Pro Landscaper July 2019

JULY 2O19

TUSCAN CHARM CAROL BRIDGES

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

BESIDE THE SEASIDE

PREVIEW SPECIAL

VIRTUAL VISION

Dave Twist, Elite Landscapes

James Jones-McFarland, Arun District Council

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Luke Mills on virtual reality in garden design

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WELCOME

W E LCO M E W

this year’s FutureScape event. Held on Tuesday 19 November 2019 at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, it promises to be the best one yet.

We hope you enjoy this issue, it has so much to keep you informed and entertained. We caught up with Dave and Diana Twist of Elite Landscapes, a great company that is working on some of the most exclusive projects around London. It was also great to get involved with the parks manager at our own local council, Arun. Mewsbrook Park is just a stone’s throw from our office and we’ve enjoyed spending many hours there over the 20 years we’ve been in the area.

With entries open for this year’s 30 Under 30: The Next Generation, we find out what four previous winners who are involved in this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival are doing – check this out on page 62. There is so much great content to choose from this month, so why not just take a moment, put the kettle on, sit back and lose yourself for a while.

IT’S BEEN GREAT TO HEAR JUST HOW EMBEDDED PRO LANDSCAPER HAS BECOME WITHIN THIS GREAT INDUSTRY

Have a great month,

JIM & LISA

©Tim Crocker

e’d like to start this month’s introduction by thanking everyone who took the time and effort to congratulate us on the new Pro Landscaper, we really appreciated the kind words and are really pleased that the changes have been so positively received.

It was a big investment for us and we were keen to deliver what the market wanted. Even though we researched the changes and spoke to landscapers, designers and landscape architects prior to the alterations, it only really hit home when the wider audience received the new magazine. Also, it’s been great to realise just how embedded Pro Landscaper has become within this great industry.

We hope to continue to inform, inspire and educate you all for a long time to come.

It seems to have been a really busy month. We had our last planned Pro Landscaper LIVE for the year in Kent, which was a bustling event with excellent topics and debates. We’d like to extend our thanks to the visitors, exhibitors, panellists and speakers of this year’s series of events, as without your support we wouldn’t be able to run them. We will shortly be announcing our 2020 plans, but of course the focus is now strongly directed towards

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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CONTENTS

INSPIRE

33

INFORM 08 10 14 17 22 26 27 28 29 30 33 4

genda A Is design and build the future?

News Our monthly roundup of industry news Future Projects Site Tour Eiffel Let’s Hear It From Dave Twist Company Profile Bushy Business View from the Top Nick Temple-Heald Small is Challenging Andrew Wilson Pricing Holly Youde Touching the Surface Manoj Malde Rain or Shine Katja Griffiths Beside the Seaside Arun District Council

Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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39 42 46 50 54 56 57

Landscaping Abroad Jade Goto Studio Raised Retreat LUC Tuscan Charm Carol Bridges Landscape Architect’s Journal Bradley Murphy Design Looks for Stylish Weekends Debs Winrow Latest Products Planters RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival preview

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83

NURTURE 71 76 78 81 83 84

Feature Garden Leonardslee Gardens The British Standard for Topsoil Tim O’Hare A Buzzing Urban Garden Allison Walters Aftercare or Maintenance Chris Stone Nursery Focus Ladybrook Nursery Ashford’s New Wonderwall A living walls case study

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CONTENTS

J U LY 2 01 9 E D U C AT E 89 90 91 93 97 100 103 104 107 108 109 111

Virtual Vision Luke Mills Are You Switched On? Neil Parslow Bright Sparks Angus Lindsay Arb Kit Chainsaw focus It’s okay not to be okay Mental health focus Investors in Staff Ground Control Attracting the Right Candidates ESL Filling the Gap BOST Product DNA Pictorial Meadows Inside Conica Survey Resin Bond/Bound Decking Out Hard/Softwood Decking

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122

PEOPLE 115 118 120 122 123 125 130

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Out and About Pro Landscaper Live and RHS Chatsworth Life/Style Dan Bowyer JULY 2O19

30 Under 30 Noemi Mercurelli What’s Your Role?

Paul Stone What I’m Reading Lawrence Roberts Ride Go Landscape Meet the riders Little Interviews Quick-fire questions with the individuals who make up our industry

TUSCAN CHARM CAROL BRIDGES

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

BESIDE THE SEASIDE

PREVIEW SPECIAL

VIRTUAL VISION

Dave Twist, Elite Landscapes

James Jones-McFarland, Arun District Council

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Luke Mills on virtual reality in garden design

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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CONTRIBUTORS

CO N T R I B U TO R S Manoj Malde Principle designer Manoj Malde explains why designers should consider encouraging their clients to select permeable paving. Manoj explains that, as a designer, it is his duty to make sure his clients utilise their front property areas as gardens first and foremost, rather than parking spaces, and make sure they are correctly informed when it comes to the materials they can incorporate.

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NICK TEMPLE-HEALD P26

W W W.MANOJMALDEGARDENDESIGN.CO.UK @MANOJ_MALDE

Tim O’Hare

HOLLY YOUDE P28

Tim O’Hare, principle consultant at Tim O’Hare Associates, discusses the British Standard for topsoil. Tim O’Hare Associates have been advising on topsoil for over 20 years. In his piece, Tim provides detailed information, along with diagrams which outline the recommended values for soil. Regarding the correct depth for tree pits, the misuse of the British Standard is also brought to light.

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W W W.TIMOHARE-ASSOCIATES.COM @TOHA_SOIL

DEBS WINROW P54

Luke Mills Our new contributor this month is director of The Landscape Service, Luke Mills. In the first of his three part series, Luke explains how utilising virtual reality is highly beneficial for not only garden designers but their clients as well.

Luke details how VR works, how walkthrough animations can be used, along with exciting features such as sound and the effects of the changing seasons.

P89

W W W.THELANDSCAPESERVICE.COM @LANDSCAPESERV NEIL PARSLOW P90

Chris Stone Founding director of award-winning RHS and APL garden design company Bushy Business Ltd, Chris Stone starts his three part series off by discussing the differences and importance of both aftercare and maintenance. Chris discusses how aftercare and maintenance are undervalued by the industry and should be at the forefront of peoples minds on a new garden’s completion.

CONTACT

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W W W.BUSHYBUSINESS.COM @BUSHYBUSINESS

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

ADVERTISING Business development manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585

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

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Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2019 subscription price is £95.

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

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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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Pro Landscaper is proud to be an affiliate member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

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MANAGEMENT Managing Director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager Jamie Wilkinson Cover image ©Carol Bridges

Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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INFORM

AGENDA

ARE DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANIES THE FUTURE OF LANDSCAPING? Ross Conquest

Andrew Wilson

Emily Barnes

MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONQUEST CREATIVE SPACES

DIRECTOR, LONDON COLLEGE OF GARDEN DESIGN

GARDEN DESIGN STUDENT, UNIVERSIT Y OF SHEFFIELD

No and yes. What is the definition of a design and build company in our industry – what design packages are being offered?

A hand drawing versus 3D renders with night visuals provides quite the comparison, so it’s interesting seeing

Some clients might prefer a ‘one stop shop’ but most need to know they have a competitive price. If all landscapers were design and build, then that may be more easily obtained.

For the landscaper, we work with many who appreciate the independence of the designer who may bring more challenging work to the table. For landscapers who appreciate design quality, working with independent designers would still appeal.

For the designer, those who seek a quality of delivery would still look for build-only landscapers as a much closer working relationship would be possible. I have no great interest in working with landscapers

In my opinion, no. From the point of view of a designer, I think it’s valuable to have a good relationship with a contracting company, but I think the two are very separate. They could and perhaps should

OUR INDUSTRY CONSTANTLY EVOLVES AND WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER how much of a service some companies are offering. There are a lot of viable set-ups in the industry. Landscape companies are running design studio’s in parallel with their installation team, some landscaping companies only do installations for designers and some even run their design studio separately to their installation companies.

Our industry constantly evolves and we are all in it together as a team. That’s what’s key to successful design and build projects, regardless of who the principle designer is. Whether it’s in-house or not, it’s a process and one that should be respected and charged for with expectations met.

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SOME CLIENTS MIGHT PREFER A ‘ONE STOP SHOP’ BUT MOST NEED TO KNOW THEY HAVE A COMPETITIVE PRICE who employ in-house designers and therefore provide production drawings.

For us, that’s a really important part of the overall design delivery and how we control quality. I definitely do not want to see design as a free service or loss leader.

I’M ONLY VERY NEW TO THE INDUSTRY BUT FROM A DESIGN POINT OF VIEW, THE DESIGN QUALITY ISN’T ALWAYS AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE be kept separate to keep the integrity of both services. I don’t know what the future will be but that’s my opinion at this point in time.

As a garden design student, I’m still only new to the industry, but from a design point of view, the design quality isn’t always as good as it could be, and that is something I wouldn’t want to see happen in the industry.

Maybe if it’s a large company that has a specialist design side on board, then perhaps it would work. For small companies, I think it’s certainly better to keep it separate.

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20/06/2019 18:00

INFORM

Caroline Wasmuth

Chris Chippendale

Lee Bestall

DIRECTOR, RYAN ALEX ANDER AND ASSOCIATES

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND ACTING ECOLOGY MANAGER, GROUND CONTROL

MD AND FOUNDER, BESTALL & CO

I truly understand that when people are growing a business, they need to wear lots of different hats, which is what we have done at Ryan Alexander and Associates.

But, as time goes on and you want to refine your company and really look at what you’re trying to bring to the industry I think

I THINK EARLY ON YOU’VE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT PEOPLE NEED TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY WHEN THEY SAY LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND BUILD you need to really look at what you want to specialise in. I would say that with any industry though, as time goes on and with your own personal development, you want to look at what you want to focus on. From our perspective, we know what our key strength is and that’s what we want to bring to the table.

You really do need to look at your team and ask yourself what you’re trying to do.

I think early on you’ve got to do everything, but people need to think very carefully when they say landscape design and build: can they actually design?

It’s a whole different process that I think a lot of people just decide to chuck out there. There’s an enormous difference between working with someone like Ryan Alexander and a designer who is on a higher level.

Even though Ryan has been to college and is a really respectable and talented designer, you’re dealing with a completely different market.

Ground Control operates both through traditional mechanisms and design and build, of which procurement on a design and build basis is becoming ever more popular. In my opinion it provides great opportunities for designers, contractors and clients. Traditionally, design and build was largely centred within the play company and domestic market, however, commercial clients are increasingly choosing this approach, seeking a ‘one stop shop’. This gives greater flexibility, reduces risk and has ease of delivery. It is seen particularly on local authority and large, complex, high-end schemes.

For me, collaboration is a key element to the success of design and build. This was the heart of our recent Children’s Garden project at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, breaking down the traditional divides of designer, contractor and client, and focusing on a single project team ethos.

TRADITIONALLY DESIGN AND BUILD WAS LARGELY CENTRED WITHIN THE PLAY COMPANY AND DOMESTIC MARKET This benefits the smooth-running of these projects, and results with designers and contractors drawing upon the experience in the creation of a shared vision, that is buildable, and executing the scheme with fine details to high quality. I think it’s these benefits that will see a rise in the number of projects delivered by design and build companies, promoting an increased unity and collaborative way of working.

For the domestic market in which we operate, I’d say yes. I think they probably are. Although, I believe there will always be people who want to do one or the other.

For me though, there are two significant differences I feel I need to clarify, design and build and build and design.

A DESIGNER WHO ALSO BUILDS GARDENS WILL NATURALLY PUSH BOUNDARIES, EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFICULT TO SOURCE MATERIALS The former with a designer at the helm, and the latter a landscaper, and I think when you view an image of a finished garden, you can usually tell who created which one.

A designer who also builds gardens, will naturally push boundaries, experiment with difficult-to-source materials, and their gardens will generally have a more plant-like feel, sexier lighting and greater atmosphere. In contrast to a more hardscape lead landscape with less curves, more widely available materials and limited plant choice.

The diversity of both is great, as both have their own market, and obviously I’m generalising here, but I definitely think there’s something in it.

N E X T M O N T H : S H O U L D D E S I G N E R S B E E N C O U R AG I N G C L I E N TS TO H AV E M O R E N AT U R A L I ST I C G A R D E N S ?

H AV E YO U R S AY: C O N T E N T@ E L J AYS 4 4 .C O M

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INFORM

NEWS

L A N DSCAPE IN STITUTE E L ECTION R ESU LTS AN N OUN CE D

£11M INITIATIVE LAUNCHED TO SAVE GREEN SPACES

A

multi-million-pound initiative to secure the future of the UK’s urban parks and green spaces has been launched.

In the first project of its kind in the UK, eight urban areas are joining forces in a pioneering

C HATSWO RT H B EG I N S BIGGEST GA RD EN TR A NSFO RM AT I O N FO R 20 0 Y E A RS

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J

ane Findlay has been announced as the next president of the Landscape Institute (LI), which will welcome 12 new members to its Board of Trustees and Advisory Council on 1 July. The results were announced at a members-only reception on 7 June, following the association’s annual elections.

Jane received 370 out of 907 votes to become president elect of the Landscape Institute. The next vice president will be Carolin Göhler and honorary secretary Romy Rawlings.

LI President Adam White was thrilled to see such a high turnout in this year’s elections – 988 ballots were returned in total (19.2%), the highest since 2011. “The LI’s efforts these past two years have centred around

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collaboration, engagement and inclusive growth,” says Adam.

“We’re thrilled to see so many members responding to this positive message and taking the opportunity to have a direct say in how their Institute is run. It’s also great to see a diverse list of candidates, with different disciplines, ethnic and regional backgrounds represented.

We’re particularly delighted that so many leading women in the landscape profession stood for election.”

Adam will continue to work with the new Board and Council as president until July 2020, and then until July 2021 in the role of immediate past president. www.landscapeinstitute.org

he world-famous 105-acre garden at Chatsworth in the Peak District has begun its biggest transformation since Joseph Paxton’s work finished more than 200 years ago.

An undeveloped 15-acre area known as Arcadia will lead the way in a programme that includes the clearance of previously inaccessible areas, large-scale structure installations and new sculpture commissions.

It will also include the movement and addition of hundreds of tonnes of rock, more than 100,000 new plants and hundreds of new trees. New pathways will also take visitors into underexplored areas of the garden.

When the initial works are complete, in approximately three years’ time, more than 25 acres of garden will have been transformed.

Principally the Rockery, the Maze area, the Ravine, the Trout Stream and Jack Pond, as well as the Arcadia area, which is supported by Gucci.

Working under the direction of Steve Porter, Chatsworth’s head of gardens and landscape, Tom Stuart-Smith will lead the project to design and make major alterations across the garden with work having already begun in the Rockery. www.chatsworth.org

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20/06/2019 16:26

INFORM

NEWS IN BRIEF programme designed to find sustainable ways to manage and fund parks and open spaces across entire towns and cities. The eight places, covering a population of five million people, were chosen in a UK-wide national competition.

The Future Parks initiative is investing more than £6m of National Lottery and government funding. The National Trust has also pledged £5m worth of advice and support from some of the country’s leading

experts in conservation, fundraising, volunteering and green space management.

They were selected for their ambitious and creative plans to put green spaces right at the heart of local communities. They are Birmingham; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Bristol; Cambridgeshire (countywide, covering seven council areas); Edinburgh; Islington and Camden; Nottingham; and Plymouth. www.futureparks.org

NEW COOL GARDEN AT RHS GARDEN ROSEMOOR A new Cool Garden designed by Jo Thompson will open at RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon, in July 2019. The new garden, centred on the use of water, will provide a calming contrast to the fiery colours of the nearby Hot Garden. www.rhs.org.uk

BBC GARDENERS’ WORLD LIVE 2019 AWARDS ANNOUNCED The winners were announced at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC in June, with two gardens – Alexandra Froggatt’s ‘The Watchmakers Garden’ and Lucy Bravington’s ‘High Line’ show garden – scooping Platinum Awards, the highest accolade at the show. www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

BA L I’S SCH E ME WIT H DR AWS A LL IN DUST RY ACCR E DITAT IO N CA RDS

T

he Land-based Industry Skills Scheme (LISS) and Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is a jointly managed scheme (LISS/CSCS) administered by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI). It enables the holder to work on live commercial landbased or construction sites.

The scheme recognises qualifications and training experience, in turn improving employment prospects and enabling the ability to tender for commercial work that requires a LISS/CSCS SmartCard.

It is a standalone scheme but is also a requirement of the National Highways Sector Scheme 18 (Land-based). For all full operational SmartCard levels, the minimum requirement is the ROLO Health, Safety and Environmental Awareness Course and the CITB Touch Screen Test appropriate to your SmartCard level.

With the withdrawal of the Construction Related Occupation card and the planned

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removal of the Site Visitor card, the next step is the withdrawal of cards issued under Industry Accreditation.

Industry Accreditation, also known as Grandfather Rights, allowed workers to obtain LISS/CSCS cards on the strength of an employers’ recommendation rather than the achievement of a recognised qualification. LISS/CSCS closed Industry Accreditation to new applicants in 2014, but those already holding a card are currently able to renew on the same basis.

LISS/CSCS is led by CSCS who have consulted with the industry and agreed a plan that will pave the way for the withdrawal of cards issued under Industry Accreditation.

From 1st January 2020, all LISS/CSCS cards renewed under Industry Accreditation will expire on 31 December 2024 and CSCS will stop issuing the card from 30 June 2024.

To find out more information or to apply for a SmartCard visit: www.bali.org.uk/lisscscs

APPRENTICES STEP UP TO FULLTIME POSITIONS AT CGM GROUP Two apprentices have accepted full-time positions with a commercial landscaping company. Josh Clark and Liam Jarred both completed their apprenticeships with CGM Group, based in Downham Market, Norfolk, and have now been employed by the company. www.countrygroundsmaintenance.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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21/06/2019 10:47

INFORM

NEWS FROM THE WEBSITE RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL: THE FOREST WILL SEE YOU NOW

UK TO ERADICATE ITS NET CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Pro Landscaper interviewed garden designer Michelle Brandon, who is showcasing ‘The Forest Will See You Now’ at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. To find out more about the garden, visit: www.prolandscapermagazine.com/rhshampton-court-palace-garden-festivalthe-forest-will-see-you-now

T BEHIND THE SCENES OF FIVE SEASONS: THE GARDEN OF PIET OUDOLF Pro Landscaper spoke to Thomas Piper, director of Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf. To find out more about his inspiration behind the documentary and how he went about making it, visit: www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ behind-the-scenes-of-five-seasons-thegardens-of-piet-oudolf

he Prime Minister has announced that the UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050.

The statutory instrument to implement was laid in Parliament Wednesday 12 June. This will amend the Climate Change Act 2008.

PM Theresa May will also meet young science and engineering students to discuss the ambitious new target, which is based on advice from independent experts – the Committee on Climate Change.

In its report, the committee forecast significant benefits to public health and savings to the NHS due to better air quality, less noise pollution and improved biodiversity. This

legislation will mean that the UK is on track to become the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions.

The UK will conduct a further assessment within five years to confirm that other countries are taking similarly ambitious action. “As the first country to legislate for long-term climate targets, we can be truly proud of our record in tackling climate change,” says PM Theresa May. “We have made huge progress in growing our economy and the jobs market while slashing emissions. Now is the time to go further and faster to safeguard the environment for our children.” www.gov.uk

MITIE GETS GREEN LIGHT ON INTEGRATED FM CONTRACT WITH TOYOTA VIDEO: HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHILDREN’S GARDEN AT KEW? Pro Landscaper headed to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to take a look around its latest garden, The Children’s Garden. Take a look at our video as we take you through the different areas of the garden at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ have-you-seen-the-childrens-gardenat-kew

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itie has secured a new five-year integrated facilities management contract with Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK. The contract will amalgamate many different outside contracts under one management structure and will include the provision of infrastructure maintenance, cleaning and grounds maintenance services to the manufacturing plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.

The contract showcases Mitie’s specialist skills across a range of facilities management services, and to complete the first wave of services, Mitie will provide grounds maintenance for the 150ha facility. This includes the plant’s local nature reserve, which Mitie will be caring for

alongside the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. The site sits within the Trent Valley, a landscape formerly rich in wetland habitats and a major migratory route for birds in England.

A key reason for Mitie’s selection is the cultural alignment between the two businesses.

Mitie staff working at the plant will adopt Toyota’s ‘Kaizen’ philosophy, which encourages employees at all levels to focus on continuous improvement in every process, driving efficiency. www.mitie.com

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20/06/2019 16:27

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INFORM

FUTURE PROJECTS T

Site Tour Eiffel Paris, France

WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SITE TOUR EIFFEL PROJECT AWARDED TO GUSTAFSON PORTER + BOWMAN

BY THE CITY OF PARIS, WHICH WILL SEE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE LANDSCAPE SURROUNDING ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD

his year marked 130 years since the envisions one readable landscape that reveals Eiffel Tower was erected, rising over unity, continuity and diversity. Mary Bowman, 300m it became, at the time, the partner at Gustafson Porter + Bowman said the tallest tower in the world, scheme, “aims to breathe new life and remains the tallest structure in into a historic landscape, creating a Paris. At the time of construction, the 21st century destination for one of metal tower was shrouded in Paris’ largest parks.” controversy and debate, receiving The design sees the Eiffel Tower criticism from some of the biggest at the centre of a line which connects names in art and literature. The the Place du Trocadéro, the Palais de disapproval soon evaporated once Chaillot, the Pont d’Iéna, the Champ EVERY YEAR the Eiffel Tower was completed, with de Mars and the Ecole Militaire. New two million people visiting during the perspectives have been shaped, and World’s Fair of 1889. Today that a central green axis creates a sense number stands at 30 million visitors of arrival throughout, drawing every year, but this astonishing visitors in and pulling them towards number has had serious implications the Eiffel Tower. At the Place du on the site. A victim of its own Trocadéro, a new amphitheatre of popularity, the landmark struggles greenery will be constructed with with overcrowding, impaired more public space developed from accessibility, lack of services the Varsovie Fountains towards the and congested gardens.

Pont d’Iéna. The bridge will be In order to accommodate the reincarnated as a green promenade, astounding number of visitors, the leading visitors towards the gardens, EIFFEL City of Paris launched a competition and the forecourt of the Eiffel Tower TOWER to transform the landscape will host additional services and surrounding the structure. It had a facilities tucked away amongst the vision of a resilient, inclusive and trees. Pedestrian accessibility and environmentally-oriented future for city circulation will be improved the Eiffel Tower. The brief was simple across the whole of the project, THIS YEAR – discover, approach, visit. looking at the optimisation of traffic Chosen from 42 other entries, it management surrounding the site. was Gustafson Porter + Bowman that The heritage of the site will not be created the winning proposal. Its OnE scheme lost though. Alongside the implementation of contemporary lighting which will be redesigned throughout the site, heritage lighting will also be modernised without losing its aesthetic, and the renovation of the lawns will be based on historical studies. The OnE proposal brings together two historic landscape typologies – powerful classical French gardens and experimental French picturesque gardens. As founding partner of Atelier Monchecourt & Co., Bertrand Monchecourt summarises, OnE offers

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“a project in heritage, in continuity and in reference to its history, but without prohibiting an orientation towards the future.”

The project reaches further than just how the site will look and feel. Laure ConfavreuxColliex, executive director at Manifesto – the art, culture and event planning team on the project – says the space will be much more than purely aesthetic, “for both tourists and Parisians, this large park will host dance courses, facilities, events, and gardens.”

A PROJECT IN HERITAGE, IN CONTINUITY AND IN REFERENCE TO ITS HISTORY, BUT WITHOUT PROHIBITING AN ORIENTATION TOWARDS THE FUTURE Gustafson Porter + Bowman aim to continue the spirit of open and enthusiastic collaboration which began during the competition, leading their team of international, multi-disciplinary designers and consultants. This project is especially meaningful to Kathryn Gustafson, founding partner of Gustafson Porter + Bowman, having studied in Paris she would pass the Eiffel Tower every day. “The Eiffel Tower reminds me that patrimony means

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P R OJ ECT D E TA I L S ©Gustafson Porter + Bowman

Client City of Paris Eiffel Tower Team Landscape Architecture Gustafson Porter + Bowman Architecture Chartier-Corbasson Architects Heritage Architects Atelier Monchecourt & Co Civil Engineering MA-GEO

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©MIR (www.mir.no) for Gustafson Porter + Bowman

leaving something better for future generations,” Kathryn says on the importance of such a project.

The interconnectivity of the design, with one central axis which stretches from West to East, echoes Gustafson Porter + Bowman’s belief in the connectivity of the West and East of the world, envisioning one humanity, one planet and a unified environmental approach towards the future, “The City of Paris and the OnE proposal represent the vanguard of instituting environmental resilience into an urban context.”

2023 is the goal for the first phase of the redevelopment, as part of the city’s showcase for the 2024 Olympic games.

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20/06/2019 14:47

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06/06/2019 11:30 09:58 20/06/2019

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Let ’s Hear it From

DAVE TWIST ELITE LANDSCAPES LTD

TWO DECADES AGO, DAVE AND DIANA T WIST FOUNDED ELITE LANDSCAPES, A COMPANY WHICH NOW BOASTS A TURNOVER OF £22M AND HAS BECOME KNOWN FOR ITS QUALITY COMMERCIAL BUILDS. THEY EXPLAIN HOW THE BUSINESS HAS EVOLVED

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ince it was founded 20 years ago, Elite Landscapes has truly been living up to its name. It started out working on high-end domestic projects and has grown to work solely on some of the most high-profile commercial external landscape projects. For example, its high-class Fulham Riverside scheme: the £4.5m project picked up a BALI Award in 2016, and Elite now has six prestigious BALI Awards to its name.

More recently, it scooped the top award in the Commercial Build category at the inaugural Pro Landscaper Podium Awards earlier this year.

The client for this project was Barratt Homes. It’s through building rapport with clients that has led Elite Landscapes to have a turnover in excess of £22m, working with some of the leading property developers in the country. Its first ever commercial project was for Skanska at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, redeveloping two small courtyards. From there, came an opportunity to do some small redevelopment works for St George Developments at Imperial Wharf in Fulham – from that contract on, the work has never stopped rolling in.

The Burnham-based company now focuses on commercial projects in the south-east of England, valued between £150k and £8m. Most of its work is directly through the client rather than the main contractor, and its reputation has been built around quality. “Fundamentally, what

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we sell to the client is our ability to undertake construction of hard and soft landscaping works to any development as a whole package and turn it into a high quality landscape environment,” says managing director Dave Twist. “Elite also undertakes full maintenance of completed schemes. In a nutshell, Elite strives to offer a one stop shop, where we take the full project management, and more importantly, the risk associated with installing the full external footprint to any development.

“A lot of our work is podium landscapes due to the nature of the sites we work on within inner city areas – even if it’s on ground level, it’s usually above an underground carpark, such as Battersea Reach for St George Developments, a site we’ve been on for nearly a decade that is just coming up to completion.”

Dave, and his wife Diana, attribute a large part of the company’s success to the competency of their key staff. “Our project managers are phenomenal,” says Diana. “They

IT’S THROUGH BUILDING RAPPORT WITH CLIENTS THAT HAS LED ELITE LANDSCAPES TO HAVE A TURNOVER IN EXCESS OF £22M

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have really strong values which shine through.”

The founders continue to have a hands-on approach, and Dave’s extensive CV shows how beneficial this is to Elite Landscapes. He started his career in the horticulture industry when he was still at school, working in a dahlia nursery every weekend. At the age of 16, he went to work at RHS Garden Wisley for two years, gaining the Wisley certificate and his City & Guilds NVQ Level 1 and 2 qualifications as an apprentice in horticulture. “I lived above the restaurant, spending three months in each department gaining valuable practical experience in the full range of skills,” says Dave.

“It’s amazing how often I refer back to my time at Wisley. The soft landscape side is the harder side of the business. It’s easier, in some ways, to get good pavers and people with good construction knowledge, but not so easy to look at the job as a whole.

“My comprehensive knowledge enables me to advise Elite’s clients on all aspects of landscape construction, hence we are able to offer the one stop shop for developers.”

He went on to gain his Ordinary National Diploma (OND) at Askham Bryan College, rooming alongside Mark Gregory, managing director of Landform Consultants. Whilst studying at the college, Dave spent a year undertaking work experience at Regent’s Park and was given the opportunity to take part in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, helping to create the central memorial stand for the Royal Parks to commemorate the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

After later completing an RHS Masters in Horticulture at Writtle University College, Dave began working at Mote Park for Maidstone Borough Council for two and a half years before taking the opportunity to work in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He spent two years undertaking the landscape design and build for the large

residential developments in the capital. “It basically involved constructing lush landscapes in the desert around high class residential housing,” says Dave. “When I got there, it was a small village of 21 houses. By the time I left two years later, there were 250 houses.”

Before setting up Elite Landscapes, Dave gained further experience in management working for Glendale as a contract manager for Richmond and Bushy Parks, as well as senior management roles in other leading landscape companies. With the experience of senior management under his belt at a young age, the opportunity for David and Diana to set up a company for themselves opened up, and Elite Landscapes was created.

In its first year, the company turned over £300k in domestic garden design and build.

“We kept all the money in the business so we could fund our first commercial project,” says Diana.

“Our business has steadily grown over the last 20 years and that’s always been the plan. If you become too egotistical about getting bigger and better, the quality can slip,”

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OUR PROJECT MANAGERS ARE PHENOMENAL. THEY HAVE REALLY STRONG VALUES WHICH SHINE THROUGH

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6 adds Dave. Dave and Diana would have every right to be egotistical, though – their portfolio of work is enviable.

One of their ongoing projects is at White City in London, which Dave says is an “incredible” scheme, with three years’ worth of work for the team at a value of nearly £9m. Then, there’s the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, a Berkeley Homes development which is now into its eighth phase.

Elite Landscapes has been working there, on and off, for the past 15 years. “You have to be proud of what is there now,” says Dave. “It was a brownfield site with the first phase coming out of the ground when we got on site.”

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Fulham Riverside Kidbrooke Kite Park One Blackfriars Kingston Gas Works Fulham Riverside Coworth Park Goodmans Field

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8 Whilst Elite Landscapes are fortunate to be associated with some of the most prestigious clients in the UK – one of these being The Berkeley Group, who have a vast land bank to work with – Dave says the company hasn’t needed to advertise for work or actively go looking for clients in the past.

Now, the aim is to consolidate the construction arm of the company and to expand its maintenance operations. Diana says they “actively avoided maintenance at one stage, but now we’ve restructured, and the plan is to increase it”.

Looking ahead, the main challenge for Elite Landscapes is to sustain its future. This includes recruiting new vibrant management at all levels and being able to manage growth whilst ensuring all works are completed to the exacting standards that it has traded on to date.

“Elite Landscapes is looking to grow a management structure for the future, we are fortunate enough to work with some hard working, talented and positive colleagues at our Burnham office. We are lucky to have recently recruited a senior estimator, Scott Hawkes, who at the age of 23 was chosen in Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30. We firmly believe that securing

young, talented professionals is the way to sustain the growth of our company,” says Dave.

When not at work, which seems rare for the couple, Dave plays golf as a member of the Burnham Beeches Golf Club, plays five-a-side football twice a week, and has recently taken up boxing – “the toughest training I’ve ever done”.

He and Diana also own a house in St Agnes, Cornwall, where they take a much-needed break from the workload. After the years of hard work, they have both placed in growing the business and honing their skills, there are fewer people more deserving of the success Elite Landscapes has come to achieve.

8 Chelsea Creek 9 The Elite office team 10 White City 11 Charity 5-a-side football event

C O N TA C T Elite Landscapes Ltd Dorney House, 46-48 High Street, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 7JP Tel 01628 666239 Email info@elitelandscapes.co.uk

www.elitelandscapes.co.uk

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20/06/2019 23/05/2019 13:39 13:23

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BROTHERS CHRIS AND DAVID STONE TELL US HOW BUSHY BUSINESS CAME ABOUT, THE STEADY GROWTH THEY HAVE IN MIND FOR THE COMPANY AND THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME How was Bushy Business founded?

Chris: This summer, it will have been 23 years since the business started up. I’d spent a year in the money market in London. I absolutely hated it. I always used to do gardening over the summer holidays and had this dream of owning a pick-up with a mower in the back and just trundling around.

I met Jo, my wife, around this time. Her parents owned a clematis nursery, so I went to work there for a summer. My mother-in-law then encouraged me to go to Merrist Wood College and I had a great year there – I was itching to get out and about. It started from there.

David joined the company a few years after its formation, having been working at nurseries and garden centres. He has always looked at things from a design point of view and also loved the construction side of things, so it was a natural fit.

COMPANY PROFILE

BUSHY BUSINESS

Where did the company name come from?

Chris: It came from a long night down the pub when I was 21. I tried to come up with something catchy. It seemed like a really good idea at the time, and everyone remembers it – it’s worked quite well.

How has the company developed?

Chris: We are now a 20-strong team, four of which are mainly office based, including myself.

Natalie (Frawley, office assistant) does the admin, Jo (Stone, office manager) handles the money side, and David carries out design work, but is also kept very busy being operations/ project manager as well.

Over the past few years we have worked hard to get a proper structure in place within the business. In the past year, we have successfully promoted and employed a maintenance manager, a soft landscape manager and a hard landscape manager. Below this, we have our team leaders. There is a lot of work involved in ensuring everybody is up to speed, but it has been a very positive move.

Did the business start out just undertaking maintenance work?

It was mainly maintenance. The course I did at

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LARGE SAWN SANDSTONE STEPS AND STOCK BRICK RETAINING WALLS SOFTENED WITH HERBACEOUS PLANTING

PART OF A LARGER SCHEME THAT WON AN APL AWARD

BECCA, EARNING HER STRIPES

ALL SMILES PRIOR TO LAST YEAR’S PERENNIAL ‘GO NUTS’ CHALLENGE

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A CURRENT PROJECT NEARING COMPLETION

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Merrist Wood covered landscape construction as well as amenity horticulture. I hadn’t really considered landscaping, and I quite enjoyed it, but maintenance was easier to get into and I amassed lots of work.

Inevitably, I was asked to carry out some hard landscaping jobs. I did them without thinking much of it, and that side of the business slowly grew as well.

ESTABLISHED 1996 EMPLOYEES 20 BREAKDOWN 35% MAINTENANCE, 35% HARD LANDSCAPING, 30% SOFT LANDSCAPING AWARDS 2 RHS SILVER-GILT MEDALS, 1 RHS SILVER MEDAL, 2 APL SILVER MEDALS TURNOVER £1 MILLION

Where does the maintenance work come from now?

Chris: Direct marketing works really well, as does word of mouth. Increasingly we are picking up aftercare work from designers. For example, we’re building a garden in Peaslake for Acres Wild, who have kindly put us forward for the aftercare for another client they’ve just completed a garden for.

At FutureScape last year, garden designer Sarah Morgan was saying that clients should be asked how much they want to spend on maintenance throughout the whole development and design stage, which is such a valid point. Unfortunately, maintenance and aftercare tend to be seen as the lower-skilled end of the landscape industry, which I

TO LOOK AFTER AND DEVELOP A GARDEN SO IT REACHES ITS FULL POTENTIAL TAKES KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND PASSION completely disagree with. It’s very easy to get into garden maintenance as a business, but to look after and develop a garden so it reaches its full potential takes knowledge, skill and passion.

You refer to both maintenance and aftercare. What’s the difference?

Chris: To us, they are two different offerings.

You maintain an existing garden, whilst the aftercare offering is the care and development of a newly planted garden.

There is development potential with an existing garden, of course, but a lot of that work is maintaining what is existing.

JONNY HARD AT IT, TAKING GREAT PRIDE IN HIS WORK

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So how long have you been using the term aftercare?

David: We first heard the term when we

attended a Shoot event, where John Wyer and Jeff Stephenson (of Bowles & Wyer) mentioned it. They talked about how maybe it should be called aftercare because it is the ongoing aftercare of the garden. That struck a chord within the industry, and the term has built momentum from there.

What type of maintenance and aftercare work are you undertaking?

David: Almost entirely domestic gardens, anything from courtyards to a few acres, but mostly the higher end. We do have a couple of clients, where after 23 years we are still looking after their gardens. What is most important is that our clients have a love for their garden. It makes it so much more enjoyable and rewarding to work in a garden where the teams are valued and appreciated, and both parties can take immense pride in all the hard work.

Why did you join the APL? Chris: We resisted joining any association for years. But, we kept bumping into the general manager of the APL, Phil Tremayne. He wore us down, without being a pest.

David: After one cluster meeting, we decided it was a good idea and have enjoyed them ever since.

Where do you see further growth for the business?

Chris: We want steadily to push and grow every aspect. We are great advocates of training and have put two of our staff through college courses in the last couple of years – they are both team leaders now, promoted on merit.

We think soft landscaping has big growth potential for us, as does the whole aftercare offering. As ever, there is a need to educate clients and designers as to what we can offer.

If you’d asked me five years ago, I wouldn’t have thought we would have reached this size as a business. I believe that our staff stay engaged because we are growing, offering training and new challenges regularly. As a result, they feel a real sense of progression.

C O N TA C T The Old Bull Pen, Fastbridge Farm Yard, Guildford Road, Alfold Road, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8HE Tel 01483 276630 Twitter @bushybusiness Instagram @bushybusinessgardens Email info@bushybusiness.com

www.bushybusiness.com

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20/06/2019 11:32

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N I C K T E M P L E- H E A L D VIEW FROM THE TOP

NICK, WRITING FROM FRANCE, DISCUSSES THE CONTRADICTING TOPIC OF BANNING GLYPHOSATE, AND THEIR OPEN SPACE ISSUES IN SMALLER FRENCH TOWNS

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nother three months have gone by since my last View from the Top. I had thought that last time, having called the ministers of her Majesty’s Government a bunch of chimpanzees, would by now have got me the sack from contributing to this fantastic publication. I am, however, self-evidently, still here. We remain, as predicted, still firmly in the EU, and all but one of the chimpanzees are still positioning themselves in the troop hierarchy.

I find myself in I’Hérault department in France, in the town of Agde. The local administration here proudly displays the logo ‘La commune d’Agde… une ville ZERO PESTICIDE’ (The community of Agde… A town of ZERO PESTICIDE) on its vehicles. This is well meaning and sure to get the mayor votes, but at the same time, the town’s hard and soft open spaces are festooned with weeds to a level that would not be tolerated in UK boroughs.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is rapidly becoming the norm in towns in France.

It’s the easiest solution of all in response to an issue, either perceived or real, to simply stop doing things. Surely, emissions in our cities can easily be eliminated, all we have to do is stop moving around? It’s the same logic.

The weed control issue in France is related to the government’s decision to ban the sale of

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Roundup Pro 360, which eliminates glyphosate for amenity and retail use. This follows three high profile court cases in California, where juries are determined that the active ingredient had caused the plaintiffs’ cancers. Not for the

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PHENOMENON IS RAPIDLY BECOMING THE NORM IN TOWNS IN FRANCE first time in this column I have to admit to perhaps being a tad old fashioned – if not over the hill – but isn’t the propensity of a substance to cause cancer, or otherwise, something to be determined by scientists rather than 12 good men and true?

Part of the problem in trying to understand the facts and making informed decisions, is that for glyphosate, separating science from politics is difficult, and that represents a problem for companies like idverde, whose colleagues use the product every day.

In 2015, The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a “Probable Carcinogen”. In doing so however, it complained about the huge amount of lobbying it had received that interfered with the science. This lobbying was both by the opponents of glyphosate and its manufacturer, Monsanto (now owned by Bayer). A big driver in the debate is that opposers are predominantly anti-Monsanto, not necessarily anti-glyphosate.

Without glyphosate, there would be no need for

genetically modified crops, and it is of course Monsanto that are the villains of that particular piece. So, has Glyphosate usage been banned in France? Of course not. It is still used extensively in agriculture where workers have potentially much greater exposure. Politics again is the answer; any ban in agriculture would have French Farmers driving their tractors up the Champs Elysees quicker than you could say ‘gilet jaune’.

So what are we, as responsible employers, supposed to make of the “Probable Carcinogen” tag on glyphosate? Should we continue to allow our colleagues to use it? Well, in 2015, IARC also classified smoky bacon as the same “Probable Carcinogen”. Now, those of you who are familiar with my profile will appreciate that I come into contact with bacon considerably more often than I do glyphosate. However, when idverde colleagues do use the substance, we do so after a properly considered COSHH assessment, take all reasonable precautions, and use personal protective equipment. I have to confess that when I do tuck into my morning bacon and sausage roll at our local cafe, I do so without the benefit of risk assessments or protection. I don’t however, hear Monsieur La Mayor of Agde, with whom I have an appointment this afternoon, calling for a ban on his ‘poitrine fumée’.

A B O U T N I C K T E M P L E- H E A L D Nick Temple-Heald is chairman of idverde in the UK and a member of idverde’s group board in France. Together, idverde employs some 5,000 people in France, England and Scotland and it is the largest landscapes business in Europe.

www.idverde.co.uk

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20/06/2019 10:55

INFORM

ANDREW WILSON SMALL IS CHALLENGING

ANDREW WILSON CONSIDERS THE DIFFICULTIES OF CREATING SMALLER SPACES WHEN CLIENTS ARE IN DENIAL

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urrently my students at LCGD are finalising their last project, a large-scale site of their choosing.

As they move into detail, they have the luxury of creating diverse areas, a shade garden, a rose garden or a water garden; each area different and characterful and to be enjoyed at different times.

For most garden owners, the reality is very different with much smaller spaces that have to perform on all fronts; flexible and interesting both to look at and to be in. But is this sense of an all singing, all dancing garden the correct paradigm? As gardens diminish in size year on year, surely we have to face reality and say we simply can’t fit a quart into a pint pot.

I am currently doing the final preparation for a small garden design day, in which I’m sure many hopefuls will be looking for design magic.

Along with many clients, they will probably be looking for year-round interest, in other words, colour as a repeating delight throughout the year. Quite honestly, it doesn’t exist and clients are foolish to expect it – designers are even more foolish to try to provide it.

It speaks of a disconnect between nongardeners and nature, an unwillingness to accept natural or seasonal cycles in a world that has suggested for too long that we can control everything.

In terms of control, maintenance is a regular battle ground, with clients wanting very little and designers knowing that gardens really need it. Professor James Hitchmough has been on social media addressing this issue, suggesting that planting in shade conditions requires much less maintenance than planting in sunny conditions. The weeds apparently are simply

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not as vigorous in shade, as they require the light to outcompete their border bed fellows.

The reality of small garden owners however goes something like this. They buy a property

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF AND LET OUR GARDENS BE GREEN AND SIMPLE with a small outdoor space, which suffers from shading from buildings and boundaries, with neighbouring plants that overhang. In their denial, they want sunshine, colourful flowers and luxuriant foliage. The designer suggests shade planting appropriate to the conditions – which is often limited in flower colour but full of foliage textures and subtle character. The client then goes into a sulk.

Let us assume that the shade planting suggested is appropriate to the conditions, but what we also now know is that it will be lower in

maintenance too – a desirable factor in the client briefing, and therefore, a more sustainable commodity. We have to convince clients that this is the way to go, rather than simply pandering to their colour and year-round interest fixations.

The more we deliver sustainable planting, the more it can be accepted as an alternative to impermeable paving, feeding stations for insects, cooling climate control on our doorstep or privacy providers in our shrinking gardens.

We should be developing urban forests in our private gardens rather than endless terraces of paving or large expanses of lawn monocultures.

The scope for children’s play lies in our public parks; we don’t need to squeeze this into tiny gardens. We can socialise elsewhere, or use allotments to grow our produce. We don’t have to cram all of this in as well. Take the pressure off and let our gardens be green and simple.

Andy Sturgeon showed the way in his Best in Show garden at Chelsea this year. A garden can be beautiful and simply green. Ignore the Daily Mail, which as usual, delivered the wrong message that a flowerless garden won top prize at the show. Here’s to shade and to foliage!

Pictured: Andy Sturgeon won at RHS Chelsea 2019 with subtle foliage planting for dappled shade conditions

ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden design consultant, director of the London College of Garden Design, and an author, writer and lecturer.

www.lcgd.org.uk

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H O L LY YO U D E PRICING

THIS MONTH, HOLLY YOUDE TALKS PRICING AND HOW, AS AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE VALUE – ALONG WITH HER TIPS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS

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any landscapers find quoting tough, few are conditioned to sit behind a desk and focus on the numbers – you want to be outside, creating masterpieces. I am still indirectly involved with quoting projects to a degree within our business, but the estimating team do the majority, and they also find it tough going at times.

What makes it so tricky is customers and trying to manage their expectations. Gone are the days where a £5k budget gets you, well, anything really, but people still insist on trying to get the most bang for their buck whilst we are stuck in the middle trying to please.

Stop! Say no. We have learnt (the hard way) that the more you give, the more they take.

They will squeeze and squeeze until the price is so in their favour that there is nothing left for you – and then complain about something else at the end. We must harden up as an industry and give ourselves more value, we are worth it.

28 Pro Landscaper / July 2019

Holly Youde.indd 28

Mark Youde, co-director of Urban Landscapes, gave an inspiring talk on pricing at Pro Landscaper Live Cheshire, so we have put

WE MUST HARDEN UP AS AN INDUSTRY AND GIVE OURSELVES MORE VALUE, WE ARE WORTH IT together our follow-up tips: value your time – time is money. If you spent all your time quoting and didn’t win any, then you have earned nothing. Be selective in who you quote for. Do you want to work for them or is it the type of job you want to do? If the answer is no, then don’t quote; how to say no is a whole other article.

Gauge the budget. It’s important to know what they can afford or are prepared to invest, find ways to get this information out of the client, show them examples of different budget projects and assess their reaction. We find mentioning a figure generally prompts them to open up about the sort of amount they are considering.

Make sure you are quoting like for like – if you’re tendering against competitors, make sure you are all quoting for

the same works. This is where specifications are required, whether supplied by a designer or the client, as this is the only way it is a fair playing field. Otherwise, you could be wasting your time.

Present your quote – many APL members are reporting that they are achieving great success rates by personally presenting the quote to the client, explaining what is involved in each area and being there to answer any question or concerns gives the client confidence. It seems to be worth the extra time, and it shows the client you are committed and that you understand they are potentially investing a significant amount of money and need to feel comfortable doing so.

Follow it up – yes, it sounds like something a salesman would do, but you are selling. If you don’t call afterwards, the client may think you are not interested, just like with dating! If you call and it’s a no, then at least you can ask for some feedback to use in the future.

A B O U T H O L LY Y O U D E As joint director of Urban Landscape Design Ltd, Holly plays a fundamental role in the growth and diversification of Urban Landscape Design. Recent wins for the company include the Pro Landscaper Business Awards Landscape Company <£2m Turnover Award, Best Commercial Garden at the APL awards, Employer Excellence Award in the BALI Awards and the High Sheriff of Cheshire Award for Enterprise. This year, Holly has been listed as one of the Business Insiders 42 Under 42 entrepreneurs in the north-west.

www.urbanlandscapedesign.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 12:55

INFORM

M A N OJ M A L D E TOUCHING THE SURFACE

MANOJ MALDE EXPLAINS WHY DESIGNERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING CLIENTS TO CHOOSE PERMEABLE PAVING

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ne of my biggest bug bears is front gardens being completely bricked or paved over. Worse still, a pathetic strip left for planting, where often, you will see weeds growing. While I appreciate that there are two cars per household on average, there’s still no excuse not to have planted borders.

As a designer, I now realise that it is my duty to make my clients understand that the frontage of their properties are gardens first and foremost, not parking spaces. A totally paved frontage makes a property look dull, sterile, lifeless and unwelcoming, creating negative effects.

I have been working closely with a client on both her front and back garden. I wanted to create a front garden that would allow for parking as well as planting borders. This was

an opportunity to educate my client on the detrimental effects of having a non-permeable, hard surface.

AS DESIGNERS, WE ARE IN A POWERFUL POSITION TO HELP OUR CLIENTS By informing her with the following points, I was able to aid her in making the beneficial decision of choosing permeable paving: • The negative impact of non-permeable surfaces on our water - caused by vehicle pollution and flash-flooding as the water has nowhere else to go.

• Increased hardstanding prevents rain water (surface water) from penetrating the soil.

• Hardstanding absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night. This is called the ‘Heat Island Effect’ which makes streets uncomfortably warm and creates poor air quality with long-term harmful effects.

To drive the point home, I followed the information with some statistics. In 2012, out of 20.8 million homes, seven million had turned their front gardens into hardstanding. This equates to around 100 Hyde Parks. Each year, we are losing 7,410 acres of greenery - the equivalent of 2.5 Hyde parks.

These helped to put things into perspective, and fortunately the client wanted some planting areas in the front. By applying thought to the design, not only was I able to increase the amount of planting borders, but also soften the

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Manoj Malde KR.indd 29

frontage of the house, and give the entrance the importance it deserved.

The cost of the drive was price-sensitive, so we settled on sandstone rather than limestone setts. I provided a construction drawing, including materials needed and where to order them. I also advised to avoid using nonpermeable foundations and pointing.

This project has made me realise, as designers, we are in a powerful position to help our clients.

However, are we getting the message out there?

Do we, as designers, contractors or an industry, provide clients with enough information so they can make the right choices? If we help our clients to make more informed decisions, then we can all make a big difference to the future of our planet.

Photograph ©Living Landscape UK and Jeff Rosenblatt. Please note that the project featured on this page is not the project referred to in the article.

A B O U T M A N OJ M A L D E Manoj is principle designer at Manoj Malde Garden Design. He has a strong background in design, honing his creative skills with an MA in Design from the Royal College of Art, retraining as a garden designer at the English Gardening School.

Manoj has worked on countless projects, and has created his own garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, for which he won a Silver-Gilt medal.

www.manojmaldegardendesign.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 29

20/06/2019 11:25

BRIDGET JOYCE COMMUNITY SUDS PARK IN WHITE CITY, LONDON

INFORM

RAIN OR SHINE

WITH CLIMATE CHANGE POTENTIALLY INCREASING DROUGHTS AND FLOODS, K ATJA GRIFFITHS SAYS THE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY CAN HELP PREPARE GARDENS FOR THESE EXTREME CONDITIONS

As an industry defined by the way it directly impacts the landscape, we need to seriously study and apply every opportunity in the design and implementation of water management. We also need to ensure that we are including SuDS, whether the garden is large or small, residential or commercial.

30 Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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Creating rain gardens and roof gardens whilst applying SuDS are not new in our industry, but how many of us are really applying this in our design and builds? We are continuously designing and building impermeable surfaces – something I am guilty of too. This, multiplied by how many homes and gardens are in a neighbourhood, and by a city of concrete, contributes to substantial unnecessary flooding.

IT IS SURELY OUR DUTY AS PROFESSIONALS TO APPLY OURSELVES TO THIS AS AN ABSOLUTE PRIORITY There are also major changes in soil water content and therefore in nutrient availability.

Managing these changes represents one of the biggest challenges for gardeners. Strategies for conserving soil fertility and moisture will depend largely on soil conditions and local effects of climate change.

Free draining sandy soils will lose organic matter faster, further reducing water holding capacity during summer droughts, and will be more prone to water erosion in winter. The addition of organic matter and mulching will be required. Heavy soils should retain sufficient water for plant growth in the summer, but winter waterlogging may kill plants unless grit is incorporated. Higher summer temperatures will increase water evaporation from leaves and the soil, lowering soil moisture content. With lower summer rainfall, these plants will suffer from severe drought stress more frequently.

Droughts do not provide much of an opportunity, but may be a form of natural disease control and subsequently create a demand for water storage infrastructure. Choosing drought resistant plants which are tolerant to waterlogged soils will be a challenge for all.

We need to encourage more efficient irrigation systems and the use of grey water from domestic activities. Water conservation measures will become a summer priority. Large gardens may need to construct reservoirs, install boreholes and convert large expanses of lawns into meadows.

There are opportunities in our industry to produce valuable tools, such as smart point-of-use water measurement devices, solar irrigation pumps for boreholes and irrigation and smart rainwater butts that empty when needed for storm water attenuation.

Only by thinking, working, sharing and learning together can we tackle the impacts on water resources and the uncertainties induced by climate change. It is surely our duty as professionals to apply ourselves to this as an absolute priority.

1 Indur M. Goklany (2007) ‘Death and Death Rates Due to Extreme Weather Events, Global and U.S. Trends, 1900-2006’ Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change.

A B O U T K ATJ A G R I F F I T H S Main photograph ©Robert Bray Associates

O

ver the past century, floods and droughts have accounted for 94% of all fatalities due to extreme weather events1. Extremes of water, whether through scarcity or abundance, have challenged mankind throughout history. As technologically advanced as we are now, we still experience catastrophic losses of human life, livelihoods and property as a result of floods and droughts every year.

Nevertheless, for all the heartache they can cause, they can be ecologically important. We as garden designers, landscapers and nursery growers have an opportunity to respond and a positive contribution to make.

Recent research suggests that a declining ecosystem leads to a range of problems: soil nutrient depletion, loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, increased vulnerability to disease and pests, and loss of buffering and storage capacity to deal with rainfall variability.

These have already begun to adversely affect agricultural productivity, and will continue to do so at an accelerating rate under anticipated climate change.

Raised in Switzerland, Katja studied a Bachelor in Business Administration in Europe. In 2009 she formed Design by Katja, and relocated to the UK in 2014. The practice offers a deep understanding of the swimming pool industry and extensive horticultural and garden design knowledge. Katja’s experience of different cultures gives her a unique sense of place, in tune with her clients’ aspirations.

www.designbykatja.com

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20/06/2019 17:17

ENTER YOURSELF OR A COLLEAGUE Who?

The rules are simple, you can nominate yourself or a colleague as long as the nominee was aged 30 or under on 1 January 2019 and currently works within the horticulture, arboriculture, garden design or landscape sector. Entrants must have worked in the industry for at least one year.

Why?

120 winners so far

93 male 27 female 37 landscapers 27 grounds maintenance contractors 24 garden designers 16 suppliers 9 landscape architects 4 arborists 1 interior landscaper 1 head gardener 1 soil scientist

Entering 30 Under 30: The Next Generation is a great way to gain recognition for your own work or the work of someone you know. Previous winners have expressed that winning the awards is a wonderful way to enhance their careers.

How? Simply email 30u30@eljays44. com to request an entry form.

Fill out the form to the best of your ability, picking out key moments from your career and showcasing some of your best work. Email the form back to 30u30@eljays44.com along with a high-resolution head shot by 30 August 2019.

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For more information on how to enter, contact Amber Bernabe on 01903 777570 or email 30u30@eljays44.com

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20/06/2019 11:34 03/06/2019 12:23

INFORM

BESIDE THE

SEASIDE

PARKS AND CEMETERIES MANAGER, JAMES JONES-MCFARLAND, TALKS US THROUGH THE SMALL BUT MULTIFACETED GREEN SPACES WHICH ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL HOLDS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE PLANS FOR THE COMING YEARS

A

run District Council has just entered a new era as residents have voted in an alternative administration for the first time ever, with Liberal Democrats now leading the authority. The new council is also the most diverse Arun has ever seen, which could result in a change of emphasis, especially considering the Green Party now holds two seats.

Whatever changes come, parks and cemeteries manager, James Jones-McFarland, is ready for them with plenty of plans to continue operational improvements across Arun’s green spaces.

Arun’s parks and green spaces make up a modest 1,000 acres, but though reasonably small in size, they offer a lot in the way of biodiversity and variety for their visitors. Along with an array of beautiful parks, recreation grounds, play areas and sports sites, James and the Greenspace team also look after five cemeteries and seven closed churchyards. In the case of the churchyards, it is Arun’s responsibility to undertake the maintenance of the spaces when the churchyard is closed to burials.

Tivoli, local grounds maintenance provider, is contracted to undertake the care of the parks and green spaces, and has done so for over two decades. Whilst looking after local nature reserves, dealing with ecology and habitat preservation (in close partnership with

2 Arun), they also maintain Edwardian-style gardens, managed purely for their ornamental planting. “Whilst there is an agenda at play to promote conservation of habitats and improve ecology, we also want to preserve some of that planting style that was introduced in the 1930s/ 1940s,” James explains. “Various grounds maintenance philosophies are being employed to deliver fantastic landscapes for different reasons. We are able to demonstrate that everything can coexist; it isn’t one or the other.”

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INFORM

Mewsbrook Park James has been the parks and cemeteries manager for just three years, but has already seen some substantial changes. One was the creation of the brand-new leisure centre at Mewsbrook Park. Some were doubtful of a positive impact this would have on the park, but since the Littlehampton Wave opened earlier this year, it is clear the building sits beautifully in the landscape. In fact, the new location has encouraged more users of the leisure centre to venture into the park, and Arun has plans to landscape the space where the old centre sat.

Part of the new plans include the reworking of the Ruby Gardens – the Queen’s commemorative garden – which James hopes to retain as a conservation area, with the possibility of a forest school being established.

Mewsbrook Park harbours interesting ecology, which James is keen to preserve, whilst continuing to maintain the tricky balance between nature and community.

Mewsbrook contains a large lake, constructed as part of a larger flood relief scheme for the Beaumont Estate in 1939. James explains why this particular feature has created an ecology, which he wants to continue to support: “It is a brackish water body, which is very rare. At high tide if we left everything open, Mewsbrook would flood with sea water. The lake and the island are a haven for wildlife.”

Green Flag Parks Hotham Park is one of four Green Flag Parks which Arun boasts, and is the park which offers the most variety. “As Hotham Park has so much to offer, and all our other green spaces share similar characteristics, we are able to use the management plan we created for it elsewhere.”

Hotham Park was opened to the public in 1947, having previously been owned by plant

3 collector, William Fletcher in the early 1900s, and the founder of Bognor Regis, Sir Richard Hotham, in the late 1700’s. Covering approximately 22 acres, the park is home to a variety of native and exotic mature trees. With a new cafe, boating lake, two children’s play areas, new adventure golf course and miniature railway, there is also plenty to keep visitors of all ages entertained. Hotham Park has also hosted the Bognor Regis 5k Park Run since its launch in 2014.

In 2007, Hotham Park won its first Green Flag, soon after its successful £2.2m restoration, and over the last five years between Arun and Tivoli, a further £1.4m has been invested in the park. “It is a continuous project, it never stops. It’s one big project with lots of little projects woven in.”

The Green Flag awards not only benefit Arun commercially by attracting more tourism, but help James and his team look at the way they work, knowing the standard they are aiming for.

It’s not about using more resources and taking them from other sites, it’s simply about working smarter to meet this high standard. James is keen to push for more because of the benefit to

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Arun District Council KR.indd 34

VARIOUS GROUNDS MAINTENANCE PHILOSOPHIES ARE BEING EMPLOYED TO DELIVER FANTASTIC LANDSCAPES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS the council, Tivoli and visitors. “In the next five years we would like to be in the position where we have around 10 Green Flag awards. This helps focus our minds – we know what standards we must aim for.”

Biodiversity In 2014, World War I centenary meadows were created (for which Arun got funding for), and creating these also met Defra’s National Pollinator Strategy. Although funding for the project ended last year, Arun have decided to continue maintaining these meadows, just in a slightly different way. James explains: “before, we were using one seed mix at 10 locations, all sown at the same time of year. This year we’ve staggered it and used different mixes.” James and the team have also chosen seed mixes to match the location, with maritime and coastal mixes used near the coast. James also staggered the sowing to cater for all, “invertebrates and insects which require a food source at different times of year.”

One of the current biodiversity targets which James has to meet, is to increase the areas of unmown grass by 5% every year. By leaving areas of grass with little to no interference, James and the team are able to observe what grows up in that space, and whether it has habitat value. This can sometimes be met with displeasure from the community, as they are used to seeing neatly maintained

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INFORM

grass. Negotiating this is purely down to communication, as ultimately if successful, it will benefit both visitors and biodiversity, “If we can get into a position where we’ve got quite a lot of grassland maintained as grassland habitat, there’s less time needed to mow it, meaning a round of mowing will be completed faster, and we can start on the next cut sooner. We’re then delivering a better service for amenity and also befitting biodiversity,” James explains.

Both of Arun’s nature reserves are very different in their maintenance. West Beach is a sand dune and requires very little maintenance, and Bersted Brooks is a fairly blank canvas, which, if left, would turn itself into a forest. James is very keen to create a mosaic of habitats at these nature reserves through making the most of what they are offering. Though previously hindered by time, James is in the process of hiring a countryside and volunteer officer, whose responsibility – amongst others – will be to update Arun’s old biodiversity plan and consider ways in which it can create these mosaics of habitats.

Community challenges James’ biggest challenge is one which he can do very little to stop. Vandalism and crime are common themes among public open spaces, and Arun’s green spaces are no different. Just recently, the roses which had just been planted in Hotham Park, were stolen and though not dramatically impactful upon his budget, it’s a noticeable hole for the community – who were delighted to see the renovated garden – and one which James can’t rectify until the autumn.

James’ hands are fairly tied when it comes to solutions, mostly just having to react quickly to situations as they arise. There are ways that James can try to deter users from committing crime in the space, however, “when you have an enclosed area, you get fires being lit and anti-social behaviour. It happens in many public spaces, but we just have to make it more inviting for members of the public that we want to encourage to use that space.” James has improved site lines, opening up the parks, encouraging visitors to feel safe, hopefully deterring those who may misuse the space.

There’s always a flip side to people’s engagements with green spaces, and Arun is blessed with a community who care deeply for their parks, that engage and support them in a variety of ways. Arun boasts more than 22 greenspace community groups, whose members contribute as much as 20,000 volunteer hours each year – with the assistance

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Arun District Council KR.indd 35

of James and his team if necessary. Three of these groups help to care for the community orchards, and in turn, the spoils of the orchard are theirs to keep. Arundel community orchard created an abundance of apples last year, and the community came together to put on a cider pressing event.

Regeneration Part of the redevelopment of Arun’s parks and greenspaces involves the renovation of some of its play areas. “At the moment, we have about 80 play areas, and a third of them have very limited play value,” James explains, “we can either keep all 80, and do limited renovations on them, or we can pool resources to help make big improvements on those parks that do.” It is the main driver of the Arun’s adopted 10 year Play Strategy. Arun has also just been awarded a grant which with be used to transform Littlehampton town centre into a modern pedestrian-friendly, greener and brighter layout, with subtle links

to the rich maritime history of the town.

This will include work on its paving, seating, lighting, planting, and more. It will also be the start of the process of linking the awardwinning Arun riverside walkway with its quirky seafront promenade, the Thomas Heatherwick cafe and other architectural gems in the town centre, in an intuitive ‘follow your nose’ way.

What administration changes will mean for Arun’s parks and green spaces is still uncertain, but with more voices being represented, and a parks and cemeteries manager ready to embrace change for the better, it seems an exciting future lies ahead for Arun.

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Caffyn’s Field, Littlehampton Play on the Beach, Bognor Regis Mewsbrook park – view through the art deco shelter Marine park Gardens – fountain and shelter Hotham Park, Bognor Regis Norfolk Gardens, Littlehampton Hotham Park Adventure Golf

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20/06/2019 14:00

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PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value Undisclosed Build time Five months Size of project Approx 1⁄3 of an acre

L A N D S CA P I N G

INSPIRE

ABROAD

LIMONERO GARDEN, MENORCA JADE GOTO STUDIO

JADE GOTO STUDIO REVEALS ITS E X P E R I E N C E O F WO R K I N G A B ROA D, AND HOW IT OVERCAME ANY C H A L L E N G E S T H AT C A M E W I T H I T

J

ade Goto Studio’s clients, based in the UK, enlisted its services to transform their second home in the sunny island of Menorca. The client’s modern house was designed by a renowned architect, and they were keen to find a landscape designer whose work would complement the style of the building.

The client first contacted Jade Goto Studio in February 2018, and a completion date of June 2018 was planned. Jade worked with a local contractor who had his team on site for much of this time; with Jade and her team flying out regularly to meet this team, the client and the architect. When back in the UK, Jade Goto Studio corresponded with the contractor on an almost daily basis.

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2 Brief As well as reflecting the simplistic, sleek style of their house, the clients wanted an incredibly low-maintenance garden which could be left over the winter months when not in use. They also desired a space that would appeal to their family of five and their dog, with space for entertaining their guests.

Jade wanted a clean, minimal space that offered visual interest, yet was an inviting and exciting garden to be part of.

Build The planting for this scheme was chosen to be low-maintenance and sculptural. Having a plant palette that is unavailable in the UK – due to climate – was incredibly exciting for Jade as she got to use lots of plants she’s dreamt of working with for a long time, including a large range of mature cacti. Due to the bold form of the plants, Jade Goto Studio wanted to use them as standalone features in garden. With the barrel cacti, Jade used repetition, planting at 1m intervals to the full-length of the garden.

The stone Jade chose, is a local Menorcan stone called Mares. It was chosen for its provenance and for its warm subtle hues.

The gravel needed to complement the mares.

It had to be slightly darker than the Mares so that the linearity of the paving was highlighted, yet light enough to bring to the fore the bold form of the plants.

There was originally a pool in the garden, but this was renovated alongside the garden build with re-tiling and new steps designed within it.

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Island, so materials were sourced by exploring the local area and visiting local suppliers. Jade was shown an incredible local stone, and the contractor took the team out into the fields to source the large rocks that were placed in the garden. Over the years, the farmers had moved lots of large rocks to one side of their farmland to clear the area for crops. As the local contractor was friendly with the landowners, he was able to take Jade and her team – and a large crane – out into the countryside to choose the stone. The contractor’s knowledge of local flora was also excellent, so he was able to point out the wildflowers that were native to the island,

Materials There were certain materials that Jade regularly used that were not known or available on the

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INSPIRE

such as wild asparagus, which could be used in the garden.

Jade also found a fantastic nursery which it visited regularly to reserve stock. The owner was incredibly helpful keeping a dialogue going when Jade returned to the UK, sending images of the plants, and offering local horticultural knowledge - it being a climate and a plant palette that Jade Goto Studio had not previously worked with.

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Challenges As Menorca is a tightly governed island, Jade Goto Studio did encounter problems sourcing specific plants. The banned plant list changes yearly, and this summer the species of Pennisetum Jade was hoping to use, was thought too invasive to import from the mainland.

Running a project from another country doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come without difficulties either. Jade found making regular site visits to ensure the build was going to schedule, was essential in keeping things running smoothly. Meeting face-to-face with the team often resolves any problems or hold ups with more ease than email correspondence. The language barrier could have been a problem, but Jade was lucky enough to have a contractor who was bilingual, and could act as a translator between her and the onsite team.

This project was especially interesting for Jade Goto Studio, not only due to the climate and exciting plant palette, but also due to the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s openness to creating a sculptural garden that broke away from the more traditional garden style of the island.

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BEFORE WORK

LIFTING ROCKS INTO PLACE

House Entrance Strelitzia augusta & Agave Echinocactus grusonii & mares pathway Pool with rocks from the local area Euphorbia candelabrum

DURING WORKS

REFERENCES ABOUT JADE GOTO STUDIO Jade Goto runs an award-winning Brighton based Garden Design & Landscape Architecture practice. She draws on culture and design married with her love of planting, and a unique, inspiring way of envisioning garden spaces no matter what the scale. Whether delving into heritage or hyper-modern techniques, her love of botanicals is evident within her work.

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www.jadegoto.com

Plants Es Bosc. esbosc.com Gravel Despome despome.com Hard materials Sourced locally from Menorca

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 41

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INSPIRE

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PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value £340k (soft landscape only) Build time 6 months Size of project 2,200m2

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his project is one of the first and leading examples of how greening of the city through its buildings can actually work on a meaningful scale.

Designed by Eric Parry Architects, this is a signature building for a major investment company in the City of London. What sets it apart from other commercial development is what it gives back – a rooftop public space and refuge from the Square Mile’s hustle and bustle.

A modest 15 storeys high, it nestles within the city cluster of gherkins, cheese graters and walkie-talkies towering above. Eric Parry’s concept of a public garden on the top of the roof was the key driver for the landscape brief and a critical aspect of the planning process.

Brief The project brief was to apply LUC’s considerable track record and expertise in landscape design and implementation to develop Latz + Partner’s landscape concepts.

These included a wisteria canopy and an ecologically rich flower garden, intersected with York stone walkways, seating elements and a linear water feature. The brief also demanded significant cost savings and design flexibility to accommodate structural

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alterations to the substrate. These aspects required careful management between the design team and contractor to maintain the quality of the scheme upheld in planning by the City of London.

Design and build LUC joined the project in 2015, at which point the landscape scheme had secured planning permission, with the main building construction already well underway. LUC spent a year working in close collaboration with the team to develop the detailed design for tender and to close out planning conditions. This period involved intensive and refreshingly creative value engineering to bring the scheme within budget and still deliver on the promise.

A particular aspect of the original concept was the use of living walls to provide separation between air handling plant and garden spaces.

To LUC, this was one aspect of the original concept which raised questions regarding sustainability and risk. At a third of the overall cost for the soft landscape, it needed a rethink.

LUC set about developing a new concept for vertical greening, using a variety of traditional fruit tree forms set against rammed earth walls.

A plant palette was devised to suit the varying

aspects of the garden walls – apple and pear cordons, fan-trainted figs and vines on the warm walls, resilient old favourites Hydrangea 1 The wisteria canopy runs throughout the space 2 The garden opens late into the evening 3 Incidental spaces and seating

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and Parthenocissus on the cooler, more exposed aspects, and masses of Jasmine for that knock-out scent.

Materials Most important to the client was to ensure the wisterias forming the backbone of the planting were top quality specimens which could provide immediate impact. With little time remaining until completion, LUC and landscape contractor Frosts undertook a tenacious and exhaustive search of Pistoia’s 500,000 hectare growing region, eventually hitting on line upon line of high quality specimens at Niccolai Piante.

Edward Phillips, director of landscape design at LUC, says: “Regardless of how carefully one goes about specifying specimen plants, we simply would never have found planting stock of this quality without seeing the plants at source”.

Special requirements Much of the coordination focused on the things you don’t see – drainage, irrigation and soil substrates. LUC developed its counterpart’s sophisticated system of top down (driplines) and bottom up (reservoir) irrigation into a lightweight mineral soil substrate, in depths ranging between 400 and 900mm. Essentially a volcanic material, the mineral soil had a closer

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resemblance to crushed rock, not much like the rich, fibrous soils landscape architects wish for.

Challenges Edward says the most rewarding element was the race to complete the planting. With little time and just one passenger lift for around 2,500 plants, it meant taking turns with colleagues whilst battling through the 2018 heat-wave.

“It was a testament to team working, trying to direct workers above the din of petrol disc cutters. With frantic watering to keep everything alive, secateurs and tube tie at the ready for the 88 wisterias, fruit trees and climbers – it was a shared vision to create something a little bit special.”

ABOUT LUC LUC is an award-winning environmental consultancy providing landscape design, town planning, impact assessment and ecology services to a wide range of public and private sector clients. With a track record of over 50 years and a team of more than 150 skilled professionals, we care about the legacy we leave and hope to make a real difference through the work we do.

www.landuse.co.uk

4 The garden features over 5,000 bulbs 5 A 360 degree prospect of the City 6 Entering their second season, the wisteria will be carefully trained onto the metal pergola framework as they establish 7 Early flower heads of Stipa gigantea 8 Grasses used throughout to break groupings and provide all-year interest

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REFERENCES

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Architect Eric Parry Architects www.ericparryarchitects.co.uk Landscape Architect LUC with Latz and Partner www.landuse.co.uk www.latzundpartner.de Main Contractor Sir Robert McAlpine www.srm.com Landscape subcontractor Frosts Landscape Construction www.frostslandscapes.co.uk

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Wisteria specimens Vivai Piante Niccolai www.vivainiccolai.it/azienda Remaining planting Tamar Nurseries Ltd www.tamarnurseries.com Specialist soils Zeobon www.zeobon.de

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Photographs ŠTim Crocker

Irrigation Waterwise www.waterwisesolutions.co.uk Trellis S3i www.s3i.co.uk

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T U S CA N

CHARM C O U R T YA R D G A R D E N CAROL BRIDGES AT H E AT H F I E L D FA R M , S U R R E Y, T U S C A N F L AV O U R M E E T S C O N T E M P O R A R Y S T Y L E

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his courtyard garden in Surrey was originally part of a small farm on heathland. It was square in essence and private, although on quite an uneven downward slope towards the kitchen on the opposite side to the entrance.

The garden was to be for relaxing in, dining, sitting, reading and occasional sunbathing.

The Reigate stone walling and the beams of the 18th Century barn added much character to the space.

The required style by Carol Bridgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clients was that of a Tuscan-type courtyard but more contemporary in style to match the interior style of the barn. The client had already bought two olive trees with this in mind, which were to be incorporated within the design, and wished to include a hot tub, a water feature of some description, a pergola and potentially a freestanding fire within a limited space.

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Design The simplicity of the design was important. Carol incorporated three different levels to accommodate the tricky downward slope and wide forward-facing steps from the highest entrance level.

The planting was to be low maintenance with an evergreen base, incorporating ferns, hellebores, Miscanthus and Anemanthele lessoniana grasses, paired with the acid greens of various euphorbias. Purple and whites feature too, including veronicastrum, salvias, geraniums and verbena, with pots of herbs dotted around.

The hard landscaping preference was for a mixture of two or three materials. Carol used a subtly coloured limestone from London Stone in ‘Jura Grey’, Millboard composite decking board in a warm, red-tinged ‘Golden Oak’.

Rusted-looking, Corten-like fibreglass surrounds the planters, again with Millboard composite board edging which then served as extra seating.

Carol wanted the Olive trees to be planted into the ground so that they had a better chance of survival. She incorporated square planters into the geometric design that the levels and the square courtyard seemed to demand. Although built in concrete blocks, the Corten-like fibreglass surrounding sides were made by Livingreen Design, as were the freestanding planters.

Carol and her clients decided against the idea of a built-in fire as the client already had some freestanding fire bowls which they could move to wherever they were needed. Carol designed a bench to accommodate fire wood underneath in its place.

A bespoke freestanding steel pergola was designed, powder-coated in Lichen green, creating an eye-catching vertical element with a removable shade to create a beautiful dining area on the deck. The pergola was constructed by Harrod Horticultural, manufactured from 75mm x 75mm x 3mm thick steel box sections, discreetly joined with stainless steel fixings and supplied with welded base plates to be fixed to concrete foundations beneath the deck.

The steel has been hot-dip galvanised for a long-lasting, durable finish. It also has a marine grade material sun shade which is removable and clicks into the frame when required. Lighting was quite subtle, using existing older style wall lights combined with new inlaid deck and paving lights. Spike lights illuminate the Olive trees and

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PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value £40,000 (including hot tub and excluding Olive trees) Build time 6 weeks Size of project 90m2

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Kitchen view of courtyard Outdoor dining area on central deck Dogs on deck and Corten planters in background Top balcony with framed birch Water feature with evergreen-based planting Loungers on lower terrace

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were used within the planting. Candles and lanterns provide even more atmosphere to this smaller space.

The courtyard provides various areas of sun, shade or shelter as required. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dip in the hot tub, or the simple sounds of trickling water or bees just outside the kitchen door, this secluded space relaxes and satisfies the senses of Carolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional clients.

REFERENCES Designer Carol Bridges www.carolbridges.co.uk Landscaper Rice & Co. leericeco@gmail.com www.riceofreigate.co.uk

ABOUT CAROL BRIDGES

BEFORE

Carol re-trained at Merrist Wood after working in television documentary production and has been practicing for 10 years as a garden designer in Surrey/Sussex region. She has designed contemporary and more traditional projects large and small. She leans towards naturalistic planting but responds creatively to the needs of individual clients. Carol enjoys the sense of cohesion that a design can bring in combining

Dura Limestone Paving Millboard decking at London Stone www.londonstone.co.uk Corten-like fibreglass planter surrounds and freestanding planters Livingreen Design www.livingreendesign.com

hard and soft landscaping.

DURING THE BUILD

www.carolbridges.co.uk

Plants North Hill Nursery and Evergreen Exterior www.northhillnurseries.co.uk www.evergreenext.co.uk Lighting Landscapeplus www.landscapeplus.com Dining Table Alexander Rose/Dining Chairs: Devane www.alexander-rose.co.uk

DESIGN VISUALISATION

DURING THE BUILD

Corten water feature Halton Corten Steel Waterfall planter www.primrose.co.uk Bespoke Contemporary Pergola Gazebo Harrod Horticultural www.harrodhorticultural.com

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LANDSCAPE A R C H I T EC T ’S

WE SPEAK TO LAURA BRADLEY AND RYAN MURPHY, FOUNDERS OF BMD, ABOUT THEIR STANDOUT PROJECTS, LOOKING AT HOW EXACTLY THEY DELIVER BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN – WELL IN ADVANCE OF DEFRA ANNOUNCING IT WILL BECOME MANDATORY – AS WELL AS WHY COLLABORATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM

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radley Murphy Design (BMD) believes collaboration sits at the heart of every successful landscape project; an approach Laura Bradley and Ryan Murphy have been keen to nurture since they set up the practice in 2011. From humble beginnings, the business has grown to a team of 40 over four offices. Ryan and Laura don’t want this to change anything. “We’re really keen to keep the family feel to the business. We see ourselves as partners, not suppliers, building long-lasting, positive relationships with all clients and stakeholders,” Laura explains. BMD’s success can be attributed to word of mouth alone, a testament to this approach.

HALO In 2018, BMD entered and won an international design competition managed by the Landscape Institute (LI), on behalf of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) and NHS England. They say this stands as BMD’s “proudest achievement to date.” Ryan explains, “HALO is testament to how collaborative master planning, with buy-in from all disciplines and stakeholders, can grow sustainable communities.”

Their winning design ‘HALO; a model for healthy infrastructure’ was developed in collaboration with JTP and Peter Brett Associates (now part of Stantec) and re-imagines how the green, grey, blue and built infrastructure, work together to make new communities inherently healthier, greener and smarter.

With an in-house ecology team, BMD’s designers and ecologists work collaboratively to create harmonised design responses, where

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“biodiversity isn’t an after-thought,” Ryan expresses, “it’s fully-integrated from start to finish.” HALO is no different. The project comprises four key design interventions: Hives, which brings access to others via social hubs, Arcs which will reconnect people to nature by

6 connecting them to key parkland destinations, Links which offers a finer grain movement network, and Organics which delivers food and habitat hubs. These collectively form an interconnected web of healthy infrastructure on residents’ doorsteps. In March, HALO was also shortlisted in the Conceptual category of the 2019 World Landscape Architecture awards.

The Exchange Completed in February, ‘The Exchange’ is a major £18m, 2,515sq metre mixed-use regeneration scheme in Aylesbury town centre.

The development, incorporating residential, leisure and commercial space, has been led by BMD, and delivered by Durkan, on behalf of Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC).

7 Following local consultations, the high-spec space at the Aylesbury development is fully accessible, with sloped access routes for pushchairs, wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

BMD also prioritised sustainability, creating a drainage system for the scheme, channelling site run-off into two 9,500-litre harvesting tanks, with the drainage water then used to irrigate the

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square, including 17 large semi-mature trees.

The Exchange also benefits from energyefficient infrastructure, providing phone charging points within seating, computercontrolled lighting to reduce energy levels beyond closing hours, and a range of pop-up power supplies, making the space a prime location for future events. BMD and AVDC also worked closely to develop an art brief for the space, which materialised as three iconic sculptures, bespoke street furniture and decorative paving and tree grilles.

BIODIVERSITY ISN’T AN AFTER-THOUGHT. IT’S FULLY INTEGRATED FROM START TO FINISH Project approach “BMD support clients during the entire planning process; from conducting preliminary site assessments, landscape master planning and visioning through to producing detailed landscape and public realm design.” Ryan tells us. BMD also provide onsite project implementation and contract management.

“One of BMD’s core strengths is conceptual visioning,” Laura explains, “we use cutting-edge technology to produce stunning 3D visualisations and animations that help bring a client’s vision to life long before it’s built.” Whilst designs push boundaries, BMD doesn’t believe in being creative for ‘creative sake’. It recognises the balance between originality and practicality.

Leven Road Gasworks is a high quality, mixed-use residential scheme with a unique character that capitalises upon its riverside location and industrial heritage. It will deliver up to 2,800 new private and affordable homes, and publicly accessible open space, including a 1ha riverside park. BMD’s landscape proposals seek to protect, conserve and enhance these elements, and use them as a foundation for creating vibrant, inviting and locally sensitive spaces with meaning, to be enjoyed by the community and new residents. Leven Road

8 achieved outline planning permission in May. Phase One, which includes 580 homes, commercial space and public amenities, is due to be implemented between 2019 and 2024.

BMD continually challenge themselves, asking: if this was to get built, would we love to live, work or play there? Laura explains, “for us, this is the ultimate test of whether a project is going to be well received or not, and unless we genuinely answer yes, a design may never see the light of day. We have team members who regularly enjoy spending their spare time with families and friends at BMD-designed spaces.”

Future plans Future key priorities for BMD include overseeing the completion of District Square, new public realm in Wichelstowe, for Swindon Borough Council, as well starting initial design studies for an exciting runway campus park at Alconbury Weald for master developer Urban&Civic, which interestingly, is almost the same length as Central Park.

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Abbey Barn Park Waterbeach Landscape-led development Alconbury Weald Collaborative working at BMD Houlton, Rugby Alconbury Weald The Exchange Leven Road Gasworks ©Atelier 78. Designed by JTP

C O N TA C T 6 The Courtyard, Hatton Technology Park, Dark Lane, Hatton, Warwickshire, CV35 8XB Tel 01926 676496 Email info@bradleymurphydesign.co.uk

www.bradleymurphydesign.co.uk

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London 2019 Tomorrowʼs Urban Spaces We are delighted to launch this important new conference for the commercial landscaping sector. There are a lot of big changes taking place, with design and landscaping playing a greater role in improving the quality of green spaces. There is also landscaping’s emergent role in society and the potential benefits to the health and wellbeing of our population. With a range of quality speakers, this conference will challenge, debate and question some of these vital issues.

- Jim Wilkinson, managing director of Eljays44

Seminar Programme 8:30

Arrival, registration, coffee & tea

9:45

Jim Wilkinson, Eljays44

10:00

Peter Massini, Greater London Authority

10:30 – 11:30

Simon Ward, Atkins | Jaquelin Clay, JFA Environmental Planning

11:40 – 13:00

Dr Phil Askew, Peabody | Adrian Judd, PRP Architects

Welcome

Keynote speaker introduction Session 1: Urban Design & Planning

Session 2: Designing Communal Spaces (Build to let) Session 3: Revolutionising Soils & Landscaping

14:00 – 15:30

Tim OʼHare, Tim OʼHare Associates

15:40 – 17:00

Paul French, fabrik | Chris Churchman, Churchman Thornhill Finch | Chris Bridgman, Bridgman & Bridgman

(Soils and soft landscaping)

Session 4: Greening the Skies (Podiums)

17:00 – 17:30

Drinks

17:30

Finish

Confirmed Speakers

Adrian Judd PRP Architects

Paul French fabrik

Simon Ward Atkins

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Chris Churchman

Jaquelin Clay

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Greater London Authority

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Peabody

More to follow

Tim OʼHare Associates

20/06/2019 11:37

17 October 2019 | London www.prolandscapermagazine.com/future-landscape

What?

ŠNigel Dunnett

The Future Landscape Conference London 2019 is a brand new conference for the commercial landscaping sector.

It will be hosted by Eljays44, the producers of FutureArc, Pro Landscaper and hosts of the industry-leading FutureScape events. The conference will explore current trends and prepare the sector for whatĘźs ahead.

Why? Delegates will hear the views of top, trusted names from major companies in the world of planning, landscape architecture, property development, commercial landscape contracting and architecture. You will be able to enter the discussion, share views and learn about the future of the market. It is also a great opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

How? Email laura.harris@eljays44.com, or call 01903 777570 to register your interest in this event. Alternatively, visit www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ future-landscape for further info.

Sponsors

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CLADDED WALLS, SHELVES AND GREEN WALLS

LO O K S ST Y L I S H WEEKENDS FO R

PLANTERS

IT CAN BE TRICKY TO KNOW HOW TO FULFIL A CLIENT’S VISION WHEN IT COMES TO O U T D O O R S T Y L I N G – D E B S W I N R O W TA L K S US THROUGH SOME OF HER TIPS FOR PULLING TOGETHER DIFFERENT STYLES

A

s you start to progress with initial design consultations, you may start to hear words like Scandi, contemporary, coastal, rustic or modern – all on-trend styling types that seem to come so naturally when your client is trying to explain what they like. So, how do we translate these styles into their outdoor spaces?

The explosion of social media images and videos (showing home décor trends and catwalk highlights within minutes of the style trend being launched) are giving our customers a smorgasbord of options when it comes to deciding styles. The difficulty comes when we try and interpret what this means to an outdoor project. Presenting the right types of products to style the hard landscaping areas and overall garden design to match our customers’ expectations, can be a big responsibility.

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A lot of the images they may present, will be fully-furnished garden spaces, with outdoor furniture, fairy lights, movies playing on white sheets strung between trees, and spaces filled with families having a gorgeous lunch on a dressed table, but what is the actual underlaying style?

Say contemporary to one customer, and they think: sleek, glossy, white, and minimalist, whereas another customer may think: high-tech, grey, cutting-edge and chic. How do you know if you are on track? Both seem right.

Often, you can take a style lead from their interiors, but what if they are in the throes of redecorating? You’ll be hard pushed to think contemporary if they still have textured wallpapers on the walls and beige carpets.

The other big factor to consider is the practically of the style they might choose,

and any budget restraints that make delivering a certain style harder to hit the budget on.

But, don’t panic – you can still be a style whisperer. Our partners in hard landscaping products have got our backs for most styles.

With the introduction of the most amazing high street and accessible showrooms for consumers to visit with us, or on their own, making final product choices is much easier. They can see large samples up-close, get to feel the textures, compliment colour palettes across the project with different products, and even see what a few accessories will look like to lift the area that they are investing in.

Utilise the benefits of Instagram to create secret style boards for your clients in advance of final decisions. Ask them to set up boards in different styles that they love. You’ll very quickly see themes of styles they are aspiring to.

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So how do you then add further depth to the style brief? Ideally, you want to offer further design options for the customer to consider, whilst also potentially adding the sale of these extras to your bottom line.

When we style, we start by suggesting different product groups to our customers.

Think planters, furniture, lighting and kitchen spaces. We then add these into design concepts and mood boards pretty much from the start.

The customer is going to stay excited about the furnishings of the garden – they feel back in control, can see very clear prices and get to choose their favourite things without the usual constraints of actually building it.

We choose suppliers with a wide range of product styles across their brand, which makes it easier to source great products from fewer places. Don’t forget, the industry hasn’t really set a precedent of charging for sourcing products, and you can risk putting in a lot of work, then the customer simply takes the ideas and buys them directly.

Planters From high gloss whites to soft romantic classic textured finishes, planter suppliers have taken out the arduous work by offering lots of different options. Look at the size of planter to add perspective to the style type,

then texture to gain the style’s look and feel. Finally, choose colour palettes that embrace that style’s mood. Corten for rustic, white gloss for contemporary, antique faux lead for traditional.

Outdoor Furniture Let your furniture partner invest in the fashion trends, whilst you flick through their catalogues offering lots of different styles. Use aluminium frameworks for sleek sophisticated styles, rope or wicker for a softer romantic cottage style, or waterproof high-tech fabrics for the customer who wants the latest and most desirable outdoor sofas on their patios.

Let’s go up Take often missed vertical space to play out the customer’s style choice. Add green walls for the botanical trend spreading through hotels and lush bars. Choose from different cladding solutions – porcelains to create metal looks, wood cladding to create recycled and rustic, rendered walls to create memories of holidays spent in traditional villas. Don’t forget to also add shelves to walls and fences to allow further space for collections of objects that can help depict a style. Painted tins filled with herbs for the recycled look, stacks of wooden chopping boards for rustic.

Lighting From a simple candle flame, to a full design; lighting can really change and shape a style.

Use bright white LED light to add to the contemporary city courtyard garden, or soft warm white spike lights, highlighting the outline of a palm against a blue-black sky for coastal.

Colour Trends Take inspiration from the planting palette already agreed with the overall design. If it’s soft, use velvets and throws for sofas and beds.

If it’s strong and architectural, add aluminium firepits or water tables. The key, is not to follow any type too regimentally, but create a unique style for your clients that they’ll feel confident in. Create a style that’ll allow them to grow into the space, and add to or adapt when outdoor life needs to change throughout the seasons.

ABOUT DEBS WINROW Debs Winrow, creative director of award-winning landscape company Garden House Design, is an avid trend spotter, responsible for seeking out the latest and best outdoor living products, and developing an expansive portfolio to offer to both consumers and fellow landscapers and designers.

www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

GREEN WALL

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USING MODERN LIGHTING

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2019

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL PAG E 5 9 U L A M A R I A O N T H E R H S S A N C T U A RY G A R D E N , PAG E 6 0 T H E C R E ST N I C H O L S O N L I V E W E L L G A R D E N , PAG E 6 1 T H E S M A R T M E T E R G A R D E N , PAG E 6 2 3 0 U N D E R 3 0 : T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N AT H A M P TO N C O U R T, PAG E 6 4 S H OW G A R D E N S

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ULA MARIA ON THE

RHS SANCTUARY GARDEN AWA R D -W I N N I N G G A R D E N D E S I G N E R A N D L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T EC T, U L A M A R I A , T E L L S U S W H Y S H E D I S M I S S E D TA K I N G A B R E A K F R O M S H O W G A R D E N S T H I S Y E A R TO C R E AT E T H E R H S F E AT U R E G A R D E N

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ealth and wellbeing are high on the agenda at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this year. A number of show gardens are promoting the mental and physical benefits of green spaces, including the RHS Sanctuary Garden.

The unjudged exhibit has been designed

by Ula Maria, who won RHS Young Designer of the Year at RHS Tatton Park two years ago.

“The theme from the RHS was on health and wellbeing, and I thought it would be interesting to approach this from a mental wellbeing angle,” says Ula. “It’s so relevant today, with the lifestyles we lead and the world we live in.

“I wanted to use the idea of hortus conclusus, which is traditionally an enclosed garden, and focus on a person’s journey towards their inner self.”

The garden will be divided into three parts, each with a different theme and planting scheme, the first of which will be “quite monotonous,” says Ula. “It’s how we would like other people to perceive us, and how we show ourselves to other people. It’s neat and tidy.”

The second section is more adventurous.

“It’s the core of the garden,” explains Ula. “It’s full of colour with complex planting – there’s lots of different textures and heights. This is where the most enclosed part of the garden will be, symbolising one’s own mind. It’s what people don’t show to everyone.”

Most of the plants in this part of the garden will be herbs or species with medicinal properties, including angelica, anethum, fennel,

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HCPFS Sanctuary garden Ula Maria KR.indd 59

chicory, mint, and salvia. The majority of the garden’s planting has been sourced from Jekka’s, an herbetum which has been awarded over 60 RHS Gold medals in its own right.

In the final part of the garden, the planting will be softer – a mirror and reflective pool will help to create a calming space.

I’D LOVE TO DO CHELSEA ONE DAY, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE A SPONSOR THAT YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN Without the worry of working towards a Gold medal, Ula says she has been able to be more creative with the design. “It’s a slightly different experience this year because the garden isn’t being judged,” explains Ula. “There’s less pressure and you can do what you want, to an extent, and just create a garden which everyone will enjoy.”

This will be Ula’s third show garden. Her Studio Unwired garden at Tatton in 2017 scooped a Gold medal, and the following year Ula designed a Lifestyle garden for Hampton Court which was awarded Best in Category.

It was through the latter garden that she met Hampton Court show manager Gemma Lake, who asked Ula if she would be interested in designing the RHS feature garden this year.

Having created a show garden for three years in a row, though, we

wondered whether Chelsea might be on the cards soon. “I’d love to do Chelsea one day, but you need to have a sponsor that you truly believe in,” says Ula. “You need to have a garden that you want other people to see you with.

“After every show I say I’ll take a break next year, but opportunities come up and I can’t say no. I wasn’t going to do a show garden this year, but Gemma said how this garden wasn’t being judged, so it was very tempting to say yes.”

With a hugely successful show garden career so far, and a growing garden design practice, there’s little doubt that Ula Maria is one to watch.

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PLAYING S

THE LONG

GAME

D E B U T D E S I G N E R A L E KSA N D R A BA RTC Z A K E X P L A I N S W H Y S H E ’S B U I L D I N G T H E C R EST N I C H O LS O N L I V E W E L L G A R D E N TO L AST

©David Jarvis Associates

IT’S FANTASTIC FOR THE GARDEN TO BE USED SOMEWHERE ELSE AND TO MAKE PEOPLE PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR DOORSTEP

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HCPFS Crest Nicholson.indd 60

how gardens are no longer just for the week. Once the judges have handed out the medals and the visitors have all gone home, an increasing emphasis is being placed on relocating the hard and soft landscaping products used in each plot. Indeed, an overwhelming majority (89.6%) of those surveyed in an exclusive Pro Landscaper poll earlier this year said more should be done to encourage elements of the gardens to be reused after the show.

Relocating a show garden has its challenges, though. Rather than creating a space which is expected to last mere days, designers have to create a garden which has a lifespan of years, particularly if it’s also destined for a publicly accessible space, such as Aleksandra Bartczak’s debut garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival this year. The Crest Nicholson Livewell Show Garden is going to be relocated to its sponsor’s proposed residential development, Charter Park, in Chelmsford, Essex.

“It’s fantastic for the garden to be used somewhere else and to make people proud of what they have on their doorstep – a former show garden is quite prestigious,” says Aleksandra, a landscape architect at David Jarvis Associates, which is involved in the Chelmsford development.

“It also changes the approach that these items are disposable. We’re building the garden to last rather than just look good for the show then all end up in a skip.”

The show garden is designed as a small public park, inspired by Essex County Council’s Livewell campaign. All 13 local authorities in Essex, including Chelmsford City Council, are taking part in this new initiative.

The campaign was launched to inform the community of what is available to them in their local area to improve their health and wellbeing.

It focuses on six themes – start well, stay well, feel well, eat well, be well, and age well.

Aleksandra has tried to tackle as many of these as possible in the garden, creating both a community space and a contemplation area, where a water bowl will be the focal point.

The two areas will be linked by “moveable seats” fabricated by Woodscape, Bramhall 1840 and Outdoor Design. These seats are one of the most exciting elements of the garden, says Aleksandra. “We thought about how the community area could be flexible, with a variety of uses. We also wanted an element of interaction, so we came up with the idea of having moveable seats which could be rearranged throughout the garden to suit whichever activity was taking place.”

It’s not yet been revealed how these moveable seats will work, but they’re not the only adventurous aspect of this garden. The planting will be a mix of edibles, though according to Aleksandra, not the usual varieties.

“I wanted edibles to be part of the ornamental planting. For example, amelanchier trees are beautiful but also bear edible berries, crab apple fruit can be used for making jellies and preserves, and creeping raspberries are useful for ground cover but also bear edible fruit. There will also be honeyberry, which is very underused in the UK so far.” In the contemplation area, there will be fragrant herbs, such as thyme, satureja, lavender, rosemary, and fennel.

It’s an ambitious plan for a designer’s first show garden. When we caught up Aleksandra, there were only two weeks left to go until the team will be on site. “It’s exciting but quite daunting. I’m starting to feel the pressure now.”

Fortunately, Aleksandra is working with Bespoke Outdoor Spaces, a landscaping company with multiple RHS medals under its belt, and she says she’s looking forward to learning from them. Students from Writtle University College, which is located near to Charter Park, will also be assisting with the build.

With RHS show season in full swing at the moment, gardens such as Aleksandra’s are vital in showcasing how these gardens can be built for the long term and how they could benefit a local community.

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THE

INSPIRE

SMART METER GARDEN

MATTHEW CHILDS

P R O L A N D S CA P E R S P E A KS TO AWA R D -W I N N I N G G A R D E N D ES I G N E R M AT T H E W C H I L D S A B O U T T H E C O N C E PT B E H I N D H I S L AT EST R H S H A M PTO N C O U RT S H OW G A R D E N

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atthew Childs is no stranger to show gardens. Previously, he has appeared at numerous RHS shows and international garden festivals, and his last show garden at Hampton Court last year for B&Q scooped a Gold medal, Best Construction and Best in Show. This year, Matthew returns with the Smart Meter Garden, sponsored by Smart Energy GB, which aims to increase awareness of the impact of CO2 emissions on climate change and the benefits of homeowners using a smart meter.

Matthew says a strong narrative is really important to him when designing a show garden.

“I was really inspired by the compelling facts in the brief given by Smart Energy. It provided BIRCH TREES rich material for an immersive concept.”

The garden will be presented as a large circular space with the perimeter surrounded by a variety of birch species. We hope to inspire people to plant trees showcasing a range of forms and characteristics within one tree group.

There will be stylised planting underneath, which is tolerant to shade: “We are using ferns and

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HCPFS Matthew Childs Smart meter garden.indd 61

hostas, as well as shade loving grasses and bucking the naturalistic trend with variegated foliage in amongst the mix.”

The abundance of trees within this garden is a key feature, showcasing their vital role in reducing CO2 within the atmosphere. Visitors to the garden will follow a winding, black path. This will lead them to the centre the garden, where they can sit on curved benches crafted by designer Tom Raffield. Matthew says: “The idea is to draw people together.”

At the centre is a 8m diameter surface made of the same imposing black cracked surface. Emerging from the cracks will be a gassy vapour emulating CO2 emissions. Light will also flash beneath the cracks, symbolising erratic energy use.”

The large circular area will then be flooded with water, creating a giant mirror reflecting in it peopleand trees. Trees are Matthew’s metaphor for getting a smart meter in that just like planting a tree, getting a smart meter has the potential to benefit the environment for generations to come.

A shelter at the rear will not only house all of the complex equipment that runs the central feature installed by Water Artisans and lit by Moonlight Design but will be a place for dialogue about the smart

SELECTING TREES AT MAJESTIC TREES WITH HUMAIRA IKRAM

meter roll out and it’s benefits. The garden is being built by a large team of professionals, headed up by Belderbos Landscapes who Matthew says he is really looking forward to working with.

His design does not come without its challenges. Due to Hampton Court being held later in the season, there can be issues with planting in dry weather. “Birch is well known for being very hard to transplant, particularly in hot periods as it can become easily stressed. We’re going to fit in an irrigation system for the trees to make sure they are getting the water they need.”

Matthew adds: “Solving the problems that face the environment can seem like a huge task, but I want visitors to the garden to come away feeling that collectively, small changes have the potential to make a big impact.”

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TOM SIMPSON What are you most excited for in terms of this experience?

It’s a lot of fun and an incredibly rewarding.

It’s that wonderful experience of it all coming together at the end through the stresses and strain and realising the vision.

To see it come together finally is incredibly rewarding.

What is your favourite part of the design?

I think it would probably be the sunken seating area. We’ve got some lovely limestone that’s being cut by London Stone. It’s this bespoke, swirling design and the top step will sweep round and form a bench. I’m excited to see how that pans out and actually looks in reality.

CAITLIN MCLAUGHLIN Do you have any previous experience with show gardens?

I have previously created a garden at RHS Tatton. I achieved Gold and won the Young Designer of the Year category with my garden, Nature and Nurture. I have also created a garden at RHS Malvern, and worked with Tim Denton to create the Best Show Feature at RHS Tatton in 2017.

What are you most excited for in regards to Hampton Court and the design?

I’m most excited to see it all come to life, from the pictures I have in my head and the

watercolour image we have of the garden to the finished space.

What is your favourite part of the design?

The contemporary bumblebee homes I have designed using hexagon-shaped Marshalls Scoutmoor paving, with copper inlaid silhouettes of bumblebees. These will be functional for bees to nest underground and also stylish, a real eye-catching feature in the garden.

What is your greatest challenge?

Moving the garden to its permanent home at Cransley Hospice. Organising the breakdown at

30 UNDER 30:

THE NEXT GENERATION AT RHS Hampton Court PALACE Garden Festival

30 UNDER 30 WINNERS GIVE PRO LANDSCAPER A GLIMPSE OF THEIR D E S I G N S FO R T H I S Y E A R S R H S H A M P TO N C O U R T PA L AC E G A R D E N F E ST I VA L

THE CANCER RESEARCH UK PLEDGE PATHWAY TO PROGRESS

What do you think the greatest challenge will be?

There are a number of elements that will be challenging. One is because there isn’t a single straight line in the garden, it’s all curves to form the unique design. What is always a challenge is planting and the weather. Last year it was so hot, it becomes hard work when you’re constantly trying to keep your plants looking good and alive and happy.

What do you hope to take out of this experience?

I think with each show, you’re building up towards the next garden. Ideally I’d like to see myself in a few years time going to Chelsea. Building on the experience of last year has lead me to this garden with this fantastic sponsor and a really great theme.

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WILL WILLIAMS Do you have any previous experience with show gardens?

Yes, I have previously created gardens at Hampton Court in 2016 and 2017.

My most recent garden was designed at Tatton Park in 2018, which won the RHS Young Designer of the Year award.

What are you most excited for in regards to Hampton Court and the design?

I am really looking forward to seeing the garden room come together, it is something that we have spent a lot

THE VIKING CRUISES LAGOM GARDEN

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INSPIRE

ANCA PANAIT THE URBAN POLLINATOR GARDEN

Hampton Court whilst also beginning the build on site at Cransley is going to be a logistical and time management challenge, but one that will be so worth it in the end.

support of Warner’s Distillery and Cransley Hospice.

How does it feel to be creating for Hampton Court?

It feels equal parts exciting and nerve-racking!

I’m really pleased to be doing this with the

What do you hope to take out of this experience?

I hope to take away a feeling of pride and happiness in what I have achieved.

How many illustrations are you providing for Hampton Court?

I have been commissioned to do four illustrations for this year RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, all with a different brief and message.

COMMUNITY ALLOTMENTS

Are they being built - if so by who/designed by who?

All illustrations are feature show gardens that promote the importance of horticulture. Two of the illustrations designed by RHS highlight the importance of community allotments and encourage visitors to immerse themselves within a field of dahlias. The other gardens have been designed by Rossana Porta and the Beth Chatto team to celebrate her revolutionary planting for dry gardens.

BETH CHATTO GARDEN ILLUSTRATION BY ANCA PANAIT

of time on. The other would be the furniture, I have designed it all myself, so can’t wait to see it all being put to use.

What do you think your greatest challenge will be?

I think that the greatest challenge will be the weather, you never can tell what it will do.

What is your favourite part of the design?

My favourite part of the design is the water feature. It will show off the natural beauty of plants, whilst the aforementioned garden room houses a seating area where we are able to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

How does it feel to be creating for Hampton Court?

Hampton Court is one of my favourite shows and is a great place to build a show garden. It is lovely to be back now as it is where my career kicked off, and to be back now and designing for the headline sponsor is an honour.

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HCPFS 30 under 30.indd 63

Is this what you want to do in the future in terms of your career?

Illustrations are just a small part of my job, they are part of creative process that help clients understand a design. I am trained as a landscape architect and I enjoy designing places that bring people closer to nature. I have been working on a very personal project and I am hoping to return with a new show garden very soon.

Do you get a rough design drawn up initially or do you have to come up with the drawing design?

Sometimes I get a rough layout sketch but when working on an illustration, the brief is the most important part because that’s when then client explains their ideas and inspiration. For me illustrations aren’t necessarily 100% accurate, they explore ideas and evoke an atmosphere.

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INSPIRE

THE GARDENS The RHS’s annual event at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey has undergone a subtle rebranding, now being labelled as a garden festival rather than a flower show. The contents of the show, however, are largely the same, bar some exciting additions such as the new Global Impact category which tackles topical themes such as ‘green’ prescriptions, and encouraging school children to get involved in gardening. Health and wellbeing are also high on the agenda at this year’s show, which takes place from 2-7 July, as is sustainability and biodiversity. It is undoubtedly an event not to be missed.

FEATURE GARDENS BETH CHATTO: THE DROUGHT RESISTANT GARDEN Designer David Ward Contractor David Ward and Beth Chatto Gardens staff This exhibit will be a recreation of the late Beth Chatto’s famous drought-tolerant garden. Beth, who passed away last year, has been named the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2019 Horticultural Hero. David Ward, garden director of the Beth Chatto Gardens, will be paying homage with this feature garden, which showcases the success of using the right plants for drought conditions.

©RHS / Anca Panait

THE WILD GARDEN

BBC SPRINGWATCH GARDEN

EDIBLE EDEN

Designer Rossana Porta Contractor Rossana Porta and volunteers

Designer Jo Thompson Contractor Bespoke Outdoor Spaces Sponsor BBC Springwatch

Designer Chris Smith Contractor Groundbreaking Projects Sponsor Burpee Europe Ltd

Jo Thompson is working alongside wildlife gardener and writer, Kate Bradbury, to create a garden which will encourage visitors to make their gardens more wildlife friendly. It will highlight some of the small changes people can make to halt the decline of the UK’s wildlife population.

Chris Smith is creating a kitchen garden with an abundance of seasonal produce. Visitors will be able to walk through the garden and see cooking demonstrations hosted by Mark Diacono of Otter Farm using produce picked from the surrounding exhibit.

Not just a pretty space, Rosanna Porta’s garden showcases how gardens can be used as a food source and how visitors can take a walk on the wild side at home, encouraging biodiversity in their own back yards.

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INSPIRE

SHOW GARDENS APL: A PLACE TO MEET

CALM AMIDST CHAOS

Designer Cherry Carmen Contractor Kebur Landscape Division Sponsors The Association of Professional Landscapers, Kebur Garden Materials, LandscapePlus, Garden House Design

Designer Joe Francis Contractor Josh Jupp Landscapes Sponsor MayTree

One of many gardens at this year’s show to combine contemporary hard landscaping with naturalistic planting, Cherry’s garden will highlight how spaces such as this can be functional and also wildlife friendly. There will be seating areas, a secluded plunge pool and a number of water features alongside a planting palette to attract pollinators.

Joe Francis returns to Hampton Court this year with a garden which highlights the importance of those with stressful lives creating a calm space. The garden is dedicated to Maytree, a charity which provides a safe space for those contemplating suicide, and many of the plants will be relocated to its London based residence after the show.

CREST NICHOLSON LIVEWELL GARDEN

SMART METER GARDEN

Designer Aleksandra Bartczak Contractor Bespoke Outdoor Spaces and Writtle University College Sponsor Crest Nicholson

Designer Matthew Childs Contractor Belderbos Landscapes Sponsor Smart Energy GB

Inspired by Livewell, an initiative between all Essex local authorities to improve health and wellbeing, debut designer Aleksandra Bartczak has created a pocket park. With a community space and a contemplation area, the garden will have multiple uses, and will be relocated to a new Crest Nicholson development in Chelmsford after the show.

THE CANCER RESEARCH UK PLEDGE PATHWAY TO PROGRESS Designer Tom Simpson Contractor Rosebank Landscaping Sponsor Cancer Research UK Tom Simpson already boasts a Gold medal from his Hampton Court debut last year. The budding designer is back at this year’s show to create a garden as a tribute to those who have pledged gifts to Cancer Research UK in their wills.

Visitors will be able to walk through the garden to a seating area and water feature at the centre.

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HCPFS Show gardens KRR.indd 65

Last year, Matthew Childs’ garden won not only a Gold medal, but also Best in Show and the Best Construction Award. He returns this year to showcase how smart meters can help to reduce CO2 emissions from the energy used in homes, with an immersive experience for visitors in the garden.

THE DREAM OF THE INDIANOS Designer Rose McMonigall Contractor Laurence Ward Sponsor Turismo de Galicia, The Spanish Tourist Office Rose McMonigall combines the Caribbean and Galician cultures in this show garden. It will explore the narrative behind the Indianos, Spanish emigrants who moved to the Caribbean to earn money before returning to Spain to fund the building of schools and hospitals, as well as mansions for themselves.

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INSPIRE

YEAR OF GREEN ACTION Designers Helen J Rosevear and Jane Stoneham Contractor Cotswold Estates and Gardens Ltd Sponsors Defra and Sensory Trust To celebrate the Year of Green Action 2019, a campaign to get people connected with nature, Helen and Jane have designed a sensory, family garden. Sustainability is a key element, with various elements to be created from recycled materials, encouraging visitors to use some of these ideas in their own gardens.

THE VIKING CRUISES LAGOM GARDEN Designer Will Williams Contractor Burnham Landscaping Sponsor Viking Cruises After winning the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition last year, as well as a Gold medal, Will Williams is taking on Hampton Court with a garden inspired by the Scandinavian concept of ‘lagom’, which is often translated as ‘balanced’. The contemporary garden will be both aesthetically pleasing, and create homes for wildlife, with a green roof and planting as a food source.

THROUGH YOUR EYES Designer Lawrence Roberts and William Roobrouck Contractor Elements Garden Design, Shrub and Stone A large sculptural steel head will provide an entrance to this garden, where visitors can step away from the bustling show ground and into a contemplative space. The space will explore the path of life and its obstacles, with rough stepping stones. The planting scheme will be dominated with yellows, whilst two large river birches will frame a bench at the rear of the garden.

THE THERAPEUTIC GARDEN Designer Tony Wagstaff Sponsor Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Southend 2050 is an ongoing conversation between the council and the community as to what they want the future of the borough to look like. Tony Wagstaff has designed a garden which encompasses the themes of this public engagement. Youth offenders will help to prepare elements of the garden, which will be relocated to the town once Hampton Court closes its doors.

THE THAMES WATER FLOURISHING FUTURE GARDEN Designer Tony Woods Contractor Garden Club London Sponsor Thames Water The Thames Water Flourishing Garden aims to show how to include biodiversity and reduce water usage in gardens. A Thames on Top water bar will offer free refills of water to visitors, and in the spirit of sustainability, the garden will be repurposed after the show to whichever school wins a competition to redesign a neglected area of their grounds.

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INSPIRE

LIFESTYLE GARDENS THE NATURECRAFT GARDEN

STOP AND PAUSE GARDEN

Designer Pollyanna Wilkinson Contractor Burnham Landscaping Sponsor Belvoir Fruit Farms

Designer Dave Green Contractor PC Landscapes

Pollyanna Wilkinson is back for her second year at Hampton Court, working with Burnham Landscapes again to create a garden which is both beautiful and useful. It is inspired by botanical crafts, creating objects from plants, such as through willow weaving or dying fabrics.

THE URBAN POLLINATOR GARDEN Designer Caitlin McLaughlin Contractor Conway Landscapes Sponsor Warner’s Caitlin McLaughlin has designed a contemporary urban back garden which is also incredibly biodiverse.

The former RHS Young Designer of the Year has chosen a planting scheme which encourages pollinators, particularly insects, to thrive. After the show, the garden will be relocated to Cransley Hospital as a space for staff and patients to use.

The Stop and Pause garden will be a space for meditation within a calm, woodland setting. Trees screen the tranquil space within, where a reflection pool sits at the centre.

The garden is being donated to the Solihull Hospital Charity after the show, where it will be rebuilt in the grounds.

THE LOWER BARN FARM OUTDOOR LIVING GARDEN Designer Robert Grimstead Contractor Lower Barn Farm Sponsor Lower Barn Farm Designed with a young couple in mind, this garden is focused around an outdoor kitchen, with an eye-catching Corten steel bioclimatic pergola covering a seating area ideal for entertaining. The pergola’s louvered blades will provide both shade and shelter, allowing the couple to enjoy their garden through every season.

Notes:

Do not scale off this drawing Report all errors and omissions to Designer Dimensions to be checked on site

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07/02/2019

Revised walls & chair

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By Issue Notes

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Revised walls & chair Revised walls Application for Submission

Client:

Title:

Lower Barn Farm

Visulisations

Project:

Drawing status:

The Lower Barn Farm Oxi-Daze Garden Hampton Court 2019

APPLICATION

By Revision Notes

LOWER BARN FARM London Road Rayleigh Essex, SS6 9ET t. 01268 780991 w. www.lowerbarnfarm.co.uk e. sales@lowerbarnfarm.co.uk Scale @ A3

1:50 Drawing No:

1028-DR-0500

GLOBAL IMPACT GARDENS BELIEVE IN TOMORROW

THE FOREST WILL SEE YOU NOW

Designer Seonaid Royall Contractor Highgrove Landscaping

Designer Michelle Brandon Contractor Landscaping Solutions Ltd

As an ideal primary school garden, designed to encourage children to get outside, Seonaid’s garden is an educational playground.

There are areas such as ponds, edible planting beds and even secret pathways.

Plants from across the globe will feature, as well as apple trees to showcase growing your own produce and the importance of pollination.

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HCPFS Show gardens KRR.indd 67

Horticultural therapist Michelle Brandon has designed a garden which showcases how nature can be beneficial, both physically and mentally. A forest will sit within an oversized packet of pills, showing how nature can act as a medicine, with green space reported to help reduce stress and lower blood pressure, amongst other health benefits.

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eonardslee Lakes and Gardens is bustling. The hot summer sun is beating down on the queues of people eagerly awaiting entrance to this prestigious estate in Lower Beeding, near Horsham. On days like this, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to believe that in the year the garden was last open, nearly a decade ago, Leonardslee had over 70,000 visitors.

It now boasts over 2,000 visitors daily after reopening in April this year, welcoming people from across the UK and likely further afield as they make up for the time lost since the gardens were closed to the public in 2010 due to the high costs of maintaining the grounds.

Fortunately, the Grade I listed gardens were purchased two years ago by entrepreneur Penny Streeter OBE. She felt passionately that the gardens should be open to the public once again, and embarked on one of the biggest restoration schemes in the UK in the past three decades.

This process of restoring the garden was boosted by the addition of head gardener Ray Abraham, who joined in June last year. He was fascinated by the rich history of the site and the hundreds of rhododendron species for which Leonardslee has become widely known.

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NURTURE

WE HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE PRUNED IN CASE WE CUT THE WRONG PART. THERE WAS A RISK THAT WAS THE LAST OF THAT RHODODENDRON ON THE PLANET

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NURTURE

Collecting species In the late 1800s, the 240-acre estate was owned by Sir Edmund Loder, an English aristocrat and plantsman. Until his death in 1920, Loder continually sought new species for the garden. He enlisted plant hunters to grow the collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias, sending them on trips to Asia and the Americas to discover rare plants.

“Sir Edmund Loder was one of the instigators of the RHS as it is now,” says Ray. “He and various other aristocracies helped to create the RHS so that they could create their own gardens. It was a select club of people which had plant collections from the Himalayas.

“As the RHS developed, they began to include more members of the aristocracy who turned their gardens into rhododendron collections. That’s why we have so many in this country.”

Leonardslee remained under the Loder family’s ownership until 2010, when the gardens were sold and became unkempt. By the time the gardens opened this year, they’d been transformed, and rhododendron enthusiast Ray is determined to keep the plants sourced by the Victorian plant hunters alive.

There are around 10,000 trees spanning across the impressive acreage and over 450 species of plants. Ray and his team have discovered 191 endangered rhododendrons throughout the restoration so far, which Ray

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MY GOAL, ULTIMATELY, IS TO BUILD HALF THE COLLECTION OF ALL RHODODENDRONS ON THE PLANET IN THIS GARDEN says are the “bastions of the future for conservation”. Because of this, the restoration of the garden was a painstaking process.

“We had to be very careful about what we pruned in case we cut the wrong part.

There was a risk that was the last of that rhododendron on the planet,” explains Ray. “So, we had to identify most of the plants.”

Tough choices He says they also had to make hard decisions, particularly in part of the garden called The Dell.

“There are so many plants in the undergrowth – towering 60ft rhododendrons with loads of rhododendrons and camellias beneath them.

We had to decide which ones to prune and which ones to cut away for light. It was a painful process. In Victorian days, so many species and hybrids were planted in one area.”

The team had the same problem in the Rock Garden, which was built by esteemed landscaping company James Pulham and Son in 1890. They discovered endangered rhododendron species such as aberconwayi, arboreum, beanianum, sherriffii and strigillosum.

Fortunately, though, the species which had to be cut back are not lost. Ray Abraham has started a mammoth propagation programme to ensure they retain cuttings of all the endangered species in another part of the garden. “In the event of disease, for example, or plants become crushed, we will have a back-up. I’m also creating a seedbank of all the rhododendrons, as well as the trees. There are some acers here which there are no other examples left on in the world.

“It’s going to take a number of years to complete but we have to do it. Plants are not finite, they have a lifespan, and there are some varieties which have died out in the past. But we can replace some of them by taking cuttings from other gardens and bringing them here. My goal, ultimately, is to build half the collection of all rhododendrons on the plant in this garden.”

This is no mean feat – there are around 900 species in the world, and roughly 350 of them are currently growing in Leonardslee.

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Looking ahead Ray is now hand pollinating not just rhododendrons, but camellias and azaleas as well, to ensure the collection grows. The team is also building an Australian garden on the south side of The Dell, inspired by the wallabies imported by Loder in 1889, the descendants of which still reside on the grounds.

There will also be a garden focusing on species from South Africa, where owner Penny Streeter lives. “It’s going to be joyous,” says Ray. “We’re going to grow Protea and various grasses to create a prairie type area.”

As if all of these individual projects weren’t enough to keep Ray busy, there are also 60 acres of the garden which are yet to be restored. “There are rare plants and trees

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IF WE DON’T ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE, THE GARDEN WILL DIE. WE HAVE TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE AS MUCH AS WE CAN NOW SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE IT FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE there, leading up to an ancient woodland.

We haven’t even discovered what’s up there yet. To me, that’s thrilling.”

To ensure this development of the garden continues for years to come, Ray says a horticultural education centre will be built at Leonardslee. This is with the goal of providing a place to inspire the younger generation to carry out this type of work, and they are also taking on apprentices to learn the ropes.

“If we don’t engage young people, the garden will die. We have to share knowledge as much as we can now so that they can take it forward into the future.”

Ray’s passion for the garden and its history means Leonardslee will likely continue to develop and flourish, and we’re bound to eventually see a rhododendron named after the man himself.

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THE BRITISH STA N DA R D FO R TO P S O I L T I M Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; H A R E E X P L A I N S H I S C O N S I D E R AT I O N S W H E N U S I N G T H E B R I T I S H STA N DA R D, A N D W H AT A LT E R N AT I V E S YO U C A N A D O P T TO G E T T H E M O ST O U T O F YO U R S O I L

(BS3882:2015) IS IT ANY GOOD?

T

he British Standard for Topsoil, BS3882:2015 (the BS), is widely regarded by the landscape and construction industry as the benchmark to which all topsoil should meet.

Landscape architects and local authorities regularly specify it, contractors order it, topsoil companies strive to meet it, and several national organisations, such as the Highways Agency, always stipulate it for their projects.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the BS? The BS sets out the requirements for the classification, composition and use of topsoils that are specifically moved or traded (i.e. not relevant for soils that are still in-situ).

It specifies requirements for multipurpose topsoil, which is intended for the majority of planting types, and specific purpose topsoils (acid, calcareous, low fertility) for more specialist habitats where the plants prefer more extreme soil conditions.

Table 1 in the document contains a set of parameters that should be analysed for and provides recommended values for each one to meet the relevant topsoil type. Figure 1 is a textural diagram, which indicates the proportions of sand, silt and clay that are required to meet the BS. The document also provides sampling information and guidance on the handling, management and storage of topsoil.

A wealth of information Many aspects of the document are excellent, and provide the reader with up-to-date, useful and practical information on soil selection,

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THE BS IS INTENDED FOR USE THROUGHOUT THE UK BUT WILL NOT NECESSARILY PICK UP REGIONAL VARIATIONS

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topsoil depths, sampling, testing, soil management and after-use.

The BS is an effective tool for preventing low quality, ‘screened muckaway’ soils being offered as proper topsoil. These soils possess a number of serious limitations with respect to re-use, including a high risk of contamination, injurious sharps (glass shards, nails, etc), extremely high pH, salinity levels, low organic matter and biological activity. Testing soil against the BS should highlight these inadequacies as non-compliances.

A word of caution The BS is a good starting point for assessment and procurement of topsoil to be used in landscape schemes, however, compliance with ‘Table 1 parameters’ does not mean a topsoil is suitable for every landscape situation or application. The standard is intended for use in the UK, but will not necessarily pick up regional variations or site-specific issues.

An issue with the current BS is the maximum limits set for silt and clay (Figure 1).

Currently, the BS allows soils with up to 65% silt and 35% clay. These are too high for soils that are to be stripped, stockpiled, transported and respread. Silty soils in particular have weak soil structures, and disintegrate when the topsoil is disturbed to this extent.

In addition, both silty and clayey soils can only be handled safely (without causing excessive compaction) when they are reasonably dry and non-plastic in consistency.

With the UK’s maritime climate, that only accounts for a relatively short part of the year.

This isn’t factored into construction programmes, and conflicts with the traditional planting season of November to March. The outcome is often that, ‘on paper’ the topsoil complies with the BS, but it’s not fit-forpurpose, and plants fail or gardens flood.

I say, use the BS as a ‘template’ and consider adjusting the tolerances for certain parameters.

For example, if you need a free-draining topsoil, or if the soil is imported and planted in winter, a topsoil with high sand content will be more appropriate. Likewise, if the planting palette contains calcifuge ‘acid-loving’ species, then the pH range should be narrowed accordingly.

Misuse of the BS Some of this information highlights restrictions that should be placed on handling and working the soils, like; during wet weather, or without trafficking over the topsoil. Unfortunately, much of this information is not considered when BS topsoils are specified, or when they are

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THE STANDARD IS A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND PROCUREMENT OF TOPSOIL TO BE USED IN LANDSCAPE SCHEMES

imported, stored, placed or prepared. The assumption is that, as long as the soil meets the requirements of Table 1 and Figure 1, it can be used in any way.

The BS is sometimes relied upon for more extreme planting environments, such as podium landscapes, roof gardens or tree cell systems.

It was never intended for these increasingly artificial environments, where a specialist soil specification should be used instead.

Tree pit designs often show topsoil to be placed to excessive depths (sometimes up to 1m). This in itself is bad practice, but when a BS topsoil is specified, this is automatically working outside the BS, which specifies a maximum topsoil depth of 300mm.

Beyond the British Standard Although Table 1 tests are important, there are other parameters that may be required to fully understand the suitability of a topsoil. For example, the determination of permeability provides quantitative information about the drainage ability of the topsoil, which is fundamental for many landscape schemes (eg. tree pits, SuDS).

Another common topsoil test that is not covered by the BS, is a more detailed particle size analysis (soil texture), whereby the portion of sand is split into five size classes. Some topsoils, such as those made using thanet sand, have high ‘total sand’ contents, but the majority of the sand falls into the ‘very fine sand’ fraction (0.05-0.15mm). These soils perform more like silty soils, and have significant limitations in landscaping. A topsoil with a ‘wide particle size distribution’ (e.g. equal quantities of each of the

five sands) can suffer from particle interpacking, thus resulting in poor drainage and aeration.

Human Health Contaminants NOTE 3 and NOTE 4 (bottom of Table 1) set out requirements for topsoil in relation to contamination testing for human health, and the need to test it for contaminants as part of their assessment (e.g. heavy metals, hydrocarbons, cyanide, phenol and asbestos).

These tests are essential for soils that are imported to site as part of a Duty of Care, and are often a requirement to meet planning conditions, remediation strategies and warranties. Many soil testing laboratories don’t realise contamination tests must be included when a topsoil is tested against the standard.

My advice is to not accept any soil analysis that only covers the horticultural properties.

Tim O’Hare Associates is running its Soil CPD Conference again this September – Check out SoilsCon2019 at www.toha.co.uk

ABOUT TIM O’HARE Tim O’Hare, principal consultant of Tim O’Hare Associates LLP, has been advising on topsoil testing and quality assessments within the landscape industry for more than 20 years. He works with many landscape architects, garden designers, contractors and topsoil suppliers to ensure the soils they use, specify, import or supply are ‘fit for purpose’.

www.toha.co.uk

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A BUZZING U R BA N G A R D E N A L L I S O N WA LT E R S D I S C U S S E S AW S C A P E ’ S F I R ST P R OJ E C T, A N D HOW BIODIVERSITY WA S AT T H E H E A R T OF THE DESIGN

O

ur gardens, yards, postage stamps – whatever we choose to call them – are all opportunities to create an oasis for wildlife in the urban world. Where land is developed to create housing, greenfield or brownfield, it is even more important to redress the balance.

People need nature, and nature now needs people, given the decline of the insect population and our mental health. Finding balance between our worlds can help the survival of wildlife and create valuable, viable and enjoyable spaces to lift our moods.

FINDING BALANCE BETWEEN OUR WORLDS CAN HELP THE SURVIVAL OF WILDLIFE awSCAPE’s first garden design aims to bring life to a space where the owners can enjoy the value of bees and butterflies in a contemporary setting. Originally a blank canvas, this garden was part of a new-build housing development on the edge of Audlem, Cheshire.

Little wildlife was spotted on the site, particularly as the majority of the project was still under construction. It was also a lower level than the garden adjacent, so the house and garden were substantially overlooked. Being south-east facing, the garden was also a sun trap with no escape from the summer rays.

The idea was to create a calm and tranquil oasis, a place to unwind. It would serve as a modern garden for a couple to enjoy, with the added flexibility of entertaining the grandchildren. Mostly, it would be an outdoor haven for our bees and butterflies.

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The structure of the space was important.

It wasn’t a large garden, but needed height, shade, and a way to block out views from the adjacent gardens and houses. The structural planting included Betula utilis var. jacquemontii, Acer griseum and Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Ballerina’ multi-stem. These provided colour and form, as well as being notably good for insects and bird life throughout the year. Larger shrubs included Buddleja davidii ‘Empire Blue’, Syringa vulgaris ‘Madame Lemoine’, hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’ and Buxus sempervirens.

Not all of these are bee or butterfly attracting plants, but they make up for this in their value to other wildlife. For example, I have often witnessed wrens and dunnocks nesting in clipped box, as well as the acrobatics of blue and great tits sourcing insects.

The remaining planting palette was important to maximise insect value, as well as maintain variety, interest and tranquillity. It is mainly blue and white, and includes: Allium, Hellebore, Echinops, Thymus, Aubretia, Anemone, Verbena, Salvia, Eryngium, Geranium, Digitalis, Leucanthemum, Lavandula, and Hebe.

Through waves of grasses, the bright colours of

Geum, Helenium and Pyracantha ‘Orange Glow’ add provide focal points from the main windows.

Some gardens might have manicured lawns and perfectly clipped hedges, but that doesn’t mean the spaces in-between can’t be designed for our insect life. It could also create homely spaces for our birds, hedgehogs and other creatures. Obviously, not all gardens can be designed with wildlife meadows or ponds. But, as a landscape architect, I have the opportunity to ensure that the spaces I create can add value for wildlife, so I always design with nature in mind.

A B O U T A L L I S O N W A LT E R S After earning a degree in environmental biology, Allison joined Glendale as a contract supervisor in its grounds maintenance department. After overcoming a cancer diagnosis, Allison says her calling to ecology resurfaced. She studied parttime at BCU, graduating as a landscape architect and working at Wardell Armstrong for 10 years, where she became chartered. In 2018, Allison set up awSCAPE, focusing on her passion for bringing nature into projects and rewilding landscapes.

www.awscape.co.uk

DESIGN PLAN

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AFTERCARE OR MAINTENANCE ?

NEW CONTRIBUTOR CHRIS STONE OUTLINES THE MUCH-DEBATED DIFFERENCE BET WEEN MAINTENANCE AND AFTERCARE

I

’ve been thinking about putting pen to paper on this subject since attending the aftercare panel discussion at last November’s FutureScape event.

It was great to see aftercare of domestic gardens discussed, and that there are various designers who understand the importance of knowledge and attention to detail after the garden build is completed.

I think it’s fair to say that garden maintenance and aftercare are design and build’s ugly sisters. After all, it’s pulling weeds, cutting hedges and mowing lawns, right?

Well, yes, but there’s a bit more to it than that.

Is aftercare any different to maintenance?

I believe they are different offerings, and both seem to be undervalued. But why? Gardens don’t look after themselves. Nature has a habit of reclaiming what we have colonised.

Maintenance We maintain a lot of gardens. Many are large, beautiful spaces with well-established trees, beds and borders, large lawns, areas of meadow and water. These are full of examples of gorgeous planting, much of it that has lost its way over the years, due to gardeners’ overzealous use of hedge trimmers to round or square off anything that dares to grow in a natural manner. This treatment can take time to undo to get some relaxed form back.

I think it is fair to suggest that maintaining an existing garden is fairly formulaic. The seasons dictate the work you can do to a large extent.

This doesn’t make garden maintenance dull or

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lacking in skill. The thrill is partly experiencing each season from start to finish, and reaching its full potential in each cycle.

Aftercare Aftercare, on the other hand, is taking a freshly created space from its embryonic stage, and nurturing it over time to reach its full potential.

It’s seeing it through the teething stage into the formative years, setting the rules and

GARDENS DON’T LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES. NATURE HAS THIS HABIT OF RECLAIMING WHAT WE HAVE COLONISED

boundaries, practicing tough love, when necessary, so that it reaches adolescence in rude health.

It’s never once losing sight of the designer’s vision that they convinced the client of in the first place. Too many gardens so beautifully designed and built by craftsmen, never have the chance to fully develop due to poor aftercare.

I don’t understand why people invest so much money in a garden, and then fail to take care of it. Would they invest similar money in a luxury car and never wash or service it? I don’t think so. Clients pay the going rates to have their cars serviced by the manufacturers’ strict guidelines, paying dealer prices rather than

using local independent garages. They do so knowing that the skilled technicians are trained to do it, and buy it knowing how much it will cost to maintain. So, why isn’t it like this in our world?

I think it’s because we are slow on the uptake.

Many parts of our industry have experienced massive changes. So many new materials and techniques, but we don’t look around to see how other industries deal with clients.

People want to be sold the dream, but they need to understand the practicalities and costs.

The majority of clients will have a business background, and this is a business transaction, but just like the example of buying a car, ‘buying’ a garden is an emotional purchase. They buy the dream from a designer, the garden from a landscaper, and an insurance policy on their investment with an aftercare specialist.

So, if you are a designer, ask yourself – do you have open conversations with your future clients about overall budgets, or do you shy away from the cost of professional aftercare?

It’s hard enough to convince a prospect they need to ‘up their budget’, so why would you throw a spanner in the works? But when you have completed a garden, is it ready for photographing straight away, or does it always look better a couple of seasons in?

Any garden you have designed that has been brought to life, reflects your talents for years to come. Why leave this growing and ever-evolving business card to chance?

ABOUT CHRIS STONE Chris Stone is founder and managing director of Bushy Business Ltd; an RHS and APL awardwinning company, which carries out garden design, hard and soft landscaping, maintenance and aftercare in domestic gardens throughout the south east of England.

www.bushybusiness.com

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FO C U S P R O L A N D S C A P E R S P E A K S TO PA U L A N D E R S O N , M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R O F L A DY B R O O K N U R S E RY , TO D I S C U S S T H E C O M PA N Y ’ S H I STO R Y A N D I N VO LV E M E N T W I T H AWA R D -W I N N I N G S H OW G A R D E N S

L

ocated in the heart of Cheshire, situated on it’s 13 acre estate in Bramhall, sits Ladybrook nursery, a specialist plant grower in the north of England. Established in 1971, Ladybrook Nursery provides a varied, diverse selection of stock, ranging from speciality trees, such as, Japanese Maples to bonsai, decorative climbers, bamboo, topiary and ornamental plants. Ladybrook works with designers, contractors, architects and private clients to help develop creative, inspiring projects.

The family-run nursery is currently managed

by Paul Anderson, who took on the company from his father. He says, “The company was founded by my dad. He started with a three acre patch, then decided to buy another four acres, and afterwards, another six.”

Ladybrook Nursery has been supplying plants to RHS Tatton since it started with show gardens in 1999, many of which have won gold and silver medals. “We have done a lot of show gardens over the years, and we’ve supplied gardens at Tatton since it

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first started.” The nursery also worked on ‘A Real Japanese Garden’, sponsored by The Daily Telegraph, at the RHS Chelsea flower show back in 2001, which won the Best in Show award and a Gold medal.

LADYBROOK NURSERY HAS BEEN SUPPLYING PLANTS TO RHS TATTON EVER SINCE IT STARTED BACK IN 1999 Ladybrook supplied Japanese acers, Japanese azaleas (such as Geisha Purple), Pieris Japonica and mature hornbeams to the garden, to create a stunning, authentic Japanese feel. The garden was relocated to the National Botanical Garden of Wales after the event.

Although Paul and his team at Ladybrook have provided their plants for many show gardens over the years, currently the emphasis is to encourage designers and architects to

specify our stock for projects. One of the main reasons for change of direction is due to the waste produced after the shows: “We’ve gone away from doing the show gardens, as one year, we grew plants specifically for a show garden, but because of the weather, some of it had gone past its best. The people that were doing the garden walked away from it. We had £8,000 worth of stock that was of no use to us. I understand that, but they are not taking any financial risk (which is just left to us), so now we’ve backed off from doing it.”

With approximately 60% of their stock being grown on site, Ladybrook acts as a supplier to several major wholesale nurseries.

“We supply to people who don’t grow the range that we grow, so we supply into the trade. That would be probably about 30% of our business, and 20% will be to landscape contractors. The main part of it goes to development, property development, commercial and high-end domestic.”

Business for the nursery is predominantly focused within the north-west, however, the team are happy to travel around Europe with their own transport, in order to pick up stock and widen their opportunities.

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NURTURE T H E C O N ST R U C T I O N O F EUROPE’S LARGEST LIVING WA L L I N S TA L L AT I O N I S C U R R E N T LY U N D E R WAY I N A S H F O R D, K E N T, W I T H 1 2 0,0 0 0 P L A N TS B E I N G S P E C I A L LY G R OW N I N P R E PA R AT I O N FO R I T

E

nhancing Kent’s status as the “Garden of England”, the construction of Europe’s largest, hydroponic, sustainable living wall is underway at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford. The 2,000m2 wall is made up of approximately 120,000 plants grown by Biotecture in their West Sussex Nursery.

The wall will be completed for the £90m expansion of the outlet, which launches in Autumn 2019, making it one of the greenest shopping locations globally. The expansion will add 50 new retail, restaurants and leisure units to the 80 already existing at the outlet. McLaren Construction and Biotecture are working alongside Chapman Taylor Architects and Applied Landscape Design to construct it.

Chichester-based company, Biotecture, strive to transform urban locations to not only benefit the environment, but the individuals living in them. The company seeks to include

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elements in their designs which directly address environmental needs, such as, reducing pollution or increasing biodiversity. Their living walls are designed, created and maintained using their own hydroponic system which was developed by the founders of the company.

Biotecture have worked on projects within universities, corporate offices and airports along with smaller residential areas such as roof gardens.

Once completed, the wall at the outlet will cover various walkways, create an eye-catching ‘living’ entry promenade, and add interest to the new store fronts. Peter Corr, Centre Manager of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford: “The wall has been incorporated into the centre expansion as part of our commitment to creating the best possible experience for guests, we wanted to ensure our environment reflected this ethos.”

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PLANTS FOR THE GREEN WALL GROWING IN BIOTECTUREʼS NURSERY

AS H FO R D’ S N E W

WOND E RWAL L

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The stunning wall is bursting with colour, with hues of bright pink, purple and yellow from Viola, Heuchera, and Rose of Sharon. The colourful planting will be complemented with luscious greens and background foliage from ivy and box-leaved honeysuckle, while plants such as Hedera helix ‘Shamrock’ add texture all year.

Each section of the wall is unique, boasting distinctive layered foliage over 11 elevations.

The walls also vary in height, from four to nine metres, spanning approximately 650 linear metres – the equivalent to the length of 60 double-decker buses.

Richard Sabin, Biotecture Managing Director said: “This is a fabulous project. We’re working with McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford, the centre’s construction partner McLaren, and landscape architects, Applied Landscape Design, to deliver the living wall and have taken on additional nursery space to accommodate the 8,000 or so hydroponic growing panels.”

The construction began in February this year with the irrigation system, boarding and vertical surfaces being constructed ready for plant installation. Now, over 50% of the wall has been completed, with the plants being grown on a specifically constructed vertical racking system in Biotecture’s nursery.

The green wall has been included in the outlet’s expansion in order to enhance shoppers’ experience and provide a relaxing atmosphere.

Green walls have been proven to not only benefit the environment (when it comes to air quality and biodiversity), but also helps to improve people’s moods. Peter said: “According to Biotecture, there are many benefits to incorporating plants and green infrastructure in urban environments. Living walls have proven to uplift people, reduce air pollution and aid biodiversity, while meeting sustainability targets and improving performance.”

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V I RT UA L V I S I O N

LUKE MILLS E XPL AINS HOW VR IS TRANSFORMING DESIGN PROPOSALS INTO 3D E XPERIENCES

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’m sure most of us have seen virtual reality (VR) headsets being used for gaming and entertainment. The advancement in VR has really taken off in recent years, and is now being used in a variety of different fields, including: military training, education and sport. NASA uses VR software to control robots on Mars. It has even begun to be used to treat mental health conditions by providing relaxing meditation experiences aimed at reducing stress and anxiety. Excitingly, this software (smartphone-based options particularly) is being increasingly used in architecture and garden design.

IT’S SUCH A POSITIVE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THE DESIGNER AND THE CLIENT, TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD VR creates a digital 3D experience that we interact with, and allows the user to instantly engage with the space. They can explore and visualise designs by walking through gardens to see them before a build has even begun. In most cases, a digital 3D model of the site is created first, which can be produced through a variety of different software. The model must then be rendered and exported into a phone VR app.

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Once this is done, you can simply put your phone into the VR headset and you’re away.

When I’m presenting design proposals using VR, I set the start position to where the client is standing, looking into their garden. The client then uses the headset, instantly transporting them into their new garden. Whether they look up, down, left or right, the virtual world follows.

For large or complex projects, you can create multiple views for different zones of the garden.

It’s such a positive and enjoyable experience for the designer and the client, to immerse yourself in the virtual world and creativity VR allows. The client can instantly understand the design concept, layout, level changes and design features, which is an amazing selling point. Families can be thrilled, all getting a chance to take turns with the headset.

Walk-through video animations can also be very effective, providing another perspective as it takes you through the garden. These can be created and uploaded easily to a tablet or smart device. This software is also brilliant because you can send everything to the client digitally, which allows more

opportunities to review and enjoy the proposals.

VR designs can work well with an artistic impression effect, such as various types of sketch and art filters. This gives the designer greater flexibility as the design develops, rather than producing photorealistic renders. This can be achieved by adding sound, wildlife effects, altering the weather and lighting, portraying the passing of time from sunrise to sunset, and even showing how the garden changes through the seasons.

2D plans are essential to capture the overall layout, as well as for the later stages of detailing and planting plans. But when it comes to presenting your design and selling your vision to the client, a single 2D design plan can be very limiting and requires a lot of explanation.

Instead, a 3D VR experience makes everything clearer and enjoyably immediate for the client and the designer.

ABOUT LUKE MILLS Landscape and garden designer, Luke Mills, is director of The Landscape Service. Based in Dorset, The Landscape Service provides landscape and garden design, landscape planning and consultancy services on a variety of private residential and commercial projects across the south, producing landscapes that reflect architecture and nature.

www.thelandscapeservice.com

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THERE ARE A VARIET Y OF OPTIONS FOR CONTROLLING E XTERIOR LIGHTING. NEIL PARS LOW TALKS US THROUGH THE PROS AND CONS OF SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE CHOICES

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fter dark, exterior lighting can completely transform a garden or landscape. Whether the lighting has been designed by an electrician, landscaper or a professional garden lighting designer, one thing which should be planned for is how the lights are going to be controlled.

There are many ways exterior lighting can be controlled or switched, and depending on the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intended use and the complexity of the overall design, each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Below are a few examples of popular types of controls.

A R E YO U SW I TC H E D O N ? controlling landscape lighting.

As the timer reaches a pre-selected time, it activates the photocell. This will only turn the lights on once it detects a suitable amount of low light.

The photocell would normally continue to operate the lighting until dawn arrives, but this is where the time clock kicks in again, switching off the lighting at another preselected time. This type of control is great for saving electricity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the lighting is not switched on all night and can also provide enough darkness each night for the daily cycle required by animals and plants. This form of lighting control is limited to on/off and will not permit scene settings.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS EXTERIOR LIGHTING CAN BE CONTROLLED OR SWITCHED, AND EACH HAS ITS OWN BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS Wall mounted 230v standard light switches are the simplest of all controls, but whilst they are well suited for use during the installation of interior electrical circuits, they are not a great choice after interior decorating works have been completed.

This is because the cabling is usually required to be chased into the wall and this can cause damage to interior decorations.

Photocell and time clock combination switching is a simple, cost-effective method of

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Smart wireless controls are one of the best all-round lighting systems as the units are cost effective, easy to install, versatile and reliable. Wireless switching has long been the go-to for garden lighting designers and installers due to their ease of installation and features provided. Some of these features include long wireless ranges, voice controls linked to smart home devices and control options via smartphones, touch panels or key fobs. Quality wireless switching also provides smooth start dimming, which looks amazing

and prolongs the life of modern LEDs. The overall wiring can be dramatically reduced with wireless switching systems.

Integrated smart home controls are the pinnacle of scene setting controls and energy saving systems within a home.

These systems typically control full scene modes for interior lighting as well as coupling larger interior and exterior lighting designs. While integrated smart home controls offer complex dimming and zoning capabilities, they are expensive.

They also historically require initial programming by professional lighting companies, which is sometimes carried out via their own software. The potentially costly problem with integrated smart home controls is that should something go wrong, the original installer or programmer would need to be called back to reprogram the faulty part of the system. However, they are still the preferred choice for many luxury residential lighting projects.

A B O U T N E I L PA R S L O W Neil is the founder and lead designer at Light Visuals, a London-based landscape and architectural lighting manufacturer.

Neil trained as an electrical designer before his passion for lighting and landscapes transferred to the design and installation of landscape lighting. This passion also extends to the design engineering and manufacturing of high-quality Britishmade lighting products. www.lightvisuals.co.uk

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B R I G H T S PA R K S O

ANGUS LINDSAY DISCUSSES DEVELOPING ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR THE FUTURE AND THE VALUE OF SACRIFICING POWER FOR LOW EMISSION OPTIONS

utside of Brexit, the big topic in our everyday news is the environment, and quite rightly so.

We are caretakers of our world, and have responsibilities to ensure we hand over an improved planet for the next generation.

Commercial vehicle manufacturers can seem slow-moving with useable electric or hybrid options (except for delivery vans), but who can blame them? They’ve already spent millions developing the cleanest diesel engines around, only to be told that they have to come up with something better. But let’s take a step back. Is there not an issue regarding our fascination with online shopping, which sees a greater increase in van traffic deliveries,

possibly doing more harm to the environment?

That said, I have recently attended two trade shows where there were some interesting options. The LDV brand, now owned by Chinese company SAIC, provides fully-electric options.

It’s not just the panel van on offer- tippers and drop-side options are also available, though the range isn’t extensive and can be expensive. Still, these are options for those that operate within a limited distance to the main depot, like; litter collection or parks maintenance.

Along with the run-of-the-mill vehicles from the mainstream manufacturers, there were also some interesting variations from aftermarket suppliers based on electric base units. Basic utility vehicles, mini skip-loaders, road sweepers and access platforms appeared, all with the

SOMETIMES IT’S A COMBINATION OF TECHNOLOGIES WHICH GIVES THE BEST RESULTS focus of being zero-emission for operating within inner city Low Emissions Zones (LEZs).

Whilst cleaner alternatives to our current vehicle configuration might not be readily available, we can make changs to the current situation. Do we need a tipper or drop-side? Or, could we use an electric van with a rear-loading ramp, carrying the ride-on within the van, and tow a tipping trailer to carry the arisings? This is not as flexible, but would work within the LEZs. I’ve recently read about one major construction company working within London that adopted small electric vans on their sites, but encountered an unforeseen problem: the lack of engine noise means that the staff don’t hear the vans moving around the site, so they’ve had to fit audible warning systems.

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It’s not just the vehicle sector where ingenious developments are appearing. Campey Turfcare has recently taken a German-built hybrid mower to the UK. Designed predominately for the turf industry, I can see applications on airfields and large open space complexes where speed and quality of cut is important. Using the tractor PTO to drive a generator, rather than a gearbox or hydraulic pump, the cutting units are powered by electric motors (each fitted with 45cm blades) to give an overall working width of 10m, though clever hydraulics allow this to be varied to a minimum of 8m. A traditionally-configured wide-area mower of this size would need around 160hp, but this machine can do it with 110hp. Better still, it can run at considerably lower revs, saving around 40% in fuel costs. Sometimes, the combination of technologies gives best results - both operationally and environmentally.

A B O U T A N G U S L I N D S AY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. He gained an MSc in agricultural engineering and mechanisation management at Silsoe, joining Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, and then idverde UK in 2009 as group head of assets and fleet.

angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

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CUT WITH S CONFIDENCE T H E R E CA N B E N O C U T T I N G C O R N E R S O R GU ES SWO R K W H E N I T C O M ES TO WO R K I N G W I T H C H A I N SAWS , S O B E SU R E TO L E A R N B EST P R ACT I C E T H R O U G H A N A P P R OV E D C O U R S E

ome jobs require teeth. If you undertake projects where felling or significant tree maintenance work is required, then a chainsaw is likely to be essential.

If it is aerial work, then you will almost certainly bring in an experienced arborist. However, when the work is groundbased, some landscapers will choose to do the job themselves.

Given that chainsaws can be extremely hazardous, though, this requires careful thought, so be sure to have read the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) leaflet, 'Chainsaws at work' which sets out what employers and the self-employed need to know.

Even if a landscaper is only an occasional chainsaw user, they must be competent and have taken appropriate training from an approved provider. According to the HSE’s investigations, most serious injuries have occurred because operators have taken shortcuts, and are not following good practice guidance. Notably, chainsaw training is mandatory under the provisions of PUWER – the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.

When taking on an employee who says they have knowledge of chainsaw use, check that they are qualified, and that their training is up to date. As an employer, you could face prosecution if an accident were to occur, and with a chainsaw, this could be fatal.

MOST SERIOUS INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OPERATORS HAVE TAKEN SHORTCUTS Learning from Lantra The organisation from which to source quality training is Lantra, that has a network of providers all over the UK. Lantra also works closely with the HSE, to ensure courses have a strong emphasis on safety. A Lantra-approved course offers the reassurance that it will be of a high standard,

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and the instructors will also be subject to regular assessment.

For those new to chainsaw use, the two-day Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-Cutting training course could well be a relevant introduction. This provides appropriate techniques and invaluable safety guidelines to ensure there is both ability and knowledge of health and safety.

However, this is only at a basic level and will not allow you to use a chainsaw in a professional capacity. Once you have learnt core skills, you can then move on to training that will equip you to use these at work.

Skills and safety The five-day Technical Award training in Chainsaw Maintenance, Cross Cutting, Felling and Processing Trees (up to 380mm) will help you focus on practical skills and safety, this can then be followed by the Level 2 Awards in: Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross cutting, and Felling and Processing Trees (up to 380mm).

Having these skills and qualifications will show employers and customers that for groundbased work, you have completed sufficient training to meet PUWER regulations.

Meanwhile, training also needs to be kept up to date, and the recommended refresher period is every three to five years.

Another important issue is chainsaw selection, and you should find that courses allow new users to hire before they buy.

Instructors can also be helpful in providing advice on suitable models for purchase.

Chainsaw users are required by law to wear appropriate PPE, and this should be obtained prior to training.

There is a wide range of chainsaws available and plenty of training on offer. For those landscapers looking to offer a tree management service, this is a great time to explore your options.

For more information on Lantra courses, visit www.lantra.co.uk or call its customer services helpline on 024 7669 6996.

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ARB KIT

CHAINSAWS FO R T H O S E O N T H E H U N T FO R S O M E R E L I A B L E M O D E R N A R B T EC H N O LO GY, T H E S E C H A I N S AW R A N G E S A R E S O L I D P I C K S

HUSQVARNA Husqvarna’s ‘new generation’ 50cc chainsaws are aimed at professionals. The two models launched at the start of the year have been redesigned from scratch to offer high levels of cutting capacity, manoeuvrability and endurance.

The models are the 545 Mark II, with power output of 2.7kW, and the 550 XP Mark II with power output of 3.0kW, (also a top of the range 550 XP G Mark II option). They offer a range of benefits, including an improved cooling capacity (by 13%) compared to the previous 50cc from Husqvarna, and an upgrade of the Air Injection and a redesigned air filter that features higher capacity and improved sealing. This in turn means the saws are equipped with a new optimised version of AutoTune, Husqvarna’s ignition module software and carburettor calibration.

The ergonomically designed handles also provide a safe, comfortable grip and have an option to be heated. There are two felling sights, one vertical and one horizontal. Both are moulded into the plastic for clear aiming and permanent guidance. The body offers low gyroscopic forces to boost handling and allow more working hours with less fatigue. www.husqvarna.com

MAKITA Makita’s launch of the DUC305Z, DUC355Z and DUC405Z twin 18V brushless LXT reflects growing demand for cordless professional chainsaws. These are compact and lightweight rear-handled models, with bar lengths of 30cm, 35cm and 40cm respectively, weighing 4.8kg without batteries.

With a powerful 36V DC motor drive system, they use twin Makita 18V Lithium-ion batteries. These generate a 1100-watt output to run the 3/8 inch chain over the bars at up to 20m/s, exceeding performance of Makita’s mains-powered machines.

Features include a main power switch with auto power-off function to increase safety. This automatically turns the machine off and protects the operator from unintentional start up. There is a variable speed control trigger, electric chain brake, kick-back chain brake and battery protection circuit.

Sold as body only machines, they have constant speed control, adjustable automatic chain lubrication and oil capacity display, as well as a comfortable ergonomic grip and metal spike bar enabling a firm grip to timber. www.makitauk.com

STIHL Stihl’s MS 500i came out in February and is the world’s first petrol chainsaw with electronically controlled fuel injection. It has no need for a carburettor, making it lighter and more efficient, and it produces lower emissions than a standard saw.

The MS 500i accelerates to 100km/h in 0.25 seconds, while the sensor-controlled fuel mixing means optimum engine power at all times. The fuel is precisely delivered into the crankcase and drawn into the combustion chamber, along with clean air, through the long life HD2 air filter. There is a start switch – users press the primer bulb for a cold start and pull the cord, then press the stop switch to turn it off.

The MS 500i offers a choice of 20” or 25” Rollomatic ES light guide bars, keeping the overall weight down and the balance at

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its optimum.

At 79.2cc and weighing 6.2kg, the MS 500i will deliver 0.8hp more than Stihl’s MS 462, while weighing just 0.2kgs more and keeping the overall compact size. This will make the saw extremely easy to use for long periods. It will also feature a very light flywheel which will deliver lower gyroscopic forces, meaning that the saw does not twist, giving greater control. www.stihl.co.uk

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20/06/2019 12:24

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20/06/2019 11:53

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I T ’ S O K AY N OT TO B E O K AY W I T H S O M E D E VA STAT I N G SUICIDES HITTING THE HEADLINES IN THE RECENT M O N T H S , I T S E E M S T H AT A C O N V E R S AT I O N S U R R O U N D I N G M E N TA L H E A LT H – S P E C I F I C A L LY M E N ’ S M E N TA L H E A LT H – H A S OPENED UP EVEN MORE THAN B E FO R E . S O W H Y I S I T S O I M P O R TA N T TO C O N T I N U E T H I S C O N V E R S AT I O N A N D H OW C A N W E A S A N I N D U ST RY S U P P O R T O N E A N OT H E R ?

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n 2017, 5,821 people took their own lives in the UK and Republic of Ireland. That equates to 16 people per day. Although suicide rates are actually decreasing year on year – something we all want to see continue – suicide is still the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK according to the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). Men are also three times more likely to take their own lives than women and with an industry which is made up of predominantly men, this is a statistic we should be paying attention to.

According to the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide only 27% of people who died by suicide between 2005 and 2015 had been in contact with mental health services in the year before they died. This is a staggeringly sparse number and begs the question, why?

It seems that over recent months, mental health has become a prominent topic, with some high-profile events

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SUICIDE IS STILL THE SINGLE BIGGEST KILLER OF MEN UNDER 45 IN THE UK

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rousing the media to stand up and discuss the issues we are currently facing, which seems to be rippling out.

Recently, #howifightdepression was trending on Twitter, with users sharing their tips and tricks – everything from furry companions to writing, going for walks and talking to their friends and family – as well as sending encouraging words to their followers. The Duke of Sussex and Oprah Winfrey also announced that they would be partnering up soon to create and produce a multi-part documentary about mental health and mental wellbeing.

The Duke of Sussex commented: “I truly believe that good mental health – mental fitness – is the key to powerful leadership, productive communities and a purpose-driven self”. Their aim for the series is to open up an honest conversation about the challenges everyone faces and how to survive and thrive.

With so many people joining the conversation, is opening up this dialogue the first step to increasing the number of people reaching out for help, and hopefully in turn the number of suicides?

We sat down with the hosts of MENTalk, a podcast where Steve Smith, Steven Blair and Lee Woodgate have an honest conversation about their own mental health. With the technical expertise of Expert Trades, the three

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burly tradesmen hold nothing back, opening up about their struggles with anxiety and depression. After attempting to take his own life twice, Steven was sectioned: “I was looking around at the other patients and I couldn’t believe I’d got to a place where I didn’t care where I was.” Steve has also experienced this low place, having seriously contemplated suicide on a number of occasions. “Once, I was

THERE’S MORE EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND THE REDUCED STIGMA MEANS THAT THEY TALK MORE OPENLY really close, but I got a call from my daughter.

It was either take the call from her or jump in front of a train.” The aim of these raw and difficult conversations is to show their listeners that they aren’t alone. They want to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in men, and debunk the notion that strong men can’t show their emotions. “It doesn’t matter how big or hard you are, the brain is a powerful

thing and we need to stop thinking that crying is a weakness, because it actually feels great!”

Lee explains. “For me, opening up was the hardest thing. I was always the joker of the group and I worried that people would think I was just feeling sorry for myself, but actually there are so many people out there who want to help.”

We spoke to mental health charity Mind about some of the ways we can support one another in the workplace. Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind, says “many employers don’t know where to start, but doing and saying nothing is probably the worst thing to do”. She advises that employers should start by speaking about general wellbeing whilst letting people know they can talk if they need to. She also says that “staff may not want to open up straight away, but at least they know they can talk when the time is right.”

Paul Lynch, managing director of Elmtree, makes the mental wellbeing of his employees a priority. Paul has done exactly as Mind recommends, opening up a conversation surrounding mental health where himself and the other directors and managers at Elmtree lead through example. Paul and his team were very active throughout Mental Health Awareness Week during which they introduced talking day.

Leading by opening up about his own mental health, Paul encouraged colleagues to talk to

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one another about an experience where they felt stressful, anxious or depressed.

Paul has seen a huge change in his employees since starting these discussions.

“There’s more empathy and understanding around mental health and the reduced stigma means that they talk more openly. I see more of our staff talk about their feelings in everyday conversation now, and it’s common practise for us to discuss mental health in reviews.”

MENTalk has also had some incredible responses, with an overwhelming number of listeners reaching out to tell them how much they relate to their experiences. It even opened up a conversation with the hosts and people in their own lives. Lee’s half-brother reached out to him, feeling relief that Lee also struggled growing up.

“We weren’t close, but this has brought us together. He was blaming himself, but knowing we have that shared experience brought him huge relief.” Steven’s best friend of 20 years also listened in, admitting that he’d not properly paid attention before, but that now he understood.

Once this conversation has opened up, there are lots of practical things businesses can put in place to help its employees when they do reach out. Elmtree’s mental health policy involves sending employees on courses to help reduce the stigma, putting up posters in meeting rooms with a list of resources for local help and the introduction of trained Mental Health First Aiders. Mental First Aiders are an advocate for mental wellbeing, assisting anyone who approaches them and guiding them to access to the appropriate professional help.

There are various length courses available from two-day courses to half day courses. EDP Training Limited even offer lunchtime courses where they will come and speak to employees about mental health training.

Paul has seen the benefits of Elmtree’s mental health policy first-hand, “it helped hugely in the case of one particular employee who was suffering from depression after a relationship break up. Because he knew he could talk openly about it, we were able to arrange counselling for him and after a few sessions he felt ready to return to work feeling valued and appreciated.”

Mind offer lots of free resources for smaller companies with limited budgets too, from developing buddy systems to giving generous annual leave. Paul adds that bringing in a shared lunch where you discuss mental wellbeing, creating a library of self-help books for people to borrow and implementing wellness walking groups or ride to work schemes are all very simple but effective ways of supporting your

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STAFF MAY NOT WANT TO OPEN UP STRAIGHT AWAY, BUT AT LEAST THEY KNOW THEY CAN TALK WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT employee’s wellbeing. The Mental Health Work website is also a very useful resource, with information from over 11 organisations answering a variety of queries businesses may have.

It can get really difficult when you’re self-employed, as the hosts of MENTalk highlight: “if you can’t go to work one day because you’re struggling, you just don’t get paid. You don’t have the support of a larger organisation around you,” Lee explains. But taking this time for yourself is still essential.

Although you don’t have the support of an employer, there are still lots of people you can turn to.

What people find helpful will vary from person to person as can be seen with Steve, Lee and Steven. Steve felt dissociative on medication and found that talking things through with a psychologist was when he began to see changes.

“I would go in with dusted knuckles and rage about what had happened that weekend and she would tell me honestly that it wasn’t okay. Fighting isn’t a sign of strength for me anymore, it’s a sign of weakness.” Lee also

found talking hugely beneficial to him.

“When I tried therapy for the first time, I was a complete sceptic, but I came out walking on air.”

However, Steve found that neither therapy nor medication worked for him. “The way I get through it is by helping others and being around guys like this. I can talk to them openly and I come away feeling lighter.”

Emma echoes this: “for most people, it will be a combination of various treatments that will work best, but it’s about finding what’s right for you. Increasingly, GPs are ‘social prescribing’ – referring people to alternative therapies, such as arts therapy, exercise and singing groups.”

She also says that you shouldn’t feel disheartened if nothing you have tried has been effective, because there is plenty of help out there. Emma advises speaking to your GP about other options; Mind even has a guide, Find the Words, to help prepare for your appointment.

Supporting employees and their mental wellbeing needs to become a priority for companies and not an option. As employers, as colleagues and as friends, we all need to work to reduce the mental health stigma and open up honest conversations. In the cases of MENTalk and Elmtree, this has proven to help, Hopefully, the current momentum will continue so we can continually see suicide rates drop.

SUPPORT MIND UK Tel 0300 123 3393 Email info@mind.org.uk Text 86463 www.mind.org.uk

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 99

20/06/2019 17:31

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I

ndustry stalwart, Ground Control, is raising the bar when it comes to looking after its staff. At the Pro Landscaper Business Awards, it won the Grounds Maintenance Company category in February, and the Commercial Landscape Company category the year before. Both times, the judges praised the company’s client retention rate – an impressive 99.2% – but more so, its incredible dedication to its employees.

“There is no doubt this company is committed to training and developing its staff,” commented one judge. With over 500 employees, this is no mean feat. The business, which has achieved Investors in People accreditation, continues to grow. It’s surpassed the £100m turnover mark, nearly half of which is made up of the grounds maintenance and winter maintenance services, which Ground Control is looking to grow further.

To do this, the company is ensuring its staff are up to the challenge, and that each member is happy in their role. This starts as soon as an employee joins the company, with what Managing Director, Marcus Watson, calls ‘keep in touch meetings’. “After three months, every new starter has the opportunity to meet with an executive or board director. We want to catch people at the beginning, to make sure they are

AS WELL AS ENSURING STAFF ARE HAPPY IN THEIR CURRENT ROLE, GROUND CONTROL IS KEEN FOR ITS EMPLOYEES TO PROGRESS

I N V E STO R S I N

S TA F F M A N AG I N G D I R EC TO R M A R C U S WAT S O N E X P L A I N S H OW G R O U N D CONTROL IS ENSURING E XC E L L E N T STA F F RETENTION

happy and their job is the same role they were hired for. We then have another meeting after two years of being with the company.”

Ground Control is keen for its employees to progress. Seven years ago, it set up the University of Ground Control, a training programme which offers more than 60 courses, from teaching basic Microsoft Excel skills to providing 12-day residential leadership courses.

Ground Control has booked its employees on to nearly 20,000 courses since the university was launched, investing nearly £1.5m on its staff development. It also provides weekly ‘lunch and learns’, with guest speakers on a variety of topics. These are not all work related, however, there has been a talk on CPR for newborn babies, and another on Christmas wreath making, which Marcus says was “good for boosting morale”. The talks could also be methods to “improve the business and keep pushing the boundaries”, such as a lesson on using a newly implemented technology.

The Essex-based company was also heavily involved in developing the government’s Trailblazer apprenticeship scheme for the horticulture and landscaping sectors. Forty of its employees are undertaking apprenticeships, not only in horticulture, but also leadership development, IT, arboriculture, business administration and more.

“We spend a lot of time and effort making Ground Control an attractive proposition. Of course, salary is a feature, but people want more than that. They want career options and training.

They want to work for a company that stands for more than just making money for a shareholder.”

Each member of staff also has the opportunity to become a shareholder, though.

“People see the value every few years. It’s a nice reward for their loyalty and hard work,” says Marcus. “We want to do everything we can to retain staff. If their work ethic is aligned with that of Ground Control, why wouldn’t we fight to keep them?”

ABOUT GROUND CONTROL Ground Control is an entrepreneurial business, founded on the principles of quality and outstanding service. Dedicated to safe and aesthetic landscapes, it offers: grounds maintenance, winter maintenance, arboricultural works, vegetation management, landscape construction and design, ecological services, invasive weeds management, pest control, and more. It services over 40,000 commercial sites, and offers a fully national and comprehensive service to clients across all industry sectors.

www.ground-control.co.uk

100 Pro Landscaper / July 2019

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 14:53

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20/06/2019 11:56

EDUCATE

AT T R AC T I N G T H E R I G H T

C A N D I D AT E S PHIL JONES, CEO OF ESL LANDSCAPE C O N T R AC T O R S S AYS TA K I N G O N A S M A R T AND RESOURCEFUL A P P R OAC H C A N S O LV E RECRUITMENT ISSUES

I

n December last year, I was still settling into the role of CEO at ESL Landscape Contractors, focusing on improving quality, delivering projects safely to specification and providing opportunities for our people to develop. This is a goal I am pleased to report that we are well on our way to achieving.

Due to the expansion of the business, we additionally had a requirement for more people with specific skills that did not exist in the quantities and areas that we needed.

For example, a senior QS, HSEQ compliance manager, estimators, contract managers and skilled soft landscapers.

I suspect that the majority of readers will know something about the well-publicised skills shortage within our industry. As I had previously been close to some of the studies and initiatives relating to this gap, I was expecting a long haul in recruiting people with the necessary skills and/or attitude for our business.

So, it was refreshing and unexpected when it turned out to be far more successful than I had envisaged – although it was far from plain sailing! However, this does beg the question: how have we managed to fill these positions with the right people in the face of industry pessimism?

To answer this, one would have to look at the factors influencing both the company and those we were seeking to recruit. Also, include the

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ESL.indd 103

interests of those agencies and organisations that are here to help, and you may have some (if not all) of the answers.

Arguably, we have a sufficient number of people within the industry to ‘go-round’.

Therefore, we should expect to have to put the effort in with promoting our company, and the opportunities it provides. Too often we take for

HOW HAVE WE MANAGED TO FILL THESE POSITIONS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE FACE OF INDUSTRY PESSIMISM?

granted that a prospective candidate should want to work for us simply because we believe in what we are doing. Instead, we should be making a convincing argument for a candidate to step out of a comfortable or secure position and make a career move.

Providing development opportunities within an expanding business, with a mission of best quality service delivery and provision of great working conditions for employees will also go some way towards attracting the right calibre of people. A key element which we often underestimate is the role that horticultural

recruitment agencies play, too. In the past, I have imagined that such agencies would have a database of available people and that it ought to be relatively easy to pick people ‘off the shelf’.

Even if this were true, we should still need to provide a convincing argument to support our recruitment requirements.

I gather that one of the biggest challenges the agencies face is receiving ongoing dialogue and feedback from clients on prospective candidates. Recruitment agencies are the same as any other supply chain partner – they benefit from understanding what we are looking to achieve, and therefore how they can support us to the greatest effect.

The conclusion of our recent recruitment efforts at ESL is that there are plenty of willing candidates out there in our industry who, given the right encouragement and ability to understand the opportunities, will take the chance to further their careers. As employers, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are transparent in portraying our needs, are thorough in our processes, and work together in partnership with our industry colleagues.

The skills gap certainly exists at the entry level to our industry, however, my recent experience suggests it is not so much of an issue elsewhere.

ABOUT ESL Established since 1991, ESL offers quality landscaping services to the private and public sector. From Northampton to the south coast and Kent to Bristol, it provides expertise across a range of disciplines including commercial soft landscaping, grounds maintenance, roof gardens and podiums, and arboriculture. ESL is fully accredited to ISO 9001 and 14001.

www.esl-ltd.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 103

20/06/2019 10:48

EDUCATE

FILLING TH E GAP C EO C H A R L O T T E G I L S E N A N A N D P R OJ E C T M A N AG E R LOUISA MANSFIELD EXPLAIN HOW THE BANKSIDE OPEN S PAC E S T R U ST ’ S F U T U R E G A R D E N E R S P R O G R A M M E I S B R I N G I N G P EO P L E I N TO T H E H O R T I C U LT U R E I N D U ST R Y

S

chemes such as Future Gardeners can fall under the radar. They simply don’t have the manpower, or the budget, for big marketing campaigns. However, it’s programmes such as this which are helping to close the skills gap within the horticulture industry and to tackle unemployment. The London-based initiative has provided new employees for companies such as idverde and Willerby Landscapes, with 76% of those who have completed the ten-week course going on to work within the horticultural sector.

The training scheme is now in its third year and is free-of-charge to applicants, who at the end of the ten weeks will have gained a City & Guilds qualification in Level 2 Practical Horticulture, which they learn at Walworth Garden. It’s now run three times a year, headed up by project manager Louisa Mansfield, who

RED CROSS GARDEN

104 Pro Landscaper / July 2019

Feature BOST.indd 104

says a variety of people apply for a space, with no entry requirements necessary. “Just over 30% of people who attend our courses are aged between 18-24, and another 20% are under the age of 34, so there’s a broad spectrum. And it’s quite diverse – 37% are of ethnic minority, and 22% are white European.”

‘FUTURE GARDENERS’ IS ONE OF OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES, IT’S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL It’s an initiative run by the Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST), which was founded in 2000 by Tim Wood – who remains chair of trustees – to improve the local area.

“As an organisation, we deliver not just the Future Gardeners programme,” says Charlotte Gilsenan, CEO of BOST as of January 2019. “We have just under 400 volunteers working on our various open spaces. My vision for the organisation is to keep it as focused as possible, but to expand on what we do well, and one of those areas is Future Gardeners. It’s one of our flagship programmes, it’s highly successful.”

BOST works with several partners to deliver Future Gardeners. “The Worshipful Company of Gardeners provides us with £25k worth of funding per year,” says Charlotte. “Great Portland Estates has also donated £10k, and we have a new fundraising strategy where we’re seeking sponsors for our students.”

Louisa adds that there are numerous companies and organisations offering their

support in other ways, too, with work experience offered by Grosvenor Estates, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, idverde, and the Chelsea Physic Garden, with which the trust has had a longterm partnership.

Students on the course also work on Red Cross Garden, a space rich in history, and where the trust is aptly based. “It’s a really interesting garden,” says Charlotte. “It’s based on the housing development there designed by Octavia Hill, (one of the founders of The National Trust), who also designed the garden. In 2005, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Southwark Council donated over £500k and we were able to redevelop the outdoor space.”

BOST restored the garden to its original Victorian layout, and was opened by the Princess Royal in 2006. It is maintained by the trusts’ volunteers, and boasts Green Flag status.

Going forward, the trust will be looking to expand its reach. “Historically, we’ve not been very good at getting our brand out there or getting recognition for the work that we do,” says Charlotte. “We need to be better, so we’re trying to improve our social media following.

“About 80 people applied for the 12 spaces on the current Future Gardeners course, which shows there’s interest out there. So, if we received more funding, we’d be able to deliver more courses.”

Those who miss out on a space are encouraged to carry that application through to the next course and to volunteer for BOST in the meantime, which Louisa says shows their dedication. Those enrolled in the current course will graduate on 18 July, at Red Cross Garden, and the next course starts in September. For more information on Future Gardeners and how you can get involved, visit www.bost.org.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 10:52

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20/06/2019 13:44

EDUCATE

PRODUCT

DNA P I C TO R I A L M E A D OWS DESIGNER W I L D F LOW E R M E A D OWS

1 Designer Meadows The Pictorial Meadows range has been developed with the needs of both pollinators and people in mind. Using a design-led approach, the company’s PM Turf and meadow seed mixes are visually stunning, helping to improve public engagement and acceptance of urban meadow projects.

2 Meadow in an Instant With PM Turf, it’s easier than ever to establish a fully sustainable perennial meadow. The meadow arrives already established on pre-grown turf, ready to lay with minimum ground preparation required.

C O N TAC T P I C T O R I A L M E A D O W S 389 Manor Lane, Sheffield, S2 1UL

Tel 01142 677 635 Email info@pictorialmeadows.co.uk Web www.pictorialmeadows.co.uk Twitter @PictorialMeadow Facebook /pictorialmeadows Twitter @PictorialMeadow Instagram @Pictorialmeadows

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Product DNA Pictorial Meadows KR.indd 107

Choose from a wide range of designer meadows in both annual and perennial varieties. Annual meadows can be sown, and germinate within just a few weeks, whilst perennial meadows offer the opportunity to establish a meadow that will last for years to come.

3 Pollinator Perfection From bees to butterflies and beyond, Pictorial Meadows have been developed utilising over 20 years of research and development. Whether it’s checking pollen and nectar availability of the species in the mixes, or ensuring a variety of species that flowers over the longest possible period, a Pictorial Meadows mix is backed by science.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • Available as seed mixes or pre-grown PM Turf • Extended flowering with high visual impact • Successional, changing colours across the season • Suitable for use on any average garden soil • Exceptional pollen and nectar availability to support pollinators • Extremely low maintenance • Wide range of designs and colourways available

5 Annual and Perennial Meadows

6 Bespoke Meadow Mixes For larger or more prestigious projects, a bespoke meadow seed mix can be prepared to a client brief. These bespoke mixes benefit from the same reliability as all the standard range of mixes that comes with over 20 years expertise in “painting with flowers”.

4 Successional Colour

From spring through to autumn, a Pictorial Meadow puts on an ever-changing show. The ‘Classic’ mix begins the season with a kaleidoscope of delicate colours, before transitioning into waves of blues. This is punctuated with pinks, and followed by a blaze of bold reds. At the end, the meadow transforms almost overnight and becomes full of sunshine yellows.

7 Bold Colours Meadow mixes always contain 100% flower seeds, with no cheaper grass seeds which are often used as ‘bulking’ agents.

This ensures an undiluted bold, colourful, and lasting display.

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 107

20/06/2019 13:46

EDUCATE

INSIDE

CONICA P R O L A N D S C A P E R L E A R N S M O R E A B O U T C O N I C A , T H E N E WA R K , N OT T I N G H A M S H I R EB A S E D C O M PA N Y, P R OV I D I N G S P O R TS , P L AYG R O U N D A N D R EC R E AT I O N A L A R E A F LO O R I N G

How was the company founded?

The original business was founded in the 1960s by Charles Lawrence as a landscaping business, since then it has changed hands and is owned by Serafin Group.

Where is it based?

The tyre recycling plant and commercial office in the UK is in Newark, Nottinghamshire. There is also a chemical plant and commercial office based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

How many staff are there?

In the UK there are 60 members of staff, and in Schaffhausen around 120.

What is the product range?

Functional flooring, sports surfaces and play area surfacing, and most recently Conipave, which is a rubber and aggregate decorative, yet highly beneficial surface for walkways, golf course paths, cycle paths, and more.

What is their route to market?

Via approved installers, direct to landscaping contractors.

108 Pro Landscaper / July 2019

Conica Inside.indd 108

What are the lead times?

Typically next day, dependent on the quantity required.

Who are the key personnel?

Financial director Richard Hills, operations director John Bramwell, and commercial director James Wright, who have 42 years combined experience with the company.

PRICES ARE BESPOKE DEPENDING ON SIZE OF ACCOUNT AND ALL ARE DISCOUNTED FOR TRADE

What kind of technical support is offered?

Data sheets, customer support over the phone, a dedicated product manager and technical support, plus training courses.

Do you have a showroom or product samples?

We have a dedicated customer experience area here in Newark. We also happily send out samples of any of our products, as we know how important it is to see and feel the product. We also have a portfolio of images from happy customers finished projects.

What is your customer service policy?

Outstanding availability, highly competitive pricing and quality, and 24/7 support via phone 365 days of the year.

C O N TA C T Conica

Do you offer trade discount?

Prices are bespoke depending on size of account and all are discounted for trade.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell direct to end users.

Tel 01636 642 460 Email enquiry@conica.com Facebook @conicaUK Linkedin CONICA LTD www.conica.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 17:14

EDUCATE

S U R V E Y S AY S P R O L A N D S C A P E R S U R V E Y E D A S E L EC T I O N O F R E A D E R S O N T H E I R U S E O F R E S I N B O N D A N D B O U N D

50% of those surveyed use resin bound over resin bond

Only 5% use resin bond, 20% use both resin bond and resin bound, and a quarter of those surveyed use neither.

Over a quarter (26%) said the mixture, 28% said the subbase and 6% said ground preparation.

Other areas which could cause the installation of resin bond or bound to go wrong, according to our respondents, include “movement on driveways,” the “type of ground” and “the time it takes for the resin to form or set.”

Some of the reasons for people choosing resin bond over resin bound are: “Drainage”

“Budget”

“Durability”

“Ease of use”

“Maintenance”

40% cited weather

as one of the main areas which could cause installation to go wrong

Some of the reasons for people choosing to use resin bound over resin bond are:

“Clean Finish”

50% said they have seen more suppliers appear with the past 12 months

One respondent commented that “more companies are using it,” another said that “SureSet has dominated for some time” and one listed Bannister Hall as a company which has “started to supply resin bond or bound.”

60% of those surveyed said that they expect to use more resin bond or bound within the next 12 months.

Only 10% said they expected to use it less.

“Permeable”

More than half (55%) of

respondents use resin bond or bound on five or less projects each year

10% do not use resin bond or bound on any projects throughout the year, and 5% use either resin bond or bound on more than 20 projects annually.

When asked how useful the information regarding installation practice is from suppliers, respondents highlighted

Addagrip, Leesons, Meon and Nexus as having offered really

“Budget”

useful training.

“Better Product”

Those surveyed source their resin bond or bound from the following suppliers: 61% of respondents use resin bond or bound mostly on driveways 39% said they mostly use resin bond or bound for pathways.

“Limegate”

“Meon”

“SureSet”

“Resin Bonded Ltd” “Nexus Professional Surfacing Systems” “Leeson”

“Travis Perkins”

“Addagrip”

Over the past 12 months,

20% of respondents

have seen an increase of more than 50% in the use of resin bond or bound However, half (50%) of those surveyed have seen less than a 10% increase.

“Geveko Markings Derbyshire”

“Ronacrete” “Polyurethanes Ltd”

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Resin Survey KR.indd 109

“Aggregates”

“True Grip”

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 109

20/06/2019 17:10

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20/06/2019 13:15

EDUCATE

DECKING OUT J A N E T SYC A M O R E , D I R E C TO R O F O P E R AT I O N S AT T H E T I M B E R D EC K I N G A N D C L A D D I N G A S S O C I AT I O N ( T D C A ) , D I S C U S S E S T H E L AT E ST VA R I E T I E S O F D EC K I N G O N T H E M A R K E T

On-trend choices The smooth deck board finish has overtaken the grooved version in popularity, although dual-sided boards or anti-slip inserts offer the best of both worlds. Traditional pressure treated softwood timber remains the most economical option. However, modified timbers such as Accoya® and LIGNIA® are increasing in popularity, offering a distinguished alternative.

The more bespoke hardwoods offer rich attractive colour palettes, with their abrasion resistant properties making them ideal for use on commercial projects, whilst the growing use of WPCs (wood polymer composites), a relative newcomer, has led TDCA to launch a product approval scheme for this sector to help users identify good quality products.

Building longevity The industry generally works towards a 15-year desired service life specification for timber decks, with some companies offering a 30-year

standard, but if you require longer, it is likely to be a bespoke order. It may surprise you to learn that timber decks can be designed to achieve up to 60-years desired service life.

A Code of Practice developed by TDCA for the NHBC, the UK’s leading warranty and insurance provider, gives guidance on how to meet this requirement for decking attached to new homes. It’s always wise to ask for documented evidence to support the quality of the product you are purchasing, and hang onto it for future reference. The TDCA’s DeckMark accreditation scheme ensures that quality standards apply – look out for the logo displayed by manufacturers, suppliers and installers.

THERE IS A HUGE VARIETY OF INSPIRATIONAL AND ECOFRIENDLY PRODUCTS ON OFFER Getting the basics right To get the best performance, a timber deck should be a free draining, well ventilated structure. Grooves, if present, are intended to help drainage, and should be fitted in line with a fall. Moisture content at the time of installation needs to be less than 20% and the natural movement of the timber can be accommodated with appropriate gaps within the design. Equal consideration and attention should be given to the substructure – a deck installation is a

system, and performance relies on all components being correctly selected and detailed. Traditional pressure treated timber remains the most popular choice for this because of pricing, availability and ease of use.

And don’t forget the fixings – they should be suitable for outdoor use and placed correctly, not too close to the edges of the board. These are the fundamentals of deck building, easy enough to follow but often neglected.

Inspirational projects We have been astounded by some of our members’ recent projects. A stunning elevated circular path at Cambridge University’s Botanic Gardens is one example (as seen below). This is made from Accoya® anti-slip profiled decking, supplied by Gripsure Limited and designed by architects from Chadwick Dryer Clarke. Vantage points along the pathway feature novel, typographic boards, providing knowledge bytes about plant evolution. Styled

by Designmap, the bespoke boards take inspiration from work of artist: Gordon Young.

ABOUT TDCA At TDCA, it’s our mission is to champion timber decking, associated landscaping and external timber cladding – hand in hand with the best practice workmanship required to produce quality projects. If you work with wood outdoors, you’ll find our resources and services very helpful – visit:

www.tdca.org.uk

Photograph ©Richard Chivers/Smith & Wallwork

T

imber decking hit the market with force at the turn of the century. Back then, however, the choice of decking materials available was relatively limited. Now, in a more established market, there is a huge variety of inspirational and eco-friendly products on offer: different timber species, profile and texture styles, enhanced grip, pre-coloured options and quality long lasting coatings - all of which allow decks to be more personalised, and there’s something for everyone in terms of budget.

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 111

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20/06/2019 11:40

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WHAT’S YOUR ROLE? PAUL STONE

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20/06/2019 16:47

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20/06/2019 16:22

PEOPLE

OUT & ABOUT

PRO LANDSCAPER LIVE THE PRO LANDSCAPER LIVE EVENTS H AV E C O M E TO A N E N D A F T E R I N FO R M I N G , I N S P I R I N G A N D E D U C AT I N G T H E I N D U ST RY F U R T H E R O N VA R I O U S TO P I C S A N D S PA R K I N G M U C H D I S C U S S I O N

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hird on the list for our LIVE events is Cheshire, which was on 30 May at The Mere, Knutsford. The seminars included how to design a show garden lead by Isobel Coulter, RHS Tatton Show Manager, which offered advice to those who might be considering designing a garden at an upcoming RHS event.

Seminars also included a highly informative talk regarding the importance of soil, by a leading soil scientist at Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare associates, which stimulated much discussion and interest. There was also a lively debate covering design/build and whether this is the way forward.

The fourth and final date, 13 June, saw us take our LIVE event to Tunbridge Wells at the Spa Hotel, Kent. The seminar programme for the day was full of discussions, with a highlight being the debate surrounding nurseries and how to know if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting the real deal when it comes to soil.

We are looking forward to seeing you all next year at our 2020 events.

CHESHIRE

KENT

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PEOPLE

OUT & ABOUT

RHS CHATSWORTH FLOWER SHOW 2019

R E T U R N I N G TO T H E 1 ,0 0 0 AC R E C H ATSWO R T H H O U S E E STAT E FO R T H E T H I R D Y E A R I N A R OW, T H I S T I M E , R H S C H AT S WO R T H F L OW E R S H OW S AW OV E R 17 0 M E DA L S B E I N G AWA R D E D TO B OT H S H OW G A R D E N S A N D E X H I B I TO R S

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he show celebrated Wedgwood’s 260th anniversary, with Best in Show being awarded to The Wedgwood Garden, designed by Jamie Butterworth, and constructed by Keyscape who were awarded Best Construction. The new category, Regional Gardens, was launched following the BBC Radio Sheffield competition, and saw aspiring garden designer Emily Barnes win a People’s Choice award in the Other category.

©RHS/Neil Hepworth

THE WEDGWOOD GARDEN

Best in Show

Designer Jamie Butterworth Contractor Keyscape Gardens

Best Construction

©RHS/Neil Hepworth

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©RHS/Georgi Mabee

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PEOPLE

ELEMENTS OF SHEFFIELD Designer Emily Barnes Contractor Bestall & Co Landscape Design in association with PMM Landscapes

Best Other Garden

People's Choice Award

GOLD Show Gardens • The Wedgwood Garden Designer Jamie Butterworth Contractor Keyscape Gardens Sponsor Wedgwood Mindfulness Gardens • Eutierria Designer Neil Sutcliffe Contractor Creative Roots Sponsors Miles Nurseries, CED Stone Group • Space Within Designer Rae Wilkinson Contractor GK Wilson Landscape Services Sponsor Harrord Horticultural London Stone

SILVER-GILT MEDALS ©RHS/Tim Sandall

Best Mindfulness Garden

SILVER MEDALS Show Gardens • From Darkness to Light Designer Lynn Heslop Contractor R&M Builders Sponsors R&M Builders, ADP Architecture, Green Mile Trees • Derby College: Find Yourself…

Lost in the Moment Designer Samantha Harvey Contractor Creation Landscapes Ltd Sponsors Derby College Group, Robert Watts, Harlow Bros Ltd, Creation Landscapes, Ocean Designs

SPACE WITHIN Designer Rae Wilkinson Contractor GK Wilson Landscape Services

Mindfulness Gardens • The Thrive Reflective Mind Garden Designer Richard Rogers Contractor Xardin Garden Design Sponsor To The Fairest

©RHS/Tim Sandall

THE BESS OF HARDWICK BORDER Designer Victoria Philpott

BRONZE MEDALS Mindfulness Gardens • Tending the Mind Designer Brent Purtell Contractor Xardin Garden Design • The Mandala Mindfulness Garden Designer HeldQuin Design Partnership Contractor Patios, Pots & Pergolas

©RHS/Tim Sandall

Best Long Border

©RHS/Tim Sandall

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WORK Best project The garden that I love to go back and visit is the walled Veitch Heritage Garden that we created at Warren House. The garden celebrates the gardeners who have worked at the house, and the plants that were brought back from around the world to be introduced to Europe.

Colleagues & mentors Andrew Fisher Tomlin was a guest lecturer when I was studying garden design in 2004. Although Andrew is now a colleague, I certainly still view him as a mentor.

Without his guidance over the last 15 years, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today.

Best learning curve Creating a show garden in Amiens, France, in 2014 for the annual Arts, Ville & Paysage festival was eye-opening. The garden was on an island that only had pedestrian access, so all of the plants and materials had to be transported from the main unloading bay, down the canals and onto the island.

High and low points of your career Highs: A definite high point was my first show garden in 2013 at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. It was a great little

garden, and the sort of garden that I had always wanted myself.

Lows: Generally, we are very lucky to work with lovely clients, however, I had a project a couple of years ago where it seemed like I couldn’t do anything right.

It gave me many sleepless nights, but we got there in the end.

What you hope to achieve in your work during the next 12 months We have a number of large projects that involve major house renovations before we can start the garden works. They have been designed for some time, so we are itching to be able to get on site and make a start on them.

LIFE/STYLE

DAN BOWYER P R O L A N D S C A P E R C ATC H E S U P W I T H DA N B OW Y E R , PA R T N E R A N D D I R E C TO R AT F I S H E R T O M L I N & B OW Y E R TO D I S C U S S H I S F U T U R E P L A N S , H O B B I E S A N D H I S T R AV E L A DV E N T U R E S

INSPIRATION People It’s difficult to pick out one person, but I find my daughter, Iris, completely inspiring.

She has really changed my perspective on life. The multitude of things that my colleague, Andrew, has achieved in the industry and his attitude is also a source of inspiration.

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Gardens One of the first gardens I was truly inspired by was Rousham House (just North of Oxford). It was designed by William Kent, and generally remains as he left it. You’re encouraged to explore the carefully located focal points, ponds, cascades and rills that seamlessly guide you through the garden.

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PEOPLE

PERSONAL Hobbies I used to enjoy playing a lot of different sports, although rugby has always been my main passion. I generally fill my spare time playing with my daughter Iris, and always look forward to my daily walk with Phoebe, my Italian greyhound cross whippet.

Design tastes I prefer simple, unfussy design, which is reflected in many of our gardens.

©Oliver Jones Photography

Most treasured possession I have a photo on my bedside table of my grandmother and I, taken on my wedding day. She was a lively, fun, cheeky little lady, and the photo always brings a smile to my face.

Favoured dress style Very casual. I have just one suit that I bought for my wedding day which I roll out for every formal occasion.

Food & drink Since my diagnosis with MS, I have changed my diet drastically. I used to eat meat daily and generally didn’t think twice about what I ate. I now follow a mostly plant-based, low-saturated fat, vegan diet with the addition of fish.

Most fun you’ve ever had I have always loved to travel. I travelled around New Zealand in 2005, following the British Lions with some friends which was great fun. I also travelled around Central and South America in 2008 with my now wife, where we completed the Inca Trail. As a one-off event, our wedding day was incredible and definitely the most fun day I have ever had.

TRAVEL Places you’ve been/places you’d like to go I have been to many diverse and inspiring countries, but one place I would still like to visit is Las Vegas – although I’m not sure I would make it back in one piece!

How you like to travel Holiday destinations with a young daughter and a dog are slightly more limited, so over the last few years we have driven to France, Devon and Cornwall. They have all been fantastic trips.

Favourite continent We have made a number of trips to Asia. Until recently, I had a friend living in Singapore, so I have been there a number of times, as well as Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Korea, and most recently, Japan. My wife and I also met whilst holidaying in Thailand, so I have to say Asia really!

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PEOPLE

GROW LONDON POP-UP GARDEN, 2014 PC LANDSCAPES PROJECT

NOEMI'S ALLOTMENT

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW 2016

INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN BY PC LANDSCAPES

3 0 U N D E R 3 0 U P DAT E

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NOEMI MERCURELLI PRO L ANDSCAPER TALKS TO NOEMI MERCURELLI, A PREVIOUS 30 UNDER 30 AWARDS WINNER TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER NEW ROLE AT GARDEN DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANY: PC L ANDSCAPES

N

oemi Mercurelli has recently started her new role as landscape designer at the design and build company: PC Landscapes. She previously spent three years working with garden designer: Anne Marie Powell, on a variety of projects, including the new Hilltop gardens at RHS Wisley gardens.

“My new position is Landscape Designer, so the projects have drastically increased within this role - lots of meetings with clients and more face-to-face contacts. The previous role was mainly office-based, but now, I will be securing contracts myself, as opposed to being mainly office-based doing design work.”

This role allows Noemi to design the projects, see how they come together, and learn how the team overcome design or construction challenges. She's only been there since April, but she already seeing possibilites to progress her career.

“I can see lots of opportunities. PC Landscapes has clearly invested a lot in the education of their staff. I think I will grow a lot there; I sense willingness to invest in new skills."

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In 2016, Noemi was a winner of the Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30 initiative. The award acknowledges work achieved by young people in the horticulture and landscape sectors.

Coinciding with winning this award, Noemi also created her own show garden at Hampton

IT’S GREAT TO HAVE DREAMS AND ITS EVEN GREATER TO HAVE SOMEONE ENCOURAGING YOU Court, commissioned by Katie's Lymphoedema Fund, with Floral designer Carolyn Dunster.

Previously, Noemi set up Mercurelli’s Garden Design in 2012, and worked as freelancer for a few UK practices; with her favourite project being a four-storey livingwall at the Strand.

Noemi gained a Bioecology degree from the University of Cagliari, Sardinia. After, her love for plants lead her to the UK, where she became

involved with flora and nature in a more creative way, retraining as a garden designer at KLC School of Design. There, she received a merit in her garden design diploma and was awarded the KLC Great Dixter award for horticulture.

Noemi sees her new role ranging more, from smaller domestic projects, to large, three-acre projects, with tennis courts and swimming pools.

She enjoys the challenge of accommodating these new elements and "integrating all of those features without it being an eye sore.

“There will be more show gardens, but right now, I enjoy working with these big country gardens,” she says.

Progression within the company has been discussed with Paul Cowell, owner of PC Landscapes, so Noemi can further grow knowledge of different sectors in the industry.

In the next three years, she hopes to become a senior designer at PC Landscapes, and as a five-year goal, progress into landscape architecture in the company. “I hope to be really confident, even in the trickiest element of a garden. It’s great to have dreams, and its even greater to have someone encouraging you.”

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 11:48

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20/06/2019 13:19

PEOPLE

WHAT’S

YOUR

ROLE? PAUL STONE

What is your new role and what does it involve?

Head of Horticulture is actually a new role at Eden, there hasn’t previously been a head of horticulture. I’ve been here since the beginning, since 1999. I have a team of around 50 horticulturists which includes a scientific team, a nursery, and some very highly skilled gardeners employed in the upkeep and development of the garden.

It’s very important for us here to keep interest up, and to respond to new developments in the world, for example with climate and biodiversity. So, we keep the displays relevant, and in the forefront of people’s experience when they come to Eden, or if they’re just reading about us on our website.

What do you find most challenging?

The most challenging aspect is the wellbeing of my staff. When you’re dealing with 50 individuals who have their own lives to lead, you want the best for them. You want to help them get where they want to go, and support them when they’re in times of difficulty or in need of support.

EDEN PROJECT PRO L ANDSCAPER TALKS TO PAUL STONE, THE NEWLY APPOINTED HE AD OF HORTICULTURE AT THE EDEN PROJECT, ABOUT THE BEST PARTS OF THE JOB AND FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

What does a “normal” day look like for you?

I don’t really have a normal day, although I do constantly have interesting days – there’s no doubt about that. Eden is all about connection.

I’m often in conversation with all sorts of local/ national groups on a variety of initiatives, or doing joint, planned or potential activities. In my view, my primary function should be mentoring and facilitating the horticulture team. That should be very much one to one, on the ground, with critical review and training.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

That’s really easy to narrow down because I emphasise taking the opportunity to work alongside my gardeners. It’s like doing a flower show on a daily basis, which is an approach that suits me well, given my long association with building gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. What I like doing most, is having an opportunity to look at the displays that we give.

I can critically analyse them with the individuals that are responsible for them, and either enjoy the success or plan for improvement.

It’s personally satisfying to do because it means you’re at the cutting edge of what people enjoy and experience here. We are driven by an ambition, to not just garden, but to make a difference, with everybody that comes to see our gardens, and those that read about Eden.

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WE ARE DRIVEN BY AN AMBITION TO NOT JUST GARDEN BUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH EVERYBODY THAT COMES TO SEE OUR GARDENS

What are your future aspirations?

I want to take the Eden Project into the next decade. We’ve been going for 20 years now, and it has already reached a point of change horticulturally. I want to move towards improving the appearance of Eden’s hard landscape. It’s like having a beautiful picture kept in a poor frame, so I think we need better structures and better space around our horticulture.

We have a plan that we’ve adhered to, but over the last three years, we’ve identified new projects that we want to start. This is partly to do with connection, and partly to do with failed areas that needed replacements. We have a flexible five year plan which involves delivery of a number of key displays. One, is a new Korean Garden, which we are currently focusing on.

I’ll be looking for succession in all of our roles here at Eden, including my own. I want to continue making a mark, and doing positive things that hopefully pleases the majority.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 11:37

PEOPLE

W H AT I ’ M READING

Lawrence Roberts ELEMENTS GARDEN DESIGN

TITLE Zen Gardens – The Complete Works of Shunmyo Masuno AUTHOR Mira Locher

T

his book sits beside my desk, and is a constant source of reference and inspiration. It charts the complete works of Japan’s leading garden designer, Shunmyo Masuno, landscape architect and Zen Buddhist priest. For me, Japan holds a deep fascination. The people, the culture, the landscape and in particular the

gardens. Simplistic and unpretentious, Japanese gardens exude calmness and serenity. With an inherent connection to nature and a restrained palette, they are often created with the lightest and most considerate of touches.

Masuno states that: “the garden is a special spiritual place where the mind dwells”. Our lives can be fast-paced and frenetic, the world a confusing and bewildering place. Spirituality is often traded for consumption, and our minds are constantly distracted with irrelevant noise

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and media. Gardens offer a reprieve – a piece of restored nature in our urban environment, an intrinsic place of reflection to tune out the world and reconnect.

This summer at the Hampton Court Garden Festival, I will be also encouraging visitors to reflect and reconnect. Although a true Zen garden can only be accomplished by a disciplined practitioner of Zen Buddhism, I aim to create a garden that incorporates key Zen principles. I want to, in the words of Masuno, “create a place where people can leave behind the abundance of everyday life, and instead, encounter their ‘kokoro no yutakasa’ – the richness of their spirit”. Our garden will be overlooked by a large head made of layered steel that can be entered, allowing visitors a moment to contemplate the garden and its message. The garden is about life, the paths that we take, and the obstacles we overcome.

Everything has been selected to symbolise aspects of our lives; friendships, age, challenges, family and loss. I hope it will allow visitors a moment of mindfulness. Masuno states that: “Zen is a way of discovering how one should best live. By viewing a garden, viewers question themselves. The act of gazing fixedly is the act of creating opportunity to think.” This is a beautiful book, full of Masuno’s revered gardens, both traditional and modern.

The text can be heavy-

going and spiritual at times, but it may open you to different ideas and concepts. I particularly like how Masuno describes the importance and symbolism of rocks.

SIMPLISTIC AND UNPRETENTIOUS, JAPANESE GARDENS EXUDE CALMNESS AND SERENITY Long thought to be the home of Deities, rocks command the utmost respect and are given centre stage, often depicting a mountain, an island or a waterfall. Masuno refers to them as the heart of a garden and that each has a spirit. Silent beings that have manifested over millennia and now stand solid and stable – a testament to their ability to resist.

My show garden last year featured a large boulder that had been sliced to create a path.

I found it profound that a rock which had survived ice ages, been worn smooth by oceans, and buried under ice sheets, for a brief moment in time, became a garden path at an international show, sliced open unveiling its hidden depths.

The values and principles that the author and Masuno describe in this book have influenced how I look at gardens, and the elements that constitute a garden. Those values have also influenced and evolved how I design gardens, especially those without constraints. It is a great book and may cause you to contemplate things you never thought about. But beware, it may also get you talking to rocks.

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 123

20/06/2019 11:35

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20/06/2019 22/05/2019 13:20 12:28

MEET

THE R

PEOPLE

IDERS THE ROUTE

START

M E E T T H E R I D E R S TA K I N G O N T H E 6 0 0 K M R I D E G O L A N D S CA P E C H A L L E N G E T H I S Y E A R , F R O M 1 5 - 2 0 S E PT E M B E R

MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE, NEAR PRESTON

FINISH

CAPEL MANOR COLLEGE, ENFIELD

RICHARD GARDINER

D I STA N C E

N AG S O LU T I O N S

“This will be my fifth industry fundraiser, and I’m proud to be part of a team that has raised around £100K over the 10 years since I started the process, with a modest 200-mile ride over six days. Since then, Brian has been the driving force and has thought bigger than I dared.

“I am delighted to be raising money this time for BALI Chalk Fund, a charity of which I’m a trustee. The Chalk Fund has found a new lease of life since joining forces with BALI’s GoLandscape initiative. The trust has been involved in the project from the start, initially providing some seed funding, and further funds have followed as the project has gained traction.

“In the past year, the trust has developed an enrichment programme which would not have been possible without the support of GoLandscape. This programme seeks to ensure that students leave college as work-ready as possible, by funding registration and certification fees that ensure students’ training is fully recognised and accepted by employers and their clients.

“The challenge will be a tough one, logistically as well as physically – around 100 miles per day for five days straight requires a bit of mental resolve too. We have a great success rate of getting our participants to the end of these events, and it creates a great team spirit. I have made great friends during these events over the years, and I am looking forward to meeting new team members this year.”

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600 km

DAV I D H O U G H TO N K I N G S L A N D S CA P E S

“To be honest, the last event was one of my biggest challenges in 40s, falling over the handlebars 14 times on the first day. But it was fun, and great to meet a few people whilst going through a pain barrier I hadn’t felt for a while. We were lucky with the weather, and it was an amazing feeling to get to Land’s End with the team.

The roads never ended, but the company was the best. Bring on Ride GoLandscape 2019!”

Pro Landscaper / July 2019 125

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PEOPLE

ED BELDERBOS

B E L D E R B O S L A N D S CA P E S “I’m looking forward to joining the Three Peaks team again. Looks like Brian and Rich have found a challenging course that includes every hill that happens to sit between Blackpool and London. A great incentive to park up my scooter and cycle to sites and meetings over the next few months.”

B R I A N H E R B E RT O U T D O O R O PT I O N S

“I am delighted to be taking part in my Ride GoLandscpae. This year’s challenge sees us road cycling through a part of the country I’ve not much explored so I’m excited and looking forward to taking on the task with a few old friendly faces and some younger newcomers who no doubt will be setting the pace. Bring it on!”

M AT T O’C O N N E R DA R R E N S K I D M O R E

S K I D M O R E S O F H E RT FO R D “It was a real privilege to be asked to be part of the team again. Having been involved with last two events, I’m both excited and apprehensive as yet again the amazing team have set a gruelling challenge! It’s also great the see the colleges getting involved.

Hopefully we can drum up some extra riders for support along the way!

“With past events highlighting our industry and raising vast amounts for deserving causes, it’s fantastic that this one is covering both the GoLandscape initiative and the BALI Chalk Fund.”

J O H N O’C O N N E R G R O U N D S M A I N T E N A N C E “I’m delighted to be taking part in this year’s Ride GoLandscape challenge.

I’ve dusted off my bike and have started training with gusto. This will be my fourth BALI fundraising event and once again a very worthy cause.

GoLandscape has gained real traction over the past 18 months and the student enrichment programme support by the BALI Chalk Fund is making a real difference in helping landscape students find employment and develop their careers. Bring it on!”

PAU L D OW N E R

OA K V I E W L A N D S CA P E S “This is my fourth consecutive charity event, being a founding member of the 2010 Three Peaks Challenge.

Oak View Landscapes is keen to support industry charity events as part of its ‘giving back’ strategy and is fully supportive of the GoLandscape initiative. James and I are looking forward to the tour and meeting various students as visit colleges en route.

J A M E S D OW N E R

H E L E N H OY L E U W E B R I STO L

“I was recruited for Ride GoLandscape when presenting my research on public reaction to non-native planting at the PlantNetwork Conference in May. Not only is it a fantastic challenge, but as an academic and landscape architect, I passionately believe in the cause – raising funds to support skills development across the landscape industry. I went on a meet-up training ride with Matt and Darren over the Stevenage Circular this weekend and realised I need to put in some training miles – most of my hardcore cycling was done about 15 years ago!”

OA K V I E W L A N D S CA P E S “Ride GoLandscape will be my first event – I wanted to take part in the 2016 Snowdon to Lands End ride but it clashed with starting to university. I’m studying for a degree in construction project management at Sheffield Hallam University but am working the summer with Oak View.”

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Also Riding: John Wyer, Bowles & Wyer Greg Skilbeck, Silverland Stone

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GROUNDS MAINTENANCE OPERATIVE APPRENTICESHIP

LANDSCAPERS WITH CSCS GOLD LEVEL

Ground Control is looking for enthusiastic people with an interest in the grounds maintenance industry for its apprenticeship. It has an opportunity at one of its client’s sites in Didcot, with an established team of experts. The role will include a range of duties, including grass and hedge cutting, general grounds maintenance on a daily basis, and ensuring completion for customer satisfaction. Supervision and training are provided throughout, with one day per week at college, studying for a Horticulture and Landscape Operative Level 2 qualification. This programme is an excellent way to gain experience in the horticultural industry.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Tendercare Nurseries is seeking landscapers with CSCS Gold Level. It is looking for a landscape supervisor to lead one of its installation teams for semi-mature trees and soft landscaping projects on commercial and domestic sites and working for its clients as part of its supply, plant and warranty service.

You will need experience and leadership skills to ensure that your work is undertaken correctly. Referring to design drawings and visuals, you will need to be able to set out on the site accurately and oversee budgets for time and materials.

You will need good communication skills to liaise with the project team and the client. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

TECHNICAL SALES MANAGER

EXPERIENCED GARDENER

Bathgate Horticulture’s product range has an opportunity for an experienced individual. The ideal candidate must be motivated, be able to work unsupervised, and concentrate on new and current business for its horticultural range.

The technical sales manager role is in support of an existing office-based sales team and is field-orientated. Knowledge of the retail and horticultural market would be an advantage. Essential qualifications and experience include; excellent verbal and IT skills, sales experience, attention to detail, ability to multitask and numeracy skills. Salary is negotiable, depending on experience, but will include use of a company vehicle and other benefits.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture is looking for a gardener to join its maintenance team. The company offers its customers a comprehensive design, build and garden maintenance service. The ideal candidate would have a Diploma in horticulture (or equivalent RHS Level 3). The role involves looking after medium-sized gardens, working both independently and with a second person.

Candidates will need to be honest, self-motivated, reliable, able to plan ahead and be friendly yet professional with clients. Attention to detail, a ‘can do’ attitude and being able to foresee potential issuess is important. A full driving licence is required as the candidate will need to drive a small van, fully equipped with gardening tools. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

HARD LANDSCAPE FOREMAN

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

GROUND CONTROL Location: Oxfordshire

BATHGATE SILICA SAND LTD Location: Cheshire

GARDEN CLUB LONDON Location: London

Award-winning landscape design company Garden Club London is looking for a landscape foreman who’s passionate about the industry and delivering high quality landscapes for its in-house design team, RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court, as well as the opportunity to lead builds for other top garden designers.

The position includes overseeing landscape projects from residential gardens to urban rooftops. The candidate must have organisational and project-planning experience, good communication skills with clients/the operations team/ designers, and have five years+ experience in paving, decking, carpentry, artificial grass installation, irrigation, turfing, fencing, rendering.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

TENDERCARE NURSERIES Location: Middlesex

STEFANO MARINAZ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Location: West London

HOUGHTON MCKENZIE LTD Location: Nationwide

This Hort Careers’ client is a highly successful business, supplying a diverse range of peat, turf and general horticultural products to a variety of channels.

A vacancy has arisen for a business development manager to sell to landscape contractors.

It is essential that candidates for this role have sold a horticultural product, eg. plants, seeds, bulbs, turf, compost, weed killers, garden chemicals, pest control etc. The client is well established and expanding, so career development prospects are excellent for the right people.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

OPERATIONAL SECTION LEADER

HL SERVICES

South Somerset District Council has an opportunity in its Environmental Services team. Candidates will become a valued member, helping south Somerset to be a place where businesses flourish, communities are safe, and residents enjoy good housing/leisure/sports. This is an opportunity to lead and work within a team to deliver excellent, efficient and professional landscaping services for the public.

The ideal candidate will have attention to detail, be proactive, be committed to providing good customer service, have a full driving licence and be good at problem-solving/decision making. Candidates will be based primarily from the Lufton Depot in Yeovil, where the council operate agile working practices. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

HL Services specialise in permanent and temporary recruitment solutions across the UK for the grounds maintenance and facilities management sectors.

Explore a wide range of vacancies in London and across the UK by searching HL Services on the Horticulture Careers homepage. The company is recruiting landscaping and grounds maintenance staff at all levels.

SOUTH SOMERSET DISTRICT COUNCIL Location: Somerset

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For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PEOPLE

T H E L I T T L E I N T E RV I E W

PRO LANDSCAPER ASKS QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS TO GAIN A SMALL INSIGHT INTO THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP OUR INDUSTRY. TO TAKE PART, EMAIL CONTENT@ EL JAYS44.COM

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Little Interviews KR.indd 130

DA N F LY N N

A M A N DA PAT TO N

Director, Gardenlink Ltd

Director/designer, Amanda Patton Landscape & Garden Design

www.gardenlink.co.uk

www.amandapatton.co.uk

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Cycling, or in that industry.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I love flying, I think being a pilot would be a great job!

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

New Zealand.

What would you blow your budget on?

A skiing chalet.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Capability Brown (I’m a big earth-moving fan!).

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Montenegro has the most beautiful landscape; alpine wildflower meadows, dark lakes, mountains, deep fjords and jagged coast.

What would you blow your budget on?

Travel – I’d love to go to the arctic.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

One horticulture and landscape industry federation.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

James Corner. His designs capture the sense of place through masterful spatial design and clever conceptualism.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Jersey in the Channel Islands doubles in size when the tide goes out.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

More apprenticeship places for designers.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Jeremy Rimmer.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Celia Imrie, I think she’s amazing and we went to the same school!

What three things would you take to a desert island?

My family – that’s from my daughter, Alice – a fridge full of beer and a yacht!

Your favourite joke?

Why did the gardener quit?

Because his celery wasn’t high enough!

Karaoke song of choice?

Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Art materials, good shower gel and a hairband.

Your favourite joke?

As a maths geek, it has to be: Did you hear the one about the statistician?

Probably.

Karaoke song of choice?

Old Time Rock And Roll by Bob Seger.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/06/2019 11:31

PEOPLE

M AT T O’C O N N E R BALI national chairman and managing director, John O’Conner (Grounds Maintenance) Ltd www.johnoconner.co.uk If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Something land-based I’m sure, but maybe something linked to the ocean next time.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

The Netherlands, the Dutch truly value horticulture.

What would you blow your budget on?

Taking the whole family on a world tour. Travel definitely broadens the mind.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

I would love to have met Geoff Hamilton. I just loved his relaxed style and his passion for gardening.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

The GoLandscape campaign.

Best piece of trivia you know?

Café Gondrée (the first French house and café to be liberated on D-Day) still remains in the same family and still serves great coffee & beer!

What three things would you take to a desert island?

A copy of Robinson Crusoe, a good knife and a boat.

Karaoke song of choice?

Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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ADOLFO HARRISON

GRAHAM BODLE

Director, Adolfo Harrison Gardens

Garden designer, Walker’s Nurseries

www.adolfoharrison.com

www.walkersnurseries.tv

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I would still be a practising artist.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Building/engineering.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Spain.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Exotic gardens in southern France and Spain.

What would you blow your budget on?

Trees.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Giles Clement.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Even more focus on sustainability.

Best piece of trivia you know?

The cells that comprise a caterpillar are not the cells that will become the butterfly.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Toshiro Mifune, complicated though that might be.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

A chest of edible perennial plant seeds, the Lone Wolf & Cub Boxset and my music collection.

Your favourite joke?

I don’t have a favourite, but I think jokes about German sausages are the Würst.

What would you blow your budget on?

Vintage car.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

William Robinson.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Getting younger people more involved throughout the landscaping sector.

Best piece of trivia you know?

How to get rid of Japanese knot weed – move house.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Roger Moore.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Gin/tonic/phone.

Karaoke song of choice?

Red Lights Spell Danger by Billy Ocean.

Karaoke song of choice?

Lust for Life by Iggy Pop.

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July 2019