Pro Landscaper March 2019 by Eljays44

Concept to Delivery

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

March 2019

Let’s Hear it From

HAY HWANG PRO LANDSCAPER PODIUM AWARDS SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

Fit for a Prince REGENT’S PARK

ANGUS LINDSAY

Twenty Five, Not Out

Making waves WATER GEMS Cover chosen.indd 9

20/02/2019 16:29

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20/02/2019 11:48

WELCOME

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

March 2019 | Volume 9, Issue 3

March 2019

Let’s Hear it From

HAY HWANG

PRO LANDSCAPE PODIUM AWARDSR

Welcome to March 2019 Welcome to the March issue of Pro Landscaper. We’re fresh back from the huge success of the recent Pro Landscaper Business Awards – an event that has significantly grown in size since its launch last year. The increase in entry levels gave the esteemed judges a difficult task indeed. Massive congratulations must go to all the winners but with a special mention of Elmtree Garden Contractors who walked away with the Supreme Award, sponsored by CED Stone Group. You can find out more about Elmtree in the May issue of Pro Landscaper. Managing director of CED, Giles Heap, delivered a heartfelt speech on how he arrived at the winner. He said: “Sometimes ‘commitment’ isn’t just about how many sponsorships or awards ceremonies you support, nor is it just about

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

how many industry societies and associations you are a part of. It’s about putting your money where your mouth is by enabling your employees to commit to help others while you pay for it. So, when a company decides to give 20 paid days to all 40 employees for voluntary work, it is not just a huge commitment of time – 800 days’ worth each year – it is also a huge financial commitment. But most of all, it enables employees to make a real and positive difference in their own communities. “Sometimes training is less about the CPDs, apprenticeships and management courses that a company offers, and more about giving people the chance to work and function in society and to be happy. A company that proactively

ADVERTISING Business development manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585 Head of sales – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 587

SHORTLIST ANNO

REGENT’S PARK

Making waves WATER GEMS

employs a person who had been unemployed for six years and was suffering from depression, enabling them to ‘get out of their rut’ and feel a sense of self-worth again by actively helping them back into the workplace, takes a certain type of dedication. It is this that stands out and it is to be applauded. Any company that puts the wellbeing of their teams and of their local community above profit is one to be respected, congratulated, and if at all possible, emulated.” On another note, we’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at FutureScape Spring on 12 March at Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher. It promises to be an excellent day of learning and networking. See you there!

@jimeljays

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.

Horticulture Careers – Liam Colclough liam.colclough@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 584

Features writer – Amy Fitz-Hugh amy.ﬁtz-hugh@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583

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

Features writer – Rachael Forsyth rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570

Subeditor – Kia Wilson kia.wilson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 597

Subscription enquiries – Chris Anderson chris.anderson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570

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.

Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 591

Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek

Cover image ©Water Gems

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ANGUS LINDSAY

Twenty Five, Not Out

Head of content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 593

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

UNCED

Fit for a Prince

@lisaeljays

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an aﬃliate member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

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

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

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

20/02/2019 16:04

CONTENTS

March 2019 29 INFORM

Agenda Getting the most out of subcontractors

News Our monthly roundup of industry news

30 Under 30 Noticeboard Updates from previous winners

Pro Landscaper Business Awards Coverage A review of the awards and all of the winners

Association News

Let’s Hear it From

SGD Awards

PRO LANDSCAPER PODIUM AWARDS

Podium Awards Shortlist

HAY HWANG

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

REGENT’S PARK

ANGUS LINDSAY

Twenty Five, Not Out

Making waves

Let’s Hear It From Hay Hwang

Fit for a Prince

Announcing the line-up

March 2019

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

The latest from APL, BALI, plants@work, SGD and RHS

Coverage of the Society’s seventh ceremony

Concept to Delivery

WATER GEMS

Company Profile Water Gems

Landscape Architect’s Journal Aileen Shackell Landscape Design

Growing Ranks Holly Youde

When Beauty Is Not Enough Andrew Wilson

Fit For A Prince A grand tour of Regent’s Park Pro Landscaper / March 2019

Contents.indd 4

Moroccan Marvel Victoria Truman Landscape and Garden Design

View From The Top Tim Howell

INSPIRE

Style On Every Level Signature Landscapes Design & Build

Maritime Streets Farrer Huxley Associates

Green Connection Wardrop & Stevenson and Genesis Landscapes

Inclusive Play Equipment Ideas to consider in your next design

Personal Styling Debs Winrow

Life/Style Matthew Childs

Decking Accessories Three products for creative concepts www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 16:24

CONTENTS

101

EDUCATE

Closing Time Tips from Lee Bestall

Budget Essentials Guidance from Sam Hassall

FutureScape Spring Go And See What’s in store at the March event?

54 NURTURE

105 Commercial Vehicles Buy or lease? Read our expert view

Changing Times

Hedging

Playground Pollution Barriers New green spaces for schools

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Contents.indd 5

Mixed Signals Noel Kingsbury

Products for instant green

Irrigation Two leading watering systems

Jamie Butterworth

Plants Of The Month Expert choices for March

Palmstead Workshop

Sean Butler

Angus Lindsay

Nurture News Green Connections

Our Industry?

103 Twenty Five Not Out

News from the UK’s growing sector

101 What’s Trending In

Nursery Visit Cedar Nursery

106 Remote And Robotic Mowers Machines that multi-task

108 What’s Your Role? Greg Packman

111

What I’m Reading Ollie Neaves

114 Little Interviews Quick-fire questions with the individuals who make up our industry Pro Landscaper / March 2019

20/02/2019 16:24

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20/02/2019 14:39

INFORM

SPOTLIGHT ON

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Howell

Lee Bestall

Managing director, Mitie Landscapes Ltd

Managing director and founder, Bestall & Co

Holly Youde Creative director, Urban Landscape Design Ltd

Sam Hassall Principle, LandPRO

Speaking with a panel of experts at the Pro Landscaper Summit, Tim noticed the similarities between the different professions and was inspired by the idea of collaboration. This month, he highlights why there is strength in numbers and demonstrates what is possible when we come together.

This month we welcome Lee as he abolishes the idea of closing. He believes the focus should be on the sales pipeline – the opportunity, marketing, initial consultation, rapport building, approval of the draft contract and then the close. Lee talks us through each stage, demonstrating how if done correctly a happy customer will recommend you to their contacts.

Following on from her article about recruitment last month, Holly now tells us how you can turn new recruits into assets which will stay with you long term. Holly believes the answer lies in training. Not only will it boost your employee’s confidence, it will also have several benefits to your business and you’ll always get a return on this investment.

With tenderers increasingly being told by designers that a project is being shelved or severely modified due to not being within the client’s budget, Sam offers some advice about how you can avoid this happening. Sam stresses the importance of showing the client that you are on their side so that you can get the most accurate budget from them upfront.

mitie.com @TimwHowell

bestall.co @BestallCo

urbanlandscapedesign.co.uk @UrbLandscapes

landpro.co.uk @SamLandPro

INSPIRE

Other contributors Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer

Jamie Butterworth Director, Butterworth Horticulture

Sean Butler Director, Cube 1994

Debs Winrow Creative Director, Garden House Design

Noel Kingsbury Garden designer and writer

Angus Lindsay Head of fleet, idverde

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / March 2019

20/02/2019 16:28

INFORM

AGENDA

THE TIMESCALE BETWEEN SUBMITTING A TENDER AND FINDING OUT IF THE WORK IS GOING AHEAD IS INCREASING. WHAT MAIN REASONS ARE CLIENTS GIVING FOR THE DELAY?

Four garden designers share their experiences of delays in the tendering process and how ‘uncertain times’ are also having an impact on their clients’ budgets

Colin Knapman

to carry out the design, for which I get paid whether I win the job or not, so if I don’t win the job, I can move on. Most clients want it done yesterday, especially with spring and summer coming, so the pressure is on for me to find a suitable contractor available to carry out the work as quickly as possible.

Owner, CK Garden Design

Lee Bestall It’s an odd coincidence that I am asked this particular question at this time as I am currently negotiating a project that has been running for two years still with no final decision. It’s for a roof garden overlooked by a block of luxury flats on the coastline of Bournemouth. The delays have been due to the residents’ committee, getting everyone to agree, and the property management company consulting structural engineers before signing it off. So, for me, as a self-employed garden designer and project manager, it’s the private individual client every time. I get commissioned 8

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Pro Landscaper / March 2019

Managing director and founder, Bestall & Co Landscape Design

We recently did some in-house evaluation around this and surprisingly the average length of time from initially meeting a client to day one on site is two years! As a designer rather than a landscaper, our figures slightly buck this trend as we generally get an answer as to whether they would like to proceed with a design within seven days in the majority of cases. I guess this is because our pre-consultation ‘qualifying’

process is so rigorous. As for clients accepting tenders, it’s generally much longer, varying from a number of weeks to four years with their main reason being that it costs significantly more than they imagined. Clients then come back to us once they have their finances in order (which can sometimes just mean moving money around). Another reason is that people are generally contacting us much earlier in the process (mainly driven by a need to dispense planning conditions) than previously which is great, but this naturally lengthens the period of time which a client is ‘on the books’.

Robert Barker Principal designer, Robert Barker Landscape & Garden Design

We work very closely with a variety of architects on a number of projects and so our introduction to clients usually takes place www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 16:25

INFORM

before any property building works have been carried out. During this early introduction we are greeted with very excited clients, but unfortunately, whether it is a new build, extension or re-development, the building work consistently takes longer than expected and ultimately these expensive delays affect the overall budget. This has a huge knock on effect for us. Due to such an early introduction from the architects, our clients appreciate the importance of the garden and will have factored this into their plans, but due to the strains the building works can cause, we are often asked to delay garden builds or to downscale projects to accommodate. Sadly, these uncertain times we are living in create vulnerable budgets, which can’t help but instil trepidation in clients.

NEXT MONTH

Catherine Clancy Owner, Catherine Clancy Garden Design

I don’t think that the timescales between submitting a tender and finding out if the work is going ahead is increasing. Timescales vary so much between jobs, there doesn’t seem to be any pattern to it at all. One garden I designed in 2016 took about a year before it was assigned to a landscaper and is only nearing completion now. The landscaping works were bundled in with the house refurbishment, resulting in a lengthy tendering/ selection process and the garden was one of the last pieces to get done. Another garden

landscaping job completed just a few weeks ago had less than a day between my client receiving the completed tender and giving the go-ahead to the landscaper to build the garden. I’ve got three designs out for tender at the moment and I know one of them will take a while to get the go ahead, just due to the unsatisfactory quotes received to date from landscapers and the need to re-tender.

What can we do as an industry to help fight climate change?

Have your say: content@eljays44.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / March 2019

20/02/2019 16:26

INFORM

NEWS Avant launches new products as part of 10m investment plan

small project BIG IMPACT awards 2019 Based on the phenomenal success of last year’s launch, the Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT awards will be back in 2019. This year sees the value increased to under 25k and introduced a brand new hard landscaping category to showcase more of the industry’s incredible work. The Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT awards 2019 will celebrate projects with a value under £25k. After all, these are just as important for the industry’s reputation as their larger counterparts. The Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT awards will be held at FutureScape event on Tuesday 19th November 2019. We will celebrate excellence in the complexity and value of the many smaller schemes that is being created throughout the UK. Last year’s event saw over 60 entries

News.indd 10

and over 120 guests at the awards ceremony which was way beyond our initial expectation. This year’s categories are as follows: 1. Design under £25k 2. Build under £25k 3. Design & Build under £25k 4. Plant design under £20k 5. Special feature £20k 6. Hard landscaping only under £25k The Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT awards heralds the small projects that often go unnoticed at other awards within the landscaping community. The ‘BIG IMPACT’ of each project will be appraised by leading professionals within the garden design and landscaping sectors, judging each project for its quality in construction and/or design. www.prolandscapermagazine. com/spbi

Sales have grown steadily for Avant over the last decade, due to its large market share and a continuously developing modular product range. Vice president for production Saku Vastamäki says: “The current investment plan is about €10m. Our target is to increase weekly production by 50% from today’s ﬁgures. In practice this means a gradual production growth from 100 loaders a week to 150 loaders a week”. Included in the development of the product range is the completely new 800 series – the Avant e6 – the largest and most powerful loader series from the Finnish manufacturer Avant Tecno. There will be two models available to start with: • Avant 860i with Kohler KDI 1903 TCR 42 kW/57 hp common rail turbocharged diesel engine, EU Stage V and US Tier 4 ﬁnal compliant.

• Avant 850 with Kubota V2403 36 kW/49 hp diesel engine, destined for markets outside the scope of EU Stage V and US Tier 4 ﬁnal emission standards. The full electric Avant e series can work at full power without emissions, and the operator and workers are not exposed to the exhaust emissions which create health risks. Leguan Lifts is releasing a new access platform – the Leguan 135 Neo, which is Leguan’s most user-friendly platform to date. All key operations are made with a single joystick, which allows multiple boom operations to be made simultaneously. www.avanttecno.com

20/02/2019 15:05

INFORM

Mitie links with Connect Group to win £7.5m contract Mitie has won a ﬁve-year contract with specialist distribution and logistics company Connect Group following a competitive tender process. Through an integrated facilities management contract, Mitie will manage a host of services including engineering, cleaning, security, reception and landscaping across 78 distribution centres and its headquarters in Swindon, Wiltshire. The new relationship will bring all Connect Group’s FM services together, replacing the existing

local level arrangements. Connect Group, which operates under the brands Smiths News and Tuﬀnells, chose to consolidate their supplier relationships with Mitie to simplify their working practices and to achieve cost savings. Mitie will deploy new technology as part of the contract. Its direct audits system will further enhance the delivery of engineering service. Designed to keep a close check

on the condition of assets, it also enables easy day-to-day monitoring, as well as supporting long term investment decisions. Connect Group will also be taking advantage of Mitie’s remote security centre MiTec, to ensure its properties’ security systems are overseen 24/7. Operating from Northern Ireland, MiTec oﬀers a comprehensive intruder and ﬁre alarm monitoring service that will ensure Connect Group’s distribution facilities are safe and secure. www.mitie.com

Croydon brings grounds maintenance back in-house A new plan to improve grounds maintenance in Croydon has got underway as the service is brought back in house by the council. The service cares for 127 parks and green spaces across the borough, as well as grass verges and hedges. The service to enhance and preserve the public

spaces will be provided directly by Croydon Council as employees previously working for the contractor will become members of council staﬀ. The more adaptable service is designed to help residents make the most of facilities near them. The service is responsible for

maintaining all council-owned parks and green spaces as well as public verges across Croydon. Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader says: “By delivering this service directly to residents we can improve how we direct and shape work.” “We will have more control over what works to carry out and when work will go ahead as we deliver services directly to residents. “The council is well-placed to listen to and respond quickly to communities, helping them make the most of their parks and open spaces.” www.news.croydon.gov.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF Piet Oudulf granted SGD Lifetime Achievement Award

Visionary garden designer, author and world-renowned plantsman Piet Oudolf has been granted the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Garden Designers. The Award is granted to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the landscape and garden design profession. www.sgd.org.uk

Exeter University Research Reveals Link Between Trees and Mental Health

Using National Tree Map data, created by aerial mapping company Bluesky, the study assessed the role of 600,000 individual trees in providing nature experiences. Those trees that are experienced by more people, more frequently, have the potential to provide greater health and well-being beneﬁts. www.bluesky-world.com

RHS membership hits half a million mark

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has reached a membership of half a million, a record in its 215-year history. www.rhs.org.uk

12 MARCH 2019 | 9AM - 5PM WWW.FUTURESCAPEEVENT.COM 20/02/2019 15:06

INFORM

idverde acquires KJT Group idverde has conﬁrmed the acquisition of KJT Group, an established provider of grounds maintenance, arboriculture and traﬃc management services in South West England. The company is also an accredited training centre for LANTRA Awards, CITB site safety

awareness and ROLO (Registration of Land Based Operatives). Based in Devon, KJT Group has annual sales of £8m and employs 150 colleagues, delivering a number of high-proﬁle contracts throughout the South West. This acquisition strengthens idverde’s presence in the region and

provides a complementary oﬀer to existing clients in both companies and further develops idverde’s extensive national coverage. Doug Graham, CEO – idverde UK comments: “We are pleased to

welcome our new colleagues from KJT Group into the idverde family. The company has been developed on strong foundations, and is underpinned by innovation and focus on training and development of their services. This has resulted in long-term contracts being secured with a number of key high-proﬁle clients” www.idverde.co.uk

Chelsea diary DAN RIDDLESTONE, BOWLES & WYER

Garden The Warner Edwards Garden Designer Helen Elks-Smith Sponsor Warner Edwards Distillery

fter a year off from building a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we’re back again. This year, we’re working with garden designer Helen Elks-Smith to build her first Main Avenue garden for Warner Edwards Distillery. Helen approached us last year and outlined her design to us – a garden inspired by the natural springs and aquifers at Falls Farm in Northamptonshire, home to Warner Edwards Distillery, featuring a complex series of water features flowing in and out of drystone walls. The central pavilion, designed with Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous

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Pro Landscaper / March 2019

Fallingwater in mind, will feature floating cantilevered roofs and protruding water rills, whilst more water will flow down a central chimney through a string of copper ‘fins’ before disappearing into the ground. The design is stunning, but my thoughts immediately turned to the complicated structures and techniques that we will need to create it, not least the amount of steel work that will be required to hold the cantilevered roofs that need to be completely hidden behind the drystone walls. A few months on and we’ve assembled a team of experts to master the challenge and ensure that the finished garden fits with Helen’s vision. David Shaw from PAD architects is helping to turn the structure into a viable building, while structural engineer Lee Stidolph from Constructure will help bring it to

life. Water expert Andrew Ewing will consult on the multiple water features to make sure they appear exactly as Helen envisaged. Artist Wendy Newhofer is working on a glass wall which we are currently looking at to ﬁnd ways of suspending it within the building, and bespoke furniture, designed by Helen, is already in construction by a team of master craftsmen at Jack Badger. With so many complex elements to build, much of the construction will take place oﬀ-site to ensure enough time is allowed for planting, another element that is not without its challenges this year amid uncertainty about plant passports. Fortunately, Helen’s plants have all been imported safely and the trees, hedges and specimen shrubs are now being grown on by Deepdale, while Rosy Hardy is growing the remaining plant stock. Planting will be in four zones including a living roof on the cantilevered building so we must ensure we complete all our projects in time to allow the planting team to move in. Earlier in the year, we visited Glebe Quarry in Lincolnshire to help select a distinctive weathered blue-brown limestone that we will use to make the drystone walls and paving. More on that, and a colossal amount of steel, in my next post.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 15:07

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19/02/2019 08:50

INFORM

30 UNDER 30

noticeboard

LILLY GOMM

STEPHEN WESTMORE

Garden designer at Lilly Gomm

Arboricultural consultant at Lockhart Garratt

One of the most successful exhibitors at RHS Chelsea with 73 consecutive gold medals, Hillier is passing the reigns this year to up-and-coming designer Lilly Gomm under the skilful mentorship of Sarah Eberle, who has designed the exhibit since 2016. Chelsea debutant Lilly will put her own contemporary stamp on the display which will celebrate the wide variety of Hillier hardy perennials, shrubs and trees.

Stephen Westmore has developed bespoke training courses for land managers, highlighting the importance of veteran and ancient tree identification and management. This resulted in the delivery of two free courses in 2018 with further courses planned for 2019. Stephen has also recently been elected as Chair of the Arboricultural Association’s (AA) Education and Training Committee. He has been a member of the Committee for over five years and has always advocated the development of young professionals and new entrants into the arboriculture industry. Obtaining this new role provides significant opportunities to have a more proactive input into training and development within the sector. Stephen also obtained another personal accolade at the end of 2018, being invited as a co-opted member of the Institute of Chartered Forester’s (ICF) Council. Stephen was approached to not only provide a young professionals insight but also to help represent the views of arboricultural members within the institute.

ANCA PANAIT

LUKE MILLS

Landscape architect and garden designer at Anca Panait Studio

Director at The Landscape Service

Anca recently sat on a panel featuring Helen Elks-Smith, Sarah Morgan and Graeme Carpenter and led by John Adlam at the the 11th annual Palmstead Workshop, which discussed the importance of horticulture and green spaces. Over 250 professionals from the landscape industry ranging from designers, gardeners and contractors from across the country gathered at the Palmstead Workshop. Discussion was focused on skills shortages, the need to promote the range of career choices and encouraging collaboration between different landscape branches. Informative presentations about greening our cities and simulative conversations between the speakers and the audience about conflict resolution and the importance of the profession in a time of uncertainty and change highlighted the need for a united industry. Anca says: “I found the day very inspirational and I would definitely recommend attending next year.”

Luke has recently worked as horticultural associate producer on ITV’s Love Your Home And Garden. Luke says: “It was a great experience to see how these gardens are delivered. It was certainly a different process than what I’m used to – managing the build in such a short time frame and keeping elements half built for filming. “The main attraction to this project was helping to deliver a new garden that could be accessed and enjoyed by the whole family. The parents previously couldn’t access the garden due to poor wheelchair access, so it was great to be part of a team that allowed them to enjoy the garden with their children as a family.”

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 11:53

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HEADLINE SPONSOR

PLBA AWARDS

FRIDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2019 EAST WINTERGARDEN CANARY WHARF LONDON E14 5NX

he second Pro Landscaper Business Awards has been hailed as a roaring success. Highlighting the industry’s leading landscaping companies, the awards took place on Friday 8 February at East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf, London. Now with more than 15 categories, there were more opportunities than ever to shine a light on the businesses which are raising the standard of the UK landscaping sector. From garden design to grounds maintenance to arboriculture, every part of the sector was recognised at this prestigious event. Elmtree Garden Contractors scooped the overall prize of Supreme Winner, awarded by headline sponsor CED Stone Group. Managing director Giles Heap said it was “almost impossible” to choose just one victor, but Elmtree came out on top for its “commitment to the

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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industry and to staﬀ training”. Pro Landscaper’s Jim Wilkinson said: “The second Pro Landscaper Business Awards and the competition gets harder and harder to judge. This year, we had a 40% increase in entries and we’ve almost doubled the number of attendees.” He added: “What a fantastic occasion. I’m really pleased for all the winners. There are some really professional, progressive companies within the UK landscaping sector and these awards allow them to be recognised. “Special recognition should go to Elmtree Garden Contractors. Not only did they win the highly contested Landscape Company between £2m–£10m category, but they also walked away as the Supreme Winner. A great company and very well deserved. “Well done to all winners and shortlisted companies. We look forward to next year’s awards.”

Elmtree Garden Contractors Ltd, winners of the Supreme Award, with Giles Heap of CED Stone Group “We were absolutely delighted to win not only the award we entered but also the Supreme Award. Elmtree has trebled in size over the last six years, which has been challenging but very rewarding. We are extremely fortunate to have such a passionate and loyal team who all share our family values and take such pride in what they do. We are also lucky to be able to utilise our success by helping the local community. For our team to be independently recognised is very humbling and something we will never forget. It reinforces that hard work does pay oﬀ.” Paul Lynch, managing director of Elmtree Garden Contractors

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INFORM

Let’s Hear it From

HAY HWANG FOUNDER OF HAY DESIGNS LTD

In her 15-year career, founder of Hay Designs, Hay-Joung Hwang, has designed gardens all around the globe. She talks to us about how she formed her own studio and her current Snoopy-themed park project What was your route into the industry? My background is in interior design. I am from South Korea, and originally studied a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design in Seoul. In 2005, however, I decided to change my career because I love plants and nature. I went on to take a Masters in Landscape Architecture at Sheffield, where I graduated in 2009. I then worked for two landscape architect firms before opening my own studio. That’s pretty much the short story of the last 15 years of my life! www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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How did you come to form your own studio? I think the turning point was in 2002 when I entered a design to the Chaumont-sur-Loire garden festival in France. The good thing about Chaumont-sur-Loire is that you don’t need to find sponsors, the festival provides you with a construction fee towards your design after it has been selected by their panels. So, because I didn’t have a sponsor, I could do whatever I wanted with the design, and that was something I really enjoyed. It was quite a brave decision, but opening my own studio allowed me to work on what I wanted. In 2016 I managed to secure sponsorship for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and now I have four members of staff working with me at Hay Designs Ltd. What kind of projects do you usually work on? I do a lot of work with property developers,

mainly high-end luxury apartments and hotel properties. We also work with a lot of private clients on their gardens in Chelsea, Sloane Square – all around London really! I get enquiries from interior designers who want to introduce me to their clients, as well as landscape architects, so it’s a real mix. I’m lucky that I can do a lot of different things. Where I’m trained to do big masterplans as a landscape architect, I also get involved with bigger projects. For example, at the moment I am working on one project that consists of 20,000m2 of park for the Seoul government in Korea. I’m working with a private client who is using his own money to create a world-class garden in Seoul. It’s going to be a big forest garden with pockets of differently-styled gardens, which I am working on designing. Another project I’m Pro Landscaper / March 2019 29

20/02/2019 14:12

INFORM working on, also in South Korea, is a big park on Jeju Island. The Jeju Island government is celebrating its strong relationship with the American government by building a Snoopy-themed park. Working with animated characters is not my usual type of work, but they had very good concepts and it looks like fun! The land area is 14,000m2, which involves a 2,000m2, three-storey Snoopy galleria, Charlie Brown basketball parks and play areas, a theatre, native plant land forests and so many other things. They’ve already got the main concept, I’ve been tasked with designing the individual pockets of gardens. It will be an interesting project! Do you do a lot of international work? I have been doing quite a lot of work abroad recently, in places like China and Shanghai. I receive a lot of invites to do lecturing at events and conferences. In Shanghai in particular they have a real love for gardening and landscape architecture, so I’ve attended events with their equivalent associations like we have over here. Also, because of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Chaumontsur-Loire, I’ve been asked to work on a lot of similar style gardens based in Seoul and South Korea. I was looking to complete a few more competitions in Shanghai last year, but there was an issue with transferring money as they said I would need to open a branch in China! In the future I would like to work this out. You’ve had a lot of success from garden and flower shows, what do you think is most valuable about them? I think it depends on the sponsor you have. If you are lucky, show gardens are a great opportunity to explore your design limits and achieve something that you might not be able to with something like a client or property development. I think probably one of my favourite ever projects was my RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden in 2018. All of my soul and wishes

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 14:13

INFORM went in to that garden. The theme for all of Chelsea that year was sustainability and air pollution, which is a serious problem for lots of cities, including London. I designed a garden that used effective plants to eliminate pollution and pushed technology to it’s furthest. It brought me such joy to go through the process of finding solutions, and I feel privileged to have worked on such an important issue. Are you a member of any associations? Do you find value in them, too? Yes, I am a chartered member of the Landscape Institute. I keep meaning to join the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) but I haven’t had time to! It’s great that associations meet regularly and share lots of important information with their members. They bring a lot of issues to the foreground of the industry, which I think is really important.

What do you do to relax? I really enjoy travelling and experiencing new and different things. That said, I also love to stay at home and watch movies on our big television. We also have two cats, Chelsea and Foxie, who are great fun! What’s next for you? I’ll just continue to work on the same kind of projects as I am now. I had moments last year where I had so many projects come in that I was having to turn them down. It made me think about what I wanted in the future, and whether I wanted to expand my company to bring in more projects and staff. I realised that what I want to do is work on selective projects where I can produce the best work I can. It’s a problem with the limits, but to keep control and manage projects won’t happen with more members of staff. That’s the future I want: to keep the company small, but produce the best work that I can.

1 LG Smart Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 2 Meadow style planting scheme 3 Cosy and contemporary design scheme 4 Accoya water-resistant wooden water wall with abstract geometric brass pattern 5 Moss Garden outdoor and Boffi indoor kitchen for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 6 The sunken garden 7 Top view of the garden 8 ’Seven Sins and Seven Virtues’ for Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire Garden Festival 2014 9 Playing seesaw – living a life of balance 10 Seven Sins and Seven Virtues at night 11 M oss Garden for air pollution 12 With HRH Queen Elizabeth II at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018

CONTACT Hay Designs Ltd 85 Great Portland Street London W1W 7LT Tel: 020 8696 9650 www.haydesigns.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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20/02/2019 14:17

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rbor Forest Products has expanded its Trex® composite decking collection for 2019, offering customers more choice at an attractive range of price points. The company launched Trex, the world’s leading composite decking brand, in the UK eight years ago, and in that time has seen the composite deck market grow and transform – but Trex has always maintained a level of quality that cheaper alternatives can’t match. However, as demand for composite decking continues to grow, a large number of cheaper and lower quality alternative brands have entered the market: now, Trex and Arbor Forest Products are launching two new collections to compete in this segment and are excited to be bringing products into the market with lower price points but with the same Trex guarantee. The Trex Enhance Naturals collection offers homeowners and businesses the beauty of wood with the ease of composite at an affordable price and the Trex Enhance Basics range pairs price and minimal maintenance, offering an entry-level Trex product that doesn’t compromise on quality. The Enhance Naturals and Basics ranges both offer all the key benefits customers have come to expect from a Trex deck: solid boards that are capped on three sides to offer maximum protection whilst still allowing the composite core to breathe. The Trex Enhance collection won’t rot or split, whatever the weather, and maintenance is simple, with just a quick wash

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INFORM

COMPANY

PROFILE Pro Landscaper meets Nick Benge of Water Gems in Edinburgh – a company with its roots in creating ponds that now builds as many gardens as water features

How/when was Water Gems established? Water Gems was established in Edinburgh 1993 by Nick and Annie Benge as a water features company. The company incorporated in 2008, becoming Water Gems (Alba) Ltd and is now split 50/50 between landscaping and water work. How is the company structured? There are 20 of us in total with Nick and Annie as directors, Robin Torrie as landscape manager and Nick Easterbrook running the water side of things. Chris Wright is our designer and Struan Reid is our head foreman. The roles underneath this tend to change depending on the job, so we don’t use specific titles. Though we do some of our own design, we also work closely with a number of garden designers including Carolyn Grohmann of Secret Gardens. Working with

Nick Benge

WATER GEMS

in numbers

Established 1993 Employees 20 Breakdown 50% Landscaping, 50% Waterworks Awards 2012, 2014 and 2016 BALI Principal Award, 2007 BALI National Landscaping Award, 2009 BALI Grand Award, Gardening Scotland: 2004 Show Garden Silver Gilt, 2010 Show Garden Gold and Best in Show, 2014 Show Garden Gold Turnover Around £1.1 million Carolyn is always very easy, she understands the practicalities of building a garden and has a great feel for what is going to be difficult and what’s realistic. What are your usual projects/clients? We mainly work for private clients, but also for businesses and charities. We have also improved many public ponds with boardwalks and planting for several Scottish councils. We don’t do maintenance work on the landscaping side, it’s purely construction work. We design and build

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projects, as well as building gardens straight off the back of a design. The water side of the business does a range of work from design to building water features – which can be wildlife ponds, modern water features or wetlands. What are some of the stand-out projects you’ve worked on? Some of our most exciting projects include the Edinburgh garden for which we won the 2009 British BALI Grand Award, which involved the creation of a natural swimming pond. We included a natural swimming pond (in which the clients swim everyday), a series of substantial sandstone retaining walls and steps and fine compacted gravel paths edged with rebar (woven reinforcing steel bars) which culminate in a curving garden structure with grass roof, housing the garden’s composting facilities. There were a few challenges, such as building the swimming pool on a slope and craning in four tonne Torridonian sandstone boulders, but it is a project we are really proud of and its yearly open days are always a success. Our 2012 BALI Award-winning garden, designed by Carolyn, involved a pergola, pond and wildflower areas and the construction of a relatively complicated water feature. Both of these projects featured our signature woven rebar structures. On the water side of the business we have done, and continue to do, work with a charity called Froglife, creating new habitats for frogs and other wildlife for them which has involved building a number of ponds. In the last two to three years we have done some work with Huntercombe Hospital, a specialist rehabilitation wing mainly for teenage sufferers of eating disorders. We built a garden there which was designed to give the teenagers www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 11:57

INFORM

a safe environment to relax in. The garden contains a swing seat along with bespoke privacy screening and timber raised beds for growing flowers and vegetables. We also work on an ongoing basis with world-famous concept garden Little Sparta, which is regarded as Scottish artist and gardener Ian Finlay’s greatest work. Though we were initially contacted to desilt one of their smaller ponds, we uncovered various other problems which they were encountering. These ranged from a leaky loch to a species of Elodea that had colonized the pool, and now we continue to assist with the management of the loch, maintaining the aquatic plants and monitoring the water quality. What are you working on currently? Various jobs in Edinburgh, including a large-scale landscaping project for an overseas client currently based in East Lothian. They want the gardens of the property to be restored to how they would have been historically, which involves things like the creation of a rose garden and

rolling lawns. There are very few fancy modern features, it’s all about restoring the past. The wetland and boardwalk projects we are currently working on involve taking bleak, hard-edged public lakes and transforming them with timber boardwalks and big expanses of wetland plants. These are much loved by the public and fantastic for biodiversity. We are also working for one of the Maggie Centres which offer free advice and support to people with cancer and their families. There’s one in Edinburgh, and we’re doing the soft landscaping for that garden. How do you measure your success? Financial is obviously a big one. Is the company making a profit, is it covering its costs? We want to look at things and think that they seem healthy and that there isn’t a massive pressure. The quality of work is a huge one. It’s important to make a profit on jobs but we have to be proud of the work we’re doing. There’s also an environmental aspect. It is easier to deliver an environmental benefit on the water side of the

business, but we always try to minimise the impact when hard landscaping a project. If you have got a situation where you’re making lots of money, developing great gardens, but everyone is miserable, then that’s not a success. It’s really important that the guys are enjoying what they’re doing. What’s next for Water Gems? We hope to get more of the wetland and boardwalk projects in the future as they have been an outstanding success wherever we have carried them out. Though we are not working in England currently, we would be very happy to do so in the future. Mostly, we aim to continue doing interesting and creative work.

1 Huntercombe Hospital 2W ater Gems’ 2009 BALI Grand Award-winning garden 3A complete garden and pond build - a BALI 2012 Principal Award winner 4W ater Gems’ timber boardwalks in a public space 5T he Water Gems team

CONTACT 2a East Craigie Farm Dalmeny Estate South Queensferry EH30 9TQ Tel: 0131 317 8585 Email: info@watergems.co.uk Web: www.watergems.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / March 2019 35

20/02/2019 11:58

Steps to Fossil Forest cliff ledge to be replaced

INFORM

The Globe with Durlston Castle to rear

Highcliffe Castle and Parterre

Fossil Forest cliff ledge with Isle of Portland beyond

LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECT’S JOURNAL

A commitment to a location’s history and innate sense of place underpin Aileen Shackell Landscape Design’s community-led rural schemes A chance purchase of a Guardian newspaper education supplement is what introduced Aileen Shackell to landscape architecture. Four years of part-time study at Thames Polytechnic later, she was scouted to join Land Use Consultants’ (LUC) historic landscape team and thus began her landscape architecture career. ONE-MAN BAND Aileen set up Aileen Shackell Landscape Design in 2007 following 15 years’ working in both the private sector for LUC and the not-for-profit sector at Groundwork. Though very different experiences, Aileen found both equally valuable and satisfying, with projects ranging from London’s Royal Parks at LUC, through to improving public open space at Groundwork Merton in some of the more deprived areas of south London. Landscape architecture is predominantly an urban discipline, but Aileen 36

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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always yearned for a more rural lifestyle and setting up her own practice enabled her to leave city life behind, moving from suburban Surrey to west Dorset in 2009. The practice has remained essentially a one-man band practice, but over the years has been supported by a wide network of talented friends and colleagues who help even out the inevitable peaks and troughs in the practice workload. Collaboration with them makes project work that bit more enjoyable for Aileen and over the last four years chartered landscape architect Julie Layzell has provided her with invaluable part-time help. A PERSONAL APPROACH Aileen Shackell Landscape Design regards the responsibility of influencing the look and feel of the public domain to be a huge privilege. Generally avoiding schemes where flashy design statements are required, it instead prefers to build on the genius loci or sense of place, allowing this to inform and inspire the design proposals. Projects where there is a close relationship with the end user or where the client

is totally committed to their site and its development are of particular interest to the practice. For all these reasons, it has steered away from commercial work and focused on smaller scale community-led schemes. RURAL FOCUS Since relocating the practice to the West Country, Aileen Shackell Landscape Design’s project work has increasingly been Dorsetfocused. It is the only landscape architect practice in Bridport and over the past few years it has worked for neighbouring local authorities in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. Moving from suburban Surrey/London fringe to a very rural area did prove a huge challenge. However it has made effective use of its specialisms in historic landscape work and play design, and has also developed an enjoyable and steady stream of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) work led by Julie. LVIA work enables it to make a genuine contribution to the local rural economy by helping to ensure the development of good-quality schemes. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 14:07

INFORM

Water play fun at Alum Chine Play Park Restored lawns at Highcliffe Castle Woodland play at Durlston Castle

Draft proposals for Highcliffe Castle grounds

CURRENT PROJECTS Aileen Shackell Landscape Design’s Durlston Pleasure Grounds scheme is a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) funded upgrade of a very unusual historic landscape. It is working with the Dorset County Council Ranger’s Team on a “Parks for People” scheme which aims to restore the designed landscape so that it once again reads as a more formal area, in contrast with surrounding Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) meadows. Another scheme currently in the pipeline is its Fossil Forest project. This is a large and internationally important area of fossilised remains in a clifftop setting just to the east of the spectacular Lulworth Cove. Aileen Shackell Landscape Design are working with Dorset County Council engineers to provide some additional landscape advice on the repair of the stepped access to the site. In addition, it is working with a London-based architect on a development proposed for the edge of Bridport, to provide several hundred affordable homes of many sizes. The housing www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Architects journal.indd 37

Path restoration underway at Highcliffe Castle

would be constructed to Passivhaus standard and the wider site aspires to be integrated sensitively within its landscape setting. STAND-OUT PROJECTS Highcliffe Castle to the east of Christchurch was one of the practice’s most interesting historic landscape schemes. Aileen Shackell Landscape Design spent four years working on landscape proposals for a large and very neglected site – an add-on to the main HLF funded building project – expanding the parts of the castle open to visitors. Restoring a wilderness back to the undulated lawn it had been in 1837, it is a project Aileen feels they’ll never truly leave behind. At Alum Chine Play Space in Bournemouth the practice has worked for the Council on a tired 1980s play area. As Robert Louis Stevenson had lived nearby, the space has a Treasure Island theme and makes the most of the site’s landscape setting to create an adventurous and exploratory play space. The publication Design for Play: a guide to creating successful play spaces was

commissioned in 2008 by Play England and the last Labour government. The guidance set the standard for schemes delivered as part of the Playbuilder programme which in turn had emerged from the national Play Strategy. As lead author, Aileen was extremely proud to receive a Highly Commended Landscape Institute Award in 2009 for this work. FUTURE PLANS Having carved itself a good niche in the West Country, for the moment, Aileen Shackell Landscape Design will continue as it is, making the most of the weird and wonderful opportunities Dorset offers and keeping its fingers crossed for the UK economy after the Brexit dust has settled. CONTACT Aileen Shackell Landscape Design Tel: 01308 424077 Mobile: 07833 247771 Email: aileen@asa-landscape.com www.asa-landscape.com

Pro Landscaper / March 2019 37

20/02/2019 14:08

VIEW FROM THE TOP TIM HOWELL

Sharing a common goal to raise industry standards says Tim Howell will increase its value and attract ongoing investment into the horticulture and landscaping sector There is no better place to demonstrate the diversity of the horticultural sector than at a trade event that brings together both suppliers and contractors, events that allow us to showcase the best that we can offer, to encourage others to join with us and to have a conversation – to collaborate. At the last Futurescape event, in November last year, I was invited to take part in The Pro Landscaper Summit and joined a panel of experts including suppliers, designers, client representatives and contractors. The diversity of roles within the panel was quite extreme and, I have to admit, I initially questioned the value of being on the panel. However, it quickly became clear to me that the amount of common ground between us all was much larger than I had thought. We shared the same concerns and similar aspirations regardless of the size of our businesses – and it’s the same throughout the industry. The positive messages and conversations during the event got me thinking – just because we are competitors at a business level does not mean that we cannot collaborate at an industry

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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level. As we all know there is strength in numbers, and the numbers highlighted in The Economic Impact of Ornamental Horticulture and Landscaping in the UK (October 2018), the report produced for the Ornamental Horticultural Round Table Group, show the huge benefits that horticulture delivers to the UK economy are substantial. A £24.2bn GDP footprint, supporting over 500,000 jobs carries a lot of weight. All this means we should get sustained and regular attention from our supply chain, industry associations and other supporting bodies. Our industry trade associations champion quality and expertise with annual award ceremonies allowing us to showcase the best of what we can deliver. I’d like to see this developed with self-imposed industry standards set not only for quality, but also to focus on our people, safety, training and development, environment and sustainability. Standards that inspire people to continually improve. Standards that attract people to our industry and standards that reassure potential customers what to expect. The higher the standards, the more value will be created leading to a greater opportunity to invest more into the industry. Underselling services to win work adds no value to anyone but detracts from the value of our industry and the amount that can be reinvested. I’m all for delivering high efficiency and innovation that allows us to offer the best price to customers and for ensuring that we work closely with our supply chain to ensure we can offer the

best value, that business and healthy competition is beneficial. I don’t want a race to the bottom, underselling our services, I want a race to the top. I’m raising the bar in my business again, with more investment in customer-focused delivery, and more investment in the resources required to support this. I’m looking for suppliers who will innovate and change the way we work and support our people so that we can deliver the best that we can in everything that we do. I want to continually strive to have the best health and safety statistics, the best service standards, and the highest environmental credentials. I want everyone in the industry to join me; competitors, suppliers, colleagues. If we continually challenge each other to deliver more the industry will be so much better for it! We’re one strong industry, let’s raise the bar as one and enjoy the benefits in the future. ABOUT TIM HOWELL Tim Howell has worked in the landscape industry for more than 30 years. He is the managing director of Mitie Landscapes Ltd, where he has worked for the last 15 years. Mitie Landscapes employs more than 800 people across the UK.

www.mitielandscapes.com Share your thoughts with Tim at:

Tim.Howell@mitie.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 11:31

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INFORM

HOLLY YOUDE

Hiring a new member of staff is only the start. Holly Youde says training your staff boosts morale and increases productivity Last month I wrote about the challenges of recruitment; I’m happy to say we have had good success with recruiting in January. Fingers crossed, the new colleagues will turn into great assets and will stay long term. We believe the best way to ensure that is through training. Having the candidates with the right attitude is the first step. Next, we need to enhance and increase their skill base, raising confidence and consistency while giving them a boost in knowledge and self-belief – all of which will make them feel more valued. Offering training also encourages applicants to choose landscaping as a career option, which in turn strengthens the industry. Your customers will also gain confidence in your company if you can demonstrate your staff are fully trained and competent in the skills required to complete the work to the highest standards. You can do this by providing certificates or cards proving completion of courses or compliance, and making sure you highlight training in your marketing and advertising, on your quotes or any correspondence. Having well-trained staff will also enable you as a business owner to relax a little. You won’t need to micromanage every detail, as you (or someone else) would have passed on the knowledge required to ensure satisfactory completion of works. This hopefully reduces revisits or snagging works on site, and could guarantee the smooth running of projects. Choosing the right training for your staff is even more important as you grow as a company, as you are likely to take on larger projects meaning you will need a wide range of multiple skills split throughout the teams. It’s not just practical skills that require training. Leadership is a significant part of being able to www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL ALSO GAIN CONFIDENCE IN YOUR COMPANY IF YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE YOUR STAFF ARE FULLY TRAINED AND COMPETENT function as multiple teams. Team leaders or supervisors, managers, office-based staff, all require individual training plans to work from. There is a possibility you may have some staff that need encouragement to advance career-wise. They may initially be resistant to further training, but a bit of gentle encouragement should be offered as often this is down to confidence issues or fear of change. Once you have instilled a healthy training culture, attitudes and productivity will improve and this will take you forward. Training can be a large expense in time and money but it’s a vital investment – on which you will most certainly get a return. If you are worried that you will contribute to a team member’s training only for them to subsequently leave the company, then consider including a repayment clause in their contract which requires the employee to repay the training costs in part. It’s always worth seeing what grants are available too.

At Urban Landscapes, for the site-based teams we follow an in-house training matrix, which details various levels starting at labourer and up to team supervisor. We find this helps the employees focus on their development and achievements, to enable advancement to the next role when it becomes available. Our team have developed the training matrix over the past 12 months, and recently the idea for forming a dedicated training centre for our staff came about. This has now evolved into a much larger project, applicable to the whole industry. The announcement is expected shortly, so look out for a specialist training facility launching over the coming months! Pictured: The Landscape Academy – coming soon

ABOUT HOLLY YOUDE Holly is joint director of north-west based Urban Landscape Design Ltd, having a fundamental role in the growth and diversiﬁcation of the business. Recently it has won the Pro Landscaper Business Awards Landscape Company <£2m Turnover Award, Best Commercial Garden at the APL awards, Employer Excellence Award in the BALI Awards and the High Sheriﬀ of Cheshire Award for Enterprise. Holly has also been listed this year as one of the Business Insiders 42 Under 42 entrepreneurs in the North West. www.urbanlandscapedesign.co.uk

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20/02/2019 11:43

INFORM

WHEN BEAUTY IS NOT ENOUGH ANDREW WILSON

Andrew Wilson explains why good planting design should be considered essential rather than extravagant In January this year I was a speaker at Palmstead. Nick Coslett had asked me to consider the current demise of planting design education (a serious concern in itself) and the chances of increased collaboration between garden designers, horticulturists, ecologists and landscape architects (desperately needed). But, in the subtext I was also aiming to address the reasons why we need well designed planting and why it is so frequently dismissed in our public and semi-public spaces as an unnecessary extravagance. Over a century ago William Robinson espoused the planting of natives and alien species together in a naturalistic way, identifying communities of plants that were compatible and sustainable. We Brits often ignore this approach, choosing to look at plants and planting combinations from an almost exclusively decorative and aesthetic view point. It took our continental counterparts to exploit the ecology and science behind the naturalistic approach and to return that thinking to these shores via the New Perennial Movement of the 1990s. Yet 30 years on, most people continue to respond to planting design in terms of looks, romance, beauty, colour themes and they still buy page after page of “planting porn” in our garden magazines. Few, bar some academics, talk about the selection of plants as a sustainable and compatible community, as low input associations, as rain gardens or swales to deal with urban flooding, as filtration systems to deal with air pollutants, as essential components in the delivery of diverse or species rich habitats or as communities that help to relieve stress and improve our quality of life. In other words, planting to save our world! 42

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We are failing to consider planting primarily as a functional and often essential system that happens to link us to the natural world and improves the places in which we live.

WE ARE FAILING TO CONSIDER PLANTING AS A PRIMARILY FUNCTIONAL AND OFTEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEM THAT HAPPENS TO LINK US TO THE NATURAL WORLD Why is this an important attitude to change? Well, I’m not suggesting that beauty is no longer important but that it may no longer be the main reason we design planting and it may not be the primary selling point that we communicate to our clients. Beauty is too easy to dismiss, to wipe off a bill of quantities or to reduce to a minimum in an attempt to save money. For too long planting has suffered in the continued development of our over-crowded world. If our planting aspirations continue to be diminished for the want of beauty, then we are lost, and our future looks bleak indeed. Planners know little about planting, architects even less and developers are generally beyond the pale. Design proposals promoted on

appearance alone will rarely win through against the commercial reality of build. Planting designers need to win their arguments on environmental function and need. Once we can convince, then we can deliver beauty, local distinctiveness, character and atmosphere. For those garden designers reading this and thinking I’m directing my gaze at landscape architects, think again. The private garden is also a diverse habitat in the making, a wildlife haven, a permeable space within an urban build, a connector to nature and seasonality and a delivery of wellbeing on our client’s doorstep. These spaces have the potential to change lives and attitudes, not just of our clients but of their children and their wider social network. Finally, resonant words from the great Jacques Cousteau: “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realise that, in order to survive, he must protect it.” Pictured: Esher garden planting detail by Andrew Wilson & Gavin McWilliam

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

www.lcgd.org.uk

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20/02/2019 16:21

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19/02/2019 09:01

INFORM

FIT FOR a prince

Pro Landscaper takes a tour of Regent’s Park in London, uncovering its history and learning that even the most high-profile UK sites have not escaped the effects of austerity

s anyone who’s ever visited Regent’s Park in London will know, this is a truly beautiful environment, combining world class horticulture with a public engagement strategy that is second to none. The magnificent park is also integral, not only to the life of London, but to London’s history and very design. The best laid plans Located in the north west of the city, straddling both the Borough of Camden and the City of Westminster, the early history of Regent’s Park dates back to the Middle Ages when the land was part of the Manor of Tyburn, and the property of Barking Abbey. Following the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century it was subsequently appropriated by Henry VIII as a hunting chase for www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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use by him and his court. The site was known at the time as Marylebone Park and legend has it that the king traced the original boundaries himself by drawing a circle freehand on a map. Park manager Nick Biddle says: “The park was originally part of the Forest of Middlesex without any natural boundaries, which meant Henry had to do the best he could with a pencil and a map. The reason that the park is a bit flat on the left-hand side geographically speaking is that he was supposedly left handed, and apparently that’s what tends to happen when left-handed people try to draw a circle. That’s the story anyway. Fast forward a couple of hundred years, and the park was subsequently deforested with the dissolution of the monarchy, at which point it was rented out to tenant farmers. Towards the end of the 18th century the commissioner for woods and forests at the time realised that rather than renewing the farmer’s leases, it was probably much more economically sound to build property and lease those out instead.”

According to Nick, this is when the modern park started to take shape with designer John Nash employed to lay the groundwork for the site’s development. “The initial scheme was ambitious, consisting of 56 villas, all set in parkland,” Nick says. “The park was originally designed to be completely surrounded by terraces – these were only completed three quarters of the way round and are still there. The purpose of the terraces was to

THE EARLY HISTORY OF REGENT’S PARK DATES BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES WHEN THE LAND WAS PART OF THE MANOR OF TYBURN keep the local population on the outside. Through a series of circumstances, mainly concerning the economy, only eight of the villas were ever completed. As London expanded there started to be increasing pressure for public recreational space.” Nick continues: “As with the Victorian parks movement as a whole, this revolved around an awareness of the need for public green space, Pro Landscaper / March 2019 45

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INFORM

purely for the sake of health and wellbeing. The public were eventually allowed to use the park in 1835, with the Crown Lands Act being signed in 1851, putting the responsibility for the management of the parks in the hands of the government.” While the original project didn’t come to fruition in the way that was intended, Nash’s core design has remained. This includes the park’s massive circular shape, flanked by the terraces and including a boating lake and canal. What was originally meant to be a grand ‘processional route’ leading to the – planned but never built – summer residence of the Prince Regent (later King George IV) eventually became

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the epicentre of untrammelled consumerism that is currently Regent Street. In terms of current attractions for visitors, Regent’s Park boasts a multi-sports facility known as The Hub, a variety of memorials and fountains, as well as an open-air theatre. It is also the home of London Zoo, planned in 1828 by Decimus Burton, and currently houses around 755 species of animals. Changes over time While the layout of the park is mostly unchanged since its inception nearly 200 years ago, change has certainly taken place with regard to other areas of the park’s management. The most

obvious of these is the recent shift in overall strategy necessitated by The Royal Parks becoming a charity rather than a government agency, the latter having been core to the organisation’s identity for the majority of its history. Inevitably, this was prompted in part by cuts of around 25% of the organisation’s budget over the first four years following implementation of the current government’s austerity project. Talking about the effect of the cuts and change of identity of its management organisation on Regent’s Park itself, Nick says: “We became a charity in March of 2017 and decided right from the word go to meet the challenge full on. We updated our objectives,

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INFORM maintaining our focus on conservation, biodiversity and horticulture, but adding education and the promotion of the heritage of the park itself. At the same time, we’ve been able to increase our income without having to sell off the family silver. We’ve looked to do that in a way that enables us to drive the quality of the park forward, as well as increase the range of opportunities for the public to enjoy what we provide. Having a new identity has allowed us to move away from corporate objectives in order to replace them with charitable ones.” One example of how the park is improving its offering is its emphasis on wildlife with projects such as the conservation of hedgehogs (Regent’s Park contains the last breeding population in central London), as well as Mission Invertebrate for those with an interest in creepy crawlies. As with many other open-air sites around the capital, the park is also hosting an increasing number of events, including two art fairs and a restaurant festival, which together generate around an extra 100,000 visitors a year. These

WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM CORPORATE OBJECTIVES IN ORDER TO REPLACE THEM WITH CHARITABLE ONES fabulous events bring with them a degree of disruption says Nick, but also provide an invaluable income at a time when money is not necessarily easy to come by. “We make sure that any long-term impact, for instance through compaction, is already covered by the event income, as well as any unexpected collateral damage,” he says. “In terms of the way people treat the park generally, they tend to be most respectful because the site is so well maintained. For example, we’re the biggest outdoor sports venue in London by some margin – for instance we get thousands of kids visiting every Saturday to play in the football Youth League. The level of vandalism is negligible because people respect the work that’s gone into the environment, and of course the fact that it’s available to them in the first place.” But is all this change likely to alter the essential character of the site itself, particularly in terms of its traditional horticultural areas, and do www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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people still come simply to enjoy a nice walk? “Of course they do,” says Nick. “Nothing stands still in life, and that’s particularly true when it comes to a garden, but we do all what we can to maintain it as a really beautiful environment. We tackle it as a collection of character areas, which it’s our job to maintain whatever the circumstances. That could include Queen Mary’s Gardens, which contain around 12,000 roses, or the Avenue Gardens with their formal displays and summer bedding.” As one of the greatest publicly-owned sites in the world, Regent’s Park’s increasingly publicfacing strategy gives real cause for optimism that its reputation will endure long into the future.

1 Cherry blossom in the Avenue Gardens 2 Queen Mary’s Gardens from the air 3 The award-winning open air theatre 4 Seasonal bedding in the Avenue Gardens 5 Daffodils on the south side of Marylebone Green 6 The Ready Money Drinking Fountain 7 The Griffin Tazza in the Avenue Gardens

CONTACT The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill Tel: 0300 061 2300 www.royalparks.org.uk

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VICTORIA TRUMAN LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN DESIGN

A townhouse garden gets a vibrant makeover

STYLE ON EVERY LEVEL SIGNATURE LANDSCAPES DESIGN & BUILD

A modern multi-level family garden

MARITIME STREETS FARRER HUXLEY ASSOCIATES

A bold vision for regeneration in Barrow-in-Furness

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19/02/2019 09:03

PORTFOLIO

MOROCCAN MARVEL VICTORIA TRUMAN LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN DESIGN

Vibrant planting and key focal points with a unifying North African theme transform a compact townhouse garden

nspired by the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; visits to Morocco, Victoria Truman Landscape and Garden Design has transformed this small townhouse garden into an inviting oasis of calm dotted with bright splashes of colour. Brief The clients, who had lived in Oman and travelled to Morocco on more than one occasion, wanted a garden that embodied the feel of Marrakesh. They wanted to incorporate a small shed in the corner of the garden into the design. They had also purchased an intricate mosaic fountain in Morocco and wanted this to be a key feature. The clients were keen to create an inviting feel with lush planting, full of scent and colour in the summer months. As you walk into the house, the garden is visible and the kitchen/ diner opens to the outdoors, so the clients were keen to include planting with year-round interest that looked attractive even in the colder months.

WINNER

Design & Build Under ÂŁ20,000

small project

BIG IMPACT

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Design and build Due to the small size of the plot, Victoria included stopping places, incorporating a dining area, a bistro table with chairs and a bench hidden out of sight. These allow the garden to be viewed from different angles and also helps to viusally enlarge the space. Plants were repeated, lending unity to the small space. Raised, rendered and painted borders increase the interest and add to the illusion that the garden is larger than it is. The outdoor space is framed by a row of pleached trees and jasmine, shutting out the boundaries and neighbours by focusing on the lush greenery. Various pots are planted up for summer with vibrantly coloured geraniums, mint, thyme and lavender. These are placed adjacent to the Pro Landscaper / March 2019 51

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Moroccan fountain which provides a soothing and ornate focus. The garden shed has now become the lynch pin in the garden, transformed by painting it a bright, rich teal paint and adding decorative window fretwork panels painted gold. Moroccan lanterns hang from the cabin giving it a final decorative touch. Jura Beige paving is used throughout with a central square tiled in encaustic cement tiles from Morocco. This was designed as a focal point to the garden and can be seen from all angles, looking particularly spectacular from above. Victoria designed this, and found a company in Marrakesh to both make and ship the tiles to the UK, giving the garden an authentic piece of Morocco. Plants and trees that bring a Mediterranean feel were chosen. Victoria used a large Olea europaea as a specimen tree, selected for its gnarled trunk and silver foliage. Two further standard mushroom-shaped olive trees are planted either side of the dining area. Pleached, evergreen Elaeagnus trees were planted to increase the feeling of privacy.

Planted underneath the row of pleached trees is a row of Trachelospermum jasminoides on bamboo frames to fill the garden with scent during the summer. Lavender, rosemary, Pittosporum tobira fill the raised borders that surround the garden, while spikes of Phormium ‘Evening Glow’ and ‘Gold Ray’ punctuate the planting, adding to the Mediterranean feel. A standard Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’ and the fourth standard olive tree are planted within the paving and surrounded with thyme at the end of the garden beside the hidden seating area, which also houses a statue that originally belonged to the client’s late mother. Raised borders were rendered and painted in brick red to accentuate the Moroccan feel of the garden. The colour was also chosen to complement the teal blue paint used on the shed. A small step up, which runs the width of the paving to address the level change in the garden, adds another feature. The fence on one side and the back gate were clad in horizontal style batons to hide the original fence. The raised borders protrude

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £19,500 Build time 3 weeks

ABOUT VICTORIA TRUMAN LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN DESIGN

Size of project 10 x 5m2

Victoria graduated from the English Gardening School in 2012, allowing her passion for creating more beautiful landscapes and gardens to become a career. Victoria has designed and built two show gardens at Hampton Court in 2016, achieving silver and gold medals with best garden in her category. Victoria’s client base spans from medieval manor houses with huge spaces to new builds with small spaces. www.victoriatruman.com

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either side of the dining area where the two standard olive trees are planted to increase the overall feeling of lushness and privacy. Small shells and fossils embedded in Jura Beige limestone paving give it its natural texture and unique beauty. The soft beige base colour suits the Mediterranean style of the garden, and this low-maintenance limestone offers a timeless quality and a beautiful and consistent look and colour. This limestone is extremely durable and was sourced from London Stone.

1 Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-eye view of the vibrant scheme 2 Designed fretwork panel to match the encaustic tiles from Morocco 3 Standard olive tree underplanted with thyme beside the secluded seating area 4 A jasmine-clad fence offers a cool backdrop to the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brightly coloured furniture 5 View from the house across the garden 6 The Moroccan fountain provides a focal point 7 Large specimen olive tree with a gnarled sculptural trunk planted next to the refurbished garden shed

REFERENCES Landscapers Cobtree Landscapes

www.cobtreelandscapes.co.uk Paving London Stone

www.londonstone.co.uk Paint Farrow & Ball

www.farrow-ball.com Plants Provender Nurseries

www.provendernurseries.co.uk Fretwork panels Jali

www.jali.co.uk Encaustic paved panel Articima

www.articima-encaustictiles.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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STYLE ON EVE RY LEVEL SIGNATURE L

ANDSCAPES

ESIGN AND B Cool stone clad UILD ding and glass, w arm timber and striking 3D pavi lu sh pl anting complem ng feature in th is modern mul ent the ti-level family ga rden

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ignature Landscapes Design and Build was asked by the client to design and build a multi-levelled practical space for the family to use and to entertain friends. The space proved a challenge to the team as the area was set on a 3m incline, yet only took five months to complete by a team of three.

created using artificial grass, ropes and climbing holds. These features were included to add a fun factor for the whole family, including the adults, to enjoy. An area of artificial grass was laid and a feature chalk board was installed on the surrounding walled area. Built-in seating was incorporated, using yellow balau hardwood timber and cedar red slatted screen fencing. A summer house was Build built into the hillside with seamless porcelain To begin the project, Signature Landscapes flooring and bifold doors, allowing views of the Design and Build had to first dig out the area garden to be enjoyed all year round. and remove 420 tonnes of earth. In order to The roof was covered in sedum to blend into retain the banking and form the garden the natural environment and to promote the structure, 500x500x1200 conservation of the concrete Lego blocks declining population were used weighing 1.5 of bees, as well as tonnes, and were lifted other local wildlife. into place using a city Another crane. Additional environmentallyblockwork was used to friendly feature was a create planters, water bio-ethanol fire chosen for Project value features and steps. the raised patio area. £100K-£150K All of the paving materials were sourced Soft landscaping Build time from Marshalls, Umba Planting was carefully 5 months Symphony Porcelain and selected and installed to Size of project Harvest Stoneface were soften the landscaped 180 sq m used to clad the walls area – originally a and summer house. A greenhillside. Frameless bespoke 3D pattern was glass balustrades were created, by cutting down used to maintain the Umba Blue and Grey Symphony Porcelain aesthetics, allowing full views of the garden and tiles to exact angle measurements, in order to surrounding landscapes, as well as ensuring fit together perfectly. The cuts themselves safety within the multi-levelled garden. Finally, took two days alone, for two separate areas Ansell lighting was used to highlight the key of a total of 14m2. The 3D paved areas were garden features. With LED light strips under used to add key features within the design the built-in seating area, highlighting the and the illusion of stacked cubes. Blue planting beneath. Symphony was used for the general patio areas, walkways and steps and to clad the Challenges bespoke fire pit. The colours were chosen to Signature Landscapes Design and Build faced complement the surrounding roadside many challenges on this project, one of the environment and to blend with the neighbouring houses.

PROJECT DETAILS

1 Nighttime lighting creates an inviting ambience

Play area A 1m by 2.5m high slide was installed to run down the centre of two water features and planters, while a children’s climbing wall was

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2 Porcelain on multi-levels 3 Made-to-measure children’s climbing wall 4 Aerial view 5 Signature Landscape’s bespoke 3D patio area

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biggest being extreme weather. The excavation took place when ‘The Beast from the East’ was at large. Once that had passed the end of the build continued during the hottest summer on record. The heat made the physical demands of building on a steep incline and transporting materials around the site particularly difficult.

ABOUT SIGNATURE LANDSCAPES Signature Landscapes Design and Build is a Marshalls award winning, contemporary, high-end landscaping firm, established by Paul Bate. They offer a full design service and build outdoor spaces, with our customers personal specifications in mind throughout the whole process. They are based in Altrincham, covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester, as well as Merseyside and Lancashire. www.signaturelandscapesdesignandbuild.com

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6 Fun for all ages stainless steel slide 7 View from the summer house 8 Hand-crafted yellow balau hardwood timber seating

BEFORE

DURING REFERENCES Design & build

Lighting installation

Signature Landscapes Design and Build

AGF Electrics

www.signaturelandscapes designandbuild.com

Lighting Ansell Lighting

www.anselluk.com

Paving & walling

Artificial grass

Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk

Hi-Tech Turf Ltd

Aggregates & building materials Benchmark

benchmarkbuildingsupplies.co.uk Plants

www.hitechturf.co.uk Timber Silva Timber Products

www.silvatimber.co.uk

Brentwood Moss Nursery

www.laneslandscapes.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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WINNER

‘Adding Value Through Landscape’, Landscape Institute Awards 2018 Best Landscape Design, Northern Design Awards 2017

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £1.5m Build time One year Size of project 1.1 ha

arrow-in-Furness has a rich industrial heritage and is home to British multi-national defence company BAE systems. However, the decline in traditional industry has resulted in real hardship. This was starkly reflected in Maritime Streets’ desolate and degraded landscape, where many of the flats were lying empty. Barrow Island’s enduring industry, adjacency to the town centre, waterfront location and heritage architecture, present all the elements needed for a contemporary vision of urban sustainability. With conviction that this 58

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MARITIME STREETS FARRER HUXLEY ASSOCIATES A bold vision for this regeneration project in Barrow-in-Furness has rejuvenated the landscape and kick-started social and economic renewal should be a successful place, all stakeholders were committed to a bold vision that has catalysed social and economic renewal. Brief The brief was to improve the public realm in order to reinvigorate the neighbourhood and attract people to live here once again. Increasing occupancy was a key indicator of the success of the landscape improvements. Improvements were needed across the whole neighbourhood, but in order to change the perception of the place resources were deliberately targeted only at the most visible and utilised spaces. A resourcing study was carried out to clarify which interventions created maximum impact for investment. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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BEFORE

Design and build Providing a social landscape for all was central to Farrer Huxley Associates’ design. A space that is used and enjoyed becomes a welcoming place for all, allowing more vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly to engage with nature and their community. Pathways inspired by the ship masts and nets of Barrow’s maritime past traverse the central square, connecting residential blocks both visually and physically. The intersection of paths defines spaces for socialising, play or simply enjoying the landscape’s biodiversity. The ‘pockets’ of space created have the potential to be adopted and cultivated by the community over time, bringing a sense of ownership to the landscape. High-quality street furniture and play equipment welcomes use. Shelter has also been provided, allowing the landscape to be www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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DURING

occupied all year. A community gardening group enables social cohesion and empowers people with new skills. Farrer Huxley Associates made the central square conspicuous purposefully – a bold first impression and contemporary identity jolts people awake to the potential of this place.

shops and empty streets, their urbanity was unforgiving. The incremental effect of years of neglect was reaching a point of irretrievability. With high levels of deprivation in Barrow, many of the groups that Farrer Huxley Associates engaged with were hard to reach. Farrer Huxley and mental health charity Growing

Materials Farrer Huxley Associates insisted upon quality materials, replacing the atmosphere of deprivation with one of desirability. This rigorous approach to quality has delivered the physical context and atmosphere of confidence that this community needs for its renewal.

1 Central square following landscape improvements

Challenges The tenement blocks of Maritime Streets had an architectural intrigue, but with a degraded landscape, unoccupied buildings, boarded up

6 Street names that reference the area’s history of shipbuilding are stamped into precast concrete street furniture in a contemporary typeface

2 Quality furniture and play equipment welcomes use and encourages social cohesion 3 The scheme supports the emergence and growth of the community 4 Shelter allows the landscape to be occupied all year round 5 Local school children undertaking planting

7 Local school children undertaking planting Pro Landscaper / March 2019 59

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Well became a voice for the community. During consultation they promoted the importance of resident engagement, in order to generate a sense of pride and ownership that would also safeguard the condition of the landscape. The project demonstrates the profound and multiple changes that landscape can bring to a deprived community. The regeneration of the area has culminated in a vastly increased occupancy, delivering concomitant benefits to the local economy. Re-occupation has allowed more people to live in walking distance of work and amenity, reducing car dependency and promoting healthier living. Finally – and most importantly – social isolation has been tackled through design. An equitable public realm promotes good mental and physical health, allowing all residents to connect with their community and with nature.

REFERENCES Contractor Ground Control

www.ground-control.co.uk Pre-cast concrete Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk

ABOUT FARRER HUXLEY ASSOCIATES

Plant supplier W. Crowder & Sons Ltd

Farrer Huxley Farrer Huxley Associates Associates is a practice of landscape architects and community engagement experts, established in 1995. Our work is founded upon the belief that landscape makes an essential contribution to sociable and sustainable communities. We pride ourselves on creating and curating holistic, lasting landscapes, which are loved by the people who use them. www.fha.co.uk

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www.crowdersnurseries.co.uk Street furniture Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk Play equipment The Children’s Playground Company Ltd

www.thechildrensplayground.com Lighting Iguzzini

www.iguzzini.com

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GREEN CONNECTION WARDROP & STEVENSON AND GENESIS LANDSCAPES This collaborative garden project, The Green Connection, promotes health and wellbeing by reconnecting people with one another and the natural environment

he Green Connection was a collaboration between Wardrop & Stevenson and Genesis Landscapes at The BBC Gardeners’ World Live 2016. The garden was endorsed by the RSPB to promote its Give Nature a Home campaign. Once the garden show had finished the garden was donated to CHESS, a charity for the homeless at its new HQ in Chelmsford. The brief for the garden focused on reconnecting people to their gardens for their health and wellbeing by creating functional and attractive outdoor spaces. They wanted to encourage people into the open air and away from technology by creating space for families to enjoy. It is also about connecting gardens to each other to become part of a large nature reserve and offset the increasing urbanisation of the country. The brief The Association of Professional Landscapers (The APL) completion brief called for a budget garden, with a build cost of £25,000, a garden that people could envisage in their own garden. The brief called for the back garden to show how you can gain privacy between your garden and the one adjoining your neighbour at the show. It was said that the garden should facilitate access to the back door of the Project value property and planting £25,000 should offer ideas for creating privacy from Build time the neighbours, as 2 weeks well as including Size of project seasonally interesting 49.5 sq m2 plants. It was requested that the back garden

PROJECT DETAILS

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WINNER

Silver Merit at BBC Gardeners World Live 2016 Pro Landscaper / March 2019 61

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incorporated at least two of the following: pond or water feature, dining area and/or lounging area, garden seat, small children’s play area and a bird feeder and/or insect hotel. The design and build Wardrop & Stevenson and Genesis Landscapes wanted to create a contemporary but wildlife-friendly space using a symmetrical design to reinforce a sense of order and safety. Attached to the house, a pergola defines the patio area and extends the indoor space into the garden. This creates privacy from neighbours and an opportunity to grow climbing plants to provide nectar sources and eventually shelter for birds. Under the pergola is a table, the Cable Table, designed by themselves. The table winches up to the roof of the pergola, allowing the space to become multifunctional: down for dining or up for play, work or other recreational activities. To each side of the patio they incorporated

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bee-friendly planting and to one side a fold-away statement barbecue and the other side space for pots or a raised garden bed for herbs and a few veggies to encourage children into the garden. The rectangular raised ponds were the first of three bold stone-faced pillars bringing structure to the garden. The design of the ponds with access for frogs incorporated marginal shelves and demonstrated that nature works harmoniously with precise symmetry. The pillars behind the ponds were faced with stone and their tops were planted with alpines. The internal faces of the pillars had wide and deep joints filled with lime mortar, soft enough for bees to make their homes. The rear of the garden was flanked by a fence panel acting as a false back concealing the garden gate and storage area. To the front a heavy-duty timber bench incorporating more planting was the focal point at the end of the lawn. The planting Fastigiate oak trees were planted to harbour insects and because they grow in a columnar shape – ideal for a smaller garden – providing height with minimal spread. A woodland area at the end of the garden includes perennials and shrubs for shade, shelter and food sources for wildlife. Climbers and shrubs suitable for growing against a fence were key. Vertical planting of pyracantha brought many opportunities to increase vegetation, flowering in mid summer and later producing berries for birds. Its tough branches and defensive spines make it a choice nesting site in gardens. The flower beds to either side of the lawn were a combination of mauves and purples to attract bees and insect. Other flowers included tubular, Campanular ‘Elizabeth’, Geraniums, Alliums and a giant white clover Trifolium ochroleucon. To enclose the garden, Genesis Landscapes and Wardrop & Stevenson chose a permeable fencing which also allows light to filter through. At their base they included hedgehog-friendly gravel boards which incorporate a small hole to allow amphibians, hedgehogs and slow worms to easily pass between gardens. A hedge was also established to create an architectural

boundary to the formal design and a permeable shelter belt and home for birds. Within the garden amongst the flowers and the features hidden in nooks and crannies are bird feeders, houses, insect hotels, frog pots and steps and a log pile. The finished result offers a wildlife paradise as well as a contemporary inclusive garden in a small space, combining the needs of both a family and the natural environment.

ABOUT WARDROP & STEVENSON Jean Wardrop, APL Designer of the Year 2018, has run garden design business, Wardrop Designs since 1997. Alexandra Stevenson is a landscape architect, venturing into the world of garden design and has worked all over the UK and abroad on many public and private sector projects. Mike Long, director of Genesis Landscapes (no longer in operation) was awarded Contractor of the Year by Marshalls in 2015. www.wardropdesigns.co.uk www.alydandra.co.uk

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1 Nesting box and stepping stone path to rear gate in woodland area 2 Main sitting area with porcelainpaved terrace, pergola with winch and wall barbecue 3 Raised stone-clad pond with marginal shelves 4 Hedgehog-friendly gravel board 5 Woodland planting and storage

REFERENCES Fencing Jacksons Fencing

www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk Paving and stone Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk Sand and cement Travis Perkins

www.travisperkins.co.uk Trees and hedging Coles Nurseries

www.colesnurseries.co.uk Soil GardenTopsoil Direct

www.gardentopsoildriect.co.uk Lawn Rolawn

www.rolawn.co.uk Metal Cadisch MDA

www.cadischmda.com BBQ Diligence the Art of Fire

www.diligenceinternational.com Perennials Bridge Nursery

www.bridgenursery.co.uk Bird and insect houses Green & Blue

www.greenandblue.co.uk Drainage Lateral Design Studio

www.lateraldesignstudio.co.uk Ponds First Grade Recycling

www.first-grade.co.uk Plants Palmstead

www.palmstead.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Inclusive

PLAY EQUIPMENT Pro Landscaper looks at a selection of inclusive play equipment that can be used in your next design

hen designing a playground, it’s important to take into consideration people with physical limitations who may be using the space. The Association of Play Industries Chair, Mark Hardy, says: “Unless the government takes steps to help parents reduce children’s discretionary screen time, current attempts to tackle childhood obesity and poor mental health are likely to fail. At the same time, we also need urgent investment in free-to-use outdoor play facilities, particularly in deprived areas where such facilities can have the greatest impact.” This highlights the importance play has on children’s physical and mental health and shows how vital it is to create a space for children to play that is accessible to all.

Rolli trampoline for wheelchair users Huck nets

Price: £5,424 Trampolines are one of the most inclusive play items you can offer in a playground. As well as being a fun and an enjoyable way to exercise, they are also a popular form of rebound therapy, providing the benefits of increased movement and improved mobility. Huck’s Rolli trampoline has been designed for wheelchair users. It has sloping edge panels to enable the surface level trampoline to be accessed safely and easily. This design allows a companion to stand in direct contact with the wheelchair user if required. WWW.HUCK-NET.CO.UK

Inclusive wheelchair roundabout Maple Leaf Design Price: £7,940

Orchard Hazel Sutcliffe Play

Price: £9,995 excl installation

This is Sutcliffe’s play first Orchard unit designed with a focus on inclusivity inspired by nature in its theming and, visually complements many of their other products. With 12 play activities, the large central deck features five sides, which enables crawling or shuffling to reach a variety of access points and activities. This is vital for providing options to users of varying abilities and inclinations so that all children can play together.

The outside benches seat four children with space for two wheelchairs in the centre, fastened in for safety with the straps provided. The roundabout is fitted flush with the playground surfacing so that no ramps are required. For safety purposes a specially designed geared system is fitted underneath to limit the speed of the roundabout.

WWW.SUTCLIFFEPLAY.CO.UK

WWW.MAPLELEAFDESIGNS.CO.UK

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INSPIRE

PERSONAL

STYLING

Renson louvered canopies

Dress your decking

Make lighting a key style element

Bring outdoor styling indoors

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Understanding how your clients tick is vital when it comes to outdoor styling; Debs Winrow looks at how to create an outdoor space that suits your clients’ personal taste

here is a great deal to learn about the character and personalities of a client when it comes to offering outdoor styling and product ideas. Understanding their needs is vital. To identify your ideal client is hard to do, but with a mix of concise and accurate demographic reports and following fashion trends you should start to feel more confident about what your clients may tell you they need before you’ve even visited their garden. We try asking a few more open questions at the first contact. Simply asking them if they want a patio isn’t going to give you any indication of what they want to use it for. They will probably have a very clear idea of the type of lifestyle they wish to have in the garden, but may not be sure how to pull all the hard landscaping and styling

together so that everyone can enjoy it. Your best market researchers can often be your team. When I recently asked mine about our customers, they confirmed they liked technology, were aged between 45-60, drove expensive cars, had teenagers and owned a pet,

WITH A MIX OF CONCISE AND ACCURATE DEMOGRAPHIC REPORTS AND FOLLOWING FASHION TRENDS YOU SHOULD START TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT usually a dog. They were either in a career, nearing retirement age younger than the national average, or had run a business which they’d recently sold – sound familiar? However, when there is more than one profile in the household, pleasing everyone is going to be the challenge. Once you have gathered some information about your client and their lifestyle, you can Pro Landscaper / March 2019 65

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start to make to create a whole styling concept to suit their needs and how they live. Outdoor spaces get techy As most clients want to enjoy their gardens with little or no labour, you can suggest adding a little bit of luxury with systems for irrigation, lighting and perhaps even sound to your design. Lighting the garden will add depth and ambience to the overall design. Where it is needed for tasks such as reading, working, cooking or entertaining, will need to be strong in these particular areas. In some cases, luxury items, such as a robot mower, will have appeal. These labour-saving systems can be controlled from a mobile phone while your clients relax, stretched out on a modern and completely waterproof fabric sofa – another popular suggestion for the patio area. Appeal to the fashionable homeowner With more houses opening up into the garden, consider what colours and design styles are going on indoors and continue these outdoors. Once you see your clients’ homes, you’ll have a better feel for how they spend their money. If you see they enjoy gadgets, chances are they are going to want some outside too.

Create different zones for children

Most clients seem to start with improvements to the house first and are used to accessorising their living spaces; we need to transfer the same passion for buying to the garden. If you are unsure of their style, ask to follow them on Instagram and Pinterest to try and understand what they love. Alternatively, you can ask them to put a collection of photos together of products they like. This is also a great way to 66

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Create outdoor living rooms with styling

establish what they need and want they want against a proposed budget. Remember you can add cost-effective fashionable items to any garden theme with pots and planters, funky lanterns, soft furnishings and tableware. These can be changed as and when the fashion trends change, without a large revamp of the more expensive items. Share the space with many generations Ensure that everyone can enjoy a part of the garden for themselves. Ask the client who will be using the space; for instance, will teenagers need an outdoor room to socialise in? If so, electrics and Wi-Fi will be needed. Do they envision grandchildren using the space for outdoor play? If so, create spaces that can accommodate this within the initial design. Also, be sure to account for all the communal spaces required for socialising and entertaining with large enough tables or sofa sets to accommodate family and guests. Remember to consider our temperamental weather by providing all-weather cover options. You can propose firepits, outdoor heaters, wood-fired ovens and chimineas. These all create an extra dimension to the design, extending the use and enjoyment of the garden. The new small is the new big It’s no surprise that outdoor space is getting smaller, especially with the influx of new build houses and the market is adapting with new products and plants. Think about using vertical spaces, smaller pieces of furniture and items that fold away.

For young families, you can incorporate child-proof accessories and exclude items such as a firepit, keeping outdoor cooking items up high on benches.

Mix planter finishes

Styling is rewarding and a fluid process. Unlike building a patio which has to be right the first time, you can alter the scheme relatively easily. Mastering this skill can also add value, both financially and artistically to any outdoor space. ABOUT DEBS WINROW Debs Winrow, creative director of award-winning landscape company Garden House Design is an avid trend spotter, responsible for seeking out the latest and best outdoor living products and developing an expansive portfolio to offer to both consumers and fellow landscapers and designers.

www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk

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INSPIRE

WORK

Best projects My first ever show garden will always be very special to me. Light at the End of the Tunnel at the 2012 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show was a very cathartic personal project. It taught me that gardens have the potential to deeply engage people and to stir emotions. People related their own life experiences of recovery to my own. Rather than just telling a story the garden became a vehicle for empathy and allowed people to open up about very personal things. It made me decide that I wanted to always make gardens that have soul with people as their focus. Mentors I always look to people I respect for guidance to help me with my career development. Annie Guilfoyle taught me my craft and allowed me the freedom to be creative at a time in my life when I most needed to be. Recent collaborations have encouraged me to follow my own design path and focus on what makes me different and unique. High and low points of your career The first three years of my career were a whirlwind, full of highs and amazing

opportunities including a main avenue garden at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It was impossible to sustain this pace without compromising my creativity and sanity. I spent the next few years re-focusing on what I wanted out of the career and building up my portfolio. This has led to varied and unique, quirky briefs – from shows to private and commercial projects – and it’s this diversity of work that I relish. What you hope to achieve in your work in the next 12 months My first career was is the world of advertising and when I moved onto garden design, I thought I would leave it behind forever. I have in fact found my marketing and business skills incredibly useful. Over the coming year I would like to continue to find projects that allow me to exploit all my skills and provide new challenges.

LIFE/STYLE

INSPIRATION

Matthew Childs Matthew talks about how his garden became a vehicle for empathy, the people who have inspired him and why he’d love to meet Gok Wan

People There are many great garden designers, architects and artists who have inspired me, but I’m also always inspired by the work my peers are doing. Designers such as Rosie Nottage, Anoushka Feiler, Matt Keightley and Adolfo Harrison are just a few who are doing some amazing work. There is a big wide world out there and I’ve been consciously trying to explore the work of international designers and landscape architects too. The international landscape meeting in Bergamo has been a great place to do this. Gardens There is always something in any garden I visit that inspires me in some way. Recently I visited the Australian garden at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. The garden was so innovative in its use of materials and plants, carefully curated to portray the unique Australian landscape and flora. The garden was a masterpiece in storytelling, and I found myself totally absorbed in this immersive space. 68

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PERSONAL Hobbies I’m a designer who loves to garden and it was this passion that led me to this career. Five years ago, we moved out of London to get a bigger plot and this keeps me out of trouble most of the time. We also have a dog (who thinks he’s a human) and is pretty demanding of my spare time, so walks and days out are often centered around him. I’ve never really been a hobby person but I’m a social animal and any time leftover is for friends and family. Design tastes I love the simplicity and clean lines of Scandi styling, honesty and retro feel of Mid-century modern and the quirky detailing of the arts and crafts period. I often find myself taking elements from a range of styles to create an eclectic yet homely feel. Favourite dress style Now that I’ve moved out of London, I often find myself in jeans, a jumper, my Barbour and a pair of wellies. That said, I love the opportunity to scrub up and put on a grown-up suit too. As I get older, I’m finding that I gravitate more towards colour and avoid the all black designer look. I find choosing clothes really hard though. One day I’d love to treat myself to a session with Gok Wan. Most treasured possessions I’m a really sentimental person and attach great value to things that have come to me from friends or family. I’ve got some really odd things like my grandmother’s button box, the collar of my first family dog, and a stuffed elephant I remember vividly being given by my grandfather as a child. I love being surrounded by things that have meaning. Drink I’m a real teapot and drink gallons throughout the day. My tipple is Gin and Tonic and I’m a fan of our local distillery Silent Pool. Most fun you’ve ever had My uni days were the first time I’d been let loose and I loved the reckless abandon of these days. Our civil ceremony was without doubt the most special and fun day of my life.

TRAVEL Places you’ve been, places you’d like to go I live for holidays and I’ve been very lucky to travel extensively. It’s the best education you can have. Some of my favorite destinations include Japan, Nepal, Argentina, Peru and recently Austrailia. On the bucket list is South Africa, Brazil (for the carnival!), South Korea and anywhere that makes you feel a million miles away. How you like to travel I’ve been a backpacker and camper, but I’ve now got to the stage where I like my creature comforts… it is a holiday after all! That said we did a sailing and camping trip in Austrailia recently (relative roughing it) and it’s the best way to meet others. I guess I like variety. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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INSPIRE

Composite decking ACCESSORIES Three products that are perfect for creative composite decking concepts

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New from Ecodek, DekGlo is an innovative form of lighting for the decking market, charging in daylight and glowing throughout the night. This new long-lasting glow-inthe-dark lighting solution is designed to improve safety and aesthetics for outdoor living and public realm spaces. Requiring no wiring, DekGlo is easy to install by sticking or screwing into decking or drilling a recess so the DekGlo discs lie flush with the surrounding surface. Guaranteed for 20 years, there is no ongoing maintenance issues, giving peace of mind to the end-user. WWW.DEKGLO.CO.UK/BUY

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Magnolias Masterclass Thursday 28th March | 10:30am-2pm | Visitor Advice Centre, Majestic Trees Nursery Retired RHS Wisley Curator and former president of The Magnolia Society International Jim Gardiner will be reviewing the range of magnolias that can be grown in the UK, highlighting the best performing varieties for particular planting conditions. An informal nursery walk and light lunch follows. Cost: £25.00 (advance registration essential). To enquire or register contact christina@majestictrees.co.uk or phone the nursery.

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NURTURE NEWS New plant healthy tool to improve biosecurity

Provender Nurseries announces Hazel Coleman as competition winner Provender Nurseries has announced Hazel Coleman as the winner for a redesign of Open-Air Theatre Bed in The Regent’s Park. This competition run by Provender Nurseries in partnership with Capel Manor College at two campuses has been ongoing for six years. Year 2 and 3 students of Garden Design: Plants and Planting Design were invited this year to enter the garden design competition. This year’s redesign was particularly challenging as the bed

selected also had to incorporate space for 40 cultivars of delphinium held by the National Delphinium Collection. The bed in question was the largest area so far selected for the design competition at an area of 31x 21m and is viewed from both sides, one side for the National Delphinium Collection and the other viewed by the Open-Air Theatre. Hazel’s design was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel

Trio of giant olive trees planted in Med Garden at the Eden Project Three ancient olive trees that were removed to make way for younger specimens have found a new home at the Eden Project in Cornwall. The monumental evergreens have been installed in Eden’s Mediterranean Biome and are now taking root alongside

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hundreds of other plants from the climatic region. The towering trees are estimated to vary in age between 600 and 1,500 years, with the tallest reaching a majestic 3.95m. Before Eden discovered them, they had been removed from farms

Mrs Dalloway with its abundant imagery of flowers and themes of femininity, passage of time and the modern society. Hazel has been presented with a cheque for £250 for her achievement. www.provendernurseries.co.uk

in Alentejo in Portugal and Cordoba in Spain to make way for the planting of younger olive trees. Over several years Eden worked with its long-established supplier, the natural food company Olives Et Al, to source, purchase and transport the trees to Eden’s nursery beyond its main site. Here they were protected and quarantined before their final journey to the Biome earlier this week. Welcoming the historic additions to the project’s plant collections today, Eden chief executive Gordon Seabright says: “The planting of these magical and ancient trees marks an important moment for Eden. They are truly evocative of the Mediterranean. Embodied in their gnarled trunks’ DNA are stories of ancient civilizations.” www.edenproject.com

The new Plant Healthy website provides a self-assessment tool for horticulture businesses and organisations to improve the biosecurity of sourcing systems and advance plant health management practices. The free tool is available at planthealthy.org.uk. The tool is based on the recently published Plant Health Management Standard (PHMS) – an initiative that Grown in Britain and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) have been working hard to advance, along with many other organisations. The standard provides a set of requirements for businesses to meet, with a view to protecting the horticultural supply chain and the wider countryside from damaging pest and diseases. The tool is a self-assessment questionnaire which enables an organisation’s current plant health practices to be measured against the PHMS. It will assist businesses to check that they are fulfilling statutory obligations, understand pest and disease threats and set out a plant health policy. www.planthealthy.org.uk

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PALMSTEAD WORKSHOP GREEN CONNECTIONS Pro Landscaper reports on the 11th annual Palmstead Workshop, held on Wednesday 23 January at Ashford International Hotel in Kent

Around 300 delegates of the landscaping industry attended this year’s Palmstead Workshop. With the theme of “Green Connections”, the day focused on an awareness of the benefits of green space in our society. After registering and grabbing a quick coffee and pastry, attendees settled into the Kent Room for the first of the morning’s sessions. Nick Coslett, previous marketing manager of Palmstead, was responsible for planning the event. Kicking off the day, he welcomed the audience with a short introduction before moving on to the first keynote of the day. The morning’s sessions focused on the importance of horticulture and green spaces. John Wyer discussed the question: Where do we fit in all the

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plants? With the population in the UK rising and more and more houses being built, where do we put the trees? He looked at what the industry can do to ensure cities stay green going forward. The second keynote speaker of the day was Andrew Wilson, who also focused on the importance of all things green in our society. Andrew shared statistics from a recent RHS survey which showed that 70% of 18-year-olds felt that horticulture was a career only for those who had failed academically. He led a lively discussion on what steps not only our industry but also the wider educational system could be taking to inform more people about the potential and importance of a horticultural career in a bid to safeguard our green spaces going forward. Ending the morning was a discussion panel featuring Helen Elks-Smith, Sarah Morgan, Anca Panait, Graeme Carpenter and led by John Adlam, who revisited some of the morning’s previous topics. After lunch, attendees had the option to attend a variety of breakout sessions, with a choice of association-led talks and practical advice from industry leaders. The day concluded with two final keynote sessions from Dr Ken Thompson and Adam White (president of the Landscape Institute). All in all, it was another great success and an unmissable day from the team at Palmstead.

Looking back at the day, Geoff de la Cour-Baker of Palmstead said: “The Palmstead Soft Landscaping Workshop 2019 was a huge success and we would like to thank everyone who contributed to making the day such a special one. It’s this kind of positive feedback, from delegates, exhibitors, industry bodies and speakers alike which helps us to continue to hold our Soft Landscape Workshop year after year. “The industry’s desire to educate and inform drives us forward and we have welcomed all the suggestions for topics and speakers for our next workshop. It’s something we feel passionate about and we can’t wait for January 2020!” Throughout the year, Palmstead will be hosting a number of mini-workshops. The first of these, titled A Horticultural Jargon Buster, will take place on Wednesday 20 February 2019 at Palmstead Nurseries. The course is aimed at anyone entering the horticultural industry for the first time or who is currently involved in placing quotation requests, orders or working with specifications in their present role. It sounds valuable for those less confident horticulturists. Approximate timings for the day are 10am until 3pm, with lunch and refreshments provided. For more information and to book your place, visit www.palmstead.co.uk.

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NURTURE

Throwing the Brexit spotlight onto the horticultural industry ahead of this month’s exit date, Jamie Butterworth reviews how a no-deal Brexit might impact how we buy and sell plants

s we hurtle towards 29 March, the uncertainty surrounding what to expect as an industry is growing day by day. Political views to one side, this month we will see one of the biggest singular changes to our country and industry in our lifetime. And with a matter of only days left to go, we still don’t know what this is likely to look like. As an industry, we currently import 10 times more than we export, which would be an unsustainable model in any other industry. We rely heavily upon our European friends for many of the trees and shrubs we use in our gardens. The vast majority of trees sold in the UK, even ones claiming to be British grown that have been containerised, started their lives in a Dutch, Belgium or German field.

WE RELY HEAVILY UPON OUR EUROPEAN FRIENDS FOR MANY OF THE TREES AND SHRUBS WE USE IN OUR GARDENS We’ve all bought or planted imported trees before. Even many trees claiming to be ‘British grown’ started their lives in a Dutch field before being transported over to the UK. This isn’t a negative point, though. Managed correctly through the correct channels and following the relevant procedures, importing plants shouldn’t

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CHANGING TIMES Jamie Butterworth

be a bad thing. Buying plants that are not UK grown is not bad, as long as you are purchasing from a reputable and knowledgeable nursery which you feel comfortably does its research for you. But what happens after March? Will it affect the way in which we buy our trees and perennials as an industry? Will it limit the quantity and range available? Will the price increase to match demand? The main answer to all these points is we simply cannot know the full extent of the impact right now, but we can look at the measures that have been put in place and what affect these may have.

As it stands: • at present the UK abides by several EU council directives when it comes to plant health and environment regulation • we currently use EU plant passports to move plants quickly, safely and efficiently inbetween the UK and Europe • low-risk plants can enter the UK freely without inspection • high-risk plants have to be notified and inspected by DEFRA What to expect in a no deal Brexit: • a new UK plant passporting scheme Any business wishing to move plants within the UK would be required to be authorised by the relevant UK plant health authority • simpler customs rules, meaning lorries may be able to enter the UK without having to make customs declarations • any plants or plant products currently managed by the EU plant passporting scheme would be subject to UK import controls to replace the assurance and tractability currently offered • key decisions influencing the horticulture industry will most likely be delayed whilst Brexit negotiations take priority • potentially, there will be a rise in plant price from nurseries to reflect the currency exchange

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NURTURE

Plant health is quite possibly the most important factor to be considered and ensuring that there is no lapse in plant inspections to prevent high-risk host plants entering into the country without inspection.

THIS MONTH WE WILL SEE ONE OF THE BIGGEST SINGULAR CHANGES TO OUR COUNTRY AND INDUSTRY IN OUR LIFETIME

At FutureScape in November, Nicola Spence, chief plant health officer for DEFRA, reassured us that everything is being done to ensure that moving forward we continue our collaborative approach and communication on plant health. Nicola spoke of how, in fact, the UK currently leads in innovation and fighting emerging potential threats. By the time this article is published, there is no doubt everything will have changed again. The uncertainty of not knowing how we will operate in our busiest season as an industry is what seems to be causing the most concern amongst key industry companies. Time will tell, but best we can do at the moment is to continue as usual and support your local nurseries. We would love to get your views on this. Email nurtureeditor@pro-landscaper.co.uk to join the discussion.

ABOUT JAMIE BUTTERWORTH Plantsman and horticulturist, Jamie is an RHS Ambassador with a passion for soft landscaping. He is Nurture editor for Pro Landscaper magazine and also director of Butterworth Horticulture.

www.butterworthhorticulture.co.uk jamie@butterworthhorticulture.co.uk

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NURTURE

HEDGING MOBILANE Mobilane Green Screen – Euonymus Dart’s Blanket Product Price: From £100 per screen, 1.8x1.2m The Mobilane Green Screen is the original pre-cultivated instant hedge boundary for natural privacy and security. Straight from the Mobilane nursery, the steel grid is densely hand-woven with plants and grown in a coconut-ﬁbre biodegradable husk. Planted in prepared soil and anchored with green steel powder-coated posts and brackets, this instant low maintenance hedge starts working immediately, looking great, improving air quality and removing harmful pollutants.

WWW.MOBILANE.CO.UK

PRACTICALITY BROWN Practical Instant Hedge™ Product Price: £100 to £150 per linear metre, plus VAT. Practicality Brown used its expertise to produce its own top-quality instant hedging range at its nursery in Iver, Bucks. The hedge is grown up to approximately 1.8m to 2m high in 1m long hedge bags which makes for easy, year-round planting. Its Practical Instant Hedge™ range currently consists of Native Mix, Griselinia, Yew, Elaeagnus, Holm Oak and Portuguese Laurel, with more species planned to follow.

WWW.PRACBROWN.CO.UK

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WYKEHAM Wykeham Instant Laurel Hedge Blocks Product Price: Trade price dependent on size: £55+VAT to £195+VAT each (£55 to £140+VAT per metre) Each Laurel hedge block is a single plant, trimmed twice per year in the ﬁeld for many years to make it dense and solid. Yorkshire grown, they are free from imported diseases. They are available as wire-wrapped rootballs in sizes from 150-175cm tall to 300-350cm. For the smaller sizes, one hedging block per metre will give an instant hedge, but you will need to allow more space for the larger blocks.

WWW.WYKEHAMMATUREPLANTS.CO.UK

ROBIN TACCHI PLANTS Buxus alternatives Product Price: Upon request (varies with species and size) With the concerns surrounding Box (Buxus) – the increase in blight cases and the emergence of the box tree caterpillar – several alternatives have sprung up. Robin Tacchi Plants recommends Ilex maximowicziana ‘Kanehirae’, but also oﬀers Ilex crenata. ‘Kanehirae’ is considered the superior option as it has a closer shape and form to Buxus, trims well and is pest and disease-free. Alternatively, Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’ is known for it’s glossy green tips that keep their colour all year round.

WWW.ROBINTACCHIPLANTS.COM

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20/02/2019 14:32

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NURTURE

PLAYGROUND

St Peter’s Eaton Square C of E Primary School

POLLUTION BARRIERS London is, unsurprisingly, one of the most polluted places in the UK. Its pollution level is above the legal limit set by the EU, with diesel vehicles contributing to dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide. Not ideal for a place which is set to become the world’s first National Park City later this year. Eager to turn this around, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has introduced tighter controls over emissions, including replacing the T-Charge with the Ultra Low Emission Zone. He’s also using more creative methods, though, to tackle the poor air quality in the capital, including the use of plants. The Mayor has pledged £1.27m towards improving and creating green spaces to tackle pollution in London, with one of the focuses being on creating green ‘pollution barriers’ for schools. Climbing plants, hedges and wider green infrastructure will be used to help boost air quality and reduce exposure to harmful emissions from busy roads. ‘Green barriers’ such as these can halve pollution levels, according to a recent report by the Air Quality Expert Group. Those introduced at schools through the new grant will be monitored via London’s recently expanded network of air quality monitors to highlight exactly how beneficial these green additions are. 82

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Almost 80 projects will receive part of this second round of funding from the Greener City Fund Community Green Space Grants, 29 of which will be primary schools located next to some of London’s most polluted roads.

THE MAYOR HAS PLEDGED £1.27M TOWARDS IMPROVING AND CREATING GREEN SPACES TO TACKLE POLLUTION IN LONDON

those who go to school by busy, polluted roads,” says the Mayor. “My funding will help create much needed new spaces for communities to enjoy and help reduce toxic pollution with green barriers in and around schools to protect our children from polluted air.” New green spaces for housing estates are also set to benefit from the grant, as well as the creation of wildlife habitats in parks and community gardens to help improve mental health. The Mayor has also published two new maps that detail London’s green spaces and waterways. These will be used to help identify where greater investment in greening would bring significant benefits. Visit maps.london.gov.uk

Marner Primary School, for instance, is one of London’s most polluted primary schools, located next to the A12. It has been awarded £30k to help transform its playground with a range of green measures, such as ‘green screens’ of evergreen climbing plants. Trees and hedgerows will be planted along the school perimeter and a ‘green gateway’ is planned for the main entrance to encourage children to walk through a tunnel of evergreen plants. “It is unacceptable that our filthy air is affecting the lung growth and respiratory health of our Ambler Primary School young children, especially

©The Plantman Limited

London schools are set to benefit from the creation of ‘green barriers’ designed to help reduce the harmful effects of pollution

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20/02/2019 15:44

NURTURE

Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’

Paul Hervey-Brookes Owner, Paul Hervey-Brookes Associates Spring always brings with it a fresh sense of new life. Colours are vivid – a world of lime yellows, pinks and blues. ‘Benediction’ is a great plant for interesting foliage. Often overlooked, it brings blue flowers to the spring party and nods approvingly at the season of merry nest-making. www.paulherveybrookes.com

PLANTS of the month WIth spring on our doorstep, these industry experts and self-confessed plant enthusiasts consider their favourite choices for March

Lewis Normand Southern sales manager, Bernhard’s Nurseries

Paeonia ‘Coral Charm’

Perhaps an odd choice for March, but like lots of herbaceous Paeonies, Coral Charm has striking ruby-red young foliage. During March it pushes up through the ground contrasting with the blue-greens of snowdrop foliage, or speckled leaves of Brunnera, and Pulmonaria and is otherwise utterly stunning. With flowers in May to look forward to and then autumn colour, what more could you want? www.bernhards-nurseries.co.uk

NURSERY CHOICE

Architectural Plants Acacia pravissima, or Oven’s Wattle, is a hardy, weeping evergreen Mimosa tree native to central Tasmania, with peculiar triangular leaves and copious amounts of fragrant, yellow flowers in spring. Pravissima means ‘very crooked’ and it lives up to the name. It’s an unusual, eye-catching tree with an almost other-worldly, architectural form. It is homegrown by us at the nursery. www.architecturalplants.com

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Acacia pravissima (Oven’s Wattle)

Heleborus feotidus

James Basson Director, Scape Design A plant that always marks the winter landscape here in the south of France is Helleborus foetidus. This unremarkable green gem punctuates the otherwise brown winter landscape. It seems at home on an exposed plateau as nestled in the stunted Oak forest (pictured). I always appreciate a plant that I may rely on to give winter interest and that is able to deal with variable conditions creating cohesion across the planting scheme. www.scapedesign.com Pro Landscaper / March 2019 83

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Nice to meet you!

Hortimex Holland® is a plant supplier for growers and landscapers. Since 2003, we have supplied our plants and trees to hundreds of satisfied UK customers. We supply the complete assortment that landscape companies need for their projects. Flexibility is one of our key values. We like to unburden our customers! The big strength from Hortimex Holland® is our professional network. We work together with more than 500 growers in the Netherlands and Belgium. We have over 10,000 varieties available. They’re all good quality plants that can be delivered quickly. We offer the best prices and high quality customer service. We supply the following plant groups: • Perennials • Grasses • Ferns

• Aquatics • Shrubs • Hedging plants

• Conifers • Bamboo • Bulbs

• Trees • Sedum Mats

Let’s talk further about what Hortimex Holland can do for you. Best regards,

Jaco van Rijswijk and Jan Onland Sales Team Hortimex Holland® BV Hortimex Holland BV - Nijverheidstraat 1 - 4261 TK Wijk en Aalburg - Postbus 16 4260 AA Wijk en Aalburg - The Netherlands Phone: 0031-416-530505 • Fax: 0031-416-283872 • info@hortimexholland.com • www.hortimexholland.com

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19/02/2019 10:17

NURTURE Rain Bird R-Van www.rainbird.eu

IRRIGATION Investing in an efficient watering system is essential but can be costly; this month we compare two leading brands from Hunter and Rain Bird

n an ideal world we all want a product that is well-built, trustworthy and affordable. However, with reams of sensors, valves, nozzles, rotors and controllers you would be forgiven for not remembering how to operate an irrigation system. When you step outside onto a healthy green lawn amongst lush, happy plants, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know that your watering is being taken care of.

BOTH COMPANIES OFFER HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE IRRIGATION WITH COMPONENTS THAT GIVE VALUE FOR MONEY Hunter has been on the scene for decades, supplying the industry with high quality irrigation systems. You can trust that your plants will be taken care of for years to come, without having to worry about leaks, split pipes or dodgy timers. Its system also uses water effectively and efficiently, covering longer distances meaning less sprinklers are required. Irrigating overnight when evaporation is at its lowest, the water has the best chance to soak through to the roots. Designed to supply highly efficient irrigation for areas of all sizes, Rain Bird R-VAN has a

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similar offering and shares many of its advantages with Hunter, manufacturing well-built, dependable irrigation components. R-VANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nozzles give a gentle rotating stream of water, providing your garden with consistent coverage. The likelihood of run-off is kept to a minimum, reducing the risk of ground erosion. Rain Bird says the R-VAN guarantees 30% in water savings and generally improves water efficiency. A Hunter Hydrawise Outdoor Controller performs daily schedule adjustments, based on its monitoring of local weather data, adjusting water efficiently. Cost is always a significant consideration. Ultimately nobody wants to spend more money than they have to. With efficient and effective solutions, both companies offer highquality, affordable irrigation with components that give value for money. Hunter provides durable components that will stand the test of time. The Hydrawise Controller has a monitoring system that will

quickly send an alert when the valve is not working properly, allowing the user to relax in the knowledge they will be notified when required to correct a failed component. This is not to say that the Rain Bird R-VAN is not durable. Its large droplets and thicker streams of water make it highly wind resistant. With no adjustment tools necessary, the components are simple to install and maintain. Arc and throw distance can be increased with ease, allowing for an area of any shape to be irrigated with efficiency. Hunter Hydrawise Controller www.landscapeplus.com

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NURTURE

MIXED SIGNALS Bettina Jaugstetter blends industrial backdrops with randomised flower patterns. Noel Kingsbury explains how she uses mixed planting styles to design creative spaces

pectacular flowering plantings are not what you might expect to see in an industrial environment. During the summer months though, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the employees of ABB, a German technology company, get to see every day at the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site in Mannheim. Designed by landscape architect Bettina Jaugstetter, it illustrates a style of planting which has become increasingly popular since its commercial launch in 2000. The style is known as mixed planting, and aims to create a dense, intermingled canopy of herbaceous plants. Whereas conventional planting in larger-scale situations has used multiple individuals in single-variety blocks, mixed planting blends plants in a way which is much more naturalistic and ensures that seasonal interest is better distributed. Mixed planting was originally established as a series of planting formulae which could be sold by wholesale nurseries to landscape architects. It was developed by a number of technical universities

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NURTURE

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ABOUT NOEL KINGSBURY Noel Kingsbury has been involved in the horticulture industry since the mid Eighties as a nurseryman, garden designer and writer, with features appearing in The Garden, The Daily Telegraph and Gardens Illustrated. Since the mid Nineties he has played a major role in introducing the British gardening public and the horticulture profession to naturalistic planting with a series of books, four of which he has written with Dutch designer Piet Oudolf.

www.noelkingsbury.com

Photographs ©Claire Takacs

and other publicly funded institutions and Beds are mulched with lava, which reduces co-ordinated by a uniquely German body, known soil temperature and therefore evaporation, as an Arbeitskreis or ‘work circle’. These aim to reducing the germination of annual weed seeds. bring together academics and practitioners to In any case, as Bettina reports, “the soil was very compare experiences and plan research. clean and weeds have not been a problem”. However, planting Irrigation is used on an “as needed” combinations specific to the basis, “usually only three or four site can also be created by times a year”. There is an annual any designer who has good cut-down of dead herbaceous plant knowledge. Creating growth in February, the arisings these one-off combinations is being taken away and composted. Bettina’s speciality. Bettina visits twice a year to “ABB wanted modules that meet with the maintenance team, could be applied at their sites all who are from the company that over Germany, they wanted installed it. She is pleased that “the predictable maintenance,” says same staff come every year so Bettina. She has designed seven there is continuity, that’s very different planting mix modules, important”. This enables her to do each one typically comprising of some training, a large part of which three species of ‘structure consists of “seedling recognition, Bettina Jaugstetter plants’, five ‘companion plants’, as replacement of certain species two or three ground cover plants through continuous seeding is and some bulbs. Plants mostly go in 9cm pots, important, for example Echinacea species”. randomised with equal spacing, the method The ABB planting is a wonderful example used for most of the mixed planting systems. of what can be achieved with randomised planting systems, the ongoing development of which will be in the hands of natural processes THE ABB PLANTING IS A of plant spread, death and seeding. Eventually WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF some intervention may be needed, but with an WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED initial mix that brings together perennials of WITH RANDOMISED different forms and growth habits, a reasonably PLANTING SYSTEMS long-term balance is possible and is certainly visually very rich. “I had a completely free hand,” says Bettina. “Most places were covered in concrete or asphalt so we had to import engineered soil to 30cm deep. I provided specifications and the suppliers were selected in a tendering process.” The mix was mostly subsoil to reduce weed seed input, with added sand and lava and no added fertilizer. “After eight years, we are now considering doing some fertilizing,” says Bettina. Such treatment is unusual for perennial planting, but a lean mix limits plant growth and therefore helps limit toppling. The different modules were developed for various levels of planting impact. Entrances had to have the strongest impact and be the most predictable, whilst others could be what Bettina describes as “more dynamic and wilder”, such as car parking areas, streets, paths and temporarily empty areas.

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20/02/2019 15:50

CUSTOM & BESPOKE PLANTERS

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19/02/2019 09:16

NURTURE

NURSERY VISIT From selling plants at age nine to celebrating 30 years of running Cedar Nursery, Tim Sharples talks to Pro Landscaper about how the nursery is looking to the future How and when was Cedar Nursery established? I sold my first batch of Coleus to a local greengrocer when I was nine. This early success seemed like a great business model, especially as I got older and was starting to make career choices. During my teens I worked with Jim Hendriksen, a well-known local rose grower who was a great mentor to me. He instilled a rigorous work ethic and a lifelong interest in growing. After graduating and travelling the world as a ship photographer on the SS Canberra, I started to look for a site of my own to build a nursery. It just so happened that Jim Hendriksen owned a derelict plot which seemed like the perfect place for my ‘start up’. Cedar Nursery opened its gates to the public in the summer of 1987. In 1990, my wife Kate joined us as joint partner. We recently celebrated over 30 years at Cedar Nursery!

How has the company developed over time? In response to the changing nature of the horticulture business, our services have broadened to meet changing demands. Andy Clark helped steer the company for over 20 years, streamlining processes and our online presence. The plant range we sell is always evolving as tastes change. We are increasingly asked to supply plants for garden screening, as everyone wants to get away from potentially being overlooked by neighbours. Our other plants are specifically suited for adding structure and form to gardens all year, with www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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CEDAR NURSERY products and enjoy chatting to others in the industry. Experience has shown us that attendance at industry shows can often lead into new projects and areas.

Cedar Nursery owner Tim Sharples (right) and his brother Jeremy (left)

topiary, ornamental and pleached trees, large shrubs and hedging. Our plant consultancy service is suited to many of our busier clients to view plants on location before deciding if they wish to purchase. With my designer hat on, I had always appreciated the need for durable, attractive planters to complement garden planting schemes. Galvanised and powder-coated planters are some of our most popular products, as they are adaptable and can be made bespoke to virtually any size, colour or finish. We aim to provide innovative garden products to fit with the growing trend for outdoor living spaces becoming an extension of indoor living. We were one of the first UK suppliers of bioclimatic aluminium pergolas, as supplier for Biossun from France. In 2013, we introduced Kitchen in the Garden, a business run by my brother Jeremy, selling a range of outdoor cooking products and designing and creating bespoke outdoor kitchens. Do you think it’s important to attend industry events and shows? Yes. We really value exchanging ideas and discovering emerging products and trends. We attend FutureScape each year to showcase

Are there any stand-out projects you’ve been involved with? I have been involved in numerous interesting projects including the design and build of gardens for RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and captivating designs for clients in the UK, the rest of Europe and Russia. The nursery was also involved in a TV series incorporating our garden design visualization technology. Nowadays, the work running the nursery takes up the majority of my time, but I also enjoy an annual role as a judge for the Daily Mail’s UK garden competition What’s next for Cedar Nursery? We’re increasingly involved as a supplier for commercial outdoor spaces as well as residential gardens. On site, we will have new product display areas and new ranges of garden summerhouses and outdoor furniture. We have also been developing further INSITU technology, and we’re also continually developing our website to meet the challenges of an online presence.

CONTACT Cedar Nursery – Plants and Outdoor Living Horsley Road Cobham Surrey KT11 3JX Tel 01932 862473 Email sales@landscaping.co.uk Twitter @cedarnurseryuk

www.landscaping.co.uk

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EDUCATE

Bestall & Co’s Lee Bestall explores the evergreen issue of the close, and how staying ahead of the curve can deliver better results I’d first like to abolish the ‘idea’ of closing, it sounds so scary, so intimidating and so final. For me it’s all about having a good sales pipeline which only works when you have six defined thoughts that align – the opportunity, marketing, the initial consultation, relationship building, approving the draft contract and the close. Marketing The goal is to bring in more revenue, and to do that you’ll need to have a marketing plan which could include advertising (paid or unpaid), networking and having a robust referral plan. Both sales and marketing, whether it’s the same person or two departments, must be aligned with the same goals. Clearly defined and qualified leads To be able to measure the effectiveness of your marketing activities, you must have a set of clearly defined points that qualify a lead. If companies don’t define these the sales and marketing departments may be out of sync. By clearly stating what a qualified lead means in your company gives the marketing department has a clear objective. Only when you feel that you have enough information about the qualified lead should you make the call. Have a clear sales system It’s important to be able to determine which stage of the sales process an opportunity is at. Our sales process outlines these steps: • brochure download or initial enquiry • pre-qualification phone call • on site initial design consultation • design brief and design quotation sent • concept design fee accepted • construction drawings fee accepted • construction bid fee accepted • construction contract signed • closed won design only • closed won design and build • closed lost. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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CLOSING TIME Plug the leaks! This is the part most landscapers miss out and it’s where many prospects drop out. If you have followed the process, the potential client had emailed an enquiry and you have arranged a call, make sure that if they need to go away and check something that you have a plan for who will do the follow-up call and when. This way, it’s less likely somebody else will get to the deal before you contact them again.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PROCESS WHICH ENSURES A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM SALES TO IMPLEMENTATION Follow up An important next stage of defining the qualified leads is to agree a follow up plan. Who, how and at what frequency will sales follow up on these leads? We have a thorough follow up plan of phone calls, emails, more phone calls

and then (if we don’t get anywhere) adding them to marketing’s list for monthly emails and quarterly calls. This may seem excessive, but we have found this has significantly increased the number of deals we successfully close. A smooth transition You have done all of that hard work, and got your client signed up to the design stage – the last thing you want them to feel is that you’ve got what you wanted, and now they’re no longer a focus. To avoid the rejection, feeling of un-love or buyer’s remorse, it’s important to have a process which ensures a smooth transition from sales to implementation. Maybe send a thank you email and introduce them to the rest of the team who will be guiding them through the next stage. Get the fulfilment department to give them a call and introduce them, or better still, meet them with you and do a proper handover. Marketing, sales and fulfilment are all interconnected. Marketing generates the leads, sales follows them up and seals the deal. Service provides a happy customer, which in turn will become a new referral partner hopefully recommending you to their contacts, and the whole process restarts. ABOUT LEE BESTALL Lee Bestall has been designing and managing the construction of gardens in his signature style for over 10 years, with his infectious honesty, passion and enthusiasm. He regularly writes gardening and outdoor-style articles for magazines, is brand ambassador for Spear & Jackson and stand in presenter of BBC Radio Sheﬃeld’s Gardeners Question Hour. www.bestall.co.uk

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EDUCATE

Budget can be the most important factor in any client’s decision. Sam Hassall explains how preparation, trust and clarity means there is no confusion over budgeting

NOT WORKING TO A CLIENT’S

BUDGET Is this just plain irresponsible?

t is very often the case that a design is submitted for tender to approximately four prospective landscape contractors. In a hypothetical situation, four contractors have confirmed that they will submit. Three tenderers submit viable bids – but one returns an overpriced ‘safe bid’. In response, the designer comes back and informs the tenderers that the project will either be shelved or severely modified due to not being within the client’s budget. Let’s say that this was a domestic project worth £150k. The assumption would be that a good bid would have taken 16 hours plus a site visit, amounting to 20 hours to submit the bid. If we say that the estimator costs £40 per hour, then the total cost to the company is £800. In addition to this, each of the four companies might have managed to complete a viable bid, meaning the total monetary cost to four companies is £3200, and the cost to the designer in lost time and damage to their reputation cannot be ignored.

Is this irresponsible or inevitable? This is the kind of frustration we should strive to avoid. However, the following sensible cost evaluation practices can prevent this from happening:

Smaller budgets (Up to £150k) It’s necessary to get a budget before starting work. But how do you know the budget? Scenario At your first meeting, view the property and discuss with the clients their requirements. Ask them how much they would like to spend. The client either tells you (which is always ideal) or says: a) I don’t know b) I’d rather not say. This is where things become tricky and your mission begins. Firstly, there is your gut-instinct, the area, the type of property, it’s style and the design requirement. Then, there’s the client’s requirements. During this introductory visit it may be helpful to start by making a very rough

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

Sam Hassall.indd 94

little sketch right there on site. For example, the client may tell you that they want a new patio, an outdoor kitchen, lovely big trees, quite a lot of screening and a new lawn and lots of colour. They also then mention that they want a little water feature near the patio and the driveway needs fixing and relaying out and surfacing, then you also notice that the patio will need a retaining wall. A quick sketch produces this (right). Ensure that you make the point that this is schematic, and may bear no relationship to the final design. Hopefully, your prospective client loves

your ideas and you can go away and design. They love the concept you return with and after following a few small tweaks, you send it out to tender. The tenders come back at £120K and your client freaks out – they only wanted to spend £60K! How can you avoid this? The first way to avoid this is to be insistent, let your client know that you are on their side. It’s not going to be double their budget because you are trying to deceive them, it’s simply the cost of what they asked for. If they understand that, it’s easy to get on the same page and move forward. Ensuring trust is key.

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20/02/2019 14:20

EDUCATE

Budget cost evaluation for Clyde and Bonnie Demolition and clearance

3000.00

Groundworks shaping up etc

2000.00

Patio

60.00 m2

170.00

10200.00

Steps

2.00 nr

400.00

800.00

Retaining wall

5.00 m2

350.00

1750.00

Retaining wall coping

10.00 m2

80.00

800.00

Retaining wall cladding

4.50 m2

190.00

855.00

Water feature

5000.00

Pergola

4000.00

Outdoor kitchen area incl some equipment

12000.00

Planting

4000.00

Trees

3000.00

Pleaches

3000.00

Hedges

1500.00

Turf

1500.00

New driveway

12000.00

New gates and piers

8000.00

Contingencies and contractors’ preliminaries

11010.75 84415.75

VAT

16883.15

Total

101298.90

If they genuinely don’t know or you can’t get the budget out of them, then try going a step further by quickly producing a quick costing based on your initial sketch. It needn’t be accurate, but it is based on being informed. The GardenCOSTS site is very helpful in this regard.

The client may immediately react and say “we can’t afford that”, but then you can move on to talk about cheaper types of stone, leaving the water feature out and so forth. But you are now having a meaningful discussion and at this point you are about to walk away with some kind of budget in mind. I would say that this generally applies to projects that are in the £30K to £150K range, and is a more responsible methodology and often works out to be more profitable for the designer. Higher budgets In the higher budget areas, your client’s requirements may be a lot more flexible and are therefore able to move based on how impressed he or she is with you and your ideas in the proposal. I would like to paraphrase a quotation by John Wyer and a discussion with Andrew Wilson I had on this subject, in which they both said that they don’t try to get a budget from a client. The higher-end client may enter the process with a notational budget in mind but is often swayed by an excellent design proposal. In my experience, they would often reposition their budgetary goal-posts based on the creativity, advice and even the subtle salesmanship of their trusted designer. Hear John’s views at www.landpro.co.uk/JohnWyer Conclusion I think the most important conclusions to take from this are: • Get an approximate budget if you can, even if it’s just a rough number to work with and go from there • Build trust between you and the client from the outset • Explore www.gardencosts.co.uk and use it to help guide both you and your client on pricing. ABOUT SAM HASSALL Sam Hassall is the UK’s only dedicated specialist landscape cost consultant. As managing director of LandPRO Ltd, his range of services include providing cost and implementation information to landscape design professionals and contractors. Sam’s expertise is gained from his formal training and many years of experience in the landscape industry. Sam also compiles the Spon’s External works and Landscape price book, and developed the LibeRATE Estimating system and the GardenCOSTS website for designers.

www.landpro.co.uk Tel: 01252 795030

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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19/02/2019 09:57

EDUCATE

Go and See at 12 MARCH 2019 9am - 5pm

SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE, PORTSMOUTH RD, ESHER, SURREY, KT10 9AJ

LIVINGREEN DESIGN

Stand

Midlothian based LivinGreen Design creates a huge range of planters, and specialises in bespoke solutions. Their own ranges are designed and manufactured by hand in the UK with an experienced team of horticulturists and product designers. Having operated for over 30 years they are Scotland's largest general moulder. WWW.LIVINGREENDESIGN.COM

HADDONSTONE

Stand Haddonstone is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading manufacturer of high-quality garden landscape ornaments and architectural stonework. A member of BALI, The Society of Garden Designers and The Royal Horticultural Society, their garden landscape range includes fountains, statuary, sundials, plaques, practical planters, garden furniture, bird baths and balustrading. WWW.HADDONSTONE.COM

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DERBYSHIRE SPECIALIST AGGREGATES

Spring

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CITY IRRIGATION

Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates is the manufacturer of DALTEX dried aggregates. Look out for the new DALTEX bespoke range of resin bound aggregates at FutureScape Spring where 40 colour blends will be showcased. WWW.RESINBONDEDAGGREGATES.COM WWW.DECORATIVEAGGREGATES.COM WWW.DERBYSHIREAGGREGATES.COM

Stand Based in London, City Irrigation are one of the only Irrigation companies to have a dedicated trade counter. With over 30 years experience, they can offer comprehensive support and advice. Their stand will have new products, including a range of Wi-Fi controllers and tap timers. They will also have some show offers and discounts for Futurescape visitors. WWW.CITYIRRIGATION.CO.UK

ADEZZ

GREEN-TECH

Stand ADEZZ produces high-quality garden products, based in the Netherlands with direct delivery throughout Europe. They supply products exclusively to professionals in the landscaping sector. ADEZZ is dedicated to the design, manufacture and supply of competitive priced high-quality products. They are proud to be developing and producing new models and products. WWW.ADEZZ.COM

Stand Green-tech is a leading award-winning landscaping supplier and is celebrating 25 years of trading in 2019. They offer landscape contractors, architects and designers a range of quality landscaping materials and wholesale garden supplies. Stocking over 6500 products, their innovative products enhance, protect and improve plants and their environment. WWW.GREEN-TECH.CO.UK

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EDUCATE

Go and See at 12 MARCH 2019 9am - 5pm

SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE, PORTSMOUTH RD, ESHER, SURREY, KT10 9AJ

STONEASY

Stand Stoneasy.com is an online wholesaler of hard landscaping 38 materials. They enable landscapers, retailers and merchants to procure natural stone, outdoor porcelain and artificial grass at affordable prices with no paperwork at all. They offer a wide range of high-quality products online with competitive prices and tracks your order up to your doorstep. WWW.STONEASY.COM

MEDITE SMARTPLY

Stand MEDITE SMARTPLY is a leading manufacturer of sustainable timber panels. MEDITE (MDF) and SMARTPLY (OSB) are known for delivering high-quality products. They will be showcasing the MDF MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME (MTX). MTX promises to be ground-breaking, providing users with an entirely new material and allowing great design flexibility. WWW.MDFOSB.COM/EN

Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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Spring

ALLGREEN GROUP

Stand The market leader in bespoke stone and landscape products, Allgreen Group offers a range of natural products and materials to create distinguished and luxury landscapes. Allgreen Group is known for its culture of passion, reflected in its employees who work with the mantra of creating solutions, inspiring innovation and providing outstanding service. WWW.ALLGREENGROUP.CO.UK

GRIFFIN NURSERY

Stand Griffin Nurseries was established in 1989 and has continually grown, developing their reputation as one of the leading specimen plant producers in the UK. Their container unit has a large range of specimen trees and shrubs from 10L to over 2000L, complemented by their field grown trees produced in sizes from 10/12cm girth up to 40cm and above. WWW.GRIFFINNURSERIES.CO.UK

ALFRESCO FLOORS

Stand Alfresco Floors specialises in exterior hard landscaping and the supply of timber or composite decks, and porcelain or concrete paving. It imports and supplies three complementary systems in the exterior range; AirScape porcelain paving, Ebema concrete paving and Grad ‘Hidden Fix’ decking. They are based in West London but supply nationwide. WWW.ALFRESCOFLOORS.COM

KILKENNY LIMESTONE

Stand

Kilkenny Limestone are experts in the extraction, manufacture and supply of Irish Blue Limestone, and serve in the construction of prestige edifices worldwide. They are rooted in a tradition of blue limestone production, and are the principal suppliers of the Irish bluestone to modern day architectural and design projects. WWW.KILKENNYLIMESTONE.COM

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/02/2019 14:50

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Whatever you can imagine, we can make it a reality in metal. To discuss your ideas, email info@outdoordesign.co.uk or call us now on 01903 716960

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20/02/2019 15:30

EDUCATE

WHAT’S TRENDING IN OUR INDUSTRY? Plants There is a resurgence in the use of tropical and sub-tropical types of plants in landscaping. The use of Olives, Phormiums, Trachycarpus, Phoenix and the more common Fatsias were all the rage 20-25 years ago. It could definitely

Our clients (young people in particular) travel more now than they ever used to a few years ago, and come back inspired from places like Asia and Africa. They want us garden designers to recreate the feel of this tropical landscape to evoke those memories. But is this the only reason? Or is it that the younger clients are more climate aware, or is it that they simply don’t want busy, perennial flowering gardens? I like being challenged by this repeat concept as it was something that I never really thought would come back again.

be argued that due to climate change, we are seeing a gradual lean towards heavier use of lush greenery and tropical-type foliage plants in the designed landscape being repeated, and used much like they were 20 years ago.

Colour It’s safe to say that in recent years, grey has been overused – it’s everywhere! Anthracite grey is the go-to colour for everything, but surely it’s time to brighten up our environments? Luckily, the pink and red blend of Living Coral is the colour for 2019. The colour represents playful expression and our innate need for optimism. After last year and the continuation this year of the Brexit fiasco, we can use all the innate optimism we can get! In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. People want to be sociable and spirited. Representing the fusion of modern life, Living Coral is a nurturing colour that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media. There are some designer plants with beautiful coral flowers available, including tulips, roses and Euphorbias.

With spring almost upon us, Sean Butler shares his insights and predicts what essential landscaping ideas to bear in mind for the year ahead

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Sean Butler.indd 101

For a cutting garden, Rununculus, Campanella, poppies and peonies. Vibrant colours, however, are normally chosen in the form of objects rather than plants as accent pieces. A more muted flower colour with pastels is still the trend when designing gardens and choosing plants.

Materials Porcelain has got to be one of the most popularised materials to take over from the natural stone market. Will porcelain stone paving outstrip the natural stone demand? It’s all about the client’s perception on price point. Porcelain has been a renowned product for interiors for decades. The price doesn’t seem to vary and therefore consumers are savvy on price. It’s whether or not we can upsell the value that porcelain brings. With a palette from wood effect to polished concrete, it seems that this product has a solution to all designers’ appetites. ABOUT SEAN BUTLER Sean Butler is a landscape designer and director of Cube 1994. With a background in civil engineering, Sean has an in-depth understanding of the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built landscape. www.cube1994.com

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19/02/2019 09:46

EDUCATE

TWENTY FIVE NOT OUT As Angus Lindsay heads towards his 25th year in the industry, he reflects on the ever-changing value of supplying high quality landscaping work March 2019 marks my quarter century in the UK grounds maintenance and landscaping industry. Over this period, I’ve worked for three organisations in both the supply and delivery side, but mostly the latter, and have driven around a million miles the length and breadth of the country. So, this seems a good time to reflect on what has happened over those last 25 years. When I joined the industry, Compulsosry Competitive Tendering (CCT) was in its prime with many local authorities outsourcing their grounds maintenance operations to the private contractor market. Movers and shakers of the day included Brophy’s, Tyler’s, Glendale, Continental, English Landscapes, and Mitchell & Struthers, amongst others. Some authorities refused to follow the trend and remain in-house to this day. Some dipped a toe in and promptly took it back in-house, whilst others still happily use contractors to deliver their services. However, it seems that things are changing. Over the last few months, several large authorities who have successfully partnered with contractors over many years have decided to take the service back in-house. Other smaller authorities have joined forces in an effort to exploit economies of scale be it via an in-house delivery or an external contractor. Local authorities are not alone in this trend as some utility companies and government bodies have www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Angus Lindsay.indd 103

followed a similar route. Whether these moves are driven by politics or economics is anyone’s guess, but the technical knowledge required to specify and equip new contracts is sadly lacking. This task has now become the responsibility of the procurement department who may be acquiring everything from paperclips to buses and are charged with getting the best value against budgets. That’s entirely understandable, but as we all know, the environment our industry operates within is varied to say the least, not to mention the vagaries of the weather.

Many procurement managers rely heavily on suppliers and manufacturers for information. This is a perfect starting point but needs to be coupled with input from those on the ground who deliver the job and will be the people who ultimately make things work. A ride-on mower costing £12,000 might seem like a bargain and ideal for delivering high frequency cuts on a sports ground, but will be totally unsuitable for low frequency operations on reservoir banks or verge mowing operations. Specifying the right machine can be expensive but crucial to deliver the job. On the private side, some contractors’ approaches to tendering also seem to be changing. We all want to win our fair share of work, but every contract has its minimum value,

which in most cases should be known by those putting the tender together. Labour and fuel costs are generally standard for everyone, so the only significant variables are how you structure your teams and where you base your depot. Machinery and vehicle costs depend on what is utilised and how you depreciate it, but unless you are buying hundreds of machines at a time it’s fair to say that the initial purchase costs will be similar, give or take a couple of percent. Carrying out site visits and seeking local knowledge are key inputs. Today, some contracts are being awarded at a significantly lower value than they’d been delivered for previously, and often at a price considerably lower than the other participating bidders. Even if the specification has been reduced, if there’s one stand-out price far lower than the others, this can only be a contract failure waiting to happen. Clearly, clients need to save money, but surely the job still has to be delivered safely, and these decisions could result in the client paying more in the long run. In 25 years, how has the value of what we deliver changed? ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. He gained an MSc in agricultural engineering and mechanisation management at Silsoe, joining Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, and then idverde UK in 2009 as group head of assets and fleet. Contact: angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / March 2019 103

20/02/2019 12:35

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19/02/2019 09:45

EDUCATE

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Toyota Hilux Tipper Legendary Toyota Reliability • Payload capacity up to one tonne • Fully galvanised tipping frames • Anodised aluminium side boards with over-centre catches • Removable corner posts • Two-way tailboard hinge mechanism • Tippadek alloy ﬂoor system Price of commercial vehicle on the road for models with 3.5t towing capacity without Toyota Safety Sense: Hilux Single Cab from £20,179, Hilux Extra Cab from £21,738 Conversion costs £3,595 plus VAT.

N35.125 Twin rear wheel tipper model Payload capacity: 1,256kg • Max towing capacity: 3,500kg • External body length: 3175mm • External body width: 1950mm • Fully galvanised steel tipping body • 1.9L diesel engine producing 123PS • Engine does not require AdBlue • 3 year unlimited mileage warranty on chassis cab • Roadside assistance included as standard Price: Available on request

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VOLKSWAGEN

EXPERT VIEW: IS IT BETTER TO BUY OR LEASE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES? Most of us in the landscape industry depend on vehicles to keep our business running. There is no definitive answer to the question of whether to buy or lease. Many companies have a mix, to suit their needs in a particular area or discipline of work. For

Volkswagen Crafter Range includes front or rear-wheel drive, manual or automatic gearbox • 4MOTION four-wheel drive • Lower loading height for FWD version • Gross vehicle weights range from 3 to 5.5t • Universal ﬂoor covering allows easy transfer of racking • Electro-mechanical steering paves way for driver assistance systems • Automatic postcollision braking system and cross wind assist • Front Assist and City Emergency Braking also standard Price: Prices start from £30,012

WWW.VOLKSWAGEN.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Commercial Vehicles.indd 105

PHIL JONES

CEO OF ESL LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS

example, it may be cost effective to lease a vehicle that will be working on a mobile round, making many journeys each day and incurring high mileage. Alternatively, it may make sense to own a vehicle that is mostly site based that doesn’t incur much mileage or running costs. End of lease costs can be higher with more wear and tear and possible damage incurred in the course of the work. Each business leader must make the decision to buy or lease based on cash balance, profitability and intended use of the vehicle and take into account potential cash outlay versus fixed monthly costs.

Pro Landscaper / March 2019 105

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EDUCATE

AS 940 Remote Control Mowing on steep and difficult terrain has always been a challenge for the machine operator and the AS 940 Remote Control has been especially developed for this demanding application. It offers all the benefits of the standard AS 940 but with the option to convert to remote control when required.

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Husqvarna Automower 500 Series New for 2019 is the world’s ﬁrst all-wheel drive (AWD) Husqvarna Automower which allows slopes of up to 70% to be maintained (the standard models have slope performance of 45%). The 500 Series robotic mowers all come with Husqvarna Fleet Services™ built-in, enabling ﬂeet management and mower control from anywhere.

RMI 632 PC iMow robotic lawn mower The app controlled RMI 632 PC iMow robotic lawn mower can handle large areas of up to 5,000m² with ease and is designed to mow in the shortest time possible. Being able to cut, shred and fertilise as a mulching mower in a single operation, the new iMow can travel along 45° slopes and users can conveniently conﬁgure a host of settings using an app on a smartphone or tablet. For example, users can change the mowing plan, read status messages and pause or start new mowing operations from the comfort of their home or oﬃce.

WWW.STIHL.CO.UK

106 Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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John Deere’s TANGO E5 Series II John Deere’s TANGO E5 Series II robotic mower features a big display screen and smart navigation technology. It’s simple to set up and produces consistently excellent results. The robust casing and blade are built to last and the powerful lithium-ion battery enables it to cover grass areas up to 2200m², mowing in a random pattern within an easily-installed concealed boundary wire.

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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EDUCATE

WHAT’S YOUR ROLE? GREG PACKMAN from yoga and guided history walks, to family discovery days. As part of this programme I deliver a series of tree walks across the Royal Parks. Each park has something very different to offer – at Kensington Gardens we have a walk on veteran trees, Hyde Park has a winter tree identification walk and Brompton Cemetery has a focus on the trees, symbolism and heritage of the planting in the cemetery.

Pro Landscaper speaks to one of 2018’s 30 Under 30 winners Greg Packman, to find out more about his role as arboricultural assistant for The Royal Parks

©Max Rush

Can you tell me about your role? What does a normal day look like for you? A normal day for me usually consists of tree inspections, primarily focused on risk management of the mature trees but there is also an important focus on landscape and ecological management. For example, where possible we keep standing deadwood for invertebrates, such as the endangered stag beetle. We have more than 170,000 trees across 5,000 acres of parkland, so we are a busy team!

What has been your route into the arboriculture industry? I began by volunteering at a local country park and really enjoyed the tree conservation element. After studying arboriculture at college, I launched my own gardening business which evolved into tree work and consultancy. I then spotted a vacancy for an arboricultural officer at The Royal Parks and here I am.

Can you tell me about your work with the London Tree Officers Association? As I work extensively with London plane trees, I was invited to join a London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) working group, surveying for plane wilt (canker stain of plane) as part of a Forestry Commission project. From there I co-authored a document on how to manage the disease if it were to be introduced into the UK. Following my presentation at the 2017 National Tree Officers Conference on Massaria disease of plane, I was asked to chair the LTOA’s Massaria working group. As of December 2018, I am a co-opted member of their Executive Committee.

What do you enjoy most about your job? Working around trees and always learning are the most enjoyable parts of my job. Spending every day in world-class parks such as Hyde Park and St James’ Park is a bonus! Each park is so different and varied that every day is a new and exciting challenge. Being able to contribute to the wider industry and being involved in research projects is also very rewarding. What do you find most challenging? Probably the most difficult aspect is when we need to remove trees. It’s not why I got into the job, but it is still a part of responsible tree management. Before we plant new trees, we need to really think about their placement. It’s important to be mindful of the next hundred years or so and the effect that trees will have on the landscape. What are your future aspirations? In a way, I am already doing my dream job, but I do have future aspirations to work at a more senior managerial level. If not that, then I see myself working in education in some capacity as I think one of my strongest skills is the ability to share my tree knowledge with others. www.royalparks.org.uk Follow Greg on Instagram @greg_packman

Can you tell me about your community engagement work, such as the guided tree walk programme? The Royal Parks learning team deliver more than 100 different community events each year, 108 Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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20/02/2019 11:38

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Introducing the new overhauled Horticulture Careers job portal...

Horticulture CAREERS Register online now for free and take advantage of the following features:

New user-friendly interface. A modernised design means that the site is easier to navigate, with simplified job application features. Follow your favourite companies. You can follow some of the biggest companies in the industry to be notified of the latest vacancies as they are uploaded. Register a CV. Upload a CV and let employers find you!

Please contact Liam Colclough to advertise your vacancy:

Email: liam.colclough@eljays44.com New hort careers.indd 3

Tel: 01903 777570 22/01/2019 16:45

EDUCATE

WHAT I’M READING Ollie Neaves, Tectonic

OLLIE NEAVES Title Piet Oudolf Landscapes in Landscapes Authors Piet Oudolf with Noel Kingsbury One of my favourite books is a recent one on the Dutch garden designer, plantsman and visionary Piet Oudolf. I came across it whilst flicking through the shelves in the RHS Hub at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2018. Oudolf began gardening at the age of 25 and soon found himself utterly absorbed by the activity. A champion of the New Perennial Movement, his bold designs use herbaceous perennials and grasses to draw at least as much focus to the structure of plants as to their colour. Oudolf emphasises plant structure as the most important aspect of a successful garden. Perennials – prized for their beauty throughout their life cycle. The book includes 200 high-quality illustrations, and for me is invaluable for providing an insight into how Oudolf works on large scale

planting schemes and planting on mass. It helps to demystify an exciting approach to planting on mass in our own larger scale projects. Understanding his design philosophy on plant structure is such a vital aspect of successful planting and in particular how form and texture are just as imperative as the use of colour. My favourite chapter has to be the one covering the long double borders at RHS Wisley.

I always revisit these borders at different times of the year to observe the planting scheme. The book has now also allowed me to understand the philosophy and visually observe the planting scheme as well as see illustrations of the planting plans and layouts. It has benefited the way our team approaches planting plans, defining strong design briefs, using coloured graphics pens when starting an initial planting scheme on paper, working in tandem with planting elevations and helping us eventually migrate our designs onto CAD. Illustrating structural planting, herbaceous and grasses, and allowing us to observe our designs as they progress through the different seasons by using plant/seasonal layering on AutoCAD and 3D visualisation software, has allowed our planting designs to be fully developed. Outside of the Box I always seek to look ‘outside of the box’ in all walks of life, to question and explore other ways of achieving breathtaking designs. Piet Oudolf is inspirational in the way he challenges the conventional approaches to planting compositions, using bold drifts of herbaceous perennials and grasses. It is no surprise that Piet Oudolf was recently awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Garden Designers. Oudolf said: “Gardening is a lifetime experience to get better and better at... like all forms of art, you can only get better when you practice. Inspiration is something sort of ephemeral. You never know how it came to you.”

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JOBS

For full details on all jobs, please goFor to full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk. www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 587 or email ellie.downes@eljays44.com vacancy. Call 01903 777with 584your or email liam.colclough@eljays44.com with your vacancy

TURF R&D SUPERVISOR

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Wildﬂower Turf Ltd is the leading supplier of Wildﬂower Turf products in the UK. The role is based at a 700-acre farm near Basingstoke. Work will involve managing the trials site and research & development facility, working within the team to help develop new products and continually striving to improve the existing products currently being supplied. It is looking for somebody with good plant knowledge, an interest in biodiversity, detailed recording skills and some experience with horticultural machinery.

Frogheath Landscapes is an award-winning garden landscaping company based in rural Sussex. It is looking for an experienced project coordinator to join it’s office team. You will work alongside company directors and the office & operations manager to provide an efficient administrative service in a busy office. Ensuring a high quality service to customers and staff will be essential in your role, enabling the smooth workflow of the business.

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

WILDFLOWER TURF Location: Hampshire

FROGHEATH LANDSCAPES Location: Sussex

GARDENER LEVEL 3

STEFANO MARINAZ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LTD Location: West London This role involves responsibility for looking after medium-size gardens in West London. You will work both independently and with another person to help you out on certain tasks. Candidates must have a formal qualiﬁcation in horticulture, passion for the job and practical skills. The ideal candidate will be honest, self-motivated, reliable, able to plan ahead and have a friendly yet professional approach with clients. A full driving licence is required as the candidate will need to drive a small van. SMLA offers a competitive salary, training courses, uniform, company phone and PPE.

JOIN OUR TEAM

We are looking to expand our team & have two new exciting permanent opportunities, based in Guildford, Surrey. We are ideally looking for those with experience of working in landscaping, ecological contracting, countryside management or a similar field. We are a professional ecological contracting company specialising in landscaping, vegetation clearance, fencing, invasive species management, habitat creation & ecological mitigation. We are part of Thomson Environmental Consultancy experts in environmental compliance. For more information, check out our recent blog: www.thomsonec.com/news/a-day-in-the-life-of-wulf-project-manager

PROJECT MANAGER

Location: Guildford Role requirements: • commercial project management, ideally gained whilst working in the landscaping sector • managing & delivering projects on time & to budget • leading & motivating site & office based teams • experience of developing strong relationships with clients • understanding of H&S legislation • full UK driving licence & use of a car.

BID MANAGER

Location: Guildford, Surrey Role requirements: • experience of bidding & estimating, ideally gained whilst working in the landscaping sector • undertaking site visits to price jobs • experience of preparing commercial bids & tenders, including using online tender portals • experience of pre-award presentations & contract negotiation • understanding of NEC3 contracts • planning & organisation skills with proven ability to multi-task

Please apply as soon as possible with your CV & a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role (max 500 words) to recruitment@thomsonec.com

For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

GARDENERS

EDENS LANDSCAPES LIMITED Location: Bournemouth/Poole Eden Landscapes are looking for experienced gardeners to join a leading garden maintenance company in the South, who cater for the private and commercial sectors and have a reputation for reliability and quality. The role will require you to assist the round supervisor in completing maintenance tasks including grass cutting with straight stripes, weeding, operating horticultural machinery, planting and more. The ideal candidate will have experience within the landscaping industry, good plant knowledge and practical skills in garden maintenance. A full UK driving license would be desirable. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPER

HL SERVICES Location: Hertfordshire HL Services’ client is one of the fastest growing businesses in the industry and is one of the UK’s leading providers of the plant nursery and landscaping services. As part of it’s growth plans this year, it is are now looking for a landscaper. It is looking for people to maintain, organise and motivate various sites. Under your supervision you will ensure all landscaping services are delivered to a high standard which meets customer expectations. The landscaper will work to their own initiative identifying opportunities for improvement and driving business development in their area. For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

112 Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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20/02/2019 16:14

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PEOPLE

LEE HEITZMAN Trex southern sales manager, Arbor Forest Products www.arbordeck.co.uk Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not? I find them very inspirational. They show people what can be achieved in sometimes challenging settings. The one person in the industry you’d love to meet? Alan Titchmarsh. I’ve always been a huge fan of his shows and the way he has embraced new products in his garden designs. Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most? I am a huge fan of the Scandinavian landscape – it’s so clean and tranquil. The lakes and mountains during sunset are beautiful.

United States flag was 17 at the time and created it for a high school project. He received a B-. It’s a testament to the idea that great work can be unappreciated, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an audience or isn’t valuable.

Your favourite joke? How much does a polar bear weigh? I don’t know either, but it broke the ice.

Best piece of trivia you know? The designer of the current 114 Pro Landscaper / March 2019

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RICHARD SABIN Owner, Biotecture & Biotecture Design www.biotecture.uk.com

One thing that you think would make the industry better? Education on products is vital for our industry. It is not always clear to the consumer what they are buying and this can often lead to frustrations and disappointment. Couldn’t get through the week without... CrossFit training – I train three or four times a week.

Role model as a child? My dad, he always worked hard to support the family and showed me how to become a man. I am lucky to have such a great person to rely on.

Pro Landscaper asks quick-fire questions to gain a small insight into the people who make up our industry. To take part email content@eljays44.com

Best invention in recent years? Mobile video calls. Being able to connect with the family while away travelling with work is amazing. It’s the downside to the job at times and having the ability to video call the family really does help.

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not? Seeing the quality of the gardens when designers and nature work in harmony is utterly breathtaking. Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most? USA – they seem to have everything! What would you blow your budget on? A 100kWh Tesla Model S with the optional “ludicrous mode” package. The one person in the industry you’d love to meet? Michael Gove – I have my reasons!

One thing that you think would make the industry better? More consultation about how we can better integrate plants (and the resultant benefits) into the fabric of our society. Best piece of trivia you know? If taken advantage of to its fullest extent, sunlight beamed on the earth for one hour could meet our energy demands for a year. Couldn’t get through the week without… My wife, Holly. Role model as a child? Douglas Adams.

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20/02/2019 15:28

PEOPLE

ROBERT SMIT Director, HortiServices Ltd www.hortiservices.co.uk Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not? Absolutely inspirational! Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most? South Africa.

What would you blow your budget on? An 18-month round-the-world trip, fishing and exploring the world’s beautiful wild places.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet? Me, but with 10 more years’ experience.

Best piece of trivia you know? The oldest seed ever germinated we know of was over 30,000 years old and was actually found in a rodent’s burrow in the Arctic Circle.

Couldn’t get through the week without… Daily chats with my team leaders. They are always a laugh and continue to help me stay in touch,

LINDSEY NAYLOR

JOE TACCHI

Sales account manager, Bourne Amenity Ltd

Director, Robin Tacchi Plants

www.bourneamenity.co.uk Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not? I share the majority opinion that garden shows radiate brilliance, allowing folk to express their inner creativity and divulge their passions. But, I think the pressure to create something new and different is behind us and that these big flashy show gardens are not the way to go. Should we not apply skills in areas that are more urgent, say gardens for therapeutic means? Role model as a child? My dad. Worked hard and still came home with a smile. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Little Interview.indd 115

especially when I am stuck in the office. One thing that you think would make the industry better? Ban artificial grass! Role model as a child? I would have to choose my gran for her loving and generous spirit.

www.robintacchiplants.com The one person in the industry you’d love to meet? Ann-Marie Powell. One thing that you think would make the industry better? More opportunity for underdogs to make headlines. Your favourite joke? What’s red and smells like blue paint? Red paint.

Best piece of trivia you know? Worcestershire sauce was invented by accident.

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not? Definitely an inspiration, great to see what the plants we grow are being used for and it helps us find out what plants are in fashion for our production! Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most? New Zealand. From experience, the mountains, forests and long windswept beaches of the South Island are always stirring.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet? Piet Oudolf has always been a real inspiration. One thing that you think would make the industry better Stronger biosecurity control across the industry, especially those who are importing from the Continent. Fortunately, the HTA is being very proactive with this now which will only help the UK industry. Best piece of trivia you know? Taiga forest is the biggest in the world and holds a third of all trees on earth. Pro Landscaper / March 2019 115

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