BALI Landscape News Winter 2017

THE THE OFFICIAL OFFICIAL JOURNAL JOURNAL OFOF THE THE BRITISH BRITISH ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OFOF LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES INDUSTRIES

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WINTER

2017

Use this button throughout to visit advertiser websites IN TE R AC T I V E ISSUE

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Meet the new BALI board directors LATEST NEWS

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GoLandscape Ambassadors TRAINING & TECHNICAL

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BALI National Landscape Awards Review

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2018 Events Calendar

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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME

Dear member

Is it me or has 2017 been the year that’s flown by the quickest? It only seems like a few months ago that I was elected your National Chairman and now I’m into my second year of office, with Christmas again around the corner.

So to 2017, and again we are reflecting on a very productive year for the landscape sector, helped, as in 2016, by the best autumn weather I can remember. The majority of our members are also reporting even stronger order books than twelve months ago, which is great to hear.

I was delighted to attend and speak at FutureScape in November. This is a really fantastic industry networking event packed with seminars and quality exhibitors from across the sector, many of them BALI members. Jim, Lisa and all at BALI Affiliate member Eljays44 should be applauded for their vision and effort in setting up the show. I recall attending the first FutureScape in 2012 and it’s certainly grown greatly over the past five years.

Another pleasing factor was the number of ‘young’ people attending the event. It was great to see and meet several talented individuals who are joining our great industry, some of whom were amongst ProLandscaper’s ‘30 under 30’. I look forward to the day when we see future holders of this accolade having come through the GoLandscape route.

The industry event of the year has just taken place - and what a showcase it was! The 41st BALI National Landscape Awards at Grosvenor House, London, were the best attended ever.

For the first time in the Awards’ history the SOLD OUT signs were up in November and on the day over 1,000 industry professionals and guests enjoyed a fantastic Awards luncheon and presentation. The standard of schemes submitted was exceptional and I am delighted to say that, once again, we at Oak View Landscapes were thrilled to be amongst the Principal Award winners. The spin-offs of winning a BALI Award from a promotional and marketing perspective are immense and the impact on staff morale, retention and future recruitment should not be underestimated either.

So, to all winners - make sure you promote your fantastic achievements and take advantage of all the marketing opportunities out there.

As the year draws to a close I’m looking forward to meeting as many members as possible whilst doing the rounds with my Vice Chairman Matt O’Conner and Wayne Grills at the regional AGMs throughout the first months of 2018.

Finally, may I wish you, your staff and your families a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Best wishes.

New members as at 17.11.2017 Full Contracting South Thames The Landscaping Consultants Ltd Limegate Ltd The Helyers Group Yorkshire & North East Geo Green Solutions Ltd North Thames Ambassador Services Limited Midlands Three Shires Ltd

Registered Affiliate North Thames Aubrilam Vectorworks UK Ltd

Midlands Wooden Supplies Everedge East Anglia The Garden Trellis Company Ltd

Registered Designer South Thames Andrea Newill (MBALI, MSGD)

Associate Designer

Training Provider South Thames Wisteria Landscapes

Revoked Members Apis Solutions Hambrook Landscapes Ltd Jack Dunckley Landscape Design Lateral Design Studio Peter Farnley Garden Services

North Thames Waldinei Carneiro Midlands Sarah Giles Chris Cooper-Hayes

Paul Downer BALI National Chairman

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CONTENTS Visit website

Welcome

GARDEN STRUCTURES ARCHES • PERGOLAS • OBELISKS FRUIT CAGES • RAISED BEDS & PLANTERS FLOWER SUPPORTS • FENCING • GATES

I am writing this in the warm afterglow of the 41st BALI National Landscape Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House – and what an event it was! For some who attended, it’s a fixed event in their annual calendar and a great way of bringing their working year to an uplifting close. For others it’s more a case of “it’s one of those things you have to do, just once, to experience it”. Either way, it is a great experience and makes you very proud to be involved in this wonderful industry. A review of this year’s event can be found on pages 28-32. If you weren’t there, perhaps it will encourage you to come in 2018 – just once, to experience it for yourself!

I hope you’ll forgive me here but I wanted to thank all those wonderful BALI members who sponsored me for the Royal Parks Half Marathon, which I should have run on behalf of Perennial in October 2016.

You raised an amazing £1,328.75! As my sponsors know, at the eleventh hour and entirely unexpectedly, I had to have surgery and was unable to run. Well, on 8th October this year I eventually completed my side of the bargain, running in a Perennial vest and finishing the 2017 Royal Parks Half Marathon in 2 hours 18 minutes! Hoorah!!

I even beat Radio 2’s Chris Evans by 4 minutes and he’s ten years younger than me; it doesn’t get much better than that!

Editor Denise Ewbank BALI, Landscape House Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG T: 02476 690333 F: 02476 690077 Editorial and News releases ubiquita@btinternet.com Copy date for Spring 2018 edition Friday, 9th February

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Winter 2017

CONTENTS

6

Quarterly Update

28

BALI Awards 2017

8

Latest News

36

Designer Focus

Contractor News

37

Events

42

Product & Affiliate News

13 20

Training & Technical

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QUARTERLY UPDATE

2017 BALI Awards - a sell out!

It’s always a pleasure and an honour to showcase our members’ outstanding professional achievements at the BALI National Landscape Awards. The entries this year once again demonstrated how important it is to use skilled professionals, whether for a small domestic garden project or a large grounds maintenance contract.

The sell-out audience of over 1,000 guests at the Awards ceremony certainly witnessed for themselves the constantly improving quality and service delivery that only BALI members offer and achieve.

raised; I am delighted to say that 2017 has been no exception.

The entire Awards process has again been very capably co-ordinated and project managed by Kirsty Wood and Emily Feeney from Landscape House. It is their commitment that ensures the BALI Awards – the most prestigious in the industry – run smoothly and are successful year on year.

In this the 41st year of the BALI National Landscape Awards, there was an increase in overall entries and in the number of new entrants, with a similar number of winning schemes to last year. Those who attended will, I’m sure, agree it was a tremendous industry event and I would like to congratulate all National Award winners and those presented on the day with Principal and Special Awards and the coveted Grand Award.

I would like to express our very sincere gratitude to Greg Allen, our Chairman of the Adjudication Panel, and his panel of industry experts for their professional commitment to the task of selecting this year’s award winners. They have judged one hundred and fifteen entries at locations across the country and given time to detailed desk studies of all the international projects received and the Employer Excellence and Affiliate Exceptional Service entries. They undertake an enormous amount of work on our behalf to maintain the reputation and integrity of the BALI Awards. Each year the benchmark of excellence is

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You may have seen recently that we are searching for additional judges to join Greg and his team. This will help to ease the load as the number of entries increase year on year. We look forward to welcoming some new members to the panel.

Member engagement BALI surveys – your opportunity to make a difference!

Periodically BALI sends out surveys to members on a range of industry-related subject matter to obtain your very valuable opinions. Surveys only work, however, if we can maximise responses.

With this in mind, we reduced the length of the membership survey sent out recently and I would like to thank those of you who took the time to respond to this - watch out for the announcement regarding the winner of the hamper!

We will be conducting another ‘State of Trade’ survey in the spring to establish a better feeling for the economic climate and what issues BALI members and the industry in general are facing.

Last time we ran this survey we covered areas such as interim/staged payments; numbers of staff on your

Winter 2017

workforce; business enquiries; training requirements and predicted needs; skills you currently have in your business and skills you will need in future, and many more useful data sets that will help you run and benchmark your business. If you didn’t take part in this survey last time around, I urge you to ensure that you take part in the next one. We know your time is precious, and we don’t ask for it without thinking carefully first.

Anecdotally, members have continued to report that, whilst 2017 has been another busy year work-wise, there is an air of caution in the commercial market where the number of projects and schemes coming forward has reduced. Your responses to the ‘State of Trade’ survey will feed into the BALI business plan, helping us to better serve BALI members and to lobby government ministers on your behalf. Believe me it’s quite powerful to be able to quote statistics or specific evidence from our members’ feedback when dealing with parliamentarians at Westminster and in the devolved governments, rather than talking about gut feeling from discussions. We may also run mini surveys, possibly through the e-newsletter or website, to gain timely responses to certain issues. Again, please do take a few moments to take part and help us build up an accurate picture of our industry.

I hope this gives you an idea of how we use your feedback and the vital role it plays in making sure all our Landscape House staff focus on you, our members.

If you want to know more about our surveys, or have a suggestion for us, please email contact@bali.org.uk.

GoLandscape needs you!

BALI’s Stephen Ensell with college landscape students.

BALI’s Education Officer, Stephen Ensell, is GoLandscape’s full time ‘champion’ and he is on a mission to recruit GoLandscape Ambassadors to help take the message out to schools, colleges and career changers.

Read his article on page 20 of this edition of Landscape News and think about volunteering as an ambassador – whether you’re a landscaper, garden designer or landscape architect, company director, supplier or a training provider – we need you to help us spread the word and shout about all the great things our industry has to offer, especially the range of jobs that we have vacant in our industry.

Wayne Grills, Rebecca Pow MP, Rt Hon Anne Milton MP, Denise Ewbank

Lobbying our parliamentarians

and workforce recruitment through our GoLandscape initiative.

It’s taken almost 18 months but on Tuesday 5th December, accompanied

by BALI’s PR Manager Denise Ewbank, I had a meeting with Skills and Apprenticeships Minister The Rt Hon Anne Milton MP in her office in Westminster. As it turned out, the timing was perfect.

The Minister was very impressed with GoLandscape and what BALI, as an industry body, was doing to help its members and, indeed, the wider industry. We discussed with her ways in which GoLandscape could develop its contacts with the Careers & Enterprise Company and the National Careers Service, and gained her support to approach the Institute for Apprenticeships over the withdrawal of funding for elements of the employer-led Trailblazer Apprenticeships that our members consider a crucial part of training new entrants to the industry.

Facilitated by the APPGHG and

by Rebecca Pow MP, Member for Taunton Deane, who also attended, the meeting followed the launch on the previous day of the Government’s Careers Strategy at the Careers and Development Institute’s Annual Conference. This document, which we had to absorb fairly quickly on our way to meet the Minister, addressed several of the issues BALI had planned to raise with her and which formed part of our detailed briefing note supplied to her in advance. In the event, we were able to explain to the Minister in some detail the size and nature of the landscape sector, BALI’s position as the UK’s leading trade body for landscaping, and our work to try and address the skills shortage

As you will hopefully be aware, BALI’s GoLandscape initiative is an outreach programme to encourage people to join the landscaping industry and see our industry as a credible career pathway to achieving their individual career goals. Ours is a great industry with something for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or on a mission to be a successful entrepreneur, or a senior executive in a large multinational landscaping company.

I believe, whilst she remains in post, the Minister is a strong and effective ally to have on our industry’s side and we have agreed to keep her office informed of our progress with GoLandscape and our efforts to get the Institute for Apprenticeships to re-visit their funding criteria. I will, of course, keep you informed of progress but be assured that BALI is now well and truly on the Government’s radar.

The Careers Strategy document can be downloaded from the gov.uk website at gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664319/ careers_strategy.pdf

BALI regional AGMs 2018 We are, of course, fast approaching the end of the calendar year when we start to think about getting the regional AGMs into the diary. Please watch out for information on the date and location of your own regional AGM; these are usually great days with a variety of things happening, from guest speakers and product demonstrations, to college open days and social and networking events.

You can hear directly from board members (myself and the Chairman or Vice Chairman) on developments within BALI and across the wider industry, and meet other BALI members and Landscape House staff. Again, this is an excellent opportunity to network with suppliers, contractors and garden designers, all under one roof!

And once you’ve attended your AGM and made contact with other regional members there’s no excuse not to attend other events in your region, which bring many business benefits. I look forward to seeing good attendances at all our regional AGMs and to meeting as many members as possible.

Finally, on behalf of the Landscape House team, may I wish you and your families a happy festive season and your business every success in 2018, in which I hope BALI can play a part.

Kind regards.

Wayne Grills CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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LATEST NEWS

Meet our newest BALI board directors

Marian Boswall, MBALI MSGD

Rosemary Coldstream, MBALI MSGD

Marian Boswall

Rosemary Coldstream

Marian joins the BALI board with a wealth of talent and experience. A leading landscape architect, she established her award-winning studio in 2004. It has built a reputation for creating beautiful spaces in both the private and public realm and often in historic settings.

After 10 years in the fashion industry Rosemary set up her company in 2006 whilst in her final year of study at Capel Manor. Since then it has expanded from working on small local Hertfordshire gardens to designing extensive gardens in the country and exclusive inner-city courtyards, both in London and across the southeast. The company specialises in designs with a contemporary edge, from modern properties to refurbishing older established gardens with a more contemporary spin. A lot of emphasis is placed on creating well designed gardens where the hard landscaping works together with the planting to create spaces that provide pleasure for clients. Rosemary has won several awards with BALI and the SGD.

Marian’s career began at Marks and Spencer and then as an international management consultant at AT Kearney (she has an MA in Modern Languages from Oxford University).

She later left the City and retrained in horticulture, garden design, garden history and landscape design, before doing a Masters in Landscape Architecture and setting up her practice. She was a visiting lecturer at Greenwich University for five years and valued the time as a maelstrom of creative energy and output.

Her studio – a Registered Practice member of the SGD - undertakes a mix of projects, from private estates and gardens to urbanbased design, and has won several awards.

In addition to featuring at the SGD and APL Awards, the studio scooped the prestigious Sussex Heritage Award for Landscape.

She advises on historic estates including Chevening, Hole Park, and St Clere, and is on the Board of the Blackthorn Trust. Recent clients include the Charleston Centenary project and the Watts Gallery Artists’ Village.

Marian was delighted to be voted onto the BALI board: “My studio’s key strengths lie in excellent design, drawings, process management and, key to everything, listening. I am looking forward to sharing ideas and knowledge and to working with some of the best people in the best of all sectors.”

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After 11 years in the business Rosemary is now looking forward to giving something back by encouraging and supporting other designers. Her experience of setting up her own business from scratch and growing it into a successful company, and as a ‘change of career’ designer, puts her in a good position to understand the needs of designers within the industry.

Rosemary and Marian are planning to set up Designer Forum days with relevant topics to inform and improve designers’ knowledge and skillsets. These are invaluable for professional development but also great networking opportunities. There will be joint designer and contractor forum days in order to bring together similar businesses to share knowledge and ideas.

Rosemary commented: “BALI is committed to promoting professionalism within the landscape industry and I am thrilled to be appointed to the BALI board. My aim is to encourage more designers to become members and support them on each stage of the journey to accreditation. On a wider spectrum I want to promote the professional landscape design industry to the public, continuing BALI’s great work in getting the public to understand the value our industry adds to the economy and the country.”

LATEST NEWS

BALI LISS/CSCS cards get smarter Having successfully administered the LISS/CSCS skills card scheme since its launch in 2011, BALI has announced its adoption of Go Smart and SkillSight, developed by Reference Point, to further enhance the scheme.

LISS/CSCS is a recognised Partner Card Scheme for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).

The new app can be easily downloaded to Android and Windows smartphone and tablet devices, as well as Windows Desktop, and gives access to the training records and qualifications recorded on LISS/CSCS smartcards. The suite of Go Smart applications links to SkillSight, an online training management system developed by Reference Point, which connects training records to individual smartcards. By combining data stored on someone’s card with data stored in SkillSight, a cardholder’s identity, qualifications, training history and health and safety training can be obtained by reading their card with Go Smart.

Within the Go Smart app, core qualifications that have been recognised

by LISS/CSCS will be stored on the card under a ‘Core Data’ tab. This core data will include all the relevant information that has been entered and approved

by BALI to award that person the LISS/ CSCS card. Any additional qualifications that have been entered into SkillSight by an organisation will appear under a separate ‘SkillSight’ tab and will show who has entered them, with a link to that organisation’s website.

BALI’s Chief Executive, Wayne Grills, commented: “By combining the power and ingenuity of SkillSight with Go Smart, BALI’s LISS/ CSCS smartcards can now store the cardholder’s training and qualification data, which can be accessed with little effort by site managers at construction site entrances, ensuring they are qualified for the job they do on site. This can also help eradicate counterfeit cards that may have entered the chain.

“For smaller companies this news will come as a welcome relief as they no longer need to invest in internal training databases, saving on resource, as SkillSight and Go Smart provide that technology for them.”

The core functionality offered by SkillSight remains free of charge, with optional, paid-for add-ons launching next year, along with possible plans to launch support for Apple iPhone and MAC users who utilise the Safari browser.

LISS/CSCS helps support and promote specialist areas of work in landscape and maintenance, arboriculture, pesticides, ecology and environmental management, amenity, countryside management and modular paving. If you are a LISS/CSCS cardholder you can register online, free of charge, by visiting skillsight.co.uk, where you will also find more information.

Glyphosate licence renewed for a further five years Following months of debate and uncertainty amongst EU member states, a qualified majority in favour of the proposal by the European Commission to renew the approval of glyphosate for a period of five years was reached by the Appeal Committee on 27th November.

Some modifications were made to the draft Implementing Regulation during the meeting.

The votes were 18 in favour, 9 against and 1 abstention. Germany was key to the change in fortune for glyphosate – in contrast to previous meetings they voted in favour of the extension.

The decision has received a mixed response from stakeholders. Many commercial users of glyphosate, as well as the manufacturer, Monsanto, criticised the relatively short extension, which is significantly less than the 15 years originally proposed by the EU Commission. In contrast, those against the extension warned of environmental and health risks arising from continued use. To date, the European Commission has not released any restrictions of use for the extension of glyphosate but BALI will keep members informed as and when further details are released.

Image courtesy of Bawden Contracting Services

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LATEST NEWS ??

European Year of Greener Cities 2020

Bringing nature into the urban environment Emmanuel Mony, president of the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA), has signed a letter to the European institutions to launch the initiative for a ‘European Year of Greener Cities 2020’.

Scotland’s parks and greenspace in decline The 2017 Greenspace Use and Attitude survey, published by the charity greenspace scotland on 6th November, shows a continuing downward trend in the deteriorating quality of Scotland’s parks and greenspaces. Whilst the survey confirms that over 90% of urban Scots believe it is important to have greenspace in their local area, the continuing decline in the quality of Scotland’s parks and greenspaces means that fewer people are using them regularly.

40% of people agreed or agreed strongly that the quality of their local greenspace has reduced in the last five years (up from 33% in 2011) and this figure rises to 50% for people living in the more deprived areas (up from 35% in 2011). From a peak, in 2009, when nearly twothirds (63%) of urban Scots used their local greenspace once a week or more often, frequency of use and quality ratings have fallen steadily, with less than half (43%) of respondents visiting their local greenspace weekly in 2017. This is the lowest figure since the survey first started in 2004 and closely mirrors cuts in local authority budgets. Benchmarking data from the Improvement Service shows

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that annual expenditure by Scottish Councils on parks and greenspace has fallen from £190 million in 2010/11 to £167 million in 2014/15.

Julie Procter, Chief Executive of greenspace scotland said: “Cost savings on Council parks budgets over the last five years of less than the cost of one mile of new motorway - or equivalent to less than the cost of one cinema ticket per year, per person in Scotland - have had far-reaching and unintended consequences on the condition of our greenspace.

Even more worrying is how this has impacted to reduce our use of parks and greenspaces.”

The survey found that local greenspaces continue to fall short of people’s expectations for them to be good places for children to play, safe spaces for physical activity, and somewhere to relax and unwind. There is a ‘gap’ of around 30 percentage points between expectations and local realities. greenspace scotland’s full report on the survey can be found at: greenspacescotland.org.uk/ greenspace-survey-2017

Winter 2017

Today 72% of the European population lives in cities, towns and suburbs, and the share of the urban population continues to grow. Whilst bringing nature into cities and greening neighbourhoods is still underutilised as a tool to increase the quality of life for European citizens, many cities and towns are already making an effort to make their environment greener and more liveable.

“It is of utmost importance to increase the awareness and knowledge of green infrastructure amongst the politicians and officials, both in the EU institutions and in the member states, and to gain their commitment to further the goals of the initiative” explained Emmanuel Mony.

The purpose of the Year of Greener Cities 2020 is to connect and unite all of those existing projects, share best practice and create momentum for the overall agenda at local, national and EU levels. The project proposal covers all aspects and benefits of greener cities, with health, accessibility, attractiveness and value to the economy of great importance in the proposal alongside climate and nature.

The project has been initiated by the chairman of ELCA’s Committee of Firms, Henrik Bos: “It is increasingly important to look ahead and develop a vision of the cities of tomorrow where green infrastructure plays a crucial role.” elca.info

Chairman of the ELCA Committee of Firms, Henrik Bos (left) and President of ELCA, Emmanuel Mony

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LATEST NEWS

Young Horticulturist of the Year competition 2018 Entries are now open for the 2018 Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, with the opportunity to win a £2,500 travel bursary from the Shropshire Horticultural Society’s Percy Thrower Trust.

Open to any young horticulturists under the age of 30 on July 31st 2018, the competition’s first round of heats will be held at various locations around the country, or via a Skype call. From here, the top eight competitors are selected to go through to battle against each other in a Regional Final; prizes and prize money, generously provided by regional and national sponsors, are awarded at these two stages. The Grand Final for the 2018 competition will be held at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show on Saturday 28th April.

Dr Owen Doyle, President of the CIH, said: “Every year I look forward to the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition. It’s a fantastic opportunity for both students of horticulture and those working in the industry to display their plant knowledge and meet fellow horticulturists. I encourage all those who are eligible to participate and I wish the best of good fortune to all those taking part!” horticulture.org.uk/young-horticulturistof-the-year

IOG BACKS QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS for grass pitches The IOG has announced its new Grounds4Sport programme with an initial backing of £100,000 over the next three years to improve the quality and promote the benefits of natural turf sports surfaces.

“The programme will transform local community facilities by engaging a new generation of volunteers and career grounds people, and by providing opportunities for everyone who wants to grow their skills and confidence as well as provide improved sports turf pitches,” says IOG Chief Executive Geoff Webb. “We aim to reverse the decline in natural turf sports provision by increasing pitch playing capacity and creating safer and consistently better playing surfaces for communities throughout the UK.” Grounds4Sport’s aims are twofold: to develop the IOG’s National Framework for Natural Turf, which will match an innovative Pitch

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Winter 2017

Grading System with appropriate educational standards for those who maintain playing surfaces, from grassroots to elite professional level; and to re-invigorate a passion for turf by offering integrated learning platforms using online options and practical help.

Geoff Webb continued: “The new programme is all about changing the mindset and approach to maintaining natural turf surfaces by creating greater awareness and understanding of natural turf, and by developing improved maintenance skills. While £100,000 is a significant investment for an organisation the size of the IOG, I recognise that this in itself will not be enough to make a big enough impact nationwide. We are actively seeking partnerships with other agencies, authorities and charities, as well as individual investors, to expand the programme.” iog.org

LATEST NEWS

Hedge trimmer training

their employees return home safely to their families from work each day and it is hoped and anticipated that the half-day training sessions will go some way towards mitigating the frequency of these accidents.

Eight half-day Train-the-Trainer sessions will be delivered by STIHL trainers at the following venues across the country:

As reported in the autumn edition of Landscape News, in January/February 2018 BALI-NCF, in association with STIHL, is holding a series of training sessions to improve the safe use of hedge trimmers in the landscape industry.

Following analysis of accident statistics across BALI-NCF members, the most frequently occurring accidents were caused by hedge trimmer and strimmer use. It is a high priority for member companies to ensure that all

• Sparsholt College, Winchester, Hampshire - 23rd January • Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire - 25th January • SRUC Oatridge Campus, Broxburn, West Lothian - 30th January • Myerscough College, Preston, Lancashire - 1st February Sessions will commence at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on each of the days.

Each session will include both classroom theory and practical demonstrations with delegates

having the opportunity to ‘have a go’. Attendees will come away with a certificate of completion and the required tools to deliver the Operator Training Course in-house in their own companies.

Training objectives include: • Understanding the importance of wearing PPE • Understanding how noise from machines affects the hearing • Understanding the effects of hand arm vibration • The ability to carry out basic hedge trimmer maintenance • Understanding the importance of a correctly fitted fuel cap • The ability to make vertical and horizontal cuts • The ability to refuel a hedge trimmer Details of how to book these sessions are in the weekly BALI e-newsletter and on the BALI website at bali.org.uk

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Some die within minutes, with others taking a day or two. A second application can eliminate taproots.

Burleys innovate with ecofriendly hot foam weed killer Estate management specialist Burleys has become one of the first companies in the UK to use a ground-breaking, environmentallyfriendly weed killer, which eliminates unwanted flora with super-heated foam.

Holder of the Royal Warrant and longstanding BALI Registered Contractor Burleys, part of the wider TCL Group recently named one of

the London Stock Exchange Group’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Europe, is anticipating strong demand for its services after a successful pilot project with Lewes District Council. The award-winning system, Foamstream, developed by environmentally-friendly weed control experts Weedingtech, uses a combination of hot water, steam and natural foam to ‘cook’ weeds and kill them.

Ground Control showcased in 1,000 Companies to Inspire Europe report BALI Registered Contractor Ground Control is one of 170 companies across the UK to be recognised in the London Stock Exchange Group’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Europe report. The company’s appearance in this landmark document, which highlights the fastest growing and most inspiring small and medium-sized companies across Europe, is a major achievement and follows numerous awards received in the last 12 months, including the coveted Queen’s Award for Innovation.

Ground Control, which operates throughout the UK delivering grounds maintenance, tree works and vegetation management, soft and hard landscaping, roofing, ecology, design and build, pest control, fencing and winter

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maintenance, has been expanding at an industry record-breaking 20% a year. It is this high growth performance, together with the company’s overall commitment to providing customers with the best possible service, which has secured its place in the report.

Commenting on the announcement Ground Control’s CEO, Simon Morrish, said: “We are extremely honoured to be recognised by the London Stock Exchange as one of the companies to inspire Europe. Across 45,000 sites throughout the UK, our people work hard to deliver consistent, high-quality services to our customers. It is this commitment to outstanding customer service that has driven our unparalleled customer retention rate and consistently strong growth.

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The foam is naturally derived from glucose and fat (otherwise known as alkyl polyglycoside), coconut, palm kernel and rapeseed oils from renewable sources, potato, wheat and maize.

It is a biodegradable organic system that is carbon negative, safe to use near watercourses and in children’s playgrounds, and can be used in inclement weather. An unexpected bonus is that the foam can also eliminate graffiti and remove chewing gum from pavements.

Burleys’ Contracts Manager Mark Tavener explained: “Foamstream is great for weeds, small woody growth like ragwort, and for killing moss in places like tennis courts and play areas – and is excellent value.” gburley.co.uk

Simon Morrish CEO of Ground Control

“The progress we have made as a business is down to the calibre of people we are able to attract, develop and retain. It’s been an exciting journey of innovation, continuous improvement and diversification into core services that our customers require. Our ambition is to continue to enrich and improve our offering, fortifying our position as the undisputed partner of choice for external facility servicers across the private and public sectors.”

The full LSEG report can be found at iseg.com/resources/1000companies-inspire/2017-report1000-companies-europe ground-control.co.uk

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Frognal Gardens

Resolving the conflict between client/ designer aspirations and local conditions Some years ago, Noel Brock had a vision: to create, build and maintain beautiful, wildlifefriendly suburban gardens that look inviting throughout each of the four seasons. In 1999 he established Frognal Gardens Ltd (incorporated in 2007) as the local garden experts in the Hampstead area of North London.

Hampstead sits on low clay hills overlooking central London, with the ancient public space of Hampstead Heath at its heart. Hampstead gardens are all on heavy London clay, with many of them also sloping, or terraced into the steep hillsides.

The other dominant feature of most Hampstead and Highgate gardens is that they are partly or completely shaded by the many huge ancient trees that grace this protected Conservation Area. TPOs are strictly enforced and even minor pruning and thinning works require council permission before they can be carried out. The result is that most gardens in this part of London are a challenge, particularly when clients want beautiful lawns or, perhaps, the ‘wildflower meadow’ look so popular at Chelsea and in the pages of consumer garden magazines.

Managing client/designer expectations and resolving the conflict between their aspirations and the fairly hostile local conditions are challenges that Noel, Caroline and their team have risen to very successfully over the years.

So how do you establish a wildflower meadow on clay, and under trees? Noel explains: “Well – you don’t, as such. What people require is the look and feel of a wildflower meadow. How that look is achieved is up to us, working with the local conditions.

What we have had to do is establish a suite of species that, when used together, will give that desired look, that feeling, yet there under the shady conditions and on the clay that we are compelled to work with.”

Noel continues: “This has not been easy because relatively few plants will perform in this way under these conditions, and even fewer will establish and thrive with the necessary high tolerance of pests and diseases.” Noel, who comes from a wildlife background, has always hated using pesticides and herbicides if they can be avoided and he finds that his clientele in this area of London share his desire to use the absolute minimum of chemical inputs.

Other considerations for plant selection is to avoid any that could cause allergies or be poisonous to garden users and to find species that help mitigate air pollution.

Faced with these criteria, Frognal Gardens has developed its ‘Hampstead Country Collection’ of plant species that tolerate shade, shrug off pests, out-compete weeds, are totally safe, and provide the required cottage garden look across as many months of the year as possible.

Sourcing sufficient quantities of well-grown specimens has been another challenge for Noel and his team: “Some, such as Verbena rigida and Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, are widely and abundantly available in 3L or 5L pots but others, such as Lysimachia punctata, Centranthus ruber and Leucanthemum vulgare, are difficult to obtain in large pot sizes. So we decided to grow our own!”

Frognal Gardens’ small but perfectly formed nursery in the centre of picturesque Belsize village now supplies the plants that Noel and Caroline need in order to meet the aspirations of a demanding clientele, despite the local conditions. frognalgardens.com

CONTRACTOR NEWS

TFN Landscapes’ new £1.8m site

Derelict site before being redeveloped

New home for TFN Landscapes TFN Landscapes has completed the £1.8 million re-development of a former nearderelict site in Gloucester to create its new purpose-built head office, saving one hundred local jobs.

Providing commercial and domestic landscaping and maintenance services across Gloucestershire and the South West, as well as working in partnership with major UK house builders, BALI Registered Contractor TFN Landscapes moved to Noake Farm near Gloucester in the spring of this year and has now completed the transfer of its operations and staff.

The business was forced to relocate from its previous Longford Estates location, where it had been based for many years, after the local council granted planning permission for a large scale residential development on the site. TFN’s new home is just two miles from Longford, enabling staff to stay with the company.

When Noake Farm became available to buy it was the culmination of a five-year search for the ideal site by TFN’s owner and director, Tom Rimell, who explains: “With its good access, space and agricultural land, Noake Farm was the ideal site for TFN’s relocation and its proximity to our existing location meant we could safeguard the future for our workforce.”

The new site had complex planning issues, notably that it was in the green belt and there were environmental, highway and drainage considerations. Fire damaged buildings, broken concrete and other dilapidated structures littering the site were also a problem. Following preapplication discussions with the council, the scheme was reduced in scale to overcome initial visual impact concerns and after further successful lobbying, planning consent for the development of Noake Farm was granted in May 2016.

The redevelopment works included the construction of extensive purpose-built, fully equipped offices, workshops, and training facilities offering ROLO Health, Safety & Environmental Awareness courses and Driver CPC. There is also a large tree and shrub nursery on adjacent, formerly agricultural, land. tfnltd.co.uk

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Winter 2017

NEW ERA BEGINS FOR BOWLES & WYER BALI Registered Contractor Bowles & Wyer has appointed Jason Lock MBALI, former partner at design practice DeakinLock, as its new Head of Design & Build. Taking up the new position following the closure of DeakinLock, Jason will be responsible for developing the Design & Build division of the business under the leadership of CEO John Wyer MBALI and Managing Director Dan Riddleston.

Jason has over 30 years’ experience in the garden design industry, including time spent as Chief Executive and Chair of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and on the council of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD). He has been on the judging panel of a number of national award schemes, including currently serving as a judge on the BALI Awards, and has won numerous awards himself including Gold and Silver-Gilt medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Jason Lock said: “As one of the leading landscaping companies in the UK, I’ve admired Bowles & Wyer’s work for a long time and I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the organisation at such an exciting time in its development. I’m immensely proud of the work I achieved at DeakinLock and am looking forward to developing my design and project management skills and having the opportunity to work on largerscale commercial projects as part of the Bowles & Wyer team.”

Other new appointments made as part of the current restructuring programme are Mark Latchford, Designer; Max Harriman, Junior Designer; and Katie Blake, the company’s new Director of Finance, Administration and Human Resources. With 20 years’ experience as a qualified ACCA accountant, and several years working for Blue Chip companies and SMEs, Katie brings a wealth of strategic financial knowledge and Human Resources expertise to Bowles & Wyer. Her previous roles include Finance Director at Hunters and Finance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers. bowleswyer.co.uk

New Head of Design & Build, Jason Lock

CONTRACTOR NEWS

Scotscape wins Tehran living wall contract One of the largest shopping malls in the world, currently under construction in Iran’s capital, Tehran, will boast up to 3,600m² of BALI Registered Contractor Scotscape Landscaping’s patented Fytotextile® Living Wall system, thanks to the success of initial trials on site.

In April 2017 Scotscape’s top installation team flew out to Tehran to install the 70m² trial wall to an escalator drop in the middle of the construction site.

Despite the challenging conditions of the building site, and thanks to contractor SM Consortium’s maintenance team keeping the wall dust free and irrigated, the trial wall proved a great success and Scotscape is now looking forward to servicing the supply chain over the coming months.

For the interior walls within the shopping complex, Scotscape is using its standard modular Fytotextile® panels but with an additional water retention fleece for the exterior works to ensure the health of plants during the 50°C heat in the summer months. scotscape.net

Visit website

Qualities you can always count on For many years, our customers have counted on the high-quality design, manufacture and supply of Brett Landscaping products.

You can also count on our expert technical support with teams of dedicated and knowledgeable staff ready to deliver all the know-how you’ll ever need throughout your project.

From product selection to installation advice and everything in between, we will always be on hand to make sure your job gets done, just the way you want it. You can count on it.

HARD LANDSCAPING? EASY CHOICE Either call us on 0345 60 80 577 email us at landscapinginfo@brett.co.uk or download your copy at www.brettpaving.co.uk/brochure BrettPaving

@brettpaving

Brett Landscaping Ltd.

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OUT & ABOUT

&

OUT ABOUT WITH BALI

It was only as Darren Taylor, BALI’s Marketing and Communications Manager, drove into the beautiful village of East Haddon in rural Northamptonshire on a member visit to see BALI Registered Affiliate member Haddonstone that it dawned on him where the firm’s name had originated. Quite simply, cast stone meets historic Haddon, making Haddonstone, a company established by Robert Barrow in 1971.

Haddonstone joined BALI in early 2017 to help raise its profile by utilising the association’s extensive membership network. Will Haxby, Haddonstone’s Ornament Sales Director, was keen for Darren to meet some of the team at the company’s grand head office and understand the potential of Haddonstone’s unique setup.

Darren was greeted by two proud cast stone lions guarding the entrance to the beautifully renovated historic building providing Haddonstone’s modern office facilities. The company designs, engineers, crafts and casts incredibly detailed and exquisite cast stone landscaping and garden ornaments, building materials, memorials and fireplaces. With a diverse range of bespoke, manufactured products, designed exclusively in-house and made in the UK, Haddonstone has carved out a real niche in both the construction and landscape industries, offering decorative, detailed products that inspire and enthral.

When the company was first established over four decades ago, there were only seven products available, with six of these inaugural designs still on sale today. Haddonstone’s manufacturing process allows, within a reasonable scope and scale, bespoke design and

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this has resulted in an extensive library of thousands of cast stone moulds and models, stretching out across the Haddonstone yard as far as the eye can see and even piled up in locked-away storage facilities in crates and boxes of varying sizes, like something out of an Indiana Jones classic.

Following an initial welcome from Will, Darren was introduced to Simon Scott, Haddonstone’s Marketing Director and hugely knowledgeable author and blogger on the influences of classical architecture on English country house and landscape design. This in-house knowledge has helped to inform Haddonstone’s product range.

Darren was given a guided tour of the stunning show garden area located to the rear of the property, complete with contemporary courtyard garden, landscape follies, and an outdoor swimming pool. There was also time to see row upon row of cast stone pillars, plinths and stone busts of historical figures, including Caesar and Shakespeare. What was notable was the impressive colouring and weathering of the cast stone, which makes it look incredibly natural and well-suited to its surroundings. The elegance and sophistication of the stunning designs explains why cast stone is

Winter 2017

used increasingly in historic buildings, National Trust properties, international hotels and state buildings around the world. This perception is not, however, reflected in Haddonstone’s pricing – their products offer exceptional value for money.

Tony Mason, Production Director at the nearby stone factory, has been with Haddonstone for thirty years.

Responsible for over seventy workers, he explained the manufacturing process to Darren in superb detail, from taking a customer order through to final delivery, and took him on a fascinating, in-depth tour of Haddonstone’s factory, reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, only this time replacing chocolate with cast stone.

From the highly-skilled carpenters, mathematicians and product engineers, to operators of complex machinery that mixes and mashes the cast stone, everyone ensures the production process runs like clockwork, with certain mixes of cast stone, including the TecLite and TecStone ranges, requiring different amounts of drying time, finishing and finessing.

Haddonstone will be hosting an event of its own early next year, primarily targeting BALI Registered Designers who recommend products and materials to their clients. The event will provide a window into the world of cast stone and open up a world of affordable architectural masonry to designers and specifiers. You can be sure of a warm welcome and a thoroughly fascinating visit. To register your interest in this proposed event, please email willh@haddonstone.co.uk

OUT & ABOUT

BERNHARD’S LANDSCAPES A five-minute drive is all it took for Darren to reach BALI Registered Contractor Bernhard’s Landscapes, situated on the edge of Rugby in Warwickshire. Its nursery business, a part of the organisation that was set up in the 1940s by Jeffrey Bernhard, sits adjacent to the company’s head office building, which was nestled amongst several branded fleet vehicles. It was clear on arrival that this is a business that has successfully evolved over sixty years into a highly successful commercial landscaping company.

It may have been close to sub-zero temperatures outside but this was in stark contrast to the warmth of the welcome Darren received from Jeffrey.

BALI’s first ever National Chairman was keen to learn how the association he helped to establish over 45 years ago is responding to the challenges of the 21st century. Looking remarkably spritely for his years, veteran Jeffrey was joined by Managing Director Tony Taylor, Bernhard’s experienced captain of the ship for the last thirty years, who has responsibility for the landscaping and artificial sports pitch divisions of the business.

Front and centre is the landscaping division, which handles commercial projects around the UK, including supermarkets, business parks, schools and university campuses. Bernhard’s recently worked on the Wandsworth Riverside Roof Gardens, a £200,000 landscaping project that involved the supply and installation of hard and soft landscaping materials, and the

From left Darren Taylor, Jeffrey Bernhard and Tony Taylor

Theatre Gardens at the University of Nottingham, a £500,000 scheme that included paving, stone walling, granite seating, lighting and soft landscaping.

The company was also contracted by the Casey Group to deliver royalthemed soft landscaping works for the magnificent Cathedral Gardens, Leicester, in the run-up to the re-burial of King Richard III in his final resting place, following the discovery of his skeleton under a car park in Leicester in 2012.

During their discussion Tony Taylor explained to Darren that a large proportion of Bernhard’s landscaping work is for main contractors. He believes that, in the commercial sector, soft landscaping is moving away from being a dedicated operation and Bernhard’s are in danger of becoming builders as much as horticulturalists, with hard landscaping a major component of many of their contracts.

Working for main contractors demands careful scheduling of works and strict adherence to construction site health and safety, with all the necessary paperwork that entails! Bernhard’s prides itself on delivering good quality landscaping that ultimately changes the landscape to support a cleaner, safer environment for all. Tony accepts that the paperwork is important but he believes, too, that it’s the quality of the finished build and the benefits delivered by the overall scheme that truly matter.

The second division within Bernhard’s covers sports pitch construction and sports surfaces, which includes working

with both natural grass surfaces and with artificial materials on large and small sports facilities and grounds, including MuGA (multi-use games areas). From football pitches to bowling greens, tennis courts to playgrounds, Bernhard’s passionate team deliver world-class solutions, headed-up by Managing Director Simon Hall.

Completing the divisional trio is the nursery side of the business. Bernhards are looking to the future and want to take advantage of the facilities they have on offer with exciting plans to extend their Cash & Carry operation.

Following a brave, bracing moment outdoors to capture Darren’s visit with a photograph, the appointment continued indoors where Tony provided more information on Bernhard’s stepchange as it looked to the future for new commercial contracts and how it has transformed into the company that it is today. With plans to exploit their current wide range of services, Tony confirmed the company will remain a family concern, holding traditional values that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Bernhard’s is one of BALI’s founding members and Jeffrey continues to watch the association grow and develop with keen enthusiasm. Tony confirmed to Darren that they continue to rely on BALI to inform them of the latest industry news, training, and innovations in technology and look forward to working more closely with the association in 2018 and beyond. bernhardslandscapes.co.uk

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

INTRODUCING YMCA TRAINING

GoLandscape ambassadors – your industry needs you!

GoLandscape is picking up speed, and, with its successful pilot drawing to a close, we are now in a position to take the initiative into its next phase.

The response to the countrywide appeal that we sent out for GoLandscape ambassadors has determined the way forward.

Early next year we begin training the volunteers who have put their heads above the parapet to support them in attending careerfocused events in schools, colleges and at other relevant venues. The BALI regions to be targeted will be South West, North Thames and Midlands, reflecting the strongest ambassador response.

Over the next twelve months we will be attending school careers fairs and inspiring pupils, and their parents, with presentations about working in the world of landscaping. We will also be building stronger connections with our colleges, supporting them in delivering appropriate qualifications and helping boost student numbers. On the back of this we will be attending college careers events and open days to engage with students and lecturers and to promote the benefits of joining BALI whilst they are still training and before they enter the world of work.

The BALI Chalk Fund has generously offered to financially sponsor students in landscaping.

We have therefore set up a pilot with two colleges to upskill their students with short, industry-

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relevant training courses to help make them work-ready and attractive to the industry on completion of their course. We are also exploring the option of college enrichment activities through masterclasses that would familiarise students with industry products and techniques.

Our sincere thanks to those BALI members who have already offered their services as ambassadors – but we need many more if we are to cover the country and spread the load. It is not a huge commitment but something that anyone who is involved on a day-to-day basis with any aspect of the industry and who is happy to talk to young people about it can undertake, with support. By promoting landscaping and the many and varied opportunities it offers, you will be doing your bit to help build the workforce of the future.

There are other ways in which you can support GoLandscape. We are developing a range of sponsorship packages that will enable businesses to support us with our masterclasses; if you would like to support GoLandscape in this way, please contact me by emailing stephen.ensell@bali.org.uk or call 02476 690333.

Stephen Ensell Education Officer

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Winter 2017

YMCA Training, a not-for-profit charity, is one of the largest voluntary sector training providers in the country, working with approximately 10,000 learners each year as well as a large variety of businesses, small and large, across many different sectors. Inspiring people to develop their skills and unique qualities is at the heart of what they do.

Offering Employers our support The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy and the funding reforms of the last few years represent a significant opportunity for employers to upskill, recruit and enhance their workforce. YMCA Training has significant knowledge of the funding and apprenticeship reforms, being both a levy payer and training provider delivering new apprenticeship standards, including Landscaping and Horticulture Operative, Grounds Maintenance and Sports Turf Operative, Golf Greenkeeper, and many more.

Learner Recruitment YMCA Training is highly adept at apprenticeship recruitment. A team of in house recruiters manage our nationwide portfolio of vacancies working closely with employers to ensure the Apprenticeship opportunities match the business requirements.

For more information visit golandscape.co.uk, or contact Sallyann Smith, Business Development Executive for YMCA Training, on 07341 072519 or email sallyann.smith@ymca.co.uk

Education Officer Stephen Ensell

Timber sleepers for a contemporary landscaping solution

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Earthline Limted have added to their extensive product range an extremely high quality, fully certificated BS 3882 British standard top soil, which is ideal for all applications.

With a high nutrient content it is perfect for sustaining all types of growth, along with a great consistency for landscaping projects.

This can be delivered at a competitive rate across a range of counties in the South of England, including Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Earthline also produce and supply an extensive range of decorative products, including:

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DuraSleeper is manufactured using Radiata Pine which are kiln dried and pressure treated with Tanalith E wood preservative for durability and long service life.

Ideal for: • Earth retaining walls • Boundaries • Border edging • Pathways and steps • Raised beds

DuraSleeper lengths from 600mm to 2400mm and available in two finishes: • Rough sawn • Planed, eased edge and sanded

Where a project requires a solution for corners the new DuraEdge provides a creative versatile option working well with Unilog Pro.

Unilog Pro machine rounded timbers offer an attractive, practical and cost-effective solution for landscaping projects. Unilog Pro is available in four diameters 100mm, 125mm, 150mm and 200mm, with standards lengths from 300mm to 4000mm.

• Newbury Flint • Cotswold Chippings • Cerney Shingle

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Plant biosecurity – doing our bit As I type this article, two topics dominate the landscape press: renewal of the EU Glyphosate licence and the threat of Xylella. Whilst the decision for the continued use of Glyphosate was made by EU member countries, Xylella needs no such committee decision; the UK doesn’t want it, ever!

The threat of Xylella cannot be exaggerated. It would have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of those working within the landscape profession if it reached the UK – and not just on nursery owners and wholesalers but any supplier of goods and services associated with the industry. Xylella also has the potential to kill a huge number of the trees and ornamental plants used extensively by the UK landscape profession. Oak? At risk.

Ornamental Cherry? At risk. Lavender? At risk. Hebe? At risk. Rosemary? At risk. Olive? At risk.

So, what can BALI do? What can you do?

What can non-BALI members do?

During a great event hosted by Majestic Trees earlier this year, reported on in the autumn 2017 edition of Landscape News, it became clear there was a hunger for practical biosecurity measures that the industry could follow to prevent the introduction of the disease to the UK. After the event, BALI visited and spoke to members, and discussed worthwhile measures the industry could take. As a result of this consultation, BALI has recently released two documents: The first is a short document on Xylella. It explores the challenge of biosecurity in relation to the UK nursery and wholesale markets, and offers simple, practical measures we can all take – members and non-members alike – to make the UK more resilient. bali.org.uk/industry/knowledge-area/knowledgearea_detail.xylella-bali-s-best-practice-guide.html The second document is a biosecurity statement. This is less prescriptive but pledges what members can expect from BALI as a trade association, and what BALI would like to see its members doing. bali.org.uk/industry/knowledge-area/knowledgearea_detail.biosecurity-in-landscape-bali-positionstatement-2017.html Xylella isn’t new, and neither is the threat from imported diseases. Despite Brexit, globally-sourced material will continue to be imported in huge volumes to the UK. Legislative control and enforced measures will only go so far and it is essential that the landscape industry stands together in its fight against serious biosecurity threats.

Owen Baker Technical Officer (Policy and Research)

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Winter 2017

New code of practice for managing Japanese knotweed The Environment Agency document ‘Managing Japanese Knotweed on Development Sites’ has served as an invaluable guide for a range of stakeholders since its introduction in 2001. Covering all aspects of Japanese knotweed, from physiology and identification to prevention and control, the clear layout and simple, jargon-free commentary made the task of managing it significantly less daunting.

Although still available on the Environment Agency website, the third edition of the guide was officially withdrawn in July 2016 as the Agency is no longer responsible for providing best practice guidance. This withdrawal was not isolated; best practice technical documents for many other environmental disciplines suffered a similar fate.

All is not lost however. The industry, which has grown to meet the demands of Japanese knotweed legislation, has now taken responsibility for the future development of the code of practice. In March 2017 the trade body INNSA (Invasive Non-Native Specialists Association) released a revised version of the document. Entitled ‘Code of Practice – Managing Japanese Knotweed’, the guide reflects developments in legislation and modern management options whilst retaining the user-friendly layout. The Code will be managed by INNSA and is available to purchase through their website innsa.org.uk

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Phyto threats project – your help is needed

Engaging with trade at the HTA National Plant Show, where visitors to the stand were able to see mocked up plates of Phytophthora spp and to give feedback on the questionnaire.

Trade survey closes 31st January 2018!

Phytophthora can be translated as ‘plant destroyer’ and there are over one hundred species described. They affect a wide range of herbaceous and woody plant species, primarily attacking roots or foliage. The pathogen produces swimming spores (zoospores) that enter a host plant and establish an infection.

It then feeds on plant nutrients and produces enzymes that break down plant tissue as it grows through the plant. Symptoms range from necrotic leaves or roots through to dieback of shoots, collapse, wilting and plant death.

A new research project is underway that aims to tackle the spread of Phytophthora diseases in trade across the UK and address the risks they pose to UK forest and woodland ecosystems.

The phyto threats project (www.forestry. gov.uk/fr/phytothreats) is a consortium of partners from Forest Research, the Animal & Plant Health Agency, James Hutton Institute, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture, and the Universities of Edinburgh and Worcester.

As part of the project an online survey is being carried out and can be accessed at smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ plants. If you’re a nursery, garden centre, landscaper, or are responsible for plant procurement, please help

by completing the survey, which will improve understanding of the supply chain (what you buy and where from); what influences your plant purchases; the importance of biosecurity; and your thoughts on an assurance scheme.

The project is exploring the potential development of a UK-wide assurance scheme within the plant trade to reduce the risks of importation and spread of diseases. As the criteria for an assurance scheme will be partly informed by stakeholder and consumer attitudes, this key survey aims find out more about the decisions people make when choosing and buying plants.

Findings of the survey will help shape discussions on a future accreditation scheme.

SoilsCon hits the mark with delegates

Tim O’Hare was joined by other respected industry speakers, including Dr Phil Askew, Director Landscape and Placemaking at Peabody, to present on subjects including soils for podium schemes, the importance of detailed project briefs, the role of mycorrhizal

The UK is 30 to 40 years away from “the fundamental eradication of soil fertility” in parts of the country, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP warned at the Sustainable Soils Alliance at the House of Commons in October.

BALI’s Chief Executive Wayne Grills was invited to join political, corporate, NGO, agricultural, environmental and academic leaders at a forum where common interests were shared concerning the looming soils crisis. It was agreed that leaders must join forces to deal with the problem first-hand.

Those attending the event, which was hosted by Rebecca Pow MP, heard from experts how the crisis could affect human health, food security and economic prosperity, amongst other serious concerns. Handshakes were exchanged in an agreement to work together to create a strong, irresistible network of stakeholders that could initiate the momentum of change that is so desperately required.

The event has since been hailed as a positive step forward by those in the industry, with future work now planned to help establish a policy to protect our precious soils, creating a brighter, more secure and sustainable future for all.

Tim O’Hare (fourth from left) with speakers at SoilsCon 2017

SoilsCon 2017, organised by soil scientist and landscape consultant Tim O’Hare, showed it had hit the mark with the more than 130 delegates who attended the conference in October.

Feedback included “very informative and thoroughly fascinating”, “excellent conference, brilliant variety of talks”, and “have learnt more than I imagined”.

BALI supports soil crisis talks

fungi in plant establishment, and the management and re-use of greenfield site soils.

Tim O’Hare commented: “It seems we have managed to deliver yet another cracking conference that has met the professional needs of those in the industry who should know this stuff. I have found this whole technical conference planning experience surprisingly fulfilling, knowing that people go away at the end of each year’s event with knowledge they didn’t have, ready to use it in their day to day working environment.” toha.co.uk

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Topsoils for commercial landscaping

By Tim O’Hare, Tim O’Hare Associates

Commercial landscape schemes are usually integrated into some type of construction project, be it a new office development, a retail park, school, hospital, housing scheme, etc. This in itself conjures up a whole host of potential problems for the designer and contractor to deal with, such as programme constraints, working in all weathers, excessive soil compaction, and contaminated ground to avoid. Choosing a topsoil that will still be able to perform and support a new landscape in such an environment is therefore important.

Soil types An academic soil professor will probably tell you that a ‘Loam’ textured topsoil is best for most plants as it has roughly equal proportions of sand, silt and clay to offer a balance of water and nutrients as well as some drainage. In a perfect world this would be true, but not on a construction project, and not with the UK’s temperate, maritime climate (i.e. wet for a lot of the year!).

For commercial landscape projects where there are time constraints and inclement weather to factor in, sanddominant topsoils (sandy loam 60-80% sand) offer the greatest flexibility and least risk. They remain ‘non-plastic’ at higher moisture contents, and they are less prone to compaction and structural degradation. The slightly lower water 0

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Clay

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Clay

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50 40

Silty Clay

Sandy Clay

30 20 10 Sand

0 100

Clay Loam

Sandy Clay Loam

Loamy Sand

90

80

Sandy Loam

Investigations that we have undertaken on landscape schemes constructed 15 to 20 years ago show no discernible decline in soil fertility or signs of poor establishment through drought stress. Many more schemes show decline in plant quality (trees and shrubs) from excessive compaction caused during installation. This often leaves a legacy of problems and often many plant failures.

Unfortunately, the British Standard for Topsoil does not take this into account, and it allows excessively high limits for both clay and silt.

An organic matter content of 4% to 8% in topsoil is ideal for most landscape applications. The 3% to 20% given in BS is way too broad - at 15-20% OM the topsoil will often act like a sponge, holding too much water and increasing the risk of anaerobic conditions. In lawn situations, this can also result in a soft, uneven surface.

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Silty Clay Loam

Sandy Silt Loam

70 80 90

Silt Loam

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Sand

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Construction sites – no protection for the soil

Organic matter content

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and nutrient holding capacities can be easily compensated for by amelioration with a bulky organic compost.

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Winter 2017

pH Range The optimum pH range 6 to 7 but most plants that are now grown for commercial landscaping tolerate a much broader range of between 5 and 8. At the high end (>7.5), the source of the alkalinity should be checked as potassium ions have far less impact on soil/root function than calcium.

Natural or manufactured?

There is still an on-going debate within the landscape industry as to whether manufactured topsoil is better or worse than natural ‘as-dug’ topsoil.

Both ‘manufactured’ and ‘natural’ can be excellent, as demonstrated by the Olympic Park (manufactured topsoils) and Hyde Park (natural topsoil).

However, both can also be horrific, and the outcome depends on several factors… for example:

TRAINING & TECHNICAL - Natural topsoil is more reliant on its soil structure to ensure good drainage and aeration. If this is lost during the topsoil strip and stockpiling the resultant topsoil after storage can be poor.

- If the wrong ‘ingredients’ are used to make a topsoil, or their mixing ratios are incorrect, the end product simply won’t work.

- Natural topsoil will always have a weed seed bank to contend with, particularly in the first few years.

- Topsoil made from screened ‘muckaway’ opens up a whole range of potential risks - glass/ceramic sharps, asbestos, excess lime, infertility.

Not many soil testing laboratories seem to consider this, and as a result, they don’t routinely test for contaminants.

The advice is not to accept and topsoil test certificates or reports that only show the horticultural properties. At very least the topsoil should have been tested for a suite of heavy metals, PAHs, phenol and aromatic and aliphatic petroleum hydrocarbons. Asbestos is also often required on many projects.

Don’t forget the subsoil Subsoil is also a fundamental part of the soil profile and complements the functions of the overlying topsoil. It has a number of key roles: • Acts as a reservoir of water during dry periods; • Absorbs surplus water percolating down from the topsoil layer above; • Provides the main anchorage and support for large shrubs and trees; • Supplements the topsoil with reserves of mineral plant nutrients (potassium, magnesium, calcium);

Excessive subsoil compaction on construction sites.

ponding, increased flood risk, additional irrigation during dry spells, shallow rooting (leading to increased drought stress and tree ‘wind throw’).

Given the excessive amount of compaction caused by construction activities, decompaction of the subsoil layer is therefore essential …… but unfortunately hardly ever carried out!

The most capable piece of kit for soil decompaction is the ripper tine that is attached to a standard tracked excavator. Every landscape contractor should have one!

In a wider context, subsoil also provides a valuable ‘environmental service’ in the form of water attenuation during periods of high rainfall.

Natural topsoil stockpile

Contamination testing Don’t forget to include Contamination Testing in specifications for imported topsoil. Most imported soils these days are also relied upon as a Clean Cover System for land remediation purposes as well as a growing medium.

Co-ordination with the project’s environmental consultant is essential to make sure this is picked up in the cross-referenced in the Soft Landscape Specification with respect to topsoil depths and composition.

There is a requirement in the British Standard for Topsoil does for contamination testing, but it isn’t that clear. NOTE 3 at the bottom of ‘Table 1’ states “Attention is drawn to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the National Planning Policy Framework, under which there is a requirement for topsoil to contain no concentrations of chemical contaminants that would cause a significant risk to human health and the environment.

In order to enable subsoil to fulfil these functions, it must possess sufficient volume of air-filled and water-filled (capillary) pores needed to enable root development, allow water movement and store water. Its lack of drainage can be mitigated by the installation of land drains and low levels of available water can be offset by irrigation. However, the health and stability of larger shrubs and trees will be greatly reduced if their root development is limited to only the topsoil layer.

If the composition of the subsoil, or its physical condition (soil structure), is not capable of these functions, the consequences may include: waterlogged and /or anaerobic topsoils (resulting in plant failure), surface water

A ripper tine in action – the best tool for soil decompaction

Soil depths Appropriate soil depths for different landscape environments are largely governed by the maximum rooting depths of the plants, as well as the need for water attenuation, and the remediation design of the project (re: clean cover system). The Table below considers the plants and water attenuation.

Planting type

Topsoil thickness

Subsoil thickness

Total soil depth

Trees & large shrubs

300 – 400 mm

600 – 700 mm

1000 mm

Shrubs, Groundcover, Perennials

300 mm

300 mm

600mm

Amenity Grass Wildflower Grass

150 mm

150 mm

300 mm

Tim O’Hare is the Principal Soil Consultant of BALI Registered Affiliate Tim O’Hare Associates LLP. toha.co.uk

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TRAINING & TECHNICAL

Surely everyone can benefit from a little helping hand… can’t they?

Richard Gardiner with Oliver Barlow, Director at BALI Registered Contractor Landscape Associates, Chertsey

Our Quality Standards Review (QSR) process is now firmly established and is increasingly being viewed by members as a helping hand rather than a visit from the ‘Quality Police’! My personal ambition is to add value to each and every member business through the QSR process.

The amount and type of support varies enormously from member to member. For some it’s just a rare opportunity to discuss their business with another industry professional who understands the highs and lows of running a business in this wonderful yet demanding industry. For others it may be just the help needed to establish practical solutions to plug gaps in the organisation’s compliance systems.

Running a business, particularly a smaller business, can be a lonely enterprise. Unless you have established a strong network around you it can be hard to find that independent, objective and experienced ear with which to share your thoughts, fears, successes and aspirations. BALI can provide that platform through the QSR process and, what’s more, it’s included within your membership package at no extra cost*; that amounts to FREE, industry-specific consultancy! In addition, as a BALI member you are able to access further consultancy services at preferential rates.

Below is small selection of the comments that have been received from members following their QSR/ Consultancy:

Paul Curry Brambledown Landscape Services

“It was encouraging to see what we were doing right and good to get the support to be able to be fully compliant as required.”

Jeremy Howgrave-Graham HG Landscapes

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The following BALI Registered Contractors have successfully completed their QSR: Beech Landscape Developments Ltd Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd Claphams Landscape Services Ltd Helmrig Ltd HG Landscapes Ltd Landform Consultants Ltd Landscape Associates Ltd Scofell Landscapes Ltd YGS Landscapes

“After meeting Richard for our BALI QSR visit I was impressed with his knowledge and way of working and I decided to approach him to enquire whether he could help and advise with some issues we had. We had used business consultants in the past but working with someone that knows our industry so well is a huge added benefit.”

If you would like to book in your QSR please email Richard.gardiner@bali. org.uk or call 07715 654964.

Richard Gardiner Technical Officer (Quality)

*Each member is entitled to one QSR visit within a 3 year period, additional QSR visits can be requested at additional cost, contact Landscape House for more details.

Trialling Euroflor wildflower mixes

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Quality Standards Reviews (QSRs)

Paul Lynch Elmtree Garden Contractors

“We are now on track to providing a better service both to clients and to staff, which I believe is the true value of the QSR but also feel more confident that we conform to BALI’s continuous commitment to improving standards within the landscaping industry. I now look forward to the next QSR in three years’ time with the assured knowledge that the whole scheme is orientated around guidance, support and improvement...What’s not to like?”

Peter Lister Cunliffe Northumbrian Landscaping

“… a pleasant experience to chat with Richard and very straightforward.

Especially, as previously mentioned, that it is a simple inspection of the systems that any good contractor should have in place. Richard took up very little of my time and I actually benefited from the discussion we had about the current state of the industry.”

Winter 2017

Richard Gardiner, Technical Officer (Quality Standards)

TRAINING & TECHNICAL

to achieve colour, texture, shape and scale, and harmony with the surrounding landscape; the correct planting practice for the differing types of plants; and how best to carry out regular and seasonal maintenance activities, this easy-to-follow book is crammed full of practical information for landscape contractors and for owners of natural swimming pools.

BOOK REVIEW

Natural Swimming Pools: Plants and Planting Michael Littlewood, Ecodesignscape

ISBN 978-0-9955201-1-0 £21.25 including P&P and BALI member discount Michael Littlewood is a prolific author on subjects where, as a landscape architect and environmental planner, he can pass on his vast experience of designing and implementing sustainable land use projects. BALI Landscape News has previously featured articles by Michael covering the design, construction and maintenance of natural swimming

pools and, in his latest book – Natural Swimming Pools: Plants and Planting – he delivers a written masterclass in planning, planting and maintaining the aquatic plants that deliver clear water for the perfect natural swimming experience.

At 128 pages and with chapters explaining the science of how water is cleaned by the correct balance and selection of plant species; the principles of good planting design

There are case studies, zone by zone planting lists, helpful diagrams and illustrations, and plenty of photographs. For BALI members contemplating engaging with the world of natural swimming pools Michael’s publications are a must and this latest book is an invaluable addition to his growing list of titles.

To view Michael’s publication list visit ecodesignscape.co.uk.

To order your copy of Natural Swimming Pools: Plants and Planting, or any of Michael’s titles email michael@ecodesignscape.co.uk.

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Call today for a copy of any of our literature including our 2018 catalogue

T: 01423 332100 E: sales@green-tech.co.uk www.green-tech.co.uk Visit website

41ST BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS 1

The 41st BALI National Landscape Awards Places for this year’s BALI National Landscape Awards in association with Horticulture Week and headline sponsor Green-tech were sold out by early November. The Great Room at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, was packed on Friday 1st December as over 1000 BALI members and guests gathered for the industry’s annual celebration of professional landscaping excellence.

Amongst the VIP guests hosted by BALI Board members and staff this year were Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer; Neil Parish MP, Chair of the EFRA Select Committee; Dr Phil Askew, Director of Landscape & Placemaking, Peabody; Martin Simmons, Director of Operations, Horticultural Trades Association; Matthew Bradbury, Chairman, The Parks Alliance; Sarah Morgan, Chair, and Craig Moyes, COO, Society of Garden Designers; gardening writer and author Val Bourne, and Sun gardening correspondent, radio journalist and one time tutor of many a BALI contractor, Steve Bradley.

24 BALI member businesses received Principal and Special Awards, with the coveted Grand Award, sponsored by Green-tech, going to Maylim for their One Tower Bridge project – a stunning mixed-use development constructed adjacent to London’s most iconic landmark.

Following the customary drinks reception at 11am, where colleagues

networked and renewed long-standing friendships, guests took their places in The Great Room for a wonderful luncheon. Opening the Awards ceremony, BALI Chief Executive Wayne Grills in his speech announced that headline sponsor Green-tech had committed to supporting the BALI Awards for a further three years, until 2020, helping to secure the Awards’ future success. Wayne went on to reflect on the unprecedented challenges that face the industry, namely Brexit, biosecurity, and the skills shortage. Each required a consolidated, joined-up approach across the wider industry if they were to be met and overcome, he said.

The very first presentation of the afternoon was made by BALI Chalk Fund Chairman Peter Jennins OBE to the Overall Top UK Student of the Year, Morgan Brown, and to his Capel Manor College tutor, Zephaniah Lindo.

Morgan, who has completed his Level 3 Advanced Horticulture Diploma at

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Our grateful thanks to: Award Sponsors • Adtrak • Brett Landscaping • British Sugar TOPSOIL • CED Natural Stone • Crowders • Easigrass • Europlants UK • Fresh Horticultural Careers • GreenBlue Urban • Green-tech • Ground Control • Harrowden Turf • Hedges Direct • Hillier • ICL | Monsanto • Idverde UK • Johnsons of Whixley • Kubota • Makita UK • NatraTex • Quinton Edwards • Rigby Taylor | Top Green • Natural Paving, a member of the Talasey Group • TORO • Todds Nursery • Vande Moortel

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Capel, was said by his tutor to display “all the qualities the industry needs in the young people choosing landscaping as a career”. He was presented with a cheque for £500, as was his college. The entire BALI Awards event was a real eyeopener for Morgan, who met a number of influential industry names sharing his VIP table.

and contractors at the top of their profession. BALI’s International members, too, submitted stunning schemes, and the Affiliate Exceptional Service Award was well supported by entries from BALI’s supplier membership, with the Principal Award being won by BALI Registered Affiliate member Landscapeplus.

The main Awards ceremony commenced with host TV journalist and BBC Breakfast business presenter Steph McGovern at the helm. She was hugely popular with the audience and gave an hilarious account of her career to date with the BBC, including some of her less edifying faux pas that she claims almost lost her her job on more than one occasion! Steph is a real advocate of skills development in young people, and particularly apprenticeships. An award-winning graduate engineer herself, she knows the value of apprenticeships and talked about the amazing talent she has seen at The Skills Show, which she reports on each November. She wholeheartedly supports BALI’s GoLandscape initiative and applauded Morgan Brown’s achievement as Top Student.

The Employer Excellence Awards were also keenly contested. In the category for companies with a turnover of under £2.5m the winner was Oak View Landscapes, BALI National Chairman Paul Downer’s company.

In the category for companies with a turnover of over £2.5m it was Nurture Landscapes who were successful; they also won the Principal Award for Grounds Maintenance – Limited Public Access.

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As the Awards presentations got underway, guests were treated to another wonderful showcase of the country’s finest landscape schemes - the work of BALI designers

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41ST BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

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The BALI members who enter the Awards each year deserve enormous praise, regardless of whether or not they are ultimately successful. Putting your work forward for scrutiny by your industry peers takes professional courage but the rewards that come from winning a BALI Award, in terms of industry profile and increased business, are well worth it.

The contractor and designer categories were judged by a panel comprising the Chair, Greg Allen, a former senior lecturer in landscape studies at Writtle College and now a landscape consultant; fellow judges Andrew Legg and Steve Roberts; well known landscape designers and lecturers Robin Templar Williams and Jason Lock; RHS Associate of Honour, show judge and MD of Hillier Landscapes Richard Barnard; and John Melmoe, former Managing Director of multi award winning contractor Willerby Landscapes and Honorary Member of the Kew Guild. The Employer of the Year and Affiliate Exceptional Service awards were judged by the Chair of Yorkshire’s Food, Farming and Rural Network and a former Director of Lantra’s Skills Partnerships, Madge Moore; and former BALI National Chairman and current Chair of the BALI Chalk Fund, Peter Jennins OBE.

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As for every year’s scheme, all entries were visited by the judges and the Principal and Special Awards were presented on the day by the commercial sponsor of each category. The ceremony culminated in the announcement of the winner of the BALI Grand Award. This is awarded for the project that, above all the year’s Principal Award winning schemes, exemplifies outstanding professional landscaping. The 2017 project deemed by the judging panel to be the worthy Grand Award winner was One Tower Bridge by BALI Registered Contractor Maylim. This scheme won the Principal Award in the Hard Landscaping Construction (NonDomestic), cost over £1.5m category, sponsored by NatraTex by BituChem.

Thomas O’Mahony, Managing Director of Maylim, said: “We were so honoured

when One Tower Bridge won the Principal Award for its category but then, at the end of the ceremony, to be announced as the Grand Award winner… that was a really monumental moment for Maylim – we are all very proud. Together we are a solid team who are passionate about what we do and we work extremely hard to produce the finest quality projects for our clients and the communities surrounding them.

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One Tower Bridge was no exception and we are so proud that our work has been recognised by winning this prestigious award. It is a true testament to our hard work over the years and will drive us to push ourselves further to create the best and most innovative hard landscaping projects in London.”

Other Award winners were equally proud of their achievements and were keen to express their delight: Spruce Landscapes won the Principal Award for Domestic Garden Construction, cost between £30,000 and £60,000, sponsored by Hedges Direct, collected by husband and wife owners Kris and Jose Kennedy, and the Special Award: Best Newcomer to BALI, sponsored by Natural Paving Products, a member of the Talasey Group, for The Eco Garden. Kris was absolutely delighted to come away with two awards: “I am very excited about

our future in the industry and feel a great sense of achievement. We are very proud to be winners of both a Principal BALI Award and Best Newcomer. The BALI Awards were incredible, especially being surrounded by so many industry professionals who truly understand and value the work we do.”

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19 Bowles & Wyer left the ceremony with no less than three Principal Awards: Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic), cost under £300k, sponsored

by Ground Control, for St Peter’s College, Perrodo, Phase 1; Grounds Maintenance – Private, value under £50k, sponsored by John Chambers Wildflower Seed, for 18 Addison Avenue; and Green Roof Installations and Roof Gardens, sponsored by Green-tech, for Roof Terraces.

“Winning a fourth Principal Award is overwhelming, even more than the first one in 2006, and this joint submission is important because it exemplifies the excellent teamwork that is the hallmark of BALI award winners. James and I have worked on many gardens together, over many years. In Yorkshire we are often up against the belief that ‘London’ means best.

It’s good to show that there is talent and expertise outside the South East quadrant.

Thank you BALI for helping me to know it.”

John Wyer MBALI is no stranger to winning BALI Awards but he was still delighted his company had been so successful again this year: “I’m

James Bird said: “Winning the award

absolutely delighted to have six BALI National Awards and three Principal Awards; it’s such an honour to be given accolades like this by our peers. We are already well known for our design and contracting but I am pleased, in particular, for the recognition that has been given to our Horticulture & Aftercare team. Good gardening skills are not valued enough in our industry but for us it’s always been an integral part of the business. Jeff Stephenson has been with us for over twenty years and his knowledge and skills are unrivalled.

I’m delighted to see him get the recognition he deserves.”

BALI Registered Designer Chris Parsons of Hallam Garden Design and James Bird Landscapes won the Registered Designers and Registered Contractors Joint Submission category, sponsored by Easigrass, for Birch House, Sheffield. Chris said:

was not just a fantastic achievement for the team but for our designer/contractor collaboration. We’ve worked with Chris Parsons for many years and for this to have been recognised with a Principal Award is a great accolade.”

Landscapeplus won the Principal Award for Affiliate Exceptional Service sponsored by idverde UK. The Award was collected by Landscapeplus director Paul Willavoys. The judges cited the company’s professionalism and knowledge, evidenced by “an enviable cohort of extremely satisfied customers”.

Paul Willavoys said: “Winning the BALI

Principal Award for Affiliate Exceptional Service has meant so much to everyone at Landscapeplus. It is nice to be rewarded for the effort and dedication shown by the whole team as every enquiry is met with the same commitment throughout the business to make the customer service a positive experience. To be recognised by a leading trade association makes Landscapeplus very proud to be part of such a wonderful industry.”

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Talbot Farm Landscapes, based in Hilton, Derbyshire, won the Principal Award for the Regeneration Scheme over £500k category sponsored by Rigby Taylor Top Green for Hyde Park Parade Ground Reinstatement Works, and the Special Award: Best First Time Entrant. Company directors and brothers Sean and Mark Goodwin collected the awards.

Commenting on their awards, company director Sean Goodwin said: “Talbot

Farm Landscapes Ltd values the receipt of the Principal and Special Awards for one of our projects that sees us working to tight deadlines and very high standards. The benefit of this recognition from within our industry is second to none. It increases our company’s credibility and enables us to give the end user and customer confidence that we can deliver on time and on budget, without compromise.”

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41ST BALI NATIONAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

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1. The stage is set

The International Award, sponsored

by CED Stone Group, received yet more stunning entries this year and was won by Ecoland Planning and Design Corporation for Raycom Infotech Office Park Landscape Renovation Design (Plaza B). It was wonderful that representatives from Ecoland travelled from China to be part of the celebrations and they were undeniably delighted to win the award.

2. Park Lane entrance to The Great Room, Grosvenor House

The Special Award: Sensitive Land Restoration, which was presented by Thrive Chief Executive Kathryn Rossiter, was given to last year’s International Award winner, Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute for the incredible Landscape Renovation of Chaka Salt Lake, now a stunning ecological tourist destination.

They, too, were present to receive the award, demonstrating the esteem in which a BALI Award is held across the globe.

8. Gardening correspondent and former Writtle tutor Steve Bradley with Peter Jennins OBE, Chair of the BALI Chalk Fund

A charity collection made at the event raised £2,383, which is to be shared by the BALI Chalk Fund and Thrive, an industry charity that uses gardening to change lives.

3. BALI PR Manager and Editor, Landscape News, Denise Ewbank with Landscape House colleagues Ali Inskip and Meghan Badhani 4. The BALI Landscape House team 5. Top Student Morgan Brown (centre) with tutor Zephaniah Lindo (left) and BALI Chalk Fund Chairman Peter Jennins OBE 6. Wayne Grills delivering his speech 7. Awards host Steph McGovern

9. PC Landscapes 10. Awards judge Andy Legg and his wife 11. Going down to lunch 12. Spruce Landscapes receiving the Special Award: Best Newcomer to BALI 13. Nurture Landscapes receive the Employer Excellence Award – Turnover > £2.5m 14. Christine Parsons and James Bird (second from left) receiving the Registered Designers and Registered Contractors Joint Submission Award

15. Talbot Farm Landscapes won a Principal and Special Award for their Hyde Park Parade Ground reinstatement works 16. The Affiliate Exceptional Service Award was presented to Landscapeplus 17. Grand Award winners Maylim 18. Ecoland Planning and Design Corporation receiving the International Award 19. Garden Club London receiving the Special Award: Design & Build from British Sugar TOPSOIL’s Andy Spetch (left) 20. Guests take their seats 21. BALI Board member David Dodd, BALI National Chairman Paul Downer, and Immediate Past Chairman Bob Field 22. Whiting Landscapes 23. Green-tech Chairman Richard Kay (centre) with Nick Rudham (left) and Pritesh Patel from Wienerberger 24. BALI Board member Marian Boswall MBALI, EFIG Chairman Chris Jenkins, and BALI’s Operations Manager Kirsty Wood 25. PC Landscapes 26. Wayne Grills (centre) with Defra’s Professor Nicola Spence and AHDB’s Martin Emmett

A copy of the Awards brochure, containing all the winners on the day, is included with this edition of Landscape News. The deadline for entries for the 42nd BALI National Landscape Awards is Friday 18th May for BALI Full Contractor categories and Friday 27th July for all other categories, so start the process of deciding which of your current schemes are potential award winners and make sure you get your entries in. We look forward to celebrating with you at next year’s BALI National Landscape Awards!

32 BALI Landscape News | Winter 2017

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MEMBER BENEFITS

Latest BALI marketing campaigns in full swing At the beginning of November 2017 BALI launched two distinct sales campaigns; one targeting prospective BALI members and the second focusing on marketing the association and its Registered members’ services to the public.

Both campaigns are now in full swing and new membership enquiries are already coming through.

new Registered member who joins as a result of the promotion. It is anticipated that these incentives will help to raise BALI’s profile and generate more interest in the association.

The public campaign, sponsored by BALI Registered Affiliate Gabriel Ash, has generated requests for advice and support for garden design and landscaping services in and around London, the North West, Midlands and South West. Promoting a theme of ‘transforming places and creating new spaces’, it targets families and couples with high levels of disposable income, through a series of regular online and traditional advertisements.

New personal accident scheme from BALI Insure The BALI Insure team at Aston Scott have announced an employee benefit solution that is now available to BALI members. The scheme can be used to either complement or replace a member’s current employee sick pay scheme, or work as a brand new employee benefit.

Employers - why personal accident insurance?

• A strong employee benefits package could help with attracting top talented people and retaining key members of staff.

• A rewarded workforce is a productive workforce.

• It may help to reduce the number of minor injury claims made against your Employer’s Liability policy, which, when combined with legal fees, could be costly.

• Unlike Employer’s Liability insurance, there is no question of employer negligence so the employee can make a claim without initiating legal proceedings.

Trialling Euroflor wildflower mixes

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Both campaigns will be live until 31 March 2018. Visit findabalimember. co.uk for the public campaign and joinbaliandwin.co.uk for trade.

BALI Registered Affiliate Westminster Stone has sponsored the fivemonth trade campaign, which has also generated new leads for the association in its first four weeks.

It promotes some of the specialist membership benefits currently enjoyed by BALI’s Registered

Both campaigns revolve around an incentive-driven competition where ten £100 Amazon vouchers are up for grabs in the public campaign and a £1,000 holiday voucher for a

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members, enticing individuals and organisations to join BALI’s growing network. The campaign’s theme is ‘Succeed with BALI’ and aims to positively reinforce BALI’s position as the leading trade association for UK landscaping professionals.

• Knowing that an injured employee should be compensated, any potential sick pay can be reallocated to hire temporary labour and help ensure your business keeps going.

• Personal accident insurance is good value, with premiums starting at £200 for permanent total disablement and £395 to include weekly benefits (temporary total disablement), subject to terms and conditions and underwriting criteria – that’s just over £1 per day!

• Policies can be tailored to provide higher limits for higher earners and key people in the business, and there is no lengthy proposal form, just a short declaration.

• The policy will cover business activities associated with landscape industries, from tree surgery to fencing, with just one or two exceptions, i.e. road/roadside construction and maintenance.

These activities can, however, be referred by Aston Scott to their insurers on your behalf.

Winter 2017

• A 10% discount is offered to BALI members.

Employees – just some of the benefits available • Permanent and Temporary Total Disablement from your usual occupation – so you will not be expected to find another job different to your normal occupation • Temporary Total Disablement pays 75% of the Gross Weekly Wage up to a maximum of £1,000 per week, payable for up to 104 weeks.

• 24 hour cover – the policy will cover you whilst at work, for instance whilst using a chainsaw to fell a tree, and outside of your daily work activities, for instance scuba diving or skiing.

• The policy will also cover the vast majority of hobbies and interests outside of work, with the exception of those deemed higher risk such as mountaineering, aviation, motor competitions or professional sport.

For more information on the benefits and exclusions please contact Daniel Simmons at Aston Scott on 01883 868109 or email the BALI Insure team at Aston Scott on bali.insure@ astonscott.com

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DESIGNER FOCUS

DESIGNER FOCUS Marian Boswall’s design for Brede Place in East Sussex, a 14th century manor house

SGD Awards 2017 – finalists announced

Chosen by an independent judging panel drawn from experts across the industry, the projects represent some of the very best in garden design from right across the UK and abroad. The shortlisted projects in the three Residential Garden categories and in the International, Public & Communal Outdoor Space, Garden Jewel and Roof Garden categories have been entered into the People’s Choice Award, which opened for votes on 1st October via the SGD Awards website sgdawards.com. The same finalists will also be competing for the highly coveted Grand Award, which will be decided by the main judging panel.

Among the finalists are BALI Registered Designer and new BALI Board Director Marian Boswall MBALI MSGD for Brede Place; and James Scott MSGD of BALI Registered Contractor The Garden Company for West Meon and Willifield.

The full list of finalists, including Student finalists, is available on the SGD Awards website, with images of all the shortlisted projects in the main award categories.

BALI Landscape News

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A hospital garden for people with dementia, designed by a Writtle University College alumna Tamae Isomura, was opened at Broomfield Hospital, near Chelmsford in November.

for it to be part of reminiscence therapy for people with dementia, providing comfort by reminding them of their experience of woodland, particularly in childhood.”

Tamae, who graduated with a Masters in Garden Design from Writtle in 2012, designed the garden to evoke comforting childhood memories of woodland and NHS England has highlighted the project as best practice of dementia care as it provides people with a therapeutic environment.

Tamae worked with Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust as a Sustainability Project Coordinator, delivering community garden projects, a woodland conservation project, and other healing garden projects in the hospital grounds. Now working as a Landscape Architect for another organisation, she helped with the implementation of the garden project on a voluntary basis.

Tamae, who came from Japan to study at Writtle, explained: “The design is a ‘woodland memory garden’. The idea was

A shortlist of 33 finalists has been announced across 13 award categories in the Society of Garden Designers’ Awards 2017, including a sensory woodland garden at a children’s hospice, a public garden designed as a contemporary playscape at an Historic Royal Palace, and a roof garden on one of the largest roof terraces in London.

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Writtle University College alumna sees dementia garden opened

writtle.ac.uk

Provender Nurseries and Capel Manor College Student Design Award 2017 Garden design students at Capel Manor College’s Regent’s Park campus were set a tough task earlier this year – to redesign the planting on an area known as The Island, a popular part of Regent’s Park and a focal point for visitors.

The redesign project is part of an ongoing collaboration with BALI Affiliate member Provender Nurseries whereby garden design students redesign an allocated area using plants only to be found on Provender Nurseries’ website. Once completed each student gives a three minute presentation of their design and then answers questions about their plant choice for a further three minutes to Capel Manor design staff and Liz Hughes, Provender Nurseries’ Marketing Manager.

This year’s designs were judged by Liz and

by Mark Rowe, Assistant Park Manager of Regent’s Park.

27 designs were presented with some clever interpretations of The Island and inventive use of social media to promote the venue within Regent’s Park. The winning design ‘Light and Reflection’ by Tessa Parikian was selected because of her clever use of reflection in the water,

Winter 2017

adding another dimension to the overall planting scheme. The judges said that the design and plant choice showed ‘an excellent theme, excellent planting and excellent graphics’.

Tessa’s design proposal added structure and opened views across The Island, creating a lighter, airy feel. The plant choice gave a very long, seasonal interest with focal points throughout. Three Betula utilis var. ‘Jacquemontii’ stand sentinel with the winter sun catching the white bark, set against unfurling ferns, snowdrops and primulas in the spring.

Dierama, Rheum and Anemones provide height and structure through the later seasons. The use of Stachyrus chinensis ‘Celine’ and Euonymus alatus compactus showed an excellent choice of shrubs.

Tessa’s background in the creative arts and her lifelong experience of gardening and horticulture led to her decision to study garden design; she completed her course in November 2017. She was presented with a cheque for £250 by Provender Nurseries’ managing director Richard McKenna. provendernurseries.co.uk

EVENTS

2018 Events Calendar 18 January

The 2018 Party for Perennial, O’Neills, London W1 perennial.org.uk

19-21 June

Facilities Show, ExCeL, London facilitiesshow.com

23-25 January

BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), Harrogate Convention Centre btme.org.uk

22-24 June

RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

24 January

Palmstead Nurseries Soft Landscape Workshop 2018, Ashford, Kent palmstead.co.uk/events

2-8 July

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

9 February

ProLandscaper Business Awards East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf, London eljays44.com

28 February

The Garden Press Event, Business Design Centre, London gardenpressevent.co.uk

1-5 August

RHS Hyde Hall Flower Show, Chelmsford, Essex rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

6-8 March

Ecobuild, ExCeL, London ecobuild.co.uk

17-19 August

RHS Rosemoor Flower Show, Torrington, Devon rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

16 March

Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2018 gardenreleaf.co.uk

4-5 September

Four Oaks Trader Show, Macclesfield, Cheshire fouroaks-tradeshow.com

RHS Cardiff Flower Show, Bute Park, Cardiff rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

6 September

ScotHort, Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston scothort.com

Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition 2018 Final, Harrogate Spring Flower Show horticulture.org.uk

4-9 September

RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show, Nr Woking, Surrey rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

26-29 April

Harrogate Spring Flower Show, Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate flowershow.org.uk/spring-show-2018

10-12 September

GLEE, NEC Birmingham gleebirmingham.com

10-13 May

RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

18-19 September

Landscape, Battersea Park, London landscapeshow.co.uk

11-12 May

The Arb Show 2018, Westonbirt National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire trees.org.uk

29-30 September

Malvern Autumn Show, Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire threecounties.co.uk/malvernautumn/

22-26 May

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

7-8 November

SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham iogsaltex.com

RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, Chatsworth, Derbyshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

7 December

BALI National Landscape Awards, London baliawards.co.uk

13-15 April 28 April

6-10 June 14-17 June

18-22 July

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire rhs.org.uk/shows-events/

BBC Gardeners’ World Live, NEC, Birmingham bbcgardenersworldlive.com

Perennial’s York Gate Garden near Leeds. Photo: Ben Charles.

York Gate will hold its first ever snowdrop week 20-23 February 2018

Winter 2017

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BALI Landscape News

37

EVENTS 2017 Review BALI was heavily involved with this year’s FutureScape event at Sandown Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, in November. Over 80 per cent of companies exhibiting were BALI members and BALI’s own stand in the Surrey Hall was extremely busy throughout the event.

BALI’s Chief Executive, Wayne Grills, was also invited to take part in the View from the Top industry panel, which offered panellists and audience members the opportunity to participate in what is always a lively and fascinating debate. Wayne and BALI members The Outdoor Room, Gavin Jones, and Bowles & Wyer, along with Dr Alistair Griffiths from the RHS, championed the importance of raising the industry’s profile and explained how it was spearheading projects to help combat the skills shortage and build a sustainable workforce for the future, primarily through its GoLandscape initiative, which launched at FutureScape last year.

It was also fantastic to see ProLandscaper’s 30 under 30 individuals getting the recognition they deserve at an awards ceremony that preceded the View from the Top debate. BALI would

Another successful SALTEX For anyone in the market for a landscape, amenity or sports turfrelated product or service, SALTEX is a great place to engage with a wide range of manufacturers.

This year was no exception. A packed Birmingham NEC hosted manufacturers selling a particularly diverse range of products, reflecting the way in which the landscape and amenity industry is growing to meet consumer demand.

The growth in cordless, batterypowered equipment for the commercial market was noticeable, as were the number of manufacturers showcasing small and medium-sized tools, developed with

38

BALI Landscape News

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like to extend its congratulations to all this year’s entrants and winners.

BALI member speakers dominated the numerous seminars taking place throughout the day. Standout sessions included David Dodd of BALI Registered Contractor The Outdoor Room presenting ‘The Beauty is in the Build’, swiftly followed by Robert Crowder of BALI Registered Affiliate Crowder’s Nurseries, who took part in a panel about the ‘The Passion is in the Plants’. David Houghton of BALI Registered Contractor Kings Landscapes took part in ‘The Craft is in the Commercial’ alongside Ken White from BALI Registered Contractor Frosts Landscape Construction.

There were lots of enquiries for membership with the BALI stand having crowds up to two lines deep at certain times of the day, all wanting information on the association, member benefits and the services we offer. BALI members also had a good show with many rebooking their stand space for 2018. BALI was no exception, confirming with show organisers that it will return next year to support Eljays44 and its many BALI members who value the event the professional landscape market in mind. Visitor interest in smaller, hand-held tools was also evident.

Equipment for tackling slopes was well represented, including remotecontrolled machinery.

The event felt well attended with staff on the BALI stand noticing a particular surge in numbers between late morning and early afternoon. For BALI, SALTEX is a great opportunity to connect with existing and prospective members alike, all keen to develop their businesses with the association.

Winter 2017

BALI Affiliates Forum The autumn 2017 Affiliates Forum, held on 24th October at the stunning Veolia Sky Suite on banks of the Thames, was attended by over twenty BALI Affiliate members Following a welcome and introduction from Greentech’s Richard Kay, BALI Board Director responsible for the association’s Affiliate members, BALI’s Chief Executive Wayne Grills gave a presentation on the BALI GoLandscape initiative, which is gaining momentum.

Giovanna Kowalczuck Triballier, National Manager for Veolia’s ProGrow range of products, delivered a presentation on these quality organic soil and lawn conditioners, which are produced from composted green waste collected by Veolia through its waste management business.

The final presentation was given by Matt Nokes, Principal of Ground Control Design, part of Ground Control, who talked about how landscape architects and suppliers work together to create beautiful urban landscapes.

The Affiliates Forums, held in the spring and autumn, are a great opportunity for BALI’s supplier members to get together, network and discuss the issues that are specific to their role in the industry.

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PERENNIAL CHARITY

Fullers Mill Garden near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

PROTECTING A GARDEN LEGACY

By Laura Garnett, Senior Development Manager at Perennial Everyone at Perennial was greatly saddened by the death of Bernard Tickner, creator of Fullers Mill Garden, in November. Bernard entrusted his beloved Suffolk garden to Perennial five years ago, so that we would be able to care for it when he no longer could, making sure that the public would still be able to enjoy it.

Bernard had spent almost sixty years creating this enchanting garden on the banks of the River Lark near Bury St Edmunds. The seven-acre garden is a real plantsman’s paradise and crammed with evidence of Bernard’s lifelong love of plants, with more than 80 types of lily alone. A short time before his death he had been awarded an MBE for services to wildlife conservation and horticulture and also during 2017 he had published a book of his memoirs, A Scratch in the Soil. Bernard’s creation of Fullers Mill Garden and his subsequent gifting of it to Perennial will be his legacy for many generations to come.

Jim Buttress VMH, Perennial Trustee and good friend of Bernard, says: “I had the honour and privilege of becoming Chair of the Fullers Mill Garden Committee in 2013. Bernard was a gentleman through and through, it was so enjoyable to be in his company. He was very particular about his garden, which he had every right to be as it was his own. It gave

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BALI Landscape News

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Bernard Tickner, enjoying the garden that he created

Bernard tremendous pleasure that Perennial, a charity that looks after gardens and gardeners so well, were going to look after his.”

and that goes hand in hand with our responsibility to help conserve our horticultural heritage through the gardens we own.

Perennial is known for the charitable services it offers to help horticulturists, landscape professionals and people working across the industry when they are facing tough times. Perhaps less well known is Perennial’s role as a custodian of gardens that are open to the public. As well as Fullers Mill Garden we also own and manage York Gate Garden near Leeds and Sir Roy Strong has bequeathed The Laskett Gardens in Herefordshire to us.

Perennial is very grateful for Bernard’s generosity in bestowing Fullers Mill Garden into our care and for his strong support of Perennial. The garden is open to the public from April through to September. If you are interested in coming to have a look at Fullers Mill or York Gate for yourselves, there is an open invitation to BALI members to visit and find out more about how we work in partnership with companies, organisations and individuals across the trade.

Our gardens offer a way for us to raise our profile among the public, as well as delivering revenue that helps fund the vital services we offer to those in need. Our gardens also have a role in encouraging the next generation of horticulturists at grass-roots level through traineeships. We are committed to supporting everyone that works to create and maintain British gardens in their huge variety

Winter 2017

To make arrangements to visit one of our gardens and find out more about partnerships with Perennial, please contact: lgarnett@perennial.org.uk

A nationally renowned wholesale nursery offering the complete landscaping solution.

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No, it’s not a ‘resin’!

NatraTex is a range of beautiful, fully bound coloured asphalt surfacing used to enhance any landscape project, including public parks, schools, universities, retail, housing, commercial and large public realm projects.

NatraTex is supplied hot throughout England and Wales, and laid by surfacing contractors in exactly the same way as conventional macadam.

Our coloured asphalt is as versatile as it is good looking. Our team is on hand to help you choose the right product, whatever the scheme. We can assist you from the design stage of your project right through to when the NatraTex is laid.

NatraTex is good looking, cost effective and durable.

For more information, visit our website www.natratex.co.uk or call 01594 826768.

Got a scheme in mind? Call our Commercial Manager, Neil Robinson, on 07779 268631.

www.natratex.co.uk | 01594 826768 | mark@natratex.co.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Clearing fallen trees at a Dominican school

The DART International UK team and their invaluable Makita chainsaws

Makita UK supports stricken Caribbean Specialist disaster relief charity DART International UK, the response team of volunteer British arborists, has again deployed teams to the stricken Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which hit the region early in September. One of the most powerful and catastrophic Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded, it claimed many lives, destroyed homes, schools and hospitals, and accounted for a mass evacuation in the face of life threatening wind impact. And, just days later, Hurricane Maria followed in its wake.

Flying initially to Barbados, then directly on to mountainous Dominica, which was 90 per cent destroyed by the hurricanes, the DART team began a two-week relief mission, with a second team following a fortnight later.

“Getting to the scene promptly is essential to assist with the clearing of fallen trees on roads and the repair of other vital infrastructure” explained Jenny Long, a volunteer and wife of a DART member. “This is an immediate priority which allows rescue organisations and aid agencies to operate more safely and effectively.”

“Local community leaders and volunteers really value the service our teams deliver but, more importantly, they’ve demonstrated an appetite for learning the skills themselves.

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BALI Landscape News

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From previous deployments we learned that by delivering training and donating essential items such as chainsaws, timber milling equipment and personal protective equipment, we could help rebuild livelihoods and make some of the most vulnerable communities in the world more resilient to future disasters. The situation in the Caribbean is exactly what we are trained to deal with.”

DART responders are all professionally qualified and experienced arborists who also bring a wealth of additional skills. Volunteers include paramedics, trainers, engineers and former military personnel offering skills that are very relevant to the complex challenges of helping communities to recover from a natural disaster. BALI Registered Affiliate Makita UK, a main sponsor of

Winter 2017

the charity, says: “DART personnel are fully equipped with Makita chainsaws that are robust enough to cope with the challenges they have to face during these critical times and wherever they are assisting in the world.”

Before DART returned to the UK they carried out a 4-day programme of chainsaw and clearance training for 18 members of the Dominican Fire Department using equipment donated by sponsors Makita UK and PPE by Fletcher Stewart Stein. Makita UK agreed to DART’s request to donate the chainsaws to the local community when they left Dominica.

During this training the fire fighters experienced the assembly of saws, fuel mixing, safety features, work positioning, risk assessment, basic cross cutting, tension and compression.

For more information about DART International UK visit dartinternational.co.uk and to donate to the charity please visit their Just Giving page justgiving.com/ dartinternationaluk/donate. makitauk.com

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route

Johnson’s of Whixley wins major Scottish highways contracts Chairman receives inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

BALI Registered Affiliate Johnsons of Whixley is supplying close to one million trees to a major highways infrastructure project in Scotland. A series of contracts will see the nursery supply a mixture of mature trees, feathered trees, bare root and container grown native plants, as part of the construction of the new Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Johnsons will supply 100% of the trees to the Northern and Southern sections and 70% of the trees being planted as part of the Central section. The project - one of the largest infrastructure projects in Scotland and part of Transport Scotland’s commitment to improving travel in the north east of the country – is being delivered by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, and in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

Johnsons is also working with Transport Scotland on the Forth Replacement Crossing project. The six-year contract to supply approximately half a million native trees, hedging and larger

specimen trees concludes in 2018. This project has been planted predominantly

by William Houston Landscapes and BALI Registered Contractor Ashlea Ltd. Johnsons of Whixley’s joint managing director, Iain Richardson, said: “We have a great relationship with Transport Scotland that is built upon our ability to meet exacting specification and timescales, and our understanding of local environments.

“Following our prominent involvement in the Forth Replacement Crossing Project, we’re proud to be a part of another significant infrastructural development in Scotland.”

John Richardson, Chairman of North Yorkshire-based Johnsons of Whixley, is one of the first recipients of The Yorkshire Post Rural Excellence Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the honour at the inaugural awards ceremony, held at the Pavilions of Harrogate at the Great Yorkshire Showground in October.

John Richardson with his lifetime achievement award

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07/11/2017 11:35

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Something fishy going on?

The landscaping of the outside of the historic Fishmongers’ Hall, situated immediately adjacent to London Bridge on the north bank of the River Thames, was commissioned by the City of London Corporation and their nominated architects Carden & Godfrey. Together they approached BALI Registered Affiliate Metalcraft to design, manufacture and erect new metalwork to complement the area.

With over 50 years’ experience of sympathetically restoring or renewing metalwork in and around many of London’s historic squares and important landmarks, Metalcraft was the natural choice and partner to successfully interpret and execute the brief.

The Fishmongers’ Company is one of the twelve great livery companies of the City of London and among the most ancient of the City Guilds, having been established for over 700 years.

The original hall was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, rebuilt twice and then devastated by bombing in World War II. It was restored to its former glory and is now one of London’s riverside landmarks.

Carden & Godfrey had already produced architect’s drawings showing railings

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BALI Landscape News

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on top of the Thames river wall, a balustrade running along one side of a new ramp and up adjacent stairs, and a pair of gates at the top of the stairs.

To reflect the unique history of the building there was a requirement to incorporate some fish features in the design of the metalwork.

The architects designed the main balustrade posts with a fish scale texture, and the main gate support posts with large fish finials (not fish fingers). To ensure that safety and function were also addressed the balustrading was designed to meet crowd loading of 3.0 kN/m and, in addition, there was a requirement that it should be demountable so that it could be manually removed off site when necessary.

Winter 2017

These design conditions would require the attention of Metalcraft’s innovative and creative in-house surveying and design team who commenced work by producing ‘scale’ drawings of each element of the metalwork. The team decided to manufacture the main posts and feature finials in cast iron in keeping with traditional methods of manufacture and materials of the time. The handrail to the balustrade was also a unique shape and this was produced in cast iron to allow for the intricate design. All other elements were manufactured in mild steel.

A great deal of care was given to the fixing detail of the main posts into the ground, both to resist the required design loading and to ensure that the flexibility required to allow the balustrade to be demountable did not compromise safety or aesthetics. CAD fabrication drawings were sent to the client and architect for approval prior to the fabrication commencing.

Traditional methods were used in the production process, which included the hand carving of patterns in wood

by Metalcraft’s experienced artesian pattern makers before being cast in iron at the Metalcraft foundry.

Every step of the manufacture was carefully monitored by skilled Metalcraft fabricators at their factory in North London. A specialist team of Metalcraft installers, in conjunction with groundwork contractor J Riney, was charged with the task of delivering and fitting the metalwork with speed and precision and with minimum disruption to the busy thoroughfare. metalcraft.london

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Mobilane’s biggest UK WallPlanter The architecture in Bracknell town centre has long been plagued by its post-war dull, bland, grey reputation. With very little large scale development since the 1950s, the area was screaming out for investment and for an injection of life and love that the shopping experience now brings. The resulting one million square foot retail park, developed over the last three years at a cost of £240 million, was officially opened on 7 September 2017.

A central focal point is an 800 metre expanse of Mobilane WallPlanter. This has created a stunning tapestry along the car park and walkways, providing beauty

and function and shielding an otherwise bland car park façade; it also allows unhindered ventilation.

Guiding shoppers along the retail park’s thoroughfare is a 200 metre LivePanel, constructed of stainless steel troughs and

planted with Mobilane Green Screens, offering an additional natural aspect within the confines of a shopping mall, peppered with semi-mature trees. This continues the green commitment around the centre and along The Avenue, the main thoroughfare within the shopping zone. The LivePanel feature is a superb accompaniment to the WallPlanter and runs alongside the new Marks and Spencer store, opened in July 2017. mobilane.co.uk

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PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Pitch perfect

Two new specialist paints have been announced by BALI Registered Affiliate Rigby Taylor for marking lines on multi-use pitches and training grids where rapid changeover of sports is needed and existing lines and stencils have to be covered up. Both will conceal pitch line markings and stencilled logos.

Wipe-Out paints deliver a bright white or vibrant colour line that lasts as long as conditions remain dry but is easily removed with water - making them ideal for rapid changeover between sports with different line markings. Two formulations are available: Wipe-Out G for use on natural grass; and Wipe-Out S for synthetic surfaces.

Wipe-Out G is applied through a spray or transfer wheel marker, or can be applied with a brush or roller for stencilled logos. The paint is simply removed with a pressure washer or hose with a soft brush attachment.

Wipe-Out S is applied as a spray. It is not water soluble but is removed using Duraline dissolving solution.

Introducing NatraTex Cotswold and NatraTex Colour BituChem Asphalt is the UK’s largest independent, dedicated coloured asphalt manufacturer and sole supplier of NatraTex - a vibrant colourful range of versatile fully-bound asphalt products.

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NatraTex Cotswold used to differentiate between parking bays and right of way at Yate Retail Park.

with the Institute of

Groundmanship

www.bstopsoil.co.uk topsoil@britishsugar. com @Topsoil_BS

BALI Registered Affiliate British Sugar TOPSOIL has published a second ‘Essential Guide’, complementing its popular Essential Guide to Topsoil.

Produced in association with the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), The Essential Guide to Top Dressing is full of invaluable information for anyone managing sports turf or ornamental lawns.

British Sugar TOPSOIL launched Sports & Turf, its top dressing for soil-based winter sports pitches, golf approaches and lawns, in 2016. This highly cost-effective means of carrying out regular turf management all year round is an 80/20 blend of coarse to medium sub-angular sand with BS3882:2015-accredited topsoil.

• A durable and cost-effective alternative to resin bound surfacing • Attractive coloured surfacing • Low maintenance • Offers significant programme efficiencies

46 BALI Landscape News | Winter 2017

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New top dressing guide available FREE

NatraTex Cotswold is perfect for highways, footpaths, cycle ways, playgrounds or domestic use. Some of the benefits include:

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essential guide to Top Dressing

NatraTex Cotswold is a highly versatile surfacing product, which can be used as a direct replacement for a conventional black asphalt surface course and is a cost-effective alternative to resin bound/bonded products.

With similar characteristics to conventional macadam, NatraTex is installed at the same depth and with the same sub layers (base and binder course). It is manufactured hot at BituChem Asphalt’s Gloucestershire works and supplied to surfacing contractors throughout England and Wales.

Manufactured in the same way as NatraTex Cotswold, but using a complimentary coloured aggregate and a greater use of pigment, NatraTex Colour provides a bold and lively colour scheme, giving the option of coloured paving that would make a great addition to any decorative landscaping.

This multipurpose surfacing material is cost effective and perfect for demarcating bus lanes, cycle paths, parking areas, and for use in a multi-use games area or children’s playground.

Also new from Rigby Taylor is GreenOut, a paint that covers up existing lines or stencils through an advanced technology green paint available in both an Impact Ready-to-Use formulation or as a Duraline Dilutable Concentrate. Unlike traditional green paint being used for this purpose, Green-Out blends in better with the natural grass surfaces. All products are available in 10-litre packs.

NatraTex Colour used to brighten a preparatory school in Edgbaston, Birmingham

Recent extensive replicated trials undertaken by STRI have shown that Sports & Turf integrates well into the sward and provides nutritional benefit, enabling grounds professionals to treat worn or compacted pitches and lawns with a regular top dressing routine, improving drainage, reducing thatch, and encouraging re-growth. For further information on Sports & Turf, or to obtain your FREE copy of The Essential guide to Top Dressing, visit bstopsoil.co.uk

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The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS Telephone: 01322 662315 Web: www.provendernurseries.co.uk

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Aubrilam lights up the Connswater Community Greenway New BALI Registered Affiliate Aubrilam is a manufacturer of landscape and lighting solutions for outdoor spaces. Established in 1979 and based in Clermont–Ferrand in the Auvergne area of central France, the company specialises in lighting poles, columns and bollards; urban furniture; shelters and shade shelters; and terrace equipment for restaurants.

Aubrilam products are designed and manufactured to be put up in all types of environment and subject to every climatic condition, even the most extreme such as aired zones, cyclonic areas, along seafronts or in mountainous areas.

From the design phase to choosing where the materials come from, the production, or indeed the colours, the

whole company works in a sustainable, certified manner in order to ensure that it meets environmental obligations.

Aubrilam’s customers are present in a wide variety of sectors, including local authorities, property developers, real estate investors, restaurant chains, motorway service areas, leisure centres and retailers all around the world.

Connswater Community Greenway is a visionary urban regeneration project that is transforming east Belfast by combining improved flood protection with the creation of public spaces and pedestrian and cycle routes that connect communities. The 9 km linear park follows the course of the Connswater, Knock and Loop Rivers to the east of the city.

Aubrilam is proud to be involved with Connswater Greenway and CS Lewis Square. The company supplied over 220 Geo luminaires mounted on Aubrilam Dome XL and Selia XL 6m and 8m timber columns, with timber brackets – a sympathetic solution for a landscape environment. The Aubrilam timber columns have CE marking, which is proof of their conformity to CUAP (Certificate 0679-CPD-0473).

The Connswater Community Greenway regeneration project has delivered a significant upgrade to the quality, safety and vibrancy of east Belfast and Aubrilam has played its part in achieving the vision.

Images courtesy of Connswater Community Greenway

48 BALI Landscape News | Winter 2017

PRODUCT & AFFILIATE NEWS

Kubota at BTME BALI Registered Affiliate Kubota will be showcasing a number of new and enhanced machinery ranges at BTME 2018 (BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition), which takes place at Harrogate Convention Centre from 23-25 January.

On display on stand number M22 is the new ZD1211. Equipped with a three-blade, 140 mm deep deck, it is available with a rear discharge system and optional mulching kit, ideal for use in golf course rough and around trees. Kubota’s unique baffling system significantly improves mulching performance by increasing airflow to create uniformed and neat swathes of clippings. For improved and consistent cutting, operators can choose between oscillating or rigid front axles modes, dependant on mowing conditions.

The ZD1211 is powered by a three-cylinder Kubota 18.5kw diesel engine and features an HST transmission for smoother responses, even in the toughest conditions. Its 49-litre fuel tank, combined with its low fuel consumption, offers enhanced performance, cutting down the time expenditures usually necessary for fuelling.

Operator comfort is another key feature of this machine. Adjustable operating levers, thicker platform mat, deluxe high back suspension seat and elevated backrest/armrests ensure

WINTER

SALE Up To

greater productivity whilst minimising fatigue.

Visitors to the Kubota stand will also get the opportunity to see the new B2 Series compact tractors, featuring the company’s unique bi-speed turn innovation to provide operators with a much tighter turning circle, advanced manoeuvrability and reduced turf damage. Kubota’s current extensive range of front, walk behind and ride-on mowers, as well as an RTV-X900 utility vehicle, will also be on display Adrian Langmead, Business Development Manager for Kubota UK’s Groundcare Division, said: “BTME provides Kubota with the ideal platform to not only showcase its innovative groundcare product range but also the excellent aftersales proposition on offer through its extensive UK dealer network. With a team of Kubota industry experts on hand to discuss product technology, Kubota Finance packages and aftersales support and advice, turf professionals visiting the stand can be confident that all their requirements will be satisfied.” kubota.co.uk

Take Advantage of Our Low Winter Prices

57% OFF

Trade Accounts Available High Quality Products Unbeatable Prices Free Technical Advice Huge Stock Levels

Shop Online or Call our friendly sales team

www.artificialgrass-direct.com

0845 322 8140 Visit website

G ISH R

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Market Leaders in Field Grown Trees & Container Plants

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Wyevale Nurseries Ltd, Wyevale Way, Kings Acre, Hereford HR4 7AY Tel: 01432 845200 Fax: 01432 845227 Email: enquiries@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk

www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk Visit website BALI advert-91x135.0117.indd 1

27/01/2017 12:49

Flowpoint ECO Environmentally friendly flowable grout

Boost your sustainability credentials • Contains 20% recycled materials • Reduce your consumption of virgin aggregates • Ideal for schemes looking to achieve a CEEQUAL award • Improve your BREEAM rating

For more information call 01827 254402 or email ultrascape@instarmac.co.uk

The Talasey Group (Ltd) is the UK’s leading independent supplier of landscaping solutions We provide: • Natural Paving Products natural stone landscaping materials; • Vitripiazza Italian porcelain; • Luxigraze artificial grass and accessories; • Baksteen Dutch clay pavers; • Resiscape resin bound aggregates and; • Pavetuf landscaping installation, maintenance and cleaning products.

New 2018 brochure out January!

Pre-order your free copy today.

Proud to be a BALI award winner!

Call 0330 333 8030 or email info@talasey.co.uk for more information and to pre-order your 2018 Talasey brochure. www.talasey.co.uk

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ultrascape.co.uk

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Smarter working, made more affordable.

BX2350 / B50 SERIES / L40-II SERIES COMPACT TRACTORS

0

% £177

OR

FROM

APR

OR LOW RATE FINANCE

PER MONTH

Don’t miss out this winter on a choice of 0% and low interest finance options available on BX2350, B50 series and L40-II series compact tractors.

Business users only, terms and conditions apply*

2 + 22 PYMT

2 MONTHS DEPOSIT + INTEREST FREE FOR 22 MONTHS

3 + 33 PYMT

3 MONTHS DEPOSIT + LOW INTEREST 0.49% p.a. FOR 33 MONTHS

Hurry. Limited stock available! www.kubota.co.uk

ROBUST AND VERSATILE Kubota’s range of compact tractors delivers exceptional power output, a host of performance enhancing features and unrivalled reliability - for consistent, economic performance all year round.

T: 01844 873190

*Finance for business purposes only: 0% offer available on the 2+22 payment profile. A low rate offer of 0.49% is available on the 3+33 payment profile. Subject to acceptance and affordability checks. Applicant must be 18 or over. Promotion valid until 31 December 2017. Available on new equipment only. The offer is subject to a maximum balance to finance of 60% (based on RRP). Minimum deposit 10% (plus VAT) required. The finance product offered under this promotion is hire purchase and finance lease. For hire purchase, first payment, full VAT and a documentation fee of £100 are all due on signing. An option-to-purchase fee of £100 plus VAT will be collected with the final payment. You will own the machine when all payments have been made. For finance lease, VAT is due with each rental payment and you will not own the equipment at the end of the agreement. A documentation fee of £100 plus VAT will be collected with the first rental. Terms and conditions apply. Annual admin fee of £40 plus VAT. Images are for illustrative purposes only. Finance provided by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Limited, Northern Cross, Basingstoke RG21 4HL. Registered in England No. 901225. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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