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SM A RTER P L A N T SELECTION
Why Irish designers should be making more of Irish nurseries It’s a problem as old as our sector, a divide between those that grow plants and those that specify plants. We’ve talked about it before in these pages, attempted to tease out the problems and forge better relationships between the various parties involved in the creation of gardens and landscapes in Ireland. We’ve not been successful in our endeavours and despite some excellent examples of best practice relationships between growers and specifiers, generally speaking the problems persist. Not to be defeated, we have decided to include a two-part article with views from each camp. In this first part we asked several high-profile nursery operators to state how they think designers should be better using the services and products they have on offer. In the next issue we will ask the specifying community how nurseries can better engage with them. Many thanks to those who took the time to contribute.
E AR L Y E N GAGE M E N T P R O D U C E S B E T T E R R E SU L T S J O H N M U R P H Y , AN N AV E I GH P L AN T S
As a group, Architects and designers generally wish to push out the bounds of landscape fashion. Unfortunately in most cases, this doesn’t suit the Irish nurseries. The overall market in Ireland is small and due to economies of scale, nurseries must concentrate their production on those items that sell in numbers. Whilst we have some specialised nurseries the numbers produced are generally small and get used up very quickly. So how do the designers make more of Irish nurseries? Obviously, the first advice I would give is to visit the nurseries and see what is on offer. Progressive growers will always have something new and we often see our plants appearing in specifications after visits. Crops vary widely in quality and it’s often beneficial to know who has the best products and specify from these. Visiting nurseries and meeting the people will give you a better concept of what they can or cannot offer. Also, try to visit projects the nursery has supplied to be sure they are up to the task. Involve the nurseries from the beginning of the concept. Recently we have been working with a landscape firm who always push out the boundaries when it comes to plants. I was having difficulty finding some of the stock and spoke to the Architect and received a concept drawing of the project. Immediately I understood what they were looking for and was able to recommend alternatives for the difficult to find items. The Architect was happy and we got to use more of our
product. I sourced the rest of it overseas. Many Architects and designers now send us the proposed bill of quantities prior to the tender stage, asking us to check availability of the plants and sizes specified and to suggest alternatives if supply is a problem. This is where a good relationship with the nursery is important. It would be very easy for us to say this and that are not available and to try to push what we grow. If a nursery is going to be any good for the Architect or designer then the sales people must have a truly universal understanding of plant supply. They need to have a complete knowledge of the European market and know the best nurseries and use their knowledge to find the most obscure requests. Often the nurseries are seen as just another supplier into most developments but involving them from the start of a project can have a big influence on the outcome. During the last three years we have been involved in major and complex projects such as Adare Manor Hotel, No.1 Ballsbridge and the restoration of the gardens in Hillsborough Castle. In many cases we were brought on board by the landscape contractors from the start and through this developed a relationship with the Landscape Architects. The result was that the contractor was happy to let us deal direct with the Architect and sort out any supply problems and source material for the projects as they evolved. We also organised and handled the overseas nursery visits, leaving the contractor free to get on with the job. In a simpler way, most nurseries have vast knowledge of what will grow and not grow in demanding sites. We are often
Spring 2018 / www.horticultureconnected.ie /
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