Pro Landscaper September 2012

Concept to Delivery

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DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

Y R A S R E ANNIV U E ISS

September 2012

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September 2012 | Volume 2, Issue 9

REGULARS

PORTFOLIOS

6 News shed

A round-up of news from the industry.

14 Association news Updates from the trade associations.

20 Business Tips

28

More useful advice that will give your company a headstart.

Aralia Garden Design

51 NEW FEATURE

Plantsman’s Plot A selection of plantings currently available to enhance your projects.

Let’s Hear It From…

Two times winner of the Best in Show award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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33

By Janine Pattison

63 IOG Saltex preview

PORTFOLIOS Butler Landscapes

60 Planting bulbs

Seminars schedule and exhibitors A-Z.

Bowles & Wyer

Twigs Gardens

71 Site Visit

The Plantation nursery in Surrey.

76 Trending

Pro Landscaper looks at what’s different.

39 EDITORIAL editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk Tel: 01903 234077 Editorial assistant – Rose Hales rose@pro-landscaper.co.uk EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL Mark Gregory Chairman APL and Landform Consultants Sam Hassall LandPRO Ltd Russell Eales Lawn Care expert Karl Harrison Decking expert Keith Sacre Tree expert FUTURESCAPE CO-ORDINATOR Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 234077

42 ADVERTISING Business Development Manager Jamie Wilkinson Jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 234077 Sales Executive – Luke Chaplin luke.chaplin@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 234077 Sales executive – Sophie Abbott sophie@pro-landscaper.co.uk Sales executive – Ceri Pemberton-Bates ceri@pro-landscaper.co.uk Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 234077 GENERAL ENQUIRIES Tel: 01903 237779

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81 People

Events Diary and The Little Interview.

MANAGEMENT Managing Director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson

PRODUCTION Design and reproduction: Russell Cox Design & Production

Business Development Manager Jamie Wilkinson

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK

Office Manager Joe Wilkinson CIRCULATION Subscription Enquiries: lisa.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk Tel: 01903 234077 Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2012 subscription price is £75.00. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, County House, 3 Shelley Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1TT, 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.

Published by © Eljays44 Ltd – Business Intelligence

Business intelligence

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Let’s hear it from...

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

October 2011

Landscape Group CEO Nick Temple-Heald

DESIGN, BuILD AND MAINTAIN

January 2012

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

February 2012

Let’s Hear it from…

Bill Trotman, MD of Continental Landscapes

Interview Chris Harrop, Marketing Director, Marshalls

Quadron, Managing Director, Clive Ivil

Let’s hear it from...

Mark Gregory, Landform Consultants Chairman of the and APL

Concept to Delivery

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

Nov/Dec 2011

Let’s hear it from...

Let’s Hear it from…

Noel Farrer, Director of Farrer Huxley Associates

Stunning facelift terrace of luxuryfor west London apartment

March 2012

Taking the elegance of an indoor fireplace outside lights up the imagination

1

Concept to Delive

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN An inspired transform ation of the grounds at Heath Longdon, Worceste Manor, rshire:

Portfolio

See how three companies have designed and implemented their projects

Latest kit at IOG Saltex 2011 Show highlights

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See how three companies have designed and implemented their projects

KEYSCAPE’S

MASTER PLAN

Business intelligence

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See how four companies have designed and implemented their projects

SERENE SPACE

Green-tech competition Your chance to win a Cooper Pegler sprayer

CH UNUE LA ISS

Published by

THOMPSON LAND SCAPES’

Product

The Polaris RANGERDNA ® EV

A safe environm elderly dementia ent full of colour and interest patients within a for care development

Published by Business intelligence

Published by Business intelligence

FLOW GARDER EN

DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAI N

April 2012

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A close look at

Natural Turf

Published by Business intelligence

HIGH FLYER

WAY OUT WEST

New plant species versus traditional varieties

The award-win ning designer and presenter’s stunning television rooftop retreats creations for the and Chelsea Flower Show

Published by Business intelligence

LANDSCAPIN SOLUTIONS G

HOT STUFF

Artificial grass – its quality and popularity are growing Published by Business intelligence

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May 2012

See how four companies have designed and implemented their projects

BARTHOLOMEW LANDSC APING

ANDY STURGEON

Hillier Landscap e’s award winning at Nether Lypiatt has involved thetransformation masterplan and creation inspired gardens a series of traditional, arts and of a around a Grade crafts I listed manor house.

Portfolio

See how three companies have designed and implemented their projects

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See how three companies have designed and implemented their projects

Concept to Delivery

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

HILLIER LANDSCAP ES’

Concept to Delivery DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINTAIN

July 2012

June 2012

August 2012

PC LANDSCAPES

STE CHANPGE

Classic remake lakeside garden for focal swimming with pool and terrace

Connecting all the steep-sloping site levels at a in Guildford

Cohesively linking house, terrace, pond and garden at a home in Hertfordshire

ARUN LANDS CAPES

POOL OF TALENT

1 Let’s Hear it

from...

Lighting

Q&A with Dan Riddleston, Managing Director of Bowles & Wyer Contracts

CHELS

FLOWE R SHOW THE MAINEA DR AW

Let’s Hear it from...

Landscape and garden designer Jo Thompson

Portfolios

LEDs are given report as more a glowing designers specifyand more them

Discover how companies havethree designed and implemented their projects

WILSON MCWIL LIAM

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See how three companies implemented their projects

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ry

The association 40 years serving celebrates the trade

Portfolios LDA Design’s East London See how regeneration masterplan three companies implemented their projects

Portfolios See how three companies implemented their projects

42 27 14

Let’s Hear it

Designing with

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PERSON SPECIFICATION The person specification is paramount: the definition of key personal characteristics required of any employee working within the business.

For us, these are closely tied into our core values and philosophy. Our people are the “face” of the company, in that they interact with customers and as such we feel it is essential that they share the values and ethos of our organisation.

Positivity, appetite for learning and problemsolving skills are seen as essential characteristics.

With robust training, learning and development opportunities, we “recruit for attitude and train for skill”. Changing a person’s character is much more problematic than developing their skills. The specific Job Description should identify what you want this person to do and their main duties/ responsibilities, as well as the terms and

GOLD

Taking on the best possible candidates is vital to your business, so ensure you implement the correct recruitment processes, says Yvette Etcell. conditions attached to the position – hours, holidays, reporting line and so on, and any special/specific experience or characteristics they would need to possess to undertake the role – for example. a receptionist would commonly need a good telephone manner, a sales person would need tenacity etc. These two elements are an absolutely vital part of the process.

Everything else that follows – the advertisement, the structure of your interview and the ultimate appointment – will flow from this. If you get this

Yvette Etcell is Director of Business Development and HR at Gavin Jones Ltd. With an early career in sales, advertising, marketing and assisting with personal injury litigation she then took a career break to spend time with her family.

Yvette spent five years with English

➧

Landscapes as an Operational Contracts Manager (Coventry City GM/Cleansing contract), then as Area Manager with a portfolio of circa £5m/pa contracts. Yvette joined Gavin Jones Ltd in 2003 as Business Development Manager, was promoted to Company Secretary in 2008 and to the board 12 months later.

Contact: yvette.etcell@gavinjones.co.uk

wrong, in all likelihood, you will not get the results you are seeking.

When you’ve identified the skills to do the job, you need to divide them into two categories: essential and desirable. Essential skills are those which the candidate must have from the outset; desirable skills are usually those which the person can be trained in, or those which would be advantageous. A good tip is to keep the essential requirements as few as possible – this is because you should really only shortlist those that have the essential skills for the job in order to keep the process objectively focused.

EQUALITY COMPLIANCE It is important that all requirements are job-related, to comply with equality legislation and to protect you from charges of unlawful discrimination. If the job requires you to answer telephone calls, understand customer queries and write simple letters, it would be quite lawful to require “a good standard of written and spoken English” because you can justify that in terms of the post. However, stating that “applicants must have English as their first language,” could be considered discriminatory.

Having identified requirements, there is one other tip: compile your interview record sheet in the form of a scoring matrix against your person specification – this will allow you to demonstrate an objectivity in terms of your selection; an interviewee is entitled under Freedom of Information legislation to request a copy of interview notes and selection procedures. An objective scoring matrix will help, but do ensure any comments recorded on the form are non-discriminatory or “personal” descriptions – however tempted you may be. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

April 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 4

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

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TURF TURF LL VE

hen it comes to choosing turf, you can’t ask too many questions. Making the right selection can mean the difference between having a happy client, or not.

Paul Baker at APL award-winning firm Holland Landscapes agrees: “The quality of the turf you select can make or break a garden. A project that has been designed and built to the highest of standards can easily be ruined by laying a poor quality turf. Turf by the square metre is one of the cheapest forms of landscaping, but it’s just as important to source a high quality lawn and lay it correctly as it is laying good quality paving.”

2

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GROWER Establishing a good relationship with your turf grower, or their distributor, is essential – after all, they want to supply you with the best turf for your projects and you want nothing less than the best.

Turf growers want to listen.

Only by having a full understanding of the landscaping industry and by learning more about the issues facing landscapers can they ensure that their businesses continue to produce turf that meets the needs of the people who work with it.

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4

RIGHT TURF – RIGHT JOB When considering landscapers’ requirements for turf, climate change and the level of maintenance the grass is likely to receive provide possibly the greatest challenges. The choice of grass cultivars 1 RTF (rhizomatous tall fescue) turf – a grass that has a root system that can grow to 1.5m deep.

2 and 3 RTF turf is especially useful

5

for sloping and children’s play areas.

4 Standard turf rolls.

5 Turf on display at a Hampton Court Flower Show exhibit.

in turf has always been critical but changing times have made it more so. Growers have for years been aware of the need for grasses that are more tolerant of drought, flood, turf diseases, shade, heavy traffic and, in coastal locations, salt. Major seed producers invest heavily in their breeding programmes, working hard to develop cultivars that will address the issues facing the users of turf in the future.

Growers, as an end-user themselves, take a keen interest in these developments and work with seed companies in taking their developments through to the finished product. Ask your grower for a breakdown of the grass varieties in their turf. You can also refer to the BSPB seed listings (published annually and available from the ‘News’ section at www.bspb.co.uk from the end of January) to assess their suitability for your situation.

YOUR TURF DELIVERY – WHAT TO EXPECT These days, turf is delivered within hours of being harvested to arrive with you fresh. You should receive strong, uniform rolls, virtually free of the weed grass Poa annua and free from disease, with a dense sward. During particularly hot periods of the summer, heat damage within the turf roll can be a problem. To prevent this, turf is often harvested in the early hours of the morning, and temperature-controlled lorries used to transport it on longer journeys.

TURF TYPES In order that your clients continue to be happy with their lawn months after you’ve left the site, it’s important to select the right turf for your situation. There are a number of turf grades available to address particular environmental issues: www.pro-landscaper.co.uk

| January 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

2012

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More images at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio

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General use General landscaping turf from a reputable grower should be easy to lay and to maintain.

Its versatile specification usually contains a high percentage of Perennial Ryegrass, with the rest of the composition made up of smooth stalked meadowgrass and fescues to provide the density of sward required from the new lawn. It should root quickly once laid to provide an attractive, tough, hard wearing surface that keeps its colour all year round.

Alex Edwards from Yorkshire-based grower Inturf says the vast majority of turf orders for landscaping purposes are for general use turf: “Value for money is still the determinate factor, however, landscapers who enquire about our turf also want a quality product, and the quality of turf available in the marketplace does vary. It’s easy to feed turf intensively for several weeks prior to harvesting, however, the rich, emerald appearance diminishes once the turf is laid leaving customers dissatisfied. We aim to supply turf that retains its colour and vigour long after the job has been completed.”

Here are some of the specialist turf grades available for more demanding environments:

luxury lawns Some growers offer a luxury turf for high quality ornamental lawns and prestige landscaping projects. With a high percentage of fescue, it has a finer leaf and is only suitable for experienced landscapers and gardeners who are able to give it the specialist attention it requires.

TacklinG shade problems Maintaining healthy turf in shaded areas can be particularly challenging as the lack of sunlight inhibits photosynthesis causing stress to the plant. Because some grass species are better

Aralia Garden Design This stunning show garden was the winner of a Silver Medal at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The Arthritis Research UK Garden Designed by Thomas Hoblyn Built by Bowles and Wyer Sponsored by Arthritis Research UK STAND – MA17 For his fifth year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Thomas Hoblyn will create a show garden which is inspired by the great Renaissance gardens of Italy for Arthritis Research UK. Inspired by the stunning gardens at Villa Lante and Villa d’Este, Hoblyn hopes to capture the

T

This garden celebrates the 250th anniversary of Brewin Dolphin and the continuing popularity of topiary in gardens of all sizes since the resurgence of this art during the 19th century.

Cleve West, who has six RHS Gold Medals to his credit and won Best in Show at Chelsea last year, has designed a garden that is

➧ Volume 1 Issue 1 | September 2011 |

his 10x20m plot was presented as a ‘Roof Garden’, an extension to the working office utilising unused rooftop space. The objective of the garden is to inspire people to make better use of unused commercial space by demonstrating that office rooftops can be used as viable gardens in over-crowded and urbanised environments and cities. It also aims to create a practical yet stimulating work environment combining the requirements of an office within a relaxed and creative outdoor setting.

The space is both practical and beautiful, offering an innovative, thought-provoking environment providing ambient space for collaboration and inspiration. There are spaces for individual workers in addition to group collaborative areas. The brief for the garden was that it should capture and enhance the networked world we live in and be the ‘iPad

classical ideals of order associated with Renaissance gardens. The flamboyance and decadence will be transformed into a more minimal design, exploring the concept of man’s control over nature.

Water will form a central theme to the garden, incorporating three spectacular water features.

With his passion for creative planting, Hoblyn will focus on a formal Mediterranean style, with five majestic cypress trees providing a magnificent backdrop.

Exclusive to RHS Chelsea 2012, the nasturtium ‘Red Emperor’ will be launched for the first time.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

contemporary yet reflects the heritage of British gardening.

The garden design can be described as ‘formal and timeless, contemporary yet traditional’ and uses controlled structure, including beech hedging and yew topiary forms that contrast with looser layers of herbaceous plants.

The yew forms represent the history, stability and creativity of Brewin Dolphin and stand like sentinels among a tapestry of herbaceous plants. This creates a sense of timelessness with a hint of mystery.

ARALIA GARDEN DESIGN Aralia Garden Design provides high quality, innovative yet functional outdoor spaces.

Established in 2004 by Patricia Fox, Aralias’ portfolio ranges from contemporary to traditional; small suburban gardens to large country estates. Based in Hertfordshire and working in Britain and abroad, the company believes that empathising with the client and understanding their needs is paramount to good design. www.aralia.org.uk

● The magazine’s ethos of inclusivity ensures everyone who subscribes to the tenets of quality and professional excellence has a voice, as well as providing pertinent, well-researched articles.

Wayne Grills, BALI Chief Operations Officer ● Pro Landscaper hit the industry by storm and has not disappointed. It is essential reading and no landscaper, designer or construction-based company should be without it. Pro Landscaper is as passionate a publication as we are landscapers.

Richard J Barnard, Managing Director, Hillier Landscapes ● Pro Landscaper is a compelling mix of inspirational projects, news, product reviews and interesting articles by experts. The production values are very high with excellent layouts and every issue is read cover-tocover by our whole team. Keep up the great work.

Janine Pattison MSGD MBALI, Director, Janine Pattison Garden Design Ltd

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Nothing is more quintessentially English than the lawn and there is no quicker way to create one or remedy a tired, worn area of grass than by laying turf, says Ellie Parry.

at tolerating shade than others, some growers produce shade tolerant turf grown from Poa supina, a grass cultivar that flourishes in a shaded environment. Native to Alpine areas, Poa supina is the last grass to fall into dormancy and the first to grow actively in the spring. Its lateral aboveground stems (Stolons) grow outwards from the main plant reproducing more shoots as it develops, enabling the plant to repair itself in a continuous manner.

Other factors must also be taken into consideration in shaded areas however. Increasing the height of cut increases the amount of leaf surface enabling the plant to take full advantage of the available light. If shade is caused by trees, the turf may be under increased stress from drought

Tall fescues have always been suitable for lawns because they are hard-wearing, have a deep green colour, and can withstand long periods of drought. RTF turf has a remarkable root system that can grow down to a depth of 1.5m, giving it the ability to withstand periods of both drought and waterlogging. Even in severe drought, when other grass goes brown, tall fescues recover quickly with the first rain. reinforced Turf Reinforced turf is particularly useful for areas subjected to heavy wear, such as fire access roads, walkways, grass car parks, banks and play areas. There are several different variations available but they all consist of natural turf grown

Establishing a good relationship with your turf grower, or their distributor, is essential – after all, they want to supply you with the best turf for your projects and you want nothing less than the best.

Turf growers want to listen. and nutrient deficiencies as tree roots take up any available moisture and nutrients from the soil.

If this is the case, additional watering and feeding may be required to keep the turf healthy. Avoid causing any unnecessary wear to the shaded area by directing foot traffic to other areas. drouGhT Tolerance RTF turf (rhizomatous tall fescue) is a relatively recent innovation in turf. RTF is a tall fescue that produces rhizomes, an underground stem that grows outwards from the main plant, producing more shoots as it goes. In this way RTF has the ability to repair itself to produce and retain a dense sward.

in to a synthetic fibre reinforced rootzone. This type of turf offers unbeatable strength and stability where it’s needed most. wild flowers Not into grass? Don’t forget that some growers also supply wild flower turf available as a mat of established plants that makes the creation of a wild flower area easier than sowing it from seed.

Whatever your project, there will be a turf type that fits the bill. Speak to your local grower, ideally a member of the Turfgrass Growers Association (www.turfgrass.co.uk) or one of their distributors, who will be pleased to discuss your requirements with you.

www.pro-landscaper.co.uk

● At last, a publication that gives a totally different view of the amenity landscaping world and those who make it work. It gives a unique, informative, balanced insight into the industry and what makes it tick from the inception of a project through to completion.

Angus Lindsay, Group Head of Assets and Fleet, The Landscape Group

January 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 |

GLASS ACT Millhouse Landscapes The design and construction firm was tasked with delivering an easy to maintain contemporary garden to complement the new-build Glass House in Tunbridge Wells.

Millhouse Landscapes has been designing and constructing award-winning gardens since 1972. Prior to being shortlisted for this year’s APL Awards, the company has won seven national BALI awards for both domestic and commercial schemes. All projects are overseen by owners Mark and Tim Williams and all work is carried out by experienced staff, assuring client satisfaction and the ability to meet agreed budget and timescales. The company has a design office within Coolings Nursery and operates throughout London and the South East.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

August 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 8

May 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 5

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of replacing conventional white light sources such as halogen and fluorescent.

LED lighting can do it all; not only are they the most efficient light source available at around 100 Lumens per Watt, they are cheap to run and generate little wasted heat. The good quality LEDs have incredible life expectancy backed up by the manufacturers’ guarantees. A lifetime of 50,000 hours can be expected, this equates to more than 17 years at 8 hours per day for commercial applications and 45 years at 3 hours per day for domestic.

They cost more, but with the above figures they have a quick return on investment. In general terms they are 80% more efficient then halogen and 50% more efficient than fluorescent. There is potential for an immediate saving of up to 80% off an annual lighting bill. Our regular supplier (LED ZIP Lighting) manufacturers a 3W LED floodlight producing 500 Lumens (enough to light an entrance or driveway) costing just £1.50 a year to run at 8 hours a night, 365 days a year.

LED light fittings run on low voltages from 3-30 Volts so are safe to handle and work well in harsh environments, which makes them an ideal choice for garden use. LEDs are based on Silicon chip (Diode) technology and it is

possible to put red, green and blue diodes very close to each other or even on the same chip, enabling an almost unlimited range of colours from a single lamp.

We used this new technology to good effect in our BALI National Design Excellence Award-winning garden by incorporating the lighting into a DMX control system, allowing us to programme fabulous lighting routines that the client could run at the touch of a button.

Another recent garden project was programmed for us by Led-Zip so that the exterior lighting came on automatically at dusk and then slowly faded from one colour in to the next throughout the evening. This then gently faded down to a low level white at midnight. Sensors were positioned so that anyone entering the garden would be detected and bring all the lights back on full brightness.

The same system was programmed with an exit function, that when pressed, would give the occupants time to leave the premises as the garden slowly dimmed. On returning the sensors picked up their approach in the driveway and faded up the lighting to welcome them home – how cool. www.janinepattison.com www.led-zip.co.uk

More images at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Arun Landscapes A ‘funky’ quality or wow factor was part of the client’s brief at this beautiful garden in Weybridge.

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he existing terrace of crazed sandstone was to be enlarged and repaved with a lighter material and space alongside the kitchen to be developed as a main outdoor entertaining space. This in turn linked to the swimming pool which, although fenced off, provides a focus both from the kitchen and main terrace.

The impact of the existing fence around the pool needed to be minimised. Lighting would be important in the areas close to the house to allow evening entertainment and to add value and character to the landscape after dark from within the house.

A mix of formality and informality in the area was required but also a “funky” quality or wow factor was mentioned as desirable. The garden will be used regularly for entertaining friends and parties.

THE WIDER GARDEN (REAR OF HOUSE) Although this section of the garden had interesting views and level changes, much of the lawn-based planting lacked coherence and in some areas the boundary planting of Rhododendron was overgrown and dominant.

Many of the larger trees had formed good specimens.

The development of a more coherent planting strategy for this area formed part of the masterplan in tandem with the introduction of more sculptural pieces. The intention was to simplify the garden while maintaining and possibly emphasising the main view. Selected trees and artwork could also be lit.

A major requirement was a flat area of lawn close to the house and terrace, which would facilitate children’s play and also the periodic introduction of a marquee for family parties and entertainment on a larger scale.

As the scheme evolved to sketch design stage, the swimming pool area was developed with the suggestion that a separate pool house could be devised. This was taken up by the client who appointed architect Richard Green to design the facility. The pool in turn was altered to remove its Roman end.

The deck at the end of the garden was also increased in size to create a greater sense of a

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extra efficiency from LEDs over Halogen

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Lighting would be important in the areas close to the house to allow evening entertainment and to add value and character to the landscape after dark from within the house.

KEY AREAS The swimming pool was transformed into a deck-level focal point to the space. Perennial planting for dappled shade provided a dynamic and colourful backdrop interrupted by a simple screen wall which provided a backdrop for sculpture display and a focal point for the main axis of the long terrace. Wide, underlit steps dropped down to the informal entertaining space alongside the house and kitchen.

The main terrace now runs across almost the entire width of the garden and along the rear facade of the house. Screen walls at either end provide stops to the view and clear focal points to the paved terrace space. A wide perennial and grass border runs along the length of the terrace, with main steps down to the lawn plateau. Multi-stemmed Amelanchier are strategically placed to frame views into the garden from the house and to give scale to this focal space.

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Axonometric drawing

Managing Director, Quadron

Quadron is an award winning specialist horticultural and grounds maintenance service provider, priding itself on the quality of its work on behalf of many prestigious clients. As Managing Director, Clive Ivil is passionate about achieving a high quality service that makes his company stand out from the crowd.

Since forming more than 11 years ago, Elite Landscapes has delivered high-quality landscape projects for its clients in the private, commercial and public sectors. Based in Buckinghamshire and operating in the South of England it focuses mainly on larger, mixed-discipline landscape projects up to £1.5 million. It works with designers and clients to ensure projects are carried out to the highest standards, on time and budget, and has an everincreasing reputation because of these qualities.

PRINCIPAL AWARD WINNER Soft Landscaping Construction, Cost Over £1.5 Million

April 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 4

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igh on the agenda are ‘open book’ client partnerships, minimising costs whilst helping clients to achieve prestigious awards to objectively measure quality outputs, and sustainability in all its senses – not only green issues but employing local people and enhancing their skill levels and qualifications.

www.pro-landscaper.co.uk

Tell us a bit about how you originally got into the industry.

I originally wanted to work in forestry – and on leaving school I got an apprenticeship with Rushmoor Parks Department, where I started out litter picking, working in the parks, and then in the nursery, and my career really began to take off.

Massive changes in Local Government and a lot of my elder colleagues taking early retirement to avoid the implications of the new CCT (Compulsory Competitive Tendering) regime, meant I started

Elite Landscapes At the Dorchester’s first out-of-town hotel – designed to bring London living into the countryside – Elite was enlisted to refurbish the existing gardens and create new spaces.

January 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 |

www.pro-landscaper.co.uk

Thanks for all your valued support!

Enjoy reading the next 12 months… www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Page 9

LET’S HEAR IT FROM...

CLIVE IVIL

ABOUT ELITE LANDSCAPES

Familyowned and managed Arun Landscapes represents the best in Landscape design and construction throughout the South of England. It has a professional team of designers, horticulturalists, builders and carpenters – dedicated to providing dream gardens for its clients. To date Arun Landscapes has constructed well over 60 awardwinning gardens – including three Gold Medals at Chelsea.

April 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 4

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Let’s Hear it from... 9

TOWN COUNTRY

destination at the lake side and to accommodate larger groups when the client entertained.

ARUN LANDSCAPES

hours of life expectancy for good quality LEDs

&

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Project size Approx 6,000m2 Cost £500,000

April 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 4

August 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 8

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LED Lighting

● ProLandscaper is exactly what the industry needed in terms of a new, interesting and relevant journal. The spread of articles is a good read for all and well written, too. Lisa and Jim are very proactive in their quest for another story.

Liz Hughes, Sales and Publicity, Wyevale East Nurseries

ABOUT MILLHOUSE LANDSCAPES

The garden needed to capture and enhance the networked world we live in and be the ‘iPad of the Garden World’ – flexible and innovative

September 2012

AN NI VE RS AR Y IS SU E

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PREVIEW Pro Landscaper looks at some of the inspirational show gardens on display at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, taking place from 22 to 26 May

The Brewin Dolphin Garden Designed by Cleve West Built by Steve Swatton Sponsored by Brewin Dolphin STAND – MA15

www.pro-landscaper.co.uk

April 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 4

from...

Natural Turf

1

PANNING FOR

ABOUT YVETTE ETCELL

February 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 2

Chelsea

A busy man is Mark Gregory. He heads up Landform Consultants, chairs The Association of Professional Landscapers and when we caught up with him he was up to his elbows in the proverbial, constructing award-winning gardens at Chelsea. So tell us, we asked him, about you, your business and challenges for the industry.

arden lighting is now seen as a vital ingredient in the gardens we design for clients and we consider the lighting design at a very early stage in the design process. Lighting a garden adds a whole new dimension to the space – it will suddenly come alive after dark and have a totally different feel.

New technology has made a great impact on garden lighting and none more than the development of LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. LED technology is sweeping through the lighting industry and is improving rapidly with massive investment from large companies such as Osram and Philips. With this sort of backing, LED is certainly not a flash in the pan and is now commonplace in modern homes, shops, bars and restaurants. It is no longer just coloured decorative lighting but is also capable

Let’s Hear it

Aidan Lane of Frosts Landscape Construction

Natural Turf

Landform Consultants and Chairman of the APL

36

Portfolios

See how three companies implemented their projects

Page 9

LET’S HEAR IT FROM...

MARK GREGORY

LED lights are commonplace in houses and commercial spaces; as well as coloured decorative lighting it can now replace traditional white light sources such as fluorescent or halogen, says Janine Pattison.

trees

Advice on which choose for your species to projects

from...

Phil Jones of ISS Facility Services Landscaping

Business Tips

Engaging the best-fit people in our businesses is important for a whole variety of reasons.

Poor recruitment decisions can lead to significant direct and indirect costs. Indirect costs include loss of outputs, loss of efficiency and loss of customers plus implications in terms of time – it takes longer to train someone who’s not suitable for a post, sort out their mistakes, dismiss them, and then start the cycle all over again.

There are also direct costs – re-advertising, and in a case of dismissal, a procedural mistake could lead to legal action which may ultimately result in compensation being paid. These costs are significant and for a small organisation they can be the difference between survival or collapse.

It’s impossible to protect against all mistakes, but having routine processes in place will help get the right person more often. A logical set of steps will improve your success rate in terms of selecting the right people for your business.

Let’s Hear it from... 9

It’s great to be here Mark, amongst the cream of the industry, getting ready for another great Chelsea Flower Show.

Well it’s the best theatre in the world, and great to have on your CV which is why I come back year after year. It’s such a huge thing now, and the media have played a big part in making it so.

Twenty years ago Chelsea was shown for half an hour on BBC2 and now we have 13 hours over the week. Gardening is becoming more than just a national pastime now.The RHS are trying to get horticulture onto the curriculum but unfortunately it’s dropped at secondary school level which doesn’t help to encourage young people into the industry.

STUDIO

Olympic parklands

BALI Anniversa

INDUSTRY. VOICE. YEAR OLD. Bartholomew has been creating uniquely tailored gardens since 1989. The company has offices in Victoria and Fulham and a team of more than 40 skilled individuals who can create a stunning outdoor space – their aim is to create a garden environment that never ceases to excite the senses. The company’s expertise is unrivalled, demonstrated by the many top awards it has received in recent years.

Bartholomew Landscaping Bartholomew transformed an apartment terrace in west London into an impressive garden.

15/8/11

Let’s Hear it from...

Andrew Wilson, McWilliam StudioWilson

Portfolios

ABOUT BARTHOLOMEW LANDSCAPING

CHELSEA

February 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 2

WELL ROUNDED LOUISA BELL

Green roofs

Big opportunities to install for landscape contractors

MADE IN

PL_Sep11_p09-12_Let's_Hear_it_from_v4:Layout 1

An ‘English garden’ is given a distinctly circular theme

WELL CONNEC TED

Plans and sketches the inspirational for some of gardens set to feature at this year’s RHS event

ry

Volume 1 | Issue 3 | November/December 2011 |

● Many congratulations to all at Pro Landscaper.

Each issue is well researched, packed full of interesting information and helpful advice with clear, concise layouts and an upmarket feel. The magazine will undoubtedly go from strength to strength.

Claudia de Yong, Claudia de Yong Garden Design ● Pro Landscaper is a real page turner and it’s what the industry has been crying out for. I actually get excited when it arrives in the post.

David Dodd, Managing Director, The Outdoor Room September 2012

5

News Shed

Celebrating an amazing sector Wow, we just can’t believe we’re a year old! The past year for the whole team at Pro Landscaper has been a whirlwind and our first birthday is an opportunity to celebrate our achievements. We have made it our mission to learn as much as possible about the industry and to get to know as many people as we can within it to enable us to provide concise, actionable content which is useful to all who read it. We can honestly say in all our years of working in publishing (almost 40 years between us) none of us has worked in such a passionate, hardworking and talented industry – and we don’t think “None of us has there’s anything to beat it. We before worked in aim to grow on the success of such a passionate, the first year, and you will be hardworking and seeing more from the brand talented industry.” during the coming year.

As you may all now be aware, we are launching our first event in conjunction with Pro Landscaper – FutureScape, which takes place on Tuesday 20 November; our vision for the event is to bring the magazine to life – so all the things you enjoy about Pro Landscaper will be replicated into a real life scenario. Keep your eyes open for other new exciting developments too…

All that remains is for all of us to thank all of you for your constructive feedback and thoughtful comments on Pro Landscaper, here’s to the next year – we’re in it together!

Jim and Lisa Wilkinson editor@pro-landscaper.co.uk

1 DESIGN, BUILD AND MAINT AIN

In October’s Pro Landscaper…

Let’s hear it from… the CEO of a large grounds maintenance company Features: green roofs; bare root planting; paving and fencing Some truly inspirational portfolios Business Tips, and keep up to date with all the latest Association News

6

September 2012

Concept to

Delivery

September

Border completed for Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is celebrating the completion of its redesigned Centenary Border. At an impressive 250m long and containing 30,000 plants, it is the longest double border in the country. Head of Collections David Jewell said: “This is our most ambitious project which will help lead the gardens into the future.

“As well as traditional perennial

plantings for the summer there are plenty of surprises including many new-on-the-scene plants. We hope the plant combinations will inspire visitors.

“The project has been five years in the planning and taken two years of dedicated work by landscape designers Julia Fogg Associates and the gardens’ horticultural team plus many volunteers.”

The border will provide an extravaganza of colour, textures and shapes, starting with spring bulbs and hellebores followed by summer flowering perennials and a range of grasses. A key element of the new design is the stunning white granite paving which allows visitors to enjoy the border all year round and in all weather conditions. Year round admission to the gardens is £8.95 www3.hants.gov.uk/hilliergardens

2012

ANNIVERSA RY ISSUE

Have you signed up to the new Pro Landscaper Network? Log on to www.pro-landscaper.co.uk and click the network tab to get involved in the latest member discussion

See us on Facebook, Twitter @ProLandscaperJW and join our LinkedIn group to stay up-to-date with all that’s happening in landscaping

Scottish government to invest £40m into RBGE redesign The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh (RBGE) has announced plans for a £40m revamp project, after receiving £1.5m from the Scottish government. The masterplan covers the redevelopment of the north east quarter of the garden and includes the use of new technology to develop “highly efficient and strong” glasshouses. It also includes modernising labs and building education facilities for students.

Professor Stephen Blackmore,

regius keeper for RBGE, said: “This development will allow us to secure Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as a globally recognised destination for generations to come.” www.prolandscapermagazine.com

News Shed

New TV series transforms neglected plots of land spaces, and Tufnell works the land while getting to know the stories of the people involved.

Swift said: “It’s great to use all the skills I’ve developed over the years designing residential gardens to create these special community spaces”. A vital element of all the projects is the involvement of local communities, as it will be up to them to keep it going in the future.

Brand new four-part TV series The Flower Pot Gang (first show aired on 15 August on BBC1) featuring Joe Swift, Phil Tufnell and Anneka Rice aims to transform neglected outdoor plots of land into lifechanging spaces for a variety of communities across Britain.

Rice rallies the local community, Swift offers up his horticultural expertise by designing the new

Olympic Park duo to lecture at West Dean Sarah Price and Nigel Dunnett, who worked together on the 2012 Gardens at The Olympic Park in London, will give a one-day garden lecture at West Dean College, West Sussex on Saturday 20 October. During the morning Price (top) and Dunnett (bottom) will explain their own personal approaches and philosophies to planting design. In the afternoon they will give an insight into how they collaborated on the most exciting and largest new urban park in the country. www.westdean.org.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

£20m Olympic Park scheme proposal

The London Legacy Development Corporation has submitted plans for the South Plaza area of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which will open in 2014 as part of the redevelopment following the games. The £20m South Plaza scheme will cover a 28-acre space between the Aquatics Centre, the stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture.

The park’s design is by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations. James Corner said:

“The design projects a green, active and playful sequence of spaces for new social uses and interactions.”

Alongside James Corner, planting and horticulture will be by Piet Oudolf and will include a variety of trees and plants native to the local areas. Mace will be project managing the landscaping and transformation alongside Bam Nuttall. The South Plaza will be a place to stroll and people-watch, to contrast with the greener North Park and its lawns, wetlands and canal paths.

NURSERY NEWS Sunlight at the end of the tunnel At last we had some sunshine and our plants benefited from the solar energy.

Until the end of July light levels had been low and this in turn affected growth rates. But nurserymen always complain about the lack of rain or too much or not enough sun.

Our plants did well in the Queen Elizabeth Park at Stratford thanks to the overnight husbandry by the Willerby Landscapes team – they even got on the telly. The Southern Hemisphere garden is my favourite – perhaps because when I visited, the 2,000-plus Red Hot Pokers were blooming and it harmonised with the high-vis jackets of the construction crew. The design

by James Hitchmough and Sarah Price is intended to be low maintenance; dense planting that is very suitable for public spaces.

At the nursery, plants are growing and we are preparing for our annual Soft Landscape Workshop – which is all about use of plants effectively and right plant, right place.

Seats are still bookable for Thursday 27 September, come and listen to Tony Kirkham (top), Sarah Eberle (bottom) and others – nourishment for landscapers.

For more information go to: www.palmstead.co.uk

September 2012

7

Contractors News

NEWS in brief Frosts bags contract at Land Securities’ site Frosts has secured the green roof and green wall works for the prestigious 62 Buckingham Gate development in London’s Victoria, SW1 by Land Securities London.

Quadron’s clients notch up more Green Flags

ISS Facility Services toasts its 16th Green Flag Award ISS Facility Services Landscaping has successfully ‘hoisted’ 16 Green Flags this year with successes including Hotham Park in Bognor Regis, Mewsbrook Park in Littlehampton, Grenfell Park in Maidenhead and Vulcan Park in Workington. ISS believes working in partnership is the key to achieving excellence and has

ensured it wins awards year after year. The Green Flag Award Scheme recognises and rewards

Fourteen new Green Flags were awarded to Quadron’s clients in July, taking the total number of Green Flag sites to 52.

Integritas committed to wildlife and habitats

Interpave publishes updated paving guide

Integritas Landscapes has chosen to become gold members of the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Its membership of the Trust shows the importance the company places upon the environment and the wildlife that share our landscape.

Integritas promotes and

Interpave has released an update to the guide Understanding Permeable Paving, which is available via www.paving.org.uk.

Whitewater Nursery to be relaunched Mark Straver and Robin Wallis of Hortus Loci are now relaunching the retail Whitewater Nursery & Plant Centre on the Hortus Loci site in Hook, Hampshire.

encourages habitat and species diversification at all of its sites where practicable and demonstrates its commitment to these aims. It has completed many wildlife projects over the past 12 months, including woodland renovation, wildflower meadows, bird, bat and insect habitat creation and hedge laying among many others.

This forms part of the company’s drive to increase the awareness of wildlife and habitats among customers whith the aim of helping the company develop its landscapes to help support the local wildlife within it.

the best green spaces in the country. Phil Jones, Managing Director, ISS Facility Services Landscaping said: “Our Green Flag wins demonstrate how strong partnership working breeds success and ISS will continue to improve our service delivery and explore opportunities with our clients for further collaborative working.”

UPM Tilhill MD set to leave firm Following the recent organisational restructuring at UPM Tilhill and the consequent sale of the Landscape and Arboriculture business streams to Ground Control Ltd, Managing Director Steve Lavery has decided to leave the company in October.

Lavery said: “It’s been satisfying to lead UPM Tilhill along such a prosperous path and I wish the business every success in the future.”

The sale of these two business areas was a strategic decision to strengthen the company’s forestry and wood-sourcing activities within the UK and Europe. The on-going UPM Tilhill Forestry business will be led by George McRobbie.

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Business Tips

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Why are our urban green spaces under threat and what can we do to preserve them? John Williamson of Amberol reports A lush patch of green within our urban landscapes is always a welcome sight. However, with councils under increasing pressure to save money, ‘non-essential’ services such as parks and communal spaces have been suffering harsh budget cuts. The resulting staff redundancies and lack of investment in park facilities has caused concern among the horticultural community, who fear a rapid decline in our urban green spaces.

It has been argued that the cuts to public park services are disproportionate in relation to other non-essential services. Such is the seriousness of the concerns, that an early day motion (EDM) was recently tabled in the House of Commons to raise awareness of the issue.

A universal problem The problem appears to be widespread. For example, while London has seen a 44% fall in park budgets over the past four years, green space funds for Liverpool have also been reduced by a third since 2010. Furthermore, a

2

1 Local authorities such as Birmingham City Council continue to invest in public spaces.

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September 2012

2 Floral displays like this could become a thing of the past due to budget cuts.

study by the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) found that 80% of park managers across the UK expect an increase in anti-social behaviour and vandalism as a result of reduced budgets and staffing.

These issues are exacerbated by the fact that useful organisations such as CABE Space, which offered support in the development and maintenance of public spaces, have either been dissolved or changed their remit. This means that other than cash-strapped local authorities, there is no overall national organisation with the power to oversee and fight for public parks and communal areas.

The power of green in the urban landscape While having attractive surroundings is not considered essential, it does have a direct impact on our quality of life, particularly in socially deprived areas where maintained green spaces have played a significant role in many regeneration projects. Moreover, increased population and construction have resulted in fewer open spaces, meaning that many people don’t have the luxury of a green outlook from their home or workplace window. In my opinion, this makes the preservation of our communal spaces a priority.

Maintenance on a budget The real challenge is sustaining communal horticulture in the face of shrinking budgets. An obvious way to save money on floral displays is through the careful selection of hardy, low maintenance plants that last the season, using

SAVE OUR GREEN SPACES

suitable compost and a planned maintenance programme. However, the maintenance of such carefully selected plants still takes time and effort. Many councils have tried to overcome the difficulties of upholding displays with minimum funds by using self-watering containers which have a built in water reservoir enabling water dispersal as needed. This means that even in the height of a normal summer, most planters will need watering only once or twice a week.

Councils are in the unenviable position of having to make difficult choices from their shrinking budgets. While non-essential, having access to well-tended parks and open spaces is important to the wellbeing of both an individual and a community and I for one believe that our green places are well worth fighting for.

Supporting the EDM The EDM is helping to raise the profile of this issue before our communal areas decline. To get behind the campaign to protect the UK’s public parks, write to your local MP and ask them to add their signature to the EDM – and help preserve our parks for the next generation.

ABOUT JOHN WILLIAMSON John Williamson is the marketing manager at Amberol, a familyrun company which supplies a range of planters, self-watering containers bins and benches to local authorities, schools and businesses.

Amberol aims to create products that will facilitate a cleaner, greener environment. For more information about Amberol’s products visit www.amberol.co.uk or call 01773 830 930.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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07/08/2012 09:16:47

Waste disposal

active duty There has been a great deal of confusion and In the wake of a huge tax hike anger over the Government’s recent shake up of on ‘active’ waste, Rose Hales the so-called ‘skip tax’. Not only has the price of [1] analyses the various methods tax on active waste increased (and will increase again next April), but the way in which the of waste disposal Government defines active and inert waste has businesses complained that the rising cost of changed. Waste such as trommel fines[2] has skips came without warning, and quotes been reclassified as active waste, as other previously given to customers had to be material may come out of the trommel and changed. They also expressed a worry that therefore it cannot be classified as 100% inert. fly-tipping will become far more widespread.

However, there is a lot of confusion still about Although this seems like nothing other than exactly what constitutes contaminated waste. bad news, there are alternatives which are The price of a skip which holds on average cheaper and greener than landfill.

10 tonnes of waste has increased from £25 in The cost of recycling has actually decreased tax (£2.50 for a tonne of inert waste) to £640 over the past year. According to the 5th (the new price for what is now being annual report collected by WRAP the classed as ‘active’ waste) – a 2,460% median ‘gate fee’ charged by recycling increase. According to DEFRA: “By facilities has reduced from £15 per increasing the cost of landfilling, tonne to £9. Compared to £85 per the tax thereby increases the increase tonne for landfill, recycling is a overall cost of managing a tonne in tax for ‘active’ waste staggeringly cheaper option. of waste, and therefore should classification Furthermore composting of organic lead to a reduction in arisings as a material also falls way below the cost of rational adjustment to the tax.” landfill, both open air windrow system The tax aims to encourage people to composting and IVC are at least half as expensive. produce less waste, and recover more value from it by recycling or composting. It is Crushing waste irrefutable that landfill is no longer a viable or Another alternative is crushing waste. Peter long-term answer; the UK currently produces Woolnough, the owner of Reach It! – Move It! 330 million tonnes of landfill waste each year.

– Crush It! offered helpful advice on how This still provokes the question of how the crushers can help businesses reduce their costs. sudden implementation of these higher tax His machines cost between £165 and £265 a charges is affecting businesses, in particular day which is cheaper than a skip. Yet the real small and medium businesses (SMEs)? Many

2,460%

value of these machines is in the waste material that the crusher creates, that can be used as fill. Additionally the waste can be recycled immediately, saving the contractor time. Steven Walley from London Stone said “We crush all of our waste… We then sell it back to landscape contractors as clean fill… It saves us skip costs, and landscapers are getting fill at a very competitive price.” Peter has seen increases in clients who are looking to reduce their waste costs.

Of course, not everything can be recycled or composted, and for SMEs in particular, space is also a problem as they are unable to store excess materials. John Cooke from Des Jardins Landscapes said that companies should supply compartmentalised skips so that different types of waste could be sorted, and as much as possible of the separated waste recycled.

We would love to hear your thoughts in regard to the issue – please contact me at rose@pro-landscaper. co.uk.

Useful contacts: ● WRAP – www.wrap.org.uk ● Peter Woolnough – www.crusherhire.com ● HMRC has set up a direct dial phone number to deal with any issues regarding the recently published landfill tax Revenue and Customs briefs: 0161 827 0233.

1. Active’ waste is material that contaminates landfill, including materials that produce methane for example.

2. Trommel fines are the small fraction materials left over after recycling

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

‘Active’ waste is material that contaminates landfill, including materials

13

Association News – BALI

The Mornflake Garden at RHS Tatton Park, built

by Designscape and Andrew Loudon.

BALIBRIEFING

O

ur northern members were the focus of BALI’s promotional campaign to reach the wider public recently.

BALI contractors and affiliates (suppliers) joined Landscape House staff on the BALI stand at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park and celebrated with Newcastle under Lyme based BALI contractor Designscape as The Mornflake Garden, built by them for designer Janine Crimmins, won Gold and Best Show Garden.

Other successes at this year’s show included BALI Registered Designer Jacquetta Menzies, whose Time & Tide: Caldwell’s & Canute garden, built by BALI contractor WAP Lawton & Sons Ltd, won Silver; the garden designed and built by students from BALI members Reaseheath College won a very creditable Silver Gilt for their Nature Squared garden and the Young Designer’s Garden – A Prison Garden for Rehabilitation through Wellbeing – built by BALI contractor Butler Landscapes.

BALI’s Lead Regional Development Officer Judith Day was delighted by the public’s interest in BALI and its members: “Our key messages of quality, expertise and peace of mind 14

September 2012

Association blossoms at Tatton Park show

certainly struck a chord with everyone we spoke to, and having the Best Show Garden, built by a BALI contractor, opposite the stand gave us a terrific opportunity to show them what they can expect from a BALI member.”

Fabulous Floriade Further afield, in Belgium and Holland in fact, a group of 28 BALI members, partners and industry guests enjoyed a terrific visit to Floriade, the World Horticultural Exposition, in Venlo. The visit was just one highlight in a four-day trip that took in Leuven (home of Stella Artois lager), Brussels (home of Mannequin Pis) and Bruges (home of Belgian chocolates) – more than enough to cover everyone’s interests.

The Floriade site was, quite simply, breathtaking, with wonderful ‘drift’ planting and plenty of innovative ideas for the designers and contractors who joined us. We were welcomed on arrival by Jan Van Vechel of BALI Affiliate member Van den Berk BV Nurseries, who kindly helped us orientate ourselves on the huge site with a very welcomed coffee and cake; our sincere thanks to Jan for his hospitality. The networking

activity during this four-day visit was considerable and everyone agreed a similar visit next year was a must. Watch this space.

BALI adopts Perennial It is with great pleasure that BALI confirms its adoption of Perennial, the only UK charity dedicated to helping horticulturists, as its chosen charity alongside the BALI Chalk Fund, which supports the training and development of young landscapers.

Following meetings with Jo Ayley, Perennial’s Head of Development, and Kate O’Shea, the charity’s Regional Development Manager, the BALI Board of Directors voted to support Perennial in its efforts to promote its services to the BALI membership. As an occupational charity that helps anyone working, or who has worked, in the horticultural and landscape industries, and their dependents, Perennial offers a range of targeted services, including debt advice, hardship grants, and assistance with obtaining welfare benefits and tax credits.

The BALI Board has also agreed that Perennial and the BALI Chalk Fund will be the joint

beneficiaries of monies raised at this year’s BALI National Landscape Awards (www.bali awards.co.uk) in association with Horticulture Week in December.

BALI pride at the Olympic Park landscape And talking of the forthcoming BALI Awards, the entries are in and the judges will shortly be completing their visits to the many terrific schemes that this year’s Awards have attracted.

Unsurprisingly, the Olympic Park landscape, created largely by BALI members, is among the entries and anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the park during the Olympics will understand why. It has been particularly gratifying to hear anchormen and roving journalists alike remark constantly in their reportage on how amazing the Olympic Park landscape is – our industry, and BALI members, should be as proud as punch.

A quick reminder that the BALI National AGM, followed by the BALI-NCF Open Forum, will take place at IOG SALTEX on Wednesday 5 September. We look forward to seeing you. www.bali.org.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Topgreen2012 210x265_Layout 1 07/08/2012 14:39 Page 1

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June 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 6

Association News – APL

WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER

FROM PROMOTION TO PROFIT

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

Networking seminar to focus on marketing and improving profitability for landscapers and designers

T

he Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) has announced its final networking seminar for 2012 which takes place at Wyevale East Nurseries, Kent at 4pm on Wednesday 17 October. The seminar, sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil, is entitled From Promotion to Profit and will guide landscapers and designers through all stages of a landscaping project, providing an excellent opportunity to get together with others to compare and share ideas and experiences.

Chair of the APL Mark Gregory of Landform Consultants will introduce speakers including Paul Hogden of IT Genetics Ltd, who will discuss the importance of using marketing to increase exposure to potential clients. Paul will demonstrate how he has used different marketing methods including social media to enhance and grow his business. Mandy Buckland, of Greencube Garden and Landscape Design will explain how designers and contractors can build trust and develop clear communication for detailed plans to achieve wonderful gardens.

James Steele Sargent of Arun Landscapes and Rod Winrow of Garden House Design will www.prolandscapermagazine.com

1

together provide a balanced view of how a landscaper can increase a project’s profitability through streamlining and improving core business elements such as sales skills, staff efficiency and quality control.

The APL AGM will take place just before the seminar at 3pm.

Wyevale East is also offering delegates a guided tour of their site during the event. There will be a buffet for all delegates to enjoy after the seminar at 6:30pm.

Places cost £15 + VAT per person for APL members and £30 + VAT per person for nonmembers. For further information and to book your place please visit www.landscaper.org.uk or email events@the-hta.org.uk.

APL members go behind scenes at Hampton Court The RHS hosted an exclusive reception for APL members at Hampton Court Flower Show following the success of the Low Cost, High Impact gardens. Show Director Stephen Bennett congratulated the APL members for their efforts at the show, especially those who won medals for their gardens. He welcomed the collaboration with the HTA

and APL and said the Low Cost, High Impact gardens had proved to be one of the most popular exhibits at the show. APL Chairman, Mark Gregory said the gardens were a great initiative for the consumer as they were believable and achievable, and he hoped the partnership with the RHS would continue next year.

Members were then given a tour with Arun Landscapes, Garden House Design, Twigs Gardens and Landform Consultants each telling 2

3

of Greencube 1 Urban Escapism Garden and garden, Silver Landscape Medal winner Design. at Tatton Park, by Vision 3 Rod Winrow, Landscapes.

Garden House Design.

2 Mandy Buckland

the story and inspiration behind the garden designs. APL Manager Donna Hanlon said: “We hope the members enjoyed the evening at Hampton Court and we hope it inspires other APL members to take part next year.”

At the end of the show Twigs Gardens was announced as the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the best small garden.

Tatton Park Flower Show Congratulations also go to Vision Landscapes which won a Silver medal for the construction of the Urban Escapism garden at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in July.

Designed by Barrie Thompson and taking a full seven days to build at times with appalling weather conditions, the garden aims to show that a small, partly shaded urban plot can have a contemporary style with a lot of interest.

Featuring textural plants that tolerate a partially shaded aspect, including Dicksonia tree ferns to add a sense of drama, the colour scheme features different shades and tones of green, along with subtle hints of pastel colours throughout the garden. www.landscaper.org.uk September 2012

17

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Association News – SGD

A

s any professional garden designer knows, a well-designed garden is a space where two worlds meet: constructed form and organic growth; the worlds of architecture and landscape.The challenge is to create this perfect harmony regardless of scale or setting or architectural components.

This fascinating subject will be debated at the SGD Autumn Conference on Saturday 10 November. Under the title A Perfect Union: the marriage of horticulture and architecture, the conference will explore how buildings, both contemporary and classical, are brought to life, grounded or simply just enriched through the design of their gardens and landscapes.

A panel of British and international speakers has been specially assembled for the conference and tasked with the challenge of uncovering the many components behind the successful consolidation of horticulture and architecture. The panel includes: ● Andrea Cochran FASLA: an American landscape architect who typically describes her work as “sculpting and navigating space through a seamless integration of landscape, art and architecture”.

With all her projects, her aim is to use a controlled palette of materials to create “permeable edges that blur the line between the natural and the built environment”. Andrea has been practicing for more than 30 years and her internationally recognised work spans a wide variety of types and scales, from single-family residences to hotels, wineries, affordable housing, schools and public parks. Visit: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

1

1 and 2 Design

by Andrea Cochran (images courtesy Marion Brenner).

3 Design by Patrick Blanc.

SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER

CONFERENCE

A Perfect Union: The marriage of horticulture and architecture

2

www.acochran.com ● Patrick Blanc is a botanist and is creator of the Mur Végètal – the vertical garden, otherwise known as the green wall. He has created living walls of green all over the world, inspiring a host of followers. In June 2012, he completed the world’s largest green façade – 2,000m2 of planted, living wall at Alpha Park, Les Clayes sous Bois, near Paris. An updated edition of his book, The Vertical Garden; from nature to the cities was published in spring. Visit: www.verticalgardenpatrick blanc. com. ● Kate Baker Dip Arch is an architect and author who specialises in the relationship of architecture with landscape, and our sensory perception of space.

An active researcher, she has published a range of papers on these subject areas. Her latest book, Captured Landscape, looks at the relationship between architecture and gardens. Other current collaborative projects include Sensory experience of space, which will result in an exhibition, article and several conference papers. ● John Brookes MBE, FSGD

has designed and built well over 1,000 gardens during a career spanning 50 years. He creates gardens all over the UK and across the world from his design practice at Denmans, his acclaimed garden in West Sussex. He is best known for his ability to design gardens that relate to their environment and designing spaces that fit into the wider landscape. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, including four RHS Gold medals at Chelsea. Visit: www. johnbrookes.com. ● The day will be chaired by landscape architect Brita von Schoenaich Dip Hort Kew, MLI. Her studio has worked with

3

many leading architects on new developments, residential and urban schemes. She introduced the concept of continental, contemporary planting via international conferences and lectures and her own work, contributing to a change in British attitudes towards planting design and developed strategies for urban vegetation. Her approach to design is intuitive, responding to architecture as well as surroundings.

Visit: www.schoenaich.co.uk.

Amanda Patton MSGD, Chair of the SGD Conference Committee, said: “We are excited to have secured such a strong line-up of international speakers for the autumn conference. SGD conferences are the perfect vehicle to challenge conceptions, provide fresh inspiration and broaden our vision, in an informal and collaborative setting. Our Spring Conference sold out in record time and we predict tickets for the Autumn Conference will be just as popular”.

To find out more about the SGD Autumn Conference and to book tickets, please visit www.sgd. org.uk. Early Bird discounts apply to all bookings made before Friday 21 September.

September 2012

19

Business Tips

a

ct

or/ ost

The costs of submitting a tender or quotation … and making a profit When that package drops through the letterbox or the phone rings with an enquiry for you to price a project do you think about the money you will make should you win it. Perhaps you need to think about the time, effort and cost that will be involved in submitting your price and how much that

1 Reviewing and familiarising yourself with the project Depending on who the eventual employer (the party employing you to undertake a landscape construction project) is, the initial enquiry will be anything from a telephone call to a thick wad of drawings and paperwork.

It is common practice these days for the the enquiry to arrive in electronic format. It is incumbent upon you the tenderer to understand this document clearly and I therefore recommend that the drawings and paperwork are printed out for

will affect the eventual profitability of the job.

We examine here what it costs to receive and process an enquiry for new work. Once the enquiry is received you’ll hopefully be able to review it quickly and decide if it’s one you that you are interested in quoting on.

clarity as information can be missed when reviewing on screen.

The duplication costs can have some effect on tender cost.

Familiarisation Conduct an initial review of the requirement of the tender by looking at the scope of works, the drawings, the specification and the submission documents and submission format.

If appropriate, also read through specific requirements of the method’s timings so that pricing the work can commence.

Table 1: Initial costs Estimated Project (£) 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 100,000.00 200,000.00 350,000.00 500,000.00

No. of drawings 2 4 5 8 10 15 22

Printing (£) 12.00 19.00 22.50 33.00 40.00 57.50 82.00

Familiarisation (Hrs) 0.5 0.75 0.75 1 2 3 4

(£) 14.00 21.00 21.00 28.00 56.00 84.00 112.00

● The analysis performed within this article are only examples, therefore readers are responsible for accuracy of final calculations.

20

September 2012

Assumptions for this cost investigation The project is received from the prospective employer with the following information. ● Existing survey or site conditions ● Design ● Specification (this may be contained within the design)

● The project is a detailed landscape construction project with both hard and soft aspects.

The estimator is the business owner or an employed estimator/ contracts manager, which will cost the organisation the sum of £28.00 per hour.

Table 2: Measurements and scheduling Estimated

No. of drawings

Project (£) 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 100,000.00 200,000.00 350,000.00 500,000.00

2 4 5 8 10 15 22

2 Preparing to price Measurement This initial familiarisation is just a quick scan through to arrive at an eventual pricing strategy. I use various methods to measure but I prefer CAD measurements or pdf measuring systems. If the project is CAD based you can get free measuring tools from AutoCAD or Vectorworks.

The next stage is to prepare the actual work of pricing the tender. Depending on whether the tender is priced on a schedule provided by the designer or whether I extract my own schedule of quantities is a major time and cost factor.

The surface measurements

Measurement (Hrs) 1 1.5 2 3 4 5 6

(£) 28.00 42.00 56.00 84.00 112.00 140.00 168.00

Scheduling (Hrs) 2 4 6 7 10 11 12

£ 56.00 112.00 168.00 196.00 280.00 308.00 336.00

extracted often have to be broken down in to further quantities and volumes. Some schedules are only outline measurements, therefore you need to check whether the tender is a lump sum or remeasureable contract.

Scheduling Extracting the list of tasks that have to be performed to carry out the work is essential. The more detailed your schedule, the more accurate your costs and therefore the more certain your profitability.

Scheduling the tasks in a logical order with appropriate quantities is the backbone of the successful tender. After this you should have a very good idea of what the eventual job entails. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Business Tips

3 Site visit I prefer to conduct the site visit after I’ve done the measurements and schedule, as I then know what to look for when I go to the site. There are instances where a site visit is not feasible or useful; like existing sites where the new buildings are still in demolition or early construction phase. In some cases it is possible to price from survey and design alone.

The site visit cost shown here

4 Pricing the project Estimating This is often the easiest part. It takes a lot of time but once you have all your groundwork above and below in place it is pretty simple to bring the job together under this heading. You know your job and how long things take to do. If you have an estimating system such as LiberRATE (see below for free trial info) this tedious task will be

5 Submission It always takes time to fill in your schedule and the tender forms.

Many tenders require supporting documentation: method statements, programmes and materials lists. Putting the support documentation together can take longer than the estimating

is assumed to be local with a half hour each way of travelling time.

Estimated Supplier enquiries This is arguably one of the slowest parts of the job. The number of suppliers depends on the complexity of the work and badgering them for answers is often very time consuming. You may also have to explain to suppliers or sub-contractors the extent and intent of the designer.

quicker and less prone to errors or omissions. Excel of course is also an indispensible tool for this process.

Checking Check your quotation as there are likely to be mistakes. Ask a colleague to go through your calculations, and correct errors or make adjustments to ensure your bid is compliant, secure in its pricing, and ultimately both competitive and profitable.

process. The tender cover letter is a legal document which will support your exclusions and clarify your understanding of the tender requirement.

This cost investigation does not take into consideration the costs of producing supporting documentation other than the

Table 5: Submission Estimated Project (£) 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 100,000.00 200,000.00 350,000.00 500,000.00 www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Table 3: Site visit and enquiries Site visit incl. travel time

Project (£)

(Hrs)

(£)

(Hrs)

(£)

10,000.00

2

56.00

1

28.00

25,000.00

2

56.00

1.5

42.00

50,000.00

2

56.00

2

56.00

2.5

70.00

4

112.00

100,000.00 200,000.00

3

84.00

8

224.00

350,000.00

3

84.00

10

280.00

500,000.00

3

84.00

12

336.00

Table 4: Estimating and checking Estimated Project (£) 10,000.00

Estimating

Estimated Project (£) 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 100,000.00 200,000.00 350,000.00 500,000.00

Checking

(Hrs)

(£)

(Hrs)

(£)

2

56.00

0.5

14.00

25,000.00

3

84.00

0.5

14.00

50,000.00

4

112.00

1

28.00

100,000.00

8

224.00

2

56.00

200,000.00

14

392.00

3

84.00

350,000.00

16

448.00

4

112.00

500,000.00

20

560.00

5

140.00

cover letter. Finally, if you have left it to the last minute there may be a final cost for a courier. (£45.00) Table 6 gives a sample of the total submission cost of the tendering samples in Table 5, as well as the percentage of the overall job value. These figures include courier costs.

Table 6: Estimating costs Submission (Hrs) (£) 0.5 14.00 0.5 14.00 1 28.00 2 56.00 3 84.00 4 112.00 5 140.00

Supplier enquiries

Total estimating costs (£) (%) 323.00 3.23 449.00 1.80 592.50 1.19 904.00 0.90 1401.00 0.70 1670.50 0.48 2003.00 0.40

ABOUT sam hassall Sam Hassall is the UK’s only dedicated specialist landscape cost consultant. As managing director of LandPro Ltd he provides cost and implementation information to Landscape design professionals and Landscape contractors. As part of his portfolio Sam also compiles the Spon’s External works and Landscape price book and developed the market leading LiberRATE Estimating system which is available as a 90-day trial. For further info visit www.landpro.co.uk, or call: 01252 795030.

September 2012

21

Husqvarna Commercial Landscaping & Groundcare Tour 2012 During October we will be touring the country offering you the opportunity to try our products first hand. Product specialists will be available to present and provide instruction on the full range of Husqvarna commercial products including chainsaws, brushcutters, blowers, hedge trimmers, pedestrian mowers, ride-on and specialist turf care equipment allowing you to test them in a hands on environment. Join us anytime between 10am until 3pm at one of our selected venues for a warm welcome and an informal & relaxed experience.

To find out more, and register your attendance please visit the Husqvarna web site below or scan the QR code. Registration is required for health & safety compliance and to ensure suitable hospitality and refreshments. We look forward to meeting you on tour. www.husqvarna.com/uk/landscape-and-groundcare

OCTOBER

9th - 18th

Business Tips

There are nine basic steps to follow if you want to become an expert negotiator in business, explains Phil Jones Business is simple but not easy. The difference between average and great is typically the last 10% of the process, which is quite often the time when most people give up. The ability to negotiate effectively when you do not get your own way significantly contributes to your success, which is infinitely more rewarding.

There are 9 simple steps to help you become a master negotiator and ensure that people come round to your way of thinking more often.

1 Arguments end with losers. Nobody wants to be a loser and the problem with arguing in a sales environment is that if you are the winner then your prospect is the loser. Avoid arguments at all costs.

2 Show respect for the other person’s opinions. You don’t have to agree with them but they are entitled to their opinion.

Look to understand their reasons for their point of view.

3 Admit when you are wrong. Admitting that you don’t know or that you are wrong only adds weight to anything that you do know.

4 Encourage the easy ‘Yes’. To bring prospects around to your point of view ask multiple

HOW TO GET YOUR OWN WAY

7 See things from the other person’s perspective. This may seem difficult, however, it is vital to show empathy when negotiating. Put yourself in their shoes; it will help you to understand why the other party thinks what they think and will add

Respect the other person’s opinions. You don’t have to agree with them but they’re entitled to their opinion. Look to understand their reasons for their point of view simple questions that lead to “Yes” answers.

By doing so, your prospect will find it easier to continue saying yes.

5 Talk Less. The biggest reason for a misunderstanding or failure to communicate effectively is not listening. Rearrange the letters of the word listen… it spells silent.

6 Let the other person believe that it is their idea. Introduce your ideas as questions and not statements. That way your prospect is more likely to accept and adopt your point of view. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

substance to your side of the negotiation.

8 Dramatise your ideas. Whether selling a product, service or an idea, enthusiasm always helps to convince your audience. By simply becoming more charismatic when presenting your viewpoint, your audience will find it far easier to agree with you and your line of thinking.

9 Throw down a challenge. Always finish your negotiations with a challenge or ultimatum, for example “So, if I get this done today, then can we confirm the order now?”

Expert negotiation will come with practise.

In practising you must not give up and you have to believe in yourself.

Typically it is a mix of skill and confidence that wins a negotiation and coaching can help with both.

ABOUT PHIL JONES Phil Jones has been in business since he was just 14 years old and has been practising and fine-tuning his sales process since. Published author of Toolbox and an award-winning business educator, Phil’s priceless knowledge bank and enviable expertise make him invaluable source to have the privilege to tap into. With a track record of developing opportunities for organisations at all levels, Phil’s strategic intellect has been instrumental in turning around underperforming businesses. Email enquiries@ philmjones.com, or telephone 01527 531 393. www.philmjones.com

September 2012

23

Business Tips

Lowering the cost of compliance – Part 2 of 2 There are a range of free resources that can assist you in implementing management systems and making legal compliance affordable. Jodie Read reports

by the book

While few could argue that structured management systems bring genuine business improvement, increased business opportunities and cost savings once they are operational, business owners are often worried about the costs associated with implementing such systems. In the previous issue, we explored some means of reducing the costs associated with consultancy support, without doing away with professional expertise altogether. In this issue we provide details of some free seminars, forms and websites that can assist with the implementation of management systems.

Free Seminars Not sure if a management system is right for you? Not sure of the key steps involved? Find out more via a free seminar at www.penarth. co.uk/#FreeSeminars.

Useful forms You probably already have forms within your business that help to control some aspects of work, such as purchasing, works orders etc. If you are trying to devise a management system that meets the requirements of standards such 24

September 2012

as ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001, but don’t know where to begin with some of the peripheral management type forms, you can download some templates free of charge as a starting point to be personalised for your own business – visit www.penarth.co.uk/ about/resources.

Useful websites There are some websites that provide excellent free information that are invaluable when managing quality, environmental, health and safety systems.

● The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) has a Book of Knowledge on its website, which can be a useful resource for people new to ISO9001 and Quality – http://thecqi.org/ Knowledge-Hub/Knowledge-portal/ ● For ISO14001 environmental systems the Environment Agency’s website www. environment-agency.gov.uk/ is extremely useful. Here you can check details of waste carriers, find Pollution Prevention Guidance (PPG), check your flood risk and a whole lot more besides. ● For OHSAS18001 or other Health and Safety Systems, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website provides information, including free copies of Approved Codes of Practice and templates for key documents such as health and safety policies or risk assessments.

See www.hse.gov.uk/. ● Legislation is not optional, and must be adhered to, regardless of whether a company has chosen to implement a Standard or not.

While the HSE and Environment Agency websites provide useful interpretations and guidance, it is sometimes necessary to refer back to the source legislation which can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk.

Keep it Simple For many companies, evaluating compliance with legislation via a comprehensive internal audit is an effective means of demonstrating how well they comply with legal requirements.

Simpler alternatives could be a compliance calendar which could be produced via a simple spreadsheet or an electronic calendar, such as Microsoft Outlook, which many businesses already have available.

ABOUT JODIE READ

Jodie Read is the Managing Director of Penarth Management Limited; a company which specialises in the provision of compliance consultancy and training for quality, environmental, and health and safety management.

Jodie and her colleagues assist companies in implementing and maintaining management systems, such as ISO9001 (Quality), ISO14001

(Environmental) or OHSAS18001 (Health and Safety). Penarth is an affiliate member of BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) and Jodie is one of only a few approved ROLO health and safety trainers in the country.

If readers have any queries regarding health and safety in landscaping, they are welcome to contact Jodie via e-mail: jodie@penarth.co.uk or by telephone on 029 2070 3328.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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EcoRoc green roof substrates

Intensive System Substrates (ISS):

An ultra lightweight blend of highly absorbent aggregates with composted bio-waste to be used as a substrate within recreational garden-scapes.

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A blend of reclaimed aggregates with composted biowaste designed to promote regeneration of the biodiversity of wildlife sites which have been lost to construction.

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A blend of lightweight, water absorbent aggregates with composted bio-waste to be used as a substrate in un-maintained rooftop environments.

Long Rake Spar produce three categories of Green Roof substrates, each containing a blend to specific proportions of recycled and lightweight aggregates with composted bio-waste products. The three products have been designed to suit most landscaping and ecological specifications.

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September 2012

25

pro landscaper - september_Layout 1 31/07/2012 11:54 Page 1

The finest fencing for the spaces you create When you’re creating a special environment, the practical and durable should still be beautiful. We’ve been crafting the highest quality fencing and gates for three generations - unique designs to match your vision, built by specialists and backed by outstanding experience and expertise.

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26

September 2012

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Business Tips

FINE PERFORMANCE

Formal appraisals can have a significant impact both for individuals and your organisation. Yvette Etcell reports Regular performance appraisals are essential for the effective management, evaluation and development of your team. Appraisals help develop individuals, improve organisational performance, and feed into business planning.

Performance appraisals (commonly undertaken annually) are used to review each individual’s performance against objectives and standards agreed at the previous review meeting. Appraisals provide a formal written record of an individual’s performance and a plan for ongoing development.

Top tip: It goes without saying that annual appraisals should not be seen as a replacement for meaningful regular discussions with employees – such regular interactions make the formal review process a much more worthwhile and natural experience, since trust and rapport are already well-established.

When properly conducted, formal appraisals can have a significant impact on staff motivation, will help to align individual and organisational objectives, and to cement positive relationships between employees and their managers; they are also essential for career and succession planning – both for the individuals and an organisation as a whole.

At an organisational level, performance review will enable the management/monitoring of standards and provide an analysis of company-wide training needs to inform future planning; while for the individual participants, such appraisals help to identify personal training needs, to facilitate agreement of expectations/ objectives, and to agree appropriate delegation of responsibilities/tasks.

When conducted properly, there are a significant number of outcomes and benefits www.prolandscapermagazine.com

which flow from the appraisal process, including: ● Objective performance measurement – transparent, short/medium/long term. ● Identification/clarification/alignment of priorities and objectives. ● Motivation through agreeing helpful aims and targets. ● Motivation though achievement and feedback. ● Assessment of individual training needs and understanding of aspirations. ● Identification of personal strengths – including unused “hidden” talents. ● Employee growth and development – agreeing developmental objectives. ● Career and succession planning – both individual and organisational. ● Organisational training needs assessment and analysis. ● Reinforcement of organisational philosophies, values and objectives. ● Manager development – since all good managers should be able to conduct appraisals well as a fundamental part of their role.

All effective appraisal meetings depend on two-way communication and mutual agreement as to objectives and training/learning

requirements. Equally, and as a result, the meetings should be a positive experience for both appraisor and appraisee.

If an existing appraisal process is not producing positive outcomes, then it may be helpful to assess whether people understand the purpose/benefit of the procedure and are informed as to how to participate in and conduct appraisals properly. Perhaps the most frequent critics of the appraisal process are those people who are unable to conduct/ participate effectively (it is perhaps a natural human response to want to dispense with something that one finds difficult).

Managers need guidance, training and encouragement in order to conduct effective appraisals (particularly the detractors). A ‘no good – not doing it’ attitude in middle management may be traceable to a senior manager who has vocalised a similar attitude – clearly this needs to be addressed from the ‘top down’ if the process is not to prove counter-productive.

For an effective review meeting, employees also need to be fully engaged; they should be given the meeting structure/record form in advance and be required to make their own notes in preparation for their appraisal.

At Gavin Jones we place equal responsibility on employees to ensure these meetings are effective by suggesting/setting their own objectives, and by taking responsibility for ensuring their training happens – reminding their managers if necessary.

Our experience has been that well-prepared and well-conducted performance appraisals provide unique opportunities to help both participants to improve and develop and, as a result, have a positive impact on the organisation as a whole.

ABOUT YVETTE ETCELL Yvette Etcell is Director of Business Development and HR at Gavin Jones Ltd. With an early career in sales, advertising, marketing and assisting with personal injury litigation she then took a career break to spend time with her family.

Yvette spent five years with English

Landscapes as an Operational Contracts Manager (Coventry City GM/Cleansing contract), then as Area Manager with a portfolio of circa £5m/pa contracts. Yvette joined Gavin Jones Ltd in 2003 as Business Development Manager, was promoted to Company Secretary in 2008 and to the board 12 months later.

Contact: yvette.etcell@gavinjones.co.uk

September 2012

27

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Business Tips

howgreen?

James Hitchmough, Professor of Horticultural Ecology at University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape

We need innovative thinking around planting if it is to stand firm alongside the onward march of hard landscape design, says Andrew Wilson While the Olympics recede as the focus of our lives, perhaps the legacy of the Olympic Park will not fade so swiftly. It has bucked the trend for our public spaces, so often languishing in almost exclusively hard landscape, to be green in bold and diverse ways. I have nothing against hard landscape but we do seem to be losing our way in planting design and I don’t just mean in the public spaces we produce.

Landscape architectural programmes are failing to deliver effective planting design teaching.

In the past, these courses maintained a strong connection with design-capable horticulturists and planting designers, the majority of whom have now retired or died. The new or current generation of tutors who might follow in their footsteps are thinly scattered across the UK and the result is a profession sadly lacking in the ability to recognise plants let alone know what to do with them. Sheffield’s Department of Landscape has certainly stepped into the breach, harbouring the talents of James Hitchmough and

who fail to make the link with design. A horticultural view of planting is rarely the same as that of a designer and we need inventive, progressive and innovative thinking in this respect if planting design is to stand firm alongside the onward march of hard landscape design.

I can almost hear the howls of indignation from those who ask: “What about the funding of not just the initial planting but the aftercare and ongoing maintenance? What about the skills of those available and able to maintain different forms of planting?” I’d be foolish to ignore these serious issues, but at some point someone has to

Programme leaders all too often respond to the planting design gap by bringing in horticulturists who know their plants well but who fail to make the link with design Nigel Dunnett, who have researched in depth and applied their findings to breathtaking effect.

Kathryn Moore at BCU (Birmingham City University) has demanded a rigour in planting design at postgraduate level equal to that of spatial and hard landscape design – a programme that I have been thrilled to be a part of, handing over in recent years to Chris Beardshaw who maintains this essential connection between plantsmanship and design.

Programme leaders all too often respond to the planting design gap by bringing in horticulturists who know their plants well but www.prolandscapermagazine.com

inject a new sense of direction into the sterile emptiness of our urban spaces and perhaps that point should come now as the government enjoys the Olympic plaudits. If we can achieve inspiring landscapes, develop strong planting concepts and create a sense of civic pride not simply based on carpet bedding, then we can target training and improve our wider skill set.

Within the industry we know and understand the benefits of green space not just in terms of public enjoyment but in creating a more diverse landscape, in dealing with pollution and in managing water run-off. However, we have a

disengaged public and a government that knows we can rely on the joys of our own private gardens or those of organisations such as the National Trust to deliver our green fix.

While this view persists, our public spaces will continue to move towards harder, more architectural solutions – exciting in many ways but not living. The legacy of the Olympic Park that Jason Prior of AECOM so eloquently championed in the original bid, and still champions today, cannot be confined to one location. It should be allowed and encouraged to expand across the country to deliver – perhaps – a wider legacy that might just change the direction of public space design for the next century at least.

If director Danny Boyle was correct in placing our green and pleasant landscape at the heart of his “Isles of Wonder” spectacular, then let us now focus on its delivery.

ABOUT andrew wilson Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden designer as well as a Director of the Wilson McWilliam Studio. He is also a Director of the London College of Garden Design, an author and an RHS judge of Show Gardens. www.wmstudio.co.uk

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Business Tips Could this be the future?

into the workings of the EU and the difficulties associated with introducing regulations across Europe which are both workable and acceptable by all members. Roger also gave an overview of some of the legislation changes which will affect us in the coming months.

strength in numbers

Be proactive in improving our industry, says Angus Lindsay Early in July I attended two events aimed at grounds maintenance and landscaping contractors. Both events centred on where we as an industry find ourselves, where are we heading and the issues we face. Both events had been planned for this time of year when normally people would have a bit of time on their hands and not, as was the case, be up to their knees in grass, mud, water and irate clients (oh the idiosyncrasies of the British weather).

Both events were run as open-floor formats where all had a chance to share their views and experiences. The Ransomes Jacobsen event in Cheshire focused very much on emerging technology and discussions were aimed at establishing what we as customers need from them as manufacturers, primarily based around the results of a questionnaire sent out prior to the event. This debate looked at the cost of machine ownership, the cost of doing the job, client expectations, how technology could assist and whether there is a realistic future for robotic mowers in our industry?

As was expected this was supplemented with new product reviews and a “take and break”, sorry, “ride and drive” programme – the moist conditions proving a formidable challenge for the 30

September 2012

new Ransomes Meteor triple and HR300 flail which they handled admirably.

The second event in Warwickshire and organised by the IPU Group is the third such gathering and the first to feature a guest speaker in the form of Roger Lane-Nott, director general of the Agricultural Engineers Association. Taking a slightly different format – but with the obligatory product presentation – this time the sun shone and discussions covered several subjects, including: legislation, contract tendering, health and safety, fuel use, skills shortages, client relationships and the role of education in raising the profile of our industry.

Roger Lane-Nott gave an interesting insight

Sharing experiences Unfortunately attendance to both events was somewhat reduced – due possibly to workloads as a result of the current climatic conditions – but those who did participate benefited from several in-depth discussions and were able to resolve some issues by sharing experiences.

What was refreshing was that while we are all competitors doing the same job and facing the same problems, we are not afraid to discuss these in an open format which benefits not just each other but the whole industry. Competition is always healthy, but even better on a level playing field. While these events are a great opportunity to meet similar-minded people, BALI already have a National Contractors Forum in place which works hard to address member issues and act as a voice for our industry, this needs all our support. It is hoped that going forward the AEA and BALI will be able to work more closely together and possibly address at a European level some of the issues we face in the same way that agriculture is supported – but in the meantime we need to do more ourselves.

While this last paragraph may sound like a recruiting campaign for BALI, I am of the opinion that if we have an industry body then we should use it as a collective voice to improve things. If it doesn’t do what you want, then take a more proactive role and make yourself heard. Don’t sit on the fence mumbling, in the hope that someone else will do it for you.

ABOUT ANGUS LINDSAY As an agriculturist, Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. During this time he

also spent a year at Silsoe, gaining an MSc in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation Management. Returning to the UK he joined Glendale as machinery manager in l994 – going on to become Company Engineer – before joining The Landscape Group in 2009 as Group Head of Assets and fleet. Contact: alindsay@ thelandscapegroup.co.uk.

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Let’s Hear it From...

Cleve West The two times winner of the Best in Show award at Chelsea tells Pro Landscaper about his path to success Riding high on the second successive year of being crowned Best in Show and gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show, Cleve West is very happy. Pro Landscaper caught up with him just weeks after the show to find out more about this very humble man and what impact the achievement has had on his life and business.

Cleve, firstly, how did you get into the industry?

I did a sport and art degree at university and went into sports management for a bit and, later, fine art publication. But I got interested in gardening through my great-aunt, eventually starting a regular maintenance round cutting lawns and hedges. When she died she left me enough money to enrol on a short course with John Brookes at Kew that was very good and which cemented my desire to become a garden designer.

So the course at Kew – was it about design, plant choice and so on?

It was mostly about design but because it was www.prolandscapermagazine.com

set at Kew, you could immerse yourself in all that. I would have given anything to do one of their longer courses.

You also have experience of building gardens.

I had a friend who was a landscaper who taught me to build walls and lay paving. So after I did John’s course, I designed and built gardens for about 10 years before giving the construction side up to become a full time garden designer.

What made you decide to give the construction side up?

I was getting more and more design work and I couldn’t keep up! Sadly, the only opportunity to get my hands dirty these days is at Chelsea – I only have to see a shovel and I’m ready!

Does that frustrate the contractors you work with?

No I think it’s the opposite. Chelsea is all about teamwork. Garden designers get a disproportionate share of the accolades at

shows. There are so many people involved in making a show garden, the least you can do when you are there is roll your sleeves up and make yourself useful. It also allows you the luxury of fine-tuning things as they happen. It’s the same with building a garden, the more site visits you do, the more control you have.

Do you think it’s beneficial for business to design and build show gardens?

Doing show gardens since 1994 has done something towards building up the profile but in terms of getting real work it’s been slow.

Sometimes you despair when you win a gold medal at Chelsea and the phone doesn’t ring at all. You think “what have I got to do?”. I now have more enquiries than ever so it’s simple – all you’ve got to do, win best in show two years in a row! If someone had told me that 20 years ago I would have stuck to mowing lawns.

Is that UK work or international?

It is mostly from the UK but I’ve had a couple of enquiries from abroad.

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Let’s Hear it From...

Did you feel confident when you built this years’ Chelsea show garden that you delivered what you expected to deliver?

Yes, aside from our beech hedge taking an age to come into leaf, I felt reasonably confident we’d get a good medal. It was a little bit of a departure from the norm because I had never designed a proper formal garden before. I was very curious to see what we could do. Maybe the reason why the phone is now ringing is because people felt comfortable with the garden’s traditional overtones providing a sort of comfort zone in which a subtle touch of modernity (the wall-feature) becomes more palatable.

What was the thinking of everything in the garden being off centre?

Symmetry isn’t really my bag, but I understand where it can be used to good effect. There are times when it is needed but what is quite interesting is the dynamic when something is just slightly off and it keeps you on your toes a bit.

It’s like looking at a gate. If you stick a box ball on both sides, it works, but if you put a box ball on one side and a big clump of fennel on the other side, it’s far more interesting to me.

How much freedom do sponsors allow you to have?

Brewin Dolphin was fantastic. We actually had two designs – a contemporary and a traditional one. They liked both designs but the more traditional one felt more appropriate so we opted for that. They were very keen to let me have a free rein.

How much time does Chelsea eat into your life?

It takes too long really. The classic saying is it takes nine months to make a Chelsea garden so it is almost like having a baby! People are already putting applications in to the RHS for next year.

1 Brewin Dolphin Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2012.

2 Telegraph Garden, 2011.

3 Metal spheres in Normandy.

4 Planting at the Telegraph Garden.

5 Limestone bench 34

September 2012

What happens to your normal work at that time? Is it all secondary?

It depends on how organised you are. If you have a room full of people it’s not too problematic but when you are on your own it can be. It does dominate my life but so far all my clients have been very understanding. The minute Chelsea finishes, you have all the catching up to do which is a real headache.

Weren’t you tempted to go for next year to get your third Best in Show in a row?

No! I didn’t feel any pressure this year to get two in a row – you’d be a fool to go to Chelsea expecting to win Best in Show – but there would be pressure if I did it next year to get a hat-trick. Doing it three years in a row would affect both my regular work and my home life so I’m going to have a year off.

Which other Chelsea gardens did you admire this year?

I really liked Sarah Price’s garden and also the Korean garden was just a fantastic piece of work – thoughtful, sensitive and emotional. I wanted Joe Swift’s garden to do well. When I saw the huge wooden structures going in I was a bit unsure of them! When I saw them being installed I worried that they might be too dominant but when the water and plants went in it came together beautifully. A confident use of grand scale in a small space.

Did you also attend Hampton Court this year?

Yes I went on the Sunday and had a look round.

What did you think?

It was good. The conceptual gardens always have more idea about design than the actual main gardens. I wish there was a way of getting rid of

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in Brewin Dolphin Garden, Chelsea Flower Show 2012.

6 Steel pyramids in Normandy.

7 Gates in Brewin Dolphin Garden, Chelsea Flower Show 2012.

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How do you go about choosing the contractors you work with?

Mostly I choose people I have worked with since I gave up the building work myself. I have four or five separate contractors that I can contact at any given point. With the contractors I use, I can rest assured that they will do a good job.

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Do you select them or let the clients select them?

The worst thing is the amount of work that the contractors put in when you suggest three to the client that you know personally. They all put in work on the estimate and two of them don’t get the job. I’m very straight with clients but only a few private clients have trusted me enough to choose my preferred contractor without it having to go to tender. People are naturally wary; I don’t blame them for that, but it’s nice to be able to choose the contractor you’d like to work with.

Do you charge separately for your design?

Yes.

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all the categories and instilling that mind-set into the main gardens like it was in the 1990s. It’s a lovely show for new designers to show off.

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Can you remember the first time when you thought you were getting close to making it as a garden designer?

I used to work with timber sculptor Johnny Woodford and that was a very interesting time with the way garden design was going because people were trying something other than the traditional gardens. It was a great time because people like Bonita Bulaitis, Andy Sturgeon, Jill Billington and Paul Cooper were all attempting to stir things up, it was like the punk revolution of gardening! That was very exciting and almost anything went. I’ve since calmed down a bit and gone for a much more simple approach. It was necessary to go through that phase though, in order to see what’s possible. I’ve enjoyed collaborating with other artists as I’m a bit of a frustrated artist myself – I made the bench at the back of this year’s Chelsea garden. In some ways I feel as though I’m just getting going.

And where do plants sit in that?

Most of the time we order the plants and they are sold to the client at cost. If there’s work involved in sourcing or collecting them then, naturally, this is time we charge for. Sometimes the client goes direct to the nursery and sometimes they go through the contractor who might put a mark up on them and that’s fine. It can all get very tricky so I just like to charge for my time and let the contractors do what they want. There is a separate contract and so there are no grey areas and it is all completely transparent.

How do you feel regarding the issue surrounding designers charging a commission to the contractor, in order to supplement their own fees?

Putting a mark-up on plants and other items might be justified but taking a commission from the contractor on top of your design fee seems wrong to me. I know it goes on but it’s something I’ve never done and never will. I prefer to simply charge for my time involved in monitoring a project. If the client knows about it then that may be a different matter but in most cases they don’t and, aside from the September 2012

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Marcus Harpur

Let’s Hear it From...

Let’s Hear it From...

Bupa Garden, 2008

underhandedness, it puts the designer in a difficult position should there be a dispute between the client and the contractor.

Once you have chosen a contractor and they are working on the job, do you do site visits?

Yes. I tell the client right at the outset that they deal with the contractor direct, but if they want me to come and monitor the build then I’ll charge an hourly or daily rate. You usually end up giving them a price per visit.

What about maintenance for the year after?

I don’t have an in-house team, I’m very small fry compared to others but I have gardeners who I can recommend to clients and if I don’t know anyone around the area I’m working in, I’ll find someone.

When you are designing, how much emphasis is on planting?

I think it’s in equal measures although the hard landscaping and making the spaces work together is always uppermost in my mind at the beginning. The planting comes later although in the Chelsea garden this year the one thing I wanted to use was the topiary.

How do you create your designs?

I do rough drawings on tracing paper or sketch books and as an idea emerges, I put it on to [3D 36

September 2012

modelling software] SketchUp. What is great about SketchUp is you have about six or seven different approaches and eventually something hits the spot and you can take it forward.

I did it through garden maintenance. There is an abundance of garden maintenance work so if you want to get into gardening, there is money to be made from doing that.

What’s the relationship between you, Joe Swift and James Alexander-Sinclair?

Three Men Went to Mow? That all started as a bit of fun when we went on a jolly together at Rousham and I had the camera with me, so we did some larking about. Television isn’t my thing but James and Joe are complete media freaks

Do you get involved in lecturing or teaching?

I do a little bit for KLC which is local to me and occasionally at the English Gardening School.

Would you take on an apprentice or mentor somebody?

There would be pressure if I did the next Chelsea to get a hat-trick. Doing it three years in a row would affect both my regular work and my home life so I’m having a year off so if I can join in with those two I’m more relaxed. I was the fall guy really. We have had some interest from TV companies but none of us are holding our breaths. I suppose it’s a bit like the gardening Goodies! It’s all ad-libbed and nothing is ever rehearsed. (See YouTube for some hilarious clips.)

No, I don’t think I’m a great teacher. There are people who I work with if I need to outsource stuff when I get snowed under so I think I’ll keep it that way. I might take an intern on at some point. It’s not that I don’t like teaching, I’m just not confident that I’m any good at it and I like being good at what I do.

Your other passion is your allotment isn’t it?

Yes, but this year it has felt like a weight around my shoulders and I really have felt like giving it up. Recently Ann-Marie Powell came down there with her children and we all had a great time which made me realise how lucky we are to have the allotment. Chelsea gets in the way though because from mid-April to midJune you just aren’t around to give it the attention it needs – another reason to not do Chelsea next year.

How do you relax outside of work?

I don’t do much sport, but I am doing a 300km sponsored cycle up Mont Ventoux in Provence in October. My step-sister has a blood disorder and her husband has encouraged me to take up the challenge in aid of the Aplastic Anaemia Trust. The ideal Saturday for me would consist of mooching around Cork Street in London looking at galleries and then watching a good film.

What about tips for aspiring garden designers?

The best way for me to learn garden design was to actually build gardens. It gives a real understanding of materials and plants. If you can get involved hands-on – even if you don’t want to do it on your own – try to join a local landscaping team. If you are really serious about it, courses are a great idea and there are some very good ones available.

How did you find your work to start with?

Our huge thanks to Cleve for giving us an insight into the life of a designer at the pinnacle of his career, a pure gentleman who is no doubt an inspiration to many budding designers.

To sponsor Cleve on his cycle ride contact: www.justgiving.com/Cleve-West

contact Cleve West Landscape Design Navigator House, 60 High Street, Hampton Wick, Surrey KT1 4DB Tel: 0208 977 3522 Email: info@clevewest.com Web: www.clevewest.com

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Portfolio

easy does it Butler Landscapes A space in which to entertain requiring minimal maintenance was key to the client’s brief

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September 2012

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Portfolio

Project duration 3 months

For ease of maintenance, artificial turf was installed, and bamboo planted on the rear boundary to soften the view of the neighbouring houses

Size 468m2 (approx) Cost £30,000 (approx)

ABOUT BUTLER LANDSCAPES Butler Landscapes is a multiple Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal winning company, which prides itself on its ability to design and construct stunning soft and hard landscape projects in the private or commercial sectors.

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September 2012

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he clients were a professional couple looking for usable space with ease of maintenance. Entertaining was the main purpose of the rear garden – foldaway doors off the rear of the kitchen required a large patio area, which includes a barbecue space, at the same floor level as kitchen to spill out on to.

MAINTENANCE The garden is low maintenance and includes focal point areas, such as a water feature which provides movement and interest. The front garden is mostly driveway so the brief was to soften the area to suit the house and make it

more garden-like. The couple’s taste throughout the property had a contemporary feel so the garden was designed with this in mind.

SITE ACCESS Access to the rear garden was through the house, which was a newly renovated property.

Large amounts of products were transported to and fro as the rear patio needed building up from ground level.

For ease of maintenance, artificial turf from Hitec turf Chester was installed. Twoto-three metre high bamboo was planted on the rear boundary to soften the view of the neighbouring houses. www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio

More images at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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REFERENCES REGISTERED COMPANY

1 View of rear garden from patio.

2 and 3 Close-up and side view of sandstone water feature set in raised planter.

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5 Front garden with artiďŹ cial lawn edged with box hedging.

6 Side walkway looking from pergola seating area to courtyard, raised beds softening boundary fence line.

Contractor/designer Butler Landscapes Butler Landscapes Ltd, Chestnut House, Gilberts Lane, Whixall, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 2PR Tel: 01948 880000 Email: info@butlerlandscapes.co.uk Web: www.butlerlandscapes.co.uk General building materials Huws Gray Huws Gray Ltd, 292 Monkmoor Road, Shrewsbury SY2 5TF Tel: 01743 235888 Email: shrewsbury@ huwsgray.co.uk General plants Derwen Garden Centre

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Derwen Garden Centre, Guilsfield, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9PH Tel: 01938 553015 Email: info@derwen gardencentre.co.uk

General plants Boningale Ltd Holyhead Rd, Albrighton, Wolverhampton WV7 3AT Tel: 01902 376500 Web: www.boningale. co.uk Artificial turf Hi Tech Turf Unit 14, Drome Road Zone 1, Deeside Industrial Park, Flintshire CH5 2NY Tel: 01244 289182 Web: www.hitechturf. co.uk

Bamboo and general plants North Western Plants Platts Lane, Stapleford, Tarvin, Chester, Cheshire CH3 8HR Tel: 01829 741275 Email: sales@northwestern plants.co.uk Root barrier Hy-Tex Aldrington Mill, Mill Lane, Aldrington, Ashford, Kent TN25 7AJ Tel: 01233 720097 Email: sales@hy-tex. co.uk Electric gate system Easygates EasyGates Ltd, Unit 16, James Scott Road,

Halesowen, West Midlands B63 2QT Tel: 0845 0545070 Email: info@easygates. co.uk

Natural stone paving Heritage Stone Company (HSC) Unit 3, Pimhill, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 3DY Tel: 01939 290690 Web: www.heritagestone company.co.uk

Machine cut sandstone water feature stone Shropshire Stone & Granite Ltd Station Yard, Station Road, Baschurch, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

SY4 2BQ Tel: 01939 261199 Supplied reclaimed bricks Buildbase 103 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 9PS Tel: 01743 232048 Email: shrewsbury@ buildbase.co.uk

Lighting system Landscapeplus Unit 1, 2 Lyncroft Farm, Perrotts Brook, Cirencester GL7 7BW Tel: 01285 832100 Web: www.landscape plus.com

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Little more than 30cm of rainfall and winter temperatures of -20째C make this a difficult environment in which to establish a garden

STATE O EMER 42

September 2012

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International Portfolio

Bowles & Wyer A desperate request from the USA sparked a bold, beautiful response

T

e of ergency www.prolandscapermagazine.com

he initial contact from the client came from an email message in June 2009: “We are in desperate need of landscaping advice… landscaping is overwhelming blank slate… HELP!!!” The site was a 10 acre plot (app 4.5ha) on the western slopes of the Rockies near Spokane, Washington State, north-western USA. It was overwhelmingly populated by ponderosa pine, with little else other than granite boulders. With a rainfall of little more than 30cm (much of it as snow), summer temperatures of 30°C and winter temperatures of -20°C, I think this could reasonably be described as a difficult environment in which to establish a garden. An additional problem was the distance – the client wanted to carry out themselves as much of the installation

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International Portfolio

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of the garden as they could, with help from local craftsmen. The brief was actually pretty open other than that. It had to include for a vegetable garden, and be easily looked after by one person. Water was from a borehole (1,100 feet deep), but was in limited supply.

I spent five days in the area in September 2009, initially on the site, then walking/cycling around the local landscape, visiting stone and plant suppliers, and talking to nurserymen. I photographed the site at all times of day. By the end of the five days I had sketched my preliminary ideas for the area at the front of the house for the client. Back in the UK the proposals were hardened up and the rear garden designs were planned.

Project Description The front garden takes its cues from the architecture: the design for the house is very unusual, with a combination of obtuse angles and planes, combined with different coloured claddings taking their cue from the surrounding landscape. I designed an approach path of 44

September 2012

huge asymmetric slabs of in-situ concrete with small gaps in between.

The angles of these slabs are carried through to lines of rock-filled gabions (using local basalt).

These run at angles in both the horizontal and vertical plane with a deliberately slightly disconcerting effect. Large granite boulders (from the site) complete the hard landscape.

The planting is made up of four elements: aspen trees (native to the Rockies), dwarf pines, grasses and carpet forming herbs (such as thymus).

The rear garden is on a larger scale, and merges out into the surrounding landscape.

It includes at its focal point a sculpture by the client in the form of three carved poles set at slight angles to one another. The planting is sweeps of herbaceous planting such as Penstemons, grasses, herbs, etc. with a belt of shrubs beyond. The principles were based on Xeriscape planting so as to be compatible with the climate and used a high proportion of native material. Nearer the house, rough rock and herbaceous planting take up the changes in level around the building.

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International Portfolio

More images at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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UNIQUE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS There are always problems working at longdistance, particularly if the climate and terrain are very different. The design has to be clear and robust enough so that any problems that do occur can largely be sorted out without having to jump on a plane at every turn.

There was an additional complication (opportunity?) here: the client wished to carry out much of the construction themselves. The client was an interesting combination of one half paediatrician and one half ex-cattle rancher and community activist. Denise (the latter) was pretty handy and able to drive machinery and understand levels, but even she probably underestimated what was involved. But with the help of some specialist contractors and suppliers, the scheme was executed. Exact costs are difficult, but an approximate equivalent might be about £100,000. The garden is yet to be completed as drawn – the distant area of timber land art and sculpture remain to be done, along with some of the shrub planting.

What makes it unique is the fusion of the www.prolandscapermagazine.com

1 A view across the front garden with a 4-tonne site boulder in the foreground.

2 The front path was cast in-situ by a specialist contractor.

The jagged shapes echo the architecture.

3 The site before work started on the landscape.

4 The gabions were completed by the client – a steep learning curve, but a rewarding one.

5 Landscape plan for the front garden.

6 Final presentation perspective of the scheme.

natural with the designed landscape, along with the uncompromising nature of the forms, drawing inspiration from the building and surrounding landscape features.

What makes this project interesting for me is that instead of lifting and dropping in our own ‘house style’ or national stereotyped style and imposing it on a ‘foreign’ site, the design draws deeply on the local culture and landscape resulting in something fresh, but clearly grounded.

ABOUT BOWLES & WYER Chris Bowles and John Wyer had worked closely together since the early 1980s, before founding Bowles & Wyer in 1993. The company is based near Tring in Hertfordshire and works principally in the commercial and residential markets in London, the Midlands and the Home Counties. The company makes full use of practical experience gained through years of creating award-winning gardens and landscape projects. www.bowleswyer.co.uk

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Portfolio

IMPACT PLAYER Twigs Gardens Silver Gilt and People’s Choice awards winner in the Low Cost, High Impact category at Hampton Court 2012

T

ABOUT TWIGS GARDENS Richard Wanless started his career at the Royal Botanic Gardens Wakehurst Place, followed by training at Merrist Wood College, Plumpton College, Head Gardener posts, and finally founding Twigs Gardens in 1999. From maintenance and minor landscaping the company has evolved into a full design, build and planting service. Twigs has won three national design and build awards through the APL and an RHS Silver Flora medal at the Malvern Spring gardening show, as well as Silver Gilt and People’s Choice awards at Hampton Court. www.twigsgardens.co.uk

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he brief from the RHS was to show how a typical plot or part of a larger garden could be designed within a set budget.

I based my garden on one that I had looked at last year, the clients only had £3,000 to spend, so other than clearing the site and laying a small area of paving the rest of the garden was laid to lawn. At the time I thought I couldn’t do justice to the garden on that budget, so this was an opportunity to explore the possibilities further with the RHS’s money.

My clients are a young couple with contrasting tastes. They live in a Victorian terrace house, the garden of which is separated by a path that neighbours use to access the rear of their properties. They are a very sociable bunch and this path is a conduit along which daily interactions take place, a seating area at the front of the garden is required to sit and chat with neighbours – an unusual request. His needs www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Portfolio

Ultimately I could do whatever I wanted and didn’t have to consider anyone else’s opinion – which was the hardest part

Project duration 12 days Size 50m2 1

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Cost £10,000

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Portfolio

More images at: www.prolandscapermagazine.com

1

1 View across to raised seating area.

2 Path in progress.

are simple and amount to no more than a lawn, he’s not fussed about flowers but one thing he does want is somewhere secluded to escape to. She wants a garden to explore and enjoy pottering in, she is the gardener and being Italian wants a stylish look.

Natural materials such as oak, stone and rebar nod to the property’s industrial past (this terrace was originally built to house brickmakers).

The one thing the clients agree on is the garden must look visually appealing all year round.

3 The completed garden.

SOURCING MATERIALS Other than some closeboarded fencing that was rescued from a bonfire for reuse as our boundary, all the building materials were sourced at my local builders merchants Parker

Building Supplies. The tumbled cobbles make a nice change from the now ubiquitous imported paving and were a chance find.

I designed and built the arbour out of oak and reinforcing rod; this tied in with the rebar fern crozier sculptures which were made by Peter King, a Sculptor I met while building our first show garden at Malvern earlier in the year.

The oak bench was made by Huw Morris.

Liz hughes at Wyevale East Nurseries helped tirelessly to source the plants used in our garden – she had enough on her mind sourcing plants for the Coastal Drift garden, so I can’t thank her enough. Julie Rockell at Practicality Brown was very happy to help source a large length of hornbeam hedging, which made for a great backdrop to the garden.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/PROBLEMS The flower show site is an historic landscape, so we weren’t allowed to lay granular materials and concrete directly on the soil. A geotextile or plastic sheet had to be laid to protect the ground and we weren’t supposed to wash out concrete mixers on site – which I thought was fair enough.

But other than that, we could access the site on all four sides, materials could be placed just where we needed them and the weather was pretty good too. Maybe the biggest problem I had was not having a client to please, although I gladly took on board all the advice I was given.

Ultimately I could do what I wanted and didn’t have to consider anyone else’s opinion – which was the hardest part.

REFERENCES 2

3

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September 2012

Design/construction Twigs Gardens ‘Little Croft’, 6 Lewes Road, Ridgewood, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5SL Tel: 01825 767782 Email: richard@ twigsgardens.co.uk Web: www.twigsgardens. co.uk Building materials Parker Building Supplies Westminster House, Bolton Close, Uckfield,

East Sussex TN22 1QZ Tel: 01825 761661 Email: uckfield@parkerbs. com Web: www.parkerbs.com

Plants Wyevale East Nurseries The landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS Tel: 01322 662315 Email: enquiries@ wyevale-east.co.uk Web: www.wyevale-east. co.uk

Mature hornbeam hedge Practicality Brown Iver Stud, Swan Road, Iver, Buckinghamshire SL0 9LA Tel: 01753 652022 Email: sales@pracbrown. co.uk Web: www.pracbrown. co.uk Sculptor Peter King The Blacksmiths Workshop, Wharton Court, Leominster,

Herefordshire HR6 0NX Tel: 07922 153335 Email: Peter@PeterKing Sculpture.com Web: www.peterking sculpture.com

Oak benches Huw Morris Upper Rowley, Warden Rd, Presteigne, Powys, Wales LD8 2NL Tel: 07980 116847 Email: morrisofrowley@ hotmail.co.uk

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Survival of the Fittest 27 September 2012

Soft landscape workshop with guest speakers including Tony Kirkham, Dr Glyn Percival, Eelco Hooftman, Sarah Eberle and Jim Gardiner Ashford International Hotel, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8UX Find details and book your tickets (ÂŁ21) online @

palmstead.co.uk LANDSCAPE PLANTING ?

Crowders Nurseries is one of the foremost suppliers, to many BALI Award Winners, of quality nursery stock. From cell grown trees to transplants, container grown shrubs to standard trees – we can supply all your needs.

For more information contact Tom Owen at Crowders Nurseries

Crowders Nurseries Lincoln Road, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 5LZ Tel: 01507 525000 Fax 01507 524000 Email: sales@crowders.co.uk www.crowders.co.uk

Growing through caring www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

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Stand OP16

Online Nursery - One Stop Shop Box, Taxus, Citrus, Olive, Bay and Bamboo Shrubs and Perennials from 1ltr Herbs and Alpines 9cm to 25cm Palms and Spikeys, Grasses and Ferns Traditional and Bespoke Topiary Specimen Trees & Shrubs 10 to 1,000 litres 01590 683487 agrumi.co.uk info@agrumi.co.uk

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September 2012

T: 01767 262636 F: 01767 262288

Please visit our website www.deepdale-trees.co.uk

Nationwide delivery or Cash and Carry from Agrumi Limited, Meadow Farm, Sway Road, Tiptoe, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 6FR. For competitive quotes contact Stanley Jackson on 0778 606 4018

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Plantsman’s Plot

A round-up of trees and plants available at some of the country’s best nurseries Agrumi is supplier of a wide range of quality plants to landscapers and designers across the UK from its nursery in the New Forest. We specialise in importing the best plants from the best nurseries around Europe, providing a bespoke service for our customers through our online OneStop Shop, WWW.AGRUMI.CO.UK, or through personal contact. If you are a landscape contractor needing plants for certain jobs, a garden designer looking for particular varieties, or a landscape architect needing tenders for specific projects, then Agrumi can help you. Our plant of the month is the prestigious Triple Helix bay tree. This is a real statement plant that will add an air of elegance to any design.

Betula papyrifera ‘St George’, introduced

by Thornhayes Nursery, is a form of the Paper Bark Birch, which produces a tree tolerant of a broad range of sites with red-brown young stems that peel to a clear white. The foliage turns a rich clear gold in autumn.

Admired by several discerning plants people, a large group has been planted by the National Trust at Anglesey Abbey and another by Adrian Bloom. At the nursery it is available container grown up to 8-10cm standard.

WWW.THORNHAYES-NURSERY.CO.UK

For more than 300 years Japanese maples have been developed and selected for their beauty and variation of form and colour.

The maples’ vibrant foliage is stunning when the colours turn in autumn. Maples are striking specimen plants and their compact nature makes them very garden worthy. Ladybrook Nursery holds a diverse stock in a range of colours and sizes. WWW.LADYBROOKNURSERY.COM www.prolandscapermagazine.com prolandscapermagazine

For a sunny corner or shrub border with well-drained soil, the shrub commonly called “Bluebeard” or Caryopteris x clanadensis “Heavenly Blue” is well worth consideration. The grey-green leaves are slightly toothed with a strong, aromatic scent. Upright and rounded in habit, it forms a neat shrub of up to 1m in height, ideal for the sunniest of shrubberies. With aromatic, attractive foliage from late summer, in autumn upright stems bear intensely dark-blue fluffy clusters of flowers on the current year’s growth. To maintain within the border, simply cut the stems to about 50mm above the ground in March. WWW.COLESNURSERIES.CO.UK There are now so many herbaceous Sedum introductions to choose from, and our favourite has to be Mr Goodbud (AGM). With its vibrant dark pink flowers from August to October and its pink/ purple flushed green stems, it brightens up any border. Neat and compact in habit it is a useful alternative to taller varieties such as the well known Autumn Joy, Matrona, the dark leaved Purple Emperor and the excellent Xenox.

WWW.MANORFARMNURSERIES.COM

If you are a lover of verbena bonariensis then you’ll adore the new Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’, a species which has all the qualities of a normal Verbena bonariensis but at half the height. With the small purple button flowers held aloft the foliage reaching a height of 60cm, Lollipop is wonderful for the front of a border or planting with low-growing herbaceous perennials and shrubs. It is uniform in habit and structure and will flower all through summer, and is covered in blooms in September. This little gem looks great when planted with Stipa tenuissima or Nepeta for a great wildlife border. WWW.WYEVALE-EAST.CO.UK September 2012

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Plantsman’s Plot

One of our specialities is screening for instant privacy and security. Whether to hide an unsightly view, provide privacy from neighbouring windows, or as an elegant component of a contemporary or classic design, pleached trees are an ideal and popular solution. At Wykeham Mature Plants we pleach trees here on the nursery in a range of species and varieties and, where source stock allows, to a range of specifications. Seasonal availability may vary, but stock may be purchased “offthe-peg” for popular lines such as Hornbeam and others, or pleached to order. WWW.WYKEHAMMATUREPLANTS.CO.UK Viburnum Plicatum Mariesii will take some years to reach the size of this one, but it is well worth the wait.

The elegantly tiered white flowers fit well with clients who want a cottage garden but need some height at the back of the border. It’s hardy and not particularly fussy as to soil or aspect. WWW.DINGLEYDELL.CO.UK

A good old fashioned deciduous hedge, alltime favourite Forsythia x intermedia Lynwood Gold is best suited to a position with full sun or partial shade and is drought-tolerant.

Stunning yellow flowers arrive in March/April, which is a real shock of colour for the start of spring.

It has a very dense, upright habit with clean foliage, trims well, grows well and takes most soil types. Readyhedge supplies the shrub in 1m long units, twice trimmed in 1.3m height x 40cm width. WWW.READYHEDGELTD.COM This is a Chinese Red Birch growing in our tree fields. Unlike most birches this variety (Betula albosinensis Fascination) has a depth and character to the stem and its peeling rufous bark, exfoliating and showing all colours from white, cream, pink to orange. This is a great birch for autumn colour and to make a statement in parks and gardens. Imagine what an avenue would look like! Here at Wyevale Nurseries we have some great stock just waiting for the call to higher service. WWW.WYEVALENURSERIES.CO.UK

The Buddleja ‘Blue Chip’produces masses of fragrant lavender blue flowers from July to September and grows no taller or wider than 80cm – ideal for borders and planters. Its strong scent and blooms attract many bees, butterflies and insects. It is non-invasive and the seed is sterile. This dwarf shrub is low maintenance, can be grown in full sun or partial shade and is drought and frost tolerant. An essential plant to gain BREEAM points, this plant has EU PVR (applied for) and it is prohibited to propagate without a licence. (www. vipforplants.com Certificate number: 2008/2106) WWW.BONINGALE.CO.UK

“I planted one of the first Betula albosinensis Fascination to come into the country in my garden in 1999,” says Mike Glover of Barcham Trees.

“It is now over 100cm girth, with a gleaming white stem that graduates to a cream and then brown as you follow the tree up to its leader.” It has a wonderful oval shape requiring minimal maintenance and the catkin display each April is fantastic. It is often overlooked for the more obvious Betula Jacquemontii but has so much more year-round interest on show as well as being a tidier garden tree for the smaller garden. WWW.BARCHAM.CO.UK

Visit Tendercare Nurseries and select from an unrivalled range of mature plants. We grow over 100,000 specimen plants – trees to 9m, shrubs from 10L to 500L, climbers and wall shrubs to 6m, ferns, grasses, perennials from 5L to 20L. Large tropical plants for interior spaces available from our 100m2 greenhouse and specialist knowledgeable advice. Send us your plant lists for your projects. Installation of large plants available with our experienced team of planters, previous projects include the living wall at the Kia Oval and the Imax Cinema. See our plants at Saltex 2012 Windsor Racecourse, from 4-6 September. WWW.TENDERCARE.CO.UK

A lot of our late summer colour comes from Prairie plants, the cone flowers – Echinacea and asters and Rudbeckias are no exception. Rudbeckia fulgida Goldstrum (AGM) is a really good doer and fits well with many planting situations, needing sun, reasonable soil and moisture levels – it’s not too fussy and can grow to 80cm tall or so. It’s very persistent and forms a good clump, flowering from July through to September and even October. Other Rudbeckia forms – R.deamii (AGM) is a bit shorter; R.lacinata Herbstonne (AGM) is a tall back of border subject at 2m plus; R.maxima is good too with a glaucous blue green sheen to the foliage. WWW.PALMSTEAD.CO.UK

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September 2012

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N U R S E R I E S

the plant world ...

conkered VISIT US AT ...

telephone: 01322 662315 fax: 01322 663895 sales@wyevale-east.co.uk www.wyevale-east.co.uk

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September 2012

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Futurescape

Kempton Park Racecourse Tuesday 20 November 2012 www.futurescapeevent.com More Seminars to be announced shortly!

Keep checking www.futurescapeevent.com for more seminars and timings

FUTURESCAPE – A JOURNEY AND A DESTINATION On Tuesday 20 November the centre of the landscaping universe will be Kempton Park Racecourse.

An event like no other in the landscape industry calendar challenges landscape architects, garden designers and contractors to take a journey of professional discovery. Come to FutureScape and you are coming to learn, to be inspired, to share your experience and to make contacts of real importance and benefit to your business. FutureScape is for serious, business-minded individuals who cannot afford to waste a day away from site or the office – but know when they should! Register online now at www.futurescapeevent.com or email jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Great Seminars in one day!

A comprehensive guide to soils and the available applications, by Barry Browne The variety and quality of topsoil available to the landscape industry can often prove to be a minefield of considerations for the contractor or architect. At FutureScape Barry will demonstrate the significance of geology, location, application and availability when specifying soil. Barry and his team will also highlight the differences between natural, screened and manufactured topsoil and the appropriate usage of each. Included in the seminar will be an introduction to the various applications of soils from highly fertile, amenity tree soil through to lightweight roof garden substrate.

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September 2012

Purchasing for Productivity,

by Angus Lindsay With a few exceptions our industry has traditionally gone down the one job, one machine route. Times are tough and we need to look at alternatives to get the best from our assets – both people and the equipment they use.

7 of 137 ways to seriously skyrocket your sales, by Phil Jones Phil is an accomplished and refreshingly different speaker. If you need both motivation and direction then he could really help. From this seminar, you will take away strategies, hints and tips, which you can implement in to your business immediately and see instant results from doing so.

A Question of Compliance,

by Jodie Read Running a business is challenging enough without the added pressure of determining what quality, environmental, health and safety certificates and systems you need to have in place. Have you heard of ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS18001, NHSS18, CHAS, Constructionline or SSIP? Do you need to have any of them?

Greening Urban Spaces with Turf and Wildflowers,

by Stephen Fell Green space and green infrastructure have a vital role to play in tackling climate change. This seminar will look at why we should use grass in the landscape, and how using new turf grass species and cultivars can help meet the challenges of drought, shade, low maintenance and wear tolerance.

Site Information Modelling for greater efficiency in site design, by Tamsin Slatter Tamsin will be presenting an overview of the new developments within Vectorworks Landmark in relation to Site and Building Information Modelling (SIM and BIM) and what it means for landscape designers working with other professionals such as estimators, contractors and architects.

Green Urban Infrastructure Toolkit, by Maggie Fennell An introduction to green roofs, green walls and rain gardens with a focus on how they can work to maximise the environmental performance of a building or development.

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September 2012

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Our mowers are complemented by the Pellenc range of groundcare equipment, which use lithium-ion technology, providing unrivalled power for professional electric products.

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September 2012

Seeing is believing Etesia UK Ltd, Greenway House, Sugarswell Business Park, Shenington, Oxon OX15 6HW Tel: 01295 680120 email: sales@etesia.co.uk

www.etesia.co.uk

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Topsoil

Jonathan Bourne of Bourne Amenity reveals his tips on choosing topsoil – with contributions from soil and landscape consultants Tim O’Hare Associates

1

Understanding the project’s requirements Topsoil performance is primarily dependent on matching the correct material to the growing requirements of a specific project.

From urban tree planting to wildflower grasslands, the soil requirements of the planting types

3

Topsoil specification We have all heard of the BS3882:2007 specification for topsoils, but how does it relate to purchasing topsoil? The British Standard is applied to imported or traded topsoils and does not apply to the assessment of in-situ material.

There are two grades: Multipurpose (the most common reference and suitable for most planting situations) and Specific Purpose (applicable for schemes requiring low fertility, acidic and calcareous soils). BS3882:2007 requires analysis of a range of horticultural parameters (ph, fertility, particle size

5

Selecting a supplier Selecting a good reliable supplier for your topsoil is harder than you think, but a good relationship with your topsoil supplier will ensure worry-free access to quality materials. The biggest problem is ensuring you know exactly what’s in the topsoil www.prolandscapermagazine.com

distribution) as well as potential contaminants. When a supplier says their soil is certified to BS3882:2007, ask to see an up-to-date analysis (less than six months’ old) of the proposed material and also confirmation that the certificate actually applies to the stockpile of soil you are purchasing from (a visit to the source is recommended). Soil Specifications may also be issued by the Landscape Architect or developer, detailing specific soil requirements, which may or may not be the same as those for BS3882:2007. Therefore you should check the requirements prior to sourcing the topsoil.

you’re purchasing. As mentioned in point 3, many companies will flash a BS3882:2007 certificate in front of you and claim their topsoil is compliant, but always check the date of the test and ask questions about the actual source. Samples can also be misleading so a visit to the source and discussion with

and particular species have to be considered when selecting the appropriate growing medium.

Topsoil properties (such as drainage performance, pH and nutrient levels) can vary hugely and site-specific requirements must be carefully considered before approaching suppliers.

4

Sources of imported topsoil The origin of imported topsoil is crucial in determining its suitability.

Greenfield sites are a good source of natural as-dug topsoils but availability and consistency can be a problem. Recycled/muck-away topsoils are usually your cheapest option but these usually originate from multiple sources and can’t carry a uniform certification. Buying these can lead to long-term site problems from contamination to nutrient deficiency. Using blended or manufactured topsoils can be as effective as natural, greenfield topsoils.

2

Assessment of existing soil In some instances the existing topsoil and subsoil will be of sufficient quality and as such, there may be no need to import materials. A thorough site survey would be recommended to ensure the existing soils measure up to the requirements of the scheme. Employing a soil scientist to assess the site soils may save you the cost and trouble of importing materials. Often minor problems such as nutrient deficiencies can be remedied by amelioration with composts or biosolids, without the need to start from scratch.

your provider should always give you an indication of the quality of the material. Recycled soils are the biggest pitfall as these can contain unsavoury elements detrimental to your project, but a small amount of research into source and seller should stand you in good stead.

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Planting bulbs

BURIED TREASURE 1

F

lowering bulbs are a valuable addition to any planting scheme and an economical way of adding colour and interest throughout the year, as well as being generally trouble-free and low maintenance.

The term ‘bulb’ is used to describe all those plants that have a root system that can withstand long periods of drought by storing food reserves beneath ground. It includes true bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes.

There are bulbs for all places in the garden. Most prefer a sunny position and well-drained soil – eg tulips and alliums– but others, such as bluebells and trilliums, will enjoy a shadier site. They also vary widely in height; anemones and crocuses are best near the front of a border, while eremurus and lilies are better suited to the middle or back.

Bulbs can provide wonderful flowers for every season and can create a succession of colour throughout the year. I would recommend doing your planning on paper as part of the planting design. Then you can calculate the correct quantities needed to create the display you want and you will also have a reminder of

2

where the bulbs are planted. Most bulbs retreat underground during summer and it is very frustrating to inadvertently slice through them while digging and planting.

Deciduous trees and shrubs remain bare well into spring so bulbs can bring early colour and interest to these areas. Mixed borders benefit enormously from the variety and interest that bulbs can bring. The rich golden yellow of Narcissus is a very welcomed addition to a garden on a bright Spring morning.

Wooded areas are a natural home to snowdrops, bluebells and the Siberian squill, Scilla sibirica. Rock gardens often look bare in the early part of the year but can be spiced up by planting Iris reticulata in colours of lilac blue, lemon yellow and purple.

Lawns can be transformed by planting generous clumps of bulbs such as camassia into the grassy sward which, once settled, should multiply by self-seeding. As with all bulbs grown in grassy areas, remember that the grass should not be cut for about six weeks after the bulbs have finished flowering. This will allow them to complete their life cycle by setting seed

WHICH CHOICE OF BULBS? Best bulbs for naturalising ● Galanthus nivalis ● Leucojum aestivum ● Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’ ● Fritillaria meleagris ● Crocus tommasinianus

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Best bulbs for planting under deciduous trees and shrubs ● Cyclamen coum ● Erythronium dens-canis ● Anemone nemorosa ● Muscari ‘Blue Spike’

Best bulbs for summer colour ● Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ ● Eremurus robustus ● Galtonia candicans ● Canna ‘Wyoming’ ● Eucomis bicolor

1 Bulbs provide a burst of colour in spring borders.

2 Allium Globemaster.

Award-winning garden designer Janine Pattison MSGD MBALI offers guidance on using bulbs in your planting schemes

and returning nutrients back into the bulbs ready for the following year.

DESIGNING WITH BULBS When designing bulbs into planting schemes you need to consider some vital factors like whether you are going to group various bulbs together or mass them in groups of single varieties.

Bulbs vary greatly in their flowering heights and these can be used to create wonderful effects. Don’t be afraid to break the rules. Bringing tall alliums to the front of a border can work wonderfully as it reinforces the three-dimensional nature of the planting. Mixing tulips of different heights and colours together will also achieve this.

The skilled planting designer will be looking to achieve a long succession of colour and interest in a garden and careful use of the different flowering times of bulbs will help achieve this.

There aren’t many problems to watch out for when growing bulbs, just check they are healthy to start with (don’t plant any that are soft or show signs of rot) and protect from slugs and snails when they start their growth in the spring.

ABOUT JANINE PATTISON Janine Pattison MSGD is a multi award-winning garden designer and horticulturalist who trained with English Heritage at Eltham Palace in London and at Kingston Maurward College in Dorchester. A Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers, the British Association of Landscape Industries and the Garden Media Guild, Janine is also a highly qualified RHS horticulturalist.

www.janinepattison.com

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LADYBROOK N U R SE R Y

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Mature & Formal Hardy Plants

Unrivalled range of mature plants We grow the finest range of specimen trees & shrubs in the UK. With over 24 acres just west of London there is plenty of choice and friendly, knowledgeable staff to help.

Plants in the 'Nurseryman's Art' exquisitely formed and pruned trees.

Espalier, pleached, box-headed, roof-trained, topiary in spirals, pyramids, cubes and balls.

Maturity Matters - Semi-mature trees 'character', parkland and avenue specimens including graceful conifers. Hand selected by us from the best nurseries in Europe. Planting by our team recommended.

Trees - 'Through the garden gate' ideal for the smaller garden.

Lovely varieties in pots no more than 65cm diameter for access through the garden gate.

Japanese maples and bamboos admired the World over.

Essential elements of an Oriental style garden.

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Shrubs for the connoisseur larger than sold by your garden centre - 10L to 1000L pots. Flowering for every day of the year, deciduous, evergreen - fantastic choice & quality!

Fruit trees - perfect for the Potager! Mature trees, espalier, fan-trained and 'step-overs'.

Apples, pears, plums, cherries, vines, figs, quince, kiwis and more.

Hedges-for privacy and structure prepared units to form 'instant', clipped runs.

Traditional yew and box, large laurels and both green and copper beech, native species and reliable conifers.

Plants of the Mediterranean - and 'Planthunter' exotics - olives, palms and spikey plants for the arid and tropical look.

Many gardens in sheltered and milder areas afford scope for stylish planting ideas. We also hold the largest selection of New Zealand tree ferns in the UK. Wall-trained shrubs and climbers grown and trained for immediate impact.

The best flowering and covering plants, pruned onto 1.8m trellises or on canes at various heights up to 6m.

'Instant borders' - seasonal herbaceous plants, ferns and grasses - foliage and flowering plants, deciduous and evergreen, to add form, texture and colour for any location. The most pleasing varieties are selected and grown in our nurseries locally.

Exotic specimen plants for interior landscaping Flowering & evergreen specimen tropical and arid plants.

Citrus trees to 2.5m Aloes, agaves to 160L grown in our 125m2 greenhouse. Extensive range of containers, sundries & expert advice.

We source and hand-select plants worldwide from over 150 specialist and unique growers

Nationwide Delivery - Planting Services Southlands Road, Denham, Middlesex UB9 4HD (Just off M40, junction 1, near M25)

01895 835544 sales@tendercare.co.uk

www.tendercare.co.uk Visit to ‘select and collect’ plants for your projects

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

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a us EX 3 ee T . J1 S L o A nd N

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t

All Terrain. All Weather. All Polaris.

Whatever you need in an All-Terrain Vehicle, Polaris delivers.

1RZ DYDLODEOH ZLWK \HDUV ÀQDQFH The widest range to suit all work tasks and lifestyles. Choose from the Ranger Side by Side 400, 500, 800 and diesel WR WKH VL[ VHDWHU CREW and the Sportsman range.

True 4x4 utility in petrol, diesel and electric.

Talk to your Polaris dealer for full details.

VSHFLDO GLVFRXQW IRU 1)8 PHPEHUV

0870 845 8458

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September 2012

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: *This promotion is for business purposes only. Available through Rural Finance Ltd for new equipment and is subject to credit acceptance and any qualifications in government or company policy. Finance is available on up to 80% of RRP or the balance to finance, whichever is the lower. Alternative cash flow match profiles are available on request. Administration fees are payable on all transactions. This offer is available until 31st December 2012. Polaris withhold the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Written quotations are available from:Rural Finance Ltd.19 Redwither Business Centre, Redwither Business Park, Wrexham, LL13 9XR Tel. 01978 660360

www.polaris-britain.com

0800 915 6720

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Event

Royal Windsor Racecourse, 4–6 September 2012

visit Come and L13, us on stand an meet where you c d pick the team an f up a copy o

SEMINAR PROGRAMME IOG SALTEX 2012 Education Presentations (held in The Grandstand on the 2nd Floor)

TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 10.00 Promoting best practice and standards in the amenity sector Amenity Forum Chairman, John Moverley, discusses the critical issues and challenges facing the sector.

11.00-12.30 Water management – best practice An open debate by an authoritative panel comprising representatives from the ‘industry co-operative’.

14.00 Japanese knotweed and the evolution of stem injection Phil Burgess and David Layland trace stem injection’s emergence as the most successful, cost-effective and ecologically sound treatment for invasive, non-native plants.

WEDNESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 14.30 Open Forum: Contractors and contracting – maintaining quality and awareness A series of speakers and panel of experts from the National Contractors Forum and others – discuss how contractors can help inform debate and support the continued delivery of quality services.

THURSDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 10.30-12.30 Cost-effective procurement: getting the best from machinery purchases in a tough financial climate Looking at best practice approaches to procurement, how to avoid costly pitfalls, knowing the right questions to ask when buying machinery, getting the right kit for the right job, as well as tips and advice on how to procure kit cost effectively in such a tough financial climate.

13.00-13.45 Arboriculture – the new NTSG publication, ‘Common Sense Risk Management of Trees’ Presented by Rhoderic Taylor, Consultant and Fellow of the Arboricultural Association.

14.00 The new National Amenity Sprayer Operators Register (NAsOR) The launch of a new scheme for sprayer operators in the amenity sector (a Continuing Professional Development scheme).

Presented by Natalie Jenkins, Head of Business Development, City & Guilds Land Based Services.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

A-Z OF EXHIBITORS Access Platform Sales Ltd S01 Agria Werke GmbH DAA43 Allett Mowers A18 Altrad Belle / Belle Engineering K10 Amazone Ltd DAA40 Andreas Stihl R01 Aspen Fuels S04 Avant Tecno (UK) Ltd. M01 Boddingtons Ltd G01 Boughton Loam B10 Bourne Amenity Ltd H62 Boxer Power & Equipment Ltd DAA14a Brian James Trailers Ltd J11 Briggs & Stratton Ltd DAA41 British Sugar PLC (Topsoil) H41 Broadwood International G20b CED Ltd H15 CooperPegler F14 Cramer Ltd J05 & J05a D W TOMLIN L01 Easigrass Sport E12a Eco Green Composting / King Feeders UK I27 Electric Powered Solutions in association with Pasquali Tractors UK Ltd J73 Etesia I28 EverEdge X02 FGM Claymore I15 Fiat Professional S03 Gianni Ferrari S.r.l.

J09 GreenMech Ltd DAB13 Griffiin Nurseries A14 Grillo Agrigarden Ltd DAA14b Groundsman Industries Ltd DAA21 Grundon Sand & Gravel Ltd F29 Hadlow College H38 Honey Brothers Ltd R05 Ifor Williams Trailers C23 Inturf B10 Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd A22 Iveco G02

Japanese Knotweed Control Ltd D19 Johnsons of Whixley B10 Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V. O1 KUHN J70 Kyoeisha UK I5 Lantra Awards J2 Loadlift Limited S06 Major Equipment Ltd L30 Mantis UK Limited K1 McConnel I34 Melcourt Industries Ltd B10 Merrist Wood College H30 Muck Truck UK Ltd DAA31 Myerscough College E35 New Holland DAB02 Perennial – The Landscape, Amenity and Groundscare Trade Charity H52, H52a & H52b Polaris Britain Ltd J13 Pro Landscaper L13 Progreen D17 Rampco trading S07 Renault UK Ltd L5 Rochford Garden Machinery H42 Rock Croft H26 Roffey Brothers D15 Rollins Bulldog Tools Ltd G19 SANLI UK Limited J17 SCH(Supplies) Ltd E2 Smart Direct (Europe) Ltd E29 Sorbus International Limited S04a Southern Tank Services Ltd I11 Stem Injection Systems D19 Team Sprayers I08 Techneat Engineering Ltd J37a Tendercare Nurseries Ltd B16 Terrain Aeration Services Ltd DAB41 The Grass Group DAB60 Tracmaster Ltd DAA58 Trimax Mowing Systems Ltd DAB27 Vauxhall Motors D04

September 2012

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Latest Kit

GO AND SEE AT IOG SALTEX Stem Injection Systems STAND NO: D19 Stem Injection Systems, Europe’s supplier of the innovative patented stem injection system for the treatment and management of invasive, non-native plants, makes its annual return to SALTEX. A popular product introduction is

the new chemical storage safe, designed for the safe transportation and storage of herbicides. Mobile safes are fully seam welded and leak proof with vapour seals, the safes have over centre catches which can include padlocks, have carry handles, and display prominent labels which

Mantis STAND NO: K1 Mantis UK has launched its cordless range of products for the landscape contractor and

discerning gardener. Available now is the Mantis Cordless Hedge Trimmer, it is tough but lightweight and features a Swivel-Click handle, enabling both horizontal and vertical cutting without changing hand position. The Cordless Hedge Trimmer uses Lithium-ion battery power which gives long-lasting performance between charges.

It also enjoys extremely well-

balanced weight distribution for ease of use over longer periods.

Laser cut, diamond ground blades ensure a professional finish with a 50cm cutting length and up to 20mm cutting gap. The run time is up to one hour with battery re-charge in three-and-a-half hours, interchangeable batteries allow extended professional use.

No cord, no fumes, no limit.

WWW.MANTIS.UK.COM

Dealers have been asking for.”

The new colour schemes consist of dark Graphite grey and with

warm light grey and red detailing.

Another new product is the powerful LS5000 XP vacuum which sports a Honda Engine, with a slide out bag for easy disposal; based on the bestselling Silent-Wings machines, with 75% Less Noise and 25% less fuel consumption.

WWW.CRAMER-UK.COM

Avant Tecno STAND NO: M01 A warm welcome awaits visitors to Avant Tecno’s stand where there will be an impressive display of compact, 4-wheel drive articulated loaders which are able to make light work of many landscaping tasks when fitted with one of many attachments currently available, a variety of which will be on display. In addition, the

company will be promoting its specially tailored contract hire packages which will give companies or individuals the opportunity to acquire a brand new Avant loader plus up to three suitable attachments, and even a trailer, for minimal outlay. For example, the ‘Landscapers 420’ package will be available from as little as £55 plus VAT per week.

WWW.AVANTTECNO.COM

Cramer UK STAND NO: J05 Cramer UK has decided to shake things up at this year’s Saltex by adding a bit of new colour to its range. Cramer UK Marketing Manager Theo Harvey said: “The new range of colours complements the depth of quality of their machines. This is what

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September 2012

Royal Windsor Racecourse 4–6 September 2012

warn of their potentially hazardous chemical contents. The chemical storage come in a range of safe sizes from 15 litre to 150 litre for vehicles and up to 1,500 litre for static storage, make them ideal for contractors going out on site or needing on site storage.

WWW.STEMINJECTIONSYSTEMS.COM

Central Spares STAND NO: H24 Celebrating 40 years supplying the landscape and outdoor power equipment industry, national distributor Central Spares will be showing the Spyker range of spreaders, following its appointment as the exclusive UK distributor. Commenting on this recent appointment, Centrals Marketing Manager Colin Gale said, “I have been associated with these professional spreaders for a number of years and found them to be of high quality build, sturdy frame in operation and accurate in distribution. It doesn’t surprise me that landscape franchise operators now specify Spyker spreaders as their preferred choice.

WWW.CENTRALSPARES.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Multi Talented Machinery BCS Professional Groundcare machines offer you grounds maintenance solutions in every season and in every environment.

Whether you are preparing uncultivated ground, taming dense vegetation or clearing snow from car parks, your BCS machine will adapt to your requirements by simply changing between our 25+ attachments.

See us at IOG Saltex on stand DAA58

Nothing competes with a BCS when it comes to getting a return on your investment.

Visit www.tracmaster.co.uk to see our BCS machines in action or contact our sales team on 01444 460200 to arrange your demonstration today.

www.tracmaster.co.uk

PEEK-A-BLUE.

A Complete and Comprehensive Tree Care Service since 1907 For over 100 years, Bartlett Tree Experts has led both the science and services that make your landscape thrive. No matter the size or scope of your needs, our arborists bring a rare mix of groundbreaking research, global resources and a local service approach to every task at hand. Trees add so much value to our lives; Bartlett adds even more value to your trees.

Tree & Shrub Pruning | Planting | Tree Removal | Tree Stock Surveys Woodland Management | Health & Safety Reports | Disease & Insect Control For a free consultation please contact your local arborist

0845 600 9000 enquiry@bartlettuk.com | www.bartlett.com www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Come and see our new range of powerful and versatile compact tractors!

IOG SALTEX – 4th to 6th September 2012 Windsor Racecourse – STAND N° DAB02 NEW HOLLAND TOP SERVICE 00800 64 111 111 www.newholland.com/uk 24/7 Support and Information The call is free from a land line.

Check in advance with your Mobile Operator if you will be charged.

September 2012

65

Latest Kit

GO AND SEE AT IOG SALTEX

Polaris STAND NO: J13 Polaris Britain will share its stand this year with Goupil, the electric vehicle manufacturer acquired by Polaris’ US parent company in 2011. Of particular interest will be the Polaris Ranger Diesel and the EV electric 4x4 side by side versions. On the stand the Sportsman ATV models include the 500 Forest in green and the 850 Stealth in black livery. There will be a 6x6 version and the green Sportsman X2 550 EFI two-seater. The Ranger Crew Diesel, Ranger 400 and EV electric 4x4 complete the line-up.

The Goupil vehicles represent the range of electric commercial and light duty work products manufactured by the Frenchbased company.

WWW.POLARIS.COM

Broadwood International STAND NO: G20B Broadwood International will be displaying five ranges of snow, turf and amenity equipment, including two new salt spreaders in the SnowEx range. The Wessex ProLine range boasts six models including a new 480 and out front

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September 2012

Major Equipment STAND NO: L30 Major will be showing a range of rotary roller mowers, also the Verge Major mower. This machine is aimed at those working in various areas of vegetation management and across multiple terrains. The three-model Verge Major range features an offset able, variable angle rotary blade deck which is suitable for managing grass, ditches, verges, embankments, hedges and bushes of all types.

Height control of the Verge

Gianni Ferrari STAND NO: J09 The Gianni Ferrari range is comprised of lawn mowers, sweepers, leaf vac, flail mowers, lawn aerators, snow throwers and snow blades. Equipment for the maintenance of artificial grass is also available. The new PG series

Royal Windsor Racecourse 4–6 September 2012

Major, which comes in 1.35m, 1.98m or 2.6m cutting widths, is via a simple spanner adjustment

which will set and lock the cutting height.

WWW.MAJOR-EQUIPMENT.COM

Belle Engineering STAND NO: K10 ALTRAD-Belle Group, Europe’s largest wheelbarrow manufacturer, will be exhibiting wheelbarrows from its FORT, Limex and Belle ranges. The line-up includes the Belle Warrior, which features a virtually indestructible 100-litre

high-density polyethylene tray, and the BMD300 powered barrow which will be demonstrated along with a full range of accessories such as turf tyres, skip loading ramps, flat bed, towing eye and the new snow plough attachment.

WWW.BELLEGROUP.COM

mowers feature 800-litre high capacity collector, improved driving position for more comfort, new diesel engines (22-28 HP) and larger (30-litre) fuel tank.

Cruiser models are available with two engine options -36 and 44HP – the Turbo 4 and 2 Cruisers.

WWW.GIANNIFERRARI.COM

mower, collector and trailer. The Wessex Country range sees the introduction of a new log splitter, trailer and snow blade. Three new products feature in the BroomEx range of pedestrian power brooms and the TurfEx equipment will include a new Ride ’n’ Spray.

WWW.BROADWOODINTL.CO.UK

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Pop uP Power Supplies Ltd. Safe

Silent

contact: Mike Brown Tel: 020 8551 8363 Email: mbrown@popuppower.co.uk

www.popuppower.co.uk

Secure

Power

Electrical power that pops up out of the ground when you need it and hides underground when you don' t.

Markets Markets Town Town Centres Centres Shopping Shopping Centres Centres

Stadia Stadia Parks Historic Areas Areas Historic

The Chiswick House Project.

C hiswick House having undergone a multi-million pound restoration is ready to safely host a wide range of events that will increase revenue and introduce more people to this historic site.

The Pop uP Power installations were an important consideration when planning the restoration of this stunning historic area.

w w w . p o p u p p o w e r . co . u k

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

67

Turf Treatments made easy Electrically-powered, lightweight pedestrian sprayers ideal for applying liquid fertilisers, insecticides and turf management products in sports, amenity and horticultural applications.

EvenSprey 300

EvenSprey 250 • • • • •

Lightweight 3 wheel machine 1110mm boom 25Litre tank – enough for 500m² 7.2 amp/hour battery Optional spray lance attachment

• 4 wheel machine equipped with 1600mm wide spray boom • Handlebar controls • Instantly adjustable spray pressure • 30 litre tank • Spray lance attachment for spot treatments

Call 01530 510060 or visit www.supaturf.co.uk 68

September 2012

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Latest Kit

MACHINERY With all the banks that John O’Conner have on their schools contracts, they found that the engines on 4-stroke machines would seize up, so after much research made the investment in the AS-Motor AS 510 2-stroke

Ransomes Jacobsen and Danish company SunDrive have created a solar canopy for the all-electric version of their Jacobsen Eclipse 322 ride-on greens mower. The canopy uses advanced solar technology and produces enough energy to increase the range of the Eclipse 322 by up to 30%. The mower supplements conventional charging and saves up to 35% of energy consumption depending on weather conditions. Richard Comely, Director of Marketing and Product Management at Ransomes Jacobsen said: “We see a significant benefit for our clients from these canopies and are delighted to be the first mower manufacturer to introduce solar energy as a supplementary power source.”

WWW.RANSOMESJACOBSEN.COM

mulcher. Jodie Frampton of John O’Conner found the AS Motor machine would traverse the banks like no others they had tried, it also worked in much longer grass than the alternatives and left little or no debris behind.

The Husqvarna battery series introduces something new: petrol performance in a battery driven product, giving you the unique combination of high efficiency and clean operation. The Husqvarna battery series eliminates direct emissions, giving less noise, vibrations and maintenance. It also brings you unique features such as

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easy operation through a central control unit. The current battery series features the 436Li, 536LiXP and T536LiXP chainsaws with the 136LiHD50 hedge trimmer. The battery series will be showcased at the CLG tour 2012. Register your place on the tour by visiting: WWW.HUSQVARNA.COM/UK/ LANDSCAPE-AND-GROUNDCARE

John Deere Financial has announced a new interest-free finance programme for Gator 4x4 utility vehicles. Customers may order any new HPX or XUV Gator model from their John Deere dealer at any time until 30 September 2012. The offer is for 2 + 22 monthly payments at 0% interest, with the amount financed limited to 60% of

The Timberwolf SX200 shredder is specifically aimed at processing green waste with reduced noise.

Landscapers will find that this robust machine with a letterboxstyle feed mouth can shred green materials, hedge trimmings, conifers, shrubs, brash and also nursery waste (such as packaging, plastic plant pots/seed trays, and so on) with ease, which means you don’t have to rely on

He also found that the engine had great power at any angle and with the 2-stroke lubrication would cut the banks with no threat to the engine. For more information visit the website WWW.PSDGROUNDSCARE.CO.UK

the retail value. John Deere manufactures the widest range of utility vehicles in the industry.

The four-wheel drive HPX and XUV Gator utility vehicles are ruggedly designed for a wide range of transporting, loading, hauling, dumping and general materials handling duties.

WWW.JOHNDEERE FINANCIAL.CO.UK

the material being clean. In such environments where having a lesser wood content and the inclusion of dirt and foreign objects is commonplace, plus the fact that the end product is normally required for compost, the SX200 is the perfect solution, as compost forms better and more quickly if the material is shredded rather than chipped.

WWW.TIMBERWOLF-UK.COM

September 2012

69

Safety Check!

Private Home, Wimbledon Tennis Club, Art Deco Period Renovation

Using normal petrol can cause fatique, nausea and dizziness.

BE SAFE – Aspen alkylate petrol lowers toxic emissions by 99%.

• Ready mixed • No benzene • No sulphur • No solvents • No olefins • No ethanol • Will not go off

resin bound permeable paving specialists

Anglo American Oil Company Ltd 01929 555975 • aspen@aaoil.co.uk • www.aspenfuel.co.uk To find your nearest dealer: www.find-aspen.co.uk

AAOC Aspen Pro Landscaper ad.indd 2

17/05/2012 17:44

TERRAIN AERATION Specialist Contracting Service

Breathe life into Turf & Trees Solutions for Waterlogging and Compaction around trees

• • •

Well established and technically proven system Saves water and aids drought solutions Produces healthier sward with a stronger root growth

Terrain Aeration Services Ltd t: 01449 673783 e: terrainaeration@aol.com www.terrainaeration.co.uk

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Site Visit

SITEVISIT THE PLANTATION 1

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

estled between Weybridge and Chertsey, at Woburn Hill and down an imposing driveway lined with specimen trees, lies The Plantation, the nursery division of Gavin Jones Ltd. Established in 1919 by Colonel Gavin Jones, the company developed when Col. Jones bought a small horticultural property in Letchworth and started growing alpine plants, which went on to become a thriving business. The company expanded into providing a landscape service in the 1920s and ’30s, working mainly around the home counties.

For the past 11 years, the 5-acre plot near Addlestone has been home to the business, and The Plantation has been developed as a trade and retail nursery, offering visitors everything from specimen trees and plants, to machinery, tools and composts, with the emphasis being on providing quality plants and products combined with a quality service, and inspiration. The nursery’s custom is made up of 50% trade landscapers, 25% retail 3

The trade nursery designed with a retail style and 25% internal supply to Gavin Jones’ Landscaping division.

The company philosophy is to provide exceptional customer service, by ensuring client satisfaction and excellent value for money; to use sustainable business practices that integrate economic, environmental and social management; and to act with integrity at all times to maintain a proper sense of responsibility towards the public.

The Plantation has eight staff members who are both office and nursery based. There are around 5,000 product lines and the business’s aim is to make the centre a one-stop shop for customers. The opening hours are 8am-5pm Monday to Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturday.

Specialist lines are screening as the demand is widespread in the area due to the need for privacy within the local affluent neighbourhood. Evergreen trees and hedging, along with specimen plants and trees are strong sellers.

But there is also an impressive range of shrubs, topiary, grasses, ferns and perennials. Much of the stock is sourced from Europe – countries such as Italy, Holland, Spain, September 2012

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poppy add.pdf

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10:55:52

Topsoils,Growing Media and Landscaping Materials

Quality? Consistency? Reliability Three very important words when considering the supplier of your growing media.

Choose Boughton and you really will get a quality and consistent product, delivered to site when you want it.

C

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From Natural Topsoil to Bespoke Compost Mixes, Boughton are able to supply nationally, loose or bagged. We really do have every surface covered!

Y

CM

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Telephone 01536 510515 or visit www.boughton.co.uk

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Landscape Amenity HalfPg Sept 12:Layout 1

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As creative thinkers, with a spirit of invention and adventure, Timberwolf bring you the SX200 Shredder. This new sub 750kg green waste shredder with high throughput and easy manoeuvrability has a dedicated integral chassis and 20HP Honda petrol engine, so it's the perfect solution for landscapers, tree surgeons and contractors alike.

KEY BENEFITS INCLUDE: Sub 750kg in weight Powerful discharge Optional feed conveyor Easy for a single operator to use Open feed funnel for bulky material

SX200PHB(C) SHREDDER

DESIGNED TO PERFORM FOR YOUR BUSINESS

CALL 0845 686 0137 OR VISIT TIMBERWOLF-UK.COM 72

September 2012

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Site Visit

Previous page: 1 The plantation nursery.

2 Pleached trees.

3 Buxus ball.

This page: 4 Wildlife stack.

5 and 6 Plants on sale at the nursery.

4

Germany and Belgium – with increasing amounts of smaller plants coming from British suppliers and approximately 5% grown on the premises.

Costs of trees and plants supplied can range from a 2L pot at £2.20 to key specimens that demand as much as £5,000.

The company has strong ecological principles, and as has installed PV cells on the roof to generate electricity, a bore-hole for storing water and bee hives which produce honey. As you come along the driveway entrance you can also

5

The company has strong ecological principles – it has installed PV cells to generate electricity, a bore-hole for storing water and bee hives which produce honey

spot a ‘bug hotel’ – an area which has been specifically built to attract bugs and insects, made from insect-friendly plants and stacked logs and stones that are used as habitats for small species.

Visiting landscapers and designers do not need to make an appointment, and can wander around the nursery at their leisure, and in each area they can find helpful information leaflets about the plants and trees in that particular section. Prospective purchasers of topiary, for instance, can find out a little about the history of the art and find tips on how to maintain it.

There is a small description of each specimen, with the latin name plus tips on nurture and care. Visitors can then enjoy a Starbucks in the on-site coffee shop.

The Plantation also procures and reserves plants for landscapers needing particular species for their projects, these can be held as long as needed, providing payment has been received.

The nursery has a delivery service available and can crane in large trees if necessary.

The Plantation, as part of the Gavin Jones Group has achieved Investors in People (IIP) Gold Standard, IIP Champion status and is an active member of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) – all of which they are very proud.

contact

6

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

The Plantation (Gavin Jones Ltd) Woburn Hill, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2QG Tel: 01932 833 866 Email: sales@theplantationnursery.co.uk Web: www.theplantationnursery.co.uk

September 2012

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singlen seaadiscaotion

INJECTISYSTEMS N

er

Work with a reliable, UK based artificial grass supplier

The Stem Injection System is the most target specific, ecologically sound and effective solution for the eradication of Japanese Knotweed.

0845 643 1162 www.steminjectionsystems.com

1-Spald-ProLands-QtrPg-Sept.ps

As installed in the Olympic Village

EAR 1G0UAYRANTEE

PR AL OD L LA CE UC ND RT TS SC IFI IS AP CA O 9 E TE 00 D 1

Namgrass manufacture the highest quality, 100% european artificial grass products, all with a 10 year guarantee.

For information about our latest products call us on

01425 627832

or visit: www.namgrass.co.uk e: info@namgrass.co.uk

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Partner information

16:11

A RT SE R S P T N E M OW EPL ACE IO N A L M

Q U A L IT Y

R

13/8/12

A SS U R E D

F E SS IO FOR PRO

NEW for 2012!

SCAG RANGE -COMPLETE COMPLETE SCAG RANGE NOW FROM SPALDINGS! NOWAVAILABLE AVAILABLE PARTS NOW AVAILABLE -FULL FULLREPLACEMENT REPLACEMENT PARTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR HIGHWAY 3 &3 PARKWAY 3 FORRANSOMES RANSOMES HIGHWAY & PARKWAY 3 ASSUREDPARTS REPLACEMENT -NEW NEWQUALITY REPLACEMENT TO FIT PARTS TO FIT JOHN DEERE ROTARY MOWERS JOHN DEERE ROTARY MOWERS

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email: gcsales@spaldings.co.uk | www.spaldings.co.uk

Spaldings parts are designed and manufactured for Spaldings to exacting quality standards and are supplied to fit machines indicated and are not sold as genuine parts.*Free same day despatch on all stock items (orders before 5pm, mainland UK).

Minimum order value applies, please ask for details.

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Page

Latest Kit

GO AND SEE AT GLEE Lafarge Cement UK STAND NO: 4A14 Leading building materials manufacturer Lafarge will officially launch its latest packaging innovation – cement in plastic tubs. Lafarge is the first major cement manufacturer in the UK to produce some of its packed product range in resealable plastic tubs, which have been designed primarily with the landscaping market in mind. The tubs are an easy, cost-effective solution; they provide for transport and mixing for typical jobs such as brick walls, paths or quick concrete repairs. As well as its popular YouTube Channel and iPhone app, Lafarge will show its latest technological development – its DIY website – to visitors at GLEE. The new website features ‘how to videos as well as friendly, practical advice specifically aimed at customers using its packed product range.

WWW.LAFARGECEMENT.CO.UK

M&M Timber STAND NO: 4E14-F15 Leading garden and landscape products manufacturer M&M Timber is to introduce an innovative range of new products, aimed at giving garden centres and retailers a competitively priced volume product with added customer appeal. M&M Timber

Multidrum STAND NO: 5E61 Multidrum is a new company which has designed and patented a soil screener for use within the gardening and landscaping industry. It fills the gap between hand sieving and larger more expensive screeners. It can recycle unusable materials generated from small building projects around the home and remove stones and debris from flower beds and vegetable plots.

Designed to fit on to a

Draper Tools STAND NO: 5A02/5B03 Draper Tools will be exhibiting a comprehensive collection of hand and power tools for the home and garden, and showcasing the new Ground Buster, available exclusively from Draper. It breaks up concrete, rocks, solid clay, tree roots, and any hard ground with

Hall’s Rainsaver STAND NO: 5E64 Hall’s Rainsaver is a brand new and unique eco-friendly innovation designed to be ridiculously easy to fit to sheds, summerhouses and similar outbuildings to collect rainwater. Without tools, the hand-

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products have been showcased on ITV’s Love your Garden. At GLEE 2012, M&M Timber will be revealing its Gardeners Choice range, designed specifically for garden product retailers, and launching its Future of Outdoor Living concept. Selecting only the finest quality raw materials with FSC certification, all timbers are

treated to BS8417 and carry a 15-year in service guarantee against rot, fungal decay and attack from wood-boring insects.

WWW.MMTIMBER.CO.UK

conventional barrow mixer to reduce the cost of manufacture, which it does by utilising the barrow mixer’s motor and frame. The Multidrum Soil Screener can transform the quality of your topsoil and compost by removing stones and larger pieces of unwanted material; ideal for the nurseryman, landscapers and enthusiastic gardener. It fits on to a conventional barrow cement mixer and is ideal for recycling unusable soil from around the home.

WWW.MULTIDRUM.CO.UK

its heavy duty carbon steel construction with a hardened chisel point. An internal sliding weight has been built into the shaft to give a secondary impact which helps prevent body jarring and bounce back recoil. The Ground Buster is designed for use where there’s no power supply.

WWW.DRAPER.CO.UK

fit gutter kit is installed in seconds and fits practically any shed out of the box. The patent pending bracket design is the key to the solution, enabling the gutter to clamp directly to the edge of the roof where the water naturally falls. The gutter is movable,

which enables more water saving as multiple containers can be filled up individually without any plumbing. And since the water is in the garden, it is best placed for use compared with other solutions.

WWW.HALLSRAINSAVER.COM

September 2012

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Trending

Pro Landscaper takes a look at what’s different this month.

Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and Other Beneficial Insects is a new how-to guide by Jan Miller-Klein for gardeners at every level. The aims of this book are simple: to show you how to encourage all types of butterflies into the garden, alongside other important pollinators. While the aim is straightforward the book itself is hugely detailed and thorough and covers everything from caterpillar-friendly food-plants, to meticulous plans for making different habitat areas in the garden. There is a vast section which helps with distinguishing different butterflies and bees, and a season-to-season guide of what will flower when, and the wildlife they will attract. Filled with numerous stunning colourful photographs, this book offers practical and informative advice and is a joy to read. www.7wells.co.uk

Urban beekeeping is going from strength to strength, and it is no longer necessary to live in the countryside or have a huge garden if you want to help our struggling honeybee population, as well as getting fresh delicious honey. There are even websites set up for urban beekeepers to interact and share knowledge. Want to be an urban beekeeper? How about this Beehaus, specifically designed for keeping bees in a small garden or rooftop? The Beehaus uses deep national frames so the whole colony can live in a single brood box – protected, insulated and ventilated. Thus providing a safe and modern home for happy bees. www.omlet.co.uk

This stunning new gas fire table was developed

by Prestigious Fires in the UK for the European market and has just been launched at the Tatton Park show. The table is designed to create a stunning focal point around which people can gather and socialise. In the evenings, the fire table emits heat and washes the surrounding area in a warm glow. The table is made from stainless steel and granite. There are two models available, one comes with a draw for storage and space for an ice bucket. Custom options are available for the Bahama and fire tables.

This October London’s Garden Museum will host the founders of New York City’s High Line for a three-day symposium on the design of urban green spaces. It is scheduled for 5-8 October and is the first time the High Line founders will be speaking about their project outside the USA. The symposium will look at the High Line in depth as a case study while stimulating ideas and activity in London on intelligent and engaging design of green spaces with best use of existing green infrastructure. An open ideas competition has also been launched for imaginative new places to enrich London’s green infrastructure.

The winner will be announced at the symposium.

www.gardenmuseum.org.uk

www.prestigiousfires.co.uk

Touchwood Too is a family-run business based in the south-east of England who offer a large range of unique Decorative Plant Supporters and trainers, there are many

unusual designs that are functional and also enhance the appearance as plants grow over the product. Designed and produced in the UK from rust-proof and rot-proof materials, each design has been tested in Touchwood Too’s coastal wind-battered garden, but the products are also suitable for the home and office. Can be used on most pot plants, climbers and even orchids to add a touch of creativity and elegance; the imagination is the limit. There is no minimum order and delivery is free of charge.

www.plantsupportproducts.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Trading with...

Etesia’s ET mower is fully automated

TRADING WITH…

ETESIA UK General Manager Les Malin tells Pro Landscaper about the ethos, products and future plans of the company Give us a brief outline of your company…

Etesia UK was started in 1995 with only one walk-behind and one ride-on machine and has grown rapidly. The company now offers a wide range of ride-on and walk-behind mowers as well as the awesome Attila range of brush cutters. In 2010, Etesia UK became exclusive UK and Eire distributors for the complete range of Pellenc Lithium-ion battery powered equipment consisting of pole saws, chainsaws, brush cutter/strimmer, blower, hedgecutters and pruning shears.

What is the ethos of the company?

To develop mowers that cut and collect in the worst of conditions and concentrate on niche products which are not currently mass produced.

What is the structure of the company? ● Research, design and manufacture in France with a workforce of 130. ● The UK team, consisting of General Manager, admin, after-sales, and a professional team of demonstrator/salesmen. ● The marketing team, which includes the use of Fusion Media (Europe).

What is your route to market? Do you have a network of dealers?

We have dealer networks for Etesia and The Pellenc hedgecutter and Ultra Lithium battery

Pellenc, and will be setting up a third one for ETmower robotic mowers. We always seek new dealers.

How important is the landscape contractor to your business?

We see this sector as extremely important to the success of our business. Our wide range of machinery and equipment can service jobs for landscape contractors of all capabilities.

What additional support do you offer the landscape contractors?

Contractors can contact us directly over technical issues; we often answer questions late into the evening when the contractors’ working day has finished.

Do you expect business turnover to increase, decrease or stay the same?

Over the past 12 months we have actually seen an increase in sales. This is a result of new products being launched, as well as our reputation for equipment that lasts.

Are you planning to increase your rates?

The answer should be yes, as both the yen and dollar have been hit hard, but because the product comes via our French company the Euro exchange has been kind lately, so we are trying hard not to.

Where are your products manufactured?

Apart from the Attila range of brush cutters, all Etesia products are home produced. Pedestrian mowers from our parent company Outils Wolf and the ride-ons in our own factory, as well as the Pellenc range are produced in France.

Have you got any new products planned?

We will shortly be launching four new pedestrian machines as we continually expand our range.

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

What will you be doing for the rest of 2012 to remain competitive?

Promoting the products that make us unique: four-wheel drive options on all the big ride-on’s and Pellenc professional battery tools.

Are you introducing any more customer loyalty schemes?

We are currently running a promotion to find the oldest working Hydro100 – the winner will recieve a brand new machine. We have machines coming forward that were manufactured in the early 1990s which are still being used regularly.

How do you market your company?

Fusion Media (Europe) handle all of our marketing and advertising needs. We focus on continually demonstrating our products and have also just employed an in-house marketing professional.

Why do landscapers choose your brand over your competitors?

Our machines have a reputation for doing exactly what we say they do – cut and collect in the worst weather conditions, and do so season after season with very low repair bills.

How do you ensure that the contractor using your product is safe?

As well as following all the EEC guidelines rigidly, we also tend to go over and above the regulations in order to make our machines even safer for both the operator and observers/ passers-by.

Which exhibitions will you be attending this year?

We have signed up for Grand designs 2012, and are also looking at exhibiting at the new Futurescape exhibition in November.

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Think SnowEx for snow and ice control!

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Cornish Landscaping Granite www.cornishlandscapinggranite.co.uk Phone 01329 285825 supplying a unique range of sculptured feature boulders

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People

THE

LITTLE INTERVIEW PAUL CLARKE Commercial Manager, HFN Landscapes www.hfnlandscapes.co.uk What would you say is the best thing about your job?

Seeing the whole project through to completion.

Challenges ahead in your work?

With the current trading position it is pleasing to see such a large number of tenders arriving at HFN. Then we must ensure we win our share of these projects.

PAUL HENSEY

A small insight into the world of other professionals from our wide and varied industry. If you’d like to appear in a future issue please email enquiries to lisa.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk How is the bulk of your work made up?

Checking for project leads, obtaining pre-qualification or tender packages, and submission to the client within their deadline.

Your company’s plans for the next five years…

To grow the business in all areas of hard and soft landscape provision and our minor civils works.

How do you remain competitive?

It is important to keep in touch with clients post tender submission – and to understand why the

my ideas are built; the thrill and responsibility makes every project exciting.

Paul Hensey Ltd www.paulhensey.com What would you say is the best thing about your job?

The people you meet, with an equal or greater passion for what they do, it’s always time well spent in inspiring company.

What made you want to get into the industry?

In garden, rather than commercial design most of

How is the bulk of your work made up?

Lecturing and workshops 20%, designing gardens 60%, writing articles and books 20%.

Current trends in the market?

Using preloved materials and found objects in gardens; it adds personality and depth and can throw up some exciting juxtapositions.

How do you remain competitive?

Treat clients as you’d expect to be treated yourself.

tender was lost, by how much and to whom.

Favourite film and TV shows…

The West Wing.

One thing you want to do before you’re too old?

A road trip – New York to San Francisco.

Your proudest achievement?

Completing the landscape work on the Armed Forces Memorial at Alrewas. The walls covered with nearly 16,000 names bought home the sacrifice made on our behalf.

Who are you inspired by?

The Ukranian artist Sergei Sviatchenko. And the gardens of Fernando Caruncho are sublime.

Countryside or seaside?

Countryside – I don’t like seagulls.

Favourite song?

Easy (Like Sunday Morning), The Commodores.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter?

Summer: life seems easier with long evenings and eating outside.

DIARY SEPTEMBER 4–5 Four Oaks Trade Show Macclesfield, Cheshire www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com 4–6 IOG Saltex, Windsor Racecourse, Berkshire www.iog.org/shows-and-events/ iog-saltex 12 Treebox/Living Walls Workshop, Wyevale East Nurseries, Swanley, Kent www.wyevale-east.co.uk

17–19 Glee, NEC Birmingham www.gleebirmingham.com 29–30 RHS Malvern Autumn Show, Malvern Showground, Worcestershire WR13 6NW www.rhs.org.uk OCTOBER 9–10 HTA Garden Futures Conference, One Great George Street, London www.the-hta.org.uk

17 APL Autumn Networking Event, Wyevale East Nurseries, Swanley, Kent www.landscaper.org.uk 24 BALI, North & South Thames Autumn Networking Event, Wyevale East Nurseries, Swanley, Kent.

Contact: dawn.baker@bali.org.uk

20 Pro Landscaper presents FutureScape, Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury On Thames, Middlesex TW16 5AQ www.futurescapeevent.com

NOVEMBER 10 SGD Autumn Conference, Imperial College London www.sgd.org.uk

YOUR EVENT If you have a diary event you wish to publicise, email details to the editor: lisa.wilkinson@pro-landscaper.co.uk www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

September 2012

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New 1026R One Tractor. Many Possibilities.

Attach a brush or blade to the front using the John Deere Quick Hitch.

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The 1026R is as versatile as you want it to be.

Now add 4-Wheel Drive, Power Steering and a deluxe suspension seat. So while it’s doing the hard work, you can enjoy the ride.

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15.02.2012 18:04:50 Uhr