5 minute read
Award-winning landscape
Photo credit: Stephanie Trowell
Photo credit: Tom Stuart-Smith
Award-winning landscape architect and garden designer, Tom Stuart-Smith launches brand new course on how to design and create your perfect pastoral paradise.
Gardening experts and enthusiasts can benefit from Tom’s encyclopaedic knowledge and personal experience in this how to guide; Design and create your dream country garden. Speaking on the launch of the course, the eight-time Chelsea Gold medallist said:
“Creating a country garden may seem like a daunting task but it is the most rewarding journey to undertake. I have drawn on my own experiences for this course, with both my garden and others that I’ve designed, to give an introduction that I hope is personal but also quite applicable to the challenge you might face with your own project.” During this 4-part course, students will learn the core principles of garden design and how to apply them, and enjoy unprecedented access into Tom’s process from some of his world-renowned projects, including the stunning transformation of his own garden, from agricultural wasteland into the spectacular oasis that exists today.
Photo credit: Tom Stuart-Smith
With the support of tutor Tom and his team, students will be placed into a cohort of up to 20 people in which they can chat and swap ideas with fellow classmates, study from videos and download notes.
Students will also have the opportunity to ask Tom any questions they may have along the way as well as receiving detailed feedback on their garden plans. By the end of this course, students will have designed a stunning garden which suits the mood and character of their own landscape.
CEO of Learning with Experts, Elspeth Briscoe, has an in depth understanding of human online networks from running the community teams at eBay in the early days, and having been part of the senior management teams at Skype and The Digital Guardian.
She said: “We curated Tom’s course to appeal to the design student
Photo credit: Tom Stuart-Smith
and enthusiastic gardener who may be wanting to get to grips with personalising their outdoor space. Tom’s talent and style is globally recognised and we’re delighted to welcome him to our team of experts.
We’ve seen a fivefold increase in demand for our online gardening courses compared to this time last year and have responded quickly to the current situation. We’ve quickly pivoted to remote filming, making sure our crew and experts remain safe and continue to deliver quality content to illustrate our courses.” The Learning with Experts production team, who draw on skills as former news broadcasters and producers, are using sophisticated software to carry out high production value filming, completely remotely when needed.
Tom’s course launches on the 27th July and the price of the course starts from £29.
To find out more about Tom’s course and to sign up, visit: www.learningwithexperts.com/ gardening/courses/design-andcreate-your-dream-country-gardenwith-tom-stuart-smith
LATHAMS, HELPING LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS BRING IDEAS TO LIFE
Garnica Plywood Bench
First importing timber into Liverpool in 1757, James Latham have always been seen as innovators, and that’s as true today as it’s ever been.
With a number of surprising product ranges for landscapers, this spirit of innovation continues.
With their heart still in sustainably sourced timber and panels, and a solid market in railway sleepers, treated timber and other, more commonplace landscaper’s favourites, the business has embraced the arrival of modified timber products such as Accoya® wood and MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME® MDF. Both of these products have been treated via a natural process called acetylation, enabling the manufacturer to offer a warranty of 50 years when used outdoors (and even 25 years when in contact with the ground!).
Other products such as Garnica Duraply offer a new take on external plywood, boasting warranties of up to 15 years. Modified products such as these are perfect when decking and cladding or when planters or structures are required in landscape schemes, providing endless opportunities for creative solutions that were never feasible before.
When it comes to surprising with sought-after finishes, Lathams have also stolen another innovative march, having been appoint a main distributor for the widely coveted Shou Sugi Ban range of charred timber cladding and panels. The aesthetics of these strikingly attractive products have been widely celebrated in our sector, but the source of the products is little known. The ancient Japanese art of charring timber isn’t just about aesthetics though. The process allows the timber to release resins that shed water and prolong the life of the substrate. When applied to the modified timbers discussed previously, the effect and longevity is simply stunning.
All of these, however advanced, still fit quite comfortably into most people’s perceptions of Lathams as a high quality, forward thinking timber supplier. The real surprise comes when you start to look into the decorative solid surfaces the business has embraced in recent years.
Providing a new direction for the company and a whole new option for garden furniture, outdoor kitchens and more, thermoformable, stain resistant products such as LG HI-MACS® natural acrylic stone and the Aristech Avonite® and STUDIO® collections, provide a wide-range of finishes and textures. Ranging from masonry effects such as concrete, marble and stone, through to translucent, metallic and geometric patterns, all look spectacular on their own or even better when lit from within at night; the cool feel and smooth, polished appearance making for a beautiful, tactile finish that is crying out for creativity and experimentation.
