London Supplement 2018

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LIGHTING FOR GARDENS

PROJECT DETAILS Project title: Bedfordshire front garden Lighting design: www.hindlipdesign.com Tel: 01727 223075 Light source: Elipta Polar Bollards

About Hindlip Design

Elipta Polar Bollards EH8463LED-650

LFG119 Elipta LONDON Advert template.indd 76June18 Ad_210x265_V2.indd 1

Hindlip Design specialises in enhancing gardens with design and technology; often partnering with landscape companies to complement their projects with lighting, irrigation or even security features.

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WELCOME

Welcome to

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LONDON SUPPLEMENT

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ABBIE DAWSON FEATURES EDITOR

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

ello and welcome to our third annual London supplement.

Since Sadiq Khan launched plans to make London a National Park City last year, the nation has been taken by storm. So, we’ve asked some of the capital’s finest how they think it will affect the landscaping industry - you can see their response on page 6.

As well as that, we’ve got an update on the regeneration of Thamesmead, interviews with designers, contractors, landscape architects and maintenance companies working in London and details on how the

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London Borough of Hillingdon hold on to their title of best parks and green spaces. As always, we’ve also gathered some great portfolios to inspire; including Thames Court

by The Garden Builders, Verde Garden Terraces by Bowles & Wyer and Tubs Hill by Kingston Landscape Group.

Enjoy the read and let me know what you think!

Design – Kara Thomas

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Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@ eljays44.com Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2018 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.

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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MANAGEMENT Managing Director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business Development Manager Jamie Wilkinson

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CONTENTS PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS 0 6 AGENDA 0 8 NEWS

FEATURES 1 0 WILLERBY LANDSCAPES INTERVIEW

1 3 TOM MASSEY INTERVIEW

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1 6 COMMERCIAL AFTERCARE JEFF STEPHENSON

1 8 F A R R E R H U X L E Y ASSOCIATES INTERVIEW

2 0 POP-UP GARDENS CITYSCAPES

2 2 T H A M E S M E A D U P D A T E PEABODY

2 4 P L A N T H E A LT H BARTLETT TREE EXPERTS

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2 5 HGVS BOURNE AMENITY

2 7 HILLINGDON COUNCIL PARKS AND GREEN SPACES

PORTFOLIOS 3 1 CIRCLE OF LIFE KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP

3 5 ON THE TERRACE BOWLES & WYER

3 8 TOP FLIGHT THE GARDEN BUILDERS

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CONTENTS

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22 PROFILES 4 2 BOURNE AMENITY

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4 4 PRO LANDSCAPER BUSINESS AWARDS 4 6 GREENBLUE URBAN 4 8 E C O D E K 5 0 G R E E N -T E C H

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AGENDA PORTFOLIO

AGENDA D O Y O U T H I N K T H AT L O N D O N B E I N G A N AT I O N A L P A R K C I T Y W I L L H AV E A N I M P A C T O N T H E L A N D S C A P I N G I N D U S T R Y I N T H E C A P I TA L ?

TONY WOODS Garden Club London I believe that National Park City status will increase the emphasis on the green infrastructure of many new developments, not just the development and upkeep of existing green spaces. If National Park City status can bring the momentum that the 2012

ADOLFO HARRISON Cityscapes Olympics did for landscaping the Olympic Park, then I strongly believe that the benefits for our industry will be huge and that the benefits will reach all sectors, including landscape architecture, plant production and education.

If National Park City status can bring the momentum that the 2012 Olympics did for landscaping the Olympic Park, then I strongly believe that the benefits for our industry will be huge

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Anything that pushes Sadiq Khan to commit more funding and support for green projects certainly impacts us

Whether it’s a short-lived project or not, I think that somehow, it’s a concept that’s captured the mind of Sadiq Khan, and anything that pushes him to commit more funding and support for green projects certainly impacts us at Cityscapes. It seems that the funding for most public green

spaces in London relates to the mayor’s air quality strategy, and you could argue that it’s the connectivity at the core of the National Park City concept that he feels captures the image he wants to tell of a web of green spaces working together to further improve our health and environment. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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AGENDA

ANDREW GRANT Grant Associates The test will boil down to how effectively the planning and design policy adapts to this new conceptual context. If policy is restructured around the principles of landscape, public realm, ecology and community then this could radically transform the influence of the landscape profession.

If, however, it is business as usual for transport and development,

P AT R I C K P H I L L I P S idverde then the National Park City will only ever be seen as a novel branding concept. I would suggest that the leaders of London look to Singapore to see how they have redefined the city state as a ‘city in a garden’ and backed this up through radical, city wide, blue and green infrastructure, innovative public transport and creative community projects.

I would suggest that the leaders of London look to Singapore to see how they have redefined the city state as a ‘city in a garden’

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Such status will inevitably create synergies and appropriate leverage to spawn investment, helping to create and grow rich, diverse and enlightened open-space partnerships It’s not so much London being elected as a National Park City, but more as the National Park City. With green and blue land area already equating to almost 50%, there can be few better places to demonstrate such positivity. Hopefully designation will bring manifold benefits, not least planning controls that ensure retention of greenspace, but hopefully further designation of

worthy landscapes where infill is needed most. Such status will inevitably create synergies and appropriate leverage to spawn investment, helping to create and grow rich, diverse and enlightened open-space partnerships. This burgeoning strategic investment should not just be financial, but equally a challenge for our collective conscience and cultural ethos.

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13/06/2018 13:36

NEWS PORTFOLIO

LONDON NEWS RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FEEL GOOD GARDEN G I F T E D T O N H S M E N TA L H E A LT H T R U S T To mark the NHS’s 70th birthday, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (C&I) will receive a garden from the world’s most famous flower show this summer for the benefit of patients and staff, thanks to a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) competition.

The RHS Feel Good Garden designed by Matt Keightley, will be relocated to the Trust, which provides care and treatment to vulnerable adults in a built-up part of London where green space is limited.

39 NHS Mental Health Trusts entered the competition and the judging panel, which included Tim Kendall, National Clinical Director for mental health at NHS

SPRINGFIELD PARK RECEIVES £ 3 . 1 M H E R I TA G E LOT TERY FUND FOR R E S T O R AT I O N

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CLIFTON NURSERIES P O P U P AT P E T E R JONES DEPARTMENT STORE IN CHELSEA

England and NHS Improvement, and Guy Barter, RHS Chief Horticulturalist, decided C&I should be awarded the garden.

From the date of installation, the garden will be accessible on a daily basis for around 30 adults and enjoyed by hundreds more patients and staff who are cared for and work in the wards surrounding and overlooking the space. As the garden develops, the Trust project team will work with those staff and patients to ensure the benefits and enjoyment of this unique gift are felt by as many people as possible.

Andrew Kingston, C&I Recovery Service Manager with expertise in horticultural therapy, said: “We serve older adults with mental health problems, such as schizophrenia and severe depression, or dementia. At the time of their arrival, people can be extremely distressed and agitated.

“An attractive and well-maintained outdoor

garden area will be invaluable in contributing to their recovery. It will also give these very vulnerable individuals a rare opportunity to interact with an outdoor environment and will be of significant support in their recovery.

It’s a unique and wonderful gift to patients, their relatives and carers, as well as staff on the units.”

Keightley, twice-winner of the RHS/BBC People’s Choice Award at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and part of the judging panel, said: “Looking through the submissions was a really moving experience and demonstrated just how valuable a green space or garden can be for patients and staff. There were so many inspiring entries, it was not an easy decision.

“I am delighted that the RHS Feel Good Garden will live on, providing a calm and beautiful space for adults in need of respite.

A highlight is visiting the space and meeting patients and staff to really understand how we can make this the best garden it can be for the people using, working and visiting the trust.”. www.rhs.org.uk

Clifton Nurseries opened their latest pop-up shop at the iconic Peter Jones department store on Sloane Square, Chelsea on Wednesday 16 May. This exciting collaboration was timed perfectly to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Clifton Nurseries at Peter Jones Collection of houseplants included cacti, succulents, ferns, orchids, anthuriums and a variety of other beautiful indoor plants – ranging from the regular favourites to the distinctive and unusual. In addition to the pop-up shop, Clifton Nurseries also played homage to the nearby Chelsea Flower Show with a fun and unique mini show garden located just inside the main Kings Road entrance to Peter Jones. www.clifton.co.uk

Hackney council has received £3.1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund for the restoration of Springfield Park.

The mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville was presented with a cheque on 29 May after the funding was granted in July 2017. The funding will go towards refurbishing

the parks building, upgrading the footpaths, and new play equipment with gates alongside to enchance the landscape. This will be an exciting renovation for the historic park and buildings that will add great value to the community. As part of the renovation the stable block will

be restored, and a new community and events space added. This space will host community events, weddings and birthday parties.

The income from these events will be reinvested back into maintaining the park, allowing it to thrive for years to come. www.hackney.gov.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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NEWS

ISLINGTON IN BLOOM Islington Council and Islington Gardeners have worked together to organise ‘Islington in Bloom’, a competition open to all residents whether they have a garden, window display or balcony. Judging

H I G H VA L U E T R E E S

MILLBOARD DECKING SELECTED FOR L O N D O N ’ S F I R S T ‘ F L O AT I N G P A R K ’ Decking manufacturer Millboard has supplied its products to one of London’s most striking modern landmarks. The business provided its premium wood-free decking solutions to the award-winning Floating Pocket Park development at Merchant Square in Paddington Basin, designed by Garden Club London. 302m² of Millboard’s hand-moulded Enhanced Grain

decking in golden oak, together with matching fascia boards and bullnose edging, have been added to the park’s picturesque Grand Union Canal area. Aside from the decking, the canal-side also features open lawns, walkways, flowerbeds, trees, seating areas and a wildlife island to encourage waterfowl and other animals. www.millboard.co.uk

©Jason Bennett

will take place in several categories with every entrant receiving a free bag of compost from Camden Garden Centre to help get them started. ‘Islington in Bloom’ is a great opportunity to get the community involved in making the area look beautiful and boosting community spirit. There is also the added incentive of the prizes, with the first-place winner taking home a £100 gift voucher for Camden Garden Centre and second and third taking home vouchers of £75 and £50 respectively. www.islington.gov.uk

IN HYDE PARK

New research by Treeconomics values the benefits of the trees in Hyde Park as having an amenity asset value of £173m. The trees not only provide aesthetic benefits but also many other benefits as detailed in a new report. The tree population of the park, which is composed of 104 species from 45 genera, removes 2.71 tonnes of pollution per annum, stores 3,872 tonnes of carbon, sequesters 88 tonnes of carbon each year and facilitates 3,584 cubic metres of avoided storm water run-off by intercepting rainfall. The total value of the benefits measured amount to an annual figure of £209,000 with the tree population of the park having a total amenity asset value of £173m. www.treeconomics.co.uk

B R I T I S H L A N D S U B M I T S P L A N N I N G A P P L I C AT I O N F O R C A N A D A W AT E R D E V E L O P M E N T Canada Water is to be developed with plans for new homes, workspace and a leisure centre to rejuvenate the area. After four years of discussions, British Land has now submitted the planning application and entered into a Master Development Agreement with Southwark Council. The first buildings are set to begin in Spring 2019. The area www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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stretches a total of 1.8m sq ft and is hoping to bring more affordable housing to the area alongside creating 20,000 job opportunities once fully developed. The development of Canada water will also see some exciting landscaping and green space modifications. Roger Madelin, Head of Canada Water Development at British Land,

said: “Drawing on our experience of creating vibrant, mixed-use places across the capital, this major urban centre at Canada Water will provide an exciting place to live, work and visit, delivering high quality design, active spaces and significant economic and social benefits for the local community”. canadawatermasterplan.com London / Pro Landscaper

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FEATURES PORTFOLIO

WORKING IN LONDON

WILLERBY LANDSCAPES P R O L A N D S C A P E R TA L K S T O B E N PA R F I T T, S E N I O R ESTIMATOR AT WILLERBY L ANDSCAPES, TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY AND COMPETITIVE TENDERING IN LONDON – AS WELL AS SOME OF ITS BEST PROJECTS TO DATE IN THE CAPITAL CIT Y

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Ben, tell us about Willerby Landscapes…

Willerby Landscapes is a privately owned commercial landscape company that has been trading for 35 years. We turn over approximately £20m per year, and employ between 100 and 120 people, depending on our workload. We undertake all manner of landscaping activities, across both the commercial and private sectors.

How is Willerby Landscapes’ work split in terms of domestic and commercial contacts?

It varies year on year. Historically, I’d say that 80% of our work has been commercial and 20% residential, but over the last few years it’s closer to 70% commercial and 30% domestic.

Is it purely a build company, or does it also offer design?

We don’t design gardens – but we do detail other people’s designs. If a landscape architect or designer has designed something that needs fabrication detailing, then we have an in-house designer who can produce three-dimensional construction details, in order to make the concept buildable.

Do you offer maintenance or aftercare?

We’re tied in with maintenance contracts as part of defects period on most commercial jobs – for either 12 or 24 months – and so we maintain a lot of properties on that basis. We have some standalone maintenance projects in London and

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FEATURES

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Scotland, too. Maintenance is an important part of our business and something we are always looking to expand.

How much of your work is in London?

I’d say that 75% of our work is in London, and the remaining 25% is in surrounding areas in the South East.

What’s your typical London project?

We cover a variety of projects in the capital, and get a lot of enquiries from the main contractors, such as Balfour Beatty, McAlpine, Laing O’Rourke and Lend Lease. There seem to be a lot of roof gardens at the moment – with space at a premium, particularly in the City, we’re getting a lot of enquiries about that.

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And what is Willerby Landscapes’ role on roof garden projects?

We take on the complete construction after the waterproofing and insulation has been done. Traditionally, when main contactors started undertaking roof gardens, they tried to split the packages up in terms of hard and soft landscaping. Adopting this procurement route, however, can cause interface issues, so we prefer to undertake the whole package.

Have you noticed an increase in the popularity of ‘pop-up’ gardens?

It’s difficult to track, because we get so many enquiries for so many schemes, but they are not something that we have we have done a lot of.

We’ve been involved with the Olympic Park for 10 years on various sites around it. The use that it still gets demonstrates the efforts that went into providing a ‘legacy’ beyond the Olympic Games

Does Willerby Landscapes get involved with any Show Gardens?

Traditionally we have done Chelsea Flower Show gardens, and over the years we’ve won a number of Gold medals there. They are very time consuming to plan and can sap the energy of the people that work on them, and currently we don’t feel that we can resource them to the level we’d like to, given other commitments. However, I’ve no doubt that we’ll do them again in the future.

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What would you say are the pros and cons of working in London?

It can be easy to manage a number of jobs in close proximately in the city, as project managers can visit a number of sites during the day by using public transport. Working in central London can, however, prove difficult when it comes to the access constraints of some sites and properties.

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Olympic Stadium Here East Pleasure Gardens Canal Park London / Pro Landscaper 11

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FEATURES PORTFOLIO

What’s been your favourite London project to date?

I think a lot of us enjoyed working on the Olympic Park, and people have enjoyed seeing it continue to be used. We’re still involved on the Park – we’ve been involved for 10 years now on various sites around it.

The use that it still gets demonstrates the efforts that went into providing a ‘legacy’ beyond the Olympic Games.

Do you find tendering for projects in London particularly competitive?

Tendering is always very competitive, and most of our work is won through competitive tender. We don’t get to negotiate that much work and the tendering process is fierce.

There seem to be more and more contactors getting involved now, whereas previously there’d be three or four contractors tendering for the same jobs.

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There seems to be a lot of roof gardens going on at the moment – with space at a premium, particularly in the City, we’re getting a lot of enquiries for that

What makes Willerby Landscapes stand out in the tendering process?

I don’t think we have a USP as such, but we like what we do, we enjoy what we do, and we’ve got a track record of delivering complicated schemes particularly well.

You have a large number of staff at the company now – how do you recruit them?

Generally, we take on staff through word of mouth; although a number of our staff have been with us for many years – we look after them, so they don’t tend to leave. We also have a trusted number of subcontractors that we can draw on when we need labour.

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ABOUT WILLERBY LANDSCAPES

What lies ahead for Willerby Landscapes?

More of the same! The market still appears buoyant, so hopefully we can continue to keep doing what we’re doing.

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Willerby Landscapes is a leading commercial landscaping company based at Four Elms, near Edenbridge in Kent. It specialises in all disciplines associated with the installation and ongoing maintenance of hard and soft landscape schemes, water features and specialist planters. www.willerby-landscapes.co.uk

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12/06/2018 14:51

FEATURES INTERVIEW

TOM MASSEY W I T H H I S S TA R I N T H E A S C E N D A N T, TOM MASSEY TELLS US ABOUT HIS WORK IN THE CAPITAL, THE UK AND BEYOND

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om Massey founded his landscape and garden design practice in 2015, after graduating from the London College of Garden Design with a distinction. Since then, he’s designed three show gardens and won multiple awards, including his most recent Silver Gilt medal for The Lemon Tree Trust garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show.

One of Pro Landscaper’s inaugural 30 under 30’s, Tom and his Richmond based design practice have gone from strength to strength, he covers both commercial and domestic projects in London and its surrounding areas, and his next project is a show garden in Singapore.

“I’d say that around 90% of my work is in London, although I’m happy to work anywhere if the project is interesting. I think that London has a lot of work available because of the dense population and high house prices. Also green space comes at a premium in London so people want to make the most of their outside space.”

THE PERENNIAL SANCTUARY GARDEN, DESIGNED BY TOM MASSEY FOR PERENNIAL AT THE RHS HAMPTON COURT PAL ACE FLOWER SHOW 2017

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Show gardens The majority of Tom’s work is domestic, and he explains that he does a lot of smaller London gardens. As well as that, Tom has designed one show garden per year; his history includes two at RHS Hampton Court Palace flower show and one at RHS Chelsea flower show, although later this year he will also be designing a show garden for Singapore garden festival, bringing this year’s total to two.

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FEATURES PORTFOLIO

THE LEMON TREE TRUST GARDEN DESIGNED BY TOM MASSEY, BUILT BY L ANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES

Show gardens take up a large proportion of Tom’s time, and he suggests that should he condense all of the time spent on his Chelsea flower show garden, it would total six months of the year. Despite this, he believes that show gardens are beneficial to his business and are invaluable in gaining both exposure and clients.

He says: “It’s hard to quantify just how much value show gardens bring to my business, but in terms of getting exposure nothing compares.

London based shows are good for me, this year I had a couple of London based clients come to Chelsea. It’s good for those who have a project in progress to see a finished product, it’s also fun for them to attend the show, it’s a great way to entertain.”

Garden design trends With space at a premium, roof gardens are on the up and though Tom hasn’t done one yet, it’s 14

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something he’d certainly like to do in the future.

In terms of other garden design trends, Tom tells us that, as well as timber trellising and concrete paving, he’s noticed an increase in requests for outdoor cooking products and planning schemes which include edibles; something he describes as a ‘more contemporary approach to a kitchen garden’.

He says: “As London gardens are often small and compact intricate detailing is often required, with limited space some expansive ideas can be difficult to execute, this often needs to be explained to clients.”

Projects with purpose With his award-winning show gardens topping the list of prestigious projects, Tom tells us about a lower profile garden at Kingston Hospital designed for the Children’s Oncology Garden, funded by Momentum; a charity that

supports children with cancer. The garden created a vibrant, welcoming space amongst the hospital grounds, hidden away to allow for privacy and time out.

“The garden wasn’t highly publicised and had a small budget so it wasn’t a high-profile project, but it had a purpose. It’s extremely rewarding to see the difference that the green space made to the children and their families, it was a rewarding project to be involved with.”

Going green “Green space is absolutely vital in London,” Tom says: “We’re so lucky to have the amazing parks and green space that we do in London. But there are still parts of the city that are dull and dirty, more green space, parks and communal gardens will help to improve this. A lot more still needs to be done, this is where landscape and garden designers, as well as architects and local councils www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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FEATURES

THE PERENNIAL SANCTUARY GARDEN

The good and the bad For Tom, the negatives of working in London are mainly logistic, with things like transport, access and demanding sites topping the list. Despite this, he tells us that he loves the city. He concludes: “There are pros and cons of working in London, but on the whole, it’s a really great place to work.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Photographs © Britt Willoughby Dyer

can all come together to help.” With the National Park City status hopefully coming into action next year, Tom hopes that the people of London will be encouraged to take better care of their city. He explains: “I hope that people will be encouraged to take better care, plant more and green up their own spaces. It’s great that the National Park City Foundation is providing funding to regenerate existing green space, but it’s really depressing when you visit a park and find rubbish everywhere.

Unfortunately people can still be really disrespectful.”

THE LEMON TREE TRUST GARDEN

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FEATURES PORTFOLIO

COMMERCIAL AFTERCARE

IN LONDON

the care of large country gardens, courtyards, London squares, town gardens and residential rooftop developments.

We principally operate in London and the home counties, and have more than 70 regular customers whose gardens we service on a weekly basis.

Of these, 15 or so are large country houses, while the rest are London based. Lengths of visit vary from three man-hours to three man-days per week, depending on the size and complexity of the site. As well as aftercare, my team is involved in small installations and soft landscaping, adding to its members’ job satisfaction.

Let’s consider the mobile aspect of the job.

Managing vans and driving in town comes with its own set of issues and costs (including the Congestion Charge). It is unbelievably hard to find quality gardeners who also possess the ability to drive, let alone manoeuvre vans confidently in the maelstrom of London’s traffic, where taxis, cyclists and lorries all compete for road space with scant consideration for decency and fair play. Minor accidents and altercations are invariably part of the mix.

Once the stratagem of understanding protracted journey times through London is mastered, the next contentious issue is parking: finding a space can be a ridiculously lengthy process. Parking spaces can be some distance from site, necessitating tool drop offs

JEFF STEPHENSON DISCUSSES SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THOSE PROVIDING AFTERCARE SERVICES IN LONDON

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hat an idyllic lifestyle being a gardener is – a laid-back, bucolic appointment. Well, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? If you’re in the business of caring for high-end designer gardens in the capital and managing the attending horticulturists under your wing, its time to throw away the rose-tinted spectacles and thicken your skin. Commercial gardening for the affluent echelon is invigorating and rewarding, but it can also be frustrating and exhausting at the same time. There’s the opportunity to work on a great variety of interesting schemes, but client expectations are always high and can also be unrealistic.

The Gardening and Aftercare Department at Bowles & Wyer was born out of the business model of our early years: design, build and maintain. When I joined in 1996 I brought along one staff member (who is still with us) and an already up-and-running maintenance round, which served domestic clients in and around Kew. As the company grew we diversified to the point we are at today, where, as well as our own builds, we provide garden aftercare for well-known designers and independent customers. Our client base is a mix of business, semi-public spaces and private residential – all at the well-heeled end of the market. It includes 16

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or else epic marathons in which gardeners find themselves enacting a form of ‘It’s a Knockout’ – balancing gardening paraphernalia on mowers while traversing crowded streets. Timekeeping is imperative to avoid penalty parking charges, with services regularly interrupted by the need to move a van before its permitted time has elapsed.

Then there’s the concern for security: vans are a target for theft (whether parked near a property in Chelsea in broad daylight, or outside a staff member’s home). Diligence, fitting locks and alarms, and being cautious about which tools are carried are all ongoing ordeals – but is far cheaper than the costly, timewasting process that follows when machinery is stolen, and vehicles are damaged in the process.

As my opening line suggests, gardening is suited to people with calm temperaments, who would like a serene existence. However, working in London on multiple sites, with a wide variety of client attitudes, demands adaptability; staff are viewed as knowledgeable companions by some, and as chattels for servitude by others.

This places a large onus on individuals to be many things – responsive, respectful, dutiful and diplomatic among them. Preparedness to travel (which includes using London transport to meet at differing locations each morning) is an imperative, as well as the ability to be self-reliant and to work as a team. Gardening in this sector is not for the fainthearted. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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FEATURES

ROOFTOP SCHEMES NECESSITATE WORKING IN EXPOSED PL ACES

SHADE IS REGUL ARLY ENCOUNTERED, DICTATING THE PL ANTING PALET TE

There are currently 12 of us on the aftercare team, including staff who have been with me throughout my 22 years at Bowles & Wyer, as well as some who have recently joined. They have a mix of abilities; some are highly experienced, others are trained to HND and degree level, and some younger members lack experience but show aptitude.

Apart from horticultural proficiencies, operating in London necessitates additional skills. As many of our gardens begin life in new developments on construction sites, precompletion maintenance often gets underway long before handover. Therefore, attending staff must hold CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) cards. In addition, numerous rooftop plantings can only be accessed when attached to a man-safe line via a full body harness and lanyard, which requires Working at Height certification. This can create headaches when scheduling work if the appropriately certified staff are ill or on leave.

Most of our London gardens are accessed through highly finished apartments – so overshoes and clean hands are essential. When the weather is inclement, though, this is highly problematic, as staff and tools become drenched in rain and bespattered with mud.

One site we serviced possessed a glass staircase, which we had to ascend with a lawnmower each week. The housekeeper would follow intently at our heels, scolding anybody who put their hand on ‘her’ highly polished www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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handrail to steady their balance (much to the wide-eyed consternation of the perpetrating staff member).

It is often the attitudes of house managers, butlers and PAs that can ease or aggravate the flow of a contract. They are often left to make decisions on behalf of their ‘big boss’, ‘principal’

It is unbelievably hard to find quality gardeners who also possess the ability to drive, let alone manoeuvre vans confidently in the maelstrom of London’s traffic or ‘madam’ (as variously referred to), but are constantly in fear of getting something wrong and being reproached by their employer. I recall one PA phoning me one summer’s evening to complain that she had found some winged ants on the terrace, and a house manager who called me to site to denounce a few recently fallen leaves at the back of a border, a day before our next visit. Such is life at the top end.

Working in London also comes with specific gardening problems. Limited space often prevents onsite composting, requiring most waste to be bagged and taken away – which can quickly fill up vans during high season. Dry shade is frequently encountered, which limits

the palette of plants we can utilise, and box caterpillar is a major bane. I must also mention plane trees (Platanus x hispanica), which are planted throughout the capital; the hairs shed by their achenes and leaves during the growing season are highly irritant, as any gardener will testify. They get up your nose and in your eyes, and attack the back of the throat, causing a spontaneous hacking cough – often, for me, just as I’m about to answer my phone!

The main advantage of working in London is that the work is plentiful, varied and interesting (albeit hard won) due to the large percentage of high net worth individuals who own property there. Gardens and green spaces, especially designed ones, will always add additional value and enhance lives in the capital in many ways – provided there are suitable gardeners who can take on the challenge.

ABOUT JEFF STEPHENSON With more than 29 years’ experience in horticulture, Jeff Stephenson (Dip.Hort.

(Kew) Hons MCIHort) heads up the horticulture and aftercare division of Bowles & Wyer. He joined in 1996 and has worked on small installations, soft landscaping and gardens maintenance for the vast majority of its schemes.. www.bowleswyer.co.uk

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FARRER HUXLEY

stablished in 1995, Noel Farrer set up landscape architecture practice Farrer Huxley Associates with Stephen Huxley, after 10 years of working in the public sector.

He and Stephen were working for local government and left at the same time to pursue their business. Noel explains that after Margaret Thatcher and CCT, he and Stephen felt there was an opportunity to provide services back to the public sector, and that’s something the business continues to do to this day.

A S S O C I AT E S

PRO L ANDSCAPER TALKS TO NOEL FARRER, FOUNDER OF FARRER HUXLEY ASSOCIATES TO FIND OUT HOW THE PRACTICE WORKS IN LONDON

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Core values At the core of the business is the idea that a high-quality landscape is one which provides a high quality of life and has little to do with the cost of the project or its materials. “We want to provide landscapes that are improving the quality of life for the many,” Noel says, “the ethos is very similar to that of the public sector, which centres around improving environments and understanding the role that the landscape has in making people’s lives better.

“We think it’s terrible that just because you’re on an estate, or in an area that is perceived as a bit rough, that people think ‘we won’t put seats here because they’ll encourage anti-social behaviour’, but all people can appreciate landscape, beautiful planting and things of quality, and they do that to the same extent as people who happen to live in the posh part of town. Farrer Huxley Associates believes that people’s surroundings should not be determined by their economic status or the area they live. Everybody has a right to quality place.

London-centric Noel says that 70-80% of Farrer Huxley Associates’ work is in London, however the team have worked further afield, and this is something they are keen to continue to do.

He tells us: “For us, it’s not about the location, it’s about where there are communities that I think will benefit from the services that we can provide. We thrive on the complex challenge of diverse communities, and these are what we think that we are most effective at being able to assist with.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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For Noel, one of the important positives to working in the capital is the generation of ideas that comes part and parcel with the political structure. He explains: “The London Boroughs effectively work as unitary authorities, which means there’s only one layer of democracy.

Elsewhere in the country you often find yourself in impenetrable two or three tier systems.

“London has always been advantaged by the way that the boroughs ultimately have power, and these structures allow change and a certain amount of freedom and expression. We see ideas generated in London which then percolate out more slowly to the regions, and I think that’s partly because of these political structures.”

Sourcing work Most of Farrer Huxley Associates’ work comes from people approaching them directly, although they do take part in the bidding process for public sector work. Noel says: “Ultimately if you do good work people want more of it, and we work hard to guarantee a level of quality in the work that we do. Many of our projects are quite challenging, but the reality is the clients come back for repeat business because what we’ve done has satisfied their needs, or exceeded them.”

Community enhancement Noel is proud of all of the projects that Farrer Huxley Associates is involved with in London and beyond, particularly those with Peabody, with whom it has worked together continuously on ground breaking projects since 1996.

Some of these projects include the award-winning Burridge Gardens, which is now onto phase two and will incorporate a community centre as well as 600 new homes, and Deptford Market Yard which is a new market square, including the forecourt of Deptford train station.

He went on to say: “We’ve had quite a number of firsts in relation to innovation; from not fencing playgrounds or using brightly coloured safety surfacing, and using processes of participation from residents coming forward.

Our understanding of children is first class and we invented the expression ‘playable spaces’ rather than playgrounds, which has become www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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3 very well known in the industry.

“Play is everywhere, not just within certain fenced zones and I think that we played a major role in changing that agenda in London. We did a remarkable project at a school in St John’s Wood, which was recognised by the Design Council Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and which got me on to their school’s design review panel.”

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Changing landscapes Having been in the business for a long time, Noel tells us that not only has he seen hundreds of his designs built and enjoyed, he’s also seen them demolished and new schemes come in to replace them. He explains: “This idea that landscapes change all the time is true to some extent, for example if you’re designing a playground and putting in steel equipment then from a council’s point of view it’s robust and an investment that will last, but the reality is that modern children look at old play equipment and

they see it’s boring and that it doesn’t meet their needs because it isn’t contextual to modern life.

“However, the notion that buildings last forever and the areas in between change all the time, I think is wrong. In my experience of working in London, buildings are knocked down and rebuilt very rapidly, and what stays the same is the street itself. So, if you put good street design in and you incorporate street trees, the reality is that once those trees are in place they will remain for hundreds of years.”

Noel concludes, “All placemaking should be landscape led, and even architects are talking about landscape, public realm and talking about the place and the legibility; how you move through it and what facilities are of the public realm. This is fantastic because finally the focus is on the right thing; not on the buildings but on the spaces between them, because it’s the spaces between them that really make the difference.”

1 S emi-private resident’s courtyard with informal and formal play ©Jack Hobhouse 2 Deptford Market Yard 3 Deptford Market Yard 4 A s part of the wider design team, Farrer Huxley Associates were involved in developing the art strategy for Burridge Gardens, which saw the history of the estate depicted in brick sculptures

by Rodney Harris ©Jack Hobhouse London / Pro Landscaper 19

13/06/2018 08:31

©Darryl Moore

REMIX GARDEN - DANIEL LOBB

©Darryl Moore

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REMIX GARDEN - ANOUSHKA FEILER

CITYSCAPES IS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE BUSINESS FOUNDED

BY DARRYL MOORE AND ADOLFO HARRISON. PRO LANDSCAPER INTERVIEWS DARRYL TO FIND OUT HOW THE POP-UP ASPECT OF THEIR BUSINESS WORKS IN THE CITY

How long have you been creating pop-up gardens?

We started realising the concept of pop-up gardens in 2012. In 2010 just after the recession, there were a lot of empty spaces, developers had stopped building because of the financial situation and so we’d been looking around and talking to various people. In 2012 it all became a reality.

Why did you decide to do pop-up gardens?

With the nature of the way the city changes, there are often spaces and opportunities to be had and we see those as valuable. We can utilise spaces to bring people and plants together, and give people ideas of how they can be designed, used and maintained in the future.

How do they benefit your business?

Cityscapes is a social enterprise, so we’re not out to make a great profit doing this.

We do it because we want to show these projects that show the way the city can be shaped, this is our area of interest and we feel very passionate about it.

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What are the pros and cons of pop-up gardens?

The pros are that there’s a great deal of flexibility, they don’t need to go through a lot of planning regulations so it’s quite an immediate thing that can be done a lot of the time, in a sense you can be more creative so they’re a lot more adaptable.

The cons are that obviously they’re not there for as long as we’d like them to be, but that’s the nature of them I suppose. It’s important to be creating new pop-up gardens regularly rather than building them to last because each has a different effect and people remember them for different reasons.

Do pop-up gardens come with logistical challenges?

Yes, there are always logistical challenges.

Some of the things we’ve done have involved very large materials which can be difficult to get down narrow streets and into spaces. We also have challenges such as negotiating traffic, pedestrians and getting things into place, as well as health and safety. It’s all part of the challenge that we really enjoy.

REMIX GARDEN - MAT THEW CHILDS

©Darryl Moore

POP-UP GARDENS

What have been some of your best or favourite pop-up gardens to date?

I think the Remix garden project in the OXO tower was the best. We produced four different gardens in that space, using the same materials and remixing them. That clearly demonstrated the potential of pop-up gardens and that by using the same materials in different ways you can be very creative. It’s helped make the people that live and work there realise how that space can be formed in different ways, and encouraged them to think about how their own spaces can be formed for alternative uses.

That was ahead of its time in terms of sustainability...

It was yes, we used the components from Andrew Wilson and Gavin McWilliam’s 2013 show garden at RHS Chelsea. We wanted to highlight the fact that shows such as Chelsea are very intense for a very short period, they cost a lot of money and use a lot of materials which are often wasted afterwards. We wanted to show that these materials can and should be reused and that it should be mandatory in applications for shows that www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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BREATHE @ BARBICAN CIT YSCAPES + HEYWOOD & CONDIE

©Max Colson

THE MAJEST Y - HEYWOOD & CONDIE

©Mischa Heller

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©Mischa Heller

REMIX GARDEN - JON SIMS

they have an afterlife. When our pop-up was finished the components then went on to other community projects.

about using plants for a purpose and providing something educational for the public, and that’s definitely a trend at the moment.

Do you always reuse materials?

We always try to ensure that everything, or as much as possible, is reused in some way.

What’s your typical pop-up client?

It really depends, some of the projects have been our own and some have been for cultural organisations or business improvement districts.

I’d suggest that most of them are for a cultural organisation client.

Are there any pop-up garden trends?

I think there are trends that are often driven by local government policies and funding. Currently there’s a lot around the issue of air pollution so we’re showcasing what plants do in terms of capturing air particles and processing pollutants through their roots down into the soil. It’s all www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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EYEGARDEN - ANDY STURGEON

What’s the average price of a pop-up garden?

It totally varies, there’s usually a budget and we make it happen within that by being creative.

What’s the build time of a pop-up garden?

Again, it varies. I’d say the maximum time we’ve had is one week. With the Remix project we had three days for each garden, we recently did an installation at the Barbican which had four days build time, but the very first project we did, in a capsule on the London Eye, was built overnight, in situ for one day and then taken out that night, they’re all different.

©Mischa Heller

Have you noticed an increase in the popularity of pop-up gardens over the past few years?

We certainly noticed an increase between our launch in 2012 and the last few years, they have become a real part of the buzz in the city. I think they’re slowing down a little now because of the financial uncertainty that comes with Brexit and things like that.

©Darryl Moore

EYEGARDEN - ANDY STURGEON

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THAMESMEAD U P D AT E PRO L ANDSCAPER TALKS TO PHIL ASKEW, DIRECTOR OF L ANDSCAPE AND PL ACEMAKING AT P E A B O D Y, T O G E T A N U P D AT E O N T H A M E S M E A D

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hen we last sat down with Phil Askew in September 2017, Gallions Reach Park had opened earlier in the year, and the latest development was the rejuvenation of existing play areas, as well as the proposal of new facilities. Now, Phil explains that Peabody is ‘at a really interesting point of time’ as the works on existing play areas continue and designs for another play area in Gallions Reach Park are being finalised.

Improving public realm “The current works are on two levels; we’ve got a lot of strategic works and some which are more detailed and will result in things being delivered in the near future” Phil tells us. With regards to the more detailed work that Phil mentioned, South Thamesmead will see most of the effects short term. Peabody are making major improvements to the public realm of this area, which hasn’t been touched in a while, and have been working hard to understand how the most common pedestrian routes could be made better, more legible and colourful.

“We’ve been working closely with a

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landscape architect to come up with plans for the public realm in South Thamesmead, which is quite tired and has not had investment for many years” Phil explains, “We’re in the process of applying for planning permission, and we’re hoping to deliver something in the region of £3m worth of public realm works in the next couple of years. We hope that this will make a significant difference to people’s lives; making the areas feel safer and be more attractive.”

Involving people Something that Peabody has placed emphasis on from the offset is community involvement, and it recently carried out a consultation into residents’ concerns. Phil says: “The outcome was interesting, perhaps unsurprisingly the main concerns of residents were lighting and personal safety, with paving and overgrown trees also high on the list.

“On the back of that consultation we decided to roll out several pilots in a small area, which we’ll get feedback on before we extend them further afield. We thought it a good idea to get peoples’ opinion, and once we deem it satisfactory we can begin a complete scheme.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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So far, Peabody has trialled putting planters in front of people’s homes and will shortly be testing a rain garden as an innovative way to capture water and drain it effectively, followed by a lighting scheme.

The company is also considering how to increase biodiversity through planting and other installations. In addition, it’s hoping to get the community out into their green spaces, whether it’s by planting a window box or cultivating on a larger scale.

In the Moorings area of North Thamesmead, which Phil explains is probably the most socially challenged area, Peabody is focused on community engagement, and has recently won a significant sum of money from the GLA’s ‘Good Growth Fund’. With this sum, Peabody intends to instigate several projects in ‘The Moorings’ area, again to improve the public realm with things such as fresh planting and introducing sustainable open drainage, but also to improve some of the built environment; including the regeneration of an existing community centre. These areas will hopefully be co-designed with people in the community; something that Peabody believe is of real value here.

the bids and we’re currently going through them,” Phil tells us, “The idea is to spend around a year looking carefully at how Thamesmead’s green and blue infrastructure can be engaged and used to its best value over the next 25-30 years; how it forms the heart of Thamesmead, how it distinguishes Thamesmead from other places and how it contributes significantly to health and wellbeing as well as biodiversity. “It’s an ambitious piece of work, but it’s quite exciting as it ties nicely into a lot of emerging government policies, and so we believe that it will truly set the scene in terms of what we do over a longer period.”

New skills Groundworks for the Place and Making Institute in the Southmere area are yet to begin, but working with the London Borough of Bexley, the GLA has agreed to fund a project manager for the education space, which will be built close to the lake. Phil says: “The London Borough of

Bexley is really pushing this idea, the industry is saying we’ve got a skills shortage in both construction and landscaping, so there’s a lot of enthusiasm for this project.

“We’re in a position where we’re gathering momentum and getting partners involved so that we can move onto the next stage. Now it’s just a case of getting the management people in place and turning the plans into a reality.”

Forward planning “We have a five-year plan for Thamesmead within Peabody and that’s what we’re working towards.”

Phil says, “I’m sure there’ll be humps and bumps along the way, but we’ve got our core plan to work to and that’s what we will do.”

He explains that next on the list is the green infrastructure strategy, as that will inform a lot of the works which are to take place in the future, and the key is getting things from the planning process into existence on the ground.

Going green Something else which is currently in the pipeline for Thamesmead, is the introduction of a green infrastructure strategy. “The green infrastructure strategy had been out to tender, we’ve received

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LO N D O N T R E E H E A LT H G LY N N P E R C I VA L O F B A R T L E T T TREE EXPERTS PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE MOST PRESSING PESTS AND DISEASES C U R R E N T LY FA C I N G L O N D O N ’ S TREES, AS WELL AS GUIDANCE ON MANAGING THE THREAT

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ver the past 10 years, London has experienced damaging outbreaks of tree pests and diseases. The London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) biosecurity working party has drawn up a matrix showing the pests and pathogens affecting London’s trees, as well as affected species, diagnoses, prognoses, management and information. The main concerns include: Acute oak decline Caused by a bacterial complex. Affected trees have longitudinal weeping fissures that seep black fluid down the trunk. In the live tissue beneath the bleeds, a lesion is formed – a sign of tissue decay. Trees generally die four to six years after onset of symptoms.

Canker stain of plane Affects Platanus occidentalis, Platanus orientalis and Platanus x acerifolia. Symptoms include rapid wilting of foliage, which can lead to extensive crown dieback. Sunken lesions can be observed in thin-barked trees; in trees with thicker bark, cankers may show as vertical cracks. Planes with a stem diameter of 30-40cm can die within two to three years; larger trees may take four to seven years.

Massaria disease of plane A fungus that causes twigs and small branches 24

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CHALARA ASH DIEBACK CANKER

to drop prematurely. It is believed to be linked with water regulation; in drought conditions, it appears to cause decay and failure in lateral branches of larger diameter, rather than in those of smaller diameter, as is typical of the fungus.

Chalara ash dieback A substantial threat to ash trees growing in amenity woodlands, parks and gardens.

Symptoms may be visible on leaves (wilting and blackening), shoots and branches (lesions or necrotic spots that enlarge to form black, brown or grey cankers). In severe cases, the entire canopy can show leaf loss and dieback.

Horse chestnut leaf miner (HCLM) HCLM larvae tunnel into leaves, causing tissue damage and stunting growth. Infected leaves are covered in small brown patches that spread rapidly across the tree, giving an autumnal appearance. Severely damaged leaves shrivel and turn brown by late summer, and fall early.

When new leaves grow, they can be re-infected.

Oak processionary moth (OPM) A defoliating pest of English, sessile and Turkey oak, although the larvae will also feed on hornbeam, hazel, beech, sweet chestnut and birch foliage. OPM also presents a risk to human

health: the older caterpillars are covered in irritating hairs that contain a toxin. Contact with, or inhalation of, these hairs, can result in skin irritation (dermatitis) and allergic reactions (rashes, conjunctivitis). Only specially trained individuals should attempt to control OPM. Management Effective management should involve a range of practices, including: appropriate species selection; promoting tree health through fertilisation and soil remediation; mulching; and regularly inspecting trees to allow preventative measures to be undertaken. Many diseases and pests can be controlled by applying plant protection products (fungicides, bacteriocides and insecticides) before their populations build up. All management tactics should be identified (cultural, biological, nutritional, chemical) and the advantages and disadvantages of each considered – as well as whether they can be combined for maximum effectiveness. The tactic(s) that will have the least detrimental impact on the landscape ecosystem should be selected.

A B O U T D R G LY N N P E R C I VA L Dr Glynn Percival is the plant physiologist and technical support specialist for the Bartlett Tree Expert Company Ltd and manages their UK research and diagnostic laboratory based at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. www.bartletttree.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

12/06/2018 14:54

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FINDING A SAFE PLACE TO UNLOAD

H G VS

ÅKE NILSON, MARKETING MANAGER AT BOURNE AMENITY EXPLORES TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS IN LONDON

NEGOTIATING TRICKY SPACES

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TAKING CARE WITH DELIVERIES

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PART OF THE LONDON LANDSCAPE

eavy Goods Vehicles travel about one billion kilometres within London every year and move in the region of 150 million tonnes of goods. Without them, the city couldn’t exist, and most landscaping projects are dependent on reliable deliveries of heavy and voluminous bulk materials.

At the same time, London wasn’t necessarily designed for 44 tonne articulated vehicles (rigid lorries can have a maximum weight up to 32 tonnes). Narrow roads and little separation between types of traffic far too frequently result in tragic accidents. In 2017, eleven cyclists were killed on London’s roads and in seven of those cases, a lorry was involved.

Responsible haulage operators have long recognised that something must be done.

New lorries have 360-degree cameras and sets of mirrors to try to eliminate blind spots.

They have low-level windows on the near side and audible warnings when the vehicle is turning to the left. In addition, there are indicator lights along the full length of the vehicle, not just at the front and back. Developments like these have resulted in a slight, but nonetheless welcome

reduction in accidents over the last three or four years.

Another important aspect is driver education and the adoption of purposeful, company-wide policies. One organisation that helps commercial vehicle operators show their commitment to best practice is the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS). It has been in existence for around ten years and now has nearly 5,000 members. The aim is to drive up the standards for safety, efficiency and environmental protection and accredited members of the scheme are required to show commitment to such standards well beyond the minimum legal requirements. There are three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold; each requiring increasingly stringent audits and evidence. Many delivery contracts now specify FORS accreditation.

Public safety The CLOCS initiative is also important for London operators. The acronym stands for Construction Logistics and Community Safety and it stems from a report published in 2013 by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) London / Pro Landscaper 25

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which highlighted the road safety problems when large construction vehicles operate in proximity to vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. A CLOCS community was formed, which published a national standard for improving and promoting road safety within the construction and logistics industry.

ENSURING SAFE DELIVERIES

will require the much stricter Euro VI standard.

This applies to vehicles with a type approval after the end of 2013 and has introduced a reduction of permitted NOx levels by about 80% from the 2008 Euro V standard.

TELEVISION CENTRE

Haulage operators can demonstrate their commitment to better road safety by signing up to the CLOCS Memorandum of Understanding and implementing a plan for continuous improvement. FORS members having reached the Silver standard qualify for the CLOCS scheme, and there is now work going on to clarify and highlight how the two schemes complement each other.

Meanwhile, the exhaust from large diesel engines causes pollution in the densely populated city. According to the London Assembly, NOx (nitrous oxides) pollution causes 3,000 premature deaths in London every year, and about 12% of this pollution comes from HGVs. The London Low Emissions Zone has been in operation since 2008 and now requires HGVs to comply with the Euro IV standard or pay a significant daily charge. From 2020, there will also be an Ultra-Low Emissions Zone which

AUDIBLE WARNING SYSTEM

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Managing deliveries Moving around London, bus lanes, cycle superhighways and controlled roads are on the increase, leaving less road space for lorries year on year. By the very nature of the city, many deliveries are to locations where timing is of the essence, for example where building site restrictions require the haulier to keep to

DRIVING IN LONDON

strict timeslots, or where public access must be allowed at certain times. However, the unpredictability of traffic patterns and increased congestion across London’s roads make it ever harder to arrive on time. Add to this the (rightly) strict drivers’ hours regulations and you might ask – who would operate a lorry in London?

Again, technology comes to the aid of hauliers. With various types of GPS tracking, not only can the drivers plan their routes to avoid traffic problems, but the dispatcher can predict and keep the customer updated on expected arrival times. Nonetheless, any

contractor relying on deliveries to London sites must be prepared for a certain degree of flexibility over timing.

Another specific problem in the landscaping industry is the delivery of bulk materials to constrained spaces. Obviously, the cheapest and quickest way of delivering soils, sands and aggregates is in bulk by tipper truck, but this is usually only possible in parks or other large spaces. Mostly, the materials will need to be delivered in bulk bags of around one cubic metre, and then handled by the consignee from a convenient point reachable from the lorry’s own grab or crane. On occasion, however, the limitations of access may require delivery in small bags to be man-handled, sometimes over long distances and up flights of stairs.

The challenges add up. For the contractor, using a FORS Gold haulier shows the commitment to safety and the environment that should run through the specifications for any quality project. Equally, involving the transport operator’s experience and expertise in project planning at an early stage guarantees the best logistics response to the complexities of London operations.

ABOUT ÅKE NILSON Åke joined the Bourne Amenity team back in 2017 to help increase the company’s reach across new media.

He has extensive experience in the field of marketing and web development and has helped to launch the company’s new website and shape its presence on and offline. www.bourneamenity.co.uk

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13/06/2018 08:43

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HILLINGDON COUNCIL

DOWDING PARK

WITH 47 GREEN FLAGS, THE LONDON BOROUGH OF HILLINGDON HAS TOPPED THE LIST OF BEST PARKS AND GREEN SPACES FOR ITS FIFTH YEAR RUNNING. P R O L A N D S C A P E R I N T E RV I E W S C L L R J O N AT H A N B I A N C O T O D I S C O V E R H O W T H E C O U N C I L M A I N TA I N S A H I G H S TA N D A R D

COUNCILLOR JONATHAN BIANCO

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What does it mean to you to be top of the list of green flag parks for the fifth year running?

It’s a great pleasure. Topping the list is not something we consciously went after, we just thought Green Flag was a great scheme for us to get involved in. It was a surprise to find ourselves at the top of the list. As new parks have come together we’ve put them forward and as it happens we’ve remained at the top, and we’re delighted with it. A green flag is a benchmark of high quality, and there’s nothing like it to give our parks a stamp of approval and to reinforce the fact that we as a council take great care of our green spaces. It’s also something that the local residents can be very proud of.

Why do you think Hillingdon won?

We’re lucky in that within the borough there are approximately 200 open green spaces, so we’ve got a lot to work with and a high number of spaces to consider when we’re looking to put forward an application for the next park for a green flag. We feel very lucky to have a wide selection to choose from, and although I’m sure many other boroughs do a brilliant job they may not have as many sites to enter.

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FEATURES PORTFOLIO

Why is it important to Hillingdon to maintain a high standard of parks and green spaces?

It’s what our residents love. We’re on the outskirts of London and we’re a mixed borough; the south is quite industrial and densely populated, while the north is much greener and has more open space. Wherever you live in the borough there’s clear evidence that the residents appreciate the parks and green spaces, perhaps more so in the south where there’s less. Residents like to get out, read a book, have a picnic, whatever it may be we’ve given them a nice space to do it in. As a council there are always other things to spend your money on, and it’s about finding a balance which I think we’ve done. Green Flag awarded parks are inspected annually by the judges, so

it’s not something we can win and then ignore, we have to maintain that quality.

Does the council have a specific green space/parks team?

We do, we have a green spaces team which looks after all of our parks and green spaces.

They’ll mow the grass, cut trees, plant flowers and undertake any required maintenance. It’s an important part of our business as a council.

Do you have a green space strategy in place?

We have management plans which set long term commitments and acknowledge each site individually. We try to get feedback from our residents, it comes up in our residents’ survey and we also have an investment programme for

things like the regeneration of playgrounds which naturally wear out over time. We’ve recently spent money on outdoor gyms, which have proved very popular and we’re also investing in the club houses for our various bowls clubs. Our latest action is to introduce drinking fountains, partly to reduce plastic use and to hopefully lead to a reduction in litter, which is one of our bug bears.

How do you promote the parks and green space in the area to its local community?

We put on walks and we have community groups, we’re very lucky to have Ruislip Woods, which is an ancient woodland, and we have a volunteer group who help to maintain those.

We do promote the spaces in other ways with events, but really our residents use the space without any promotion.

A green flag is a benchmark of high quality, and there’s nothing like it to give our parks a stamp of approval and to reinforce the fact that we as a council take great care of our green spaces

EASTCOTE HOUSE GARDENS

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FEATURES

WARRENDER PARK

SWAKELEYS PARK

BESSINGBY PARK

Do you encourage a lot of community involvement?

We always encourage the community to get involved with planting etc, and we have volunteer groups in several parks. A great example of this is Eastcote House gardens, we had a lottery bid there a few years ago and it’s been very successful, we rebuilt and improved a number of the buildings there. Since that project we’ve had a very active volunteer group, who continue to run the garden and remain involved. That garden won a green flag quite early on but more recently they won the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

What do you think the green space means to the residents of the area?

I think that green space means different things to different people, it provides facilities for a www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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number of things and they just provide a pleasant spot and whether they live in a more populated part of the borough in the south or the less so in the north they all use our parks and I think they mean a lot to them.

Wherever you live in the borough there’s clear evidence that the residents appreciate the parks and green spaces What plans do you have for green space in the next year?

More of the same really, the green flag judges came to look at the borough again, so we’ve put some more sites forward this year. We’ll continue to look at those sites and others, and

we’ll continue to manage our green space in an environmentally friendly way for the enjoyment of our residents. We’ve recently opened a new park, Downing Park, which we acquired following the closure of the RAF Uxbridge site.

The sire has been developed with housing and a new school, but also includes a 40-acre park so for us, that’s a huge step forward and further enhances the borough.

YIEWSLEY RECREATION GROUND

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PORTFOLIOS

WINNER Community Garden 2018

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CIRCLE OF LIFE TUBS HILL KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £174k Build time Three months Size of project 300m2

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PORTFOLIOS PORTFOLIO

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ABOUT KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP Kingston Landscape Group provides commercial soft landscape installations and grounds maintenance for main contractors, property developers, local authorities and private clients. From stunning rooftop gardens within some of London’s most admired developments to open space improvements that unite communities, KLG offers a full range of landscaping services across London and the South East. www.klguk.com

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PORTFOLIOS

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ingston Landscape Group created high specification courtyard gardens, to accompany the transformation of a 1960’s office block into desirable one and two-bedroom homes. They were briefed by the client to create split level gardens built above existing concrete slab car parks.

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Details The end result was a peaceful oasis, increasing the biodiversity of the site as well as providing a tranquil refuge for the community, in what was once a tarmacked parking area. The upper garden was designed as a sociable area to increase the sense of community around a central water feature. In contrast, the lower garden was designed as a zen style courtyard providing a quiet, contemplative space with attractive circular planters and bespoke seating, all offset by seasonal planting.

The two gardens were linked by a feature spiral staircase, the design of which is mirrored in the two-tone resin-bound gravel, providing a durable surface that assists drainage.

Bespoke seating was fabricated to match the exact radius of the Corten steel metal edged resin pathways. In addition to this, green screens using instant ivy hedging were used to screen the car park from the lower courtyard whilst still allowing for light and ventilation.

Challenges Although the size of the combined area is not extensive, it was thoughtfully planted for

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1 Upper level Corten steel water feature 2 Lower level showing two-tone resin bound gravel 3 Effective circular theme brings all elements of the garden together 4 Bespoke seating and seasonal planting 5 The tranquil lower space of the garden 6 Luscious planting surronds the seating area

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PORTFOLIOS PORTFOLIO

6 year-round interest. The site was already prepared for Kingston Landscape Group, with a waterproof membrane overlaid by drainage mats layered with geotextile filter fabric. Over this, 298m2 of lightweight topsoil was laid in preparation for planting, followed by water retaining mulch.

Access to the lower garden was extremely difficult as the only route to the garden was via the spiral staircase. All materials had to be lowered by a forklift and crane which were not always available to Kingston Landscape Group on the days scheduled.

Another issue with access that Kingston Landscape faced was that the upper courtyard was also the main site entrance. Therefore, all construction work on the homes needed to be completed before the company could start their work.

The final planting for the project also had to be upgraded from the original scheme at the clients’ request. This change was due to the client wanting to supply instant impact in time for sales and marketing as well as year-round interest. The garden installation was completed to schedule in three months. This garden was also voted Kingston Landscape Group’s best installation for the selection of plants by colour, height and texture.

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REFERENCES Resin Pathways Addagrip Terraco www.addagrip.co.uk Pathway edging Kinley www.kinley.co.uk Topsoil Greenscapes www.aquaresinstechnologies.com Drainage Zinco www.zinco-greenroof.com DURING WORKS

Plants The Otter Nursery www.theotternursery.com Crowders www.crowdersnurseries.co.uk Benches Langley Design www.langleydesign.co.uk

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PORTFOLIOS

ON THE TERRACE VERDE TERRACES, VICTORIA, LONDON BOWLES & WYER

PROJECT DETAILS Project value ÂŁ460,000 Build time 8 weeks Size of project 500m2

PRINCIPAL AWARD Green Roof Installations and Roof Gardens category

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owles and Wyer had designed the public realm and six levels of green roof for the developers at this new building in Victoria, so were delighted when they were briefed by the client to create dual level elegant feature garden terraces to the UK headquarters of an international corporation.

The design, by Tom Stuart-Smith, is arranged over the two roof terraces of this prestigious office redevelopment in the heart of London’s Victoria, which affords sweeping views across the City.

Stylish and smart With all materials imported by a mobile tower crane, the works included pedestal mounted www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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porcelain paved areas, zinc and timber planters, lightweight coir based growing medium, feature pine and olive trees and planting, an Andrew Ewing water feature, lighting and automatic irrigation. Electrical sockets neatly recessed into the porcelain paving offer the client the ability and flexibility to bring the office outside. The bespoke zinc planters are relatively large, having lengths between 3500mm and 5100mm. Given the scale of the planters, they were manufactured from 1.2mm zinc clad onto 2.0mm Zintec steel, to give sufficient strength and stiffness. Zinc items were supplied with a patinated finish, with the intention that they would then age naturally within the maturing gardens. A number of hardwood planters also feature, with the same process of

ABOUT BOWLES & WYER Based near Tring on the Hertfordshire Buckinghamshire border, Bowles & Wyer have become leading landscape and garden designers and contractors, working throughout London, Central England and the South East. They have a passion for strong design, expert craftsmanship, horticulture and skilled maintenance, and have built a strong team to help support this. www.bowleswyer.co.uk

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PORTFOLIOS PORTFOLIO

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2 slowly weathering down to a silvery hue, the desired effect.

Having decided to relocate their London offices from another local building which had very limited access to the outdoors, it was a key client requirement of the move to the brand new premises that the external areas should be developed as working, relaxing and entertaining spaces simultaneously, where employees could equally enjoy their lunch but also bring clients around tables for meetings in a more informal environment. This initial brief developed into creating true features of the terraces, the specimen trees drawing the eye from some distance away and genuinely adding significant greenery and interest to the concrete and glass skyline of the local area.

Challenging logistics The main challenges with this project came about before construction, and most related to logistics planning and materials handling. All hard and soft items had to be hoisted to the roof terraces over a total of approximately 150 crane lifts over two Sundays, with the first lift 36

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being postponed a total of three times for inclement weather amongst other things.

This meant standing down a team of 20 plus operatives, traffic management, and a number of large vehicles poised and ready to attend the lift, all at very short notice. When the lifts did go ahead, the correct vehicle had to arrive at the correct time to avoid the sequencing failing.

Factor in short winter days and the location of the site at a very busy central London intersection, and this all proved a very intricate undertaking in which the orchestrated planning proved its worth.

During construction, the site team encountered further constraints in working around the wider building fit out, with the only operative and equipment access to the terraces being through the very nearly completed offices, and the use of one very temperamental pedestrian lift shared by around 500 other workers from the various trades working within the building. Special care also had to be taken with materials and the larger trees on the terrace, as the build coincided with two major winter storms that caused significant damage

4 nearby. Weights, guys and straps were used to secure items until they could be fixed in their final locations. Mobile hoists were utilised to place the larger trees within their designated planters.

The large planters, some over 5 metres long, all needed to fit the existing paving layout within a tolerance of 1-2mm, so a specialist surveyor was employed to set out key points before installation went ahead. Once these key items were in place however, the team could relax a little and enjoy what turned out to be a very efficient and calibrated build, finishing on the original completion date despite the three abandoned crane lifts.

Planting Tom Stuart-Smith’s elegant planting scheme brilliantly completes the project and complements the larger trees and shrubs. Waves of grasses, rosemary, lavender and myrtle, interspersed with softer herbaceous interest, seasonal bulbs, and erigeron and thyme underplanting, with stunning Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ adorning the reflecting water feature all bring softness and year-round interest to the space. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PORTFOLIOS

6 1 Overview of the terrace 2 Herbaceousinterest softens the view from the offices 3 Multi stem Olive with Erigeron underplanting 4 Pittosporum ‘float’ on Andrew Ewing’s water pool 5 Out-Standing timber planters 6 Planting envelops the various casual seating areas

REFERENCES Lighting Hunza www.hunzalighting.com Zinc Planters IOTA www.iotagarden.com

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CRANE DELIVERY

Water Feature Andrew Ewing www.andrewewing.co.uk Timber Planters Out-Standing www.out-standing.be Plants Crocus www.crocus.co.uk Trees Deepdale www.deepdale-trees.co.uk

DURING WORKS

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Lightweight soil Bourne Amenity www.bourneamenity.co.uk

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PROJECT DETAILS Build time 3.5 months Size of project 360m2

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TOP FLIGHT ROOF TERRACE ON THE RIVER THE GARDEN BUILDERS

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riefed by the client to create a contemporary and inviting roof terrace space, The Garden Builders designed and constructed this large commercial terrace overlooking the Thames, which functions as a refreshing outdoor office and activity space. The client requested that the design would incorporate different zones, suitable for work events, casual meetings, work breaks, lunch breaks and more formal business meetings.

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A space divided This inviting rooftop retreat features two generous seating sections, highlighted by naturalistic planting. The seating areas create distinct functional spaces, and feature timber decking, furnishings and bespoke benches, connected by a central lawn with artificial grass.

Meadow and sedum planting throughout emphasises the open feel of the terrace.

1 Overall view of the roof terrace with London skyline in the background 2 East terrace with millboard composite timber decking and bespoke pergola with LED lighting 3 Wildflower meadow low planter with built in seating and decorative large pots containing specimen olive trees 4 Dining and meeting area with blue-grey granite paving 5 Relaxation and play area with artificial grass 6 Bespoke bar and kitchen with built in storage and Vistagreen artificial green wall privacy screen on the railings

ABOUT THE GARDEN BUILDERS

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Established in 1998, The Garden Builders is a Fulham-based design and build landscape contractor and consultancy, specialising in all aspects of hard and soft landscaping and known for well-designed and constructed gardens. It has won several APL and BALI awards, and has constructed Gold and Silver-Gilt medal-winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. www.gardenbuilders.co.uk

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PORTFOLIOS PORTFOLIO

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REFERENCES

Design details Various fruit trees and large specimen olive trees planted in outsized white urns add interesting focal points. Large, outdoor TV screens are fitted to metal posts for entertainment and information display. The terrace also boasts of a state-of-the-art FarmBot automated farming system, a special requirement of the client, and flood and drain hydroponic growing system as green features.

An elaborate lighting system with ambient and task lighting transforms the space for night time function.

Selecting materials The client had requested artificial grass and composite decking, already being familiar with Millboard’s products. The Garden Builders team installed Millboard Enhanced Grain

Golden Oak Composite decking due to its weight and durability, and artificial grass from Namgrass.

The team also added granite paving from London Stone, much to the client’s approval. As they were for a roof garden, the materials needs to be hardwearing, weather-proof and easy to look after, and the plants needed to be hardy and grow well in windy conditions.

Overcoming challenges The team worked to a tight deadline at the end of April, as the client had an event pre-planned which would require full use of the garden. To overcome this, multiple teams worked on the project at the same time, and occasionally worked weekends.

A well-planned delivery schedule was put into place to accommodate the inevitable access issues that come with working on a roof garden project in central London.

DURING WORKS

Decking Millboard www.millboard.co.uk Paving London stone www.londonstone.co.uk Artificial grass Namgrass www.namgrass.co.uk Artificial green wall Vistagreen www.vistgreen.com Timber Champion Timber www.championtimber.com Garden Lighting Light Ideas www.lightideas.co.uk Collingwood www.collingwoodlighting.com Metalwork A.F.Hussey www.afhussey.co.uk

BEFORE

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Photographs © The Garden Builders

Bespoke benches Alan Hayward Joinery www.alan-hayward.co.uk Irrigation Landscape Plus www.landscapeplus.com

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PB 90x240mm Pro_Landscaper 2017.qxp_Layout 1 31/05/2017 14:40 Page 1

Instant Hedges & Large Trees S H d g R ar in awinn w When Friday 31 August - starting at 6pm with a drinks reception and ending late!

Where Brighton Hilton Metropole Hotel Cost

Practicality Brown are instant landscape specialists with a range of quality instant hedges, semi-mature trees, large shrubs, and topiary to help create mature gardens from the moment of planting.

Find more information at:

www.pracbrown.co.uk PRACTICALITY BROWN LTD THE INSTANT LANDSCAPE SPECIALISTS

£1,000 per table of 10; £110 per ticket for BALI Members; £125 per ticket for non BALI Members

Details Black tie and party dresses, with a Bond theme. Why not brush up your best James Bond accent, find your Pussy Galore and join us for a fantastically fun evening.

You can expect a drinks reception on arrival, three course meal with wine, and a live band and DJ to keep you on your feet all evening.

There will also be a charity auction to raise money for the BALI Chalk Fund.

Some excellent lots have already been secured and there’ll be something for everyone.

For further information and enquiries on any aspect of the event, please call Lisa Wilkinson on 07876 470727 or email lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Swan Road Iver Bucks SL0 9LA Tel: 01753 652022 Email: sales@pracbrown.co.uk

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PROFILE PORTFOLIO

BOURNE AMENIT Y PRO L ANDSCAPER MEETS JONATHAN BOURNE, SALES DIRECTOR AT BOURNE AMENIT Y TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS How was the company founded?

Bourne Amenity is part of the John Bourne Group, started back in 1947. Since then it has flourished into four trading companies.

Bourne Amenity has been part of the group for over 20 years and works closely with the three other companies to offer a holistic service to our clients.

How is the company structured?

My father is the managing director of the John Bourne Group and I am one of two directors and the sales manager of the team at Bourne Amenity. We are a small team with five frontline sales staff, two in logistics and an administrative assistant. John Bourne Group employs 85 people in total and is a family led business that prides itself on a low staff turnover, with most employees remaining within the group for more than 10 years.

What does it pride itself on?

We pride ourselves on a high level of customer centric service that comes with being a longstanding, family run SME. Our dedication and commitment to our staff pays off in how they react to their customer base and our commitment to unrivalled customer service and quality runs through every staff member. We never shirk a challenge and are always prepared to hold up our hands if a product is not up to standard. Bourne Amenity has doubled in size over the past five years and we put this down to acute attention to detail from our staff, and our refusal to compromise on professionalism or quality.

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What does the company offer?

Bourne Amenity offers a full range of hard and soft landscape, and sports turf maintenance materials.

We supply everything from barks and composts, to aggregates and soils, however we are predominantly specialists in the provision of high quality growing media.

Following the 2012 London Olympic programme we made the conscious decision to focus on R&D and become one of the leading suppliers and manufacturers of highly specified soils and substrates. The current focus on SuDS schemes within inner cities plays to our strengths as we are ideally placed to blend and deliver materials such as roof garden substrates and bio retention soils to some of the most logistically demanding sites in the UK. Having our own FORS Gold haulage fleet also gives us the ability to control every consignment from conception to delivery.

What London projects have you recently been involved with?

Around 50% of the projects we supply are based in and around London, giving us the unique opportunity to get up close to some extremely ambitious schemes. Recent projects include the award-winning regeneration of Kings Cross by Willerby Landscapes, where we supplied over one thousand tonnes of materials from urban tree

soils and sands to lightweight podium soils.

We were also the primary supplier of soft landscaping materials to the new American Embassy in Battersea.

We are currently working on various projects across the city, including a roof garden in Islington Square and a redevelopment in the heart of Moorgate.

What is your most prestigious London project?

Our involvement in the Olympic project and subsequent regeneration of Stratford was definitely a launch pad for the firm. We landed a substantial contract to supply five bespoke topsoil blends for the Wetlands area of the Olympic Park and this gave us an insight into the future of highly specified materials and their prominence in the industry.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

We are constantly evolving our products to keep pace with the weird and wonderful schemes that our clients dream up. There is a lot of emphasis on environmental schemes such as SuDS, and we support these through our range of bespoke blends.

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PROFILE

2018 LONDON CASE STUDIES

1 London Wall Place, Moorgate Frosts Landscapes Project value - £3.2m Materials supplied include Washed Silica Sand, BS3882 topsoil, BS8601 Subsoil, Lawn Root zone, various barks and our Intensive Lightweight Roof Soil.

2 Vista, Battersea Scotscape Group Ltd Project value - £650k Materials supplied include Intensive Lightweight Roof Soil, BS3882 topsoil, BS8601 subsoil, shingle and PAS100 compost.

3 Amazon.com Fulfilment Centre, Tilbury ABG Green Roof System Project Size – 2,000m² Sedum Green Roof Materials Supplied include Bourne Amenity Extensive Green Roof Substrate and 20/40mm Shingle for surrounds.

C O N TA C T Bourne Amenity The Wharf, Newenden, Kent TN18 5QG

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T: 01797 252 299 E: info@bourneamenity.co.uk W: www.bourneamenity.co.uk

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ENTER NOW

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ENTRIES CLOSE 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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PROFILE

PRO L ANDSCAPER BUSINESS AWARDS ABOUT Taking place on Friday 8 February 2019, the Pro Landscaper Business Awards returns for it’s second year and will once again be held at the beautiful East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf. The inaugural ceremony was hailed a huge success by many industry influencers and will again be supported by leading figures and media within the sector; Pro Landscaper, FutureArc and Pro Arb magazines, as well as the prestigious FutureScape event.

Join over 400 industry colleagues and revel in the success of you and your peers with an afternoon of networking, good food and celebration. Now with over 15 categories, there are more opportunities to highlight the landscape industry’s greatest companies.

The winners will be made up of companies who are running the industry’s leading horticulture businesses, those who are consistently performing well and are raising the standard of the UK horticulture sector. This could be YOU!

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T H E C AT E G O R I E S Commercial Landscape Company Grounds Maintenance Company Design & Build Company Garden Design Practice Garden Designer

Hard Landscape Supplier NEW Soft Landscape Supplier NEW Apprenticeship Scheme

Landscape Company <£2m Turnover

Landscape Company £2m-£10m Turnover NEW Landscape Company >£10m Turnover NEW Landscape Architect Practice <20 staff Landscape Architect Practice >20 staff Industry Partnership

Arboriculture Company <£2m Turnover NEW Arboriculture Company >£2m Turnover NEW

VENUE

C O N TA C T

East Wintergarden 43 Bank Street Canary Wharf London E14 5NX

T: 01903 777580 E: Laura.harris@eljays44.com W: www.prolandscaperbusinessawards.com

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOT JUST A TREE Trees guarantee the immediate enhancement of public realm.

Proud to support the successful design and implementation of high quality landscaping schemes that require minimal maintenance with maximum results.

greenblue.com | 0800 018 7797

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PROFILE

GREENBLUE URBAN ABOUT

WORKING IN LONDON

Founded in 1992, GreenBlue Urban was set up to research and provide solutions for assisting trees in their battle to establish in urban spaces. Global distribution and continuous product development ensures that speciďŹ ers and clients alike are using the best tree pit package products available in the world.

PEOPLE

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1. Adrian Paynter Contract Consultant 2. Tom Ekroth-Smith Estimator 3. Richard Isaac Contract Consultant 4. Shane Frost Design Consultant

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Selfridges, Duke Street GreenBlue Urban is proud to have been involved from concept to design and installation of four Liquidambar trees at the streetscape redevelopment of Selfridges Department Store.

The public realm development objective was to upgrade the eastern side of the store as the new focal point entrance, to include new paving, furniture, a new stone bench and a stone drinking water fountain made of Italian marble. Two years of design meetings enabled GreenBlue Urban to be fully immersed in the tree pit detail to ensure optimal tree growth with minimal maintenance, as well as the selection of the trees at a specialised nursery based in the Netherlands, and the design and manufacturing of four custom handmade brass tree grilles.

C O N TA C T GreenBlue Urban Ltd Northpoint, Compass Park Bodiam, East Sussex TN32 5BS

T: 01580 830 800 E: enquiries@greenblueurban.com W: www.greenblue.com

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13/06/2018 09:51

SUSTAINABLE OUTDOOR LIVING. The durable and sustainable alternative to hardwood and hollow decking

High quality, British made Wood Plastic Composite ecodekÂŽ contains 55% recycled hardwood and 40% HDPE recycled polymer and is 100% recyclable Bespoke lengths minimise waste Solid boards that will not splinter or rot Carbon negative production Low potential for slip wet or dry Low maintenance 25 year warranty

01978 667 840 enquiries@ecodek.co.uk

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PROFILE

ECODEK PRO LANDSCAPER MEETS FELICIT Y HODGKINSON, MARKETING M A N A G E R AT E C O D E K T O G A I N VA L UA B L E I N S I G H T I N T O T H E B U S I N E S S

How is the company structured?

The company was acquired by The Epwin Group PLC in late 2015, and now sits alongside the group’s other brands. Ecodek itself consists of 40 employees and is headed by managing director Jonathan Cooper, who oversees the sales and marketing, finance, production and technical and R&D departments.

What does it pride itself on?

Ecodek have achieved carbon negative status for the production of our composite decking system. A life-cycle assessment programme, undertaken by the BioComposites Centre of Bangor University, considered production of the decking on a cradle to factory gate basis, accounting for all significant materials, transport, energy use and packaging inputs.

Results showed that production of ecodek®

has a net effect of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rather than adding to it – a huge achievement in modern manufacturing and one that clearly illustrates the company’s environmental credentials.

What does the company offer?

Ecodek manufacture a range of products from a specifically developed 95% recycled high-quality wood polymer composite material. Boards can be supplied in bespoke lengths to minimise waste, will not warp, splinter or rot and are an extremely low maintenance material that comes with a 25-year warranty. We can buy back any material that is redundant on site to be ground up and fed straight back into new material as ecodek® is 100% recyclable.

What London projects have you recently been involved with? ecodek® material can be found across many redevelopment zones in London, including Greenwich Peninsula, Elephant and Castle, Nine Elms and Fulham Wharf. In addition, ecodek® has been specified and installed on five floors of balconies and terraces at The Old Bailey as well as a roof terrace at Office in Town, Monument. A large garden terrace has also recently been installed at the prestigious Home House, a Private Members club in London.

What is your most prestigious London project?

Design and build company Peldon Rose specified ecodek® for their ‘Office Space in Town’ project. The stunning new rooftop cafe overlooks the

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Thames and has spectacular views of London landmarks. Andrew Weaver, Construction Manager for Peldon Rose had this to say about the project and Ecodek: “We wanted to introduce a roof café in a ‘nautical’ theme with timber decking to match the deck of a luxury sailing vessel. The product needed to be robust to endure full exposure to the external elements without fading, shrinking or expanding but most importantly to be a maintenance free solution.

“The different colour options were great; we could create accented areas for seating and walkways to the external decking using the same type of product but in a different colour, and the grooved and ribbed options on the decking helped accentuate this change in colour and texture.”

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

We have just launched our exciting new product, ecodek® Heritage. This new range has been specifically designed to reflect the look, charm and beauty of natural timber, whilst delivering an uncompromised higher performance level. Using the tried and tested benefits of ecodek® WPC deck boards, we have perfected an attractive woodgrain effect board that will look and feel like a timber board. ecodek® isn’t trying to imitate timber, ecodek® is here to replace timber.

Photographs ©Neil Kenyon @ Arki Magazine

How was the company founded?

Established in 2002, Ecodek have been manufacturing composite decking since 2004. As the UK’s market leader in wood polymer composite decking materials, the firm manufactured over one million linear metres of decking in 2017, consuming 3200 tonnes of recycled wood and plastic.

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Rural Tree Planting

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Call today for a copy of any of our literature including our latest catalogue

T: 01423 332100 E: sales@green-tech.co.uk www.green-tech.co.uk

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PROFILE

G R E E N -T E C H PRO LANDSCAPER MEETS RICHARD GILL, SALES DIRECTOR A T G R E E N -T E C H T O D I S C O V E R M O R E A B O U T T H E B U S I N E S S How was the company founded?

Richard and Rachel Kay founded Green-tech in 1994.

Richard qualified as an Agronomist in 1989 and worked in Agriculture sales. He then joined a well-established company as Sales Manager, but the company went into receivership. Richard and Rachel had often talked about working together as Rachel was a qualified accountant with an agricultural background, so from humble beginnings, £500, a Portakabin on Richard’s parents’ farm and a van, Green-tech was born.

How is the company structured?

Richard is the Chairman and Rachel is the Managing Director, supported by a board of seven directors across sales, marketing, finance, HR, operations, distribution and brand development. We employ a further 80 people.

What does the company pride itself on?

Providing outstanding customer service by always delivering what we say we will; first time, on time, every time. In a recent customer survey a staggering 99% of respondents rated

Green-tech overall as either good or excellent.

We pride ourselves on leading the way with innovative product development and listen to customer feedback to identify gaps in the market for new products.

What does the company offer?

We are the largest award-winning supplier of landscaping materials to the industry so whether your project includes maintenance of a public open space, tree planting in a woodland, creating an urban landscape or

planting a biodiverse wildflower meadow we have over 6,500 products to suit. Over the years we have expanded our service to offer technical advice and support in terms of free onsite CPD seminars on a wide range of subject matters; CAD illustrations of our products, soil testing, site visits, wildflower consultancy and onsite installation training.

We have recently started running a series of chemical workshops – training the trainer.

The next one is to be held on 26 July at BALI offices in Stoneleigh.

What London projects have you recently been involved with?

We have supplied materials for rail, roof gardens and urban tree planting projects; many of which were high-profile projects in and around the city. We have worked on the

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Company Profile Green-tech.indd 51

regeneration of King’s Cross, Chelsea Waterfront and Sky Garden. Projects around Nine Elms and Battersea areas are currently keeping us incredibly busy.

What is your most prestigious London project?

We are so fortunate to have been involved in various high profile London projects, such as the Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, which won a principle Bali award, and was a logistically challenging project to deliver. Due to some great planning from the Green-tech team, the Willerby Landscapes team and our hauliers we delivered all the materials through the night and the project was a great success.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

We have a driven and focused team which is continuing to expand to meet the company’s ambitious growth targets. Our first two apprentices have successfully passed their apprenticeship level three course and have now been offered permanent contracts. There are some fantastic landscaping schemes in the pipeline so we will be working hard to secure and deliver these projects. We will be developing and promoting our new range of tree anchoring kits, which were launched late last year at the Futurescape Exhibition; this now includes the new gt Dropman anchor kit.

Another new addition to the Green-tech product range is the 3m high gt Green Screen which is proving very popular.

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