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FLOWER SHOW SHOW GUIDE
2015
VECTORWORKS HINTS & TIPS
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT Stand apart from your competitors
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Welcome to the May issue of Pro Landscaper. Summer has just started to show its face, and gardens and public spaces are now beginning to look their best. This is usually one of the busiest times of the year for our industry and of course, it’s also the month of the RHS Chelsea Flower
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Show. We’ve produced an exclusive in-depth supplement with this issue which we hope you will enjoy. Pro Landscaper was proud to be the media partner for the efig Awards in London in April. Efig is the association for the interior landscape industry and we were also privileged to be asked to announce and present the efig leaves to winners of each of the categories. The awards showcased some outstanding examples of what can be achieved in interior landscaping. Those technicians involved in this part of the horticulture industry are highly skilled and often work in partnership with exterior landscape companies if clients require a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor planting schemes. There is a members directory on the efig website
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www.efig.co.uk. See our coverage of the awards ceremony on pages 12-13 of this issue. Our thought provoking Opinion pages have recently encouraged many of you to email in your own views. It’s great to see readers interacting with our contributors and we welcome your comments, which you may even see published within our letters page. See page 10 for what’s got you interested recently. Along with all the regular features, don’t forget to check out our fabulous selection of award-winning portfolios, this section is always a page turner and again highlights the skill and excellence of people working in our industry. Have a great month,
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CONTENTS
May 2015
PRO LAND
SCAPER’S GUIDE TO THE
RHS C SUPPLE MENT
IN ASSOC IATION
2015
HELSEA FLOWER SHOW WITH CED STONE
GROUP
6 News Shed Our round-up of industry news over the last month
10 Have Your Say
Chelsea intros
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Letters to the editor
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12 efig Awards All the winners
15 Association News efig on the success of its awards’ Gatsby gala dinner; APL announces it has joined forces with RatedPeople; a sneak preview of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show gardens; SGD calls for entries for the Product of the Year 2015; updates from BALI on upcoming workshops
12
OPINION
19 View From The Top Phil Jones says local authority cuts mean more multi-service contracts
20 An Eye On The Future Some of the kit Angus Lindsay would like to see featured in a future Pro Landscaper
23 Plastic Fantastic?
Concept to Delivery
May 2015
DESIGN, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN WITH THIS ISSUE EXCLUSIVE
SARAH EBERLE
SHOW GUIDE
2015
VECTORWORKS
Andrew Wilson considers there is room for improvement when it comes to the education in our professional disciplines
25 And The Winner Is... Landscpe architect Adam White offers advice on why entering and winning awards is one of the best forms of advertising in the landscaping business BUSINESS TIPS
27 Dare To Be Different Steve Clarke says it is essential to differentiate your business to draw people in without driving down the profits
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HINTS & TIPS
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
David Dodd assesses the pros and cons of artificial grass
24 Quality Or Quantity?
TECHNICAL
RHS
CHELSEA
FLOWER SHOW
Stand apart from your competitors
EFIG AWARDS
TURF MAINTENANCE
LOOK OUT FOR
OUTDOOR
RUSSELL MALTON
TRENDS
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28 Integrating New Starters Mentoring and training on the job is paramount to get the most out of new employees, explains Jody Lidgard
31 Oiling The Wheels Concluding her series, Janine Pattison gives tips on how to make projects less stressful
32 Trends That Are
Moving Outdoors Anji Connell looks at the latest products and how to incorporate them into your outdoor living space
33 The Star Attraction Advice from Robert Webber on how to make the most of your garden with lighting
34 Using The Plant Tool Hints and tips from Tamsin Slatter and her team on how to get the best from Vectorworks Landmark CAD software INTERVIEW
37 Let’s Hear It From UK’s leading landscape designer Sarah Eberle
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CONTENTS
NURSERY
CONTRIBUTORS
57 Nursery News News and information from around the UK including Nursery Notes with Barcham Trees
60 In The Mix Noel Kingsbury airs his views on blended perennial mixes sold by the metre
62 Plantman’s Plot
A selection of plants and trees available from nurseries across the country
Phil Jones MD of ISS Facility Services Landscaping Angus Lindsay Head of Fleet at The Landscape Group David Dodd Landscaper and lecturer
Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer
62
Jody Lidgard WorldSkills technical lead and landscaper
PRODUCTS
65 Lighting
Steve Clarke Sales mentor
EQUIPMENT
67 Equipment News
37 PORTFOLIO
43 Pave The Way Elite Landscapes transforms Imperial Wharf into a modern riverside development
68 Jack On The Tools
Janine Pattison Garden designer
70 Kubota’s Guide To Utility Vehicles
73 Latest Kit Sprayers 75 Latest Kit Turf Maintenance 77 Latest Kit Tree Maintenance
46 Sitting Comfortably With the use of flowing curves and locally supplied materials, James Bird Landscapes blends this country home into its surroundings
50 Liquid Assets John Davies Landscape brings the outside in, using bespoke water features to add a new dimension to urban living
53 Into The Wild The Landscape Group provides park maintenance to the BALI awardwinning Stratford Park in Stroud
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Adam White Director of Davies White Landscape Architects
65
Anji Connell Interior architect and landscape designer Robert Webber Founder of Scenic Lighting Tamsin Slatter Director of Vectorworks Training Noel Kingsbury Garden designer and writer
PEOPLE
78 The Little Interview Q&A with a selection of readers
ARE YOU GOING?
80 Look Out For APL Rising Star award winner Russell Malton from Holland Landscapes
80
MAY 19-23 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London www.rhs.org.uk
Pro Landscaper / May 2015
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NEWS
NEWS SHED French company idverde takes over The Landscape Group The Landscape Group (TLG) has announced that it is now owned by the French construction and maintenance company idverde, making the new alliance Europe’s largest specialist in landscaping and grounds maintenance. The takeover was sealed following TLG’s major shareholder (Elysian Capital) concluding negotiations with the majority shareholder of idverde (Chequers Capital) for the sale of its entire share capital. A market leader in French landscaping and construction, idverde employs 3,000 staff, has a turnover of €280m and is the only national green services provider across the whole of France. After researching the British market for a possible acquisition, idverde discovered that TLG possesses the country’s strongest
management team and financial performance as well as providing the best cultural fit for idverde in the UK. The Landscape Group has a 1,000-strong workforce with an annual revenue totalling £50m, having built up a forward order book of around £300m. Nick Temple-Heald, Chief Executive of The Landscape Group, said: “I cannot think of a better home for the future of TLG and its valued employees. “Both companies are green specialists and both companies are passionate about developing their people.” www.thelandscapegroup.co.uk
Team London Bridge launches competition to design city parklets Team London Bridge and partners has launched a design competition for the delivery of Fresh Air Square ‘parklets’ in the London Bridge and Vauxhall areas of central London. The aim is to deliver the first Fresh 6
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Air Square in September 2015, followed by a further three to four locations in spring 2016. Fresh Air Squares will replace car parking spaces for a period of one week to a year to improve the local
John O’Conner groundsman scoops St Albans’ Mayor’s Recognition Award Groundsman Terry Dean of John O’Conner GM Ltd has been awarded the St Albans City and District Council’s prestigious Mayor’s Recognition Award. Terry has just celebrated 50 years of service to the city’s Clarence Park, having started as an apprentice in 1964. The St Albans Mayor’s Pride Awards honour extraordinary individuals and outstanding organisations in St Albans. Hosted on 26 March, the awards ceremony welcomed a range of community heroes with special guest speakers and live entertainment throughout the night.
Matt O’Conner, Managing Director of John O’Conner GM Ltd, praised Terry’s contributions: “Terry is a valued and reliable member of our team. Throughout his career he has turned down several offers of promotion as it would have taken him away from the park and the work that he loves.” www.johnoconner.co.uk
Kensington Roof Gardens opens free for first ever National Open Gardens Day Kensington Roof Gardens opened to the public to mark the first ever National Open Gardens Day on 17 April. The Roof Garden’s 1.5 acre site has three themed gardens on top of what was Barkers department store, 100ft above London’s Kensington High Street. They were built thanks to Trevor Bowen, vice president of John Barker and Co, who wanted to create an escape from the city. There is a Spanish Garden, loosely based on the Alhambra, Spain, a Tudor Garden with alfresco
restaurant, an English Woodland with spring bulbs and several trees that are more than 70 years old. The Wildlife Garden has real flamingos and exotic ducks that enjoy the pond and grassy area. The building, which has been part of London’s glamorous scene since the 1960s, was home to the restaurant and nightclub Regine’s and is now owned by Sir Richard Branson, whose Babylon Restaurant gives access to the English Woodland Garden. www.nationalgardeningweek. org.uk
environment and raise awareness of air quality issues. They will be designed to incorporate planting and seating, an air quality monitoring station, specialised plant species to mitigate air pollution and sustainable urban drainage. The closing date for the competition is Tuesday 12 May. www.teamlondonbridge.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 14:30
NEWS
RHS Malvern Spring Festival celebrates 30th anniversary
Singer and gardener Kim Wilde fronts TV appeal in aid of Thrive
As well as a selection of show gardens and a glorious floral marquee with more than 80 nurseries exhibiting from all over the UK, there will be gardening demonstrations from Carol Klein and Joe Swift and workshops from James Alexander-Sinclair and Mark Diacono. The show has been a springboard for garden design talents such as Diarmuid Gavin, Chris Beardshaw and Paul Hervey-Brookes and this year’s designers are hoping the show will also push them into the spotlight. Martyn Wilson has designed a show garden in support of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust called The Bees Knees, and Ruth Gwyn has designed The Organ Donation Garden: A Gift of Life, on behalf of the
Eighties pop star and gardener Kim Wilde hosted April’s BBC Lifeline Appeal on behalf of Thrive, a charity that uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or those who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable. The organisation has gardens in Reading, London, Birmingham and Gateshead. “I really believe in the benefits of being outdoors in a living, breathing garden. That’s why I think the work of Thrive is so important,” said Kim. There are many benefits of social and therapeutic horticulture, such as the chance for people to learn and develop new skills in gardening and growing food, leading to an increase in confidence and self-esteem. Thrive’s BBC Lifeline Appeal aired on BBC One on Sunday 19 April and donations can be made online at: www.bbc.co.uk/lifeline
Worcester Acute Hospital Trust Organ Donation committee. Amy Perkins has designed The Cotswold Way, a celebration of some of the loveliest gardens in the region. There will also be a series of smaller festival gardens, a category launched last year to encourage designers to embrace new trends and materials. The RHS Malvern Spring Festival takes place from 7-10 May. www.rhs.org.uk www.threecounties.co.uk
The Landscape Institute launches ‘Inspiring Great People’ members booklet The Landscape Institute (LI) has launched a booklet highlighting the many opportunities there are to help shape the organisation and the landscape profession. In his introduction to ‘Inspiring Great People’, Chief Executive Phil Mulligan explains: “Volunteers are responsible for ensuring that
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well-rounded professionals complete the Pathway to Chartership. They champion the importance of landscape in government and local policy, they shape the future of the profession through the LI’s strategic priorities and they share knowledge across landscape sectors to inform and
unite fellow professionals.” The document looks at a range of different ways of contributing, through education, governance and fellowship. The booklet can be downloaded at: www.landscapeinstitute.org/ PDF/Contribute/ InspiringGreatPeople.pdf
NEWS IN BRIEF Perennial marathon
Nigel Bowcock of Acre Landscapes has run two marathons in two weeks to raise money for Perennial.
Art of the Garden The ‘Art of the Garden’ landscape design exhibition by Mark Fenton takes place at the Lytham Heritage Centre in Lancashire on Tuesday 12 May 2015.
Wyevale rides for charity Ben Gregory of Wyevale Nurseries will cycle more than 385km from 30 April to 3 May in aid of Cyclists Fighting Cancer, The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and The Yeovil Community Trust.
Soil conference
An innovative soil conference for landscape professionals will take place on 14 October 2015 at the Howbery Park Conference Centre, Wallingford, Oxfordshire. Email info@toha.co.uk
21/04/2015 14:30
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Fabian Society report says green spaces can empower citizens, reverse individualism A Fabian Society report ‘Places to Be’ has highlighted green spaces as crucial community ballasts and called for management of green spaces in such a way that empowers citizens and encourages democratic engagement. The think tank launched the report on Wednesday with a keynote speech from Maria Eagle and a panel discussion at Bush Theatre in London. ‘Places to Be’ states the importance of green spaces to communities: “Our green spaces
more than ever provide a crucial community ballast, where we can come together, build relationships and reverse society’s long-term journey towards individualism and isolation. Spending on parks is predicted to be reduced by 60% by 2020, so the next government is going to have to find ways of keeping our green, outdoor spaces open to all during an extended period of austerity.” Dr Sid Sullivan of The Parks Alliance welcomed the report. www.theparksalliance.org
AIPH appoints new vice president and marketing committee chair The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has appointed a new vice president as well as a chair of the AIPH Marketing Committee. Professor Zhang Qixiang was nominated by the China Flower Association and elected as vice president of AIPH at its spring meeting held on 18 March in Paris. He joins the AIPH Executive Committee and will work closely with the president Mr Vic Krahn, second vice president Mr Bernard Oosterom and secretary general Mr Tim Briercliffe, as they lead the
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association together. Previously, Mr Kevin Chung had been elected as chair of the Marketing and Exhibitions Committee during the AIPH general meeting held on 17 September 2014 in Qingdao, China. The committee approves and monitors international horticultural exhibitions.
Final planting at UK’s first public natural swimming pond Hundreds of marginal and aquatic plants are being delivered to the site of the UK’s first public natural swimming pond at King’s Cross, where they will be planted by expert pool constructors Kingcombe Aquacare ahead of its planned opening later this spring. The Kingcombe team has been working on the construction of the 411m2 swimming pond in conjunction with the King’s Cross Development Partnership and contractors Carillion since November 2014. The natural bathing pond has been designed as an art installation entitled ‘Of Soil and Water: King’s Cross Pond Club’ and it sits in the centre of the King’s Cross development site. The original concept was created by Ooze Architects and artist Marjetica Potrč. The installation aims to make people think about the relationship between nature and the urban environment, the permanence of buildings and the changing nature of undeveloped spaces. As with all BIOTOP’s natural pool designs, the pond will be completely chemical-free and the water will be purified by a specially designed 180m2+ planted regeneration zone. www.kingscross.co.uk/ kings-cross-pond-club
CONTRACTS WON
NEWS
Contractor: Glendale Services: Grounds maintenance Employed by: East Lindsey District Council Duration: Four years Value: £600,000
Contractor: The Landscape Group Services: Grounds maintenance and security patrolling Employed by: Elmbridge Borough Council Start date: 1 April 2015 Duration: Seven years (extension up to two years) Value: £1.1m
Contractor: Glendale Services: Cutting services Employed by: Lincolnshire County Council Duration: Four years Value: £600,000
Contractor: J.B. Landscape Services: Grounds/tree maintenance Employed by: Kent Science Park Duration: Five years
21/04/2015 14:30
LETTERS
HAVE YOUR SAY YOUR OPINIONS, YOUR VIEWPOINTS
OPINION
Andrew Wilson bemoans clients who fail to see the basic point of the creative design process and who seem intent on finding the most effective ways of wasting money Meeting new clients is a fascinating experience and one of my favourite aspects of being a garden designer. Students are often keen to talk
Is something rattling you? Why not air your views on current landscape topics via email to the editor at editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk
THE DOCTOR IS IN...
about this too, assuming that once you have a system or approach in place then off you go and all clients fall into line.
After 30 years in the business, I know nothing
could be further from the truth and I often find myself wishing I’d paid more attention to psychology at university. I’m thinking that Gavin
and I should install a couch in the office and run preliminary interviews of clients before we waste too much time finding out that they really need a different form of help. Generally clients decide that they need a
designer when they have no creative ideas of their own; have no time to work on their ideas; lack specialist knowledge or have no way of visualising their outdoor space.
We are currently working with an architect on a scheme in which a new build is being placed into a large garden. In making our joint proposal we have both warned the client on separate architectural and garden design issues that they are wrong in certain decision making but that we will each try to work with their requests. Do
‘From the land of wishful thinking’ Andrew Wilson’s article ‘The Doctor Is In’ (Pro Landscaper – February 2015) really made me chuckle. Like Andrew I’ve been in the business a long time and still find meeting and dealing with new clients a fantastic part of the job. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some lovely people who have been a joy to get to know but there have been a few clients who have played no small part in giving my hair its liberal scattering of white highlights. As designers, we all give advice based on knowledge and experience and I for one go out of my way to explain to clients the rationale behind every design decision I make but there are some for whom this is all just so much hot air. Although I never studied psychology I think it’s because they have come to the process from a parallel universe called the ‘land of
Let’s hear it for the contractors... I would like to support David Dodd’s reflections on the low profile given to the contractors who build the award winning gardens we see so much of in glossy magazines and on the television (Pro Landscaper – April 2015). While design award events such as the SGD Awards may be slightly different, I believe a much greater profile should be given to contractors in all settings. As a new designer I have found the support, advice and expertise of contractors invaluable in the realisation of my designs. While more experienced designers will have greater knowledge of construction challenges, it’s hard to believe that their input is not vital to the delivery of finished designs at shows such as RHS Chelsea. The simple acknowledgement of contractors names at shows is not nearly enough. It leaves a
10
Pro Landscaper / May 2015
WHY EMPLOY DESIGNERS AND THEN IGNORE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE?
wishful thinking’ in which their steeply sloping garden on a bleak windswept hillside is no effort at all to make flat. Sheep and rabbits don’t need fencing out of a newly planted garden, they don’t eat plants. Swathes of scented lavender do really well in the moist shade of a woodland and it’s also the place where the cost of laying paving material outside in the worst our weather can throw at the landscapers, is actually far less than if laid in the warmth and comfort of the kitchen. To use Andrew’s doctor’s surgery analogy, I think that they are the same people who when warned of the health risks of eating too much fat, drinking excessively and smoking, walk straight out of the waiting room and round the corner to the pub for six pints, a packet of pork scratchings and a fag on the way home. So as Andrew asked, I’ve given this type of decision making some serious thought and I’m
“Do you solemnly swear to listen to my advice?” walls, hundreds of steps and an enclosed north facing rear terrace. The house was better suited
to a flat site and the client better advised to fit the architecture to the topography. So far money has been lost in fees for engineers, architects and a garden designer, together with substantial planning costs when an informal conversation at the outset would have avoided such waste. At present, the project is shelved. How do we get the garden designer in first and clients to understand that this is money well spent?
experience of external work, against our advice. Their returned price was unworkably low but
the client appointed them over our heads and over that of his project manager. How should we respond?
It’s easy to get tired with this endless sequence of bad decision making and this phenomenon certainly wasn’t part of my training when I entered the world of garden design and landscape architecture. Can we give this some serious thought in 2015 and turn over a new leaf next year? Suggestions very much appreciated. Have your say. Air your views on our letters page: editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk
really sorry but I can’t see 2015 being any different to any other year. People will still be people, on the whole they will be nice and normal, but some I fear will come from the land of wishful thinking... so all I need to do is enrol on that psychology course! Cheryl Cummings Cheryl Cummings Garden Design we walk away or try to make the best of what could be an amazing scheme? Why employ designers and then ignore their professional advice and experience?
We have had another recent experience of a client trying to bash a square peg into a round hole. As ever, the garden designer was the last to be commissioned but in this case should have been the first. The garden is a steeply sloping site into which the architect was asked to locate a gigantic new build. The cut required was enormous, leading to several 5-6m high retaining
We have recently been at pains to explain to a customer why a three acre garden will cost more than his London terrace garden, a mere fraction
of the size. Maths wasn’t really my strong point at school, but I do understand that larger in size generally means greater in price. Three conversations and six weeks of reflection seem excessive to me in making this point. How do we make this simple formula easy to digest?
A commercial client has just topped this with a request to go to competitive tender from a list that included a contractor with little or no
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ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden designer and a Director of Wilson McWilliam Studio. He is also a Director of the London College of Garden Design, an author, writer and lecturer. www.wmstudio.co.uk
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GET IN CONTACT editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk @ProLandscaperJW prolandscapermagazine 01903 777 570 Pro Landscaper
...but it’s a team effort feeling they have simply followed the ‘paint by number plan’ of the designer rather than I read with interest the article by David been an active and skilled partner in the process. Dodd in last month’s issue and in general This adds to the undervaluing of garden I found myself agreeing with David’s views design and clients’ poor understanding of the on the team effort required to design and skills and costs good design requires. Media build award winning gardens. coverage frequently goes into detail on planting With regard to the SGD Awards, but gives no feel whatsoever of the skills required as most of the schemes need to to deliver the environment the plants sit in. be built to be entered for an award, Plant varieties and horticultural techniques most would not be winners without a good contractor. have advanced enormously in recent years and the same has happened with I think we all know that CREDIT WHERE the designer, contractor, building materials and techniques. We all CREDIT’S DUE... client, supplier relationship need to be championing both sides of the is paramount in producing garden revolution as they are mutually top quality schemes and supportive and greater awareness among the Society of Garden our clients can only be good for all. Designers (SGD) fully Peter Reader recognises the importance Peter Reader Landscapes OPINION
David Dodd makes the case for crediting all those involved in the creation of award-winning projects in the garden design and landscape industries, from design to construction and supply
not the contractor is involved in the design process and if this is the case, they should be duly recognised. It then made me think, I wonder how SGD members would feel if this complete lack of acknowledgeme Personally, I can’t stand nt was watching awards reciprocated at the BALI ceremonies like the Oscars, or Baftas and APL Awards? Grammys on the telly. Mainly because of the Show gardens are getting long winded, boring thank you speeches that better. The contractor the winners seem to insist gets on burbling out after their name up on the RHS receiving their award. This is where the garden signage and website and design and landscape industries have got it Celebrating usually in the show garden two BALI Principal sussed. Announce the leaflets. category, rattle off the Awards with staff, designer I think the RHS is very shortlist, get the winner switched on in terms of s and suppliers up, give them a clap, understanding the importance get them off stage, boom! of the designer/ Next please. involved?’ Go to the BALI contractor relationship website and look at Hold on, this is ridiculous! and therefore they give Shouldn’t we all Award Winners 2014. due recognition. Read the portfolio section be giving credit where it’s due? After all, gardens in Pro Landscaper (I’ve As regards websites, obviously heard it’s quite a good are created by a team, designers are never an individual. magazine). Everyone involved showcasing their creative There is the designer or is mentioned and flair for designing architect, the to me that gives the creation beautiful gardens and landscapers of these gardens a contractor, specialist subcontractors, are much greater sense of suppliers demonstrating their craftsmanship achievement. and nurseries. It’s all these and technical people who make an In fairness, most readers skills in building and planting of highbrow award-winning project. these beautiful lifestyle magazines aren’t gardens. In my mind it actually interested in is only right and proper who built the wonderful that the designers are credited gardens adorning the GARDENS ARE CREATED appropriately for pages of their favourite any images we have in glossy. They just want our portfolio. I see giving AS A TEAM, NEVER to know about the designers credit as a positive thing. who will fulfil It demonstrates that AN INDIVIDUAL their dreams. my company can be entrusted to build for so Pro Landscaper is keen many high profile designers. to expand on After the SGD Awards, It also prevents the a few contractors this subject. We’re pleased blurring of any lines as mentioned that they had to see the RHS to who should take credit observed the fact giving greater recognition for the design. For one to contractors. that the SGD had almost particular project, both made a point of How about in the TV the designer and I use coverage? Let us know not mentioning the contractors the same photo on our or suppliers. your views: editor@pro-land websites. I credit them I couldn’t make up my scaper.co.uk for the design; they don’t mind whether they were credit us for construction. just being a bit oversensitive I’ve asked a few or they had a valid ABOUT DAVID DODD designers why they never point. To me, the SGD give any credit on their Awards is a recognition websites and one answer that interested and celebration of some David Dodd has been in the landscape industry since outstanding creativity, me was because they didn’t the age of 17. After having and the principal designer want to be seen to be studied and then taught fully deserves at Merrist Wood College, he connected to any one ownership of that award. set up The Outdoor Room particular contractor. However, the design in 1995. In 2013, he went Another one simply said into business with process is being carried they didn’t feel the need out from the first Landscape Architect, Joe Perkins to form Longview to. Well, I suppose he was concept drawings right honest, at least. Design Ltd. David has also the way through to lectured in design and One of the things I’m interested the completed garden, construction for over 20 in when years. so more often than reading about a project www.theoutdoorroom.co.uk is, ‘who were the team
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Selling our industry in schools How do we get young entrants into the industry? Higher pay would help but the perception that working with the soil is of less merit than say, working in an office or shop, needs addressing. In an attempt to encourage young people into horticulture and landscaping, we held a workshop in February at Merrist Wood College, with respected figures including horticultural consultant David Gilchrist, soils expert Tim O’Hare, growing media guru Catherine Dawson and landscaper/designer Paul Cowell addressing close to 100 level two to three+ students from a number of colleges. They told the story of what first got them interested and helped them get going in the industry, something about what they are doing now and their advice for people starting out. Paul Cowell spoke about the high proportion of staff in landscaping who register somewhere on the dyslexic spectrum. In the main they are practical hands-on learners rather than being academic but that does not make them any less able to make a contribution to society. There are now better systems and technology available to assist dyslexics to overcome the obstacles they face, providing they get suitable assessment and resources. The absence of horticulture in schools is not helping. We all have a role to play as ambassadors, showing what satisfaction can be gained working with a team of designers, suppliers and landscapers. We need to get into schools and tell them about the work we do and industry bodies need to support us in this. The skills shortage is across all sectors and is of concern to the associations. Surely this is a reason for them to work together and mobilise members to spread the positive message about our industry. Nick Coslett Marketing Manager Palmstead Nurseries
of those relationships. The SGD certainly does not ‘make a point of not recognising the contractor’ as mentioned in David’s article. In fact, the contractor’s name appears on the certificates (as with BALI and the APL, as long as the designer wishes the partnership to be recognised). This year the contractor will also appear on the website. Personally, I work as a designer, design and build contractor and my company also builds gardens for other designers. Therefore, I can relate to all sides of this debate. I make no excuse for the SGD predominately promoting the designer, however. After all, it’s a design awards and we want to promote excellence in garden design and give maximum recognition to the designer. James Scott MSGD SGD Council member responsible for the SGD Awards
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awards GATSBY GALA
The efig Gatsby Gala Awards dinner took place on 17 April at the America Square Conference Centre in London and Pro Landscaper was thrilled not only to be efig’s media partner, but also to announce and present the efig leaves to winners of each category. The awards showcased some outstanding examples of what can be achieved in interior landscaping.
THE WINNERS Maintenance up to £10,000 Bronze Leaf GP Plantscape Ltd New College Lanarkshire
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Maintenance £10,000 – £20,000
Gold Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd Connaught Hotel
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Christmas Design & Installation Silver Leaf Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd Casino MK Christmas Extravaganza Silver Leaf Enterprise Plants Ltd Lloyd’s Chambers London Silver Leaf Plant Designs Ltd Sage and Chestnut – Ropemaker Place Reception The Walt Disney Company Woodland Spice Christmas Scene 2 x Gold Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd Time Inc: World Record Breaking Christmas Decorations! & There’s No Place like Marriott: Christmas 2014 Gold Leaf Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd Eurostar 20th Anniversary – Bringing Together People & Cultures at Christmas, St Pancras International Station Gold Leaf GP Plantscape Ltd City Refrigeration Gold Leaf Plant Designs Ltd UBS Yuletide Bramble Christmas Displays Technician Award efig Leaf Jane Baylis of Indoor Garden Design efig Leaf Brian Kingston of Enterprise Plants Ltd
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Special Events Silver Leaf Enterprise Plants Ltd The Secret Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 3 x Gold Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd 0.001mm: Water flows downwards Korean Garden Living with Nature Waitrose ‘Thanks Mum’ Mother’s Day
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EFIG AWARDS
17 April 2015, America Square Conference Centre, London 5
Design & Installation up to £5,000 Bronze Leaf Urban Planters, Derbyshire Thistle Hotel – East Midlands Airport Silver Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd WeWork: Sea Containers House Silver Leaf Green Team Interiors Ltd Ergonomic Solutions (Western Europe) Ltd Silver Leaf GP Plantscape Ltd Fleet Alliance 3 x Silver Leaf Flora-tec Ltd Roche Ltd, Welwyn Garden City Carillion PLC, London Lonmar Global Risks, London Gold Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd Barclays North & West Data Centres, London Design & Installation £5,000 – £10,000
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Gold Leaf MITIE Landscape Ltd Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, Chichester Gold Leaf Urban Planters, Birmingham Hyatt Regency, Birmingham
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Design & Installation £10,000 – £20,000 Silver Leaf MITIE Landscapes Ltd Network Rail, Westwood Training Centre 2 x Silver Leaf Green Team Interiors Ltd NetApp UK Ltd Biogen Idec Ltd Gold Leaf Urban Planters Franchise Ltd Chessington World of Adventure Gold Leaf MITIE Landscapes Ltd BSkyB The Hub & BiBB
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Design & Installation over £20,000 Bronze Leaf Urban Planters, South Yorkshire Meadowhall Centre Ltd, Sheffield Silver Leaf Enterprise Plants Ltd Ganton Steet, Shaftesbury Plc Gold Leaf Indoor Garden Design Ltd Linklaters Roof Terrace Gold Leaf Urban Planters Franchise Ltd Swindon Designer Outlet Gold Leaf GP Plantscape Ltd Skyscanner
1 Indoor Garden Design scoops 11 awards 2 Pro Landscaper’s MD Jim Wilkinson announce the winners in each category
3 Frosts Landscape Construction’s St Pancras Christmas tree
4 Ruth Neal and the team from Green
Judges Commendation Indoor Garden Design Ltd Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair Lifetime Achievement Award Alan Cornford
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Team Interiors The assembled award winners IGD’s Living With Nature exhibition IGD’s Korean Garden Pro Landscaper’s Lisa Wilkinson presents another award to IGD 9 Ian Drummond Creative Director at Indoor Garden Design 10 A Lifetime Achievement award for Alan Cornford
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Association
ASSOCIATION NEWS
NEWS
efig Awards Gatsby Gala Dinner From meeting up with old friends to brave members learning to Charleston, it couldn’t fail. Our independent panel of judges scores in a similar manner to RHS Chelsea judges so all entries receive the award they deserve. This year’s panel, Greg Redwood, Nicola Bristow and Rob Stirling were joined by Bill Peebles and we would like to thank Pro Landscaper’s Jim Wilkinson for kindly presenting the awards – 17 gold, 15 silver
efig outline and three bronze awards plus two technician awards. A special commendation was awarded to Indoor Garden Design for its maintenance at the Connaught. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Alan Cornford. Unfortunately Alan couldn’t be at the ceremony but his long-time colleague Nina Lockyer collected the award on Alan’s behalf. Nina said: “Alan Cornford was instrumental in building
APL update RatedPeople joins forces with APL giving visibility to vetted tradesmen In a crowded space it’s important to find ways to stand out and show customers you have something different to offer. A great way of doing that is by having the right accreditation and being a part of the right industry bodies. With this in mind,
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APL will be working with Rated People, the online marketplace connecting homeowners with tradesmen, in order to make sure APL approved tradesmen have maximum visibility when it comes to bidding for jobs on the site. In a world where word of mouth is dying out and everything is done online, using review sites such as Rated People is a great way to kick-
the interior landscaping industry in the UK. He claims this was down to four ‘happy accidents’ but we realise it was down to his enthusiasm and eye for the future of the industry.” We would also like to thank our two sponsors: Koberg BV and Nieuwkoop-Europe BV. Office Plant of the Year The long-list of plants in the running for 2015’s Office Plant of the Year was revealed at the awards ceremony. Those attending were encouraged
start or grow a business. Users can build a reputation as skilled and reliable professionals within their industry. Tradesmen using Rated People can join APL to gain their customers’ confidence and up their chances of being selected to carry out work in their homes. In a competitive marketplace, government endorsement is becoming increasingly important for tradesmen and this hallmark of quality and reliability should be easy for homeowners to spot when they’re deciding who to hire to complete their jobs.
to vote for their favourite three from this list. If you would like to vote, you don’t need to be an efig member, please visit our website at www.efig.co.uk. The long-list is: ● Monstera ● Ficus lyrata ● Stag horn fern ● Phoenix roebelenii ● Calathea ● Aglaonema ● Sansevieria ● Spathiphyllum ● Medinilla National Plants at Work Week Before you know it we will be in the midst of this digital event again. Last year, members and supporters built pop-up offices around the country to get out the message about plants in the workplace. We are happy to do this again but any original initiatives are welcome. See you then, 13-17 July.
Charlie Benton is a Rated People landscaper who has recently joined APL. Charlie said: “I’ve built up my business and reputation as a landscape gardener through Rated People. It’s been a great way to expand my contact base and find work quickly and easily. With Rated People, I was able to grow from being a sole trader to a small business. Now that I’ve joined APL, both my new and existing customers are presented with a recognised mark of credibility. This extra accreditation has been an invaluable addition to my existing bank of online reviews.” www.ratedpeople.com
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
RHS report RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 19-23 May The world’s most famous flower show kicks off this month and the RHS is giving Pro Landscaper readers a preview of some of the eagerly anticipated show gardens. Sentebale, the charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso is creating a show garden called ‘Sentebale - Hope in Vulnerability’ which is set to be a highlight at this year’s show. The garden, designed by Matt Keightley, aims to raise awareness of Sentebale’s work providing healthcare and education to Lesotho’s most vulnerable children. Chelsea designer duo, Harry and David Rich return with ‘The Cloudy Bay Garden’
in association with Bord na Mona. The garden is designed to reflect the tasting notes and characteristics of two of Cloudy Bay’s popular wines. M&G Investments has commissioned award-winning designer Jo Thompson to create a quintessentially British restorative retreat including a beautifully crafted two storey oak framed building, a natural dipping pool and soft elegant planting. This year will also see some debuts at RHS Chelsea including Arab designer Kamelia Bin Zaal and Singaporean landscape designers John Tan and Raymond Toh. Chatsworth and LaurentPerrier are coming together to create a unique show garden, marking Chatsworth’s debut
SGD bulletin Enter your product for the SGD Product of the Year 2015 The SGD is once again calling on manufacturers and product suppliers to submit entries for the products they believe should
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take the coveted SGD Product of the Year 2015 title. If you produce or supply a garden product that can help to create beautiful gardens we want to know about it.
at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Dan Pearson, who is returning to Chelsea after more than a decade, has created a representation of a small, less trodden part of the 105 acre Chatsworth Garden. The planting will reflect the lightness, freshness and delicacy of the 200-year-old family owned Champagne House. As well as reading about the show gardens and trade stands in the exclusive supplement that comes free with this issue, Pro Landscaper readers can experience this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show by tuning into the BBC coverage, following @The_RHS on Twitter, liking the Facebook page or downloading the RHS Chelsea App. RHS London Rose Show, 29-30 May The RHS Lindley Hall will be bursting with beautiful scents and colour with a new RHS London Show celebrating England’s favourite flower, the
rose. Visitors will be able to admire stunning rose displays, gain advice and tips, learn about the many different varieties on display and browse and buy from a wide range of plants and rose related products. RHS London Secret Garden Sunday on the road, 10 May The second RHS Secret Garden Sunday of the year is going on the road and collaborating with Blackheath Farmers Market. The RHS presence at the market will focus on what’s in season and independent food producers will sit side-by-side with stalls selling plants, seeds, tools and flowers. www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events
There is no limit to type, size or number of different product entries that can be made in the competition. Examples include plants, planters, garden furniture, garden lighting, greenhouses, summer houses, garden maintenance products, hard landscaping materials and garden accessories. The SGD Product of the Year is the perfect opportunity to promote your product to more than 1,200 SGD garden designers and winning the
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21/04/2015 09:47
ASSOCIATION NEWS
BALI briefing Campaigning The BALI Board met in March to approve the association’s campaigning programme for 2015-16. The issues BALI will be concentrating on are: ● Skills and education, including promoting landscaping as a career option in schools; engaging with training providers over training syllabuses and delivery and promoting industry apprenticeships to employers and to school leavers. ● Contracts and operations, including challenging delayed payments; main contractors’ discounts and retentions; lobbying for forward procurement of goods and services
award could be a huge boost for your business. John Harte, managing director at Lateral Design Studio explained:
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for major contracts and promoting engagement with BIM. ● Health and wellbeing, including promoting the health benefits of parks, open spaces and green infrastructure; engaging with government, town planners and developers to promote investment in managed green spaces for new developments; contributing to and using research for EU funded programmes to determine the health benefits of urban green spaces. BALI National Landscape Awards 2015 – call for entries Be part of the most successful landscape awards in the UK and make a note of all the
“Winning SGD Product Of The Year 2014 meant a huge amount to Lateral Design Studio. We have experienced a considerable surge in demand for our designed drain channel covers since and are very grateful to the SGD for giving a family run company the chance to highlight its innovative products. The time and money invested in these awards have more than paid for themselves in the exposure we have gained as a result.”
important deadlines for this year’s entries in your diary: ● Thursday 4 June – Full Contractors and Groups ● Tuesday 14 July – Registered Designers, Overseas, Affiliates, and Employer of the Year ● Friday 4 December – Ceremony at the Grosvenor House, London. For more information visit www.baliawards.co.uk BALI workshops and forthcoming events Three events in April – the BALI Awards Contractor Workshop, the BALI Affiliates Forum and the BALI-sponsored Designer Day – welcomed members and non-members to Landscape House and provided three great opportunities to upskill and network. At the Harrogate Spring Flower Show, BALI Yorkshire and North
East Region members took a trade stand to promote the association and local members. In May, BALI registered designers and contractors will be focusing on their show gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and we will be there to promote BALI and its members from our stand on Eastern Avenue, kindly supported by BALI affiliate members Harrod Horticultural, Mulberry Plants, AHS and Evergreens UK.
Visit BALI's stand on Eastern Avenue at Chelsea 2015
For SGD designer members this is the chance to have your say. All the products entered will be displayed on The SGD Product of the Year website and we will be asking you to cast a vote for your favourite item to help us determine the shortlist. If you are passionate about a particular product and want to make sure it is entered into the competition, do encourage the manufacturer or supplier to take part.
All the shortlisted products will be displayed in London and the announcement of the winner will be made on 23 September 2015. Hurry because entry forms and fees must be submitted by 30 April and the votes by SGD designer members to determine the shortlist can be cast from 8-29 May 2015. To find out more and download an entry form, please visit The SGD Product of the Year website, www.sgdproductoftheyear.com
Pro Landscaper / May 2015 17
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19/03/2015 12:07
OPINION
VIEW FROM THE TOP Local authority cuts have led to the increasing use of multi-service contracts. Phil Jones outlines the challenges this poses for landscape maintenance companies and how they need to approach them.
The news that Trafford Council has recently awarded a multi-service contract to Amey comes as no surprise. Not the bit about the award to Amey, but rather that another multi-service contract has been awarded. The contract award includes street cleaning, grounds maintenance, highways services, bridges, traffic and transportation, road safety, street furniture and lighting, drainage, the let estate, corporate landlord services, capital development team and major projects team. I remember a number of years ago when councils were first challenged with finding significant savings there were many people across local government and indeed within our landscape maintenance (LM) industry who forecast that the only way forward would be for councils to bundle their services together. In the main, where landscape maintenance providers are concerned this hasn’t happened on a significant scale. It has largely been business as usual in terms of letting LM contracts as single service contracts. Councils have sought to derive their savings from the re-tender process, effectively asking LM contractors to provide savings, less from specification changes and more from profit margins.
CONTRACTORS HAVE SEARCHED EVERY CORNER OF THE CUPBOARD TO ASSIST LOCAL AUTHORITIES It has become apparent over the last two or three years that there is nowhere left to go in this respect. Contractors have searched every corner of the cupboard to assist local authorities. The delay in the onset of multi-service contracts has also been aided by a very small www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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THE SEEMINGLY OBVIOUS SOLUTIONS LIE IN LOOKING FOR A PARTNER OR SEVERAL PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO BID WITH
number of LM contractors, for reasons known only to themselves, returning unrealistic and seemingly unsustainable prices at tender stage. This approach never brings benefits for our industry and we all suffer as a result. We are now reaching the point where all LM contractors will be affected by consolidation of contracts and we will have to determine whether as individual contractors we want and are able to respond to the challenge of multi-service provision. If the answer to those questions is yes, we will have to decide how we intend to do it. There are a few in our industry who will already have formulated a strategy to rise to the challenge, others who will have decided to step back from it and those who simply have not seen this coming and do not have a plan. For those who are serious about remaining in the game, with all the challenges that it will
present, there are clear decisions to be made. The seemingly obvious solutions lie in looking for a partner or several partners to be able to bid with. Again, some of us will already have a number of active partners. The good news is that few if any of the so-called main players in the market for these multi-service contracts have the capability of self-delivery in all disciplines, so they should need to engage with service specialists. Others of us will already be part of organisations that currently deliver multiservice contracts as the main contractor. For those it will bring few fears. My overriding concern in all this is that what I believe will be a concerted push to multi-service will damage even further our specialism as an LM industry, eventually leaving few horticultural contracts and even fewer horticulturally biased managers within the customer departments. This is a real danger to all we believe in and provide at present. The past few years have brought untold change to the way we deliver services. My belief is that the challenges of those past years will pale into insignificance in terms of the effect on our sector when compared with the next few years. ABOUT PHIL JONES Phil Jones is Managing Director of ISS Facility Services Landscaping and is based at the company’s head office in Woking, Surrey. He gained an HND in landscape construction and moved into grounds maintenance early on in his career, further gaining an MBA. He has been with the company since 1987 and as well as running the landscaping business he sits on the UK operational management board of ISS Facility Services and is Chairman of BALI-NCF. Follow Phil Jones: @philjonesISS Follow ISS Landscaping: @ISSLandscaping
www.isslandscaping.co.uk
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OPINION
Angus Lindsay gazes into his crystal ball and takes a look at some of the kit he would like to see on the pages of Pro Landscaper in the future – some realistic, some less so I’m often asked what machines I would buy or like to see being manufactured if money was no object. Well that’s easy – ones that are simple to use, robust enough to undertake the work we do, afford a realistic amount of flexibility rather than being a one trick pony, don’t break down (and are easy to fix if they do), have a readily available supply of parts and a limited thirst. Not too much to ask for I think. Stepping down from my optimistic cloud of dreams into the harsh reality of the here and now, we have a huge range of options as an industry when it comes to landscaping and grounds maintenance machinery. This gives us considerable flexibility especially within the construction side of the business. Powered tool carriers and high-spec prime movers can take the backache out of the most mundane of tasks even on a small site. With a reasonable budget, specified correctly and adhering to all current rules and regulations, it is possible for a three man team to become its own Thunderbird 2, capable of undertaking
IT’S POSSIBLE FOR A THREE MAN TEAM TO BECOME ITS OWN THUNDERBIRD 2, CAPABLE OF UNDERTAKING ALL MANNER OF GROUND WORKS, MATERIALS HANDLING AND A WIDE RANGE OF MAINTENANCE TASKS
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N O E Y E N A RE U T U F THE
all manner of ground works, materials handling and a wide range of maintenance tasks. But a word of caution – it’s all too easy to become a jack of all trades and master of none. So if all the equipment is available and all tasks are catered for, what’s the problem? Surely there’s nothing that can’t be successfully mechanised. Well here’s a couple of ideas. How about a big ride-on hover mower that can cut grass in wet conditions without damaging the soil structure? I know it’s unrealistic, but some of today’s clients seem to think such equipment exists and get irate when we leave balled grass and wheel tracks on soaking wet verges. That one may be a dream too far. You can always fit wider low ground pressure tyres to your machines to spread the weight so how about back-up mowing and an out-front rotary with a strimmer attachment fitted to the deck that could cut round obstacles? I suspect it would probably get ripped off by the first lamp post so, again, probably a non-starter but with chemical weed control becoming ever more restricted, strimming is one of the few options remaining. This idea is a bit more realistic, however. The unit could be hydraulically driven and mounted on a hydraulic arm to move it in and out of position. This has been done before but on a bigger scale for mowing around Armco barriers on motorways – which are being replaced with concrete alternatives.
What about alternatives to the traditional blade or cylinder? One German company has already dabbled with laser technology for cutting grass. While it appears to be a marketing gimmick, there is probably a future in the application of this type of technology; possibly not on the road verges in our towns, but what about fine turf and sports fields? We could also consider hybrid machines. I have touched on these in a previous article, but what about an option to power trailed mowers and the like using electricity? A tractor PTO could drive a generator, which in turn would power motors driving the cylinders or blades. Fewer moving parts and in the case of hydraulic mowers, a lot less oil and pipe work. You could even do it with ride-on mowers, instead of the engine driving the hydraulics it could drive a generator coupled to plug-in units. Farfetched? ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY As an agriculturist, Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. During this time he also spent a year at Silsoe, gaining an MSc in agricultural engineering and mechanisation management. Returning to the UK he joined Glendale as machinery manager in 1994 – going on to become company engineer – before joining The Landscape Group in 2009 as group head of assets and fleet. Contact
alindsay@thelandscapegroup.co.uk
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ADVERTISING FEATURE The designer of the winning entry, Jon Sims, helping out with planting at RHS Chelsea
…And the winner is… Jacksons RHS Hampton Court Show Garden competition update Since we came back to work after the winter break, we’ve been mighty busy, time seems to have absolutely whizzed by. With the first quarter of the year well and truly behind us, the next few months will be when the activity really hots up, as we have now chosen the winning entry for the Jacksons show garden for the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. If you have been following the competition news-blog on our web site, (www.jacksonsfencing.co.uk/showgardens) you will know judging day was in early March at Jacksons HQ. The other judges and I began a day of scrutinising and marvelling at the wealth of ideas presented to us in the entries. As the competition was open to members of the Society of Garden Designers, it was fitting that we had some help with this task from the SGD, in the shape of Philippa O’Brien and Paul Hensey, additional support came in the form of Dave Green, the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show Gardens Manager. It turned out to be a very enjoyable day, with many animated discussions, and everyone bringing their own expertise to the panel. You can see here just some of the entries spread out on the table before we began the process of elimination, to end up with a short list of ‘definite maybes’. We then whittled it down to a top ten, then top five and then miraculously we were unanimous in choosing the winner. We couldn’t announce the winner
ADVERTS.indd 156PL May15.indd 1 Jackson Advertorial
immediately though, the winning design had to go to a special RHS panel of experts who have to give their opinion of its suitability as a show garden design for RHS Hampton. I have also spent a lot of time emailing everyone who entered a design for consideration. I think it is important to let the designers know personally they haven’t won and give them some feedback. This is time consuming, but so is entering the competition for the designers who spend a lot of time, trouble, effort and hard work in getting their entries to us. So, I am delighted to announce the winner is Jon Sims with his design, Jacksons Secret Garden Party. It was one of the most unusual show garden ideas we’d seen all day; it seemed to cover a lot of the requirements of the quite loose brief we supplied. One of the things I particularly liked was the interactive aspect of the design and that it didn’t feel too elitist. In short, it is a show garden that has elements that everyday people like you and I can very easily relate to. I am excited by imagining how it’s going to look in the location that has been picked for our garden at the Flower Show. I can’t wait. So very well done Jon Sims - I am looking forward to working with you as we start the journey on the road to building the garden at RHS Hampton Court. Here’s what Jon had to say, “What a delightful surprise to get the call from
Just some of the competition entries
Louise. I knew the design ticked a lot of boxes and was something I had not seen at a show before, so I had a good feeling about it, but to win - that is a real treat. I am really looking forward to developing the design with the Jacksons team.” Once again, I would like to extend Jacksons, and my thanks to the judges: Philippa O’Brien and Paul Hensey of the SGD and Dave Green of the RHS, who have given their very valuable time to this project. And also very many thanks to all the garden designers who have put in so much hard work, in to the many amazing entries we had. Louise Tomlin, Jacksons Fencing 0800 41 43 43 www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk
20/04/2015 07/04/2015 15:25 14:54
OPINION
PLASTIC
FANTASTIC?
Artificial grass has come a long way since the plastic football pitches of the 1980s. David Dodd looks at the pros and cons from aesthetic, economic, ecological and practical perspectives. I remember walking around the Chelsea Flower Show a few years ago, when I stopped at a trade stand selling artificial grass. The reason I was halted in my tracks was that I thought it actually looked quite good. I’d always been so anti plastic grass because I remember the dreadful artificial football pitches of the 1980s, which some clubs started installing to give them a ridiculous advantage over teams who didn’t have it. Thankfully these clubs saw the light and reverted to natural grass, probably due to some of the horrendous injuries incurred playing on plastic. Anyway, this particular sample I was looking at really mastered getting the shades of green right. The sward looked real enough and it even included strands of thatch to add to the authenticity. Eureka! I thought. Finally a solution to perfect, maintenance free lawns. Surely this would be every homeowners dream. Well, as I found out, it isn’t. Since suggesting it to a few clients, I was surprised at how much resistance I came across. To many, keeping a good lawn is a hobby and they see it as an enjoyable part of garden maintenance, as well as being a good form of exercise.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Having done a lot more research into the subject my main concerns about using synthetic grass are as follows: ● It can become unpleasantly hot in
summer as the materials used absorb heat from the atmosphere. ● Animal faeces, sweat and blood can remain on unwashed grass for prolonged periods of time since there is no built in system of waste disposal as found in soil. ● Artificial grass doesn’t provide an environment for organisms and unlike natural grass, it doesn’t photosynthesize, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. ● The upfront cost of installing synthetic grass can be very high, making it financially impractical. ● Finally, it isn’t real grass! It doesn’t offer the special scent of a freshly cut lawn or meadow.
To balance this let’s have a look at some of the positives:
As a capital sum, a lawn is the cheapest form of surface cover on a landscaping project. However, if a gardener is employed to maintain a lawn, it actually becomes one of the most expensive elements over a ten-year period. When you consider the costs of excavation, spoil clearance, membrane, sub-base materials and the cost of the artificial grass itself, it isn’t cheap and this expensive initial outlay works out approximately the same as a new natural lawn with the maintenance included. It’ll also be interesting to see how some fake grass looks in ten years. My conclusion is that although I’m not a huge lover of it, I realise it has a place in the market. Now, the other week we had a salesman come to our office showing samples of plastic green wall panels. Again, they looked quite good, albeit from a bit of distance while squinting. What’s next? Plastic shrubs and trees? Please, no! Let’s stop this notion that we all lead such busy lives that we need to turn our gardens into plastic. We’re landscapers, horticulturists and gardeners and we should be promoting this wonderful industry to our clients. Real plants create an enormous sense of wellbeing and real gardening as an activity is beneficial in so many ways.
● It looks good where natural grass
struggles – in the shade, on roof terraces, etc. Psychologically, I’d much rather look at something green than a thin muddy area that requires constant attention. ● It doesn’t require irrigation, which can be costly to install, as well as maintain. ● Above all, it is pretty much maintenance free.
ABOUT DAVID DODD David Dodd has been in the landscape industry since the age of 17. After having studied and then taught at Merrist Wood College, he set up The Outdoor Room in 1995. In 2013, he went into business with landscape architect, Joe Perkins to form Longview Design Ltd. David has also lectured in design and construction for over 20 years.
www.theoutdoorroom.co.uk
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21/04/2015 09:52
OPINION
Andrew Wilson considers the issue of courses and education in our professional disciplines and identifies some key areas for discussion and development.
From time to time questions are raised concerning the length of courses for garden design or related areas. Sometimes questions are more direct. As an educational provider, is my programme sufficient to meet the needs of the profession and future designers? Interestingly, questions most frequently relate to the length of study, as if there were a direct correlation between the length of a course or number of lectures attended and a student’s ability as a garden designer. Obviously if I studied landscape architecture for five years (which I did), there is a good possibility that I have covered more than a garden design student who
AS AN EDUCATIONAL PROVIDER, IS MY PROGRAMME SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PROFESSION AND FUTURE DESIGNERS?
Alex Gordon of The Outdoor Room makes our construction drawings a reality at RHS Chelsea 2014 24
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QUALITY OR QUANTITY? studied for a year or perhaps only six weeks. But I know of many landscape architects who have fallen at the first hurdle of actually designing and building something and many garden designers from short programmes who have gone on to win multiple awards for their work. How many ask the simple question about course content? I took over and rewrote a garden design course as students did a five month module on designing for landfill sites! I was startled to discover recently that one of my current students who enrolled on my programme after a three year landscape architecture degree had never produced a construction drawing. By the time she has graduated with me she will have explored four built construction details and produced four further designed construction sections, two setting out drawings and a sample written specification. I’m not showing off but I am wondering what might have been learned in three years of a landscape architecture degree. When I stopped employing landscape architecture sandwich year students in 1991, I remonstrated with the Landscape Institute and universities about the fact that they no longer taught planting design and the production of planting plans. I was happy to mentor students professionally but considered the ability to produce working drawings core to the work of a landscape designer. I have no reason to believe that this situation has changed much in the last 20 years and on this basis we are launching a planting design programme aimed at landscape architects who need this information. Many are aiming at SGD membership and have suddenly found themselves with a skills shortfall. How many people ask the question about teaching and learning methodology? On my programme I set great store by the studio tutorial teaching approach with a ratio of one tutor to eight students. With this approach
students can resolve their ideas, whether in terms of general design or more specific detailing, supported by tutors who are without exception successful practitioners or specialists. Students are not spoon-fed but can fully explore the implications of their design decisions. How many people ask about transferable skills and prior experience? I have had the pleasure of teaching students who were interior designers, graphic designers, architects, landscape architects, horticulturists, contractors, artists, teachers and more. The importance of building on strengths and resolving areas of weakness means that these students are not simply waking up one day and turning over a new leaf but expanding their capabilities and skill base. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate our education, starting with the right questions.
ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden designer and a director of Wilson McWilliam Studio. He is also a director of the London College of Garden Design, an author, writer and lecturer.
www.wmstudio.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 09:54
OPINION
With awards entry season just around the corner, multi-award winning Landscape Architect Adam White shares 10 reasons why entering for and winning an award is one of the best forms of advertising for any landscape company.
AND THE WINNER IS...
Entry deadlines are just around the corner for the BALI Awards and others such as the Landscape Institute, Society of Garden Designers and Children and Young People Services. There are many good things about these awards, not least of which is to inspire us to pursue excellence in all we do. Marketers plan for it As a landscape professional you’ll be aware you have specialist skills in lots of areas. That doesn’t necessarily mean you understand the first thing about marketing or even want to. Having won more than fifteen awards in the past seven years and seen the benefits they have brought, I’d like to share my top 10 reasons for entering our profession’s national awards. MARKETING EXPENSE Never be so shortsighted as to think of marketing as a singular, unsustainable expense. Consider the cost spread over the entire year. The BALI Awards first time rate is £125 per entry – that’s just 34p a day. CLIENT RELATIONS Include your collaborators in your entry. This is not only a thoughtful gesture but it’s a savvy step towards building stronger relationships. For the first time, the Landscape Institute has introduced a category called ‘Best Client’ in its 2015 awards and it’s free to enter. PUBLIC RELATIONS There is no better endorsement than one from one with no vested interest in your success. Jessica Hepburn, executive director, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London said of us: “Winning both a Landscape Institute and BALI Award simply highlighted that appointing Davies White Ltd was definitely the right choice.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Davies White Design Team wins a Landscape Institute Award
STRATEGIC MARKETING Entering for an award immediately gives you marketing options:
you do. Winning is fantastic but entering is what tells the story of how you feel about your work.
● One company I know of started a Facebook
CONVERSATION Awards generate buzz. Press releases, media coverage, internet chatter, blog mentions, tweets, social networking comments and more.
campaign asking its ‘fans’ to choose which project they should enter. ● By crediting the people that you worked with on the project, you have an upbeat reason to give them a call. ● Your client will be pleased that you thought so highly of the work and excited by the prospect of winning. ● You are now at the front of your client’s mind, without having bugged them for the next job. ● Nominations give you a whole new marketing story to tell and another opportunity to share news with the client. ● Attending the awards puts you on the playing field where you can either accept an award or be among the first to congratulate others. ● Winning makes new connections possible. ATTRACT TALENT Landscape awards increase your stature among new recruits. Heightened employee morale will also help attract and retain new recruits. WINNING Winning or being nominated will have you walking on air. And you’ll feel great about acknowledging those who worked with you. SELF RESPECT When you enter for an award, you are saying to yourself and your peers that you believe in what
CONTINUITY The endless buzz and conversation doesn’t stop when you win an award. It continues to build and becomes a part of your identity. COMMUNITY Awards ceremonies are a meeting place that draw attention of those most interested and involved in the landscape profession. In summary, there is nothing quite like being presented with one of the UK’s top landscape awards, even being shortlisted will put your company in the limelight. It will be one of the wisest investments you make this year. ABOUT ADAM WHITE FLI Adam White is a director of Davies White Ltd, a multi award-winning Chartered Landscape Architectural practice in Kingston upon Thames. He is a Fellow of the Royal Chartered Landscape Institute and an RHS Gold Medal and BBC People’s Choice Award-winning landscape architect. In 2012 Adam was the youngest ever landscape architect to be made a Fellow (for his services to ‘children’s health and wellbeing’) joining an elite group of just 75. Twitter: @davies_white www.davieswhite.co.uk
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Marshalls Registered and proud The Marshalls Register scheme offers a great range of business benefits, including details of high-value leads in your area and a five-year workmanship guarantee. So when you’ve been accredited, you’ll want to make sure people know about it. If you want to see your business grow with Britain’s leading hard landscape manufacturer, apply now at marshalls.co.uk/registered
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17/04/2015 15:40 10/04/2015 17:14
BUSINESS TIPS
DARE TO BE
DIFFERENT Differentiate your business without driving down profits. Steve Clarke explains why it is essential to do something different to attract attention and how a mesmerising display could be just the thing to draw people in. What can you possibly gain from swimming in the sea of sameness, just doing the same as everyone else? If your aim is to keep below the radar and shoot for mediocrity, maybe I get it. However, I doubt that’s what most people in business want and I doubt very much that it’s what you want either. When you’re offering much the same as your competitors, all you can compete on is price and that’s never a good thing from a profit perspective, nor is it a healthy place to be for the sake of your sanity. To succeed in business today it’s vital to stand out from the crowd – for the right reasons, of course. I dare you to be different. Think and act differently to others in your field. Come on, I dare you. Let me tell you about my amazing £30,000,000 rubber ducks. Yes, £30million! “Champagne results on a beer budget,” that’s what I like my sales and marketing strategies to deliver – low cost, high impact results by thinking out of the box and daring to be different. I went from cynic to convert in terms of branded promotional goods and all it took was a rubber duck and some creative thinking. My last business was a claims handling operation working with insurance companies that outsourced IT claims to us. Computer related claims could be complicated. The handlers at the various insurance companies www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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were often out of their depth with technicalities and, to be frank, prior to our intervention they were often overpaying on claims and at the same time not really helping the claimant either. When I explained our service proposition to one claims manager he said, “Fantastic, we get to serve our customers better and,” wait for it, “duck out of IT claims problems.” Ping! The light bulb went on in my head. I had a eureka moment.
WHAT CAN YOU POSSIBLY GAIN FROM SWIMMING IN THE SEA OF SAMENESS, JUST DOING THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE? I set about ordering thousands of large rubber ducks. We had them printed with “duck out of IT claims problems, call 0800 etc. We then shipped them in bright purple boxes marked “fondle with care”. Do you think that got them opened? You bet it did. The brand recognition was incredible. Entire claims offices were a mass of yellow ducks. Otherwise straightlaced companies loved
them. It was fun, different and memorable. One company started fancy dress duck competitions! The entire industry very quickly knew who would help them duck out of IT claims problems. This stood us apart from our competitors and was instrumental in our explosive growth. Six million pounds became £12m and very quickly we grew to £30m in annual sales. Highly effective marketing and brand awareness you can take to the bank. Come on – I dare you to be different. When you attend and exhibit at FutureScape later this year, how will you stand apart from other exhibitors? What will you do that’s different? Will you book a stand, set up your pop up banners, have a bowl of Quality Street to share and another bowl for people to put their business cards in, just like so many exhibitors at so many events around the world? Oh come on! We’re all sick of chocolates half way through a show. Do something different. I just came across this amazing close up, contact juggling act called Enchanted Summer. It could be right up your garden path. Just imagine how such a mesmerising act could make you stand out from the crowd and entice people to your stand. Let’s see who’s the first to act. Don’t call me, here’s their website: www.sorchara.com ABOUT STEVE CLARKE An exceptional sales mentor and sought after motivational business speaker who draws upon his own first hand experiences. He built his last UK business to £30m in annual sales in just eight years, sold out and retired at 45. Now he helps businesses around the world generate more leads, more sales and more profits, and with less blood sweat and tears. www.eurekasales.co.uk
Pro Landscaper / May 2015 27
21/04/2015 09:59
BUSINESS TIPS
Jody Lidgard advocates mentoring, on the job training and continuous feedback as a means of getting the most out of new employees.
So, we have taken on a new employee, they have been inducted into the team and are showing signs of wanting to take on more responsibilities and learn new skills on site. How do we give them professional training that will cement them into the workforce by quickly building up their core skills and competence? I know a lot of companies that have experienced professionals either running the company or working within the team. These men and women are at the top of their game and know their specialisms inside out. Do we simply buddy the new person up with these people and let the experience rub off on them over time? I advocate mentoring on a continued basis, but it’s not always viable.
IN A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY EMPLOYERS NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THESE COURSES AS A VIABLE WAY OF INVESTING IN THEIR WORKFORCE
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INTEGRATING NEW STARTERS A good friend of mine falls into the above category. I have said to him on more than one occasion that he is the most practical and able landscaper I have had the pleasure to work with. That said I would not put an apprentice or relatively inexperienced person with him because I know it would be a recipe for disaster. As good as he is, with no training in teaching and coaching, his ability to share knowledge is limited. Coupled with a lack of patience, this makes mentoring a no-go area. Unfortunately not everyone is inclined towards teaching and sharing knowledge with other people – that’s not what they signed up to do. We can take on a person as an unskilled or semi-skilled labourer, but it’s about using these people efficiently and getting them ‘match-fit’ and at full earning capacity as quickly as possible. The bottom line is, we do not have the luxury of carrying dead weight. Is the landscape industry not in a position where a company should be able to fill a post with a trained operative who has been schooled in a specialism, with an overview of the other aspects of the industry instead of a broad brush stroke of all subject areas? OK, I jest a little here but nevertheless, it’s really not rocket science. Full cost recovery courses that hone the skills of an operative and deliver a tangible improvement for the company are what I advocate. In a competitive industry, employers need to be able to see these courses as a viable way of investing in their workforce and increasing its internal skill set, strengthening the company’s position in the marketplace in addition to recovering the investment through work output. over a realistic period of time.
Alternatively assigning or appointing someone to take on the role of internal training manager could give you the results you require. I have a new guy working for my company. He is being used as a “landscape guinea pig”, in a very open and caring way, I hasten to add. We wanted him to be proficient at paving during his first year. He started labouring for the guys, then we introduced the setting out and maintaining of lines, which led onto marking and cutting methods. We then expected him to lay in his cuts. So far so good. After a period of weeks we switched roles and had him laying paving (small areas) with one of the trained guys doing the labouring and mentoring his every move. It sounds a little OCD but it works a treat. A running commentary on what he is doing, how he is handling the task and lots of Q&A from both parties has shown some very rapid advancements. I would recommend anyone to try this method of on the job teaching. You may well already be doing it in an even more efficient way. I firmly believe in a way forward that does not always rely on college certificates and formal qualifications as the be-all and end-all. Training provision should be reflective and reactive in order for the open minded and forward thinking companies to really capitalise on this style of teaching and training.
ABOUT JODY LIDGARD Jody Lidgard of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces has been in the landscaping industry for 20 years. After studying at Otley/Writtle college he worked as a landscape contractor and taught landscape construction and horticulture at Askham Bryan and UCS Otley. Working abroad in various locations for leading designers, his ability to gain the best from the people he works alongside has led him to his ongoing involvement with WorldSkills competitions. info@jodylidgard.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 10:05
Award Winning Designed Covers for Drains, Screens & Much More
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Contact us on 020 8450 2244 | info@lateraldesignstudio.co.uk | www.lateraldesignstudio.co.uk Lateral Design.indd 1
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20/04/2015 16:22
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BUSINESS TIPS
HOW TO
SURVIVE & THRIVE AS A GARDEN DESIGNER
In the last in this series, Janine Pattison explains how projects can be less stressful by following a few simple procedures from the start – as the designer, everything follows from you
Landscaping projects can become very stressful as there are so many ways that things can go wrong. The client, the designer, the contractors, their suppliers and even the neighbours are locked into an uneasy relationship for the duration of the project. This could be a week or two, or many months depending on the scope of the works. To try and help things move along as smoothly as possible during this time I thought I would share a few pointers I have discovered from hard experience. As the garden designer you have the responsibility of preparing a design that is not only beautiful and meets the client’s brief, but which is also practical and can actually be built. You need to be sure that what you want to achieve is possible. Your drawings need to be of sufficient quality to clarify how things are to be constructed and not just left to the contractor to sort out. Materials and finishes should be clearly specified as well as laying patterns of slabs and setts. Let the contractor know well in advance if you require a sample panel to be prepared. Landscapers are often given drawings which don’t allow for the correct thickness of walls. A 100mm thick, 2m high retaining wall on your drawing will ruin your credibility very quickly. Remember to think about drainage early on in www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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OILING THE WHEELS the design process. Surface water must be managed and again, you can’t just leave it to your contractor to sort out. The locations, runs and types of gully or drain need to be specified. Levels are a regular cause of problems and a complex site can be extremely difficult to sort out. Sections need to be taken through the design to prove your levels. They will probably require rechecking once the initial reduced level dig has been completed. Materials and finishes need to be selected as early as possible – even if this means having to be very firm with your client. Allowing works to commence on site before slabs are selected is a recipe for disaster. Invariably the chosen ones will be on a long lead time and will cause the project to grind to a halt. If the client is then forced into choosing an alternative they will always feel that they didn’t quite get what they really wanted. Not ideal. Changes to the design once the build is underway should be avoided as much as possible. They will usually cause additional cost and delays to the programme. If changes are required, then they should be costed and agreed in writing by the client prior to the works being done. Any other way
of working will expose your contractor to doing work that he is unlikely to be paid for. In the same way, be very careful about asking the contractor to carry out additional tasks without your client’s express agreement. If they subsequently decline to pay, your contractor will unfairly end up out of pocket. I am a big fan of having a project ‘kick-off’ meeting prior to works actually starting on site. For a large project this might be several weeks in advance. For a small project it could be on the first day. Gather all parties together; the client, the designer, the main contractor, the electrician, the specialist contractors (pools, water features, tennis courts etc) and work through the programme together. Make sure that everyone understands when they are required on site, what needs to be done and in what order. Make them swap contact details with each other. And hope that they use them! ABOUT JANINE PATTISON Janine Pattison MSGD is a multi award-winning garden designer and horticulturalist who trained with English Heritage at Eltham Palace in London and at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester. A registered member of the Society of Garden Designers, the
British Association of Landscape Industries and the Garden Media Guild, Janine is also a highly qualified RHS horticulturalist. www.janinepattison.com
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21/04/2015 10:11
TECHNICAL
TRENDS THAT ARE MOVING
OUTDOORS The outdoor living room is here to stay. No longer a trend, it’s a must have. The boundary between inside and out is blurring with furniture starting to look and feel more like it should be inside. Fires, fire pits and heaters in the winter and fans in the summer prolong the time we can spend outdoors. In her latest report, titled Unearthing the Best Life, Susan McCoy lists key trends she says will ‘shape the garden and the outdoor living industry and resonate in the coming year.’ The line between indoor and outdoor living spaces will continue to blur as people see both spaces as an extension of themselves, she says. “Homeowners are making conscious decisions to use plants and garden products as tools to increase their overall wellbeing and lead a sustainable lifestyle. “Now, more than ever, gardening is an extension of yourself. What you cultivate and grow, either inside or out, reflects your personality and the healthy lifestyle you have chosen.” Buying ethical products, particularly ones that are branded to show they are safe, reliable and will have a positive impact on the planet, will continue. The most important names in international design including Jasper Morrison, Marcel Wanders and Paola Navone are all designing comfortable outdoor furniture that looks like it belongs inside. Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola has used expanded metal Plastic Fantastic from JPSR rubberised seating 32
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mesh to create the furniture in her collection for Spanish brand Kettal. The trend for big tiles has made its way outside and Cracked Earth (above), designed by Hugo Bugg for his RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden 2014 is a fabulous example. Exterior illumination is being influenced by interior lighting and there is a tremendous selection of outdoor furniture in sustainable and environmentally friendly materials that are pretty much maintenance free, from clean, timeless designs to more futuristic pieces from Vondom. Eating outside is growing rapidly, with a demand not just for grills and barbecues, but full outdoor kitchens. Philippa O’Brien MSGD, chair of the SGD tells me: “Outdoor kitchens are now very much in demand, starting from a small pizza oven up to complete kitchens with sinks, cookers and work surfaces. Fireplaces and
bbqubed kitchen from OCQ
garden showers are increasingly being asked for in both gardens and roof terraces. I have also seen bars and chandeliers. All of these features tend to be highly expensive to install and need very skilled landscape designers to incorporate them into a garden in a sympathetic way.” Designer Michael Schmidt is the creator of the bbqube made by OCQ (Outdoor Cooking Queen). With a gas grill, a charcoal grill and a sink it saves you having to pop in and out. www.o-c-q.com/en/home. In the London sunken house designed by De Matos Ryan, floor to ceiling doors as walls allow spaces to flow as one with the kitchen extending into the garden.
Adding a pavilion such as those available from Kettal in aluminum painted with polyester powder, teak and balau will protect you from the elements, giving you year round access. Advances in materials have made possible waterproof, mould free outdoor fabrics that won’t fade Crown Chandeliers in the sun. Sunbrella designs and from JSPR manufactures outdoor materials that match the look and feel of interior materials. We can now create permanent living spaces outdoors with comfortable fabrics and furniture. Grouping furniture as you would indoors with an outdoor rug looks fantastic as well as being kind to your bare feet. Vondom and Frontgate have some beautiful choices. Use well planned, layered lighting to create an ambiance. Chandeliers hung from trees look superb and low level LEDs and step lighting guide you through your space and add warmth, depth and texture. Fireplaces and fire pits give a warming glow. The sight of a flame is comforting and has universal appeal as a signal of warmth, romance, and comfort. Biofuel fires give the look without the heat for the summer time. Wall hung flat screen TVs and projector screens with enhanced sound systems can complete your outdoor room. ABOUT ANJI CONNELL Internationally recognised Interior Architect and Landscape Designer Anji Connell is a detail obsessed Inchbald Graduate, and has been collaborating with artisans and craftsmen to create bespoke and unique interiors for a discerning clientele since 1986. Anji is a stylist, feature writer and lover of ‘all thing’s art and design’.
www.anjiconnellinteriordesignacid.com
Main photographs ©Simon Jessop
The outdoor living room is where interior decor meets garden design. Anji Connell takes a look at the latest products and how to incorporate them in your plan
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20/04/2015 12:20
TECHNICAL
THE
STAR ATTRACTION Creating and capturing new nocturnal dimensions in any outside space Lighting extends the scope of a garden design into the evening, when people are more likely to be home. Robert Webber tells how to use it to create a focal point and bring out the best in any garden Want to be light years ahead? We are going to look at how to create a focal point in any garden using lighting. We have been fortunate enough to work in some spectacular homes over the years and one thing that always strikes me is the way that key architectural features are lit. We take inspiration from the way that interior designers light internal artworks, statues and arches and transport these ideas to the garden to help create an extension of the inside living space. Focal points change from one garden to the next. In one it may be a simple raised flowerbed planted with grasses that shimmer in the wind. In another it maybe an architectural sculpture, an old mill wheel or a perimeter brick wall. Even the mundane can be made extraordinary with the use of light. We have a saying at Scenic Lighting: “If you don’t light it then you won’t see it.” Sounds
obvious, but at night you can use a key feature, well lit, to take your eye away from other less desirable areas of the garden because your eyes are automatically drawn towards the light and away from other areas. Positioning of the actual light source is key. More often than not this is achieved by a single spotlight placed discreetly near the feature, using either coloured lenses to change the temperature of the light or honeycomb diffusers to soften it. Recently we have been experimenting with lighting features from afar, in particular using a moonlight effect where the light source is placed high in a tree and then angled down towards the feature. As the light shines through the canopy, it creates a moonlight effect across a lawn or terrace, the feature is then silhouetted against the ground. A little light can go a long way. You need to use a high powered narrow beamed LED light to achieve this. Another approach we are exploring is to actually use the light fitting itself as an architectural feature. This goes against most set rules for external lighting design. Hiding the light fitting is deeply entrenched in us! I’ve recently discovered a great lighting
manufacturer from Belgium, Wever & Ducré. With their help we have been transforming ‘flat’ areas using contemporary architectural light fittings, for instance, where a lawn meets the edge of a deck or a swimming pool. Lighting can become the bridge between architecture and its landscape, illuminating the juncture between one material and the next.
So, what do I need to know? ● Feature focus. Any key area can be lit to
create a feature focal point for the garden. If one doesn’t exist then import a feature in. Use an architectural light, cube or sphere to create that main focal point. ● Wonder wall. Simple wall lighting can create a high-end architectural viewpoint at night. Walls always bounce light back whereas general planting absorbs light. ● New moon. Need divine inspiration? Look to the heavens and moonlight your feature area. Trees are great for this, try fitting several moonlights at different heights.
1
These lights are by Degardo from Germany. They can be used as seats, planters or just as stand alone features.
2
This tree had six small moonlights fitted at various heights, with the addition of a twin spike spot shining up to show the lower canopy.
3&4 Wall lights turn any plain wall into a canvas for light.
ABOUT ROBERT WEBBER Robert Webber is the founder of Scenic Lighting, a specialist exterior lighting company based in Berkshire. He designs and installs garden lighting throughout the UK and internationally. Robert can be contacted on rob@sceniclighting.com or via his mobile on 07766 051 000.
www.sceniclighting.com
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TECHNICAL
USING THE
Hints and tips for Vectorworks users
PLANT TOOL This month Tamsin turns her attention to the Plant Tool and how to use it to create detailed, customised vegetation for your scheme
Create The Plant The Plant tool is found in the Site Planning toolset. If you click the Plant Tool Preferences button, you can set up the definition of your plant. The definition includes the 2D graphics, the 3D graphics, the name and default height, spread and spacing for the plant. There are libraries of symbols available directly from the Plant Settings dialogue in Vectorworks Landmark 2015. Once you’ve chosen your graphics, use the Edit Definition button and complete the Insertion Options to set the default height, spread and spacing for the plant as well as the schedule, with the plant’s name and any specific notes that you want to appear on the schedule. You can pull this information in from the database if you like or just type it.
Above: The Plant Definition Dialogue, showing part of the range of symbols available
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Tamsin Slatter and her team work full time training and supporting Vectorworks users. In this this regular feature, Tamsin’s team offer hints and tips to help you get the best from Vectorworks Landmark CAD software.
Choose The Placement Options Having created the basic definition for the plant, you can now choose how you want it to be presented in the current project. For example, you might want to use shadows on the plan in this project, but not in others, so the placement options are document specific. The tag (label) settings are also specific to the current file (but can all be saved in templates to make your choices permanent). In this example, I’ve chosen a custom tag style.
Above: Plant Placement Options, such as preferred label (tag) settings – these can be changed for each document as they are not stored permanently with the plant
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20/04/2015 11:03
TECHNICAL Explore The Plant Tool’s Modes Once the plant is created, take a look at the different ways plants can be placed on the drawing. They can be placed singly, or in groups. If placed in groups, a single label will show the number of plants in the group. Once you’ve placed your plants, use Modify > Align > Align/ Distribute Leader Lines to align your labels neatly. Left: The Plant Tool has a number of modes for placing groups of plants
Swap The Graphics If you want to change your mind about the 2D graphic you’ve chosen or swap the 3D symbol for a different one in a plant you’ve already defined, select the plant and on the Object Info palette, click Plant Settings. Click Edit Definition and then use the Copy from Symbol button to change the 2D or 3D graphic, using the range of library symbols available. You can easily draw your own graphics too and use those as the basis for the symbol. Simply draw your symbol on the drawing area, and choose Landmark > Create New Plant. Right: Edit the definition to change the plant’s graphics
Create A Plant Schedule When you’ve completed your planting plan, use Tools > Reports > Choose Schedule to select one of the built-in schedules. These schedules can include images of the plants, to provide a handy key. For added convenience, this plant schedule will remain up to date if your planting plan changes — simply right click and choose Recalculate from the menu. Below: Plant Schedule Image
ID
Latin name
Scheduled size
Remarks
Agri
Acer griseum
10-12cm 15L
1.2m stake
Cmic
Cotoneaster microphyllus
H Aur
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
2L
Four per metre, staggered
HPat
Hosta ‘Patriot’
2L
Variegated hosta with stunning foliage and lilac coloured flowers. Will disappear during winter but will reappear in spring. May need protection from slugs.
PHam
Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’
2L
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ABOUT TAMSIN SLATTER After a 20-year career in IT, Tamsin trained as a garden designer. Escape from the corporate world with the chance to work with nice people, learn about plants and how to draw was a dream come true and Tamsin found Vectorworks invaluable. She now delivers courses and masterclasses to designers, helping them to work faster and more efficiently. Tamsin’s book, Residential Garden Design with Vectorworks Landmark 2015 is available to order now. To find out more, contact Design Software Solutions on 01635 580 318.
www.vectorworks-training.co.uk Pro Landscaper / May 2015 35
20/04/2015 11:04
the finest timber for beautiful projects Experts in the manufacture and supply of burnt timber wall coverings, cladding and sidings for Europe and the UAE
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17/04/2015 16:34
INTERVIEW
Let’s Hear it From
SARAH EBERLE Pro Landscaper speaks to the UK’s leading landscape designer Sarah Eberle about her background in landscape architecture, how it led her into garden design and onto calling the shots on projects from site selection to completion
Sarah, tell us how you got into garden design. I grew up in the countryside and art was my strongest subject at school but I just loved being outdoors on my parents’ smallholding in Devon. A conversation with the school’s careers advisor brought up landscape architecture so I actually planned everything on becoming a landscape architect, even my O Levels. I studied the subject at Thames Polytechnic for five years full time, became qualified and then returned to Devon. All the landscape architect jobs in those days (late seventies and early eighties) were about urban regeneration in the north and www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Let's Hear it From TW 2.indd 37
Bristol and I wanted to work where I lived, so I couldn’t find a job. While looking, I worked at a garden centre and they made me an offer to set up a garden design service within it. Subsequently, I moved into a bigger garden centre and went into partnership with them, offering design and build in Devon. Then in 1990 I left Devon for personal reasons and came up to Hampshire. For a short spell I worked in landscape architecture, at Janie Thomas Associates in Bristol but I soon decided that landscape architecture couldn’t hold a torch to garden design.
need to understand the volume of space and work your way down to the specialism of designing small areas. My expertise is a unique combination of landscape architecture and garden design. I feel very lucky and it’s just a wonderful balance. Do you think all garden designers should qualify as landscape architects? No, but I do think with the popularity of coming into garden design as a second career or as mature students and with many younger people becoming interested, it’s very trendy and is
Did your training in landscape architecture help you with garden design? Yes, absolutely. I firmly believe that to this day. I would say that garden design is a specialism of landscape architecture. You cannot possibly design small space if you can’t design big space. Small space is much tougher, you Pro Landscaper / May 2015 37
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INTERVIEW
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT LANDSCAPE IS FLUID AND THERE IS ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE SO IT’S AN ONGOING DISCUSSION
now an accepted profession. However, you will often find the most sophisticated designers, those who have the design skills rather than the skills to implement technology, come from sculpture or art. What did you do for work when you moved to Hampshire? I carried out freelance work for Hillier, then got more deeply involved and became Design Director, which I did for around eight years. Was that quite different from working out of the garden centre? Not really. I think I have a wonderful opportunity here in Hampshire. There is a range of work available – the whole package. Many people moving to Devon are retiring and therefore downsizing. Usually, if people are 38
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buying into a bigger property in Devon, they are either buying a farm, equestrian facilities or yachts, not spending money on their gardens. Whereas if people are buying a bigger property in this part of the world, they’re more likely to be focusing on their gardens. Would you say you have a unique style? Although I could talk about my style, it’s not that it’s unique. What’s more unique is the fact that I have projects that begin from site selection, working with architects on placing the house, doing the planning permission and then the garden. Some of them take five or six years. I’m increasingly going through the whole process, working as an integral part of a multidisciplinary team that includes the plans for the garden right from the start.
How would the team look on those types of projects? Most projects would have a team of around 14 people, consisting of architects, structural engineers and a project manager. Would the budget for the garden be agreed at the early stages? It would be at the master planning stage but you have to understand that landscape is fluid and there is always an opportunity and choice, so it’s an ongoing discussion about budget and the critical elements of that budget. Is Hampshire and the surrounding area where the majority of your work lies? Essentially I cover Hampshire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire although I sometimes work in London. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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INTERVIEW
What impact did the recession have on your business? Work is certainly more sporadic than it was. When the recession hit, it went very quiet and all my projects were on hold for six months. But I was patient and they all went ahead and pushed through. It’s quite typical for me to get six projects all at once which is probably something to do with the architects.
I LOVE SHOW GARDEN WORK BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I DO WITH REAL CLIENTS. IT GIVES ME CONFIDENCE TO DO UNUSUAL THINGS
With Chelsea around the corner, how did you first get involved in show gardens? I first got involved in show gardens back in 1990. I learnt from Ricky Dawley and the key plantspeople about how to plant gardens at shows and then Adrian Greenoak gave me my break with my first garden at Hampton Court – the Woodland Garden in the Daily Mail Pavilion, which I did on my own. I took the usual route of doing sponsored gardens at Hampton Court and then going on to do Chelsea. I did my first Chelsea garden in 2006 and it was sponsored by Bradstone. It was called ‘Walking Barefoot with Bradstone’ and won a Gold medal. In 2007, again for Bradstone, I got Gold and Best Show Garden for my garden ‘600 Days with Bradstone’.
We get the feeling you really enjoy being involved in Chelsea. I love all show garden work because it allows me to do something different from what I do with real clients. It gives me confidence to do unusual things – I use the analogy of the fashion industry catwalk. You see something amazing then it gets toned down for the high street. Show gardens versus real gardens is exactly that. It’s also my shop window. It’s PR, marketing and television time. It also forces me to make decisions under pressure, so I have to be confident. Do you think it has benefited you in financial terms? Yes, I believe it has but that takes time. It’s definitely a loss-leader to start with. But once you’re established, that changes. So is that benefit in terms of generating better leads or that you can charge more for your designs? Both, but interestingly there is a ‘best in show’ effect. The phone stops ringing because people think you are too expensive and
1
Walking Barefoot, Gold medal, Chelsea Flower Show 2006
2
New Zealand show garden 2007 inspired by César Manrique
3&4 600 days with Bradstone known as the Mars Garden. Chelsea Best in Show 2007
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5
Continental Drift, Gold medal, Singapore Garden Festival 2012
6
Gucci Flora, Silver Gilt, Chelsea 2014
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INTERVIEW
they are nervous about approaching you. Fortunately that does disappear after a while. How did you get involved on the selection panel for the RHS? Well, firstly I became a judge, so I did my apprenticeship on that. Then with further experience, I went on to do my training and was invited onto the selection panel. Do you enjoy the selection? Yes and no. It is interesting to see how people work, but it is always difficult to critique your colleagues. How robust is that selection panel? Do you all have differing views? We do all have different views. We are not really critiquing the aesthetics, but the practicalities, the capabilities and whether it makes a good show garden. You may do something wonderful but that doesn’t necessarily mean it would make a good show garden. Where does your design inspiration come from? Architecture and landscape. I’m not inspired by gardens. Some gardens I love but they don’t really inspire me to do other things. It’s travel, culture and landscape. I love scrapyards and old timber yards, it can just spark something off. Travel inspires me, just looking at the landscape, culture and buildings. Have you designed any gardens overseas? In terms of show gardens, I’ve done New Zealand, Japan and Singapore. With designing I’m doing something in Sicily, Spain, Norway and France, so I do get around. What do you admire in a designer? I admire the younger designers’ ability to understand technology, innovative materials and how people are using them. It may be time for me to hang up my coat! How many projects would you have on the go at any one time? At the moment it varies enormously, but on average roughly six projects at a time, 40
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I ADMIRE THE YOUNGER DESIGNERS’ ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND HOW PEOPLE ARE USING THEM sometimes it goes up to ten, sometimes it goes down to four. Are you doing Hampton Court this year? I was hoping to do it this year. Hampton Court was my first love and then when I did Chelsea, I sort of fell out of love with Hampton Court a bit. It seemed to lose its mojo, but I went last year and thought it was fantastic. Are you involved with the SGD? Yes, well I used to be. I was vice chair once upon a time, when John Brookes was chair and I also headed up the education committee. I’m no longer active in the association but I do judge the awards. Do you think the next generation of garden designers are being educated correctly? Yes I do. A lot of projects we see are big urban open spaces and these are really challenging landscape architecture. The majority of entries
into the student awards this year and the two students who won were for public open space. Do you watch the garden programmes on the TV? Not very often because I just find myself shouting back at the television! When you’re not working what do you like to do? I have a life on the farm. In the summer I help my husband with the hay and drive the tractors, then I have the horse and the ponies. I am a very rural sort of girl really, quite a gritty, earthy sort of person, I am not very materialistic.
1 Monaco Garden, Gold medal, Chelsea 2011
ABOUT SARAH EBERLE Sarah Eberle has been working in the landscape industry for more than 28 years, on projects from large scale public works and public inquiries to small gardens. Her style is both traditional and contemporary with key strengths in visualisation skills and a deep understanding of space and scale backed up by attention to detail and a passion for landscape and architecture. Tel: 01256 895754 Email: sarah.eberle@hotmail.com Web: www.saraheberle.com
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 10:16
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12:42
PURPLE HAZE FOR LOW MAINTENANCE DISPLAYS, ADD OUR ENRICHED BIOCHAR SOIL IMPROVER TO SOIL OR POTS BEFORE PLANTING OUT
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17/04/2015 16:11
Supporting Designers & Contractors at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for over 25 years Designer: Patric Collins ‘First Touch’
Designer: Thomas Hoblin ‘Gaze & Burvills Trade Stand’
Designer: LDC Design ‘The Minds Eye’
Designer: Robert Myers Associates
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QUARRY YARD, WOODSIDE AVE, BOYATT WOOD IND EST, EASTLEIGH SO50 9ES
21/04/2015 16:44
PORTFOLIO
PAVE THE WAY ELITE LANDSCAPES LTD Elite Landscapes Ltd has given Imperial Wharf, one of London’s premier riverside developments, a high-tech contemporary update
S
ituated between the fashionable neighbourhoods of Chelsea and Fulham on the north bank of the Thames, Imperial Wharf is one of London’s most desirable residential locations. With over 1,600 apartments and town houses, this huge development built on a former British Gas site incorporates over 10 acres of landscaped parkland. The client’s (London developers St George) brief was split into three areas of works – the main entrance to the boulevard/concierge building, the parkland extension and the riverside walk upgrade.
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PORTFOLIO
PROJECT DETAILS Project value £2.5m Build time 9 months June 2012 to February 2013 Size of project 17,500m2
The brief The boulevard and concierge works consisted of a major upgrade of the entrance and surrounding external areas to form a new
ABOUT ELITE LANDSCAPES LTD Elite Landscapes Ltd formed in 1999, has been trading for 15 years and now boasts a £7m per annum turnover. Elite undertakes high quality hard and soft landscaping construction in and around luxury development sites within London and the surrounding counties. Works include complete landscape installation, from groundworks and waterproofing through to paving, cladding and brickwork, to semi-mature tree procurement, planting and soft landscaping. Elite Landscapes Ltd also has the capacity to design and install complex water features and and bespoke installations of any landscape amenity feature.
www.elitelandscapes.co.uk
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corporate identity for the client’s head office. This included the laying of granite paving to the main entrance, supply and installation of media signs and entrance water features as well as the refurbishment of the concierge building’s interior layout. The parkland required new railings, pathways, play equipment installation and extensive planting and turfing of amenity and wildflower areas. Works on the riverside walk included repaving with York stone and granite setts, the supply and installation of extensive drainage and an upgrade of the street lighting system.
from Hong Kong. As a result, programming of the works was very complex. The aim was to have pedestrian and vehicular areas disrupted for the least amount of time possible, so any fabrication that could be carried out off site was a major advantage. The riverside works were demanding as Elite Landscapes needed to work alongside several other teams – the client St George, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham who were adopting the scheme, and the Environmental Development Agency, who were responsible for the river environment – all with different priorities and agendas.
Site and client management All works were in live public areas and safety awareness had to be of the highest quality. Green glass for the water features was sourced from the UK, the granite paving and bollards were supplied from China and the media signs
Service installation The installation of services, including electrical feeds for the media screens, was extremely difficult in a live working environment. Ducting and cabling needed to be accurate before finishing complex paving patterns in granite,
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PORTFOLIO
1 Boulevard paving and media signs 2 Parkland planting 3 Concierge building 4 Parkland entrance gates 5 The Boulevard
WINNER Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic) Cost over ÂŁ1.5m
6 Imperial parkland planting 7 Paving works in progress 8 Imperial parkland paths and gym equipment 9 Lensbury Avenue granite planters
as there would be no second chances for reinstallation if the media signs didn’t work as intended. The concierge building and surrounding area could only be out of action for a short time, so all works for the entrance water feature and concierge fit out were fabricated off site and installed on site in the quickest possible timescale.
REFERENCES Landscape construction
Planting material
Elite Landscapes
H Crowder & Sons
Tel 01628 666239 Email info@elitelandscapes.co.uk Web www.elitelandscapes.co.uk
Tel 01507 525000 Web www.crowders.co.uk
Tel 01708 867237 Web www.ced.ltd.uk
Trugrow topsoil H Sivyer
Plant material
Broadway Malyan
Tel 020 8778 1384 Web www.hsivyer.co.uk
Folia Europe Ltd
Tel 020 7261 4200 Web www.broadwaymalyan.com Imperial Wharf Parkland supplier details
Luxor and Pharola bollards, Urbis lamp columns and lanterns Newey & Eyre
AHS
Tel 01753 691616 Web www.neweysonline.co.uk
Tel 01797 252728 Web www.ahs-ltd.co.uk
Meadowmat Turf
Bark mulch
Q Lawns Calder Cabins
Tel 01842 828266 Web www.meadowmat.com
Tel 01422 380818 Web www.calder-cabins.co.uk
Sports equipment
Tel 020 8953 5827 Web www.folia-europe.com Expansion joints Jointing Systems
Tel 01837 52316 Web www.jointingsystems.co.uk Stainless steel lettering (O&M submitted independently by JFK) JFK Business Services
Tel 020 8679 5428 Web www.jfkltd.co.uk
Sportsequip
Bespoke access covers Jones of Oswestry
Contech Services
Tel 01858 545789 Web www.sportsequip.co.uk
Tel 01226 244051 Web www.contechservices.co.uk
Benches
Stone clad piers
Tel 01691 653251 Web www.jonesofoswestry.co.uk
Voss Street Furniture
Ironmongery for concierge Laidlaw Access Systems
County Turf
Tel 0117 968 5876 Web www.vossstreetfurniture.com
Tel 01724 855000 Web www.countyturf.co.uk
Rendering system
Turf
Marshalls paving and kerbs, instarmac grout, general building materials, Sineu Graff litter bins George Lines
Tel 01753 685354 Web www.georgelines.co.uk Metal edging Greentech
Tel 01423 332100 Web www.green-tech.co.uk
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CED
Landscape architect
Guard hut
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
Granite paving, cladding, copings and bollards
Tel 020 7436 0779 Web www.laidlaw.net
Wetherby Building Systems
Medallion turf
Tel 01708 868748 Web www.wbs-ltd.co.uk
London Lawn Turf
Tel 0844 822 9999 Web www.londonlawnturf.co.uk
Imperial Wharf Boulevard supplier details Bark mulch AHS
Tel 01797 252728 Web www.ahs-ltd.co.uk
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PORTFOLIO
SITTING COMFORTABLY PROJECT DETAILS Project value £190k Build time February – July 2013 Size of project Approx 5,000m2 (including wildflower meadow)
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PORTFOLIO
T
he brief from the client was passed to the company by the designer, Inspired Gardens, to create a smooth flowing garden incorporating the philosophies of Feng Shui, to achieve a peaceful garden that wrapped around the house. Located close to Penistone to the north of Sheffield, the site is in the heart of the countryside. The property, consisting of a sandstone farmhouse and barn, was initially modernised and
extended in 2008. During 2012 and 2013, further renovations were carried out and a full-height, fully glazed extension was added to the property. The works On taking possession of the site, building works were ongoing and cooperation with other trades was essential. Existing harsh features were removed and replaced with soft flowing curves and levels to embrace the principles of Feng Shui. The curves and circles gave definition to the space while helping the property to sit harmoniously within its surroundings.
ABOUT JAMES BIRD LANDSCAPES James Bird Landscapes is South Yorkshire’s leading award-winning landscape construction and garden design company. Started 24 years ago by James Bird, the company takes a ‘can-do’ attitude to all its projects and offers an in-house design service as well as working closely with independent designers and landscape architects. The company undertakes all sizes of projects, has a garden maintenance service and covers Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Nottinghamshire.
www.james-bird-landscaping.com
1 Rear terraced entertaining area 2 View from gabion wall 3 Formal water feature 4 Sweeping mixed borders 5 Schaumsprudler fountains 6 Curved seating area 7 Bird’s eye view of terrace 8 Wildflower area
JAMES BIRD LANDSCAPES James Bird Landscapes used flowing curves and local materials to blend this country home into its surroundings
HIGHLY COMMENDED WINNER Domestic Garden Construction Cost Between £100K – £250K
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PORTFOLIO
Challenges Despite difficult working conditions with prolonged periods of rainfall followed by late seasonal snow and sub zero temperatures, the project was completed within time and to budget. Due to the remote location, delivery of bulk materials was problematic and a burglary on site meant that the majority of power and hand tools used on the project were lost. Materials The project used materials that complemented the property. These were sourced from local suppliers in order to support local businesses and in turn the local economy. Where this wasn’t possible priority was given to suppliers of materials that were produced ethically and from a sustainable source. The walling was constructed using new York stone from a nearby quarry in Yorkshire. We used a resin bound surfacing for the driveway and paths, while the gabions were faced in Yorkshire walling stone and back-filled with random stone.
1 Resin bound driveway 2 Terraces under construction 3 Step construction 4 View of formal planting and lawn 5 Wall completed and terrace under construction 6 Setting out the site 7 Sett detail under construction 8 Completed terrace
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PORTFOLIO
9 W ildflower area 10 Colourful mixed planting 11 Sweeping borders 12 Red metal feature sculpture
REFERENCES Contractor
Turf
Topsoil and aggregate
Tarmac
James Bird Landscapes
Sykes Lawn Turf
AC Aggregates
Gary Fletcher Surfacing
New Buttermere Works, 1-5 Buttermere Road, Sheffield S7 2AX Tel 0114 2589290 Email enquiries@jabird.co.uk Web www.james-bird-landscaping.com
Castle Farm, Stripe Road Tickhill, Doncaster DN11 9HG Tel 01302 742286 Web www.sykeslawnturf.co.uk
242 Rotherham Rd, Malltby Rotherham S66 8ND Tel 01709 769550 Web www.acaggs.com
Paving and edging
Building materials
Birch House, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield S18 2XR Tel 01246 419525 Email info@garyfletchersurfacing.co.uk Web www.garyfletchersurfacing.co.uk
A Cowley & Sons
Keyline Builders Merchants
Turnerwood, Nr Thorpe Salvin, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 3LA Tel 01909 772302 Web www.cowleystone.co.uk
Unit S3, 8 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintiloch, Glasgow G66 1XT Web www.keyline.co.uk
Designer Lee Bestall, Inspired Gardens
The Stables Courtyard, Renishaw Hall, Nr Sheffield S21 3WB Tel 01246 439340 Email info@inspiredgardendesign.co.uk Web www.inspiredgardendesign.co.uk Stone suppliers Rand and Asquith
Tuck Royd Quarry, Halifax Road, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 2PL Tel 01484 719263 Web www.randandasquith.co.uk
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Gabions Plants
Betafence
Knowl Park Nursery
Tel 0114 256 7800 Web www.betafence.co.uk
Knowl Road, Mirfield, West Yorkshire WF14 9UU Tel 01924 492645 Web www.knowlpark.co.uk Water feature equipment Tony Harragin
Email tonyharragin@aol.com
Irrigation Access Irrigation
17 Yelvertoft Road Crick, Northampton NN6 7XS Tel 01788 823811 Web www.access-irrigation.co.uk
Wildflower seed Cotswold Seeds
London Road, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0JQ Tel 01608 652552 Web www.cotswoldseeds.com
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PORTFOLIO
JOHN DAVIES LANDSCAPE A bespoke water feature can add a whole new dimension to urban living, as John Davies Landscape demonstrates with a design that brings the outside in
LIQUID ASSETS
ABOUT JOHN DAVIES LANDSCAPE John Davies Landscape is an exciting new design and project management studio now in its fifth year of practice. It offers full competence in hand-rendered drawings, using SketchUp for 3d modelling and Vectorworks for CAD presentation. Combining bold architectural form and full, naturalistic planting schemes, John Davies delivers contemporary spaces characterised by a bold sense of modernity and a sensitivity to context, history and ecology.
www.johndavieslandscape.co.uk
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C
ollege Crescent is a new development of six prestigious contemporary family houses designed by multi awardwinning architect Alfred Munkenbeck and Neil Davies of D2 Architecture. Each house features a roof terrace with views over central London, private balconies, a beautifully designed garden and secure garaging as well as a centrally located communal courtyard area. All six houses are currently being marketed for sale. The client required high-end finishing to the landscaping that would sit comfortably with the quality of the architecture. Each garden was to
be unique in character and form, although all the gardens were to be somehow thematically linked. Year-round privacy and screening was of paramount importance in a development sitting cheek by jowl with other housing in the middle of Swiss Cottage. Design and build Each outdoor space is a natural and seamless extension of its internal living area. Water features throughout the development offer a unifying design element. Planting gives a strong evergreen structure so that each garden looks its www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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PORTFOLIO
PROJECT DETAILS Project value £420k Build time Summer 2013 – spring 2014 Size of project 864m2
SUPREME WINNER
FUTURE DESIGNER AWARD
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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best at any time of year, overlaid with predominantly woodland edge herbaceous planting schemes. The careful specification of lighting throughout transforms the gardens into more theatrical spaces by night. Apart from the tiny courtyard garden to House Six, all gardens boast their own bespoke water features. The challenge here was to integrate major features into very small spaces. The garden to House One includes a pool running the entire width of the space with generously sized paved steps as a means of crossing the pool. Gently foaming bubble jets were interspersed at regular intervals across the width of the pool. Steel water walls were used in two of the gardens. These were particularly effective, bold gestures that took up little space. A pool with a copper wall and spill in the garden of House Four, together with a raised basalt-clad pool featuring a 900mm-wide stainless steel letterbox spill in House Five, completed the private gardens. A water feature with three foaming jets falling onto cropped basalt sets was placed in front of a mature Gingko Biloba tree in the courtyard entrance, hinting at the important role that water plays in this development.
Challenges The project ran far beyond the predicted timescale, largely due to the main building contractor going into administration, and without the flexibility and guidance of MD Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants, a successful conclusion may never have been reached. One of the greatest design challenges was working with what, essentially, were tiny and massively overlooked spaces. An advantage was that huge sliding doors had already been specified, making for a seamless connection between inside and outside. However,
1 Subtle uplighting highlights the multi-stemmed Amelanchier lamarkii, shown here in full bloom 2 Copper wall with water spill into pool 3 Box, birch and basalt together with a raised pool featuring a 900mm stainless steel water blade form the bones of this garden 4 The inner courtyard with a majestic feathered gingko biloba as its centrepiece 5 A multi-stemmed Osmanthus burkwoodii forms the focal point of this sunken garden 6 Urbis planters and a green wall 7 Lythrum virgatum ‘dropmore purple’ subtly reflected in the polished steel water wall Photographs © Steven Wooster Pro Landscaper / May 2015 51
20/04/2015 11:42
PORTFOLIO providing screening to a height that in most cases exceeded the actual length of the garden itself, proved a major challenge. Solutions ranged from mature stands of Phyllostachys aurea to a height of 8m to a stand of 4m high pleached hornbeams backed by a 3.5m high green wall of Trachelospermum jasminoides on top of the 2m high boundary wall. A system of galvanised boxed steel uprights was designed which straddled and were fixed into the wall itself. The entire frame ran for a length of around 15m, was planted with 40 mature plants to a height of 3.5m and irrigated from a separate controller. The client required a central courtyard area that would announce a residential development of the highest quality. Apart from the tree pit itself, the entire courtyard sat over concrete planking, effectively turning it into a
roofed area. In addition, a fire engine needed to have full access to the area, leaving little space to fulfil the client’s requirements. The answer was a simple paving layout in a muted grey granite that didn’t fight with the slate cladding to the walls, and a number of blockwork planters, clad in basalt with honed basalt feature seating to one end. Lastly, the water feature was sited within the tree pit. 1 Basalt stepping stones and pool lighting 2 All boundary and party walls were built up in blockwork and then rendered 3 The walls of the pools were formed from blockwork before the application of grp waterproofing to the inner faces 4 Mature stock had to be delivered via crane 5 Phyllostachys aurea awaiting soil for planting Photograph 1 © Steven Wooster www.stevenwoosterphotography.com
REFERENCES Project management
Decking and timber fencework
John Davies Landscape
Alan Hayward Joinery
14 Limesford Road, London SE15 3BX Tel 020 7732 9233 Email john@johndavieslandscape.co.uk Web www.johndavieslandscape.co.uk
Tel 01233 625204 Web www.alan-hayward.co.uk
Architects
Fabricated steelwork Welding Mobility
Tel 01895 422 566 Web www.weldingmobility.co.uk
D2 Architecture
Second floor, 25 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AG Tel 020 7734 6372 Email info@d2.uk.com Web http://d2architecture.com
Fabricated steel planters BSpoke Design
Tel 0121 374 2918 Web www.bspokedesign.co.uk Trees and topiary
Concept
Deepdale Trees
Munkenbeck & Partners
Tel 01767 262 636 Web www.deepdale-trees.co.uk
135 Curtain Road London EC2A 3BX Tel 020 7739 3300 Web www.mandp.uk.com Landscape contractor
Herbaceous planting Hortus Loci
Tel 0118 9326495 Web www.hortusloci.co.uk
Landform Consultants
The Nursery, Bagshot Road, Chobham, Surrey GU24 8DB Tel 01276 856145 Web www.landformconsultants.co.uk
Evergreen Exterior Services
Tel 020 8770 9200 Web www.evergreenext.co.uk
Basalt for gardens (Italy), granite and basalt for courtyard (China)
Hydroponic green wall
Ashfield Stone
The Landscape Architect
Tel 01502 528877 Web www.ashfieldgroup.com
Tel 07875 203901 Web www.thelandscapearchitect.net
Water features (with Landform Consultants)
Planters
Fairwater Limited
Tel 01759 373839 Web www.urbisdesign.co.uk
Tel 01903 892228 Web www.fairwater.co.uk
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Miscellaneous shrubs and climbers
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Urbis Design
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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PORTFOLIO
WINNER Grounds Maintenance Domestic or Commercial - Total Contract under £50k
INTO THE WILD THE LANDSCAPE GROUP The Landscape Group provides parks maintenance services to the BALI award-winning Stratford Park in Stroud, Gloucestershire
I
n partnership with Stroud District council, The Landscape Group (TLG) has been providing a parks maintenance service to Stratford Park in Stroud, Gloucestershire for six years, in a contract leading up to 2018. The annual cost of core maintenance works to the open access park totals £163k. It is in a lively location where members of the local community enjoy the variety of facilities on offer. With a recently installed toddler’s play area and a state-of-the-art skatepark venue, Stratford Park draws a large proportion of its visitors to the on-site leisure centre featuring both indoor and outdoor pools. The park The BALI award-winning park has been a Green Flag recipient for 11 consecutive years and has
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made a significant contribution to three straight gold awards for Stroud’s ‘South West in Bloom’ campaign. The 55-acre park attracts a large number of young people from the adjacent South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, which uses the park for study and leisure. Stratford is also home to its own park museum, which appeals to many visitors all year round with a busy schedule of events including guided wildlife tours led by TLG’s industry recognised park supervisor, Mike McCrea. Mike also received a Certificate of Merit accolade for park services at last year’s 1 Salvias and marigolds provide a splash of colour to the main paths 2 Sustainable planting with perennials and annuals 3 A pond dipping event in the park Pro Landscaper / May 2015 53
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PORTFOLIO
WILDLIFE SPECIES AT STRATFORD PARK
● Horse chestnut ● Roe and Muntjac deer ● 56 native bird species including three BAP species breeding pairs of tawny owls and sparrowhawks ● 300 species of moths ● 21 species of butterflies (including two BAP species) ● Seven native species of bat ● Rabbits ● Foxes ● Badgers ● Otters
ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE GROUP The Landscape Group is one of the largest amenity horticulture specialists in the UK. A green service provider, it offers a quality service in grounds maintenance, tree surgery, street cleaning and landscape construction. The company has built many award-winning landscapes, ranging from the ultra-modern Media City piazza in Salford Quays to a formal Victorian park restoration at Herschel Park, and works hard to build long-term relationships based on trust and integrity.
www.thelandscapegroup.co.uk
SWIB awards. He liaises with a number of local schools to organise guided nature walks associated with the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). Furthermore, during the summer months an on-site model railway is open on the last Sunday of the month, presented by Stroud Society of Model Railway Engineers. Maintenance The park supervisor carries out a routine litter inspection across the site to begin the day-today process of maintaining Stratford Park. Staff are then deployed to carry out their horticultural maintenance tasks including grass cutting, 54
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flowerbed maintenance, hedge cutting and shrub maintenance. Adjustments are made to accommodate the ongoing park development around the standard daily core duties. In addition to the essential core works, TLG has a heavy workload of extra maintenance as part of Stratford Park’s 10 year Biodiversity Action Plan. This involves the enhancement of existing habitats, the creation of new ones and continual monitoring and recording of biodiversity levels in the park. To date, more than six years’ worth of information has been collated detailing how the improvements have impacted upon local wildlife. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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PORTFOLIO
PARK LAYOUT
1 Moth evening
7 Orangery
2 Museum in the Park
8 Stratford Park in the snow
3 A small tortoiseshell butterfly
9 Nestbox inspection
4 Stratford Park in the big freeze
10 Swan family seen in the park
5 Guided tour of the woodland
11 Park supervisor Mike McCrea at the 2013 Festival of Nature
6 The Bowling Green
REFERENCES
As expected, the level and variety of park maintenance differs between the seasons. In the winter months TLG dedicates more time to preparing for the summer and also provides a burial service at Brimscombe cemetery as agreed in the contract. From April to October the park staff are required to be flexible and on standby to meet the high safety standards set to keep up to speed with the community events. Extensive historical planting features are a key attraction at the park, including a splendid avenue of wellingtonias, an arboretum, lake, sports pitches, leisure areas, woodland, orangery, formal gardens and green corridors for wildlife. www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Park maintenance
Hard landscaping
The Landscape Group
Marshalls
Landscapes House, 3 Rye Hill Office Park Birmingham Road, Allesley, Coventry CV5 9AB Web www.thelandscapegroup.co.uk
Landscape House, Premier Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland HX5 9HT Tel 01422 312000 Web www.marshalls.co.uk
Gator utility vehicles
Bradstone
John Deere
Tel 01335 372289 Web www.bradstone.com
Harby Road, Langar, Nottinghamshire NG13 9HT Web www.deere.co.uk
Shrubs Wyevale Landscapes
Equipment Ransomes Jacobsen
West Road, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 9TT Tel 01473 270000 Web www.ransomesjacobsen.com
Upper Buckover Farm, Buckover, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 8DZ Tel 01454 419175 Web www.wyevale-landscapes.co.uk Turf
Sisis Machinery
Rigby Taylor
Ashbourne Road, Kirk Langley, Derbyshire DE6 4NJ Tel 01332 824777 Web www.sisis.com
2 Doman Road, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3LB Tel 01276 67683 Web www.rigbytaylor.com
Pro Landscaper / May 2015 55
21/04/2015 10:28
READY-SPACED, READY TO PLANT, READY WHEN YOU ARE.
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NURSERY
NURSERY NEWS Green-tech leads the fight against tree disease with Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar Green-tech has announced a partnership with world leading biochar company Carbon Gold, resulting in the launch of three new landscaping products. Green-tree Topsoil, Green-tree Amenity Tree Soil and Green-tree Roof Garden Substrates will now be available to the industry pre-blended with Carbon Gold’s Tree Growth Enhancer.
Trialled at Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories at the University of Reading, Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar Tree Growth Enhancer reduces losses and improves the health of trees. Proven to increase vitality and minimise drought stress, Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar also defends against pests and diseases. Biochar acts like a sponge, significantly improving the water-holding capacity of soil or compost. It minimises drought stress for newly planted trees, reducing the frequency of irrigation and significantly raising survival rates. Enriched biochar reduces fertiliser inputs as it helps to
retain mineral nutrients that would otherwise be leached away by rain. It also provides an ideal refuge for mycorrhizal colonies which are essential for healthy root systems. Green-tree’s range of topsoils and growing media is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Green-tree soils are manufactured to British Standard BS3882:2007 and they offer high nutrient content, fertility value and structural components for the successful establishment of plants, trees and shrubs. With added biochar, Green-tree substrates provide the ultimate environment for successful development and give contractors the confidence they need. www.green-tech.co.uk
Kelways is hive of activity in run up to Chelsea Dave Root and his nursery manager Gary House walk the Kelways site every day, checking the development of the plants to be supplied to seven Main Avenue and Fresh Show Gardens as well as thousands more for last minute additions and trade stands. Dave has spent much of the last four months accompanying clients on trips around the UK and Europe, selecting trees and larger www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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plants for their Chelsea gardens, including cacti from southern Spain for Sarah Eberle (see Let’s Hear It From, p35) and trees from Italy, The Netherlands and Belgium for Kamelia Bin Zaal and Charlie Albone. The nursery has numerous growing areas and holding zones, each with a different environment suitable for quick growing annuals, herbs, wildflowers and other plants harvested from around the world.
Dave said: “Chelsea demands the best plants and this often means sourcing outside the UK, particularly for the tropical, Australian and arid plants.” Among the highlights are the fast growing peonies and some unusual species of Cyathea. www.kelways.co.uk
NURSERY NOTES
Preparations for Chelsea are well underway; hotel booked and stand design complete! But before that we are exhibiting at the Harrogate Flower Show at the end of April so there is plenty to keep us busy. Bare root potting was finished by the end of February and the crop is now looking fantastic. Parrotia, Cornus mas and Hamamelis have all flowered, heralding the start of spring. We have some lovely evergreens to lift from our fields for containerisation in April/May but we have to wait until the weather is favourable. Cedrus and Sequoiadendron are particularly difficult to lift unless the timing is perfect! Once the potting cycle is complete we will have containerised more than 65,000 trees into pot sizes ranging from 45L to 1750L. After this we focus on our summer event where 550 arborists visit Barcham on the 17th of June to attend our Big Barn conference to glean up-to-date research from guest speakers from all the way round the world. www.barchampro.co.uk Pro Landscaper / May 2015 57
21/04/2015 10:32
Laying Down Roots
New from Green-tech, gtRibbed Root Panels – simply screw or glue together to create a barrier that directs root growth downwards gtRibbed Root Panels® Revolutionary system that directs horizontal root growth downwards via its vertical ribs, away from hard landscape surfaces, utilities and services. • Can be folded to a 90° angle • Allows growing media and tree to be planted first • Installed to suit the depth, volume of growing media and size of the rootball • Totally flexible tree protection system
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NURSERY
Agrumi topiary horse and dogs Tamata hopes to play part in Hillier’s promote Jaeger in Tatler Agrumi has made a stunning life size topiary horse and pack of dogs for a photoshoot promoting Jaeger clothing in Conde Nast’s Tatler magazine. The figures were covered in natural moss that was allowed to die back then sprayed with an organic dye. The effect is long lasting, meaning the figures, though large, are relatively light and more easily transportable than similar figures using living plants. The moss makes an ideal choice for promotional topiary commissions where the items need to be moved regularly to different locations. For further details, see the May edition of Tatler.
Agrumi undertakes almost any topiary commission combining its design and plant expertise with clients’ ideas to create designs that delight, surprise and inspire. www.topiaryart.co.uk www.agrumi.co.uk
Pro Landscaper wants to hear from you! For 2015 Pro Landscaper really wants to support the industry’s nurseries, which provide a vital service to landscapers and designers. This is a great opportunity to raise people’s awareness of what you have to offer. We have a widely read nursery section where you can report your achievements, update us on contracts and contractors
Howard Nurseries launches new twitter account To keep customers updated with its latest news, Howard Nurseries has launched a new Twitter account. By following @HowardNurseries consumers will be able to get a behind the scenes look at the UK’s largest wholesale nursery and only producer of open ground plants. Followers can expect hints and tips about plants for the upcoming season, what is popular in the UK’s gardens and a look at the work that is going into Howard Nurseries upcoming display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Howard Nurseries is taking its first steps into the world of digital marketing, aiming to connect with its customers on a more personal level while providing the same high standard of customer service that www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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has helped it grow into an industry leader in horticultural wholesale over the past 45 years. Howard Nurseries was started in 1969 by David Howard and Nick Kooij. They had £50 in the bank and half an acre of poor land. Today Howard Nurseries extends over 140 acres of Suffolk
you have supplied, inform readers about new lines, special offers, events, promotions or even new members of staff. Don’t miss the chance to let our readers know about what’s going on. However big or small, we want to hear your news. Email stories or images to Iszara.morgan@eljays44.com
countryside and sells more than one million plants in 1500 different varieties annually. It has previously won a Gold and two Silver gilt medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show while contributing perennials to countless other Gold medal winning gardens. Today it is one of the largest perennial wholesale nurseries in the UK. www.howardnurseries.co.uk
70th Gold
Japanese maple specialists Tamata (UK) would like to welcome Kevin Jarvis onboard. Kevin will be replacing Patrick McDaid in covering the Midlands and northern regions while Patrick will be returning to Tamata’s native country of New Zealand in the summer, where he is “looking forward to watching a decent cricket team.” Tamata would like to wish both Kevin and Patrick the best of luck in their new roles. Meanwhile, Andrew Wayre has celebrated the end of his first year working for Tamata, during which time he has been involved in some glorious projects that he is very proud to have played his part in. Hillier Nurseries used some of Tamata’s trees in its Gold medal winning garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 and the tree supplier is thrilled to say that Hillier will again be incorporating its trees in 2015. The Chelsea award winner has ordered four of Tamata’s Emerald Lace trees, a beautiful dissectum variety with bright, lime green leaves that turn red in autumn. It requires shelter from the wind but is generally quite sun and heat tolerant. Four of these plants have been ordered by Hillier and will be included in what both Tamata and Hillier itself hope will be its 70th consecutive gold medal winning garden. Even though Tamata’s trees will only be a small feature in what promises to be a spectacular garden, it is very proud to have been given this exciting opportunity to contribute. www.tamata.co.uk Pro Landscaper / May 2015 59
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NURSERY
Noel Kingsbury advocates blended perennial mixes sold by the square metre as a naturalistic and economical solution
I have a clear memory of going to a conference in Switzerland, sitting with some German colleagues and listening to a lecture where someone outlined a new approach to planting design. It involved creating a blended mix of perennial plants that could be treated as modular, to be ordered by the square metre with the intention of bring down the cost of planting design, particularly for larger projects. The mixes were being designed by universities or technical research institutes and so the design and R&D costs would be a one-off. I recall a lot of huffing and puffing from my colleagues – surely they, as landscape designers, were about to lose out? And wasn’t a modular mix going against the whole notion of creative landscape design? Nearly a decade and a half later, it is clear that the concept has taken off. Around thirty different mixes have been developed by a number of institutions in Germany and Switzerland. The plants are grown by some thirty wholesale nurseries who participate in a scheme organised by the Federation of German Nurseries. Another ten mixes are in development.
GIVEN THE EXTENSIVE RANGE OF PERENNIALS WITH WHICH BRITISH GARDENERS ARE FAMILIAR, IT SHOULD NOT BE TOO DIFFICULT TO START DESIGNING MIXES The mixes each comprise around 15 perennials, grasses and sometimes bulbs; are designed for different environments and have differing colour schemes and heights. The design intention is to create naturalistic, colourful, wildlife-friendly combinations that minimise maintenance and will survive without significant intervention for at least ten years. Various ways of setting the plants out are possible, but for the 60
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IN THE MIX
most part, they are spaced at equal distances and randomised to give the blend its wild, meadowy look. Development of mixed planting has gone hand-in-hand with research into minimal management methods, particularly the use of mowing to cut back end-of-year dead herbaceous growth. Dead material is frequently shredded and left as mulch in-situ, recycling nutrients and reducing the work involved in carting it all off for composting. Some researchers have even been experimenting with a mid-season cut, analogous to the hay cut used with wildflower meadows. Could this work in Britain? The use of perennials in landscape projects is increasing as designers seek to produce plantings with some of the visual appeal of traditional garden borders and to create wildlife-friendly spaces in urban areas. It takes a lot of knowledge to create low maintenance perennial plantings that work visually and endure, knowledge that few in the landscape or garden design industry actually have. A product like this where the knowledge is embedded in the particular plant ‘recipe’ is perhaps the answer for larger-scale projects. Perennial mixes for British conditions would have to take into account our very long growing season, which favours the growth of our native grasses and certain perennial weeds. Plant combinations would have to be skewed towards
species able to compete effectively with weedy invaders and maintain a canopy for as long as possible. Given the extensive range of perennials with which British gardeners are familiar, it should not be too difficult to start designing mixes. All it needs is some commitment from the nursery industry. Proof of concept can be seen in the increasing number of colourful perennial combinations in German towns and cities and the fact that researchers in other European countries, notably the Czech Republic, are experimenting with the concept too. Let’s hope the British nursery industry can rise to the challenge.
Above: ‘Silversummer’, the oldest mix, designed for summer dry calcareous soils in Mannheim, Germany. Photograph © Prof. Cassian Schmidt.
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. He has played a major role in introducing the British gardening public and the horticulture profession to naturalistic planting with a series of books since the mid nineties, four of which he has written with Dutch designer Piet Oudolf. He teaches and lectures widely on planting design with a particular interest in running workshops on long-term plant performance. He lives and gardens in the Welsh Borders.
www.noelkingsbury.com
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
20/04/2015 12:16
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21/04/2015 11:37
NURSERY
PLANTSMAN’S PLOT A round-up of trees and plants available at some of the country’s best nurseries Acacia dealbata (Mimosa), a native of Australia and Tasmania, has lots going for it. Firstly you must select the right position. It likes warmth and shelter, preferably against a warm wall. It will not tolerate being frozen. If you do lose top growth, wait a while as new shoots can spring up from the base. Acacia dealbata needs moist well drained soil. In the right spot they can reach 8-12m in 10-20 years. The fern-like leaves are silvery green. Flowers are clusters of yellow pom-poms with a fragrance that attracts bees and other nectar hunting insects. www.architecturalplants.com Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’ has a more tree-like form than the species and was selected as a seedling in the Netherlands in the mid 1970s. A great favourite at Barcham, it produces small vivid red flowers in March. Its bark becomes mottled, similar to London Plane, when the tree gets to beyond twenty years old. A small tree with a broad, oval crown, Vanessa gives a stunning display of autumn colour and is ideal for specimen planting in a park or large garden. Prior to that it displays red shoots and bronze edges to its deep green leaves. It does well on most soils and will tolerate chalk. www.barchampro.co.uk
Euphorbia robbiae is a robust evergreen perennial. It acts well as a space filler, providing good shade cover with its glossy, dark green leaves. It flowers early in the season, normally in time for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where it has been particularly popular this year. Its sulphur yellow flowers are a striking feature of any garden as they shoot up to 45cm above a canopy of green. Robbiae are particularly tolerant to dry and drought conditions and fit well into a classic cottage garden theme. www.howardnurseries.co.uk
Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Princess’ has dissected leaves that are a glorious deep red in spring, purple in the summer and a striking scarlet in the autumn. It can grow to around 2.5m but is often smaller, making it perfect for a smaller garden or courtyard. Sheltered from the wind, this would make an ideal location. This tree is currently available from a selection of stockists in a 45L pot at around 1-1.25m tall. www.tamata.co.uk
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Crataegus x lavallei ‘Carrierei’ (Hybrid Cockspur Thorn). This small garden tree forms a neat and compact crown. It tends to hold onto its leaves quite late, which makes it a useful tree for screening. The glossy dark green leaves, creamy white hawthorn-like flowers and orange-red haws which follow and persist make it a tree with year round interest. This is a tough tree that will grow well on a variety of different soils. It will tolerate sites with minimal shelter and even some coastal exposure. It is available from Deepdale Trees in either a standard or multistem form. www.deepdale-trees.co.uk
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21/04/2015 13:15
NURSERY
To appear in Plantsman’s Plot, please send your plant of the month, details and image to editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) can be a beautiful adornment for a south facing wall. Its glossy, dark evergreen leaves thrive in full sun or partial shade. Small and ovate they look good all year round, often turning deep red as the temperature cools in winter. In summer the plant is covered in highly scented tiny white flowers that change to cream as the season progresses. Agrumi supplies Star Jasmine plants wholesale and retail but also grows the stems of this vigorous woody climber long for its woven bespoke topiary and uses them to create living sculptures on handmade metal frames. The plants bush-up quickly and it takes little time before the design looks finished. This photograph shows a giant topiary shoe in Star Jasmine made for London’s fashion destination, St Christopher’s Place. www.agrumi.co.uk Three times bees gave us Primula x anisodoxa and the third time we were lucky with 'Kevock Surprise', a vigorous, good looking hybrid with a remarkable range of colours. Deep red buds open to give bright red flowers, changing to apricot with a prominent yellow eye. As a candelabra primula, it has up to seven whorls of flowers, one every four or five days, with the older ones becoming paler as the newer flowers open, so on one stem there is every colour from pale peach to intense, deep red. www.kevockgarden.co.uk Create an impact with Cyathea cooperi. Although not as well known as the more common Dicksonia antarctica, it is well worth seeking out as it is not freely available. Cyathea cooperi is a relatively fast growing tree fern that can put on several flushes of fronds in the growing season each year. The slender trunk supports the huge furling fronds that can reach up to 3m in length. The densely packed fronds are covered in scales that range from white to brown to black. Ideal as a dramatic focal point in a partially to heavily shaded area with a moist soil, making more of an impact than the more commonly known tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica, although both benefit from some winter protection in a sheltered spot. www.provendernurseries.co.uk
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If you have a partly shady cool spot that does not get baked by the sun and you want some dramatic foliage and effects then consider the tree fern Dicksonia antarctica. This month sees them unfurling their coiled springs and great leaves leap out, growing to 150cm long, especially if you give them a gentle liquid feed. It’s a rumour that they are not very hardy – they just need a bit of winterising, so in more exposed areas tie up the fronds and wrap in fleece or any protective cover. Otherwise a handful of straw or old leaves down the crown also protects the head. In the wild, fallen leaves are collected in this crown, making the plant’s natural protection. www.palmstead.co.uk
Buddleja ‘Blue Chip’ is a truly dwarf buddleja variety. This stunning species produces masses of fragrant lavender coloured flowers from July to September as well as having a number of unique features making it ideal for the modern landscape. Growing no taller or wider than 80cm, Buddleja ‘Blue Chip’ is ideal for planting schemes, offering strong scented blooms attracting bees, butterflies and insects. Sterile seed makes it non-invasive and low maintenance. Other varieties available include ‘White Chip’ and ‘Lilac Chip’. www.boningale.co.uk
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TIME FOR STUNNING STRUCTURES... Whether you are looking for a potting shed, storage area, play house, bike store, hobby room, home office, gym or even a man cave, a Timeless Timber Shed can provide you with a quality space to provide a solution for virtually anything you want to do at the bottom of the garden! With quality finishes and stunning designs, you can be sure that whichever shed you choose, it will enhance the environment in which it sits. To download your free brochure and find your local Timeless Timber Shed stockist visit www.timeless-timber.com
TRAINING IN PLANT SPECIFICATION The National Plant Specification What is it? • A guide to specifying and purchasing plants • Industry standard since 1997
Why do I need it?
nt Just co
• Reject undersized stock • Estimate handling, transport, storage and planting costs • Obtain like-for-like quotes • Accurately plan planting densities and numbers
a c t u s fo r f u r t h e
r det e ails or to book your plac
James Coles & Sons (Nurseries) Ltd The Nurseries, Uppingham Road, Thurnby, Leicester LE7 9QB T: 0116 241 2115 F: 0116 243 2311 E: info@colesnurseries.co.uk Twitter: @Colesnurseries Facebook: coles.nurseries
www.colesnurseries.co.uk
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CPD Accredited 1 Hour/2 Hour presentations on key points of your choice. At our nursery or your offices.
NVQ (lvl2) Accredited Full day training programme at Coles Nurseries. Groups of up to 12 candidates.
17/04/2015 16:43
LATEST PRODUCTS
LIGHTING Sqillé is a stunning light sculpture that functions as a table and an area’s statement ambient lighting. Rechargeable and sustainably designed, Sqillé offers cable-free lighting and emits a warm glowing light from its striking slatted design. Handcrafted in the UK from FSC approved timber, these illuminating tables are typically made to order in six weeks. The integrated energy efficient LED lights last around 12 hours before slowly dimming and are quick and easily recharged in-situ. Sqillé can also be custom made in other sizes and solid timber finishes. WWW.CLAYDESIGNS.CO.UK
Manufactured and assembled in the UK by Light Projects, the LEDStar is a range of compact, high performance IP67 spotlights. Including recessed, wall, tree hanging and window reveal, fittings are manufactured from anodised or PTFEcoated aluminium in white, black or satin silver with special RAL colours available to special order. They use Seoul P4 LEDs with a lifetime up to 50,000 hours, along with innovative holographic filters to control the beam angle and tilt, and they come with a five-year guarantee. Light Projects manufactures its fittings in a specialist works in South London using a highly skilled assembly team and locally sourced components. WWW.LIGHTPROJECTS.CO.UK
PATILO’s new Plug&Play garden lighting system features energy-efficient LED spotlights, uplights, bollard and wall lights, underwater lights and steplights, all interconnected with transformers and extension cables using a standard weatherproof connector plug. The range includes a unique option to upgrade the plug-in connections to IP68 – suitable for installation in wet areas such as under mulch or paving. It enables landscapers to assemble most of a garden lighting system before final connection by an electrician. WWW.LIGHTINGFORGARDENS.COM
Designed and manufactured in the UK, Trinity Lighting’s Stones range of landscape lighting bollards is a new professional, exterior LED lighting concept, using high quality coloured porcelain clad to a robust chassis of extruded aluminium that houses the electrical connections and ground mountings. As a material porcelain offers a huge range of colours and textures to match paving and façades or complement the landscaper’s materials and plantings. In addition, porcelain is robust and durable and will not peel, oxidise or fade, even in the harshest environments. The soft light diffuser emits glare-free illumination creating outstanding visual comfort. WWW.TRINITYLIGHTING.CO.UK
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Fast becoming the bestselling light fitting in the Landscapeplus range, the Collingwood Mini Spike Spotlight offers an exceptional blend of performance and value. Ideal as markers around steps, decking and paving, the Mini Spike Spotlight features a 1w Luxeon LED in neutral white, warm white or blue, to provide a soft lighting effect. With options of round and square, it is available in a range of colours and also a ‘spot’ beam angle. Simple to install, with low heat, long lamp life and manufactured from marine-grade stainless steel, it comes with a seven-year warranty. WWW.LANDSCAPEPLUS.COM
Despite its small size, the Arne light can house several LED plates, with optical units for street or flood light distribution, and an adjustable power supply, light intensity and colour temperature. Its energy efficiency gives it a useful life of 60,000 hours. It can be used as catenary, a wall lamp, a hanging spotlight or a floodlight. Made of recycled and painted aluminium and with 360º rotation, the Arne can highlight anything, be it monuments, trees or buildings. Comes with the following accessories: a pole attachment, wall attachment, urban catenary suspension and ceiling plate. WWW.TIMBERPLAY.COM
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21/04/2015 10:39
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20/04/2015 21/04/2015 16:42 11:55
EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT NEWS Acle Garden Machinery demos Cub Cadet TANK zero turn mower Acle Garden Machinery based in Norfolk recently completed a demonstration for the Cub Cadet TANK S/SZ Series zero-turn ride on lawn mower. The four wheel steering mower is designed for larger lawns and is capable of managing flat or hilly terrain. Powered by a OHV v-twin Kawasaki 852cc FX engine, the testers proceeded to engage the
Welcome to the equipment pages of Pro Landscaper, where we will be looking at new products and developments in the market. If you have any stories, please email them to jack.bacon@eljays44.com or tweet me @ProLanKit
60in deck and mulch up and down the field at 11mph. The testers found the seat could be adjusted to suit the operator’s weight and offered a lot more comfort and control when used with the extendable steering wheel. David Murison of Acle Garden Machinery concluded at the end of the demo that the TANK model was one of the market’s best available commercial grass contracting machines. www.cubcadet.com
Etesia dealer Richmonds Groundcare opens new look showroom Professional grounds care and arboricultural machinery supplier Richmonds Groundcare has opened a new showroom and
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offices in Haslemere, Surrey, having expanded its workshop facilities. Products on display at the new premises include the Etesia range of mowers, Attila brushcutters and the complete range of Pellenc battery powered tools. An Etesia spokesperson declared that the company is very
proud of the association with Richmonds Groundcare. Adam Greenslade, Richmonds Groundcare’s general manager said: “The new showroom and workshop is fantastic and will be displaying the latest Etesia and Pellenc range.” www.richmondsgroundcare.co.uk
Exclusive UK distributor named for Guarany
The Professional Sprayers People (part of the Spray People Group) has been appointed as the UK’s exclusive distributor for Guarany, a Brazilian family owned company with a 90 year history of manufacturing backpack and hand-held equipment in the horticulture industry. Guarany’s primary product range features essential landscaping kit including professional backpack spraying equipment consisting of a wide variety of booms, nozzles, flow regulators and lance extensions. www.prosprayers.co.uk
21/04/2015 14:35
EQUIPMENT
New BALI member presented with Makita tools JC Gardens and Climbing Frames was recently awarded full BALI membership having successfully passed the association’s strict vetting process by demonstrating a suitably high standard of
workmanship, business practice and customer care. In partnership with BALI, Makita rewarded contractors successfully obtaining membership during October and November 2014 with a toolkit. Julian Cockrane, owner of JC Gardens and Climbing Frames, was presented with a Makita 14.4V cordless combi drill, 14.4V hedge trimmer and a 101 piece Accessory Bit Set. BALI sales officer Shaw Pye, said: “Having met with Julian on site, it is evident that the team take a huge amount of pride in their work.” www.jcgardens.com
Barrus expands garden division team EP Barrus has appointed Edward Staniland as area sales manager covering the Midlands and North Wales. Edward will be responsible for the complete Barrus lineup of garden machinery and tools brands including Cub Cadet and Lawnflite. With 12 years experience working in the garden machinery sector, his new role will involve supporting dealers in all areas of sales, business development and technical assistance. Edward previously managed sales, parts and product demonstrations at his family’s business, Brumwell Garden Machinery in South West Wales. Edward said: “I’m
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looking forward to being able to provide this high level of service to the dealers in my area and helping them develop their own successful businesses.” www.barrus.co.uk
CTHKE JA ON
S TOOL Garden location: Crawley, West Sussex Project total value: £5-10K Size of lawn: 70m2 Type of turf supplied: Inturf classic Number of rolls: 70 Total value of turf: £225
T
wo months after talking turf with Alex and Stephen Edwards of Inturf at BTME in January, I was laying their product, supplied direct from Yorkshire, at a small domestic lawn installation. Surrey-based Assured Landscapes had given me the chance to stand on the other side of the fence and receive my first taste of professional landscaping as I swapped my desk for a shovel and shadowed a landscaper for the day.
The opportunity to gain firsthand experience was hugely beneficial and it was a very rewarding day. It taught me about the variables affecting landscapers and I witnessed the changeable conditions they work in. I learnt manual cutting techniques and how turf can be manipulated. The turf arrived in time to be laid at midday, proving the importance to a small landscaping company of having a reliable supply chain when working regularly working across sites. Typical spring sunshine and showers came and went throughout the day, forcing us to work quickly to avoid being caught in a downpour. Overall, the placement was invaluable, giving me the opportunity to get out in the field alongside a client and improve my awareness of landscaping practices.
Look out for my next day on the tools diary with ISS Arun in the June issue
21/04/2015 14:36
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Get on
track in 2010 2015 in
Swing Out Control Station
When you need a compact stump cutter with the go-anywhere traction and flotation that only tracks can provide, the Trac Jr is your solution. This all-new design from RAYCO raises the bar for compact stump cutters by offering a small machine that is truly full-featured. Rubber tracks provide excellent traction and ground pressure of less than 4psi. Huge, 47-inch cutting width tackles big stumps, and a hydraulic backfill blade makes easy work of clean-up. A RAYCO-exclusive swing out control station provides excellent visibility of the cutting action while swinging forward www.raycomfg.com to travel through gates. Powered by a 35hp Vanguard gasoline engine. Available with a custom trailer. Westcon Equipment (UK) Limited, Unit 2 Bridge Street, Bailie Gate Industrial Estate, Sturminster: Marshall, Dorset. www.raycomfg.com 800.392.2686 WestconorEquipment for further details: Contact RAYCO your Authorized Dealer for details. BH21 4DB. Tel: (01258) 859100 Fax: (01258) 858434 Email: sales@westconuk.co.uk www.westconuk.co.uk
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EQUIPMENT
RTV-X900 KUBOTA’S LATEST UTV KUBOTA’S GUIDE TO UTILITY VEHICLES (UTVs) Steve Pickwell, Kubota Product Manager – Groundcare, gives us the lowdown on Kubota’s latest model, the RTV-X900, an ideal solution for landscapers looking for a versatile machine. Utility vehicles, commonly known as Side-bySide vehicles, offer exactly what that name suggests – they comfortably seat two people alongside each other. These nimble and versatile machines are growing in popularity in the landscaping sector, enabling teams to use the vehicle
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for on-site transport, with plenty of room for equipment, materials, tools and other supplies in the load bed. The side-by-side market rose by 4% in 2013 in contrast to most other sectors and at the expense of the ATV/ quad market. The capabilities of utility vehicles have improved dramatically, although some are better suited to the landscaping market than others. Kubota recently introduced the RTV-X900, a replacement for the long
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 10:42
EQUIPMENT THESE NIMBLE AND VERSATILE VEHICLES ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY IN THE LANDSCAPING SECTOR, ENABLING TEAMS TO USE THE VEHICLE FOR ON-SITE TRANSPORT, WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, TOOLS AND OTHER SUPPLIES established RTV900 and it has some significant improvements over its predecessor. The towing capacity has doubled from 500 to 1000kg. Carrying a heavy load requires greater braking force and the RTV-X900’s sure-footedness on rough ground is further enhanced by Kubota’s innovative dynamic braking. The transmission works in tandem with the brakes making it much better suited to heavier payloads. Comfort is another priority for landscape professionals and improved handling has been achieved through the installation of a new independent and adjustable four-wheel spring suspension. This can be set to give landscapers optimal control, whether transporting heavy loads over undulating terrain or even ground. The hydraulic tipping load bed speeds up operations and improves safety in comparison to manual alternatives.
KUBOTA RTV-X900: KEY DEVELOPMENTS Increased towing capacity The ability to load a mini-excavator or tow heavy materials from site to site or areas within large sites is an invaluable tool for landscapers using a range of plant equipment or tools.
Although price will always be significant, users should factor in maintenance costs and any consequent downtime. Site-to-site transport is another concern. The Kubota’s street legal status negates the hassle and cost of transporting the vehicle on a trailer. A final point to consider is the quality of manufacturers’ after sales networks. Is there an authorised dealer in easy reach? How quickly and easily are parts obtained? There are any number of models that may offer lower initial costs, but cannot be backed up with reliable servicing and parts. 1 Loadbed has a capacity of 15.2 cu ft 2 Variable hydrostatic drive offers more torque 3 Dash-mounted parking brake 4 Independent adjustable suspension on all four corners
Perfect for all terrains Used with cleated tyres, this utility vehicle is ideal for use across all terrains and environments, in wet slippery conditions or across uneven ground. It can be used with heavy duty worksite tyres on metalled roads or driveways. The 4WD, independent adjustable suspension further enhances its versatility.
5 The RTV-X900 is also available in ‘Camouflage’ 6 Full cab facility can be specified at order
Perfect for all duties and landscaping tasks The RTV-X900 offers enhanced levels of comfort for long workdays thanks to marked improvements in suspension. The hydraulic tipping load bed helps users improve efficiency and safety when compared to manual lift bed alternatives fitted on the majority of competitor models. Additional towing capacity and surefootedness on rough ground is aided by Kubota’s unique dynamic braking. Dynamic braking for enhanced safety Choosing a machine with dynamic braking, rather than belt driven versions should be a key to purchasing decisions when transporting over varied terrain. Dynamic braking ensures safe control is easy when working on slopes, hills and declines allowing operators to concentrate on steering and load management.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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New Berthoud Pro Comfort 3000 Electric Sprayer
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The Heavy Duty Mover (Ref NTT). For the easy transportation of trees, paving slabs, bags of aggregate and much more. Call us for a free 80 page brochure
www.schsupplies.co.uk ● 01473 328272 ● sales@schsupplies.co.uk
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21/04/2015 11:38
EQUIPMENT
SPRAYERS
SCH (Supplies) was recently commissioned to design and build a bespoke version of its popular Professional Power Sprayer (PSP). The customer, a landscape contractor, needed a 50L tank with a removable break back boom and pneumatic wheels for ease of access and excellent manoeuvrability. The sprayer has a pressure reducing valve, pressure gauge, a 12V rechargeable battery and an adjustable handle to suit the operator. The nozzles are changeable so the sprayer can be used for various application rates. WWW.SCHSUPPLIES.CO.UK
Rechargeable battery-powered, walk behind Vitax EvenSprey sprayers apply liquid fertilisers and other turf treatments accurately and economically. The four wheel EvenSprey 300 comes with 1,600mm wide double independent spray boom and instantly adjustable pressure. The 30L tank gives 600m2 coverage, while the spray lance allows
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Walkover Sprayers offer the benefit of operating without a motor, engine or battery. They function via a wheel driven gear pump that produces an ideal spraying pressure and self-calibrates to the operator’s walking speed. The Greenkeeper Walkover is a three nozzle sprayer with 25L tank capacity and can spray up to 800m2 depending upon nozzle
size. There is a spray on/spray recirculate switch located on the handle and a sophisticated filtration system. The Greenkeeper has four large pneumatic wheels to minimise surface marking and it is particularly well suited to application on lawns, tennis courts and bowling greens. WWW.WALKOVERSPRAYERS.COM
The 600L capacity OPTIS P600 sprayer from Kuhn is fitted with its ‘DPAE’ ground speed related application rate control, adjustable via a GPS antenna. The in-cab terminal also controls the three section 6.5m boom with quadra-jet nozzle. The amount of chemical used is kept to a minimum via the external dosing system (control mix) enabling the operator to only use the required dose for a given application. Its three diaphragm P75 pump can manage all
For use in large gardens and on trees and shrubs, the Vermorel 2000 Pro Comfort by Berthoud is a user-friendly sprayer made with a high performance membrane and contains a curvilinear piston pump. The knapsack sprayer features an ergonomic back frame designed to fit the shape of the user’s back. The model applications with 68L/min and 15 ensures separation between bar maximum pressure. Also fitted the applicator’s back and tank to the sprayer is an automatic with adjustable double shoulder hose reel with lance for spot straps offering spraying in addition to a foam further user marker and PPE compartment. comfort. The WWW.KUHN.CO.UK 60cm professional ‘PROFILE-type’ lance handle provides great spot treatment. The EvenSprey accuracy and 250 three-wheeler carries a the lance itself 1,115mm spray boom and 25L offers high mechanical and tank sufficient for 500m2. The chemical resistance. With a Shurflo pump ensures reliable, 16L capacity, the sprayer has even delivery and gives operators a reversible pump lever able the confidence that they are to be positioned vertically for applying the correct storage and inclined when concentrations of liquid. in operation. WWW.VITAX.CO.UK WWW.FARGROAMENITY.CO.UK
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NEW SXG Range The best just got better
Compact Mowers & Tractors
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Mower family Distributed in the UK by Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd. For more details please call 01473 270000 or visit www.iseki.co.uk SXG 326
PL/SXG/05/2015
SXG 323
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16/04/2015 09:31
ELIET DZC 600 OVERSEEDER
PROFESSIONAL OVERSEEDING RESULTS AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE As the years pass, every decorative lawn is subject to ageing. Grass dies and species disappear which causes a reduction in the density of growth. This gives opportunity for pests, weeds, moss etc. to take over the lawn. Scarifying and spraying can help to briefly interrupt the decline, but the only long term solution is to rejuvenate the grass. The key to success is overseeding. The new DZC 600 overseeder from Eliet makes high tech overseeding possible for an affordable price. INNOVATIVE OVERSEEDING TECHNOLOGY 1. CUTTING OPEN THE SOIL The cutting blades at the front of the machine cut open 10 (0.4”) to 15mm (0.6”) deep grooves in the soil of the lawn in preparation for the grass seed. 2. REMOVAL OF EXCESS SOIL The blades rotate over the top and cast the soil in an arch to the rear of the machine so that it does not fall into the newly cut grooves. 3. PRECISION SOWING A clever and compact seed distribution system, Helix Seed DuctTM, carries the seed under the projected excess soil into small funnels leading to discharge channels precisely located above the clean grooves. 4. INJECTION A small air pressure generator blows air through the seed funnels so the seed is blown while it is being distributed. This helps the seed to settle faster and with more precision in the grooves. 5. ROLLERS The powered rubber roller immediately follows the seed distribution process and ensures that there is good contact between the soil and the seeds by pressing the earth down. 6. COVERING THE SEED The flow of projected excess earth falls just behind the roller on the sown area. The earth covers the seedbed and provides a protective layer for the seed, increasing the chances of germination and growth.
www.eliet.eu
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PARTS DEPOT GROUNDSCARE ltd | 08450773773 | sales@psdgroundscare.co.uk | www.psdgroundscare.co.uk
20/04/2015 16:31
EQUIPMENT
TURF MAINTENANCE
LawnflitePro’s new high speed, self-propelled rotary roller mower, the 553HRS-PROHS, is built to professional specifications, with a Honda professional quality engine, shaft driven gearbox, heavy duty alloy deck and sealed roller bearings. The new roller has improved ground speed, being 13% faster than standard models and sports a superior gearbox design. Further enhancements include strengthened handle brackets, a deck liner for extra protection and a front bumper bar that protects the deck from damage. The all-steel rear roller creates the ‘traditional British stripe’ and makes cutting lawn edges much easier and limits damage to them. WWW.LAWNFLITE.CO.UK
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The popular Toro Groundsmaster 360, distributed by Lely UK, is known industry-wide for its agility and unparalleled manoeuvrability. Engineered with Quad-Steer technology, offering true all-wheel steering, the 360 is unrivalled when it comes to cutting around obstacles. The powerful 36hp (26.8kW) Kubota four-cylinder diesel engine is
The HYBC4300 model from Hyundai power tools is a high quality brushcutter/grass trimmer for garden and grounds maintenance use. With the ability to access and maintain areas a wheeled machine could not reach, the HYBC4300 delivers an all-round cutting performance and is powered by a 43cc easy-start, two-stroke Hyundai engine. For optimum cutting results, the HYBC4300 comes with a four tooth cutter blade and a two-string nylon cutting head. Weighing only 6.8kg, the lightweight machine is
built to work hard, leaving groundscare professionals climbing hills without slipping. Operators can make 180° turns without tearing turf while mowing in total comfort. Saving time without sacrificing quality, it’s the ideal solution for keeping large turf areas beautiful and healthy. WWW.TORO.COM
The new AS 701 SM flail mower by PSD Groundscare is ideal for mowing and mulching on demanding terrain, meadows, shrubbery and undergrowth. The mower is only 70cm wide and its narrow, lightweight form makes it extremely manoeuvrable and easy to handle. Possessing a robust flail mower deck with 20 3mm thick Y-flails for sustainable mulching, this machine is precise and
comfortable to use for extended periods and is supplied with a double over-shoulder harness for added support. Enhanced operating efficiency and safety is assured by the U-shaped anti-vibration handles. WWW.HYUNDAIPOWEREQUIPMENT.CO.UK
convenient work is guaranteed by the proven drive unit. Featuring single wheel steering, the mower boasts a brake clutch and precision five speed manual transmission. WWW.PSDGROUNDSCARE.CO.UK
21/04/2015 11:04
Portable | Lightweight | Powerful
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Beautiful gardens start here
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For more information visit : www.grilloagrigarden.co.uk Tel: 01889 569149
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TURF
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EQUIPMENT
TREE MAINTENANCE
The telescopic EY2650H25H professional pole saw from Makita extends to enable branches up to 5m above ground to be lopped with ease. Powered by a 25.4cc version of the Makita MM4, 4-stroke engine developing 1.03hp, the EY2650H25H weighs just 7.2kg, is comfortable to use and supplied complete with shoulder strap harness, safety goggles and engine and chain oil. The flexible pole expands from 2.7 to 3.9m and its 25.5cm guide bar carries 3/8in pitch ½in chain running up to 21m/s. WWW.MAKITAUK.COM
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Green-tech’s gtRibbed root panels have been created to guide a tree’s root growth downwards for installation vertically underground. The system works by directing horizontal root growth
downwards via its vertical ribs, away from hard landscape surfaces, utilities and services. When the roots reach the lower edge of the gtRibbed root panels, they exit the system
With an unrivalled power to weight ratio and a standard assembly of Oregon ¼in chain specially designed for pruning, the Pellenc M12 chainsaw cuts cleanly and with precision. Extremely light, the Pellenc chain guide in steel and composite material allows these chainsaws to twist flexibly and prevents breakages in the case of accidental catching. The
absence of a brake and speed reducer guarantees reliability and lightness. The handheld Selion range combines direct drive with the chain gear, which increases their durability. An innovative system allows the chain to be tightened without doubting whether or not the optimum tension has been reached. WWW.ETESIA.CO.UK/PELLENC
accessing further growing space. Any roots that grow upwards will be deflected back into the soil via the folded edge at the top of the root panel. The gtRibbed root panels can also be folded up to a 90º angle, allowing for many configurations to be created for different tree planting scenarios. WWW.GREEN-TECH.CO.UK
Fitted with a 350mm (14in) Oregon bar, the EGO Power+ chainsaw is capable of making 100 cuts of 4x4in softwood per charge of a 2Ah 56V EGO battery. The Power+ model from EGO takes chainsaw operation to a new level of safety, convenience, comfort and power. Operating at 6300 rpm, the chainsaw has a kickback brake, tool free chain tensioning and a chain scabbard as standard. The D-Shaped handle ensures easy manoeuvrability and the tank also features a clearly visible oil level indicator. WWW.EGOPOWERPLUS.CO.UK
21/04/2015 11:06
PEOPLE
IMOGEN PADFIELD Business & Horticultural Manager, Inspired Gardens Ltd imogen@inspiredgardensltd.co.uk Your most referred to gardening book of all time Having worked at Architectural Plants, I revisit their book often but my RHS Plant Encyclopaedia is always nearby. Best garden in the UK My passion for horticulture comes from my Grandpa Harold. When I was a youngster I would garden with him so for me, his garden back then is the best in the UK. Biggest life influence So many people and so many things (good and bad) nudge us along in life. I couldn’t possibly choose one thing. Top plant Top genus has to be Pseudopanax and I don’t think I’ll ever fall out of love with it. My favourite has to be P. ferox – when I first saw one of these I knew I had chosen the right career. Favourite tipple A full bodied red wine or Disaronno neat and on ice – no cheap substitutes. Most treasured gift Lots to chose from, a book called Jennie which my
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husband gave to me before we were an item, a Flat Eric cuddly toy my dad gave me when I was eighteen and somewhat lost in life. Lifelong fan of (sporting team) Hmm...not big on sport but I’m learning to like rugby seeing as many of my colleagues play...they’re seriously strong guys. Your most used saying or cliché Some I can’t repeat, one is FMOB you’ll have to ask my ex AP colleague Paul for more details. Another is a habit of starting a sentence with ‘for me....’ Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 For me (sorry!), it seems that design has swung back from uber-contemporary to looser, more organic planting and we have a high demand for wildflower/naturalistic schemes. Perhaps shrubs should get more of a look-in too – creative pruning and also choosing some more unusual specimens. Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Larry David, Nigella Lawson (saucy minx) and Jeremy Clarkson (if I’m allowed to say that).
Pro Landscaper asks quick-fire questions to get a small insight into the people that make up our industry. To take part email lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com
GEORGINA CHAHED Garden Designer, Touch Landscapes www.touchlandscapes.com
Most referred to gardening book I still love Andrew Wilson’s The Book of Garden Plans. Best UK garden I get really excited about the Exotic Garden at Great Dixter.
Favourite tipple A good flat white. Most treasured gift Time is the most precious gift anyone can give you. Lifelong fan of UK design. Most used saying The glass is half full.
Biggest life influence My mother, a passionate gardener and my father, an amateur watercolour painter. Top plant I have a particular weakness for dahlias. They make a bold statement and their flowers take on various incarnations as they develop over time
Newest trend for 2014 After being out of fashion for the past few years, I hope we will see designers start to incorporate shrubs into their designs again. Shrubs are really underutilised. Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Vivienne Westwood, Frank Gehry and the late Thomas Church.
www.prolandscapermagazine.com
21/04/2015 11:09
PEOPLE
BEN STIRLING Managing Director, Landscape Creations Ltd www.landscapecreations.co.uk Your most referred to gardening book of all time The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs. Best garden in the UK Hestercombe Gardens, I love the design and planting. Biggest life influence Undertaking an apprenticeship at Dartington Hall Gardens
at 17. By 18 I was hooked on horticulture for life.
Most treasured gift My wedding ring.
herb gardens that the whole family can get involved with.
Top plant Erigeron karvinskianus. glorious white and pink flowers all summer long that brighten up pots and beds.
Lifelong fan of Somerset County Cricket Club, I hope to see them win the championship – one day!
Your most used saying Work hard, play hard.
Favourite tipple Timothy Taylor’s ales.
Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 As the trend for healthy living continues apace we are gearing up for fruit, veg and
MARK WOOD
PHILIP WILCOX
Business Manager, Green-tree
DesignScape Landscaping www.design-scape.co.uk
www.green-tree.co.uk Your most referred to gardening book of all time The Green-tech catalogue. Best garden in the UK Alnwick gardens are a great example of overcoming adverse conditions. Biggest life influence My parents worked hard to provide for us as children and that ethos of hard graft has stuck with me throughout my life. Favourite tipple Vodka and coke is my go to tipple but I’m partial to a Sambuca.
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Little Interviews TW.indd 79
Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll. I’d love to hear them planning one of their gardens! Also John Lennon for an after dinner jam.
Favourite tipple Bombay gin and tonic.
Most treasured gift My children.
Your most referred to gardening book of all time My Notcutts book of plants. It’s a bit battered, but it’s always in use.
Lifelong fan of Leeds United and Chicago Bears (NFL).
Best garden in the UK Being local to me, I have to say Trentham Gardens.
Lifelong fan of English rugby.
Top plant I love a blossom tree.
Your most used saying It looks like it’s going to brighten up.
Your most used saying With all due respect… Your prediction for newest gardening trend Green roofs. Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Bob Marley is a musical inspiration, Richard Branson for his business brain and James Martin for the cooking.
Top plant Lavender.
Biggest life influence Without doubt, my dad. He’s no longer with us, but I still use his tools every day.
Your prediction for newest gardening trend for 2015 Outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens.
Most treasured gift My grandad’s retirement present. It’s a granddaughter clock.
Three people you’d like to invite to dinner Brian Blessed, Boris Johnson and Micky Flanagan.
Pro Landscaper / May 2015 79
21/04/2015 11:09
PEOPLE
LOOK OUT FOR...
RUSSELL MALTON APL Rising Star Award winner Russell Malton tells us about the motivation that has driven him to be recognised so early in his career
How and when did you decide to follow a career in landscaping? It wasn’t until summer 2013 that I decided to go down the landscaping route. For me it was an easy decision, I knew I liked being outside and that I loved making things. Landscaping was by far the most attractive career choice for me. What do you like the most about your job? By far the best thing about my job is the feeling of achievement once you have completed a job and seen an overgrown, neglected garden that can hardly be used reach its full potential, knowing you had an input into creating a wonderful outdoor space for somebody. I’ve had some very good jobs and some awful ones but landscaping gives you a really good sense of satisfaction that I have found very hard to find in other industries.
And least? Cleaning out the mixer! For me this is the most difficult question. When I really think about the things we do from day to day I’m not sure there is anything about my job I wouldn’t want to do. 80
Pro Landscaper / May 2015
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I mean, sure you have to get your hands dirty but that’s part of the fun. If you want to create the best gardens and compete at the top you have to dig in and do some jobs you don’t particularly like. I love the industry and I’d do anything to stay in it. What training have you already completed and what would you still like to learn? I studied horticulture at Merrist Wood College where I completed a City and Guilds level two qualification and I am now working through the Association of Professional Landscapers Landscape Award. Where I struggle most is with the soft landscaping, I’d like to learn more about plants, particularly remembering the Latin names. How did you feel when you found out that you’d been entered into the APL rising star award? I was very surprised as I’d only been with Holland Landscapes six months and the APL is a big organisation within the industry. I was a bit nervous to start with because I knew other experts would be judging my work but on the other hand it gave me a boost in confidence because my boss thought my work was good enough to be entered into an award. I never thought I’d actually win the category as I was new to the industry. How do you see your career at Holland Landscapes progressing? I love working for Holland Landscapes as it’s a family run business I get to spend a lot of time learning from Chris and Paul. They bounce ideas off each other so I get to see how different people work and how things can be done differently while still achieving the same high quality outcome. So over the past year I have
learned more than I had ever imagined about landscaping. I still have a lot to learn and lots of experience to gain but hopefully I’ll be able to run a team one day for Holland Landscapes. How would you encourage more young people to take up a career in landscaping? I would be enthusiastic around younger people in the industry. I think showing them your passion and drive for creating great gardens rubs off. I would let them get more involved in the build process, allowing them to do some finishing work and making them proud they’ve achieved something. Getting me more involved definitely kept me interested and made me want to do better every time I started a project.
CONTACT Holland Landscapes, Unit 10 Hall Farm Business Centre, Church Road, Little Bentley, Colchester, Essex. CO7 8SD Tel: 01206 251997 Web: www.hollandscapes.co.uk
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21/04/2015 15:11
JOBS
For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk. Call 01903 777 570 or email hortcareers@eljays44.com with your vacancy.
LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS MANAGER OUTDOOR SPACE DESIGN London, South East
We are looking for a dynamic and driven landscape operations manager to ensure a high standard of operations is achieved and maintained throughout the landscaping division of our company. You will be responsible for project management of all landscaping projects; ensuring jobs come in on time and on budget; customer relationships; leadership and quality control. Skills required: staff management; anticipating client needs and responding quickly; self-managing workload; identifying growth opportunities; motivating teams; the ability to write reports in clear and concise language and IT skills or ability to learn.
LANDSCAPE FOREMAN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES London
Seeking an experienced landscape foreman to work on prestigious domestic projects, predominately around west London and surrounding areas.You must have proven experience in successfully running large domestic projects, ordering materials, interpreting plans and performing a wide variety of hard and soft landscaping.You will also be responsible for reporting to management regularly and delivering projects on time and on budget.You must be well presented and able to liaise with clients and designers effectively. A current driving licence is required.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
FOREMAN
LANDSCAPE FOREMAN
MANOR LANDSCAPES Surrey
NEW EDEN Essex
Manor Landscapes is looking for a full time skilled foreman to fit into a team of full time and part time subcontractors. Requirements: team player with leadership qualities and positive attitude; good time keeper; ability to read plans, work to a programme of works and keep a tidy and safe site; demonstrate high standard of workmanship and have eye for detail; five years’ experience as site foreman; full UK driving licence; be 25 or over for insurance purposes; qualifications if possible; good command of English. Experience in: hard landscaping; soft landscaping; irrigation; day-to-day running of landscape sites.
Responsible for the site based management of all contracted landscaping projects.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
HARD LANDSCAPER
ASSISTANT MANAGER
We are seeking an experienced hard landscaper.
Salary £22k-£25k, company vehicle included.
Assisting the manager in the management of contracts; preparation of quotations; Health and Safety administration/training and general assistance sourcing materials and plants.Requirements: at least two years’ experience in the landscape/construction sector, a keen interest in horticulture, suitable qualifications, team player, excellent communication skills. 40-45 hours per week; salary subject to negotiation; full clean driving licence; DBS check.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
HARD & SOFT LANDSCAPE FOREMAN
LANDSCAPE DIRECTOR
Our London based landscape gardening client is seeking a foreman/team leader. This role will require the candidate to travel to projects based within London and the M25 area.
Established landscape and grounds maintenance company seeks director to work with senior management and board to bring leadership, reinforce current management structure, drive performance and bring sustainable profit while providing top rate service. Requires ability to see big picture and steer company to achieve excellence in all areas while able to appreciate smaller details of landscape management. Knowledge or experience of landscape, grounds maintenance, facilities management or construction essential.
JACKSONS GARDEN LANDSCAPE SERVICES Suffolk
The role comprises the following duties to be completed on high end domestic projects: paving, driveways, water features, fencing, paths. This role requires a full UK licence.
ANDERSPLUS HORTICULTURE London
Job Specification: irrigation, brickwork, reading from plans, constructing gardens. This role will require the candidate to have a clean driving licence and experience within both hard and soft landscaping For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
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To manage and implement all site works. To be accountable for the distribution of all allocated labour, tools and equipment. To oversee quality of all site works in accordance with plans and the company standards. To liaise with customers, the project manager and designer.
MID CORNWALL LANDSCAPING Cornwall
MORE PEOPLE Yorkshire
For more details please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk.
Pro Landscaper / May 2015 81
21/04/2015 14:25
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Ride-On Tractor Mowers £1’500 John Deere GT235, 48” SD deck, 18hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 355 hrs Stihl Hand-Held Demonstrator Kit / Balmers GM Fleet – 2014 Machines £2’500 John Deere X320, 48” SD deck, 22hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 195 hrs WeJohn are once again selling off demonstration kit.HST All the Stihl machinery that £3’000 Deere GX355D, 48”our SD2014 deck,Stihl 16hp diesel, 2WD, – choice of 2 we John have for saleX495, has had light moderate for demonstration purposes Deere 48” SDtodeck, 24hpuse diesel, 2WD, HST – 1922 hrs only – All prices £5’500 include £6’250 JohnVAT. Deere X740, 54” SD deck, Low-Tip Collector – choice of 2
John 48” (RRP: RD deck, 24hp diesel, 4WD, HST – 1380 hrs Stihl FS38Deere GrassX748, Strimmer £149) Stihl FS90R Brush32” Cutter Loop&Handle (RRP: £492) Etesia Bahia, RD –deck collector, 2WD Stihl FS94C Brush Cutter – ‘U’deck, Handle (RRP: £390) 25hp diesel – 828 hrs Etesia H124DS, 48” RD Hi-Tip Collector, Stihl FS360C Brush Cutter – ‘U’(Ex Handle (RRP: £774) Etesia Attila Bank Mower Demo) – low hours British built, robust equipment Stihl HS56C HedgeTrimmer – 24” blade (RRP: £450) www.landmarktimber.co.uk 0808 129 3773 Compact Tractors Stihl HS81TC HedgeTrimmer – 24” blade (RRP: £550) Bespoke orders taken – we can build to your specifications John Deere 54” Snow Blade, 24hp£ diesel, Stihl HS86T HT X748, – 30” single side blade (RRP: 562) 4WD, HST – choice of 2 JDMSA160C 4600 & Front 43hp, 4WD, Power Reverser – 4331hrs Stihl – 12” Loader, Battery Chainsaw, shellG.Box, only (£285) John Deere –3320, 33hp, 4WD, HST,Saw turf(RRP: tyres,£312) roll bar – 1230 hrs Stihl MSA160T 12” Top Handle Battery Unwanted grounds maintenance equipment? JD 4410 & Front Loader, 34hp, 4WD, G.Box, Power Reverser – 2279 hrs Unwanted grounds maintenance equipment? KubotaTractor B2410, 24hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 1720 hrs Don’t scrap it - SELL it at Tamlyns Outdoor Auctions Ride-On Mowers Don’t scrap it - SELL it at Tamlyns Outdoor Auctions Kubota & 48” Front 24hp, 4WD, HSTHST – 1076 hrs of 2 PL App Ad.indd 1 21/01/2015 12:17 John DeereB2410 GX355D, SDLoader, deck, 16hp diesel, 2WD, – choice Kioti DK551C with Cab, 54hp, 4WD,Collector Gear Box – 612 of hrs2 Next Sale Days: John Deere X740, 54” SD deck, Low-Tip – choice Next Sale Days: New Holland 4WD,2WD, HST,HST turf -tyres, roll bar – 2312 hrs John Deere X740,TC27D, 48” RD 27hp, deck, 24hp, 797 hrs Saturday 21st March: The Sale Field, Saturday 11th July: The Sale Field, New Holland 55hp, 4WD, – 1751 John Deere X748,TN55D 48” RDwith deck,cab, 24hp diesel, 4WD,Gear HSTBox – 1380 hrs hrs Blakes Road, Wembdon, Bridgwater, Yanmar FE280H, 4WD, 24hp, turf tyres, – 262 Blakes Road, Wembdon, Bridgwater, John Deere X748, 52”28hp quickdiesel, hitch broom, 4WD,roll HSTbar - 981 hrs hrs
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3 download the free app 4 choose and download your issue
TA6 7RS TA6 7RS Saturday 25th April: The Oak Tree Saturday 8th August: The Oak Tree Arena, Arena, Edithmead, Edithmead, M5 M5 J22, J22, Somerset, Somerset, TA9 4HA TA9 4HA Enquiries Enquiries to to Tamlyns, Tamlyns, 56 56 High High Street, Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3BN 3BN TT 01278 01278 458241 458241 EE ross.whitcombe@tamlyns.co.uk ross.whitcombe@tamlyns.co.uk W W www.tamlynsprofessional.co.uk www.tamlynsprofessional.co.uk
Etesia H124DS, 48” RD deck, Hi-Tip Collector, 25hp diesel – 828 hrs Ride-On Cylinder Mowers Etesia Attila Bank Mower (Ex Demo) – low hours John Deere Commercial Triple, fixed units – choice of 2 Amazone PH125900 Ride-On Flail Mower 48” 30” width, 24hp, 2WD – 450hrs JD 2653A, 26” 8 blade units, spiral rollers, scrapers – choice of 4 JD 2500Tractors (A) (E), 22” 11 blade units, groomers, brushes, grass boxes Compact -choice 3 33hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar John Deere of 3320, JDDeere 3235B with33hp Cab,diesel, 22” 8 4WD, bladeHST, units,turf grooved front 2708 hrs John 3320, tyres, roll barrollers – 1246–hrs JDDeere 3235B, 22”32hp 8 blade ESP unitsHST, – 2691 hrs roll bar John 4300, diesel, 4WD, turf tyres, 3225C, 7 blade c/w rear Reverser roller brushes 2217 hrs JD JD 4410 & Front Loader,light-weight 34hp, 4WD,units G.Box, Power – 2279–hrs Jacobsen G Plex, recently serviced & extra setPTO scarifying units available Kubota B2400HD & Front Loader, 24hp, 4WD, HST, – 1467 hrs Hayter LT324, 6 blade units with4WD, 10” fixed heads choice 10- 250 hrs Kubota L3200 & Front Loader, 32hp, gearbox, turf–tyres, rollofbar Hayter T424, gang, 6 blade 30” units choice Kioti DK551C with5Cab, 54hp, 4WD,– Gear Box ––612 hrs of 2 Highway 3 – 4WD, choiceHST, of 2turf tyres, roll bar – 2312 hrs NewRansome Holland TC27D, 27hp, Ransome Parkway 3, 30”4WD, 6 blade 1970 Yanmar FE280H, 28hp diesel, turfunits tyres,–roll barhrs – 262 hrs
£95 £267 £335 £500 £285 £360 £395 £195 £214
£6’750 £2’250 £4’750 £ POA
£6’750 £7’750 £9’000 £9’750 £6’900 £3’000 £7’900 £6’250 £13’750 £7’500 £7’500 £6’750 £12’500 £8’750 £7’500 £4’750 £POA £7’000£5’500 from: £5’500 from: £8’000£5’750 £9’500£6’500 £8’500£7’500 £9’750£8’000 £6’000£5’500 from: £11’500£6’500 from: £13’750£9’000 £7’500£ POA £7’500£ POA
CLASSIFIED
PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL
Ride-On Cylinder Ride-On FrontMowers Rotary Mowers £5’500 £6’500 JD John 2653A, 26” 81445, blade various units, spiral – choice of 2of 8 from from: Deere deckrollers, sizes scrapers and hours – choice JD John 2500 (A) (E),1445 22” 11 blade units, boxes Deere with Cab, 60”groomers, SD deck, brushes, Servicedgrass – 2126 hrs £8’500 £5’750 £9’750 - Choice 2 1545, 62” RD deck, 31hp, 4WD, HST – choice of 2 from from: John of Deere £6’500 For all your golf, sportsturf and landscape irrigation needs. JD John 3235B with Cab, 22” 8 blade units, grooved front rollers – 2708 hrs Deere 1565 with cab, 62” RD, 38hp, 4WD, HST – 1044 hrs £9’750 £7’500 £8’500 JDRide-On 3235B, 22” 81600T bladeMowers ESP 2691 hrswith canopy – choice of 2 John Deere Wideunits Area– Mower from: Tractor Buy online at www.lws.uk.com £6’500 Hayter LT324, 6 blade units with 10” fixed heads – choice of 7 from John Deere 997 Zero Turn Mower, 60” deck, 30hp – 291 hrs £1’500£9’000 John T424, Deere GT235, SD –deck, 18hp petrol, 2WD, 355 hrs £12’500 Hayter gang, 648” blade 30” Mower units. Deluxe Cabhrs –HST 2659–hrs Jacobsen 5HR6010 Wide Area – 1615 £2’500£ POA John Deere X320,348” SD deck, 22hp petrol, 2WD, HST – 195 hrs £POA Ransome Highway – choice of 2 Ransome HR6010 Wide Area Mower – choice of 2 from: £12’000 £3’000 John Deere GX355D, 48” SD deck, 16hp diesel, 2WD, HST – choice of 2 Ransome HR300, 60” RD deck, 4WD, HST – choice of 4 £ POA £5’500 John Deere X495, 48” SDMowers deck, 24hp diesel, 2WD, HST – 1922 hrs Ride-On Front Rotary £6’250 JohnIS1500Z, Deere X740, 54” SD44” deck, Low-Tip Collector –HST choice of 2hrs Ferris Zero-Turn, RD Deck, 19hp, 2WD, – 436 £3’500 Commercial Pedestrian Mowers £6’750 JohnDeere Deere1445, X748, 48” RD deck, 24hp diesel, HSTof–101380 hrs John deck sizes and hours–4WD, –36”, choice from £6’500 HugeBahia, choice32” ofvarious Ferris Scag mowers 48” 52” Zero Turn mowers. £2’250 Etesia RD deckand & collector, John Deere 1445 with Cab, 60” SD deck, 2WD Serviced – 2126 hrs £8’500 £4’750 Etesia H124DS, deck, Hi-Tip 25hp diesel – 828 hrs John Deere 1545, 48” 62” RD deck, 34hp, 4WD,Collector, HST £13’600 £ POA Etesia Attila Bank62” Mower (Ex Demo) – low HST hours John Deere 1545, RD deck, 34hp, 4WD, - 1292 hrs £8’500 Deere 1565 with cab, 62” RD, 38hp, 4WD, HST – 1044 hrs £9’750 Compact Tractors TelJohn 0345 230 9697 • www.lws.uk.com John Deere 1600T Wide Area Mower with canopy – choice of 2 from £8’500 John Deere X748, £6’750 Ransome HR300, 60”54” RDSnow deck,Blade, 4WD, 24hp HST –diesel, choice4WD, of 4 HST – choice of 2 £POA JD 4600 & Front Loader, 43hp, 4WD, G.Box, Power Reverser – 4331hrs £7’750 John Deere 3320, 33hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 1230 hrs £9’000 Commercial Pedestrian Mowers JD 4410 & of Front Loader, 34hp, 4WD, G.Box, Power Reverser – mowers 2279 hrs £9’750 Huge choice Ferris and Scag mowers –Manchester 36”, 48” 52”www.prolandscapermagazine.com Zero Turn £Enquire Balmers GM Ltd, Rd, Dunnockshaw, Kubota B2410, 24hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 1720 hrs £6’900 5PF Kubota & Front Loader,Burnley, 24hp, 4WD, Lancs, HST – 1076BB11 hrs £7’900 Ex DemoB2410 – Niko Robo-Flail Mower Kioti Controlled DK551C with 54hp, 4WD, Gearfor Box – 612 hrs (RRP: £32’000 £13’750 Now: Radio 48”Cab, flail mower on tracks bank mowing New165 Holland 27hp, 4WD, HST, turf tyres, roll bar – 2312 hrs £7’500 £16’000 Only demoTC27D, / hire hours New Holland TN55D with cab, 55hp, 4WD, Gear Box – 1751 hrs £12’500 Yanmar FE280H, 28hp diesel, 4WD,VAT turf tyres, roll bar – 262 hrs £7’500 ALL PRICES ARE PLUS – UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
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December 2012
w w w. r o c h fo r d s . n e t
www.balmersgm.com
Ride-On Cylinder Mowers John Deere 900 Commercial Triple, 30” fixed units – choice of 2 £5’500 JD 2653A, 26” 8 blade units, spiral rollers, scrapers – choice of 4 from: £5’500 JD 2500 (A) (E), 22” 11 blade units, groomers, brushes, grass boxes -choice of 3 from: £5’750 Balmers GM Ltd, Manchester Rd, Dunnockshaw, JD 3235B with Cab, 22” 8 blade units, grooved front rollers – 2708 hrs £6’500 Burnley, Lancs, BB11 5PF JD 3235B, 22” 8 blade ESP units – 2691 hrs £7’500 01282 JD 3225C, 7 blade light-weight units c/w rear453900 roller brushes – 2217 hrs £8’000 Jacobsen G Plex, recently serviced & extra set scarifying units available £5’500 Hayter LT324, 6 blade units with 10” fixed heads – choice of 10 from: £6’500 Hayter T424, 5 gang, 6 blade – 30” units – choice Pro of 2 Landscaper / May from: 2015 £9’000 83 Ransome Highway 3 – choice of 2 £ POA Pro Landscaper / March 2015 99 Ransome Parkway 3, 30” 6 blade units – 1970 hrs £ POA
Visit our website: www.balmersgm.com
Joseph Rochford Gardens Ltd, Pipers End, Letty Green, Hertford, SG14 2PB Tel: 01707 261370 Fax: 01707 262847 Email: sales@rochfords.net
www.prolandscapermagazine.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com
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Ride-On Front Rotary Mowers John Deere 1445, various deck sizes and hours – choice of 8 John Deere 1445 with Cab, 60” SD deck, Serviced – 2126 hrs
21/04/2015 12:21 from: £6’500 £8’500 18/02/2015 14:44
YOURS FOR A TENNER
YOURS FOR A TENNER A DAY
With our new finance scheme a brand new Isuzu 3.5t Grafter can cost you as little as £70 per week (excluding VAT, deposit and upfront costs). To find out more, give our team a call on 0845 226 7983, visit us at isuzutruck.co.uk or email info@isuzutruck.co.uk
Offer available until 30th June 2015. This promotion is for business purposes in England, Scotland and Wales and is subject to credit acceptance and any qualifications in government or company policy. Finance example - Hire Purchase deal. Cost price £17,700 + VAT, road fund licence, first registration fee. Full VAT, road fund licence and deposit – £1,770. Balance £15,930, payable by monthly instalments of £303.33 over 60 months. VAT charged at the current UK rate at time of acceptance. Administration fees of £100 Document Fee and £100 Option to Purchase Fee are payable on all transactions. Alternative profiles are available on request. Written quotations are available on request from Isuzu Truck Finance. Isuzu Truck Finance is a trading title of BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Ltd, Northern Cross, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4HL.
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