Pro Landscaper October 2018 by Eljays44

Concept to Delivery

October 2018

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

Let’s Hear it From STEVE ETHERIDGE ESSE LANDSCAPES

PLANTERS for rooftops

PRO LANDSCAPER’S 30 UNDER 30: THE NEXT GENERATION

CLASS OF 2018

revealed...

SEAN BUTLER

Can you

HANDLE IT?

Outdoor Living STONECRAFT LANDSCAPE & DESIGN

Cover final.indd 1

20/09/2018 16:14

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WELCOME

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

October 2018 | Volume 8, Issue 10

October 2018

Let’s Hear it From

PLANTERS for rooftops

STEVE ETHERIDGE

ESSE LANDSCAPE

Welcome to October 2018 Welcome to the October issue of Pro Landscaper. Well, where to start with the good news this month? Firstly, we must congratulate all those who have received a BALI National Landscape Award 2018, we’re delighted to join this prestigious group of businesses this year and are very pleased and proud to have been recognised by the industry – bring on the awards ceremony on 7 December! Further good news is the success of the BALI South Thames Charity Summer Ball, which took place in Brighton at the end of August and was great fun. The final figure raised for the BALI Chalk Fund is just short of £8k, so we hope many people will benefit from this. We returned to Scotland in September for the newly branded

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

FutureScape Scotland, again a very successful day with visitor numbers up and exhibitors leaving with new and refreshed contacts. This event is also very well attended by students, who let us remind you – are the future of our industry, so it’s a great opportunity for them to experience the seminars and debates and see what suppliers they may work with in the future. If all the above isn’t exciting enough, this issue also sees the announcement of Pro Landscaper’s inaugural ‘small project, BIG IMPACT’ awards shortlisted projects. We were amazed with the response to this new initiative and received a high number of entries. The panel of judges pored over entries in early

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

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Leader.indd 3

PRO LANDSCAPER’S 30 UNDER 30: THE NEXT GENERATION

CLASS OF 2018

SEAN BUTLER

Can you

revealed...

HANDLE IT?

Outdoor Living STONECRAFT LAND SCAPE &

DESIGN

September and those shortlisted will find out if they have won an award at a presentation at FutureScape on Tuesday 20 November. So now we move onto the Pro Landscaper Business Awards, entries are coming in and we have widened the categories to enable more companies to enter. You have until the end of the month to get your entries in so don’t delay. The awards ceremony will again be held at the East Wintergarden in the heart of Canary Wharf, London, on Friday 8 February 2019. In the meantime, enjoy the issue, there’s lots in it!

@jimeljays

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@ eljays44.com Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2018 subscription price is £95. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts. Whilst every eﬀort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

Cover image ©Stonecraft Landscape & Design

@lisaeljays

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an aﬃliate member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

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

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

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

20/09/2018 15:57

CONTENTS

October 2018

27 INFORM

Agenda Do awards enhance your business?

News

Concept to Delivery

Our monthly roundup of industry news

News Extra BALI Ball

October 2018

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

Let’s Hear it From STEVE ETHERIDGE ESSE LANDSCAPES

PLANTERS for rooftops

Small Project Big Impact Announcing the shortlist

Association News The latest from RHS, Parks Alliance, SGD, APL, BALI and plants@work

PRO LANDSCAPER’S 30 UNDER 30: THE NEXT GENERATION

CLASS OF 2018

revealed...

Futurescape Scotland

SEAN BUTLER

Can you

HANDLE IT?

Outdoor Living

A roundup of the day

STONECRAFT LANDSCAPE & DESIGN

30 Under 30 Presenting this year’s winners

Let’s Hear It From

Esse Landscapes

Valuing Landscape

Andrew Wilson

Coverage of the conference

Landscape Architect’s Journal View From The Top

Crime Wave Angus Lindsay

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

Contents.indd 4

A World View

Under Pressure

A Northern Powerhouse Leeds City Council

Small But Beautiful Ayegardening Ltd

Living Memory Fira

David T Binks

Outdoor Living Stonecraft Landscape and Design

Adam White

Marcus Watson

Growing Pains And Gains

INSPIRE

Holly Youde

Liz Lake Associates

How Contemporary?

Pro Landscaper Business Awards Check out this year’s categories www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 15:47

CONTENTS

EDUCATE

97 Pro Landscaper Business Awards: Winner Profile Nurture Landscapes

98 Handy and Hardy Paul Newman

100 Can You Handle It? Sean Butler

103 Little Things -

Marchantia polymorpha Jeff Stephenson

105 Fencing Focus on three options

107 Blowers/Vacs Neat tools for tidy tasks

110 Saltex: Go And See 66

It’s All An Illusion

Anji Connell

Planters For Rooftops The pick of the pots

Bulbs For Naturalising Andy McIndoe

The Green Effect Ian Drummond

NURTURE

Nurture News

News from the UK’s growing sector

Designer Plants

Nick Coslett retires

Tony Woods

Plant Health Futurescape Scotland seminar

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Contents.indd 5

New Routes for Nick Pretty In Pink Jamie Butterworth

Nursery Interview How Green Nursery

Preview of the stands

112 Tree Anchors A guide to guying

115 Book Review Four recomended reads

116 Look Out For Will Williams

118 Product DNA Rain Bird

122 Little Interviews Quick-fire questions with the individuals who make up our industry Pro Landscaper / October 2018

20/09/2018 15:47

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18/09/2018 11:40 08:41 13/09/2018

INFORM

SPOTLIGHT ON

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Newman

Angus Lindsay

Anji Connell

David T Binks

Landscape designer, Paul Newman Landscapes

Group head of assets and fleet, idverde

Interior architect and landscape designer, Anji Connell Interior Design

Managing director, Landstruction Group

Landscape designer Paul Newman shares his latest must-have product that he believes could revolutionise the landscaping industry. Versatile, lightweight and ultra-durable, this handy product has a whole range of uses for both interior and exterior projects.

In this month’s issue Angus Lindsay touches upon the ever-present threat of theft and vandalism in our industry, asking whether we are doing enough to protect our machinery. Noting a worrying increase in thefts over the past year, now is the time to take action.

How do you add space, light, colour and visual effects to any outdoor space? Add mirrors, says Anji Connell. From mirror walls to mirror balls, Anji discusses some of the creative ways we can use mirrors to enhance and transform our landscapes – as if by magic.

No matter what job or industry you work in, chances are you’ve had a stressful day at work at one point or another. David T Binks talks about how the demands of the landscaping industry can cause stress, and how he channels his feelings to help him focus on getting the job done.

paulnewmanlandscapes.co.uk @paulnewmanlandscapes

idverde.co.uk angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

anjiconnellinteriordesign.com @anjiconnell

landstruction.com @landstruction

Other contributors Andrew Wilson Garden designer and lecturer

Andy McIndoe Leading horticulturist

Sean Butler Director, Cube 1994

Holly Youde Director/designer, Urban Landscape Design Ltd

Ian Drummond Creative director, Indoor Garden Design

Jeff Stephenson Head of horticulture and aftercare, Bowles & Wyer

Adam White Director, Davies White Ltd

Jamie Butterworth Horticultural consultant, London Stone

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Pro Landscaper / October 2018

20/09/2018 10:58

INFORM

AGENDA

DOES ENTERING AND WINNING AWARDS ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS?

Five companies reveal the positive impact that winning industry awards has had on their business

Paul Downer

Richard Kay

Managing director, Oak View Landscapes

Director, Green-tech/Regency Feeds

Entering and winning awards certainly does enhance your business, especially in terms of winning awards. They are a fantastic opportunity for your organisation to showcase your projects and other achievements, gaining recognition from your industry peers and the wider community. They definitely are a lead generator for more high-quality schemes. Awards are a great way of benchmarking your company against like-minded businesses and your competitors, and are invaluable at raising your company’s profile both regionally and nationally. Awards can also serve as a recruitment tool and are great for raising staff morale. That said one must not underestimate the time it takes to create and submit a really first class award entry, and the costs involved. I am always ultra-critical when considering a project for an award and won’t enter it unless I am almost certain it will win – anything less than perfect about the scheme will be disregarded.

We have found that entering (and winning) awards has had a very positive impact on our business in many ways. Completing the awards submission gives an opportunity to reflect on what Green-tech has achieved and where we are going as a business. Prior, during and post the awards is a great chance to drive exposure through social media, increasing online engagement and followers on the various online platforms. Post-awards we send out PR via press releases to the various industry editors with whom we work. Attending an awards ceremony is a great opportunity for Green-tech to reward our staff, take out customers and share the good feeling that awards create. The awards event is a good networking opportunity with like-minded people. Awards have been an excellent way of increasing Green-tech brand exposure, raising our credibility, attracting new talent locally or nationally, ensuring as a business that we stand out from our competitors.

Patricia Fox Director, Aralia

We first entered awards back in 2009. In that year we did a show Garden at RHS Chelsea, for which we won a Silver Flora, and we also were awarded a BALI Design Excellence Award. Within 12 months of winning those awards our business changed dramatically. Rather than competing head on with small local garden designers, we were escalated into a different sphere and have never looked back. In 2012, we did another show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and doubled our turnover (and profit) in the next 12 months. We have since won multiple awards from the SGD, APL, RHS, and BALI – all of which have allowed us to promote our business as an award-winning design practice. So yes, I would whole heartedly endorse that winning awards has enhanced our business. 8

Agenda.indd 8

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 11:10

INFORM

Dan Flynn

Butter Wakefield

Managing director, GardenLink

Owner, Butter Wakefield Garden Design Ltd

I firmly believe that entering awards, competitions and construction show gardens does enhance your business and company profile. This is for several reasons – showing off the excellent quality of work you carry out, putting images of your work and style in front of new clients. Plus, other than possible entry fees, the advertising is free, which makes fantastic business sense regarding your marketing budget. My advice is to be selective about which awards and competitions you enter. The key to being successful is having professional photos taken of your work as the panel of judges are unlikely to ever visit them, so their decision is based on the images and information you provide.

I may be unusual, but for me it is always somewhat terrifying entering one’s projects or putting oneself forward to be judged for anything, especially one’s work. I find it hard not to worry no matter how beautiful, complicated, or worthy I feel the work is – not to mention the time, energy and cost it takes to get projects submitted. Having said that, it is not necessarily the winning or losing that matters, it is indeed the taking part. It’s good to participate, it’s good to extend oneself, it’s good to compete. It shows a commitment to your industry and your peers, and it shows you care, which at the end of the day, is what really matters most!

NEXT MONTH

Have your say: editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk

There is an ever-increasing phrase being used known as ‘flexism’ – careers being halted by employers unwilling to be flexible with working hours. How is this affecting your company?

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Agenda.indd 9

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

20/09/2018 11:10

INFORM

NEWS Winner of landscape design competition for ﬁrst Garden City of the 21st Century

Gillespies appointed to undertake Landscape and Visual Sensitivity Study

In March, the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and NHS England started an international design competition. It aimed to find the best creative and inspiring ideas to help shape the landscape of the first new Garden City of the 21st Century. The ideas will also incorporate into the 10 largest Healthy New Towns developed in the UK. The winner of the Ebbsfleet Garden City: Landscape for Healthy Living Competition was announced on 6 September 2018. The ceremony took place at the annual Landscape Institute conference: Valuing Landscape 2018. This is an international event

Shropshire Council has appointed Gillespies to prepare Landscape and Visual sensitivity studies. These are to inform the selection of development sites as part of the evidence base for the Council’s Local Plan Review. Shropshire, like other local authorities has to plan for new housing and employment land. The landscape and visual sensitivity study will assess how land around the 60 settlements identified in the Local Plan Review is appropriate for development. The studies will also look at any potential strategic sites that may suffer an affect by this. It will help to ensure that such development aims are at the most appropriate locations. In addition, the studies will also identify mitigation measures as necessary. Joy Tetsill, senior planning officer from Shropshire Council, comments: “We are very pleased that Gillespies are working

News.indd 10

that aims to tackle big questions about valuing our landscape for future generations. The winner of the competition was HALO – a model for growing a healthy infrastructure by Bradley Murphy Design. The project is in collaboration with John Thompson Partnership, Peter Brett Associates and Sebastien Boyesen. The HALO concept stands for Hives, Arcs, Links and Organics. The concept aims to deliver healthy infrastructure to residents’ doorsteps. By providing accessible and inspirational places, residents will ﬁnd motivation to take up physical activity www.healthygardencity.co.uk

on this important study for the Shropshire Local Plan Review. The results will form an integral part of the site selection process for housing and employment land. “It will also provide a good foundation for assessing the impact of future development proposals on landscape character and visual amenity around many of Shropshire’s settlements.” The conclusions of the study will inform the selection of suitable sites for allocation in the Local Plan Review. It will provide a sound basis for decision making in the determination of planning applications. www.gillespies.co.uk

20/09/2018 14:19

INFORM

Matt Jones wins Garden Designer Competition Now in its sixth year, the collaboration between Provender Nurseries and Capel Manor College continues to be a success for all. Provender Nurseries are happy to announce Matt Jones of London Plantsman as the winner of the Garden Design Competition. A new garden from the Capel Manor show gardens (The National Gardening Centre) was selected for the planting redesign, The Family Garden. Matt’s redesign of the Family Garden called ‘Summer Entertaining’ was chosen as

NEWS IN BRIEF

the winning entry. This was due to the contemporary feel to the year-round planting, mostly in the late summer months when the clients entertain. These criteria were set out in the brief. Judging took place in June with more than 15 students of Garden Design at Capel Manor College, Enﬁeld Campus. Students had to present their designs to Liz Hughes of Provender Nurseries and Sophie

Another record breaking year in Green-tech’s 24-year history

Leading landscape supplier Greentech has enjoyed 12 consecutive record-breaking months; a ﬁrst for the company. In February they achieved an unprecedented £1.6 million of sales. The company is

expecting to end their ﬁnancial year with an annual turnover of £14.5 million, up 14.5% on last year. Green-tech will be celebrating its three-year anniversary in November at their Rabbit Hill Park premises in North Yorkshire. Since moving to the Business Park Green-tech has undergone extensive planned growth with aims to reach turnover of £20 million within the next few years.

Talasey Group launches training academy

Guinness of Capel Manor College. Each student talked through their designs justifying plant choices and pointing out areas of interest. Matt has been presented with a cheque for £250.00 for winning the garden design competition. Judging at Regents Park campus will take place in November. www.provendernurseries.co.uk

Chairman, Richard Kay says: “It has been a storming year for Green-tech but it hasn’t happened by chance. The team have stuck in and worked hard. I’m delighted that our hard work and commitment to the industry and our clients has paid oﬀ. ‘We have increased our turnover by 13% from 2017 which is no mean feat in an incredibly competitive marketplace. ‘We have big plans to take on more apprentices and get more heavily involved in educating the younger generation who will be the future of Green-tech.” www.green-tech.co.uk

SANDOWN PARK RACECOURSE, ESHER, SURRY, KT10 9AJ

The Talasey Group Training Academy has been launched as part of its commitment to raising industry standards. Each course is designed by Talasey Group and supports a wide range of industry professionals. www.talasey.co.uk

Ground Control appoints Andy Gray to lead launch of vehicle charging service Ground Control has partnered with the world’s largest electric vehicle charging infrastructure ‘ChargePoint’ to provide an aesthetically-minded approach to electric vehicle charging installations. To lead the launch, Ground Control has appointed Andy Gray as Business Development Manager. www.ground-control.co.uk

Eljays44 wins prestigious BALI award

Eljays44 is delighted to learn that it has won a respected Aﬃliate Exceptional Service Award in the BALI National Landscape Awards 2018. This year is the ﬁrst time of entering these awards since Eljays44 launched in February 2011. www.eljays44.com

20 NOVEMBER 2018

SEMINAR PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED ON PAGES 72 - 73 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN | WWW.FUTURESCAPEEVENT.COM News.indd 11

20/09/2018 14:20

INFORM

idverde has acquired Out There Services – the market leader for landscaping and grounds maintenance in Northern Ireland. The Out There Services enables the company to reach out to clients with a national footprint, who value their services delivered by well-trained and motivated colleagues who are proud to work for idverde. Doug Graham, CEO – idverde UK commented: “We are delighted

Mitie Landscapes strengthens NHS partnerships Mitie Landscapes will take on two new ground maintenance contracts with the NHS in the South West of England. The contracts with Devon Partnership NHS Trust and SouthWestern Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) are both worth £675,000 over ﬁve-year terms. For SWASFT, Mitie will deliver landscaping services across 72 sites in Gloucester, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, to name a few. This includes ground maintenance services and tree management

to take our ﬁrst step into Northern Ireland and welcome our new colleagues from Out There Services. We have been very impressed with the development of the business led by Steven Thompson and his team and we are very excited to be able to work with our new colleagues from Northern Ireland to support and further develop our oﬀer in Ireland. Steven and his team will remain a key part of the forward strategy as we continue the development of our vision to be the provider of choice for creating and maintaining landscapes.” www.idverde.co.uk

services. This is the ﬁrst time SWASFT has brought these services together under a single contract. Mitie will continue to invest in new technology as part of the contract. It will use its Live Landscapes web portal to provide live data and management data across the estate. This will enable performance monitoring whilst providing reports showing key data. Mitie’s responsibilities for Devon Partnership NHS Trust will involve delivering grounds maintenance to 21 sites across Devon. It will also include grass cutting, plant bedding and weed control services as well as tree, hedge and shrub maintenance. This is in addition to Mitie’s existing contract with the Trust for gritting. www.mitie.com

Unilog Pro machine round timbers offer flexible solution for landscaping projects. Pressure treated with Tanalith E timbers are available in four diameters and 13 lengths up to 4000mm, supplied with 15 or 30 year warranty. mm-staging-186x55.indd 5 News.indd 12

NEW ON THE

website www.prolandscapermagazine.com 7 ways your website can stay ahead of the competition Maintaining a positive online presence can go a long way to helping you build brand awareness for your business. The way your website conveys your company’s message speaks volumes about how you want to present the ﬁrm. When it comes to your website, staying up to date with current trends is imperative…

How to creatively use recycled materials in garden design This week, Pro Landscaper asks Robert Frier, garden designer at Charlesworth Design, to share some creative ways landscapers can reduce costs and do more for the environment with recycled materials. I guess the Yorkshire blood in my genes is why I have always been one for reusing and recycling.

Alexandra Froggatt raising awareness of bees in horticulture

Are all the bees disappearing? With more than 700 species reported as heading toward extinction, it appears they are. RHS Gold Medal winning designer Alexandra Froggatt has designed a new pop up show garden…

11 winter plants for a splash of garden colour With winter just a couple of months away and frosty weather set to make most gardens dormant, Pro Landscaper rounds up 11 winter plants to keep landscapes bright and colourful.

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idverde acquires Out There Services

06/09/2018 13:03 20/09/2018 14:20

INFORM

BALI SOUTH THAMES

CHARITY BOND THEMED Summer Ball Friday 31 August 2018

n the evening of Friday 31 August, 120 BALI members and nonmembers got together for an evening of fun, food, drinking and dancing at the BALI South Thames Charity Summer Ball. With the aim of raising money for the BALI Chalk Fund, the South Thames committee set about organising a black tie event back in April, culminating in a glittering evening at the Brighton Hilton Metropole. The Bond theme certainly encouraged some of the men to get into character, with a few nail-biting

BALI CEO Wayne Grills with Steve Etheridge, Jake Catling and partner www.prolandscapermagazine.com

News Extra BALI Ball.indd 13

Brian Herbert, Phil Jones, Jim Wilkinson, Pete Jones, Richard Gardiner, Lisa Wilkinson, Jake Catling, Paul Cowell, David Dodd, and Steve Etheridge

Andrew and Barbara Wilson with Debs Winrow and APL Chairman Rod Winrow Pro Landscaper / October 2018 13

20/09/2018 16:49

INFORM moments from BALI National Chairman Paul Downer and Robert Crowder from Crowders Nurseries who got into a shootout. Another memorable sight was Jake Catling from The Landscaping Consultants, who sported a bowler hat in a nod to famous Bond character Oddjob. To warm up the room, committee member Jim Wilkinson kicked off the fundraising with a game of ‘heads and tails’ and with generous bids being made for the silent auction items (which included a South African safari, breaks in Sicily, Tuscany and Prague, plus a host of celebrity memorabilia). The overall figure raised from the night topped £8,000. A live band kept the dance floor jam packed all evening with tunes for every taste. With the event being such a huge success, the plan is to run it again next year and we’ll be releasing the date and venue very soon – so don’t make any plans for the end of August 2019 until then! If you are a BALI member and are interested in getting involved with the BALI South Thames regional committee, please contact Chairman Pete Jones pete@ldp.uk.com.

Jamie Butterworth and partner

BALI Chairman Paul Downer with Cherry Carmen

Richard Gardiner speaks about charity beneﬁciary BALI Chalk Fund Heads and tails

BALI South Thames Chairman Pete Jones welcomes guests

John Wyer 14

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

News Extra BALI Ball.indd 14

Drinks reception

Jaws, Roger Moore and Halle Berry

Paul Downer with Glendale’s Adrian Wickham

A trio of Bonds

Odd Job

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 14:09

small project

BIG IMPACT

D E C N U O N N A T S I L T HOR

SPBI.indd 15

20/09/2018 13:53

D E C N NOU

N A T S I L T R

SHO

small project

BIG IMPACT

Acacia Gardens

Grange Road Contemporary Landscaping

BUILD

Sponsors

Green-tree Topsoil

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18/09/2018 08:43

INFORM

Let’s Hear it From

STEVE ETHERIDGE ESSE LANDSCAPES

This month we meet up with Sussex-based landscape company owner Steve Etheridge of Esse Landscapes and discover his unusual path into the industry and the structure of his business, along with his views on staffing, member associations and how he likes to relax Steve, how did you get into the landscape industry? I probably took a very different route from most colleagues because I didn’t start out in a land-based industry or college. I graduated from university and worked as an engineer in the oil industry and then started my own business in property development. In the 1990s I was diverted into computing and set up a medical computer systems company, primarily for the dental industry. I also had a company selling internet domain names. In 2000, I sold both these businesses to an American company. Sometime later, around 2002, when I lived in Sussex and was having my own garden redone, I employed a garden designer, Brian Hawtin, and we got into conversation about the difficulty in finding landscape contractors to fulfil his design needs. I had previous experience in construction, so found this an interesting challenge. As a result, www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Let's Hear it From.indd 27

I decided to set up the landscape business (firstly as a kind of hobby) with Brian as a consultant and six other employees. Initially we were getting work locally for relatively small domestic construction projects, mainly via friends, friends of friends and referrals.

WE DON’T CHASE COMMERCIAL WORK AS I FEEL OUR SKILLS ARE BEST FOCUSED ON THE MORE BESPOKE PRIVATE DOMESTIC PROJECTS How did the business develop? To find out more about the industry I joined BALI in 2004, at Brian’s recommendation, as it’s a good networking tool. But really, it’s only in the last six years that I have worked on building the company up. I invested more into the business, Pro Landscaper / October 2018 27

20/09/2018 10:47

INFORM

raised our profile and we grew to our present team of 14. We’re currently running between offices attached to my house and a small yard, but we’re looking to expand into larger premises. What areas of work do you concentrate on? Over 90% of our work is domestic build, but we have a small number of commercial clients who we have done recurring work for over the years. We don’t chase commercial work as I feel our skills are best focused on the more bespoke private domestic projects. And does your work mainly come via garden designers? We do minimal design work ourselves so generally work as contractors, usually having been recommended by an independent designer. We’ve built up good relationships with several garden designers and tend to work very closely with these, ideally becoming involved early in the project concept stage, and working with them on the technical aspects of the design. I see this as our real strength. What areas do you cover? It’s mostly Sussex, Surrey and Kent. We rarely venture inside the M25 as that brings with it a plethora of logistical and organisational issues and we can find enough work in these areas. I would say the centre of our operations would be mid-Sussex and within an hour’s drive from there. And how is the business structured Steve? I’m owner and my main concentration is on building the business. I recently appointed a

ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IN OUR INDUSTRY IS TO DISTINGUISH OURSELVES AND LANDSCAPING AS A SPECIALIST AREA, REQUIRING SPECIFIC SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE contracts manager who was promoted from within. Martin has worked for me for 10 years and we’d been talking about this transition for a while but he’s now taken on this senior role fully. Effectively, Martin is responsible for anything we do onsite, whilst I take care of liaising with designers and clients and the marketing/ promotion of the business. My engineering background also helps with the more technically challenging projects and I’ve kept my NICEIC electrical certification up to date so I can sign off work under Part P. Overall, we are less structured now than we were, changing from a fixed number of individual teams to a more fluid style, which works better as we find everyone gets to know each other. Generally, we still allocate a core team to each project, but mixing the team members to match the job. We also have our floating specialists, such as a carpenter, plumber, electrician and the horticulturists who support the core team when and as required. What is the scale and size of jobs you typically undertake? For our business, the overall cost of a project scales anywhere between £30k and £700k, averaging at projects costing around £100k.

The jobs that tend to be most profitable are those that turn out to be the simplest. The complexity of something is where profit is lost, but they’re also the types of job that are the most interesting and exciting. It’s fair to say that we love a challenge! You’re in quite a competitive area geographically – does this pose difficulties for you? Not really, because there’s enough work out there for everyone. The biggest competition for most contractors in the domestic market is from builders who, perhaps having completed an extension, tell the client that they could easily do the landscaping too. One of the major challenges in our industry is to distinguish ourselves and landscaping as a specialist area, requiring specific skills and knowledge. How many of us have been asked to visit a garden completed by a builder where there are a couple of small problems that need sorting? The remedy is usually a lot more extensive and expensive than the client would wish. Would you do RHS Chelsea or other show gardens? Yes – we built an Ecospace stand at Chelsea in 2010 and won an award for that but never really

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WE’VE WON A NUMBER OF INDUSTRY AWARDS RECENTLY, SO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE TO PRODUCE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL followed up on it. Chelsea is definitely something we’d like to get involved with again, hopefully over the next couple of years. We’ve won a number of industry awards recently, so believe that we have the skills and experience to produce something really special. What’s the succession plan for the business? I think I’d always like to have a stake in the business, but I won’t want to be working forever. The management structure that I’ve started to put in place, and will continue building on, will hopefully run the business successfully well into my retirement. Talking about other industry issues, how do you find staffing and training? We don’t usually have problems recruiting, as we have a strong reputation locally and so many www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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prospective landscapers come to us from recommendation. On occasion we’ve needed specialist skills, and have been successful in recruiting from advertising too. Training is mainly done in-house through mentoring, though we do send staff on specific skills courses and we also use Citation for health and safety and HR related training – they run online courses that we put our people through and provide handbooks for us. What other issues do you think face the industry currently? I’d go back to the topic of raising the profile of the industry as a profession. With the nationwide launch of GOLandscape I hope this will go some way to encourage people to join the landscape sector and see it as a valuable and profitable career. We also need to make sure people we employ are suitably trained. One thing that surprises a lot of our young trainees is how often maths skills are required in setting out and calculating materials requirements. Those school maths lessons really were worthwhile! I would also say that, as an industry, we’re perhaps rather too fragmented. In my opinion we might be better served if the member associations worked closer together (or even

merged). There’s only one RIBA or RICS, and the public profile of these organisations is clear and strong. How many members of the public are familiar with BALI, APL, HTA or the SGD? What do you do to relax? Aside from work, I have a busy family and social life so spare time is limited. I do have an interest in classic cars and own a 1980s Ferrari Testarossa, which we occasionally take for a spin when the sun is shining and it’s definitely not going to rain! 1 Contemporary driveway, Balcombe 2 Water feature, near Billingshurst 3 Contemporary driveway, Balcombe 4 Private garden, Worth 5 Pool and terrace, Surrey 6 Oak boardwalk, Surrey 7 Water garden, Sussex

CONTACT Esse Landscapes Samares, Domewood, Copthorne, West Sussex RH10 3HD Tel: 01342 714095 www.esseland.co.uk

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INFORM

Valuing Landscape conference On 6–7 September 2018, Pro Landscaper attended the Landscape Institute’s Valuing Landscape Conference 2018

hallenges and future trends faced by the landscape architecture industry were explored at the Valuing Landscape Conference 2018, which was attended by more than 300 delegates from all over the world. Jointly presented by the Landscape Institute, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Europe and the University of Greenwich, the event focused on the challenges facing the landscape industry and how to address them. Through a combination of presentations, discussion groups and site visits, the conference underlined the importance of landscape for connecting people, place and nature. Challenges discussed at the conference included climate change, a growing global population, urbanisation, migration, post-Brexit environment policy and technological changes. Other topics included the connection of the environment, productivity and housing needs in future place-making. Addressing delegates at the opening of the event was Adam White, president of the Landscape Institute. He said: “The landscape profession isn’t just about landscape architecture, although that’s a huge part of it. It’s also about management, science and 30

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planning, and all the work we do to add value to the landscape.” Adam also spoke about the importance of digital skills within the landscape architecture industry and the importance of reconnecting children with nature. At the end of his address, he urged delegates: “What we need is for everybody here to go away and be ambassadors and champions to help reconnect society with nature.”

THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PRESENTATIONS, DISCUSSION GROUPS AND SITE VISITS, THE CONFERENCE UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE FOR CONNECTING PEOPLE, PLACE AND NATURE In an inspiring talk, Jan Christian Vestre, the chief executive officer of family-owned urban outdoor furniture company Vestre, spoke about how it was vital that the landscape industry responded to society’s changing needs, values and habits. “What does this mean in real terms for the landscape profession? We must explain loudly

and clearly to political decision makers and property developers why it makes sound financial sense to create attractive and accessible outdoor spaces. With more people living in cities and a more diverse population, it is obvious that places for social interaction will be more important.” However, he understood that the profession did not always find this easy to do in practice, as those making the final decisions sometimes had short-term motives and didn’t always understand the value of good landscape architecture. Jan went on to say: “The good news is that there are strong indications now that society will be forced to value good landscape architecture in the time ahead and that soft values will also be accorded a worth that is included in the calculation. “Those of you who are sitting in this room could become the super heroes of our age. You possess the tools, the knowledge, and the experience we need to create greener cities, safer cities and more inclusive cities.” Speakers and announcements Other highlights of the conference included speakers from cities around the globe discussing issues affecting their regions, including case studies and presentations from Ottawa, Utrecht, www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 14:14

INFORM WITH MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN CITIES AND A MORE DIVERSE POPULATION, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT PLACES FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT

and Barcelona. Also, the challenges involved in how to address the question of ‘valuing the intangible’ were discussed by Sarah Weir OBE, chief executive officer of the Design Council. During the conference, the winners of the Ebbsfleet design competition were announced by Michael Cassidy CBE, chair of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation. The brief for the competition was to find the most creative and inspiring ideas to help shape the landscape of Ebbsfleet, the first new Garden City of the 21st century, and the largest of 10 Healthy New Towns being developed in the UK. Judges were unanimous in selecting the winner: HALO (Hives, Arcs, Links and Organics). A model for growing a healthy infrastructure, HALO is a concept developed by Bradley Murphy Design, in collaboration with John Thompson Partnership, Peter Brett Associates and Sebastien Boyesen. The concept aims to deliver healthy infrastructure directly to residents’ doorsteps. By providing accessible, attractive and inspirational places, the hope is that residents will be motivated to take up physical activity as a natural part of their daily lives. Other shortlisted entries included Chalk Walk by Additive Urbanism, Blue Lake Gardens by Chris Blandford, Everyday Adventure by Huskisson Brown and Ebbsfleet Sublime by LDA Design. Site visits and workshops On the second day of the conference, delegates were given the opportunity to attend site visits including the Olympic Park, Greenwich Peninsula, Thamesmead and Deptford Park. In afternoon workshops, delegates had the opportunity to discuss topics including future talent needs for the profession, natural capital and the new NPPF’s impact on landscapes. Speaking about the conference, landscape architect Ian Clark, of Clark Landscape Design, www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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said: “The conference helped me to explore an issue that I think is central to landscape architecture and that is what does it mean to be ‘connected to nature’? “It was great to have that discussion with colleagues from all over the world and it was a relief to be talking about something that connects us rather than the constant drip, drip of Brexit which seems to want to disconnect us.” Fiona Strachan, green infrastructure project manager at Scottish Natural Heritage, said: “Through a combination of presentations, discussion and site visits, the conference underlined the importance of landscape for connecting people, place and nature.

“The programme contained a good balance of research results and hands-on examples and provided useful networking opportunities as well as the chance to find out about exciting projects elsewhere in the UK and further afield.” Pro Landscaper enjoyed the opportunity to meet the many professionals involved in the industry gathered for the event and looks forward to continuing the debates at next year’s conference. 1 Jan Christian Vestre, chief executive officer of Vestre ©Landscape Institute 2 Debating future trends on day one 3 The conference was an opportunity to network 4 Adam White, president of the Landscape Institute 5 Thamesmead site visit led by Dr Phil Askew (foreground, left) 6 Sarah Weir OBE, chief executive officer of the Design Council 7 Miriam Weber, senior advisor, Health Urban Living and Resilience, Utrecht, Netherlands 8 Floral entrance to the conference venue Pro Landscaper / October 2018 31

20/09/2018 14:14

Bridge End Garden

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Harlaxton Manor

Forever In Bloom - Artists Impression

LANDSCAPE

ARCHITECT’S JOURNAL

Pro Landscaper delves into the work of Liz Lake Associates, exploring their impactful projects in the Midlands from their new office in Nottingham FORMING THE COMPANY Founded in 1985 and bought by Mark Flatman and Sean Vessey in 2014, Liz Lake Associates’ work divides into two broad headings – landscape planning and landscape design. The company concentrates solely on landscape

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architecture, providing the opportunity to focus on one core discipline. It also allows them to collaborate with a wide range of other companies and consultants. The company’s first office was in Stansted and a second office opened in Bristol. Then, after looking at several locations from which they could serve the Midlands, a couple of years ago the company ventured further north and set up the Nottingham office. With a notable shortfall of landscape architects but

a concentration of like-minded professionals, Nottingham felt like the best place to be. Offering copious opportunities for collaboration and with a number of significant development opportunities within Nottingham itself, the exciting sense of optimism in the area continues to this day. KEEPING IT LOCAL The nearby development of Trent Basin has proven to be an important anchor for Liz Lake Associates, involving the regeneration of a large area of industrial riverside just on the outskirts of Nottingham that will provide housing and public realm. Within easy reach of the city centre, it’s a very sustainable location, with homeowners easily able to get public transport into the city to work. With phase one complete, phase two is now under construction and phase three is in for planning. It’s an interesting site with a very enlightened and design-aware client. Another mainstay for the office is heritage work. One of the company’s notable heritage www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 10:45

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Eel Pie Farm ©UKSD

Trent Basin ©Blueprint

Eel Pie Farm ©UKSD

Lincoln Science and Innovation Park

Harlaxton Manor

projects is their work at Harlaxton College, near Grantham, which is set within a large registered landscape. Currently Liz Lake Associates is preparing a parkland management plan which is partly funded by Historic England. The landscape has been on the at-risk register, so part of the role has been to reassure Historic England that it is being properly managed and has a sustainable future. MAKING AN IMPACT Amongst their diverse portfolio of projects, one scheme Liz Lake Associates is really proud of is the Forever Stars project, a locally based charity who provide support for families who have www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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suffered the bereavement of either a new born or a very young child. The charity is creating a memorial garden in a city centre park and Liz Lake Associates had several consultations with them as part of the design development. It’s a project where the landscape can really offer something of value to families, providing an attractive and contemplative space to go and reflect, whilst remaining subtly playful for young families to enjoy. They’re also increasingly working in the care sector, with one care development built in Hauxton near Cambridge, a similar development in Letchworth and another similar facility in Merton. The company views this as a potential growth area, but it’s also an area where landscape can really add value. It’s important that the residents have access to external space where they can socialise, be active, and participate in activities. Education is another growing sector. Recently they have been working on an exciting project in a forest school near Bedford. Again,

it’s a project where the landscape is seen as an extension to the teaching environment, adding considerable value to the school and the learning experiences for the children. Residential development is another important workstream and Liz Lake Associates have recently completed the LVIA, masterplan and Design and Access Statement for a significant extension to a town within Lincolnshire. Founder Liz Lake is now a fellow of the Landscape Institute and is still very passionate and active in the landscape industry, with a particular interest in the development of young people coming into the profession. CONTACT Liz Lake Associates Tel: 0115 784 3566 Mobile: 07703 839191 Email: andrew.cottage@lizlake.com www.lizlake.com

Pro Landscaper / October 2018 33

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VIEW FROM THE TOP MARCUS WATSON

As cyber crime increases, so does the need for staff awareness, Marcus Watson recommends ways of staying secure The term cyber security has entered our common vocabulary in recent years due to high profile cases where customers’ and businesses’ data has been compromised or stolen. Whilst there is no disputing the risks that banks and online retailers face, it is in fact small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are most at risk. Over 99% of UK businesses are SMEs, (those which employ 0–249 people) exactly the type that populate the landscaping sector. Given the significant role that we play as businesses in supporting the UK economy, it is essential that we create awareness within our organisations and implement best practices. SMEs are unfortunately easy targets for cyber criminals who often rely on threats and extortion as a method of holding your data to ransom. Acting like modern day highwaymen of the online world, cyber criminals’ activities range from relatively unsophisticated scattergun approaches to targeted campaigns against companies who they think will have vulnerable defences and unaware employees.

BUSINESSES MUST ENSURE THEIR PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT THE BUSINESS FROM ATTACK AND KEEP DATA SAFE With the advent of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in May 2018, there are additional responsibilities and obligations for organisations to protect customer and staff data. Specifically, businesses must ensure their people understand their obligations to protect the business from attack and keep data safe. It is essential for business leaders to be able to 36

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demonstrate their commitment to information security. Not only is it the law, but our customers need to be assured their data is safe in our hands. There are some simple steps that all business should consider as part of their cyber security strategy: My top tips for cyber security: • Build and invest in a credible infrastructure • Train people to identify attacks • Educate your people on their obligations • Change your passwords regularly • Be aware of what you share on social media • Check your business against the UK Government Cyber Essentials scheme Make sure your computers have up to date anti-virus, anti-malware, operating system patches, effective back-up and recovery processes. Irrespective of the systems you have in place, there is a very high chance that you are going to be attacked. Staff awareness and vigilance allow us to identify non-technological risks and threats as they occur – train staff on identifying and highlighting suspicious email traffic or activity. For example, make staff aware of emails which

masquerade as the company owner, a director, the finance director asking them to make an urgent and important payment. Such methods are all too common and even experienced and diligent people fall for these tricks – with huge consequences. What about best practice? The UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre has developed the Cyber Essentials scheme to help advise businesses on best practice and to provide a framework for businesses to align themselves to. I would encourage all businesses in our sector, if they haven’t already done so, to benchmark themselves against the scheme and to use it as a measure for improvement. www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk

ABOUT MARCUS WATSON Joining Ground Control in 2011, Marcus Watson champions outstanding customer service and innovation in the grounds maintenance, arboriculture and landscaping sectors. Last year Ground Control was recognised with a Queen’s Award for Innovation, celebrating the company’s application of technology.

www.ground-control.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

20/09/2018 09:39

CRIME WAVE

INFORM

ANGUS LINDSAY Criminal activity is becoming increasingly frequent and sophisticated, but just how effective is our security asks Angus Lindsay This year it’s not just the extremes of temperature which have caused us problems, but also a worrying increase in thefts. There seems to have been a more blatant approach by criminals, who take advantage of the police’s lack of resources to take what they want as and when they feel like it. The opportunist theft of equipment from the back of a vehicle has been replaced by targeted attacks, where everything from two-stroke equipment and building materials, to large items of construction machinery is stolen to order – occasionally during the working day by criminal fraternities who deem themselves above the law. Some criminal elements think themselves above the law Criminals think nothing of turning up in broad daylight to remove equipment, in some cases threatening further damage and violence should they be challenged. Where do you draw the line to protect your property? Rolling over and letting them get away with it may well result in further

intrusion, but taking the law into your own hands and defending your property could result in more serious consequences, both from the criminals and, potentially, the police. Steel security container no match for an angle grinder With the police under resourced and struggling to cope with rising crime, their response is to issue a crime number and advise that you speak to your insurer. This is all well and good, but it will only result in higher costs for all parties through increased premiums, replacement of equipment and in security measures taken by the client.

THE OPPORTUNIST THEFT OF EQUIPMENT FROM THE BACK OF A VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPLACED BY TARGETED ATTACKS So how far do you go with security? Locks and bars are little obstacles to those who come armed with gas axes and angle grinders. Physical barriers such as razor wire and anti-climb barriers act as a good deterrent, but woe betide you should the criminal become hurt, and if you haven’t put up the necessary warning signs then it could be you who is in trouble. Audible alarms and CCTV are becoming more sophisticated, especially when linked to remote monitoring facilities, but often the determined criminal will just carry on as if the security wasn’t there.

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CRIMINALS THINK NOTHING OF TURNING UP IN BROAD DAYLIGHT TO REMOVE EQUIPMENT, IN SOME CASES THREATENING FURTHER DAMAGE AND VIOLENCE SHOULD THEY BE CHALLENGED Make sure all are aware of the security measures you have in place Physical deterrents seem to be the best form of defence, whether it be a steering lock in a vehicle or forensic marking systems – anything that will make the criminal think twice and move away from your premises, as the last thing they want is to be linked to a crime scene. Identification marks are usually the first things to be removed from stolen property. Serial and chassis numbers are quickly ground off and the machine becomes untraceable, easily sold off and in some cases used by gangs to undertake further crimes. Forensic marking systems which can link criminals to stolen equipment or crime scenes act as a sustainable and viable deterrent. Should any stolen equipment be recovered you stand a greater chance of getting it back – although the trailer located in a lock-up just south of Warsaw may take a bit of recovering.

ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. He gained an MSc in agricultural engineering and mechanisation management at Silsoe, joining Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, and then idverde UK in 2009 as group head of assets and fleet. Contact: angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

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20/09/2018 09:11

HOW CONTEMPORARY? ANDREW WILSON years has revisited modernism and minimalism rather than establishing a whole new movement. The establishment and celebration of a When talking to a prospective client a year rectilinear geometry in the gardens of the last or two ago, I was trying to get a sense of 20 years saw garden design moving away from their preferences for their garden. During the a period of retrospection, but a glance through conversation, they expressed that they did the social media posts of today suggests that not want a contemporary garden, as they had the UK is now awash with rendered walls, apparently commissioned one at their previous sunken seating areas and unplanted rectilinear property and had no desire to see mirrored pergolas. It has always been a theory of mine balls and blue ceramic pots ever again. Theirs, that in the early days of a new movement or it seems, was a quite specific genre of the stylistic change there is a purity of design that contemporary and one to which thankfully becomes gradually diluted as more and more Gavin and I had never subscribed. people follow suit. Perhaps this is where we are When I lecture on design I take great pains now, and for some designers there seems to be to explore the root of what we loosely term a move away from the relentless rectangles and contemporary design – which over the last 20 the oh-so-smooth render. Show gardens often literally show an alternative way, partly because the designer is in charge of how the client brief will be answered rather than tailoring their thinking to a client’s experience of the gardens they know. There is no pressure to conform, especially in shows such as the Singapore Festival, and no reason to tow a familiar line. The results show a trend away from the rectilinear into asymmetry, as witnessed in Andy Sturgeon’s Chelsea Best in Show in 2016 in which acute angles and asymmetrical forms were set against randomised gravel and water planting. Gavin and I explored the asymmetry of the offset grid in our double decker Best of Show for Singapore 2014, the supports ranging across the lower space in a carefully choreographed series of angles. For our 2016 Singapore garden Silence, Pool, paving and planting detail from Silence by Wilson McWilliam Studio for the 2016 Singapore the paving was deconstructed with International Garden Festival planting, reclaiming the wide and Andrew Wilson explores the concept of the contemporary garden as stylistic change seems to be in the air

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unpredictable joints between, a mixing of hard and soft elements. In 2017 at RHS Chelsea a sense of serendipity on Main Avenue saw Charlotte Harris and Gavin and I exploring asymmetry in paving, finely tuned polygons producing what some called posh crazy paving for our terraces, derived from completely different conceptual

SHOW GARDENS OFTEN LITERALLY SHOW AN ALTERNATIVE WAY, PARTLY BECAUSE THE DESIGNER IS IN CHARGE OF HOW THE CLIENT BRIEF WILL BE ANSWERED start points. Sliced boulders also made their appearance, a mixing of sharp engineering in contrast to the raw nature of the material. This is still contemporary design in that these ideas are produced currently or certainly within the last few years, but these ideas do not chime with modernism or minimalism as they have much more in common with the natural world and play in stark contrast against the order of these two genres. As ever, these new ideas are starting to creep into our work with clients, and so a different design cycle begins. So, are we on the edge of something new and different? I think so, and I welcome it. It is after all what designers are for – to push boundaries, change ideas and inspire. Technology is on our side but also, we have potentially broken the stigma of the need to conform. ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden design consultant, director of the London College of Garden Design, an author, writer and lecturer.

www.lcgd.org.uk

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20/09/2018 09:05

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GROWING PAINS AND GAINS

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HOLLY YOUDE

Growing your own business is a sensitive process that should be planned for and managed says Holly Youde It has been an amazing time for change and growth here at Urban Landscapes and the company continues to grow and evolve which makes for very exciting and challenging times. It reinforces the fact that the business started with just one employee and now boasts a team of almost 30 people.

It has been a huge learning curve but what we have found are the key factors in managing change. Growth is often measured as the only definition of success, but it can come with a cost to the business.

EVOLUTION WON’T HAPPEN BY CHANCE – WE KNOW WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN GROWTH We have always tried not to rush into building the business too quickly so that the service we offer to our clients is never diluted and our standard of work is always the best it can be. Primarily, our continued success relies on the customer relationship and the referrals that come because of happy clients. In the early days of running our business we were pretty much www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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used to doing everything. As we grew and more team members came on board we needed to transition into learning to delegate more and embrace the change in company dynamics – much harder than it sounds.

GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN EXPERIENCE NOT JUST THE BASIC TASKS, AND YOU’LL FIND THEY’LL CONTRIBUTE A HUGE AMOUNT TO YOUR TEAM AND YOUR BUSINESS When any new employee comes on board the organisation changes slightly and the company shifts a little to fit what that new person can bring. It’s the same with business growth too – we are constantly evolving and embracing change even though sometimes it may not feel comfortable at the time. You must take charge of your own growth too, create a business plan and have an ideal vision of the future. We work consistently with a business consultant who has been invaluable, by bringing a new perspective. Evolution won’t happen by chance – we know we are responsible for our own growth. Recently, we have taken on an apprentice as part of a commitment to help grow and develop an individual. We believe working with apprentices introduces enthusiasm and a willingness to learn, as well as enabling the business to train the next generation and help young people into a career in landscaping. Our advice is simple – treat the apprentice as your next superstar, not just as cheap labour. Give them opportunities to gain experience not just the basic tasks, and you’ll find they’ll contribute a huge amount to your team and your business. We want to

help nurture and develop our new apprentice and have a plan for his continued development within the company.

MY TOP TIPS FOR GROWING YOUR BUSINESS • Whatever you are doing and however big your business it is always about the client experience – go the extra mile. • Enjoy it! Every step is new and different but that’s part of the fun. • Easy does it – take time to think things through, talk to people, ask for advice and don’t rush into things. • Don’t hire an employee, hire a person. We try to treat everyone equally and have fun staff days out – happy staff stay with you! Loyalty is key and we like to think everyone understands what we are wanting to achieve and shares our vision. • Work with a business consultant who can help with your transition as the company grows. It really does help to bounce ideas off someone who is outside of the madness too. • Go with your gut. Trust your business intuition – you had the foresight to start a business so you’ll know if an idea feels right or not.

ABOUT HOLLY YOUDE Holly is joint director of North West based Urban Landscape Design Ltd and has a fundamental role in the growth and diversiﬁcation of the business. Urban has recently won Best Commercial Garden at the APL Awards and this year the business won the High Sheriﬀ of Cheshire Award for Enterprise. www.urbanlandscapedesign.co.uk

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20/09/2018 09:14

INFORM

A WORLD VIEW

ADAM WHITE Adam White President of the Landscape Institute recently attended the IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architects) World Congress in Singapore which this year was run in partnership with the Singapore Garden Festival Recently I had the chance to make the case for a return to nature on the world stage when I addressed delegates at the IFLA World Congress in Singapore. It was great to hear how the landscape profession around the world is combating climate change, managing water, improving health, promoting children’s play, increasing biodiversity and boosting the economy through investment, labour productivity and tourism. As part of my presentation I promoted the Landscape Institute’s new #chooselandscape campaign to an international audience and asked them why they decided to

Adam, Niall and Dan at IFLA 2018

#chooselandscape. The response was fantastic and it became apparent that the skills shortage in our profession is a global issue. I directed delegates to the www.chooselandscape.org website and there were even requests to have it translated into several other languages. The Singapore government’s ambition to rebrand the country as a ‘City in a Garden’ is pursued though a number of green policies, incentivised building schemes and engaging public events – such as the biennial Singapore Garden Festival, which to my delight, was 42

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taking place during my stay. Running for the past decade, it aims to showcase horticulture and design for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike. The show organisers, the National Parks Board, are keen that it not only entertains but also fosters a sense of civic pride, showcasing to the world what a biophilic city of the future might look like. Singapore Garden Festival is located in the surrounds of Gardens by the Bay – designed by Grant Associates – which has become a world famous public park since it opened in 2012.

Back at the IFLA conference the Landscape Institutes CEO Dan Cook lead the main panel discussion, which this year called for our

IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE SKILLS SHORTAGE IN OUR PROFESSION IS A GLOBAL ISSUE

profession to do more to measure, quantify and value landscape’s contributions to society. Leading thinkers and practitioners from around the world discussed topics including biophilia, resilience and smart cities. It was clear how important the concept of value and a focus on outcomes were to the panel. There was also strong support for landscape professionals’ earlier involvement in projects, as has been the case in Singapore for some time. Next year, the Landscape Institute will update its Code of Conduct in line with the principals of the International Ethical Standards Coalition, that we are signatories to. In Singapore, I offered to undertake this work jointly with IFLA, and they agreed. This will see us working towards a common set of principlebased standards, with a view to adopting them in 2020 – a huge step forward for worldwide landscape practice. I look forward to sharing the outcomes in due course.

The garden festival, broadly based on the RHS Show format, regularly attracts a stellar list of landscape architects and garden designers, with this year proving no exception. I was lucky to spend time with Andy Sturgeon (UK), Tom Massey (UK), Paul Martin (Ireland), Leon Kluge (South Africa), Grégory Cazeaux and Marguerite Ribstein (France) and Myles Baldwin (Australia). Tom kindly gave me a guided tour during the build and then invited me to join him for the Gala Preview and Awards evening. Several IFLA board members, including the IFLA President Professor Kathryn Moore, were on the judging panel.

With the IFLA President

ABOUT ADAM WHITE FLI

Andy Sturgeon (UK) and Jim Fogarty (Australia)

Adam White FLI is a director at Davies White Ltd, a double RHS Gold Medal, double People’s Choice and RHS Best in Show award-winning Chartered Landscape Architects practice. He is a Fellow and President of the Landscape Institute. Social media: @davies_white www.davieswhite.co.uk

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UNDER PRESSURE

INFORM

DAVID T BINKS The demands of the landscaping industry can cause work-related stress says David T Binks – team communication and support are essential and effective combat tools As I sit here typing this, I’m keeping half an eye on my to-do lists, subconsciously re-prioritising what I have to get done today, this week, this month. The satisfaction of striking one of these tasks off my list of lists would probably count as part of my coping mechanisms for managing stress. The term ‘stress’ generally has negative connotations, but to my mind it is a doubleedged sword, a powerful force, the effects of which can either debilitate or energise. Yet for something that the effects of which are so pronounced, it remains something of a taboo subject in the external works industry. That we don’t talk about this emotion seems incomprehensible when you look at the statistics surrounding it. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2016/2017 526,000 workers suffered from work-related stress or anxiety, equating to 12.5m days lost within the workplace. We work in a demanding industry, with long hours, tight deadlines and even tighter margins,

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with multiple skills being called upon to deliver complex projects. Landscaping is a challenging and stimulating industry. It is an exciting career, and the sense of achievement when a scheme is handed over to a client is second to none. But in the next breath, these pressures can take their toll and send an individual into a state of anxiety and potentially depression.

YOU ARE OPERATING WITHIN A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPACE, TO A VERY DEFINITE TIMESCALE AND TO A FINITE BUDGET, WITH VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE END RESULT There is an often cited motivational quote by Simon Sinek: “Working hard for something you don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something you care about is called passion”. On an operational level, anyone who has been involved in a show garden build or a major project handover knows the range of emotions you subject yourself to, and during these experiences the lines between passion and stress can become blurred. Show builds can be like working in a pressure cooker. You are operating within a very limited amount of space, to a very definite timescale and to a finite budget, with very high expectations for the end result. An example springs to mind of a bespoke water feature which formed part of

a show garden. Said feature had been tripletested offsite and it had worked beautifully – now what happened between us carefully dismantling and transporting it I don’t know – but when we came to install it on site it looked far from impressive. Cue being able to feel your heart beating in your chest, your mind whirring and feeling a little nauseous. Fight or flight kicks in and you have to decide how you handle the sensation it gives rise to. As fleeing isn’t really an option, you have to redirect this nervous energy and use it to make hard and fast decisions, you have laser-like focus and your motivation is ignited. Because at the heart of it, you don’t want to let your client down, you don’t want to let yourself down. As far as work-related issues go, this is only the tip of the iceberg and thankfully we resolved what seemed like an unsurmountable issue at the time. When you couple instances like this with the daily grind of running a business – constantly thinking about health and safety, employees, cashflow, head of work (the list goes on) – it is easy to see how people become overwhelmed. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to dealing with work related stress, but creating a culture within your business where people can talk openly about how they are feeling and are offered the support they need is essential. Not only does it help deal with potential mental health issues, but it creates a more confident team, who will support each other through both calm and stormy waters. ABOUT DAVID T BINKS David T Binks is managing director of Cheshirebased the Landstruction Group which now has 40 employees. Set up in 2010, Landstruction has won Gold Medals at RHS Chelsea and RHS Tatton Park. Big Hedge Co. supplies and installs mature hedging and topiary nationwide.

landstruction.com, bighedgeco.com

Pro Landscaper / October 2018 45

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INFORM

he phrase Northern Powerhouse is often used to describe the increasing influence of UK cities situated between the Midlands and the borders of Scotland. However, the phrase can also be applied to parks, with the likes of Greater Manchester, Harrogate and York all offering some of the most extraordinary green spaces to be found in the UK. Another city in the midst of a golden era for its parks is Leeds, which over the past few years has well and truly modernised its maintenance operations. At the same time – as demonstrated by the likes of Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam – it has also been able to maintain traditional, primarily Victorian-influenced planting, despite the ongoing impact of austerity. People of the fast-flowing river Situated in West Yorkshire, the Leeds City area possesses a population of around 800,000 (as of 2017), making it one of the most lived-in urban environments in the United Kingdom after London. It is also the fourth largest area of its kind in the country, at around 210 square miles. The history of the city as we know it today stretches back to the 13th century, when it began to come into its own as an important market town. Its current name is apparently derived from the old Brythonic word ladenses, meaning people of the fast-flowing river – for example, the River Aire, which separates the suburbs of Holbeck and Headingley on either side. It subsequently developed into a major www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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A northern powerhouse Pro Landscaper talks to Leeds City Council about the innovative crewing and planting-up methods being used to continually improve its parks and green spaces

centre of manufacturing, culminating in the Industrial Revolution when it became one of the foremost economic destinations in Europe. As is only appropriate given its illustrious commercial history, Leeds currently boasts one of the fastest rates of private sector job growth of any UK city, something which has occurred across a range of sectors, from manufacturing to the service industry. In recent years, it has also become increasingly culturally and socially significant, boasting several universities alongside Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute and the headquarters of Opera North. Mike Kinnaird is development manager for Leeds City Council’s Parks and Countryside department. Giving an overview of its parks as well as the history of its green spaces – which he believes are as integral to the cultural life of the city as that mentioned above – he said: “Leeds

is fairly typical of many northern urban areas in terms of its development during the Industrial Revolution, and likewise also typical of the impact of the Victorian urban parks movement which was a reaction to it.” He continues: “During that time, there was essentially a recognition on the part of the authorities that people needed to have a certain amount of respite from their working conditions, and also that the city itself needed the parks to function as ‘green lungs’ in order to benefit the health of residents. There was both an environmental and social motivation – people taking more exercise, getting out and seeing their friends, and so on.” According to Mike, the first green space acquired by the council (or Leeds Corporation as it was known in those days) was Woodhouse Moor in 1857, for the princely sum of £3,000. Pro Landscaper / October 2018 47

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INFORM

The land is historically significant in a number of other ways too, not least that the moors in which the main park is now situated were used as the rallying point by Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War, prior to their defeat of the Royalists in 1642. It was also used as a sanctuary for those wishing to escape the plague, which ravaged the town in 1644. While Woodhouse might be the site which is most interesting to historians, Leeds’ key destination park is undoubtedly Roundhay Park which, at more than 700 acres, is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. Located three miles to the north of the town centre, Roundhay boasts a number of terrains, including parkland, woods, formal gardens and a lake. In terms of attractions, visitors – of which there are around one million each year – can take their pick from numerous cafes, two playgrounds as well as a large collection of tropical plants housed in the aptly-named Tropical World. It has also been the site of a

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number of large events over the years, for instance the OnRoundhay music festival which attracted thousands of extra visitors in 2016. Going into greater detail about how the city’s 62 community parks – which in terms of space equate to a total of around 4,000 hectares – were acquired, Mike says: “They came to us through a

LOCATED THREE MILES TO THE NORTH OF THE TOWN CENTRE, ROUNDHAY BOASTS A NUMBER OF TERRAINS, INCLUDING PARKLAND, WOODS, FORMAL GARDENS AND A LAKE variety of routes, with philanthropists being particularly generous to the city over the years. The Temple Newsam estate is an example of that, which was sold to the Corporation by its owner, the 1st Earl of Halifax for a nominal sum in 1922.”

That spirit of generosity continues to exist in the city, in the form of initiatives such as the Leeds Park Fund. This charitable trust is set up (according to its website), to: “Provide the opportunity for local people and businesses to support parks and green spaces in the city. We would like to see more flowers, better places to play, more wildlife like butterflies and birds, and more beautiful spaces where people of all ages and abilities can take a stroll.” Given the number of beautiful spaces there are already in the city, it would be fair to say that the future of its green spaces is pretty bright. Up with the lark As for the effect which local government austerity has had on the upkeep of green spaces across the UK, Leeds City Council has certainly had to cut its cloth accordingly. However, standards, according to Mike, have in fact gone up rather than down, despite the drastic cuts in funding. There are many potential reasons for this, related to both the City Council’s planting strategy, as well as innovations around crewing patterns and how people are managed. Explaining this, Mike says: “While we clearly have to be realistic about money, our core driver is still quality, which is the thing which has always been at the forefront of our minds. We use the Green Flag criteria to assess our own parks – that’s our basis.” He continues: “Regarding something like planting up, we haven’t actually had to introduce that much of a change, other than minor ones such as marginally reducing the more traditional or showy displays. We’ve just redeveloped our

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INFORM

plant nursery, so that takes the financial pressure off to a degree, but we’ve reined back on the huge squares of bedding plants you would have seen before. We don’t do under-planting anymore either, because it’s just not affordable. “Essentially, what we’re trying to do is keep the essence of the 19th century park but on a smaller scale. As I mentioned the radius of the beds may only be four metres now instead of six, but we make sure visitors still get that punch of colour. The soul of the Victorian green space is still there, we’re just more judicious about how we sustain it. The feel of the parks is integral to the city because of its history.” As mentioned, the council has also introduced changes to its crewing patterns, something which has allowed them to save money by exerting greater control over resources. Giving the background to this, Mike says: “We employ around 300 multidisciplinary operational staff, who we’ve also up-skilled to take on tasks such as playground restoration and so on. It’s the same people doing everything – all of whom are area based – so they have the opportunity to take ownership of the parks which they see as theirs.” He continues: “We organise what we do around the seasons, which means that during the summer months staff will be primarily focused on maintenance, while in the winter, they’ll be landscaping, dealing with capital investment work and so on. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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“The real innovation is how that seasonal working has impacted upon the hours people do. We ask them to be out longer in the summer – in order to take account of the work load and daylight – and go home earlier in the winter, with wages aggregated over the course of the year. That instantly delivers increased efficiency, in that we can deploy equipment more effectively, while people are also no longer waiting around to start work in the winter because the sun’s not up.” Leeds has become the very definition of a Northern Powerhouse, both in terms of its economic success and also the way it’s been able to sustain the integrity of its parks offer in potentially tricky economic circumstances. “We’ve played a major part in how the city has developed over recent years,” says Mike. “We’ve gone from what could easily be referred to as a spiral of decline in the 1980s, to what we have now, where parks are central to the cultural offer of the city and to the lives of the people who live and work in it.” Long may the success continue. 1 A view of the Town Hall clock 2 Canal Gardens in full bloom, Roundhay Park 3 Birdlife on the lake at Roundhay Park 4 Visitors enjoy Roundhay Park lake 5 Woodhouse Moor Park ©Bill McKinnon 6 Celebrating another Green Flag award 7 Grand architecture at Roundhay Park 8 Waterloo Lake, Roundhay Park Pro Landscaper / October 2018 49

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a podium landscape is a green space built on top of a structure

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STONECRAFT LANDSCAPE & DESIGN A waterlogged garden is developed into a luxury outdoor area

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A small urban garden receives an awardwinning makeover

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PORTFOLIO

OUTDOOR LIVING STONECRAFT LANDSCAPE AND DESIGN Ben Barras helps a client transform a waterlogged garden into a luxury and functional outdoor family area

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

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PORTFOLIO

PROJECT DETAILS Build time 6 months AWARDS 2018 Entered into the Marshall’s regional awards

he house was an entirely new build surrounded by waterlogged grass and paving. When first approached by the client, they had simple requests – some raised planters, a few features, and not much else. However, working collaboratively with the clients to help them realise the potential of their space, Ben Barras completely transformed the surrounding area into a luxury extension of the indoors. The garden was essentially revamped like-for-like, with a redevelopment of what was already there. There was a path up to the front door and another path around the house, and some natural lawn. The path was replaced with some new imported paving, and artificial grass either side. With the addition of centre bay trees (half-standard) coming up the centre and lighting for nighttime, the impressive www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Size of project 1,200m2

result resembles an aesthetic comparable to that of a wedding aisle. It was pitched to the clients that instead of making minor changes, the entire plot could be revamped. This was to include new paving, new planters, new seating areas, an outdoor kitchen, and several extra features at the end of the garden. The bottom of the plot was completely waterlogged and swamp like, so soft planting with pebbles and gravel were used to help drain the water. From there it was suggested that they could have a split-form granite driveway, and after falling in love with the product they agreed to have the rest of the area done. Southern-based company, Caribbean Blinds supplied outdoor luxury pods. Following a consultation he worked around the team to install the pods. The clients also sourced

1 View from the bottom of the garden 2 Water cascade and foaming jets 3 Water globes 4 Beach cobbled planting area 5 Corner seating area with awning 6 Granite sawn sett driveway

ABOUT STONECRAFT LANDSCAPE & DESIGN Stonecraft Landscape & Design are an Approved Marshalls award winning Installer, specialising in the creation of beautiful outdoor spaces for homes and businesses, including driveways, patios, paving, outdoor lighting, water features, walling and artiﬁcial grass. www.stonecraftltd.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

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PORTFOLIO

two bespoke stainless-steel sculptures for £2,000 each from Steve James Sculptures in Blackburn.

Planting The area required plants that could tolerate heavy water due to the amount present in the soil, so the decision was made to plant hydrangeas and ferns. Around the planters Buxus balls were selected to give a modern look and for low maintenance. Two bay trees were planted on the far side. Several cordylines were also planted down one side, but they became very damaged in the wind during the winter months. However, having fallen in love with them, the client decided they are worth the expense of keeping them and replacing them every year. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Challenges The team were unlucky with the weather, working through one of the worst winters that Ben has ever experienced. The weather, combined with the fact that it was a new build that was built up-ground, meant there was a lot of excess water which caused the ground to be overly soft and heavy machinery to sink. Furthermore, the clients wanted to preserve the 40m long driveway – the only way in and out of the back garden – and prevent damage caused by mud. Each day the team had to cover the driveway with plyboards just to get the machinery in and out. Also, as the clients wanted continued use of the driveway, it was only whilst they were away on holiday for a three-week period in the middle of the build that the team could redevelop it. This was before the garden had been completed, which wasn’t ideal. However, the team overcame the challenge and delivered a product that the clients are delighted with to this day.

REFERENCES Design and build Stonecraft landscape and design

www.stonecraftltd.co.uk Hard landscape materials Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk Electrical supplies EDC

Blackpool Electrician EAS

Fleetwood Plasterer Max plaster

Blackpool

7 Water globes and seating area at night 8 Water cascade and jets at night 9 The outdoor kitchen 10 Breakfast area with water feature 11 Flower arches and bespoke sculptures

Building supplies Building Supplies (West Coast)

www.bswc.biz Sculpture

Steve James Sculptures

www.steve-james-sculptures.com

12 View from the bottom of the garden at night Pro Landscaper / October 2018 57

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PORTFOLIO

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £31,000 Build time Four weeks Size of project 300m²

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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PORTFOLIO

SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL AYEGARDENING LTD A small urban garden design in Weybridge, Surrey creates the illusion of space while keeping maintenance to a minimum

yegardening were tasked with the job of creating a low maintenance garden that would look good all year round, as the clients spend a considerable time abroad. The clients’ original garden was very bland with box hedges that had blight, and the lawn was suffering as a nearby drey of squirrels chewed up pine cones and littered the area.

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Brief Ayegardening spent a lot of time with the clients perfecting the design. As keen gardeners, the clients had seen a gazebo at RHS Chelsea Flower Show the year before and wanted to incorporate this into the design. Although the house features wood flooring, the clients did not want an outside deck as they don’t have the time to maintain one. As a solution, Ayegardening proposed using wood effect porcelain tiles instead of real wood. Having spent a lot of money on caring for their previous lawn – which remains infested with moss – they clients also opted for artificial grass, as it is low maintenance and can be swept to keep clean.

The build The first stage was to strip the garden back completely, removing the hedges – except for two trees – the lawn and patio. As the garden is located on a slope, Ayegardening retained part of this with a brick wall and used it as a sunken gazebo area, in which the clients later placed a fire pit. Decorative pebbles and boulders were used around the edges of the lawn as informal paths to benches and part of the patio. Lighting was installed to light up the garden at night, so the clients could enjoy the outdoor space when entertaining friends and family. The paving was sourced from London Stone – a cinder porcelain tile was chosen for the main patio and to match this a tumbled black sandstone was chosen for the side path. The key feature and inspiration for this garden

1 The central artificial grass circle surrounded by planting 2 The garden illuminated at night 3 Aerial shot showing complementary materials 4 Sedums soften the pebbled area 5 Close-up of the bespoke detail on the wrought iron gazebo Pro Landscaper / October 2018 59

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PORTFOLIO

DURING BUILD is the wrought iron gazebo found at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Special requirements To accommodate their need for low maintenance, tiles were used instead of decking alongside artificial grass. Ayegardening also installed irrigation with a timer so that the plants would be looked after whenever the clients are absent. Challenges The main challenge which Ayegardening faced was the lack of space. There was limited space to store materials in the garden, and gated access with a narrow gateway meant that the

logistics of organising materials was challenging. For the construction of the garden, a digger was needed which Ayegardening only managed to fit through the gate by millimetres. Aside from the space issue, wildlife also proved problematic during the build. Squirrels were an issue; Ayegardening enlisted the help of Renée Canter of The Girl Who Gardens, to design a suitable planting plan, using plants that would not be eaten by the squirrels. Shade in the garden also proved problematic as there were very large scots pines. This lack of natural sunlight in the garden also prompted the decision to choose a porcelain patio and artificial grass.

6 View towards the patio area and house

ABOUT AYEGARDENING Family run Ayegardening are members of the APL and HTA, winners of the Theo Paphitis’ acclaimed Small Business Sunday award and twice ﬁnalists in the Best Small Business Category at the Red Ribbon Awards. They won the Buy with Conﬁdence accreditation from the West Sussex Trading Standards Department, and received a TrustMark accreditation. www.ayegardening.co.uk

REFERENCES Landscaper Ayegardening

www.ayegardening.co.uk

Namgrass

Porcelain cinder paving and tumbled black sandstone

Gazebo Studio Forge

Boulders and Scottish beach pebbles

Irrigation and lighting

CED

www.landscapeplus.com

www.cedstone.co.uk Firepit The Firepit Company

www.thefirepitcompany.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / October 2018

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www.namgrass.co.uk

London Stone

www.londonstone.co.uk

Artificial grass – green horizon

www.studioforge.co.uk Landscape Plus

Planting plan Renée Canter – The Girl Who Gardens

www.thegirlwhogardens.co.uk

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20/09/2018 11:01

PORTFOLIO

LIVING MEMORY FIRA The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is an inspiring horticultural experience reflecting its special memorial significance

AWARDS 2017 RIBA National Award 2017 RICS UK Top Project of the Year 2017 RICS Overall Winner Leisure & Tourism 2017 RIBA West Midlands Award 2017 RIBA West Midlands Building of the Year Award 2017 RICS West Midlands – Community Beneﬁt 2017 RICS West Midlands – Tourism & Leisure

ocated in Staffordshire, The National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) is the UK’s year-round centre of remembrance. The 150 acre site forms part of the National Forest and contains 30,000 maturing trees and more than 330 memorials. Increasing visitor numbers prompted the development of a master plan which included the building of a new Remembrance Centre and the refurbishment of the Armed Forces Memorial (AFM). These improvements aimed to transform the site into a place of global significance, with the NMA able to accommodate greater numbers while providing a space for reflection, remembrance and celebration of life. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Project background The NMA was established in 1997 on reclaimed quarry workings between the River Trent and the Tame, in Alrewas, Staffordshire. The arboretum was originally conceived in 1994 by Commander David Childs CBE who wished to create a national site of remembrance. Following its opening in 2001, the NMA saw an unprecedented growth in visitor numbers from 12,000 to more than 300,000 by 2009. This was largely due to the opening of the Armed Forces Memorial (AFM) in 2008 which established the NMA as the UK’s principal site of remembrance. This striking stone monument records the names of all service

personnel who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism. Over this time, the NMA’s visitor demographic also changed with more young people and families visiting the site. For many, the main reason for visiting was to pay respect to those who have lost their lives in the service of the public, but for others, it was about exploring the natural landscape and gaining a personal understanding of remembrance. Today the NMA is independently run with support from The Royal British Legion and attracts almost 400,000 visitors every year. Every November hundreds of people gather here for the Armistice Day Service. This increase in visitor numbers and a change in demographic provided the impetus for the creation of the Pro Landscaper / October 2018 61

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PORTFOLIO NMA’s long-term plan and masterplan. The new Remembrance Centre was the culmination of years of collaboration between the NMA and Fira. Designed with great care and empathy, the project was highly complex with consultation required with two clients, military and civilian stakeholders and donors. Fira was commissioned in early 2009 to prepare a masterplan for the development on its existing site and to plan for its future expansion.

PROJECT DETAILS Project value £18.7m Build time 10 months Size of project 2.58 hectares

The brief Fira’s philosophy was to create a place which was befitting of a place of national remembrance, that was calm, dignified and uplifting. The plan identified the need for a more engaging and informative visitor experience,

to provide better circulation and to make better use of the existing buildings. Importance was placed on the need for the buildings to relate to the arboretum, making the synthesis of landscape and architecture pivotal to the success of the project. The landscape together with the building needed to act as an introduction to the arboretum and serve as an orientation for visitors.

The design During the early design stages, it became evident that the car park was key to improving the visitor experience and a ‘light touch’ intervention was included in the project. The entrance to the site was redesigned in collaboration with Glenn Howells Architects. As the site was due to undergo major disruption

BEFORE during the construction of the new Remembrance Centre, the opportunity was taken to refurbish the existing AFM at the same time. Apart from essential maintenance to stonework, other improvements to the monument included a new stone-paved surface, drainage improvements, upgraded pathways and lighting. As the Remembrance Centre was partially funded by donation it was important that the project was delivered within budget. The project also had to be delivered on time as the site is

ABOUT FIRA Fira is a nationally recognised, people-centric practice of landscape architects, urban designers, masterplanners and architects. Over the past four decades its pioneering approach to design – with emphasis on sustainability and wellbeing – has positioned it as one of the country’s leading landscape design practices. www.fira-la.com

AFTER 62

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PORTFOLIO used to host various annual events as well as royal visits. The development placed trees at the heart of the design, and this was a key factor in connecting the built development with the landscape. Drawing soft landscape closer to the building created stronger visual and physical connections with the arboretum where it can be used to frame views, define space and assist with wayfinding. The centre piece of the project is Heroes’ Square and the Boyes Garden, which sweep gently to the level of Millennium Avenue, physically connecting the building to the arboretum. Materials used include Yorkstone paving, walling and setts, timber bench tops and cast-iron grilles. Heroes Square features commemorative paviours, engraved with cap badges or crests of the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Royal Air Force and City Livery Companies. The paving was placed according to Battle Honours grouped around the trees.

1 Main entrance into AFM ©Fira

REFERENCES

2 Water feature ©Andy Webster/Fira

Remembrance Centre

3 Water feature and meandering path ©Jane Findlay/Fira

Glenn Howells Architects

4 Rolled gravel finish before it was replaced with stone paving ©Fira 5 Original bronze sculpture by Ian Rank-Broadley in its improved setting ©Andy Webster/Fira 6 City Livery Companies paving ©Jane Findlay/Fira

www.glennhowells.co.uk Armed Forces Memorial Purcell

www.purcelluk.com Main contractor (Remembrance Centre) Stepnell

7 Heroes’ Square ©Jane Findlay/Fira

www.stepnell.co.uk

8 Water feature and meandering path ©Andy Webster/Fira

Main contractor (AFM)

9 ‘Blown Away’ Sculpture in The Boyes Garden ©Jane Findlay/Fira

www.szerelmey.com

Szerelmey Conservation

Landscape contractor Grace Landscapes

www.gracelandscapes.com Tree nursery Hillier Nurseries

www.hillier.co.uk Shrubs

Johnsons of Whixley

www.nurserymen.co.uk Stone paving Marshalls

www.marshalls.co.uk Water feature Fountains Direct

www.fountains-direct.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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IT’S ALL

INSPIRE

Space-enhancing, light-reflecting mirrors can create optical illusions to spectacular effect says Anji Connell

AN ILLUSION

irrors are a design element with both a practical and a decorative purpose. Not only do they look good, they reflect light and bounce it back, instantly lighting and visually extending space by tricking the eye. By reflecting the light coming from different objects, they give the illusion of a 3D image. Mirrors are widely used to broaden a space, multiply views and introduce views. They will harness any daylight possible, introducing light to a gloomy terrace, a basement level garden or a shady courtyard. They work as a focal point as well as enhancing and deflecting attention from areas you’d rather keep out of sight. The spatial phenomenon of reflection is present in everyday life. We can, however, play on the optical illusion they offer by placing mirrors within a hedge or on a fence or wall, suggesting there is another space beyond and lending a view where there is none.

Alyson Shotz ‘Mirror Fence’

Putting mirrors where we least expect them, such as on a table top, can create a magical effect – not only will it reflect the food and utensils set on it, it will mirror the surrounding views and landscape. By positioning and capturing the reflection relative to key viewing areas, you can choreograph visual movement through space, controlling the experience and emotional impact. Water and mirror used together produce a spectacular effect, and reflecting a dark colour base will dramatically enhance any pond. 66

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Photographer Autumn de Wilde’s coloured mirror boxes

Mirror walls are by far the most effective and striking way to magically enlarge your space with great effect. Mirror sheet, laser cut to any size and clad directly to walls, is the easiest display option. Mirrors placed at an angle, such as those used in the Raas Hotel in Jodhpur, add additional reflection and drama. Acrylic versus glass Acrylic mirrors are a safer option outdoors, typically ten times stronger than glass and 80% lighter, they won’t shatter if knocked. They can be cut with a sharp blade or knife and easily moved around and screwed or glued to outside walls.

Raas Hotel

For more impact, use tinted or coloured acrylic mirror sheet available from Sheet Plastics who have a large selection to choose from. Mirricol is a new handmade coloured mirror made from 9mm thick laminated safety glass, and available in a wide range of colours from B & S glass. American photographer, Autumn de Wilde designed a pair of transparent and reflective jewel toned structures for a photoshoot in the dry Californian landscape that illustrates how amazing the effect of mirror, especially coloured, can be. Glass is a harder material than acrylic so less resistant to scratching, and it will give you a crystal-clear reflection for much longer. To keep them looking new, you will need to polish them. Alternatively, you can leave them to weather for a more aged or rustic aesthetic. Rough Old Glass is an excellent source of antiqued, colour tinted, and Verre eglomisé (gilded) mirror glass. In a commercial setting, anti-vandal mirrors manufactured from high-grade 304 (18/8)

Sheet Plastics acrylic mirror sheet

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INSPIRE Frame Emporium Multi Circle mirror detail

stainless steel that will not rust, discolour or break may be a better option. The mirrors are polished to an ultra-bright finish to maximise reflection clarity (however, they will scratch). Polycarbonate is another option, virtually unbreakable as it is approximately 200 times stronger than glass. Clarke’s Safety Mirrors have a wide range of stainless steel, polycarbonate and acrylic external convex mirrors. Mirror balls Tiempo create plain mirrors and coloured 30cm mirror glass balls. They look fantastic placed amongst planting or in a pool or a pond on mass. PROKTH have 30cm seamless 304-grade stainless steel Gazing Balls, and hollow floating balls for ponds and pools. Consider mirror sculpture to play tricks with light and the surroundings. Alyson Shotz is a contemporary American artist based in New York whose work Bandglass investigates concepts of space, and the capture of light. Mirror Fence uses mirrors to convert an archetypal white picket fence into a mirrored reflection of the changing seasons, and thus an active part of its environment. Artist Phillip K Smith III replaced horizontal boards on a shed with strips of long reflective mirrors, creating a miraculous optical illusion that makes the cabin appear invisible in places. This playful idea can be used to significant effect in any project. London based installation artist Lee Borthwick creates wonderful mirrored branches and logs using natural, organic and reclaimed materials that capture the surrounding landscape in an interesting fractured reflection. Available through Feather and Home. Public artist Tim Carter worked in a variety of media before specialising in architectural and www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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stained glass, Preedy glass supply Outdoor mirror wall art seduced by the customised frameless mirror reflective and glass panels of the highest structural properties of glass in natural shapes. quality in clear, tinted, diffused and acid etch and The 8 Squares garden mirror from Rivas is antiqued finishes. They can supply only or ideal when you want a simple, clean geometric measure, supply and install. or industrial look. They are available in two Frame Emporium has sizes for smaller and larger walls, and Aldgate a selection of mirrors Home has a large contemporary mirror for especially for more minimalist spaces. outdoor use, For a softer reflection, you’ll need a glass including with an aged patina. Petersham Nurseries antiqued mirror and Aldgate Home source old window frames, glass in a restore them and fit them with hand-antiqued variety of sizes, glass. They can also paint the frames in any and their Multi colour you desire. Circle Mirror, The availability of outdoor mirrors remains which consists small, therefore using a standard mirror may be of 36 convex Round Glass Etched Sculpture by Tim Carter your best option. To extend their life, make sure mirrors, is a they are of the best quality as it will have a visual treat. For a fun and quirky longer lifespan outside, and if possible use it look Smithers of Stamford have recycled in a covered area that offers some protection. oil drum and used paint pot mirrors. Rough Old Glass provide a measure and For the wow factor, Castor Design Mirrors have installation service, installing the glass to a dry a black tint finish with a wonderful clean reflection, substrate already fitted by others, they seal and the black powder coated spun metal back around the edges of the mirror. Jamie Brooks gives them an illusion of hovering off the wall. of Sheet Plastics advises pre-backing the mirrors to a waterproofed hardboard and silicone sealing edges to prevent water ingress. Matthew Gliksten of Frame Emporium suggests varnishing wooden frames to ensure they last a few years or longer, especially if they are re-varnished now and again.

Petersham Nurseries

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 things art and design. Reflecting pool ©Glamour Drops

www.anjiconnellinteriordesign.com

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20/09/2018 09:31

LEVATO MONO

Porcelain paver system and coordinating internal tiling Surface 360, formally The Deck Tile Co, has 150+ colours and finishes in their Levato Mono 20mm porcelain paving tile ranges. Plus create a seamless visual transition between internal and external spaces with coordinating interior 10mm porcelain tiling.

For both residential & commercial use. Ideal for balconies, roof terraces, garden decking and piazzas. Various sized 20mm thick porcelain tiles. An eternal zero maintenance product offering massive over-life savings.

Timber, stone & cementitious effects. ‘Floating floor’ – installation over single ply membranes. Height adjustable/slope correcting support system: 9mm - 550mm. Lightweight – 45kgs per m2.

Highly abrasion and stain resistant. Highly slip resistant: R11 A,B&C. High load bearing. Impact resistant. Completely non porous. Frost proof.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW WEBSITE: WWW.SURFACE360.CO.UK

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INSPIRE

URBIS DESIGN Urbis Globe Planter

Price: POA Seen in the image on a rooftop in Kings Cross the Urbis Globe Planter is 110cm x 78cm in a cool sandstone finish. Urbis Design has helped to transform the modern urban landscape particularly with the Globe planters as seen in the Kings Cross development both in streetscapes and in the rooftop gardens. The Globe Planter has been particularly popular with landscape architects for commercial schemes as it is long lasting and robust and large enough to support mature trees. It comes in three sizes and multiple different finishes to suit any planting scheme. WWW.URBISDESIGN.CO.UK

POTS AND PITHOI Sami

Price: £300 Sami is part of the new contemporary range at Pots and Pithoi. Its generous size (50x70cm) provides visual support to wide statement plants and stability in windy weather. This picture shows it planted with a tetrapanax papyrifer. Like all of Pots and Pithoi’s pots, Sami is handmade in Crete and highly frost resistant in UK winters. WWW.POTSANDPITHOI.COM

PLANTERS for rooftops

THE POT COMPANY

Fibreglass Buxus Cube

Price: From £127.50 - £511 Though lightweight the Fiberglass Buxus Cubes are very durable. They’re ideal for internal or external use, resistant to frost and easy to wipe clean. The fibreglass planters are available in a range of colours and rather than being painted, the colour is added during the manufacturing process which means the planter will keep its colour even if knocked or scuffed. This makes them perfect for high traffic areas, such as entrances rooftop terraces. WWW.THEPOTCO.COM

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PORTFOLIO INSPIRE

CEDAR NURSERY

Bespoke Fibreglass planters

Price: Planters vary - from around £300 for a large planter Fibreglass planters are lightweight and easily moved when empty. Their construction with special polymers and reinforcing glass fibres make them strong and durable enough to withstand the weather. Fibreglass can be moulded into complex shapes to make planters to fit around awkward angles. They can be used to block, frame or highlight views and colours will not fade over time. This rooftop scheme by Greenlinesdesign Ltd uses planters from Cedar Nursery with differing finishes, to add depth and polish to the design. WWW.LANDSCAPING.CO.UK

IOTA GARDEN

Boulevard Delta 60 Trough

©Greenlinesdesign Ltd

From £300 Large, strong and yet light enough to be easily handled, Boulevard trough planters are often used in weight-restricted areas. They are made from a dense compressed fibre-cement, an ideal material for withstanding the exposure to the elements in a rooftop position. There are a wide range of shapes and sizes in the range, and custom colouring is available. WWW.IOTAGARDEN.COM

HADDONSTONE

Haddonstone’s Heritage planters

Price: starting from £80 Available in three sizes, the Heritage range is a traditional design suitable for many garden styles. The Heritage planters are manufactured from the highest quality cast stonework by skilled craftsmen at Haddonstone, using the TecLite material to ensure stone thickness, keeping weight to a minimum. Pictured, left to right, is Heritage planter in Portland; Large Heritage planter in terracotta and Small Heritage planter in the bath colour. WWW.HADDONSTONE.COM

WOODBLOCX

WoodBlocX Modular System

Price: POA WoodBlocX modular timber components are light and easy to deliver to the most awkward of spaces. A popular choice for rooftop projects, the system provides design flexibility and a natural, sustainable option for any size of rooftop planter. Lead times of 3–5 working days across the UK and a free design service are available for any scale of project. WWW.WOODBLOCX-LANDSCAPING.CO.UK

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2018

Seminar programme announced PRO LANDSCAPER THEATRE 09:00

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