the supply and use of natural stone for over 35 years. He is currently Chairman of CED Stone Group and is on the committee for the new BS 7533. He has been at the forefront of the use of stone in the public arena since CED’s conception.
www.ced.ltd.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 11:21
Pro Landscape Magazine Ad Artwork_Layout 1 09/12/2014 10:15 Page 1
Launched earlier this year and already achieving acclaim from landscape architects and designers, Schellevis paving has a unique broken Basalt finish. Our extensive range of speciality paving fits beautifully in any garden setting from compact urban to woodland. Made to the highest specification combining inspired creativity with minimal maintenance. It’s available in a range of colours, giving it real versatility, and comprises large format slabs and complementary elements for stairs, curbs and seating. All large format slabs and curb stones feature galvanised steel reinforcement. Technical data is available from Schellevis.co.uk. It’s also non-slip and recyclable, manufactured by using natural resources in an environmentally friendly production process. No harmful substances are released and the material is 100% recyclable. Consider this product if you’re looking for a durable surface and a unique, stylish finish.
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The latest addition to the Tobermore world class paving and walling range is Manhattan, a new plank paving system that provides an array of
design possibilities. Manhattan is perfect for pedestrianised areas and has the ability to recreate a chic ambience similar to many European cities. The product is available in seven sophisticated colours enabling the creation of mixed patterns to maximise visual impact. Manhattan is also available in single and mixed length units, as well as both a standard surface finish and a textured granite aggregate finish. With Manhattan, the options really are limitless. WWW.TOBERMORE.CO.UK
PAVING Stonemarket’s vitrified paving offer is ideal for external projects, as well as internal spaces which lead into outdoor living areas. Vitrified paving is a highly attractive, reliable and low maintenance paving material. These products absorb little or no moisture, which helps minimise moss and algae growth – ideal for environments where minimal upkeep is a preference. Stonemarket’s Vitrified product offer includes three ranges. Paleo is evocative of the style and elegance of the Mediterranean, Gravity oozes urban contemporary cool, while Lucent offers a classic appearance with rugged good looks that will appeal to homeowners all over the British Isles. WWW.STONEMARKET.CO.UK
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Schellevis is bringing a fresh look to paving in the UK. Theirs has a distinctive broken basalt finish and comes in a wide variety of colours and sizes, making it versatile to work with in parks, public spaces and gardens. Colour nuances are created by mixing special ingredients and dyes to produce a unique style and finish which is combined with optimum performance. It has a durable, maintenance free, nonslip surface and being made from purely natural materials and completely recyclable, has environmentally friendly credentials. WWW.SCHELLEVIS.CO.UK
Brett Landscaping has enhanced its versatile selection of preselected paving products for its prominent merchant customer base with the introduction of the new Beta TRIO block paving range. The Beta block style offers a clean-lined finish and provides a smooth surface, ideal for contemporary hard landscaping designs. The Beta TRIO kit is available in two colours, Burnt Oak and Silver Haze, and comes in three different sized regional packs, each containing a pre-determined ratio of blocks designed to create great looking, durable paving results. WWW.BRETTPAVING.CO.UK
London Stone is introducing a new product to its signature range of sawn paving, Abbey Sawn Sandstone. Featuring a luxuriously subtle blend of buff tones, Abbey Sawn Sandstone has a timeless appeal and is similar in appearance to Buff Yorkstone. Occasional grey veining lends character and movement to the stone. Paving is supplied in a chunky 40mm thickness. Also available off-the-shelf is a matching bull-nosed step tread, allowing greater versatility in split-level gardens. Abbey Sawn Sandstone is a hard wearing product, requiring minimal maintenance to retain its natural beauty. WWW.LONDONSTONE.CO.UK
Granite paving from CED is sawn on all sides with a textured top surface providing excellent slip resistance. It is extremely durable and requires very little maintenance. Ideal for use in modern contemporary designs, granite is suitable for many applications including driveways‚ pathways‚ garden patios‚ market places, streetscapes and internal flooring. From as little as £28.50 per square metre, granite paving can be more cost effective than commonly thought. Available in a variety of colours and sizes to suit any design, granite offers a quality finish that stands the test of time. WWW.CED.LTD.UK
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 10:38
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Woodland Horticulture Ltd supply top quality topsoil to BS3882 throughout the UK mainland in either loose tipped bulk loads, one tonne bulk bags or 25kg bags. Their topsoils are screened at 10mm or 20mm depending on usage and are classed as sandy loams or sandy clay loams. Woodland Horticulture can also supply ericaceous soils, low fertility soils, lightweight roof soils, subsoils and ‘as dug’ soils as well as conditioners such as spent mushroom compost, PAS100 green compost, Super-Root soil conditioners and horse and farmyard manures again in loose tipped bulk loads, one cubic metre bulk bags or 75 litre bags, to suit. WWW.WOODLANDHP.CO.UK
Boughton Loam offers a range of certified proven growing media solutions. Products range from ‘as dug’ natural topsoil, though to various specialist compost mixes and approved lightweight green roof substrates. Natural ‘as dug’ topsoils as supplied by Boughton have become unfashionable in recent times due to the changes made to the BS3882 standard. The 2008 changes to the standard allowed waste materials to be blended into ‘manufactured’ topsoil. Although these materials can be certified to BS3882 (2008) their long term viability has yet to be proven. WWW.BOUGHTON.CO.UK
TOPSOIL Green-tree Roof Garden substrate is an established growing media within the Green-tree family of products. Available as an intensive and extensive substrate, both are a blend of lightweight aggregate and award winning Green-tree topsoil. Green-tree Roof Garden Intensive also has good water holding capacity and guarantees healthy plants and trees in a roof garden environment. It is ideal for green roof construction projects and containerised planting. Green-tree Roof Garden Extensive substrate is rich in nutrients, ensuring quick plant establishment in harsh rooftop environments. It is ideal for incorporation into expansive green roof projects that require very little maintenance. WWW.GREEN-TREE.CO.UK Created from British Standard 8601 subsoil and blended with PAS 100 compliant compost, Soils and Stone’s landscape loam is friable and easy to work with. It contains a minimal low stone content and has a ph value that consistently falls within the BS 3882 multipurpose range. Soils and Stone Landscape Loam is regularly tested to the latest British Standard 3882:2007 certification. What’s more, it is contaminant free and chemically clean, making it suitable for use in all projects including housing or commercial developments. Couple this with our BS 8601 certified subsoil and you’ll have a complete solution for any landscaping project. WWW.SOILSANDSTONE.CO.UK
An increasing number of customers are successfully stocking and selling Melcourt Topsoil blended loam in 0.6 and 0.8 cubic metre bulk bags. This premium product is derived from top quality agricultural soil and has almost zero stone content and no plastic or glass. The soil is carefully blended with matured bark fines and compost to produce an easy to spread, friable product. Melcourt topsoil blended loam is fully compliant with British Standard 3882:2007 ‘multi-use grade’ and also confirms to National House Builders’ Federation (NHBF) warranty requirements. WWW.MELCOURT.CO.UK
The Woodhorn Group based in Chichester is one of the largest suppliers of BS 3882 topsoil in the south. The product is blended using quarry overburden sand and PAS 100 compost and is consistently compliant to British Standard specifications. The product was launched 18 months ago and since then more than 40,000 tonnes has been supplied to housing developments, superstores, playing fields and roundabouts and verges for the Bognor Regis relief road. Eleven thousand tonnes was approved by the Sports Turf Research Institute for use as a construction material for Brighton & Hove Albion’s new training academy in Lancing. WWW.EARTHCYCLE.CO.UK
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LATEST PRODUCTS
Exterpark hardwood decking is one of the
finest products available on the market. No visible screws and the largest range of timber makes it the right choice when specifying a
WOOD PRODUCTS
deck. Did you know that even after 10 years,
New to The Garden Trellis Company is a
with a little TLC and some oil your hardwood
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planters, storage arbours and seating,
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available in natural treated softwood, or one of our eight paint or three stain colours. Order online or by phone for delivery anywhere in the UK. Delivery times take anything from a few days to a WoodBlocx are chunky wooden blocks that fit together using large plastic dowels to create strong raised beds,
maximum of three weeks.
WWW.GARDENTRELLIS.CO.UK
planters, retaining walls, ponds, kerbing or special garden features like seats. The wood is quarter-sawn to avoid the centre of the tree and minimise distortion and is pressure treated twice during the manufacturing process. The dowels are made from recycled plastic and have a patented expansion locking action when assembled. This means that your raised bed will form one large rigid structure with many connections holding it together. Because of this WoodBlocX structures need no foundations and will not crack or break with time. There are so many possibilities with closeboard
WWW.WOODBLOCX.CO.UK
fencing from AVS Fencing Supplies. You can trim or shape the top of the feather edge
boards to add a bit of interest and change the skyline. You could even stain or paint the closeboard to brighten up your landscape with some contrasting colours. AVS Fencing Supplies stocks a range of feather edge boards for you to choose from in a number of lengths, along with posts, rails, fixings and expert advice to give you a professional finish.
WWW.AVSFENCING.CO.UK
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Western red cedar is a tried and tested natural decking material that not only looks better but consistently outperforms alternative man-made or natural products. Its appeal lies in the combination of attractive natural features, a palette of warm colour tones and a distinct, comforting aroma. A specialist in western red cedar decking, Silva Timber offer two variations. Cedardeck offers a rustic look with live knots that instil charm and character. Cedardeck Clear is the UK’s highest grade of cedar decking, with an exceptional clear appearance that makes it suited for high-end projects.
WWW.SILVATIMBER.CO.UK
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 10:30
Complete Landscaping Solutions Soils and Stone only supply materials that are regularly monitored and independently tested. These include: BS3882:2007 Manufactured and naturally occuring topsoils BS8601:2013 Certified subsoil
To find out more call us on 020 8546 3860
www.soilsandstone.co.uk
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Silvadec was the first in Europe to manufacture composite wood. We have been producing decking for 10 years, and our range has been increased by fencing and railing. Feel free to contact us or our importer for UK. www.massamssupplies.co.uk - Call: (0) 1704 840265
www.silvadec.co.uk info@silvadec.com
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EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT NEWS Tracmaster celebrates 30 years of landscape machinery innovation
Tracmaster, a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of landscaping and groundcare machinery based in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Founded in 1984, this family run business has developed two major brands, CAMON and BCS; employs 23 staff; has a nationwide dealer network; an increasing number of overseas distributors and an annual turnover of three million pounds. Tracmaster offers 18 BCS machines and 24 implements in total. The company also currently
designs and manufactures five key products from their own brand CAMON, and in the past 12 months manufacturing output has risen by an impressive 82 per cent. “Innovation is crucial,” explains Alex Pitt, Tracmaster’s director. “Our business will grow from constantly communicating with our existing customers and establishing from them what style or type of machines they would like us to improve and supply them with. If our customers have a need, we must be receptive and respond to it.” www.tracmaster.co.uk
STM sees winter approaching Having just completed an order for five snow blades for attachment to SCAG SWZ Zero-Turn mowers, the first of the year, STM are gearing up for further sales to counter the projected bad weather over the coming months. It makes great sense to be able to put the machines to work outside the grasscutting season and the changeover is quick and 66
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easy. Removing the standard grass-cutting deck and installing a blade takes less than half an hour.
Welcome to the equipment pages of Pro Landscaper, where we will be looking at new products and developments in the market. If you have any stories, please email them to joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com or tweet me @ProLanKit
Trilo introduces first wide mower into the market Trilo has introduced its first wide area mower to market. It is designed for high productivity in the most extreme conditions and has a massive 10.4 metre working width. Exclusively available in the UK through The Grass Group, the Trilo name is synonymous with a range of blowers, scarifiers and vacuum sweepers. The R10’s natural home will be the turf industry where a cutting capacity of 15 acres an hour will make it the ideal partner to the current Trilo turf care range. Its 12 independently mounted 910mm floating cylinder heads follow contours and uneven ground flawlessly, offering a high quality of cut in all weather conditions.
The unit comes with height and angle adjustment, a jockey skid for ease of manoeuvering and a replaceable rubber strip at the base of the blade. We spoke to Jack Aikman of the Land Environment Services division of Glasgow City Council and he sent a picture of some of their SCAG mowers equipped with STM snow blades and ready, whatever the weather. STM also have the Hilltip salt and brine spreader systems
The combination of the open cylinder units and tube frame construction means that clippings are dispersed evenly across the turf. Cutting height can also be quickly and easily adjusted with just the one tool provided with the machine.
The unit is mechanically driven and only requires a tractor with a minimum of 55HP, meaning that substantial fuel savings are achieved over other large area mowers. The unique fully foldable chassis of the R10 reduces the overall width down to 2.5 metres. www.thegrassgroup.com
available. The current range comes in two versions. The smallest is the 100 and is a spreader only, for fitting to an SUV tailgate. The 550 is for fitting to the whole carrying deck on an SUV and has twin features: a hopper for dry product such as salt and a bowser for brine. There is a spraying head that can be positioned for continuous operation or it can be detached for operating by hand. www.st-mach.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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EQUIPMENT
GENERAL LATEST KIT One of the newest products in the SCH (Supplies) stable is the Power Brush (Ref ASPB). The walk behind sweeper, powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine, is ideal for sweeping away debris from patios or any hard surface area either before work commences or as part of the clean-up operation. The ASPB will also sweep away leaves and will tackle light snow. The unit has forward and reverse gears for greater manoeuvrability and can be used with or without the catcher. WWW.SCHSUPPLIES.CO.UK
John Deere Financial is offering interest free finance on the new XUV 855D S4 Gator 4x4 utility vehicle and any John Deere Gator attachments. Purchasers can make
1 + 2 annual payments at zero per cent interest, based on 60 per cent of the recommended retail price. This olive & black four passenger Gator features a 22hp three cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine delivering a top speed of 32mph, with fully independent suspension and power steering as standard. Cargo box, towing and payload capacities are 454kg, 680kg and 635kg. WWW.JOHNDEERE.CO.UK
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The award-winning EcoCombi 150 from GreenMech combines the functions of a chipper and a shredder and is designed with power, strength and flexibility in mind. This trailed unit finds a home among contractors and local authorities who need to process a mixture of wood
The Husqvarna P520D and P525D are our commercially focused out front ride-ons. These machines have everything you need to complete the job with ease, offering unbeatable manoeuvrability and productivity in complex and narrow environments. Powered by Kubota diesel engines, they offer excellent traction and stability thanks to the high performing all wheel drive system. Perfect for contractors, municipalities, or housing agencies, the P520/5D’s front
Fitted with a 350mm Oregon bar, the EGO Power+ chainsaw will make up to a staggering 100 cuts of four inch by four inch softwood per charge of a 2.0Ah 56V EGO battery. It takes chainsaw operation to a new level of safety, convenience, comfort and power. Operating at 6300 rpm, the EGO Power+
and green waste. It has the capacity to deal with up to 150mm of clean timber and a shredding section for up to 50mm of organic material contaminated with soil, stones and green wet waste. It comes with a 35hp water cooled Isuzu diesel engine and uses
mounted cutting deck means the operator has optimised trimming ability as well as accessibility under benches, bushes or around trees, with a clear overview of the cutting deck. WWW.HUSQVARNA.COM/UK
chainsaw has a kickback brake, tool free chain tensioning and a chain scabbard as standard. WWW.EGOPOWERPLUS.COM
GreenMech’s No-Stress feed system and patented Disc-Blade chipping/shredding technology. WWW.GREENMECH.CO.UK
Makita has introduced more tools for grounds care and horticultural operations that are powered by twin 18V lithium-ion batteries, designed to deliver 36V performance whilst offering an economic purchase solution for existing Makita tool owners. Many grounds maintenance professionals and landscapers already have a number of Makita 18V lithium-ion batteries with their Makita power tools and as they are compatible they can be used
to generate 36V energy. Newly released products benefiting from the new Makita twin battery range include a 300mm chainsaw, leaf blower, 550mm hedge trimmer, brush cutter, line trimmer and 380mm walk behind lawn mower for lawns up to 540m². WWW.MAKITAUK.COM
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 67
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CIC 148x105 Ad 11 13:Layout 1 24/10/2013 14:53 Page 1
Quality Nursery Stock for Professional Landscapers. www.plants.co.uk Rachel@plants.co.uk phone 01276 855855 fax 855055
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PEOPLE
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE? RICHARD WADDELL
Job title Principal Landscape Architect & Environmental Coordinator Company name Moore Environment Where are you based? Coleshill, Warwickshire, to the south east of Birmingham Web www.moore-environment.co.uk
wildlife, noise, views, landscape character, archaeology and heritage). We work closely with specialist consultants to figure out how best to integrate development into the landscape with the minimal damage to the environment.
How long have you been in the role? I had my 10 year anniversary in November. I started here when I was studying landscape architecture part time at Birmingham City University (which was UCE back then) and only intended to stay for about two years. I was made principal about two years ago. Who do you report to? Technically, I report to the two directors of the company, however, in effect the directors and I all report to the clients and project managers for each scheme to ensure true integration. Tell us about Moore Environment... Moore Environment is a long established practice that specialises in landscape architecture and environmental assessment, design and management. The firm is a Landscape Institute Registered Practice and is certified as an Associate Assessor by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. The company is committed to providing holistic, sustainable solutions for the design, planning and management of the built and rural environment. What does your job involve? I started my career as a landscape contractor. I loved contracting because the work was extremely varied, some days hard construction, others arboriculture, water features, softworks or maintenance. I like variety in my work, so landscape is perfect. It has taken me to other countries, as far as the USA and South Africa, where they have some of the most amazing www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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plants in the world. I love our holidays in the Mediterranean, marvelling at the plants I have worked with in warmer climates. I made the switch to landscape architecture after thinking there must be a better way to design and maintain the projects I was working on. I started studying part time whilst continuing in the construction industry and although I enjoyed working on the tools, transforming spaces to create great places, I love the work I do now in the planning and design of a project. When I started in landscape architecture, I expected mostly to be working on hard and soft landscape design. Little did I appreciate how much work is involved in the planning stages, including the range of inputs to landscape and environmental design. At Moore Environment, most of our projects start by considering feasibility of various types of development. This includes assessment of the development’s impact on the wider environment (water, air quality, agriculture,
What keeps you interested in your work? The stages that follow, pulling together all of the specialists’ requirements to design a landscape that minimises any damage and allows the development to sit comfortably within the landscape and contribute to the improvement of the environment. Requirements for environmental and landscape design are always changing, with the need to make development sustainable, adhere to regulations and take advantage of new technologies. From SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) to integration of trees into the urban environment and ensuring inclusive access to play and leisure facilities; I love working in a multidisciplinary design team to achieve our objectives. Landscape architecture is as varied and interesting a career as the site work I used to be involved with. We work on all types of development including infrastructure, renewable energy, housing, historic parkland, community parks and green space. I often have days where I have provided input to half a dozen different types of project before I sit down for lunch. Life in landscape is never boring! What’s your favourite part of the job? After planning and design, it’s getting out on site and overseeing the construction of a project. I guess it comes from my early days in contracting, nothing can beat that feeling when you are part of a team that transforms a place for the better. And what do you dislike? People assuming I am an ecologist or just another environmental nut. Pro Landscaper / January 2015 69
17/12/2014 10:28
GroundsCare Products for Turf Teq Landscaping and Garden maintenance machines
The Turf Teq Power Broom is an efficient way of clearing snow from car parks, sports pitches, access roads and pathways. The Broom and Snow Plough attachment have been responsible for keeping key Blue Chip Client HQ’s and public amities clear of snow in preparation for winter gritting.
Please contact us for Purchase or Hire information. GroundsCare Products Tel: 01189 811 313 • Fax: 01189 81 0197 Email: judy.stafford@groundscare-products.co.uk Website: www.groundscare-products.co.uk
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PEOPLE
GRUBBY GARDENERS SPECIAL Pro Landscaper asks quick-fire questions to get a small insight into the people that make up our industry. To take part email lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com
ALEC JONES
DARRAN JAQUES
Masters Student studying Landscape Management
Owner, Urban Creations, SW London and Surrey
Best garden in the UK Wildside by Keith Wiley near Plymouth, Devon Top plant Agapanthus ‘Queen Mum’ Favourite tipple Pint of southwest ale, Doombar or Tribute Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Tour De France Fan ‘Allez Allez’
Most treasured gift My Dawes road bike when I was 14 years old
Your most referred to gardening book of all time Subtropical and Dry Climate Plants, Martin Rix
Your most used saying It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you
Biggest life influence My grandmother
Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Noel Kingsbury, Mark Cavendish, Tom Jones
Your most used saying ‘If you are going to doing something, do it to the best of your ability’
Top plant Trachycarpus fortunei Favourite tipple Well-made cocktails Most treasured gift A Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Oxford University in the boat race
MARCELO SERAFIM
NEIL MILLER
Garden Enthusiast, Leicestershire
Head Gardener, Hever Castle, Kent
Best garden in the UK Audley End in Essex
Most treasured gift Rolex watch
Top plant Roses
Your most used saying or cliché ‘It is what it is’
Favourite tipple Mojito Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Liverpool
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Little Interview TW.indd 71
Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Bette Midler, Hillary Clinton, Ian Thorpe
Your most referred to gardening book of all time The Dr Hessayon Collection
Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Crystal Palace Football Club
Best garden in the UK Obviously Hever Castle, but Chatsworth is a real contender
Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Floating Gardens. Watch this space...
Most treasured gift My dad’s Raymond Weil watch Top plant Plumeria aka Frangipani
Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Bonnie Tyler, Billy Connolly and Dame Edna Everage
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 71
18/12/2014 10:49
PEOPLE
ANDREW LANE
BEN JONES
RHS Garden Wisley Horticulturist (Hardy Ornamental Team)
Freelance Horticulturist and Designer, Cambridge
Your most referred to gardening book of all time RHS Plants and Flowers Best garden in the UK RHS Garden Rosemoor Top plant Kolreutaria paniculata Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Parterres
Biggest life influence Living in India where I worked for Swechha ‘we for change’ foundation Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin and J.R.R Tolkein
Your most referred to gardening book of all time My A-Z Encyclopedia is falling apart Best garden in the UK Beth Chatto’s. Top plant Jacaranda mimosifolia Favourite tipple Still water, why would you want to add sparkles?!
BEN POPE
DANIEL STANTON
Head Gardener, Sussex
BSc Student in Horticulture at Writtle College
Your most referred to gardening book of all time My loyal Hillier’s Trees and Shrubs Manual Best garden in the UK Waltham Place Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Stretching the boundaries of naturalistic planting and growing ornamentals in ‘wild settings’
Top plant Metasequoia glyptostroboides Favourite tipple A good local beer Most treasured gift Time...unhurried spent with family and friends Your most used saying ‘You got health, you got wealth’ from my grandfather
Your most referred to gardening book of all time The New English Garden by Tim Richardson Best garden in the UK Kew Gardens Top plant Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) Most treasured gift A watch my grandfather gave me
MICHAEL PERRY
DAVID LEWIS
New Product Development Manager, Thompson and Morgan
Head Gardener, The Roof Gardens, Kensington
Your most referred to gardening book of all time A-Z of Herbs by Jekka McVicar Best garden in the UK East Ruston Vicarage garden, Norfolk Top plant I have always adored Iris, and now have one tattooed onto my arm
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Favourite tipple Pusser’s 15 year old rum
Pro Landscaper / January 2015
Little Interview TW.indd 72
Favourite tipple White wine goes down well Your most used saying ‘Do you know what I mean?’ it irks me!! Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Madonna, Kylie and Lady Gaga- would like to see how they got on!!
Your most referred to gardening book of all time Vita Sackville-West – Garden Book Best garden in the UK Apart from The Roof Gardens – Hall Farm Garden in Harpswell, Lincolnshire Biggest life influence Diasaku Ikeda
Most treasured gift I have two, my compression socks and a foam roller - post run essentials! Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Great Britain cycling team Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Nelson Mandela, Kelly Starrett and Stephen Fry would bring diversity to conversation
Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Arsenal Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Urban and Rooftop Gardens Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Lord Sugar, Arsene Wenger, Simon Cowell
Favourite tipple Gin and tonic Most treasured gift My daughter’s latest painting she brings home from school Your most used saying ‘Plant it small and let it grow’ Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Bright colours are coming back
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
18/12/2014 10:48
JOBS
For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 586 or email jorgia.nye@eljays44.com with your vacancy
CONTRACTS MANAGER
SOFT LANDSCAPING CO-ORDINATOR
We require a contracts manager with experience of both hard and soft landscaping to implement projects across the North West of England. The role will include procuring materials, instructing site personnel, liaising with customers and total contract administration. A good understanding of landscape construction methods and a commercial awareness are necessary.
An established landscape design and construction company based in Hare Hatch, Berkshire seeks a soft landscaping coordinator to work in conjunction with a high end property developer. The position will be office based but involve regular visits to sites. Excellent plant knowledge, good organisational skills, clean driving licence and communication skills essential. Horticultural qualification or experience desirable.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
LANDSCAPING FOREPERSON X 2
LANDSCAPE FOREPERSON
GardenLink requires a self-motivated person with extensive landscape knowledge and experience, capable of working on their own initiative and in collaboration with management to create top-end gardens. The foreperson will be responsible for supervising GardenLink team members, subcontractors and agency staff when needed. Full, clean driving licence required.
New Eden requires a foreperson responsible for the site based management of all contracted landscaping projects. The position holder will manage and implement all site works, be accountable for the distribution of labour, tools and equipment, oversee all site works in accordance with specifications and company standards, complete projects on time and on budget and liaise with customers, project manager and designer.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
HORTICULTURE COPY WRITER
WHOLESALE NURSERY MANAGER
BARTON GRANGE Preston
GARDENLINK London
ALEXANDER TREDWELL Peterborough
Experienced horticulture copywriter required to join marketing team. Role includes product launches, sourcing images and writing copy for catalogue, website, newsletters, blogs, promotions and PR campaigns. Requirements include interpersonal skills, ability to work under pressure, experience of web based content systems or willingness to learn, an eye for detail and experience of proofing online and offline.
MULBERRY PLANTS Hare Hatch
NEW EDEN Essex
MULBERRY PLANTS Berkshire
Mulberry Plants seeks an ambitious hands-on horticulturist to run a privately owned nursery in Berkshire with the potential to become a stakeholder. You will be responsible for managing the nursery and achieving high standards of customer service and plant husbandry. Must have relevant experience and preferably horticultural qualifications, the ability to achieve targets whilst motivating your team.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
DOMESTIC LANDSCAPES CONTRACT MANAGER
SKILLED LANDSCAPE GARDENER
GAVIN JONES Surrey
Gavin Jones seeks a domestic landscapes contracts manager. The role includes contract management, tendering, management and development of landscape teams and customer networks.You are a dynamic team player with leadership skills, commercial awareness and a track record of working on landscaping contracts from a practical and managerial perspective. Recognisable qualification in horticulture or landscaping an advantage, full UK driving licence essential. Attractive salary and career development. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
JOBS 2.indd 73
THE OUTDOOR ROOM Cowfold
The right candidate should be positive, self-motivated, enthusiastic and be able to use their initiative. They also need to be flexible, organised and willing to undertake any required training. Must have at least five years’ experience in hard and soft landscaping, be able to read plans, fully H&S compliant (CSCS card preferable). Full, clean driving licence essential.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
Pro Landscaper / January 2015 73
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CLASSIFIED
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LANDMARK Timber Products www.oxfordplanters.co.uk Providers of English Handcrafted Planters and Outdoor Furniture in Oak, Iroko or Accoya. Other services include a bespoke joinery service for all interior & exterior design. For more information email info@oxfordplanters.co.uk or call 01608 683022 For all horticultural and Garden design enquiries please contact Martin on 07765 188725 or email info@martincadams.co.uk All products manufactured in the Cotswolds using sustainable www.landmarktimber.co.uk 0808timber. 129
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For all your golf, sportsturf and landscape irrigation needs.
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J os ep h R o ch fo rd Gard en s Ltd, Pi p ers En d, Letty Green , H ertfo rd, S G1 4 2 PB Tel : 0 1 7 0 7 2 6 1 3 7 0 F ax : 0 1 7 0 7 2 6 2 8 4 7 Em ai l : sal es @ ro ch fo rds .n et
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IT’S A CAREER, NOT JUST A JOB
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An impressive entrance AND MAINTAIN to a grand manor house
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OUT & ABOUT
ARE YOU GOING?
STONE ON SHOW
AT THE RHS SLOPE MOWERS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW Let’s Hear it From... Mike Cafferky, Operations Director of P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd
Portfolios See how three companies design and implement their projects
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Green Roofs A look at the future of green roofing
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Pro Landscaper / January 2015
UPDATE SOUTH
Let’s Hear it from...
BALI Anniversary
Portfolios
Andrew Wilson, Wilson McWilliam Studio
The association celebrates 40 years serving the trade
See how three companies implemented their projects
20/11/2014 17:55
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Transformation of a tired garden with wooden structures and herbaceous planting
LET’S HEAR IT FROM
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Cover.indd 4
EDUCATING THE FUTURE:
HEAR FRANK CURRYLET’S IT FROM 20/06/2013 09:10
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ALL MATERIALS The New Prof 5 Shredder • • • •
LANDMARK Timber Products Makes easy work of branches, wet green waste and mixed leafage 4 Season shredder is effective in all conditions Smooth and easy suction feed system Produces easily compostable BioTech™ chips
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Trailers Brian James plant trailer: 14ft X 6ft, twin axle Ifor Williams GX84 trailer: 8ft X 4ft, GW: 2700kg, twin axle Ifor Williams GX105 trailer: 10ft X 5ft, GW: 3500kg, twin ax. Ifor Williams GD126 trailer: 12ft X 6ft, twin axle Indespension trailer: 12ft X 5.6ft, GW: 2600kg, twin axle Elston trailer: 10ft x 5ft, twin axle Marshall Tipping Trailer: 3tonne, drop-sides, lights, brake
£ 2’000 £ 1’750 £ 1’700 £ 1’550 £ 1’400 £ 1’250 £ 1’375
Ride-On Tractor Mowers John Deere X748: 48” RD deck, 4WD, HST – choice of 2 John Deere X740: 54” SD deck, low-tip coll. – choice of 2 John Deere X495: 48” SD deck, 2WD, HST – choice of 2 John Deere 355D: 48” SD/Mulch, 2WD, diesel – 1738hrs John Deere GX355: 48” SD deck, 2WD, diesel – 901hrs John Deere X320: 48” SD deck, 2WD, petrol – 195hrs John Deere L107: 42” SD deck, 2WD, petrol – 197hrs Stiga Villa 16: 37” front mount deck, 15hp B&S, 2WD
£ 6’750 £ 6’250 £ 5’500 £ 3’000 £ 3’000 £ 2’500 £ 1’250 £ 1’500
Ride-On Out Front Rotary Mowers Ferris IS1500Z: 44” RD deck, 19hp, 2WD, HST drive – choice of 2 John Deere 1445: 60” SD deck, FULL CAB, Yr 2006 – 2126hrs John Deere 1445: 62” RD deck, 31hp, 4WD – choice of 4 from: John Deere 1565: 62” RD deck, 38hp, 4WD, FULL CAB – 1044hrs John Deere 1600T: 128” cutting width, 64hp, canopy – choice of 3 from: John Deere 997 Zero Turn Mower: 60” width of cut, 30hp – 291hrs John Deere F1145: 60” Trimax flail deck, 28hp – 1744hrs Ransome HR6010 Batwing mower – choice of 2 Scag Z Cat Zero Turn Mower: 36” RD deck, 19hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 667hrs
£ 3’250 £ 9’750 £ 7’000 £ 10’500 £ 8’500 £ 11’000 £ 4’500 £ POA £ 2’250
Ride-On Cylinder Mowers John Deere 2500: 22” 11 blade units, smooth tyres – 2881hrs £ 6’000 John Deere 2500A: 22” 11 blade units c/w: brushes, grass boxes – 3144hrs £ 5’000 John Deere 2653A: 3WD, grass box kits – choice of 3 £ 7’000 John Deere 2653A, 26” 8 blade units, spiral rollers, rear scrapers – 2534hrs £ 5’500 John Deere 3225C: 5 x 7 blade units, r.roller brushes, 38hp, 4WD – 2217hrs £ 8’000 John Deere 3235B: 5 x 8 blade ESP units, 38hp, 4WD – 2691hrs £ 7’500 John Deere 3235B: 22” 8 blade units, 35hp, 4WD, FULL CAB – 2708hrs £ 6’500 Hayter LT324 Triple: 10” fixed heads, 6 blade units, 4WD – choice of 5 from: £ 6’500 Hayter 30”golf, units, 6 sportsturf blade (one with cab) of 2 from: needs. £ 9’000 For allT424: your and– choice landscape irrigation John Deere 900 Triple: 30” fixed heads, 28hp, 4WD, HST drive – 1129hrs £ 5’500 Buy online Jacobsen G Plex:at 2 xwww.lws.uk.com set of greens units & 1 x set of scarifying units £ 5’500 Roberine 900 Triple: 30” fixed heads, 28hp, 4WD, HST – choice of 2 £ 5’500 Toro Reelmaster 5510: 22” 8 blade units, grass boxes, 35hp, 2WD – 1273hrs £ 9’750 Attachments / Accessories John Deere TC125 debris collector: 1.25m sweeping width £ 2’750 Lewis Land Lord 300s back hoe for compact tractor £ 2’500 Hardi Sprayer: 6m spray boom width, 200l tank, D600 pump £ 2’445 Green-Tek Aero Quick: 1.5m slitter c/w: extra set of slitters £ 2’250 John Deere 72” rotary deck – to fit 4000 series tractor £ 2’000 Pro-Seed 1.1m•working width, Sarel roller £ 2’000 Tel 0345Overseeder: 230 9697 www.lws.uk.com Wessex RC150 Rotovator: 1.5m working width, req. min. 25hp tractor £ 1’750 Green-Tek Greens Groomer: 6ft working width, mounts to 3pt linkage £ 1’550 6ft Sweeping brush – Hydraulic angling £ 1’500 Ransome Trailed Gangs: 3 set, wheel driven £ 1’500 www.prolandscapermagazine.com Ransome Trailed Gangs: 3 set, wheel driven £ 1’200 STM Super Flail 52: 52” front mounted flail mower £ 1’000 Kubota Rotovator: 40” working width, c/w: new tines, req. min. 20hp tractor £ 850 Kilworth post knocker £ 400 Kubota pallet forks: Max. 1000kg load £ 250
Visit our website: www.balmersgm.com
T: 01282 453900 E: sales@balmersgm.com
Balmers GM, Trafalgar Street, Burnley, Lancs, BB11 1TQ www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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The best just got better… Avanti
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Vision
No. 1 for… • Product Innovation • Quality • Service
Call 01425 627832 or email info@namgrass.co.uk for an updated FREE sample box and pricing. www.namgrass.co.uk Namgrass UK, Redcliffe, Bashley Road, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 5RY
P48_LONDONSTONE.indd P38_PALMSTEAD.indd 1 1
the artificial grass brand
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